Want Pacquiao Vs. Bradley? Cotto? Peterson? Marquez? Weigh-In!…WOODS

Published

13 years ago

January 4, 2012

PacquiaoMarquez3WeighIn Hogan 9 I’d like the year in boxing 2012 to be remembered, at least partially, as the year of the fan. I’d like to toss the ball in your court, and take advantage of your collective wisdom, because frequently, you guys have a superior take on a situation, and use better judgment than a lot of us “experts” do. We get clouded by our biases, and suits get clouded by business interests, but the fans can keep a clearer head, and thus, their input is typically unclouded as a result.

With that preamble dispensed, I’d like your take on the Big Four, the four gentlemen who are in line to play a Manny Pacquiao scratch ticket.

You probably heard, via ABS-CBN, that promoter Bob Arum will be headed to the Philippines next week, and by January 10 or so, will have sat down with the Congressman, and discussed four foes that Top Rank has chosen to be suitable opponents for Manny in his first 2012 bout, presumably in May.

In alphabetic order, Tim Bradley, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez and Lamont Peterson are the names mentioned by Arum as folks who will get a crack at Pacquiao.

If you’d have thrown those names against the wall last year at this time, you would have received vastly different responses than you will now. First and foremost, in January of 2011, Pacquiao was coming off a slaughter of Antonio Margarito. Then he met Shane Mosley, and then Juan Manuel Marquez, and perceptions of Pacquiao changed. Not in every camp, mind you. Some folks will tell you that Manny is still Manny, the same Manny who he was in January 2011. They’ll say that Mosley simply fought to survive and there was no way, shape or form that Pacquiao could have looked like a million bucks in Las Vegas against track star Mosley. Those folks will say that Manny had an off night against Marquez on Nov. 12, that he quite likely overtrained, and that Marquez fought the fight of his life. But many of those same folks also concede that Pacquiao is better suited to fighting a certain sort of foe, that the more slippery boxers, the more agile hitters, and the master craftsman, give him problems.

In January 2011, people would have said that Marquez is past his prime, and won’t thrive at welterweight, because after all, look how he did at that class when he tangled with Floyd Mayweather? So maybe people wouldn’t have put him first on the list among the four proposed foes…

Cotto wouldn’t have gotten all that much love, considering he had a shot at Pacquiao in November 2009, and didn’t get any traction enroute to a TKO12 loss.

In January 2011, the level of love for Tim Bradley would have been roughly the same. The junior welter had come off an OK showing at welter in July 2010, with a UD12 over Luis Abregu, after snagging another UD12 over Lamont Peterson and getting into a managerial-promotional entanglement. There were those who would’ve said back then a year ago they’d like to see his volume and pressure against Manny’s volume and pressure. Also, people who wanted Manny to fight someone other than an ultra-vet liked the idea of a young ‘un (then 27) getting a crack..

As for Lamont Peterson, in January 2011, his name would’ve had people hooting. He’d drawn with Victor Ortiz in December 2010, after losing to Bradley one year before. The DC-boxer’s buzz was not present and one wondered if he’d simply be one of those solid sorts who would never beat an ‘A’ grade boxer. The hooting and the wondering stopped on December 10 of this year, when he elevated his game a hefty step, fighting passionately and effectively against Amir Khan. Peterson got the W, with some friendly officiating and appreciative judges watching in his home state, but even if he hadn’t, his stock ticked up hard. And that’s why I’d maybe be most intrigued to see Pacquiao-Peterson, of all those potential matches.

Peterson is a relative pup; he’d be 28 next May. How would the 33 and a half year old Pacquiao handle the energy of the Khan conqueror? Would he use Peterson’s aggression against him, or would those strafing body shots take something from Pacquiao’s legs early on?

I’d also be happy to pony up for the PPV to see if Manny could tweak his game to see a better result against Marquez, in their fourth tangle. But this series has now turned into something like the “Rocky” series; still capable of great moments, but a smidge of staleness has set in. One should probably factor in that Marquez “deserves” another crack at Pacquiao, seeing as how so many people thought he got Madoff’d in their third clash.

Pacquiao-Cotto II is a more interesting matchup after Dec. 3, 2011 than it was before, because Cotto truly looked like an improved pugilist, like someone who was engaged with the sport again, like a person who once again liked boxing. His newfound zest for combat, combined with Pacquiao’s (possible) deterioration makes the rematch a closer-to-even proposition, and a sellable entity for Arum.

I’m least interested in Pacquiao-Bradley, as I’d like to see Bradley raise his game before getting this lotto play. I respect the heck out of his talent, especially his stamina, but he is so one dimensional that I’m afraid a fight with him and Pacman wouldn’t generate much heat in the months leading up to it. How about Bradley meet and beat Peterson, with the winner to get Pacquiao down the line? Or if Peterson’s not game, how about Bradley and Amir Khan get it on, again, with the prospect of a Pacquiao payday hanging over the scrap?

That’s my riff on the Big Four. Readers, leave a comment in our Forum, and slot who you’d like Manny to meet, first to fourth. Perhaps Mr Arum will log on to TSS, and do a little market research before he checks in with the Congressman. We are hoping that he is down with our hopeful notion that 2012 will go down as the year of the fan..

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Michael Woods

Results from the Chumash Casino where Akhmedov Gave a GGG-like Performance

Published

6 hours ago

December 13, 2024

David A. Avila

Results-from-the-Chumash-Casino-where-Akhmedov-Gave-a-GGG-like-Performance

Shades of Triple G.

Kazakhstan has another middleweight killer as Sadriddin Akhmedov overran veteran Raphael Igbokwe to win by knockout on Friday evening.

“He’s a tough guy, but I’m a tough guy too,” said Akhmedov of his Texas foe.

Akhmedov (15-0, 13 KOs) excited the crowd at Chumash Casino with a strong performance against a gritty Igbokwe (17-6, 7 Kos). The Kazakh fighter has Gennady Golovkin’s old trainer Abel Sanchez at his side.

It was evident in the first round that Akhmedov wields power, but it was also evident that Igbokwe was not going to quit. Blow after blow was absorbed by the Texas-trained fighter and he continued to press forward.

Akhmedov telegraphed his overhand rights but fired quick and accurate left hooks. Igbokwe withstood the power for round after round.

At the end of the fifth round both fighters continued to fire punches after the bell rang. It angered the two middleweights.

Akhmedov must have still been angry when the sixth round began as he erupted with a 12-punch barrage. Several big blows connected and the Texas fighter was in trouble. Though Igbokwe escaped the first barrage he was unable to avoid the second and the fight was stopped by referee Rudy Barragan at 56 seconds of the sixth round.

The Kazakhstan fighter thanked his fan support and his new trainer Sanchez.

“Every morning at 7 a.m. he wants to kill me,” Akhmedov said of Sanchez.

Other Bouts

A battle between Olympians saw Carlos Balderas (15-2, 13 KOs) knock out Cesar Villarraga (11-11-1) in the sixth round for the win at super lightweight.

A one-two combination found the mark for Balderas at 56 seconds of the sixth round. Villarraga beat the count but once the fight resumed the referee stopped the fight after Balderas connected with another right.

“My coaches told me it was there,” said Balderas of the right cross that finished the fight.

Balderas fought for Team USA in the Olympics and Villarraga for Team Colombia.

Super welterweights Jorge Maravillo (10-0-1, 8 KOs) and Damoni Cato-Cain (8-1-2) fought to a split draw after eight back-and- forth rounds.

Cain-Cato sprinted ahead for the first three rounds behind subtle pressure and focusing on the body then the head against the taller Maravillo. Then, it stopped.

Maravillo stopped retreating and used his long stiff left jabs as a probe and counter punch and became the stalker instead of the prey. It turned the fight around. But Cain-Cato was reluctant to give up too much territory and fought through a damaged left eye to keep the match tight. After eight rounds one judge saw Maravillo the winner, another saw Cato-Cain, and a third saw it even for a split draw.

It was a fitting score.

Angel Carrillo (4-0-1) out-pointed Joshua Torres (0-2-2) with combination punching and in-and-out maneuvers to win by decision. Though 14 years younger, Carrillo wore a protector near his chest. Twice he placed it far above his belly button and was never warned.

Fidencio Hernandez (3-0) was the more polished fighter and used straighter punches and a tighter defense to shut out Laguna Beach’s Josaphat Navarro (1-3-1) and won by unanimous decision.

In her pro debut Perla Bazaldua (1-0) won by knockout over Mollie Backowski (0-4) in a super flyweight contest. Bazaldua fights out of Los Angeles and has long been touted as a one of that city’s best amateur prospects. Now she is a pro.

Photo credit: Lina Baker / 360 Promotions

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 308: SoCal Rivals Rocha and Curiel Rumble and More

Published

17 hours ago

December 13, 2024

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 308: SoCal Rivals Rocha and Curiel Rumble and More

Decades ago, battles between regional warriors were as common as freeway traffic in Los Angeles during rush hour.

Bobby Chacon repped San Fernando Valley, Mando Ramos came from the docks of San Pedro, Danny “Little Red” Lopez lived in Alhambra and Ruben “Maravilla Kid” Navarro hailed from East L.A. And they rumbled repeatedly with each other.

The boxing sphere in California has grown much larger despite the closure of boxing palaces such as the Olympic Auditorium, Hollywood Legion Stadium, Great Western Forum, the L.A. Coliseum and Wrigley Field.

Those were classic venues.

Today in the 21^st century boxing continues to grow.

Golden Boy Promotions presents SoCal regional rivals Santa Ana’s Alexis Rocha (25-2, 16 KOs) facing Hollywood’s Raul Curiel (15-0,13 KOs) in a welterweight clash on Saturday, Dec. 14, at Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif. DAZN will stream the main card and YouTube.com the remainder.

Ontario is located in the Inland Empire known as the I.E.

Rocha, 27, has grown into a crowd favorite with a crowd-pleasing style developed by Orange County boxing trainer Hector Lopez. I remember his pro debut at Belasco Theater in downtown L.A. He obliterated his foe in three rounds and the small venue erupted with applause.

Wherever Rocha goes to fight, his fans follow.

“Anyone I face is trying to take food away from my family,” said Rocha.

Curiel, 29, has traveled a different road. As a former Mexican Olympian he took the slower road toward adapting to the professional style. Freddie Roach has refined the Mexican fighter’s style and so far, he remains unbeaten with a 10-fight knockout streak.

“I want to fight the best in the division,” said Curiel who is originally from Guadalajara.

Super welter hitters

Another top-notch fighter on the card is super welterweight Charles Conwell from Cleveland, Ohio. Conwell (20-0, 15 KOs) faces Argentina’s undefeated Gerardo Vergara (20-0, 13 KOs) in the co-main event.

Conwell may be the best kept secret in boxing and has been dominating foes for the past several years. He has solid defense, good power and is very strong for this weight class. Very Strong.

“I got to go out there and dominate,” said Conwell. “This is a fight that can lead me to a world championship fight.”

Golden Boy Promotions got lucky in picking up this fighter who could compete with any super welterweight out there. Anyone.

Vergara, 30, is another Argentine product and if you know anything about that South American country, they groom strong fighters with power. Think Marcos Maidana. This will be his first true test.

“I really hope he (Conwell) backs what he is saying,” said Vergara.

Marlen Esparza vs Arely Mucino

Former flyweight world titlists finally meet, but at super flyweight.

Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza fights Mexico’s Arely Mucino in a fight that should have taken place years ago. Both are both coming off losses in title fights.

Esparza has the “fast hands” as she said and Mucino the “aggressive style” as she mentioned at the press conference on Thursday in Ontario.

It’s a 10-round affair and could mark the end for the loser.

Friday Night Fights

Undefeated middleweight Sadridden Akhmedov (14-0, 12 KOs) headlines a 360 Promotions and faces Raphael Igbokwe (17-5, 7 KOs) in the main event on Friday, Dec. 13, at Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, Calif. UFC Fight Pass will stream the event.

Akhmedov hails from Kazakhstan and if you remember legendary Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin also hails from that region. Tom Loeffler the head of 360 Promotions worked with GGG too among other legends.

Is Akhmedov the real deal?

Former American Olympian Carlos Balderas (14-2) is also on the card and fights veteran Cesar Villarraga (11-10-1) who has been known to upset favorites in the past.

Fights to Watch

Fri. UFC Fight Pass 7 p.m. Sadridden Akhmedov (14-0) vs Raphael Igbokwe (17-5).

Sat. DAZN 10:30 a.m. Murodjon Akhmadaliev (12-1) vs Ricardo Espinoza (30-4).

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Alexis Rocha (25-2) vs Raul Curiel (15-0); Charles Conwell (20-0) vs Gerardo Vergara (20-0); Marlen Esparza (14-2) vs Arely Mucino (32-4-2).

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Cardoso, Nunez, and Akitsugi Bring Home the Bacon in Plant City

Published

2 days ago

December 11, 2024

Arne K. Lang

Cardoso-Nunez-and-Agitsuki-Bring-Home-the-Bacon-in-Plant-City

Cardoso, Nunez, and Akitsugi Bring Home the Bacon in Plant City

The final ShoBox event of 2025 played out tonight at the company’s regular staging ground in Plant City, Florida. When the smoke cleared, the “A-side” fighters in the featured bouts were 3-0 in step-up fights vs. battle-tested veterans, two of whom were former world title challengers. However, the victors in none of the three fights, with the arguable exception of lanky bantamweight Katsuma Akitsugi, made any great gain in public esteem.

In the main event, a lightweight affair, Jonhatan Cardoso, a 25-year-old Brazilian, earned a hard-fought, 10-round unanimous decision over Los Mochis, Mexico southpaw Eduardo Ramirez. The decision would have been acceptable to most neutral observers if it had been deemed a draw, but the Brazilian won by scores of 97-93 and 96-94 twice.

Cardoso, now 18-1 (15), had the crowd in his corner., This was his fourth straight appearance in Plant City. Ramirez, disadvantaged by being the smaller man with a shorter reach, declined to 28-5-3.

Co-Feature

In a 10-round featherweight fight that had no indelible moments, Luis Reynaldo Nunez advanced to 20-0 (13) with a workmanlike 10-round unanimous decision over Mexico’s Leonardo Baez. The judges had it 99-91 and 98-92 twice.

Nunez, from the Dominican Republic, is an economical fighter who fights behind a tight guard. Reputedly 85-5 as an amateur, he is managed by Sampson Lewkowicz who handles David Benavidez among others and trained by Bob Santos. Baez (22-5) was returning to the ring after a two-year hiatus.

Also

In a contest slated for “10,” ever-improving bantamweight Katsuma Akitsugi improved to 12-0 (3 KOs) with a sixth-round stoppage of Filipino import Aston Palicte (28-7-1). Akitsugi caught Palicte against the ropes and unleashed a flurry of punches climaxed by a right hook. Palicte went down and was unable to beat the count. The official time was 1:07 of round six.

This was the third straight win by stoppage for Akitsugi, a 27-year-old southpaw who trains at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card gym in LA under Roach’s assistant Eddie Hernandez. Palicte, who had been out of the ring for 16 months, is a former two-time world title challenger at superflyweight (115).

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