The 'what fights did you watch today?' thread

I agree, Hopkins faking low blows was his undoing, i think it swayed the judges

 

I dont think so. It was an extremely close fight but I cannot score punches that have absolutely nothing behind them. That Hopkins had an ''anxiety attack'' is irrelevant to me as that does not lose you rounds, getting caught by the cleaner, more effective punches does and that's what happened to Calzaghe.

 

I thought Joe won it as well. But maybe I'm biased. I thought Hopkins faking of low blows was disgraceful cheating and that may well have coloured my view of the fight. Same for the Froch/Dirrel match. Dirrel clearly looked the more talented guy but all that running, negativity and taking of the knee to avoid punches cost him. I've no tolerance for that sort of **** and maybe the judges thought in a simular fashion? Rightly or wrongly it could well have cost bother fighters victory and I've little sympathy for them.

 

Joe Frazier-Jimmy Ellis I

Very good performance by Frazier IMO. Ellis had just come off a run of three wins over Bonavena, Quarry and Patterson and on top of that had never been dropped before. Ellis had a great first round, kept Frazier at bay and landed some big left hooks, but after that Joe landed some massive shots and completely restricted Ellis' movement, the way Frazier smiled when walking back to his corner tells you he knew he had him in big trouble. He was just too relentless for him and I'll never know how Ellis got up from the second KD in the 4th, that shot was huge and that on top of those body shots he was getting pounded with throughout left Dundee with pretty much no choice but to pull him out.

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsuWx0oR7J4&feature=player_embedded[/ame]

atsch

 

I think too much is made of the low blows, the first one landed low and could have hurt Hopkins, the second one was low and Hopkins was forced to continue.

 

What? Are you for real? Joe controlled the pace? Did you watch the fight? Hopkins controlled the pace to perfection. I can see why you might argue Calzaghe won but to say he controlled the pace? Come on man?:-(

 

Watch the fight, my friend. Hopkins was so uncomfortable it was unreal, the guy almost got an asthma attack because of the pace Joe was setting. Bernard did his best to try and control/cut the workrate of Calzaghe, but couldn't quite manage it. Calzaghe was undeterred, stayed on point, put Hopkins under a lot of mental pressure and out hustled him. When have you ever seen Hopkins flustered like that?

He had problems with Joe's speed, workrate, sharpness and positive body rhythm. Calzaghe got Hopkins visibly gassed and won the fight, no doubt IMO.

 

Currently watching Pascall vs Diaconu II.

 

Mzonke Fana vs Cassius Baloyi II

Fana pretty much dominated a shop-worn Baloyi throughout, although Baloyi got in some decent shots of his own at times. The commentators were saying it was the best Fana has ever looked (the only other time I've seen him was against Barrera...so going by that fight I'll have to agree :yep). He doesn't do anything special, but his work rate is very high. For example, I counted that he threw over 120 punches in round 11, and that seemed to be pretty much the norm every round.

Moruti Mthalane vs Zolani Tete

Tete is talented and threw some nice punches as he kept Mthalane out of range for 2.8 rounds. But at the end of round 3 he was rocked by Mthalane, and after that Mthalane kept getting inside and landing his shots. Tete was rocked again in the 5th and wilted under the bombardment of punches. He got up and tried to get back into it, but a countering shot had him down again. On the ropes, Tete wasn't throwing anything as Mthalane threw shot after shot until the ref jumped in. They say Tete is 20 (although you can never be sure!), and he definitely has some potential. Would like to see this fight again in 2 years after Tete gains some more experience.

 

I love your precision.

 

I had it 114-113 Calzaghe, with the kd. 7-5 in rounds. He was so f'n sloppy mind you, Hop did the better work, Joe just did a bit more. An ugly f'n chess match no doubt.

Watched an old Raul Marquez fight on the TV this morning (average, just like the fighter) and Hop-Pascal for the 4th time in as many days.

 

I just watched Ulises 'Archie' Solis vs Luis Alberto Lazarte, from the weekend. And its a very odd one.

My brother was saying it was apparently a really bad robbery from what he had read, but I was a bit suspicious as Solis is fairly well known whereas Lazarte is completely unknown and that can lead to people claiming robbery. My brother said someone at Boxrec scored it like 10-2 to Solis, so I decided to investigate.

Solis started well, he boxed well behind his jab keeping Lazarte off-balance and unable to rush inside. When Lazarte did come forward Solis showed some nice counter-punches and counter-combo's to back him off and keep him away, and give him something to think about. Solis has actually really improved as a boxer since losing. In the fourth Lazarte lost a point for hitting Solis round the back of the head with a wild right, I thought it was harsh as it seemed to be his first infraction, slightly after that Solis pulled an on-rushing Lazarte to the ground and Lazarte on his knees just mashed him in the balls with a right hand. There both hard wee ****ers.

After the fourth it seemed to get quite dirty and wild. Lazarte started to rush in more and more with his two fisted swinging attack, and he really roughed up Solis on the inside and messed up his rhythm. Although with his swinging right hand he seemed to catch Solis every time in the back of the head and it was really bothering Solis, yet inexplicitly the referee did nothing about it. It stayed like this till the seventh where Solis got some good boxing going again, but Lazarte came back in the eighth and ninth.

In the tenth Lazarte lost another point for back of the head punching, but in reality he probably should have been DQ'd by now, as Solis was grimacing in pain every time he was hit on the back of the head and it was really effecting him bad. Lazarte took the tenth though with his two fisted attacks and crude rushes. Solis managed to get some smoothness in his boxing by the eleventh but every time Lazarte got inside he hurt Solis abit but I felt Solis nicked the round. The last was close with Lazarte edging it on workrate IMO.

Lazarte: 5,6,8,9,10*,12 1P.D 4**,10**
Solis : 1,2,3,4***,7,10*,11
Total: 114-112 Solis (6-5-1)

*= 9-9 round
**= for rabbit punching
***= 10-8 round

Lazarte to me is very crude and not very good but he would be very hard to beat. He has awkward rushes that he comes in with both hands winging wildly. But he has quite fast feet and comes in low so he can be quite hard to counter coming forward. He is also immensely strong and tough. I'd say he is the 'hardest' guy in boxing today. He is a very poor man's Pascual Perez

Solis had reinvented himself as a pretty decent boxer puncher though, he could be hell against a more tradition textbook fighter IMO, especially if he still has that power.

All in all though, i thought the draw was fair enough. The first was close as was the eleventh.

 

Marvin Hagler vs John Mugabi

what a fight, both were landing massive bombs early doors, Mugabi catches Hagler with that excellent right uppercut and Hagler litterly shakes it off then Hagler comes back and lays it on thick in the 6th.

Hagler broke Mugabi down and broke his resolve, but it was certainly his toughest fight and I think ended the career of both fighters. Mugabi was never the same after that.