By Dave Patek
I have to admit something. I did not have confidence in Devon Alexander Friday night. I was worried that he would look sluggish at 147 – and that Marcos Maidana would land flush right hands on the unguarded left side of Alexander’s face. I know Devon, and think the world of him as a fighter…
…but history is something the sports industry relies on as a future predictor.
Devon’s past three fights have been sketchy – especially for a boxer of Devon’s caliber. Yes, he’s still young and is not yet a household name, but he’s also fought some big fights against tough opponents. If you look at those fights, he’s been in there with one of the best fighters in the world in Tim Bradley, an experienced veteran in Kotelink…and the earth shattering punch of Lucas Matthyyse. He’s had to learn the hard way about the business of pain. His early departure from the Bradley fight saw him labeled a quitter, and his 2 thin victories in St. Louis made people believe he was the recipient of ‘home cooking’.
I can see why, and understand the frustration of many die-hard boxing fans when it comes to adding Devon to the mix of elite fighters. I can see why many casual observers do not like his style. Devon is so fast that he has a tendency to flick his punches rather than sit on them. Yes, they score – but they do not create Pay Per View excitement. So far, he has been good – but far from “The Great”. I can agree with that. Heck, I am from St. Louis – and LOVE Devon Alexander, and I can admit that he’s been underwhelming. Rarely have I had the chance to stand up and blow my voice out cheering for him. My fingernails are usually bitten to the nub, and my lungs take a beating from chain smoking between rounds.
Things finally turned the corner Saturday night. My buddy Doug made the trip with me to Scottrade, and although we were heavy into the Coors and Bud Light (respectively) by Devon’s fight, we both left hoarse and satisfied that Devon pulled off what many expected him to fail at – producing an exciting and dominating fight.
Devon’s move to 147 was not a shock to me, but rather a pleasant surprise. Anyone who has seen him train in the days leading up to a fight knows that he works hard to keep that lean body of his in shape. While Devon has not had a gaunt look about him in past fights, he has looked distant and drained mentally. The fighter that I saw pre-Bradley lacked the ferocity of a World Champ – and it seemed the fight was lost before the bell even rang. He was in perfect shape – but tired. The extra padding on Saturday did not affect his physique – other than to add to the coconuts on his shoulders, and maybe putting a triple stack on his biceps (…I digress) . The dude was ripped and in definite beast mode for Maidana.
The fight started as most do – each fighter checking out how the other will defend against mock punches and feints. And then came round two…
Maidana came out with murderous intent, and tried to throw combinations that were eventually punctuated with the right hand. Maidana is not necessarily a free-swinger, but he did leave enough room on his follow through to allow Devon to counter him with left hooks. This was a big part of Devon’s strategy early on…measuring and countering. Hid did well, although (again) too many hard right hands slipped through Dev’s guard. Regardless of his chin, this is something Alexander needs to be mindful of as his career will challenge him with better, slicker fighters that will capitalize on this glaring error in fundamentals (easy for me to say, right). Just an observation, not really a criticism Dev.
As the early part of the fight rolled on, it was also clear that holding after flurries was part of the immediate game plan against Maidana. Many complained after the fight that Dev held too much and that Steve Smoger (ref) did a lousy job. I don’t buy that. Alexander is not known for being a fighter that holds excessively. Yes, it seemed that way during the fight against Maidana, but the truth is – it was effective and most certainly wore Marcos down in the later rounds.
There were some dirty moments in the fight that should be pointed out…
In the sixth, Devon hit Maidana behind the head three consecutive times while holding. In that same round, there was a moment when Maidana led with his forehead in an attempt to head butt Alexander. Both fighters threw the occasional elbow. It was a little street, but far from a Ricky Hatton or Bernard Hopkins fight.
Devon did well sitting on his punches in this one too – he landed a terrific right to the body followed by a straight right hand that stunned Marcos before he fell (with a little help) to the canvas (also in the sixth round). As I mentioned earlier, his previous fights seemed almost amateurish in comparison to this one. When Devon tossed out his left Saturday night, he was delivering pain – not trying to score. One rarely sees Marcos Maidana backed up, but it happened on several occasions. He was hurt. Unlike the Ortiz fight, he did not come back with a fury. Instead, he looked more like a kid falling off of his bike and shaking his head before jumping back on knowing that he’s going to crash again. He looked defeated.
Overall, I think Devon did a great job proving that he is not afraid to go into a big fight and trade with a warrior. He also made it past a terrible cut and fought strong for 10 full rounds. He was not perfect, but he did make the fans of STL feel better about their hometown guy. In fact, so many expected him to be stopped – you could HEAR the crowd at Scottrade counting down the last 20 seconds of the fight…praying that Marcos would not get lucky at the final bell.
This is the first time in four Alexander fights that I did not leave my seat for a Marlboro. Thanks for that Devon. You did good kid. Now, onto bigger and better things…(cough) Amir Khan or Lamont Peterson. I still don’t think Dev is ready to face Bradley again…and putting him in there with seasoned welterweights like Ortiz and Berto seems a little premature.
A little part of my small intestine is wondering if Zab Judah is calling his people trying to set something up. With the ticket sales for this one being as poor as they were (I have a feeling MANY were given away based on the amount of times our seats were occupied when we got there) I would think that Zab might be a lucrative possibility. Might just be competitive too.
That’s all from me.
Prez
(The Giant who Climbed over Fantasyland)
Monday, February 27, 2012
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
The Irish Outlaw Extinguishes the “Inferno” in ATL…and I Finally Give Roy Jones Jr. a Wink of Approval
By Dave Patek, SEF President
Rather than partake in my usual weekend of partying with the boys on these out of town trips, I brought along my 5 year old son Hunter – who is just getting into contact sports as a casual observer. He does not like wrestling…because even he can tell how fake the WWE is these days. Gone are the full contact days of the Von Erichs and King Kong Brody – In are the moronic Monday evenings where the shoot interviews are the highlight and the actual choreographed ‘fights’ are a side note. But I digress….
Hunter came along to see just what it is that draws his Dad to the great sport of boxing. Athletics and skill come first – the guys in the ring have to know what they are doing. There has to be a combination of defense to go along with a calculated offensive attack. Of course, styles make fights…and that does not always amount to a crowd pleasing event. In fact, in most cases lately it seems just the opposite. Rather than a war for twelve rounds, we have seen some great potential fights turn into chess matches with razor thin decisions (Pac/Marquez and Khan/Peterson).
My son has not come far enough in his boxing education to realize that the sport is more than a playground scrap where the loser is pummeled into a stain. He still thinks that the winner is going to get into some sort of trouble with his buddies for not executing a kick to the balls before the teacher intervenes. Hunter is convinced that showing off after your opponent is mentally beaten is proper etiquette. This leads me into the event that took place this past Saturday in Atlanta.
The Atlanta Civic Center is a HUGE venue. Much bigger than I anticipated. There is a massive lower level with an enormous upper deck. I purchased what I thought were mid-level tickets at $45 each…and we ended up about 500 feet from the action. Think of it as being in the last seat of the upper deck at Savvis center. The ring was the lone “Q” in a giant word search puzzle. Kind of hard to make out at first glance. Fortunately the promoters (KO Kings) positioned two large video screens on either side of the ring for our viewing pleasure.
I have attended boxing matches all over the country – and it’s common knowledge that it has an ‘urban edge’ meaning many more African Americans tend to go to these events than white folks. This match was no exception. Hunter and I were in the vast (and very silent) minority in the upper deck. While I grew up in North County St. Louis – and was deep in the throes of diversity, my son has grown up a little differently – not that he is shielded from other cultures, but it’s way different than it was when I was a kid. Whereas everything was black and white in the 80’s, he does not identify people with race, creed, culture or language. However, boxing events tend to throw curveballs. People in general get animated and those words (that he knows but is not supposed to say) are used liberally. Very liberally.
Let me spin off here for a second and tell you that the Friday before the event, we went to a few places in downtown Atlanta – and he was treated to some of the rudest and most vile behavior I have ever witnessed… even in our hotel lobby. I’ll spare you the details; let’s just say that there are bad people out there that can set an entire culture back by displaying behavior that is horrendously stereotypical. My son heard things and saw things that I’m sure made an impression on him…even if he didn’t discuss it with me (and I wasn’t going to re-hash it with him). This was my primary concern heading into this boxing event. I thought I had made a terrible mistake in judgment.
Anyway - After a few matches of vastly different skill levels, The Outlaw made his debut in Atlanta. Entering the ring to bagpipes and bandanas, he faced off against former Olympian Dante “The Inferno” Craig in what was to be his semi-first fight at Light Heavyweight (Outlaw actually weighed at 177 vs. Craig’s 175). Though I could only see his physique from the monitors, all seems well in the land of Ryan Coyne. He looks chiseled and in terrific shape – not gaunt and pale as one might expect from a guy who cut 20 pounds of muscle in just a few months.
As the bell sounded, and my son and I peered binocular-less into the ring, one thing was clearly evident – SPEED. Ryan has amazing speed, and this was noted by several of the audience members around us. There were also comments made about the chopping right hands that were being landed in frequency to the body of Craig. The formula seems to be working well for Coyne – nasty right hooks to the body, followed by a right uppercut and a straight overhand left if there is an opening. If Ryan got hit through any of his onslaught it was not clearly visible from where I was sitting (but again, from where I was sitting, not much of ANYTHING was clearly visible.) It looked like Outlaw was in complete control. As the second stanza progressed, the body shots were already weakening the resolve of Craig, and his elbows dropped just enough toward the end of the round for Ryan to stick him with straight left hand in the corner. Craig fell – and the beginning of the end was in motion. Clearly hurt as the bell rang, he staggered back to his corner and refused to come out for the third round.
An impressive TKO for Coyne and another fine example of his dedication to a championship run. While Craig might not be a world beater, he was certainly a decent opponent on paper – and for a fighter in the top 5 (4 actually) for the WBC, it was a solid step in the right direction. Great Job Outlaw.
Anyone that knows me is well aware of the disdain and contempt I have for Roy Jones Jr. I think he is an amazing specimen, a brilliant boxer and entertaining character. My problem is that in his prime (and on HBO) he fought some of the WORST hand-picked bums that his team could find. He fought retired cops, garbage men and faded former contenders…and often humiliated them in doing so. Roy was never a traditional boxer, but he often used dance moves…talked down to people – and even landed a punch against Glen Kelly that saw him put one both hands behind his back before surprising his opponent with a right to the temple. All would be killer against solid competition – but it never happened.
At any rate, his fans ate his antics up until he ran into trouble with Antonio Tarver a few years back and never fully recovered. Every time I thought Roy had it together and was taking it seriously again, he pulled his ‘crowd pleasing’ garbage and was horribly stopped. It happened against Danny Green and it happened against Daniel Lebedev…a fight he was winning until he played around and dropped his guard. Turded again.
In what was billed as a probable retirement fight, RJJ entered the ring against another foe of lesser talent – Max Alexander. Alexander did fight on a season of the Contender, but never achieved much after that as a professional. He was (cough) hand-picked as an opponent Roy knew he could beat.
It was obvious from the beginning that Alexander was trying to take Roy out early, and Roy was far too quick to let it happen. He escaped and pivoted plenty of times…showing that old RJJ crowd pleasing style that made him who he is. The crowd howled at his antics – the dancing and shuffling, etc. Just when I went to tell my son how silly it all was, I noticed that he was clapping and smiling for the first time the entire night. He was enjoying himself – he was getting caught up in an electrifying fighter doing what he does best…fire up the crowd. I conceded. And as I looked around one last time, people were on their feet laughing and high fiving at a guy far past his prime having just as much fun as they were. They bought their tickets and got what they paid for. For that Roy, I admire you. You got me (finally)
Prez
Rather than partake in my usual weekend of partying with the boys on these out of town trips, I brought along my 5 year old son Hunter – who is just getting into contact sports as a casual observer. He does not like wrestling…because even he can tell how fake the WWE is these days. Gone are the full contact days of the Von Erichs and King Kong Brody – In are the moronic Monday evenings where the shoot interviews are the highlight and the actual choreographed ‘fights’ are a side note. But I digress….
Hunter came along to see just what it is that draws his Dad to the great sport of boxing. Athletics and skill come first – the guys in the ring have to know what they are doing. There has to be a combination of defense to go along with a calculated offensive attack. Of course, styles make fights…and that does not always amount to a crowd pleasing event. In fact, in most cases lately it seems just the opposite. Rather than a war for twelve rounds, we have seen some great potential fights turn into chess matches with razor thin decisions (Pac/Marquez and Khan/Peterson).
My son has not come far enough in his boxing education to realize that the sport is more than a playground scrap where the loser is pummeled into a stain. He still thinks that the winner is going to get into some sort of trouble with his buddies for not executing a kick to the balls before the teacher intervenes. Hunter is convinced that showing off after your opponent is mentally beaten is proper etiquette. This leads me into the event that took place this past Saturday in Atlanta.
The Atlanta Civic Center is a HUGE venue. Much bigger than I anticipated. There is a massive lower level with an enormous upper deck. I purchased what I thought were mid-level tickets at $45 each…and we ended up about 500 feet from the action. Think of it as being in the last seat of the upper deck at Savvis center. The ring was the lone “Q” in a giant word search puzzle. Kind of hard to make out at first glance. Fortunately the promoters (KO Kings) positioned two large video screens on either side of the ring for our viewing pleasure.
I have attended boxing matches all over the country – and it’s common knowledge that it has an ‘urban edge’ meaning many more African Americans tend to go to these events than white folks. This match was no exception. Hunter and I were in the vast (and very silent) minority in the upper deck. While I grew up in North County St. Louis – and was deep in the throes of diversity, my son has grown up a little differently – not that he is shielded from other cultures, but it’s way different than it was when I was a kid. Whereas everything was black and white in the 80’s, he does not identify people with race, creed, culture or language. However, boxing events tend to throw curveballs. People in general get animated and those words (that he knows but is not supposed to say) are used liberally. Very liberally.
Let me spin off here for a second and tell you that the Friday before the event, we went to a few places in downtown Atlanta – and he was treated to some of the rudest and most vile behavior I have ever witnessed… even in our hotel lobby. I’ll spare you the details; let’s just say that there are bad people out there that can set an entire culture back by displaying behavior that is horrendously stereotypical. My son heard things and saw things that I’m sure made an impression on him…even if he didn’t discuss it with me (and I wasn’t going to re-hash it with him). This was my primary concern heading into this boxing event. I thought I had made a terrible mistake in judgment.
Anyway - After a few matches of vastly different skill levels, The Outlaw made his debut in Atlanta. Entering the ring to bagpipes and bandanas, he faced off against former Olympian Dante “The Inferno” Craig in what was to be his semi-first fight at Light Heavyweight (Outlaw actually weighed at 177 vs. Craig’s 175). Though I could only see his physique from the monitors, all seems well in the land of Ryan Coyne. He looks chiseled and in terrific shape – not gaunt and pale as one might expect from a guy who cut 20 pounds of muscle in just a few months.
As the bell sounded, and my son and I peered binocular-less into the ring, one thing was clearly evident – SPEED. Ryan has amazing speed, and this was noted by several of the audience members around us. There were also comments made about the chopping right hands that were being landed in frequency to the body of Craig. The formula seems to be working well for Coyne – nasty right hooks to the body, followed by a right uppercut and a straight overhand left if there is an opening. If Ryan got hit through any of his onslaught it was not clearly visible from where I was sitting (but again, from where I was sitting, not much of ANYTHING was clearly visible.) It looked like Outlaw was in complete control. As the second stanza progressed, the body shots were already weakening the resolve of Craig, and his elbows dropped just enough toward the end of the round for Ryan to stick him with straight left hand in the corner. Craig fell – and the beginning of the end was in motion. Clearly hurt as the bell rang, he staggered back to his corner and refused to come out for the third round.
An impressive TKO for Coyne and another fine example of his dedication to a championship run. While Craig might not be a world beater, he was certainly a decent opponent on paper – and for a fighter in the top 5 (4 actually) for the WBC, it was a solid step in the right direction. Great Job Outlaw.
Anyone that knows me is well aware of the disdain and contempt I have for Roy Jones Jr. I think he is an amazing specimen, a brilliant boxer and entertaining character. My problem is that in his prime (and on HBO) he fought some of the WORST hand-picked bums that his team could find. He fought retired cops, garbage men and faded former contenders…and often humiliated them in doing so. Roy was never a traditional boxer, but he often used dance moves…talked down to people – and even landed a punch against Glen Kelly that saw him put one both hands behind his back before surprising his opponent with a right to the temple. All would be killer against solid competition – but it never happened.
At any rate, his fans ate his antics up until he ran into trouble with Antonio Tarver a few years back and never fully recovered. Every time I thought Roy had it together and was taking it seriously again, he pulled his ‘crowd pleasing’ garbage and was horribly stopped. It happened against Danny Green and it happened against Daniel Lebedev…a fight he was winning until he played around and dropped his guard. Turded again.
In what was billed as a probable retirement fight, RJJ entered the ring against another foe of lesser talent – Max Alexander. Alexander did fight on a season of the Contender, but never achieved much after that as a professional. He was (cough) hand-picked as an opponent Roy knew he could beat.
It was obvious from the beginning that Alexander was trying to take Roy out early, and Roy was far too quick to let it happen. He escaped and pivoted plenty of times…showing that old RJJ crowd pleasing style that made him who he is. The crowd howled at his antics – the dancing and shuffling, etc. Just when I went to tell my son how silly it all was, I noticed that he was clapping and smiling for the first time the entire night. He was enjoying himself – he was getting caught up in an electrifying fighter doing what he does best…fire up the crowd. I conceded. And as I looked around one last time, people were on their feet laughing and high fiving at a guy far past his prime having just as much fun as they were. They bought their tickets and got what they paid for. For that Roy, I admire you. You got me (finally)
Prez
Monday, November 14, 2011
Meal Ticket Manny Underwhelms vs. Marquez (and Floyd Mayweather enjoys a full night of sleep)
Meal Ticket Manny Underwhelms vs. Marquez (and Floyd Mayweather enjoys a full night of sleep)
Dave Patek – SEF President
I know that I am in the minority when it comes to Manny Pacquiao. I am not a huge, adoring fan – nor am I convinced he is the superhuman gale force that the media and Freddie Roach have convinced everyone that he is. He is a great fighter – and very exciting in big fights…and has a very impressive winning streak going against some upper B – level competition.
The major issue at hand is that his celebrity has surpassed his boxing ability.
As I watched the prep for this most recent fight against Juan Manuel Marquez, I was taken aback by the amount of mainstream coverage Manny was gaining. Press outlets that normally ignore boxing as a violent bullfighting inner-city pastime were lauding Manny with titles that many of them never knew existed (like ‘pound for pound champ’).
It’s ridiculous, but hey – if it brings fans into boxing…it’s all good here. However, with that much celebrity comes the inevitable title of CASH COW. With that bill comes more titles like ‘product endorser’, ‘screen star’…and in this case, President of the Philippines. The man literally has had more coverage during his reign than all of the previous pound for pound champs in history. The dude is hard to miss – and if you don’t know who he is, you’ve likely been living under a bridge for the past 5 years. No offense, just truth.
Manny’s celebrity status carried over into the ring Saturday night in a big way. While Marquez stayed true to his roots and entered the ring with a sombrero and traditional mariachi music, Manny (again, unfortunately) decided to walk the aisle to the theme to Rocky III – Survivor’s ‘Eye of the Tiger”…easily one of the most recognizable fight themes from any boxing movie (again, even the outer fringe of boxing fans get excited when hearing this song). And worse yet – he hired aging Survivor front man Jimi Jamison who sounded like the Swedish Chef gargling vinegar. Still – the crowd responded to the Rocky Reference, and most of the pre-fight momentum remained in Manny’s corner.
After a dozen national anthems and all of the pageantry that goes with a world-class prizefight, the bell rang…and a billion people across the world ran into the living room to watch the opening seconds of what turned out to be another great Saturday Evening of Fisticuffs.
As with all fights, I try my best to block out the announcers as much as possible – at least in the initial broadcast. It was much harder to do that with this fight considering the fact that all three announcers chose to put Manny on a pedestal of Grecian proportions. There was clearly some sort of creative ‘scripting’ involved with this one…
I’m not going into fight specifics – or round by round analysis…
But I will say that I believe Marquez deserved a win in this one. Yes, Marquez faded down the stretch, but Manny was far from a definitive ‘victor’ in any of the final three rounds. It drives me crazy that anyone can say with concrete certainty that Manny truly deserved a score of 116-113 from any judge. You can show me Compubox scores all day (I think Compubox is silly…look at the Alexander/Kotelnik fight for further proof) and I will laugh at you. Here is what I observed in no particular order:
- Manny was never able to get his punches off – especially his trademark left hand. He was limited to chopping hooks and jabs most of the night. When he tried to unload his power shots…they were parried, totally blocked – or Manny missed (most of the fight).
- Marquez laid out a perfect blueprint on beating Manny – and it’s no surprise to me. I have been saying all along that Manny has been fed a steady diet of brawlers (or in the case of Clottey, a totally defensive fighter). When he is fighting a guy with equal offensive and defensive skills, he’s looked bad. In this fight, he looked down right confounded.
- Almost all of the crowd pleasing shots were landed by Marquez – sans a few good shots by Manny.
- Yes, Marquez faded late…and I understand that ‘champions finish strong’ – but even if he lost rounds 10-12, I had it even at worse. He dominated the bulk of the fight. Dominated.
- The idea that Marquez would win a decision was a long shot. There is too much money on the line in too many places for Manny to lose. Had Manny lost, the idea of a fight next year with Mayweather is far less lucrative. To me, it’s already less lucrative. I’d rather see Floyd fight Tim Bradley at 147.
While I don’t think it was a robbery, I’m disappointed in the judging and the broadcasting of this one. My personal favorite comment came from Max Kellerman who said something like “people are going to judge this one based on the fact that Marquez is fighting better than they thought he would…rather than how he is actually fighting”. That might be the case, but to sit there for weeks and hype Manny as the second coming…then have to scramble back and step over all of those thoughts is disheartening.
So, while Manny is forced to fight Marquez for a FOURTH time...Floyd Mayweather will keep himself relevant and fight against a young (and hungry) Tim Bradley. After all, Mayweather has proven he’s better than Marquez – it’s taken Manny a trilogy (and beyond) to do that.
Dave Patek – SEF President
I know that I am in the minority when it comes to Manny Pacquiao. I am not a huge, adoring fan – nor am I convinced he is the superhuman gale force that the media and Freddie Roach have convinced everyone that he is. He is a great fighter – and very exciting in big fights…and has a very impressive winning streak going against some upper B – level competition.
The major issue at hand is that his celebrity has surpassed his boxing ability.
As I watched the prep for this most recent fight against Juan Manuel Marquez, I was taken aback by the amount of mainstream coverage Manny was gaining. Press outlets that normally ignore boxing as a violent bullfighting inner-city pastime were lauding Manny with titles that many of them never knew existed (like ‘pound for pound champ’).
It’s ridiculous, but hey – if it brings fans into boxing…it’s all good here. However, with that much celebrity comes the inevitable title of CASH COW. With that bill comes more titles like ‘product endorser’, ‘screen star’…and in this case, President of the Philippines. The man literally has had more coverage during his reign than all of the previous pound for pound champs in history. The dude is hard to miss – and if you don’t know who he is, you’ve likely been living under a bridge for the past 5 years. No offense, just truth.
Manny’s celebrity status carried over into the ring Saturday night in a big way. While Marquez stayed true to his roots and entered the ring with a sombrero and traditional mariachi music, Manny (again, unfortunately) decided to walk the aisle to the theme to Rocky III – Survivor’s ‘Eye of the Tiger”…easily one of the most recognizable fight themes from any boxing movie (again, even the outer fringe of boxing fans get excited when hearing this song). And worse yet – he hired aging Survivor front man Jimi Jamison who sounded like the Swedish Chef gargling vinegar. Still – the crowd responded to the Rocky Reference, and most of the pre-fight momentum remained in Manny’s corner.
After a dozen national anthems and all of the pageantry that goes with a world-class prizefight, the bell rang…and a billion people across the world ran into the living room to watch the opening seconds of what turned out to be another great Saturday Evening of Fisticuffs.
As with all fights, I try my best to block out the announcers as much as possible – at least in the initial broadcast. It was much harder to do that with this fight considering the fact that all three announcers chose to put Manny on a pedestal of Grecian proportions. There was clearly some sort of creative ‘scripting’ involved with this one…
I’m not going into fight specifics – or round by round analysis…
But I will say that I believe Marquez deserved a win in this one. Yes, Marquez faded down the stretch, but Manny was far from a definitive ‘victor’ in any of the final three rounds. It drives me crazy that anyone can say with concrete certainty that Manny truly deserved a score of 116-113 from any judge. You can show me Compubox scores all day (I think Compubox is silly…look at the Alexander/Kotelnik fight for further proof) and I will laugh at you. Here is what I observed in no particular order:
- Manny was never able to get his punches off – especially his trademark left hand. He was limited to chopping hooks and jabs most of the night. When he tried to unload his power shots…they were parried, totally blocked – or Manny missed (most of the fight).
- Marquez laid out a perfect blueprint on beating Manny – and it’s no surprise to me. I have been saying all along that Manny has been fed a steady diet of brawlers (or in the case of Clottey, a totally defensive fighter). When he is fighting a guy with equal offensive and defensive skills, he’s looked bad. In this fight, he looked down right confounded.
- Almost all of the crowd pleasing shots were landed by Marquez – sans a few good shots by Manny.
- Yes, Marquez faded late…and I understand that ‘champions finish strong’ – but even if he lost rounds 10-12, I had it even at worse. He dominated the bulk of the fight. Dominated.
- The idea that Marquez would win a decision was a long shot. There is too much money on the line in too many places for Manny to lose. Had Manny lost, the idea of a fight next year with Mayweather is far less lucrative. To me, it’s already less lucrative. I’d rather see Floyd fight Tim Bradley at 147.
While I don’t think it was a robbery, I’m disappointed in the judging and the broadcasting of this one. My personal favorite comment came from Max Kellerman who said something like “people are going to judge this one based on the fact that Marquez is fighting better than they thought he would…rather than how he is actually fighting”. That might be the case, but to sit there for weeks and hype Manny as the second coming…then have to scramble back and step over all of those thoughts is disheartening.
So, while Manny is forced to fight Marquez for a FOURTH time...Floyd Mayweather will keep himself relevant and fight against a young (and hungry) Tim Bradley. After all, Mayweather has proven he’s better than Marquez – it’s taken Manny a trilogy (and beyond) to do that.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Coyne Creams Corn in Springfield – and a Few Other Nuggets that Made it Past the Censors…
Dave Patek – SEF President
Well…
Let’s just say that our junket to Springfield was an event in and of itself. The Coyne and Flores fights provided a nice backdrop to a Saturday night of binge drinking and some outstanding, laughable moments that I am still trying dredge my pickled brain for…here goes.
Doug and I pulled into Springfield at roughly 5:00 and changed so quickly into our evening clothes, that I failed to realize I was dressed like a complete douchebag. More on that fiasco later. After eating at one of the more recognizable drinking establishments (in which a macho-mug sized pitcher of Long Island Iced tea was consumed), we headed to the O’Reilly Events Center on the campus of Drury University.
After meeting a buddy of mine from Springfield (Hey Joe!), we found our seats and immediately sniffed out the closest route to the beer tap. Had I known in advance Coors Light would have been the only tapped beverage, I might have been able to warn young Joseph about the behavior his was about to witness. Coors Light and I have a long history of trouble – and it has long been a silent enabler of mine for nearly 20 years. I was about to lose complete control in front of 3000 strangers in a place that was completely unfamiliar.
The event itself was actually pretty cool. The local television stations were broadcasting the fight to the community and it was also being broadcast (for a fee) over the internet. Of course, much of this was due to the fact that local contender BJ Flores was being featured in the main event. This brings me to my first beer-influenced observation. As the preliminary fights were taking place, Flores (unannounced) entered the arena and walked down a very long flight of stairs past his adoring fans. I am certain that this was a segment for the live broadcast – as the spotlight followed his every move. Not really a disturbing event by itself, but the fact that there was no mention over the PA system of this ‘event’ left Douglas, Joe and I to start announcing our own introductions. Out of respect for Flores, I will refrain from specifics. By this time, we had moved to the balcony to be next to the camera crew – and were asked to be quiet. Apparently our voices were being picked up by the local broadcast truck and they were forced to use a delay on the telecast.
The undercard was pretty decent – the fights were matched evenly, and the fans seemed to be getting into them. I did note that it was much louder in the O'Reilley Center than it has been at most of the St. Louis fights this past year.
We were initially excited to see Robbie Cannon back in the ring after a break. He got into a war with Steve Mincks (5-20) that seemed less of a slugfest - and more of a slap boxing exhibition. Cannon still has his skills – but his power is less than desirable. On more than one occasion, Robbie had his opponent in trouble, but failed to finish him. In the end, a bloodied Cannon had to settle for a draw. In my opinion, Rob needs to fight more frequently and work with a strength trainer. He has the tools to be a decent regional fighter – but he does not sit on his punches…and often looks like an amateur. He’s a good kid, and we wish him the best.
After a brief intermission (and an extended smoke break for the Prez), a few MMA bouts took place. This was a little surprising to me; although, it’s becoming a staple with this economy…MMA is a “value added’ feature that tends to bring out fans that would not normally come out to see a boxing match.
I didn’t stick around for much of the MMA stuff, but I did manage to watch one fighter completely dominate another for 3 rounds, only to be caught in a triangle choke that nearly killed him. He was in the hold for a good 30 seconds before the ref (who shall remain nameless here) started raising his hand (think Ted Dibiase and the Million Dollar Dream) to see if he was awake. He wasn’t. By the third arm drop, the fight was waved off – and a stunned crowd stood up to see the body. Thankfully, he wasn’t dead – and in celebration, we raced to the Coors window to redeem our remaining drink tickets.
By the time Ryan Coyne (The Irish Outlaw) made his way to the ring, I was covering my left eye in order to prevent double vision. I had been telling the camera crew all night about Ryan’s opponent - James Crawford. Crawford is not a household name, but has fought some of them (Jeff Lacy, Danny Green). When Coyne’s foe was announced, I was a little surprised. Jonathan Corn…(47-22), I had last seen Corn fight William Joppy in St. Louis on the undercard of the Spinks/Karmazin fight – and I was well aware of what was about to happen.
Let me digress here…
I have ALWAYS been critical of how opponents are chosen for local prospects – and in some cases, national ones. Many times, a decent fighter will be fed a steady diet of bums in order to pad his record and make him an attractive opponent for a fringe contender, or title holder. It happens all the time. However, sometimes a fighter is left with the option of either not fighting…or taking on the replacement fighter. I heard from a few insiders that Corn’s appearance was strictly to make sure the Outlaw had a fight…and didn’t have to make a last minute cancellation. In any case, what a fighter does to an opponent such as Corn is important.
Off the soapbox. Ryan had Corn in trouble before his entrance music stopped playing. In typical Coyne fashion, he went for the most vulnerable spot on Jonathan – his soft (flabby for 185) belly. After landing numerous right hooks to the mid-section of Corn, and flooring him twice, the officials had seen enough. It wasn’t much of a fight – which was fine for us, because by that point we were bordering on being ejected. I do want to mention that Coyne’s handlers have done a remarkable job in helping him to cut weight. He looked incredibly fast at 183 – and seemed to keep every bit of power in that right hand of his. No offense Ryan, I still am not a fan of that overhand left. That’s OK though, former Heavyweight Champ Michael Moorer is Ryan’s Chief second now…and I am confident that we’ll see a new look from that side before long. Moorer knows a thing or two about being left handed.
Before Flores took the main stage, I departed the arena for a quick smoke, which turned into one of the more poignant moments of my evening. Outside the main entrance (where the big screen was clearly visible) I struck up a conversation with two local kids who openly criticized BJ for taking too many “stepping stone” fights and being afraid to take on real opponents like Coyne and Jeremiah Graziano (another MO Cruiserweight who is showing potential).
I didn’t talk a whole lot, but I did listen to them vent for 10 minutes. I thought about telling them that BJ had just lost to one of the best Crusiers in the world (Danny Green), but I decided to let them go. I played dumb (which by this point would be considered accurate since I could barely keep myself upright). They said he didn’t fight enough (also not entirely true – he just fought and beat a sound opponent in Nick Ianuzzi at that VERY area less than 4 months earlier…granted he’s had some layoffs). They said he wasn’t that good (disagreed again…BJ is a very good fighter – and big for a cruiserweight). Overall, I disagreed with nearly everything these two kids said to me – but somehow totally understood them, and sympathized. In St. Louis, we have the luxury of MANY good fighters in different weight classes. In Springfield, they have BJ Flores.
Somehow the earlier image of BJ entering the building surrounded by the spotlight all made sense. He is a bona fide celebrity in Southwest Missouri. Cheryl Crow, Brad Pitt – BJ Flores. I get it…and I understood the disappointment in Flores, though it’s probably not justified. The reason Coyne left the Cruiser division is the lack of decent fights that are available. I mean, Flores already lost to Green – most certainly his largest payday by far. He has few options – yeah, there is Steve Cunningham and Lateef Kayode in the US…and a few fights overseas, but the bottom line is – the Crusier division is not where superstars are being bred, and unfortunately , BJ is stuck there for a while.
Which brings us to his fight Saturday night – against Paul Jenette (a guy that Coyne beat soundly). While Jenette is in great shape (for a 41 year old), he’s not a world beater – and hardly a threat to a fighter of Flores’ stature. It was an easy win. BJ was rarely touched by his opponent, though he really didn’t lay into Paul either. He seemed to be carrying him to get the fans into the fight. Of course, the SEF crew tried to incite a riot by screaming “SHOCK THE WORLD PAUL” until we were (again) told to be quiet by the TV crew. No riot, and an easy win for El Peligroso.
After the Flores bout, we were informed that two more fights would take place – though last call had already been announced…and we needed to be at Jeckyll and Hyde’s in downtown Springfield for the Outlaw’s after party. We bolted as fast as we could to the door and called for our cab (drink responsibly) – which never arrived after 30 minutes of waiting with a full bladder. Joe (who had not been drinking) decided that he would be our DD for the evening – and we departed. This is where things get a little sketchy…
Rumple Minze is a very dangerous liquor.
While waiting for the Outlaw and his crew to arrive, we partook in no less than 10 of these mouth-watering mouthwash –tasting shots. Joe stood by in complete disbelief as we dismembered one full bottle and moved onto the next . Do you have any idea how hard it is to say RUMPLE MINZE when you are full tilt? Exactly. So, by the time Team Outlaw arrived, we were well on the way to making fools of ourselves.
In anticipation of meeting Michael Moorer, I had prepared myself on what to say…and more importantly what NOT to say. I had this whole soliloquy that I was planning on giving: “ Mike, man…it’s great meeting you, I remember the night you beat Evander Holyfield – you are truly one of the last great heavyweights” (yadda yadda yadda). Nope. Didn’t happen. I think I said something like: “ Miiish, hhey brothaaa! You beat Frannnth Bothha on the Holyfield/Tython undercard! Vaughn Bean too!
Moorer looked at me like I had two heads, with a nod of respect to my history lesson and then embarrassingly said “Man, that was a long time ago – be careful.” Moment ruined. I could have been eloquent and bought the man a beer or something, but no…I tried to show off, and made a fool of myself.
It was at this point that the Outlaw walked over to us to say hello. He started to tell me about his fight, but I could tell that his eyes were wandering. I looked behind me to see if something was distracting him…there was a black lady back there with more grommets in her face than a DC-9. I was about to comment on it when I realized that the Outlaw was looking at how I was dressed. The douchebag alarm had sounded (finally) and he called me on my ridiculous outfit: Knockoff Robert Graham button down (sleeves cuffed), sandals and a VISOR. This called for another drink – which I took.
Someone handed me an airplane bottle of strawberry vodka…which is the one thing that could have knocked me out faster than a Coyne uppercut. Somehow, Joe snuck us out of the bar before things got out of hand…thankfully, he’d only been watching Douglas and I poison ourselves and hadn’t participated. I don’t remember much – only flashes of Doug puking out of Joe’s window, a luggage cart rolling down a flight of stairs at our hotel... a bearded night clerk screaming at us about having to ‘bounce’ – and the abrasions on my knees and palms. We woke up at 10:30 Sunday morning, confused as to how we arrived in our room. At checkout, the morning clerk told us of our troubles the previous evening. I left – praying that a luggage cart would not show up on my bank statement.
Good Times.
Prez
Well…
Let’s just say that our junket to Springfield was an event in and of itself. The Coyne and Flores fights provided a nice backdrop to a Saturday night of binge drinking and some outstanding, laughable moments that I am still trying dredge my pickled brain for…here goes.
Doug and I pulled into Springfield at roughly 5:00 and changed so quickly into our evening clothes, that I failed to realize I was dressed like a complete douchebag. More on that fiasco later. After eating at one of the more recognizable drinking establishments (in which a macho-mug sized pitcher of Long Island Iced tea was consumed), we headed to the O’Reilly Events Center on the campus of Drury University.
After meeting a buddy of mine from Springfield (Hey Joe!), we found our seats and immediately sniffed out the closest route to the beer tap. Had I known in advance Coors Light would have been the only tapped beverage, I might have been able to warn young Joseph about the behavior his was about to witness. Coors Light and I have a long history of trouble – and it has long been a silent enabler of mine for nearly 20 years. I was about to lose complete control in front of 3000 strangers in a place that was completely unfamiliar.
The event itself was actually pretty cool. The local television stations were broadcasting the fight to the community and it was also being broadcast (for a fee) over the internet. Of course, much of this was due to the fact that local contender BJ Flores was being featured in the main event. This brings me to my first beer-influenced observation. As the preliminary fights were taking place, Flores (unannounced) entered the arena and walked down a very long flight of stairs past his adoring fans. I am certain that this was a segment for the live broadcast – as the spotlight followed his every move. Not really a disturbing event by itself, but the fact that there was no mention over the PA system of this ‘event’ left Douglas, Joe and I to start announcing our own introductions. Out of respect for Flores, I will refrain from specifics. By this time, we had moved to the balcony to be next to the camera crew – and were asked to be quiet. Apparently our voices were being picked up by the local broadcast truck and they were forced to use a delay on the telecast.
The undercard was pretty decent – the fights were matched evenly, and the fans seemed to be getting into them. I did note that it was much louder in the O'Reilley Center than it has been at most of the St. Louis fights this past year.
We were initially excited to see Robbie Cannon back in the ring after a break. He got into a war with Steve Mincks (5-20) that seemed less of a slugfest - and more of a slap boxing exhibition. Cannon still has his skills – but his power is less than desirable. On more than one occasion, Robbie had his opponent in trouble, but failed to finish him. In the end, a bloodied Cannon had to settle for a draw. In my opinion, Rob needs to fight more frequently and work with a strength trainer. He has the tools to be a decent regional fighter – but he does not sit on his punches…and often looks like an amateur. He’s a good kid, and we wish him the best.
After a brief intermission (and an extended smoke break for the Prez), a few MMA bouts took place. This was a little surprising to me; although, it’s becoming a staple with this economy…MMA is a “value added’ feature that tends to bring out fans that would not normally come out to see a boxing match.
I didn’t stick around for much of the MMA stuff, but I did manage to watch one fighter completely dominate another for 3 rounds, only to be caught in a triangle choke that nearly killed him. He was in the hold for a good 30 seconds before the ref (who shall remain nameless here) started raising his hand (think Ted Dibiase and the Million Dollar Dream) to see if he was awake. He wasn’t. By the third arm drop, the fight was waved off – and a stunned crowd stood up to see the body. Thankfully, he wasn’t dead – and in celebration, we raced to the Coors window to redeem our remaining drink tickets.
By the time Ryan Coyne (The Irish Outlaw) made his way to the ring, I was covering my left eye in order to prevent double vision. I had been telling the camera crew all night about Ryan’s opponent - James Crawford. Crawford is not a household name, but has fought some of them (Jeff Lacy, Danny Green). When Coyne’s foe was announced, I was a little surprised. Jonathan Corn…(47-22), I had last seen Corn fight William Joppy in St. Louis on the undercard of the Spinks/Karmazin fight – and I was well aware of what was about to happen.
Let me digress here…
I have ALWAYS been critical of how opponents are chosen for local prospects – and in some cases, national ones. Many times, a decent fighter will be fed a steady diet of bums in order to pad his record and make him an attractive opponent for a fringe contender, or title holder. It happens all the time. However, sometimes a fighter is left with the option of either not fighting…or taking on the replacement fighter. I heard from a few insiders that Corn’s appearance was strictly to make sure the Outlaw had a fight…and didn’t have to make a last minute cancellation. In any case, what a fighter does to an opponent such as Corn is important.
Off the soapbox. Ryan had Corn in trouble before his entrance music stopped playing. In typical Coyne fashion, he went for the most vulnerable spot on Jonathan – his soft (flabby for 185) belly. After landing numerous right hooks to the mid-section of Corn, and flooring him twice, the officials had seen enough. It wasn’t much of a fight – which was fine for us, because by that point we were bordering on being ejected. I do want to mention that Coyne’s handlers have done a remarkable job in helping him to cut weight. He looked incredibly fast at 183 – and seemed to keep every bit of power in that right hand of his. No offense Ryan, I still am not a fan of that overhand left. That’s OK though, former Heavyweight Champ Michael Moorer is Ryan’s Chief second now…and I am confident that we’ll see a new look from that side before long. Moorer knows a thing or two about being left handed.
Before Flores took the main stage, I departed the arena for a quick smoke, which turned into one of the more poignant moments of my evening. Outside the main entrance (where the big screen was clearly visible) I struck up a conversation with two local kids who openly criticized BJ for taking too many “stepping stone” fights and being afraid to take on real opponents like Coyne and Jeremiah Graziano (another MO Cruiserweight who is showing potential).
I didn’t talk a whole lot, but I did listen to them vent for 10 minutes. I thought about telling them that BJ had just lost to one of the best Crusiers in the world (Danny Green), but I decided to let them go. I played dumb (which by this point would be considered accurate since I could barely keep myself upright). They said he didn’t fight enough (also not entirely true – he just fought and beat a sound opponent in Nick Ianuzzi at that VERY area less than 4 months earlier…granted he’s had some layoffs). They said he wasn’t that good (disagreed again…BJ is a very good fighter – and big for a cruiserweight). Overall, I disagreed with nearly everything these two kids said to me – but somehow totally understood them, and sympathized. In St. Louis, we have the luxury of MANY good fighters in different weight classes. In Springfield, they have BJ Flores.
Somehow the earlier image of BJ entering the building surrounded by the spotlight all made sense. He is a bona fide celebrity in Southwest Missouri. Cheryl Crow, Brad Pitt – BJ Flores. I get it…and I understood the disappointment in Flores, though it’s probably not justified. The reason Coyne left the Cruiser division is the lack of decent fights that are available. I mean, Flores already lost to Green – most certainly his largest payday by far. He has few options – yeah, there is Steve Cunningham and Lateef Kayode in the US…and a few fights overseas, but the bottom line is – the Crusier division is not where superstars are being bred, and unfortunately , BJ is stuck there for a while.
Which brings us to his fight Saturday night – against Paul Jenette (a guy that Coyne beat soundly). While Jenette is in great shape (for a 41 year old), he’s not a world beater – and hardly a threat to a fighter of Flores’ stature. It was an easy win. BJ was rarely touched by his opponent, though he really didn’t lay into Paul either. He seemed to be carrying him to get the fans into the fight. Of course, the SEF crew tried to incite a riot by screaming “SHOCK THE WORLD PAUL” until we were (again) told to be quiet by the TV crew. No riot, and an easy win for El Peligroso.
After the Flores bout, we were informed that two more fights would take place – though last call had already been announced…and we needed to be at Jeckyll and Hyde’s in downtown Springfield for the Outlaw’s after party. We bolted as fast as we could to the door and called for our cab (drink responsibly) – which never arrived after 30 minutes of waiting with a full bladder. Joe (who had not been drinking) decided that he would be our DD for the evening – and we departed. This is where things get a little sketchy…
Rumple Minze is a very dangerous liquor.
While waiting for the Outlaw and his crew to arrive, we partook in no less than 10 of these mouth-watering mouthwash –tasting shots. Joe stood by in complete disbelief as we dismembered one full bottle and moved onto the next . Do you have any idea how hard it is to say RUMPLE MINZE when you are full tilt? Exactly. So, by the time Team Outlaw arrived, we were well on the way to making fools of ourselves.
In anticipation of meeting Michael Moorer, I had prepared myself on what to say…and more importantly what NOT to say. I had this whole soliloquy that I was planning on giving: “ Mike, man…it’s great meeting you, I remember the night you beat Evander Holyfield – you are truly one of the last great heavyweights” (yadda yadda yadda). Nope. Didn’t happen. I think I said something like: “ Miiish, hhey brothaaa! You beat Frannnth Bothha on the Holyfield/Tython undercard! Vaughn Bean too!
Moorer looked at me like I had two heads, with a nod of respect to my history lesson and then embarrassingly said “Man, that was a long time ago – be careful.” Moment ruined. I could have been eloquent and bought the man a beer or something, but no…I tried to show off, and made a fool of myself.
It was at this point that the Outlaw walked over to us to say hello. He started to tell me about his fight, but I could tell that his eyes were wandering. I looked behind me to see if something was distracting him…there was a black lady back there with more grommets in her face than a DC-9. I was about to comment on it when I realized that the Outlaw was looking at how I was dressed. The douchebag alarm had sounded (finally) and he called me on my ridiculous outfit: Knockoff Robert Graham button down (sleeves cuffed), sandals and a VISOR. This called for another drink – which I took.
Someone handed me an airplane bottle of strawberry vodka…which is the one thing that could have knocked me out faster than a Coyne uppercut. Somehow, Joe snuck us out of the bar before things got out of hand…thankfully, he’d only been watching Douglas and I poison ourselves and hadn’t participated. I don’t remember much – only flashes of Doug puking out of Joe’s window, a luggage cart rolling down a flight of stairs at our hotel... a bearded night clerk screaming at us about having to ‘bounce’ – and the abrasions on my knees and palms. We woke up at 10:30 Sunday morning, confused as to how we arrived in our room. At checkout, the morning clerk told us of our troubles the previous evening. I left – praying that a luggage cart would not show up on my bank statement.
Good Times.
Prez
Monday, September 26, 2011
Money is no Sucker...Mayweather is Unbeatable.
So...
I've had some time to digest and dissect the Mayweather/Ortiz fight - and I have come to a reasonable conclusion: Money is without question a dominating and unstoppable force. He is unbeatable.
It's unfathomable. Floyd takes on (and dominates) every opponent he faces - and does so after layoffs that would certainly rust anyone else in the game. Haters want to harp on Floyd because he is "unexciting" - but the reality is, nobody is GOOD enough to force him out of his game plan. He's hard to hit...and when he does get clocked, it brings people out of their chairs. To me, that makes him very exciting (tell me you didn't start jumping around when Mosely stole him). One of the most exciting exchanges in his fight with Ortiz was when he was being backed up...truth.
For those that complain that Floyd won the Ortiz fight with a sucker punch...cool. I respect that. But put yourself in Money's shoes. He GAVE Ortiz alot of money - and a once in a lifetime opportunity. And what did Victor do? He played dirty. After trying to land a humongous flagrant foul, he felt the need to apologize THREE times. Some will say it was a noble move...I say it was stupid. If I had just butted the best fighter in the world, I would have been on guard and ready for a counter attack. His camp was well aware that Floyd is a guy who will win at all costs. The punches were legal...and truthfully, I didn't see a whole lot of complaining from Ortiz after it was all over.
As for the comments from Larry Merchant. Sheesh. I love Larry - and his comments immediately after the knockout were complimentary of Floyd. What happened in the post fight interview was completely inappropriate and contradictory. What I saw was an old man trying to enhance his legacy by trying to inflame a guy who was primed to implode mentally. After all, it's hard work being the bad guy.
That brings me to my final point. There are too many "good guys" out there. Floyd is a genius at promoting boxing events. He knows that people want to see him lose - and he knows he is never going to lose. When the Pac fight happens (and it will happen), it will be the biggest boxing event in history. He know's we'll wait another year for it...
And then after he makes Pac look silly, he'll retire. Undefeated. And then Floyd will have his most glorious victory ever - not the defeat of Pacquiao...the wind falling out of the sails of the haters. There will never be another one like him.
I've had some time to digest and dissect the Mayweather/Ortiz fight - and I have come to a reasonable conclusion: Money is without question a dominating and unstoppable force. He is unbeatable.
It's unfathomable. Floyd takes on (and dominates) every opponent he faces - and does so after layoffs that would certainly rust anyone else in the game. Haters want to harp on Floyd because he is "unexciting" - but the reality is, nobody is GOOD enough to force him out of his game plan. He's hard to hit...and when he does get clocked, it brings people out of their chairs. To me, that makes him very exciting (tell me you didn't start jumping around when Mosely stole him). One of the most exciting exchanges in his fight with Ortiz was when he was being backed up...truth.
For those that complain that Floyd won the Ortiz fight with a sucker punch...cool. I respect that. But put yourself in Money's shoes. He GAVE Ortiz alot of money - and a once in a lifetime opportunity. And what did Victor do? He played dirty. After trying to land a humongous flagrant foul, he felt the need to apologize THREE times. Some will say it was a noble move...I say it was stupid. If I had just butted the best fighter in the world, I would have been on guard and ready for a counter attack. His camp was well aware that Floyd is a guy who will win at all costs. The punches were legal...and truthfully, I didn't see a whole lot of complaining from Ortiz after it was all over.
As for the comments from Larry Merchant. Sheesh. I love Larry - and his comments immediately after the knockout were complimentary of Floyd. What happened in the post fight interview was completely inappropriate and contradictory. What I saw was an old man trying to enhance his legacy by trying to inflame a guy who was primed to implode mentally. After all, it's hard work being the bad guy.
That brings me to my final point. There are too many "good guys" out there. Floyd is a genius at promoting boxing events. He knows that people want to see him lose - and he knows he is never going to lose. When the Pac fight happens (and it will happen), it will be the biggest boxing event in history. He know's we'll wait another year for it...
And then after he makes Pac look silly, he'll retire. Undefeated. And then Floyd will have his most glorious victory ever - not the defeat of Pacquiao...the wind falling out of the sails of the haters. There will never be another one like him.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
St. Louis Pound For Pound List August 2011 – SEF Perspective
St. Louis Pound For Pound List August 2011 – SEF Perspective
Lots of good things happening in STL – even if the national (and world press) is not picking up on all of it. Every now and again I like to look at who is doing what in Arch City’s boxing scene. This is not up for discussion…as always, my opinion is mine so spare me the hate mail. If you have a logical argument, I will listen – it’s only fair. Isn’t that kind of me? Here goes…
1. Devon Alexander – Yeah, yeah, yeah…Devon’s had some interesting fights as of late. He definitely beat Kotelnik – even if it was a thin decision. He lost to Bradley (quitting is a stretch, but he certainly lost) and won another close decision against Lucas Matthyyse last month. Devon has endured a lot of criticism over the past couple of years for not being exciting enough, tough enough or (to some) good enough to be a world champ with staying power. The fact is – he has fought some VERY good competition and the fights have been matched well enough that they were not complete blowouts. He is still a young kid who has not taken much punishment…and has been in some fights that have been educating and are experiences he can build upon. Dev is moving up to 147 to avoid cutting drastic weight and losing muscle…and is currently a free agent. Promoters take notice – he’s going to be #1 again…it’s just a matter of time.
2. Ryan Coyne – Ryan is a better fighter than his last performance indicated. When he is fighting an opponent that is interested in engaging, he’s at his best. He recently declined a fight with Lateef “Power” Kayode next month…and that is to his credit. A fight with Kayode is a big deal – and with less than a month to train, the prospect is too risky for any fighter on the incline. The fan in me knows that the back and forth banter between camp Coyne and camp Kayode is more show and hype than anything at this point…but I also know that if both parties can come to terms financially and with a decent timeline – the fight would be a good one for ShoBox. My biggest concern for the Outlaw at this point is inactivity. However, the fact that he’s still undefeated and pushing toward a world title keeps him high on this list.
3. Deandre Latimore – Bull has had his ups and downs as a professional , and has had to learn about the business through some very tough moments. An early loss to awkward Ian Gardner taught him a lesson in humility. A loss to cross-town rival Cory Spinks showed us a few conditioning flaws – and his most recent defeat to Sechew Powell (via rematch) gave us a scare as he struggled to maintain relevance at 154. Bull has been working on his weaknesses and is again pushing for a world title. Lately, he’s been in the Mayweather camp helping Floyd prep for his fight with slugger Victor Oritz. Bull had been in negotiations with undefeated prospect Vanes Martyrosian…and those talks seem to have cooled – but I’d still look for Latimore to get back into the mix before too long. It’s really up to him.
4. Dannie Williams – I get into arguments in boxing forums and Facebook after every Dannie Williams fight. There are those who feel that Dannie is better summed up in his loss to Eloy Perez than his 19 wins. Something can be said of that, as his competition has been a little on the softer side up to this point. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that in my book. I think Rumble Time learned a valuable lesson with Deandre Latimore via the Gardner fight. For now, at least, I will reserve judgment on Dannie’s opposition, but as we all know – at some point you have to see what a guy’s got before touting him as the second coming. That day is going to be upon us soon. Regardless of where he is at the moment, it’s only a matter of time before big fights come calling – and only then will we all have our answer. Dannie will ALWAYS have a puncher’s chance…
5. Cory Spinks – Not much to say about Cory other than he looked good in his last fight against a guy with far less skill and mobility. When was the last time you saw Spinks overwhelm another fighter with power punches (I’ll wait……..)? Cory is still a top draw in St. Louis and can probably still get fights as ‘tune up’ opponent. He’s a small middleweight, and I don’t see him going down in weight any time soon considering he’s been known to walk around at close to 200 pounds. Personally, I think he should consider retiring, but we all know that’s not going to happen. I am concerned that he will end up seriously hurt.
6. Tyrone Chatman – Tyrone is a dichotomy. I like his explosive style and he most certainly has a raw skill set. My concern is that he is a bit too short to be fighting at 140 pounds. In his last fight, he faced a long and lean opponent who was able to tie him up and keep him away – taking away his most dangerous weapons. Tye has an upside – and can bring the fans in if he continues fighting the level of opposition he’s currently being paired with…but at some point (as mentioned above), a fighter has to prove that he’s championship minded – or in it for the money (being an opponent). Right now, I think Tyrone wants more than a payday.
Lots of good things happening in STL – even if the national (and world press) is not picking up on all of it. Every now and again I like to look at who is doing what in Arch City’s boxing scene. This is not up for discussion…as always, my opinion is mine so spare me the hate mail. If you have a logical argument, I will listen – it’s only fair. Isn’t that kind of me? Here goes…
1. Devon Alexander – Yeah, yeah, yeah…Devon’s had some interesting fights as of late. He definitely beat Kotelnik – even if it was a thin decision. He lost to Bradley (quitting is a stretch, but he certainly lost) and won another close decision against Lucas Matthyyse last month. Devon has endured a lot of criticism over the past couple of years for not being exciting enough, tough enough or (to some) good enough to be a world champ with staying power. The fact is – he has fought some VERY good competition and the fights have been matched well enough that they were not complete blowouts. He is still a young kid who has not taken much punishment…and has been in some fights that have been educating and are experiences he can build upon. Dev is moving up to 147 to avoid cutting drastic weight and losing muscle…and is currently a free agent. Promoters take notice – he’s going to be #1 again…it’s just a matter of time.
2. Ryan Coyne – Ryan is a better fighter than his last performance indicated. When he is fighting an opponent that is interested in engaging, he’s at his best. He recently declined a fight with Lateef “Power” Kayode next month…and that is to his credit. A fight with Kayode is a big deal – and with less than a month to train, the prospect is too risky for any fighter on the incline. The fan in me knows that the back and forth banter between camp Coyne and camp Kayode is more show and hype than anything at this point…but I also know that if both parties can come to terms financially and with a decent timeline – the fight would be a good one for ShoBox. My biggest concern for the Outlaw at this point is inactivity. However, the fact that he’s still undefeated and pushing toward a world title keeps him high on this list.
3. Deandre Latimore – Bull has had his ups and downs as a professional , and has had to learn about the business through some very tough moments. An early loss to awkward Ian Gardner taught him a lesson in humility. A loss to cross-town rival Cory Spinks showed us a few conditioning flaws – and his most recent defeat to Sechew Powell (via rematch) gave us a scare as he struggled to maintain relevance at 154. Bull has been working on his weaknesses and is again pushing for a world title. Lately, he’s been in the Mayweather camp helping Floyd prep for his fight with slugger Victor Oritz. Bull had been in negotiations with undefeated prospect Vanes Martyrosian…and those talks seem to have cooled – but I’d still look for Latimore to get back into the mix before too long. It’s really up to him.
4. Dannie Williams – I get into arguments in boxing forums and Facebook after every Dannie Williams fight. There are those who feel that Dannie is better summed up in his loss to Eloy Perez than his 19 wins. Something can be said of that, as his competition has been a little on the softer side up to this point. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that in my book. I think Rumble Time learned a valuable lesson with Deandre Latimore via the Gardner fight. For now, at least, I will reserve judgment on Dannie’s opposition, but as we all know – at some point you have to see what a guy’s got before touting him as the second coming. That day is going to be upon us soon. Regardless of where he is at the moment, it’s only a matter of time before big fights come calling – and only then will we all have our answer. Dannie will ALWAYS have a puncher’s chance…
5. Cory Spinks – Not much to say about Cory other than he looked good in his last fight against a guy with far less skill and mobility. When was the last time you saw Spinks overwhelm another fighter with power punches (I’ll wait……..)? Cory is still a top draw in St. Louis and can probably still get fights as ‘tune up’ opponent. He’s a small middleweight, and I don’t see him going down in weight any time soon considering he’s been known to walk around at close to 200 pounds. Personally, I think he should consider retiring, but we all know that’s not going to happen. I am concerned that he will end up seriously hurt.
6. Tyrone Chatman – Tyrone is a dichotomy. I like his explosive style and he most certainly has a raw skill set. My concern is that he is a bit too short to be fighting at 140 pounds. In his last fight, he faced a long and lean opponent who was able to tie him up and keep him away – taking away his most dangerous weapons. Tye has an upside – and can bring the fans in if he continues fighting the level of opposition he’s currently being paired with…but at some point (as mentioned above), a fighter has to prove that he’s championship minded – or in it for the money (being an opponent). Right now, I think Tyrone wants more than a payday.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Eloy Perez - Please Fight Dannie Williams...
Boxingscene has an article up in which Perez calls out Dannie Williams - and says that every fight Dannie wins makes him look better...not really sure that's the case. I get into internet arguments weekly with matchmakers that don't think Williams is all that good - but I think he's being developed properly. I have not always agreed with how RT has brought their prospects along (see Deandre Latimore), but they are taking their time with Williams - which is a good thing.
Check out the article at Boxingscene...
http://www.boxingscene.com/eloy-perez-dannie-williams-makes-me-look-better--42719
Check out the article at Boxingscene...
http://www.boxingscene.com/eloy-perez-dannie-williams-makes-me-look-better--42719
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