the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

Krzysztof Glowacki UD12 Steve Cunningham

Cunningham probably wins the first, but he's under-jabbing. Glowacki is counter-punching nicely though, a fore-shadowing of the KD he scored in round 2, when Cunningham over-reached. He got him with a one-two and then another one as soon as action was rejoined; two KD's in this round. Glowacki then throws him to the canvas, showing real strength against a big man. Cunningham is getting handled; impressive.

Glowacki is happy to wait for his chance but when he fires he goes, throwing very hard punches when the combat is joined. Prior, he likes to keep his weight on the backfoot while in range or close to it and try to bait punches for him to counter. He's more thinking than he gets credit for IMO. He could have just put his pedal to the metal. The short right for the first KD was beautiful, all through the chin.

I think Cunningham rallied to take the third. He's done well to recover. Glowacki is ready to surge without a countering opportunity, though, when he's not finding those opportunities. The fourth is another close round; Glowacki is trying to keep the fire in the fight but it's clever, it's done with footwork, he's keeping close, he's waiting, applying a sort of recessive pressure. Cunningham probably takes it with a nice right to the head on 20 and a nice right to the body just after that - so I have it even after four.

Cunningham takes the fifth to take the lead, and he's doing it with a cautious aggresion of his own. He's not over-working, over-throwing or trying too hard, it's pretty intelligent stuff actually. That said, he's been missing a fair bit and that will take the usual toll; I have it all square after six.

Glowack is available to the torso, but also, unfortunately for Cunningham, hard as nails. These punches really don't seem to phase him and he won the body-punching war with Huck. Still, these are points-gathering punches he's landing. If Cunningham were more organised he'd be running away with this on my card.

Strong start to the ninth for Cunningham, BUT he's been drawn into a firefight, very much Glowacki's fight. Glowacki draws a "hard warning" for hitting on the break early in the round, point off if he has another infringement supposedly. This fight feels right in the balance illustrated by the right hand Cunningham lands at exactly the same time as he takes a right uppercut to the pit of the stomach. Glowacki comes square and lands a nice left-hook as they pass each other, nice punch and probably the difference in this round.

I have to say, Cunningham is making the fight. Glowacki is far too happy to wait on this guy. A counter-right forearm drops an aggressive, winning Cunningham in tenth though and that probably ties it up for the Pole. That's hard for Cunnigham who lands three hard punches to the body and a good punch upstairs to otherwise win the round. Glowacki was really hurt with that bodypunch. More good bodywork in the eleventh sets up what is a crucial twelfth for me, and it's a messy one, both guys tired, both guys fighting like they need the round but it's Glowacki who lands the crucial punch, another cracking right hand drive through the target for the KD; that makes for a possible three point swing.

Not for the last time, chin makes the difference.

GLOWACKI:2**,6,8,9,10*,12*
CUNNINGHAM:1,3,4,5,7,11,

114-111 for Glowacki.

*KD for Glowacki.

 

Shane Mosley UD12 Philip Holiday

Mosley was a young man once. Fast and sure, too. He's less stuttering at lightweight I think, despite the fact that he was squeezed down into 135lb version of himself.

Hitting hard in the first, looking for the body, Holiday staying tight and moving in. He's body-punching like a veteran actually, very alive to those opportunities. A bit stiff sometimes but he knows where that right-hand counter is.

Holiday's corner seem to be putting a lot of stock in the idea that Mosley will tire based upon the hard punches he's throwing; i'd say it's more likely that Holiday will get tired because of the hard punches Mosley is throwing. It's not like Mosley is swarming, he's countering and then leading with the occasional single shot is all.

Mosley's winning this fight with the left hand and the occasional right uppercut. Too fast. Holiday, a volume puncher, just isn't getting the work in. Mosley has actually out-working him by compubox at the half way point for a 5-1 lead on my card. He looks a little tired in the seventh and eighth though, but he's done the damage to Holiday's tank early; the South African just doesn't have quite enough to get the job done.

Very mature body-attack from Mosley brings him a clean (but dirty) 9-3 win on my card.

MOSLEY:1,2,3,4,6,9,10,11,12.
HOLIDAY:5,7,8.

 

Floyd Mayweather Jnr. UD12 Jose Luis Castillo I

Funny to see Mayweather start a fight this aggressively. He's propelling in with that straight left, almost like the old-fashioned "fencing-jab" from way back when, comfortable bringing the right hand over the top in the first few seconds. Good strategy though if you're physically capable, it prevents Castillo building up the head of steam.

He throws a nice counter off the ropes in the second and makes Castillo look a weight-division slower a couple of times. Good jabs, fast hands. In fact, Mayweather wins the third with almost the jab alone. Everything under control.

Weird that it's such a high temp with a small output. I think Mayweather hasn't really explored economy yet and is making unnecessary moves, carrying Castillo with him. He has that energy though, wonderful engine. But in the fourth...I thought Floyd just about shaded it. Only barely. He's nicking it on generalship, getting closer and closer and it makes for an indeterminate round. A nice right uppercut at the end of the fourth may even have done it for him, though I scored it for Floyd.

Castillo is making Mayweather work very hard for his pressure, lots of steps, lots of misses, while he bounces away looking untroubled. He's also landed the best punches through 90 seconds. Through the second sixty, Castillo catches Mayweather with a couple of nice body-punches. But on twelve seconds, Mayweather lands a great one two - Castillo comes back with a good right hand on the ropes. Agony to score, that one. I'll give it to Castillo, he landed a little more leather, but that's an even round.

Mayweather has become static, in his way. He's not throwing on the ropes, he's just trying to spin out. So it's become a question of whether or not Castillo can drive him to the ropes without the toll being too high, and because Mayweather is edging away rather than edging away and bringing Castillo onto his punches, he's being outworked. Castillo is pretty disciplined, although he landed a low one in six, in the seventh, Mayweather draws two seperate warnings for following through with his punches, landing something else. Moment of panic for Myaweather on the ropes when Castillo catches him there to body and head. He almost froze, I think.

Castillo opens the eighth with a body attack, then waits. He's even landing jabs...seems in no hurry. He has been working hard, maybe he feels he has some points in the bank from the first seconds of this round, now lets see. Prodding Mayweather when Mayweather goes back. But Mayweather is using this quiet period to re-establish that jab. Castillo wipes it out with a right hand to the body. This is an important round. It's Mayweather trying to establish himself in this new reality, whether it's a resurgent Castillo or Mayweather's injured shoulder - and I think Corrales just about nicks it - then losses a point for hitting on the break. He was warned about that earlier but it felt a tiny bit arbitrary. A tiny bit. I don't like the deduction that much. But it's not awful either. Even round.

Mayweather looks more aggressive in the ninth but Castillo isn't buying. Larry Merchant has a conniption fit about the officious referee. He has a point. Anther horrible round to call. I'll give it to Castillo on the aggression. All square after nine, a very good fight.

Where are the Mayweather rounds going to come from?

Well, two good right hands, three, are a fine start. A left hook is a nice follow up. Floyd has him where he wants him, in the middle, taking shots. But Castillo is just menacing, not marching in, floating in almost regardless of what Floyd does. He buys two inches with every half step and Mayweather doesn't know whether to stick or twist. Mayweather though, jabs tot he body, jabs to the head, doesn't run, dips an slides on the ropes, finds punches of his own. This is a Maywather round, but Castillo is the general. Dunno if he should be punching him in the back though Floyd has a point deduction in store for Floyd in the closing seconds though, for following through with the elbows. So still all even!

Floyd scores a good left hook on the run after Castillo lands some good body shots opening up. Casstillo gets back to the bodywork ring-centre while Mayweather stands doing nothing. It's a handy lead for Castillo in this round. Will he gas? Very good left right from Floyd. Very good right hand to the torso. Castillo is tired. Mayweather is finding punches. Castillo lands a meaty uppercut, Floyd lands a three punch combo...great from Maywather, boxing inside against Castillo with ten seconds left i cant' score it. Mayweather lands an uppercut, Castillo lands two body blows and a half landed uppercut at the bell - Castillo's round by the proverbial **** hair

Last round, best that Floyd can do is a draw on my card, if he wins this round, which would be his first since the fourth. Couple of good jabs by Floyd, Castillo looks a little wild. Castillo lands two low blows. Mayweather doing some nice work with the left hand as Castillo coems in. Castillo needs to get back to the body. I like Mayweather so far, but he's held a couple of times, might be knackered. There, bodyattack from Castillo and he's immediately scoring points. Castillo outworking him down the stretch, he's missing a lot but Floyd's doing nothing. It's close in the last ten seconds. They land one each...i'm giving it to Castillo.

Mayweather:1,2,3,4,
Castillo:5,6,7,9,11,12,
Even:8*,10**.

*Point off for Castillo, hitting on the break.
** Point off for Floyd for elbows.

6-4-2 Castillo, 116-114 or 114-112 depending on how you feel about ten point must.

Despite the punchstats (heavily weighed towards Castillo) I don't really have a problem with the outcome though. There was a lot of very very close boxing here. The judges scorecards were dog****, but a narrow Floyd win would have been ok.

 

Floyd Mayweather Jnr. UD12 Jose Luis Castillo

They're just prodding each other in the first. Castillo is waiting. He lost the first third of the fight big last time, but if the pattern the first time wasn't about Floyd's alleged shoulder injury, then it was about the toll Castillo took throughout the fight. He needs to work. Nice double left in closing seconds of the round from Floyd, a hook-jab, Castillo roughs him up a bit along the ropes. But it's a nothing round.

Opens with the hook-jab combo this time. Floyd looks great, poised. When Castillo drops his head to bull, Floyd throws the hook; he is looking to coutner with the right and lead with the left to the bdoy. A distinct, clean fight-plan that the opponent then has to try to muss up. This is how you reclaim generalship. Consummate.

Castillo can't win rounds where he's outlanded; impossible. So he needs to work. Problematically, Floyd's right hand counter is dialled. Not to be unkind, but this looks a lot like sparring Mayweather would do in preperation for Castillo - he is unstretched in a way he wasn't even in the opening rounds of the first fight. Third was closer though.

And the fourth closer still...i think i'll give it to Castillo. He clubbed Mayweather a bit, roughed him up inside to the body and landed a couple of hard right hands. I thought he edged the fifth, too, with two sharp counters near the bell. Close rounds, not exciting, but closer than the first three. So suddenly it's close on my card.

Floyd opens sharply in the sixth thoughand I thought he took it, close. Castillo wins the seventh though, hitting hard over the top in the final seconds. I feel if he could string a couple together he could turn it around. Mayweather jabs and hooks his way to the eighth, augmented by nice right hands, however.

Interesting to see Mayweather try the uppercut from outside in the ninth. That became such an important punch inside for him later in his career. Castillo does the better work in the first 90 seconds though. Mayweather chisles his way back into it though - i'll give it to Castillo. 5-4 Mayweather after nine.

Nothing tenth won by a parade of straight right hand leads in the final 20 seconds. That means Castillo is only going to get a draw on my card if he wins the last two rounds.

Ah, lovely from Mayweather, lovely variety in the eleventh, gorgeous stuff, lead rights, counter uppercut, wonderful footwork, it's all on show. The twelfth is more arguable, but I have it to Castillo based upon the left hook near the end.

Mayweather:1,2,3,6,8,10,11.
Castillo:4,5,7,9, 12.

115-113 Mayweather.

 

Julio Cesar Chavez TD11 Jose Luis Ramirez

Good punches exchanged in the opening round. Chavez is finding Ramirez readily with the right. A double-right-hand looked a bit sickening actually. Horrible to think of nine more rounds of this. Chavez looks relaxed, happy to wait, he's boxing very differently from how he did against Rosario. Chavez looks languid, loose, relaxed but it suits him less maybe, he gets caught with a couple of hard punches in the second round. Ramirez is busy, fighting in surges, having patchy success, Chavez meanwhile is absolutely consistent and he just taps away. The third is a desperately close round that could easily be scored for Ramirez, but I thought Chavez did enough to take the round with the consistency (Kevin Rooney in commentary, disagrees with me).

A beautiful counter-right hand in the fourth nearly drops Ramirez, will it make Ramirez shy about firing bodyshots? Three consecutive right hands on 30 seconds remaining, Jaysus...Chavez is throwing his Sunday punches. But Ramirez is still throwing good blows.

That said, this has nothing of the "close" about it that the commentary team are trying to sell. Chavez's economy is insane, he's wasting almost nothing while Ramirez has to work like a dog for every tiny success. I have it 4-1 Chavez after five, Rooney has it 3-2 Ramirez.

Rooney's incessant calls for Chavez to "open up more" is a total misunderstanding of his style IMO. He's drip-drip-dripping his way to Ramirez's destruction, he's pouring on the same amount almost regardless of the opponent and his actions. It's pretty terrifying. Seventh round is almost embarrassingly one-sided. Ramirez corner are saying Chavez is "tired". But he's done - half, a third? - of the work Ramirez has. I wonder if Chavez could have got him in the last two.

Chavez has boxed masterfurly here. He's making space for his right-hand with footwork, he's organising Ramirez, for the most part, in the ring, his right hand was a curious punch early now it's dialled in. Horrible.

At the opening of the 11th, a head-clash calls for the fight to go to the cards and a technical decision. The WBC's bizarre (I think now defunct) rule about head-clashes and the uninjured party being docked a point even when it's an accident wasn't relevant to say the least.

Ramirez:2,10.
Chavez:1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9.

So I have it 8-2 Chavez, dominant, brilliant performance. Not close.