the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

Speaking of Frank Fletcher i always thought James Kirkland, reminded me of a modern day version of Frank Fletcher. Both Southpaws both in very entertaining fights, that would of been a fun fight between them two.

 

I'll bet the Parker v Fletcher fight would have been fun for the 2 rounds it lasted. I know it's not out there and I know FF was past his sell-by date, but I wonder if it was ever televised in the first place.

 

Canelo Alvarez vs Callum Smith


1 Alvarez
2 Smith
3 Alvarez
4 Alvarez
5 Smith
6 Smith
7 Alvarez
8 Alvarez
9 Alvarez
10 Alvarez
11 Alvarez
12 Alvarez

117-111 Alvarez

So i've watched two Alvarez fights the past 2 days, and both Alvarez opponents had the same problem. They couldn't get Alvarez's respect and he just walked them both down, i felt Smith to his credit was a bit more adventurous than Plant was. He would atleast try some power punches and had bit more variety to his work, rather than just throwing jabs all night like Plant was doing.

Maybe i was a bit generous to Smith in the first 6 rounds, but i thought he held his own. And won a few rounds with some nice uppercuts, when Alvarez wasn't doing alot as often Alvarez is normally slow starter.

But after the 6th round it was all Alvarez, and the last 4 rounds were very punishing one sided rounds in Alvarez's favour.

All in all a good performance from Alvarez who showed some nice defence, and props to Smith for atleast trying and showing a good chin surviving the 12 rounds.

 

I have that fight but havent seen it in years cant remember if it was good or not. Will look for it when i find the time.

 

Maurice Hope (c) vs. Wilfred Benitez for the WBC super welterweight championship, scheduled for 15 rounds at Caesars Palace Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas on May 23, 1981.

Hope, 29, is 30-2-1 (23) and making the fourth defense of the title he won from Rocky Mattioli. The southpaw weighs 153 1/2 and is making $250K.

Benitez, 22, is 44-1-1 (25) and has won three in a row since moving up to junior middleweight since suffering his only loss in losing his welterweight crown to Ray Leonard. He is a 2-to-1 favorite, weighs 153 1/4 and is pocketing $175K.

Benitez is seeking to win a championship in his third weight class.

1. 10-10 even: This gets chippy early, with Wilfred rushing out and pushing Hope into the ropes, with Maurice retaliating with rabbit shots. Hope gets warned twice later in the round for holding and hitting. Wilfred works the body late, Hope uses his right hand effectively a few times.

2. 10-9 Benitez: Wilfred fights off the ropes and does some good body work. Hope is competitive with his jab but the challenger edges it.

3. 10-9 Benitez: Hope continues to walk in as the aggressor, Wilfred keeps working the body and lands a couple of good rights to the head late.

4. 10-9 Hope: The champion is busier and still the aggressor, taking the frame with his volume while Wilfred looks a tad uncomfortable trying to find his timing. Benitez suffers a cut outside his right eye that looks like it could be trouble (but it's contained and never becomes an issue).

5. 10-9 Benitez: Closes strong with rights to the head after doing good body work throughout.

6. 10-9 Benitez: Nearly a 10-8 round as Wilfred closes strong in the last 30 seconds with a big barrage.

7. 10-9 Benitez: Again nearly 10-8, Wilfred puts on a clinic -- body, head, off the ropes, speed, combinations ... masterclass.

8. 10-9 Benitez: Perhaps to challenge or amuse himself, Wilfred switches southpaw for a good bit of this round (he flirts with it earlier) with similar results, although not as dominant in the previous two.

9. 10-9 Benitez: Closer, late rally by Wilfred edges it but Hope lands a few good shots (although Benitez knocks out one of his teeth).

10. 10-8 Benitez: Another close round until Wilfred produces a flash knockdown with a right hand late in the round.

11. 10-9 Hope: Close round but Wilfred seems to be looking to frame one bit shot for the finish that doesn't come, as Hope lands a few clean blows; Maurice looks unsteady late.

12. Benitez lands a sizzling, highlight-reel right hand to produce a one-punch KO at the 1:56 mark.

My scoring: 108-101 Benitez. Official scores: 107-103, 107-102, 107-101.

CBS televises with Tim Ryan, Gil Glancy and Ray Leonard.

This is prime Benitez showing all his hall of fame ability. He looks strong at this weight, his body punching is dynamite and he has some pop.

He calls out Leonard, who will soon depose Ayub Kalule for the WBA junior middleweight championship, for a rematch after. Instead, Wilfred will defend twice successfully (once against Duran) and then lose the belt to Thomas Hearns.

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Wow, that would be something seeing that.

 

D, finally getting around to this one. Here we go...

Iran Barkley v James Kinchen

Round 1: 10-9 Barkley
Round 2: 10-9 Kinchen
Round 3: 10-9 Barkley
Round 4: 10-10 Even
Round 5: 10-9 Barkley
Round 6: 10-9 Kinchen
Round 7: 10-9 Kinchen
Round 8: 10-10 Even
Round 9: 10-8 Barkley (scores a knockdown)
Round 10: 10-10 Even

Total: 97-95 Barkley (actual scores: 97-93 for Kinchen and a 96-93 and 95-94 both for Barkley for a split win)

The Blade v The Heat may not have been a barn-burner but wasn't too shabby at all. They did manage to throw their share of bombs as well. It was a contrast in style as Barkley was a brawler who could miss 50% of his shots, but they were all eye-catchers which plays havoc with judges unless they're doing their job. Kinchen's shots, on the other hand, were subtle and short and almost always hit home. Some real close ones here where scoring can be tough. But a decent fight.

 

In that fight Barkley was better off on the outside, than he was on the inside. As Kinchen's shorter punches were beating Barkley on the inside.

Barkley can appear to be a crude brawler at times, but he had underrated boxing skills. I thought he showed that vs Duran aswell when he chose to box at range.

 

Barkley's skills do get underrated IMO. He showed good skills in the Hearns rematch and Duran fight IMO. He was wild, sure, but he had a brain to go with the brawn.

 

D, having a crack at this one now.

Carl 'The Truth' Williams v Jesse Ferguson (New Jersey rounds scoring)

Round 1: Williams
Round 2: Williams
Round 3: Ferguson (scores a knockdown)
Round 4: Williams
Round 5: Ferguson (scores a knockdown)
Round 6: Williams
Round 7: Williams
Round 8: Williams
Round 9: Williams (scores a knockdown)
Round 10: Williams drops and stops Ferguson

Total through 9 completed rounds: 7-2 Williams

I'm pretty sure I saw this back in the day but nothing like a good refresher after 30 years. Let me just say this was a very entertaining heavyweight encounter. Can't tell you how many audible "Ohhhhhh's!" I yelled throughout the first 7 rounds. After that it was one-way traffic but Ferguson did deserve the monicker, 'Boogeyman' with the amount of good scalps and hot prospects he beat over his career. His leaping left hook was always a danger in this contest and I really enjoyed it.

 

Meldrick Taylor v Crisanto Espana (WBA welterweight title)

Round 1: 10-10 Even
Round 2: 10-9 Espana
Round 3: 10-9 Espana
Round 4: 10-9 Espana (if anyone wants to call this 10-8, that's OK too)
Round 5: 10-9 Taylor
Round 6: 9-8 Espana (Taylor is battered but Espana is docked a point for a low blow)
Round 7: 10-9 Espana
Round 8: Espana drops and stops Taylor

Total through 7 completed rounds: 68-64 Espana (actual scores: 68-64, 69-64 and 67-65 all for Espana)

I wanted to see this one after these many years because I remembered it as a lively contest. And it was. Pride got to Taylor after the Chavez loss by saying he could no longer make the weight and he would henceforth be campaigning as a welterweight. But he was just too small and when he moved up again against Norris everything was exposed including his excuse that he could no longer make 140. Because 4 years after the Chavez fight, he found himself back at 140 for the rematch - his last chance at the big time.

For a smallish fighter, Taylor couldn't have found a worse opponent than the physical anomaly that Espana was. To tell you a funny story, I remember reading that Steve Collins sparred with Espana and Collins thought to himself that he must be a bit rusty because he would time a jab that Espana was throwing, lean back, but still get hit with it. Afterwards in the locker room Collins said he understood why when he was leaning downwards tying his shoe and he peered up slightly to see Espana scratching his shin. But then he looked up all the way and saw that he wasn't even leaning down to do it. This guy's arms were immense.

As for the fight, again, a lively contest that Taylor and his corner just couldn't come up with the answers for. The best Meldrick could muster was the 5th when he managed to get under those arms to work the body. I laughed when George Foreman said he should be jabbing Espana and he came up with a gibberish reason why. It was ridiculous. Every time Taylor was on the outside he was outjabbed and fielding one of those looping right hands or sweeping left hooks. In the 4th round that should have been called a legitimate knockdown by Espana and it's up to you the judge if you want to call it 10-8. I gave Espana a 10-8 for the 6th for a bit of a battering but then he lost a point for a low blow. But he finally ground Taylor down in the 8th. Again, I found it to be a very lively encounter.

 

Taylor vs Ramirez
1:9-10
2:9-10
3:9-10
4:9-10
5:10-9
6:10-8
7:10-8
8:10-9
9:10-9
10:10-9
11:9-10
12:9-10

114-112

Ramirez starts off excellently applying intelligent pressure, timing Taylor, forcing him back, working his body and just basically doing everything an aggressive pressure fighter should be doing.

Round 5 we see Taylor start to control his range better and time Ramirez with some good shots to just edge the round, but round 6 we truly see the momentum turn as Taylor drops Ramirez with a huge hook. Ramirez recovers well, but it's still 10-8.

I have Ramirez 1 up at the half way stage.

Taylor again drops Ramirez big and he seems well in control as the fight progresses. But Ramirez slowly regains his confidence after walking through a couple of huge check hooks in round 10. Ramirez gives it his all in 11 and 12 but isn't able to drop or stop Taylor, thus losing on points.

And Taylor, well he does what he always seems to at this level. Takes 6 rounds. Postol, Baranchyk, Prograis and now Ramirez all of them I had 6 rounds a piece.

Looking forward to his big homecoming fight with Catterall next.

 

Its been a while since I watched this, didn't the HBO crew keep commentating like Taylor was winning this one until near the end?

 

Wilfred Benitez vs Roberto Duran​

Rounds Won/Even
Benitez - 1,2,4,5,6,8,10,11,12,15
Duran - 7,9,13
Even - 3,14​

My Scorecard
(B)147 - 140(D)
Winner: Benitez​

My Review
A tactical fight by Benitez, who made Duran fight his fight for the vast majority of the bout. Duran had little success, never being able to mount a sustained offence or hurt Benitez at any point in the fight. Poor sportsmanship by Duran at the end of the bout also.​

 

It wasn't too bad, actually. I just found Foreman's strategy a bit off kilter in regards to Taylor should be jabbing Espana, while he was being outjabbed at distance and being bombed by those looping rights and wide hooks. That was the only thing I thought was crazy.