Despite the negatively Klitschkolean effort that Adrien Broner put in on Saturday night, Mr. Shawn Porter does have the bulldog mentality that most fans appreciate and tried to make it the best it could be. Danny Jacobs resumed his side-gig as one of the cluster of voices on the PBC commentator list, and dropped my quote of the night, in his appreciation of the tenacity.
In text: After Marv Albert mentioned Danny Jacobs fought Shawn Porter in the amateurs SEVEN times, and won six of seven, Jacobs didn't gloat. He simply said:
"Well, every time I fought Porter, as an amateur, I always dreaded it. He was always a rough and tough fighter. He would always be in my chest and he hit me with some of the best shots that I've (been) hit, as an amateur."
Jacobs seems to have the kind of respect for Porter from his amateur days that Andre Ward still has for Timothy Bradley. It's good to hear.
Work that bag,
Basement Gym Boxing Thanks for stopping by our place. Here are some other pages you might enjoy:
Recently, I realised something that I can only call humourously depressing. It relates to a joining of two quotes across space and time that sheds light on the utter farce that is the middleweight division and its dealings with Gennady Golovkin, the universally regarded number one contender, to Miguel Cotto, the true, lineal middleweight champion. Abel Sanchez and Freddie Roach seem to suggest an incredibly close natural weight to their fighters, as does Golovkin's own Tale of the Tape. Why Freddie even made his mention, God only would know. Here's what I mean, points A-D:
Point A:
Abel Sanchez, to Hustle Boss, issued the third of July, 2013, after Golovkin's match with Matthew Macklin:
"We had a great camp. He didn't have to lose that much weight. He came at 167, when he first came in, two months before the fight."
Conceivably in fluctuation, but odd in being slightly heavier, Golovkin was unofficially weighed by HBO on fight night at 170, the same as Macklin.
Point B:
Gennady, in May of 2015, nearly two years later, against Willie Monroe Junior had another unofficial weight taken by HBO. 170, to Monroe Junior's 172. Same. No lower than 170 pounds in the ring. A very standard ten-pound rehydration.
Point C:
Here is where it gets amusing. What exactly did Freddie Roach say about Miguel Cotto's weight ahead of fighting Daniel Geale, just a month after the Golovkin/Monroe Junior match?
"It was a calculated weight. . .Miguel will climb to 166 pounds. He had a fabulous preparation. Geale showed that it cost a lot to make the agreed upon weight."
Point D:
What was Miguel Cotto's *official* weigh-in weight for Daniel
Geale? Considering that his own trainer estimated he'd be coming in at 166 pounds when hydrated, and considering that his own negotiated catch-weight was 157 pounds, did he come in just at or just under 157, like
Geale? No,
instead, he came in just under the Light Middleweight division limit instead, at 153.6. And, for some reason, like normal, HBO did
not get an unofficial rehydration weight for him, even though they got it for Geale. What is the point of points A-D?
Cotto's dehydrating himself supposedly by coincidence more than he actually needed. Why would any fighter do that? What
did Cotto say after the contest with Geale? Max Kellerman decided to ask the Middleweight champion of the world if he was a Middleweight. What Cotto said makes it almost certain that the weigh-in wasn't just a comfortable coincidence, in my view. He cites his offical weigh-in, 153.6, then asks Kellerman if he thinks he's really a Middleweight. Kellerman says it doesn't sound like it. Then Cotto says "I'm not." Does it strike anyone else as a coy weigh-in strategy for show? I know from the forum comments that it certainly isn't just me.
He's obscuring the fact that he's almost the same fighting weight as his number one contender and he didn't want to fight his number one contender. He fought one of that contender's victims as a voluntary, and after sitting on the title for a year. Then, he claimed he wasn't a member of his own weight class. His team are now, after making Golovkin wait and watch this act, supposed to fight Saul Alvarez, who is apparently, by his technical weigh-in weights, not a member of any official weight class, actively, either. Apparently, these guys and their teams would like a weight class that is between where Golovkin does and does not fight. How confusing for them!
Miguel, your trainer is claiming you were assumed to come in four pounds lighter than the definitive number one contender last weighed in. You are suspected by fans around the world to have come in lighter than you needed, to look like you didn't belong at the weight in which you are the champion, by choice. Champion, by choice, dehydrating extra, by choice. You have people accusing your number one contender of an unfair size advantage, astoundingly. As if it's not his business to call out the champion of his own division. So, if this is as deliberate as it seemed, it worked on some, I guess. But Golovkin is not Chavez Junior-sized and you are not a bloated or musclebound little man, nor are you not within reasonable Middleweight range on fight night with your non-bloated, non-musclebound physique. You are coming in to the weight class as naturally as Floyd Mayweather Junior comes in to Welterweight, it would seem.
If you'd have us believe as some of the fans now believe, that Golovkin is unfairly large for you to fight at your own chosen and full weight class, and much larger in the way a Chavez Junior would be, again, as for instance, then I would say this: Rehydrating to no more than 165 pounds, Sebastian Zbik fought the notorious weight-cutter, Chavez Junior, at a 15-pound weight disadvantage, which was somewhat predictable as a rehydration weight. A definitive non-puncher dealt with that disadvantage at your current weight class. Golovkin's whole history shows him to be a natural, unforced Middleweight fighter, you'll find. Everything corroborates this, that I am aware. You were likely as your own trainer claimed: Within four pounds of your number one contender's fight-night weight. If you have an issue with your own weight class and not who wants your belt, it's an issue Sebastian Zbik apparently didn't have. Please, stop this charade.
You're hurting your division. You're hurting your great reputation. You're hurting boxing. You say you have paid your dues to fight who you want. Without a title to defend, this is as true as it could ever be. You can fight whoever you want without that title, but you're blocking a man who has paid his dues in your division from fighting who he wants-whoever it takes to establish him as the real champion of his own division. He is openly a Middleweight and out of the closet as such. If it's about weight, we know it's negligible. If it's about height, it's nothing you haven't seen before. If it's about money, we know you'll make a star PPV payday with Alvarez as easy at any weight class with or without a title. If it's about legacy, you would not have opted for Geale instead of his former conqueror. This just looks like it's about grandstanding when you never wanted anything to do with the general consensus best man you can fight in this division so you don't have to vacate a title you earned. It also looks like a hysterical proximity.
Work that bag,
Basement Gym Boxing
Full Hustle Boss interview with Abel Sanchez for quote source:
(This
was quoting an interview with El Vocero de Puerto Rico, but we're using Boxing
Scene for assumed English readers, to follow to the Spanish language
directly, click here: http://elvocero.com/miguel-va-a-noquear-a-geale-roach/)
Thanks for stopping by our place. Here are some other pages you might enjoy:
Brandon Rios, before he'd reached the major world title fight scene, back in 2010, was working alongside Antonio Margarito in Robert Garcia's gym. Margarito's match with Manny Pacquiao was coming up HBO's 24/7 lead-up documentary was being filmed, which, perhaps surprisingly, was a four-part series. When the two gym buddies were interviewed in the second episode of the four, with Margarito's arm slung around Brandon's shoulder, Brandon made his opinion on the outcome clear.
Brandon Rios on Pacquiao VS Margarito, 2010:
"Pacquiao's making excuses that he's not training, he's missing the election, all that. But, you know what? To me, I think he's scared, and Freddie Roach is scared, 'cause he's not gonna be the superstar no more. He's just going to be a-maybe-uh, super, maybe. But the star that's coming up is going to be Margarito. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to cancel the fight, saying that 'I hurt my hand.' or something, just 'cause he's scared."
To think that a few years down the line, Pacquiao would've dominated and beat up both of these fellows after this comment is sort of funny. I don't believe either won a single round out of twelve a piece against the littler tornado. I guess we all need a serving of crow in our diet, at some point. Incidentally, there is talk of Tony Margarito coming back to boxing, against all odds.
Work that bag,
Basement Gym Boxing
Thanks for stopping by our place. Here are some other pages you might enjoy:
On the seventh of March, 2015, NBC aired the debut Premiere Boxing Champions card. The first match was Adrien Broner VS John Molina Junior. When John had just entered the ring, Marv Albert, commentator for the event, began to talk of a pre-fight discussion they'd had.
Marv Albert, for PBC:
"John "The Gladiator" Molina. He told us yesterday that he ran into Adrien Broner at a press conference, in New York, recently. Molina said 'I gave him a hug!' but he made sure it was a *strong* hug. He said that was the psychological reasons, in effect, it was an *insincere* hug. He wanted Broner to *feel* him. He wanted Broner to know he was going to knock him out tonight, when they meet in the ring. A most unusual approach by John Molina."
The calculated hug, for the purposes of psychological warfare, is a dangerous risk for a competitor. If done improperly, it could certainly backfire. John Molina took the risk. He did not receive the reward. But that's why they call it 'gambling'.
Work that bag,
Basement Gym Boxing
Thanks for stopping by our place. Here are some other pages you might enjoy:
In the lead-up to Mayweather VS Pacquiao, Bob Arum did an interview with ESPN's Joe Tessitore, on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights, the 27th of February, 2015. He discussed the projected 300 million dollars the two superstars would share at a 60-40 split to Mayweather. This was Bob's musing about how each would spend their cut:
"Buys a lot, a lot of stuff. I mean, Floyd is-loves cars-will probably buy cars that satisfy every motor vehicle dealer in Las Vegas, and I know a great part of the money that Manny earns will go to support charities in the Philippines. Because, like I said, the Social Welfare System in the Philippines is called 'Manny Pacquiao'."
You know, Floyd does a little charity work too, Bob. Manny also has some very nice rides. I'm only saying!
Work that bag,
Basement Gym Boxing Thanks for stopping by our place. Here are some other pages you might enjoy:
Jim Lampley, HBO commentator, at the beginning of the twelfth round between Tim Bradley and Diego Chaves:
"I've seen a lot of implements used to treat swelling in the corner. I don't know if I've seen the bean dip can before. But, Joel Diaz, extremely respected trainer, using that bean dip can. Maybe next week we'll see a lot of fighters with them. "
This fight is currently available on HBO's site, for subscribers. It was a scrappy affair that disfigured Tim Bradley's face and
probably led to an unjust draw where he should've taken a victory. Trying to find a still from the corner with the bean dip can proved interesting, because the only other upload of the full match, broadcasted in a language I could not identify, edited the footage so that there was a plain, blue lid with no label on the can. Tim Bradley, a worker if ever there was one, works hard in fights you might think he wouldn't and did so in the Chaves match, in December of 2014. He'll be back for the first time this year at the end of this month. I suspect it's going to be another night of hard work. That's the way Timbo likes it. Physical and difficult, necessary or not.
Work that bag,
Basement Gym Boxing
Thanks for stopping by our place. Here are some other pages you might enjoy:
Working as commentator, during a Top Rank broadcast of Miguel Cotto VS Paulie Malignaggi, in the seventh round, George Foreman says:
"Those body punches - sounds like a heavyweight throwing shots. Cotto can punch."
That quote came from a major world title match at light welterweight, almost exactly nine years ago. Thanks to the catch-weight agreement between the fighters and Geale's enormous unofficial weight from HBO, there is some controversy over last night's display of power from Miguel Cotto. Many fans find it hard-telling if a healthy Daniel Geale got a taste of Cotto's heavyweight-sounding punches and couldn't take them any better than he could take Gennady Golovkin's, or if a badly weight-drained Geale got to where he couldn't take hard shots off of anybody. With that said, Cotto looks to still be a true puncher at middleweight, just like he was at light welterweight. A true puncher is dangerous no matter who he's punching.
Work that bag,
Basement Gym Boxing
Thanks for stopping by our place. Here are some other pages you might enjoy:
Although Chris Arreola looked as close to the end of his career as I've ever seen him, in his last match with relative unknown Curtis Harper; he has been a mainstay of the heavyweight division for several years and still plies his trade for the television audience. As the durable, jiggly, heavy-handed contender with fun interviews and fun brawls, he's picked up many fans who figured he'd probably never be at the top, but appreciated him anyway. Here he is forcing a first-round stoppage on ESPN2 over southpaw slugger Joey Abell, in 2011.
Arreola must have been pumped knowing he was going to get the kind of fight he loves with Abell and pounded him out, stayed in his face, refused to let Referee Tony Crebs usher him aside and planted a smackeroo right on his cheek for good measure! In typical Arreola fashion, if he gets the slightest hint you can't take his punches, he's on you like Jim Inhofe on a snowball. Ask the bizarre choice for Deontay Wilder's first title defense, Eric Molina, who was also stopped in the first by Chris. Now, I don't recall Molina getting kissed, but he's apparently got some kind of luck from somewhere to get a world title shot at random. Maybe Arreola kissed him for good luck when I wasn't looking. Either way, I'd like to predict a Wilder KO1 outcome. Shannon Briggs might even get salty.
Work that bag,
Basement Gym Boxing
Thanks for stopping by our place. Here are some other pages you might enjoy:
Through the interpreter, in interview with HBO's Larry Merchant, the seventh of July, 1996, right after he lost to Oscar De La Hoya, Julio Cesar Chavez Senior rated Oscar's punching power this way:
"But, really, that Oscar De La Hoya has a big punch - really doesn't. I didn't even feel his punches. I just couldn't see because of the blood."
This was at Light Welterweight, for Chavez's title.
After an unsatisfactory cut stoppage, the two rematched, this time for Oscar's Welterweight title, on the eighteenth of September, 1998. Through interpreter Ray Torres, and in interview with Larry Merchant again, Chavez was asked about Oscar's power again (glad Larry didn't forget):
Merchant: "You said after the first fight that he never was able to hurt you. Is he a good puncher or not?" Chavez: "He's a hard puncher, but not a real knockout artist. As you can see, he never knocked me out." Merchant: "We can-" Chavez: "-He deserves my respect."
File under: Take it for what it's worth.
Ray Torres had an interesting night here too, getting yelled at by JCC after Larry Merchant asked him about quitting. In clear English, Chavez did mention some bodily function byproduct from a bull.
Work that bag,
Basement Gym Boxing
Thanks for stopping by our place. Here are some other pages you might enjoy:
"He jumped in with the right hand. He was in the air, as a matter of fact."
~Sugar Ray Leonard, commentating for the match.
On the seventh day of the seventh month of 1985, Julio Cesar Chavez quickly took care of Roger Mayweather, defending his major Super Featherweight title. Largely responsible for the victory was this flying right hand knockdown, which somehow managed to be both clumsy and graceful (and unofficial). This is going for it. Not long after, Referee Richard Steele would choose not to count another knockdown as well, but by the end of this round, he'd choose to call the fight regardless. Uncle Roger just didn't have his legs under him. And there wasn't a lot of leg there at the beginning!
Work that bag,
Basement Gym Boxing
Thanks for stopping by our place. Here are some other pages you might enjoy:
