the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

Fight 22: Benitez v Duran

1: 10-9
2: 9-10
3: 10-9
4: 10-9
5: 10-9
6: 9-10
7: 9-10
8: 10-9
9: 9-10
10: 10-9
11: 10-9
12: 10-9
13: 10-9
14: 10-9
15: 10-9

146-139

Always has me in two minds this fight. Obviously Duran was slipping at this point but motivationally speaking this was his ticket to a rubber with Leonard and he went on to box the ears off Hagler for 6 rounds.

Not just that, for every bit of untrained Duran was, Benitez was worse. He might just be the worst trained atg in history.

The problem here for Duran at this point is Benitez is bigger, quicker and stronger. Duran is trying to outbox him but doesn't have that same ferocity on his punches he always had.

Duran wins a small handful of rounds when he's able to back Benitez up and pressure him to the ropes. The issue is he isn't able to fight at this pace for the full fight and whenever he tries to box punch for punch he comes out second best.

This Duran is an excellent boxer still but against a quick athletic opponent he will greatly struggle. That ferocity he had against Leonard and De Jesus is gone. His pace is reduced and if a back foot boxer is able to beat him to the punch, I don't think he's got the fire to do what needs to be done.

That being said, I strongly believe this Duran is the best man Benitez ever beat. This version of Duran beats Palomino and Cervantes without doubt.

 

Fight 23: Zapata v Chang

1: 9-10
2: 9-10
3: tko

The first fight was a brilliant battle but since that Zapata had some issues with his training and personal life.

Chang proved if you're anything less than 100% he will destroy you.

That's what happened here. He just kept punching until the ill prepared Zapata folded and wilted.

 

Fight 24: Perez v Yaoita

The highlight footage of this rematch is bizarre. Filmed from really strange angles which made it difficult to follow the flow of the fight sometimes.

The fight starts off cautiously with Yaoita enjoying a hand speed advantage and Perez trying to pick off punch for punch. Very difficult to say but the knockdown looked like a headbutt to me.

As the rounds wore on Perez went up a gear and started walking Yaoita down, backing him up with the jab and lashing hard hooks in wherever possible.

Despite the strange camerawork and the Japanese commentary the stoppage still seemed pretty inevitable and Perez just destroyed him.

I find it hard to discuss flyweights without discussing Gonzalez. Perez is without doubt one of the greatest we've ever had. But is he a greater flyweight than Gonzalez?

Stylistically they seem similar based of the fights I've seen of theirs. Obviously I've seen a lot more of Gonzalez though and against a wider variety of opposition.

 

Fight 25: McCallum v Curry

1: 9-10
2: 9-10
3: 9-10
4: 9-10
5: tko

Curry looks awesome here. Much better than he did losing to Lloyd.

He was outboxing McCallum, out punching him and winning every round.

Mike had to change his game plan entirely for this fight and began working the body. That's when he spotted Curry stepping back with his left low to avoid the right hook to the body. Unfortunately for Don it didn't allow him to avoid the left hook up top.

Boxing wise Mike looked very limited here against a superior athlete, but he showed he could win a fight with one punch. He did so here emphatically.

 

Fight 26: Williams vs Jack

The footage I watched of this only contains 3 rounds. 1,5and6

The first starts off with Jack boxing behind his jab trying to smother Williams up close. Jack bobs and weaves to avoid the hooks at range and then jabs his way inside.

Williams is reluctant to exchange up close at first, he prefers having room to work with but in the 5th he does start exchanging and wins the exchanges landing some big shots.

The final round is brutal. Williams lands a flush power shot at mid range, Jack collapses against the ropes and Williams fires a hellacious volley of shots, at one point he questions why he ref hasn't stopped the fight. eventually the ref steps in saving Jack from the punishment.

 

That's the worst stoppage i've seen.

 

Not sure if trolling or not.

 

Seriously, Jack was out even before Williams looked at the referee.

 

You mean bad as in too late? I agree.

I thought you meant it shouldn't have been stopped!

 

Jesse James Leija vs Gabriel Ruelas: Great performance by Ruelas, pulled some of the prettiest defensive moves i've seen, great display of counterpunching, speed, power, punch selection, timing, head movement and three knockdowns in a really fun fight, Leija also fought his heart.
Meldrick Taylor vs Julio Cesar Chavez: Taylor was winning good, beating Chavez in his own game, but Julio wasn't looking as bad as HBO team was saying, Julio slipped a lot of shots and the heavier punches were from him, at the end i agree with Richard Steele and it's a shame to see all that talent destroyed in just 12 rounds.

 

Ruelas-Leija was fun, but it showed how massively stronger Ruelas was than Leija. Ruelas just manhandled him.

 

Yeah, but to be honest, he looked better in every department.

 

Mickey Bey - Miguel Vazquez


Rd 1 - 10-9, Vazquez
Rd 2 - 10-9, Bey
Rd 3 - 10-9, Bey
Rd 4 - 10-9, Bey
Rd 5 - 10-9, Vazquez
Rd 6 - 10-9, Vazquez
Rd 7 - 10-9, Bey
Rd 8 - 10-9, Bey
Rd 9 - 10-9, Vazquez
Rd 10 - 10-9, Vazquez
Rd 11 - 10-9, Bey
Rd 12 - 10-9, Bey


115-113, Bey

 

Fight 27: Armstrong v Ambers

Not enough footage to score this round for round. But I do feel Amber deserves more recognition for the fantastic display of skill here.

He fought on even terms with Armstrong in the pocket and won every filmed exchange at range.

I can't really comment on the scorecards as I said, but the deductions were all for low blows and the action I saw was fitting of two in fighting legends. Both very defensively adept with two completely different slipping styles.

What a great showcase.

Strange seeing a none power punching in fighter at work. Always makes me marvel at the skill level because it isn't running and isn't beating a man up, it's the ultimate form of hitting without being hit when it's done in the pocket.

I rate Crawford really highly but he'd have his hands full against any of these two men. shame we live in such a poor LW era now.

 

Fight 28: Moore v Patterson

Again not enough footage to score but the highlights are good enough.

Moore was the reigning LHW champ and the last man to challenge Rocky. He was also the favourite here.

Floyd was just far too quick and composed for Archie. Those hooks to the body in the third were vicious, the left hook that ended the fight was even more so.

Floyd wasn't a great HW, but he was a great fighter. he'd mop up the CW of today, no doubt.