the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

Does Hoko vs. Steve Cruz not exist on the internet?

 

If you check out the beginning of the Hoko v Benichou fight, they do show a good extended sequence of his stoppage of Cruz leading into the Benichou fight. But I gotta mention, there is no way Cruz deserved that title shot. He hadn't fought in 13 months and that last fight was a 3rd round KO to Rafael Ruelas. He was well out of contention and the ratings. But I do see what they were doing. Bringing Cruz to Belfast where everyone knew his name was just good business, even though he never stood a chance. This promotion should have been called 'Eastwood's revenge'

 

Steve Robinson v Paul Hodkinson

The last of my Hoko-fest unless more come out of the woodwork. This is for Robinson's WBO featherweight title.

Round 1: 10-9 Hoko
Round 2: 10-10 Even
Round 3: 10-9 Hoko
Round 4: 10-9 Robinson
Round 5: 10-9 Robinson
Round 6: 10-9 Robinson
Round 7: 10-9 Robinson
Round 8: 10-9 Robinson
Round 9: 10-10 Even
Round 10: 10-9 Robinson
Round 11: 10-9 Robinson
Round 12: Robinson drops Hoko twice and the referee intervenes

Total through 11 completed rounds: 108-103 Robinson (actual scores: 107-102, 107-102, 106-103 all for Robinson)

End of the line here for Hoko as the sleeper Robinson hits his stride. Hoko much busier but Robinson was compact, took many shots on the arms and fired salvos while taking his time. And those salvos were straight-as-a-die right down the middle, which finally took Hoko out. Good stoppage and a good, slow break-down by Robinson.

 

Fighting Harada v Johnny Famechon 1

I had this wide. I can see it closer if I gave Famechon a couple of the close rounds that went to Harada - I preferred Harada's harder shots to Famechon's output - but still, I didn't think this was close at all. It was bad enough that it was scored a draw to start with but that the result was then changed to a Famechon win was a travesty. Harada should be a legit three division world champion.

1. 10-9 (Harada starts off in his usual swarming style and appears to land a left hook and Famechon goes down. Referee Willie Pep rules it a slip. Was it? Hard to tell conclusively at full speed. Famechon shows some nice counters before Harada swarms again and takes the round. Replay between rounds does in fact look like Famechon slipped just as Harada was throwing his punch - I think it's a fair call)
2. 10-8 (Harada goes loco. Wicked body attack and then an overhand right puts Famechon down again, this time for real. Pep counts it as a knockdown, rightly. Harada follows up and has Famechon on shaky legs. Dominant round from Harada)
3. 10-9 (Famechon trying to keep Harada off him but Harada landing the best punches, including some good right hands, to take the round)
4. 10-9 (another round in the bag for Harada)
5. 8-10 (Famechon catches Harada with a short left hook and he is knocked off balance - in the follow up Harada goes down, possibly from another left hook. Ref Pep calls it a knockdown. Harada was winning the round up to that point and got the better of the post-KD exchanges.)
6. 9-10 (close. Famechon showing some nice defense and some good countering. Harada finding him a little more elusive than in previous rounds)
7. 10-9 (Famechon didn't do enough offensively and Harada landed the significant punches)
8. 10-10 (Harada seems to have the early going and staggers Famechon into the ropes but Famechon puts a bit more into his punches this round and lands a good counter right too)
9. 10-9 (close)
10. 10-9 (rounds seem to have settled into a pattern - Harada starts fast and has some early success, Famechon becomes more elusive with Harada trying and succeeding with landing bigger single shots while Famechon jabs away. Still think Harada is taking these)
11. 10-8 (Huge overhand right puts Famechon down hard. To his credit, he recovers quickly but a bad round for Famechon)
12. 9-10 (good recovery from Famechon who countered well)
13. 9-10 (another good round from the Australian. Harada's attacks are a little more predictable and sporadic now)
14. 10-8 (picture perfect right hand from Harada at the end of the round puts Famechon down again and he is rocked in the follow up but the bell saves him from further punishment)
15. 10-9 (Harada closes the show with a strong final round for a convincing win on my card)

Harada 145-137 Famechon

 

Wow! Very well laid out, Jel. Very descriptive. I scored it 69-64 on the 5 point must system used at the time (144-139 translating it to the 10 point system). But we both had it very clearly for Harada.

 

Thanks Scar! I've can see it closer than I had it but I can't see it as a draw or Famechon win. Just factoring in the extra knockdowns in Harada's favour means that a fair few other rounds would have to be going Famechon's way and although he did win some and boxed well in between the KDs, it's clear that Pep got it wrong. He admitted as much afterwards.

 

Alfonso Zamora v Alberto (Superfly) Sandoval

I've watched this fight a couple of times over the years, but never scored it. It's one to sit back and enjoy but I wanted to take pen in hand. Here we go. According to Jim Healy at the mic, it was on the 10 point system that California adopted in the late 70s.

Round 1: 10-10 Even
Round 2: 10-9 Zamora
Round 3: 10-8 Zamora (battering)
Round 4: 10-9 Sandoval
Round 5: 10-9 Sandoval
Round 6: 10-9 Zamora
Round 7: 10-10 Even
Round 8: Zamora stops Sandoval with a second or two remaining

Total through 7 completed rounds: 68-66 Zamora (actual scores unknown)

To begin, a terrific fight. Zamora was gunning for a KO from the beginning, which was his forte, and Sandoval was trying to take him deep as Zamora was always a fast starter who could burn out late. Sandoval's jab I was always impressed with. It wasn't a poke, it was a fast hard shot which was a set-up for the following right. But he was too much fighter to stay with the plan and should have been using it more rather than getting sucked into a brawl with Zamora. I found rounds 2 and 7 to be the trickiest to score. Round 2 was obviously for Zamora, but was it a 10-9 or 10-8? Of course a judge has to make that split second decision on his own, but we have a bit of a benefit in seeing it on youtube where we can re-review it. This is also a detriment as we are also listening to the announcer and his views. I think Jim Healy felt it was a 10-8, and a more liberal judge than I might agree. However, although he hurt Sandoval, I felt his followup wasn't the best (missing and Sandoval ducking). Sandoval actually started getting back into the round only to be stunned again towards the end. It was Zamora's round but I wouldn't call it a battering even though Sandoval's legs were wobbly. I will say the 3rd round was a battering which is why I went 10-8 there. The 7th round Sandoval got stunned again, but then fought back the way he should have been doing all along, by using that ramrod jab of his and had Zamora rocking badly by the end of the round. I have seen some call it for Sandoval, but Zamora did good work early. I felt that was Even. Zamora gets caught late with 10 seconds to go in the 8th - and again, he was too much fighter for his own good - and instead of taking a knee he gets caught on the ropes and is stopped. Wild end to a wild fight.

 

Tracy Harris Patterson v Arturo Gatti I (for Patterson's jr. lightweight title)

I know I saw this fight back in the day, but now pen in hand.

Round 1: 10-9 Gatti
Round 2: 10-8 Gatti (scores a knockdown)
Round 3: 10-9 Gatti
Round 4: 10-10 Even
Round 5: 10-9 Gatti
Round 6: 10-9 Gatti
Round 7: 10-9 Gatti
Round 8: 10-9 Gatti
Round 9: 10-9 Gatti
Round 10: 10-10 Even
Round 11: 10-9 Patterson
Round 12: 10-9 Patterson

Total: 118-111 Gatti (actual scores: 116-111, 115-112 and 114-113 all for Gatti. Also, Harold Lederman had it 116-111 for Gatti)

I wasn't as generous to Patterson as the judges were. I just felt Gatti fought a strict, by the book gameplan that was a real revelation when one recalls how he eventually evolved into 'Thunder' Gatti who was always in a war. This fight really showed what he was capable of in his jr. lightweight days. Fighting behind a beautiful, hard jab, on the move and firing amazing combos. I loved it. Patterson tried, but one punch at a time wasn't going to do anything against Gatti's combos. I will say though, that the one thing that was always a constant in Gatti's career was his propensity towards swelling. His eyes were a mess by the end of this fight. Especially after the last two rounds where Patterson let it all hang out. Not great, but a good fight that I enjoyed.

 

Nice writeup!!

 

Thanks, man.

 

Evander Holyfield v Larry Holmes

Round 1: 10-9 Holyfield
Round 2: 10-9 Holmes
Round 3: 10-9 Holyfield
Round 4: 10-10 Even
Round 5: 10-9 Holyfield
Round 6: 10-9 Holyfield
Round 7: 10-9 Holmes
Round 8: 10-9 Holyfield
Round 9: 10-10 Even
Round 10: 10-9 Holyfield
Round 11: 10-9 Holmes
Round 12: 10-9 Holmes

Total: 116-114 Holyfield (actual scores: 116-112, 116-112 and 117-111 all for Holyfield)

Gotta tell ya, it was a lot more competitive than I remembered it being. Competitive and good until fatigue really crept into Evander's work. Then the fight started to bog down a bit. But still, I enjoyed it.

 

Yea I made a post recently talking about Tucker vs Holyfield if it took place around this Time. This fight makes me think a 32 year old Tucker may have a shot. I'd still bet on Holyfield but it could be tough

 

Tracy Harris Patterson v Daniel Zaragoza I

Round 1: 10-8 DZ (scores a knockdown)
Round 2: 10-9 DZ
Round 3: 10-10 Even
Round 4: 10-10 Even
Round 5: 10-9 Patterson
Round 6: 10-9 Patterson
Round 7: 10-10 Even
Round 8: 10-9 DZ
Round 9: 10-9 Patterson
Round 10: 10-9 DZ
Round 11: 10-9 Patterson
Round 12: 10-9 DZ

Total: 116-114 Zaragoza (actual scores: 117-114 Zaragoza, 118-111 Patterson and a 116-116 for a Draw)

Patterson retains his title on a Draw and I was very happy with that decision. Tissue paper thin rounds, a lot of clinching, a referee who was always in the camera angle. There were some decent exchanges, but I would say give this one a pass.

 

Where did you find this???

Really eager to see this one, Scar.

 

This content is protected