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With Apologies To George Kimball..
Forgive me, my DVR is a bit backed up. I was present live for the Sergio Martinez-Matthew Macklin fight on March 17, and have been meaning to watch the taped HBO presentation of the bout. That is largely because I was curious to see how much if at all different the fight looked on the tube versus in the flesh. At the Theater, at Madison Square Garden, I thought Martinez clearly won, and while I wasn’t overwhelmed with his showing—I would have liked a bit less movement, and a bit more throwing from the Argentine middleweight—I did note that Macklin looked solid, looked confident, and maybe fought the fight of his life, as well as he’s capable of fighting, on that night.
My scorecard, quite imperfect because from press row, I was often blocked by camera-men or the ref or what have you, I had Martinez winning 7-3-1.
I was a bit surprised to learn that one judge saw the bout even, while two others had Martinez up by a four point margin at the time of the stoppage, the end of round 11. So I blocked out a bit of time yesterday, and watched the bout the way I think I watch it best, with my rewind button at the ready, my pause button ready to freeze the frame if the baby wakes up, HBO’s multiple cameras catching the very best angle for most every punch, and no camera guys in my living room blocking my siteline. My man George Kimball would regularly vent to me about the inappropriateness of covering a bout off TV, and of course he had a point, as you won't catch anything that happens in the arena covering it from your couch. But as far as being able to best convey what actually went on in the ring on any given night, I think off TV, with the ten cameras, and the audible audio, and the glimpses into the corner, and the magic of the DVR…sorry George, I know my stance is sacreligious…
So, after the 11 rounds complete, I gave Macklin even less credit than I did live. I tallied a strange looking card: 6-0-5, for Martinez. That said, just about every round was tight tight tight.
I gave Sergio the first, for being a little busier; I gave Sergio the second, as Macklin threw a right to the body but didn’t do much more than that, and I was happy the replay showed me a Macklin stumble came from tangled feet; I made the third even; I made the fourth even, and though I was impressed with how relaxed and confident Macklin looked, he was more neutralizing Sergio’s offense than actually offering much O himself, and was again happy the replays on TV showed me that a stumble came from tangled feet; I made the fifth even, as a Macklin right and a Sergio left uppercut stood out in a tight round, a round in which CompuBox said Macklin was the busier; I gave Sergio the sixth, as he stole it with his last clean launch, and maybe because he landed jabs and Macklin didn’t; I scored the seventh even, thankfully because I saw Sergio’s glove hit the canvas because the fighters got tangled up again, and maybe could have given it to Sergio as a clean, hard left spoke to me; I scored the eighth even, leaning toward Sergio, who landed more, 17 to 12; I scored the ninth clearly for Sergio, because he put his punches together and Macklin was starting to lean, and reach and look more fatigued; I scored the tenth for Sergio, as he knocked Macklin’s mouthpiece out, something I couldn’t see clearly in the arena, because my siteline was blocked; and I of course scored the 11th wide for Sergio, who scored two knockdowns.
So, off TV, I scored it 6-0-5, for Martinez. Judges are encouraged to get off the durned fence, pick a winner, but in my mind, too often, people basically flip a coin in their head, and pick a winner in a crazytight round. Why? I’d like to see fighters encouraged to win rounds conclusively, along the same lines as how Dana White before every UFC card tells the fighters to remove the judges from the equation, because they suck. Or something to that effect…More even rounds might make the boxers push themselves to get it through the judges’ thick skulls that they won the three minutes.
It was fascinating to see Buddy McGirt give Macklin to option to continue, see him say, “We’re gonna stop it” and note that a dazed Macklin didn’t offer more than a half-hearted protest. Only because of the HBO camera being in the corner was I able to truly get a sense of McGirt’s wisdom and decency in that corner. Props to him for that, and for motivating Macklin and helping him devise a strategy that kept him in the fight with the middleweight ace.
Now, some things I pondered right after the fight and am still today…Should Martinez have been in such a close fight with Matthew Macklin? If indeed he is the third best boxer in the world, should he not have put more space between himself and Macklin? Are people who say Martinez is No. 3 pound for pound overrating him? When the Top Rank crew cackles that Martinez isn’t all he and his crew and many if not most fans say he is, and thus he has no call to demand Chavez Jr. glove up, do they have a point? Or…was Lou DiBella right, and not just being a promoter, when he talked up Macklin’s bonafides? Or…has Martinez started to slip, started to show some crow’s feet in his game?
I do believe Macklin, through the first eight or so rounds, was indeed on the top of his game, that he had trained as hard as he could for this bout, was as motivated as could be, and did better than anyone could’ve expected. So a large part of me thinks that Macklin much more so deserves the credit rather than Martinez deserving scorn or a harsh critique. But if he were to fight Martinez again, would he employ some different strategies and tactics? Because yes, the fight was close, but if the fight went the distance, and no knockdowns occurred, he would have lost…His feints, and his relaxed manner, the fact that he didn’t press or chase kept the rounds close, but on my card, didn’t win him a single round.
And Martinez…would he have won more rounds, or stopped Macklin earlier if this fight took place a few years ago? Maybe. But the man fought smart, like Einstein smart, for a 37 year old. Think about it; he moved, he didn’t expend excess energy, he didn’t trade much, he didn’t risk incurring much punishment or getting cut up, he relied on his amazing stamina to get him to the late innings, when his foe, as most all of his foes, didn’t have the same reserves that he did…and then he turned up the flame on the guy.
A couple other random thoughts…
If Chavez Jr. fought Macklin, who do you think would win? Isn’t it possible that Macklin reverts to his more typical form, and brawls more with Chavez, and Chavez maybe potentially stops him earlier than Martinez did? Or maybe Macklin gets the better of Junior; a lot of you who are down on Junior probably like the UK man over the son of the legend, eh?
What with the spate of crappy judging we’ve seen the last 10 years—and mind you, I am not calling the judges’ work on Martinez-Macklin crappy—I think I am a sort of OK with the WBC’s open scoring system, in which the judges’ scores are announced to the entire arena, or simply the two corners, after rounds four and eight. If I’m Trainer Joe, and the three judges are seeing the fight like they are tripping on acid, and they see an even fight when everyone and their brother knows Trainer Joe’s guy is up handily, I think I’d like to know, so I can adjust corner strategy accordingly. Readers, what say you?
Now, I should be making my way to Kirkland-Molina and Garcia-Morales by Memorial Day. Thanks for your patience LOL.
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Lucas Bahdi Forged the TSS 2024 Knockout of the Year
A Knockout of the Year doesn’t have to be a one-punch knockout, but it must arrive with the suddenness of a thunderclap on a clear day and the punch or punches must be so harsh as to obviate the need for a “10-count.” And, if rendered by an underdog, that makes the KO resonate more loudly.
Within these parameters, Lucas Bahdi’s knockout of Ashton “H2O” Sylva still jumped off the page. The thunderclap happened on July 20 in Tampa, Florida, on a show promoted by Jake Paul with Paul and the great Amanda Serrano sharing the bill against soft opponents in the featured bouts.
The 30-year-old Bahdi (16-0, 14 KOs) and the 20-year-old Sylva (11-0, 9 KOs) were both undefeated, but Bahdi was accorded scant chance of defeating Jake Paul’s house fighter.
Sylva was 18 years old and had seven pro fights under his belt, winning all inside the distance, when he signed with Paul’s company, Most Valuable Promotions, in 2022. “We believe that Ashton has that talent, that flashiness, that style, that knockout power, that charisma to really be a massive, massive, superstar…” said the “Problem Child” when announcing that Sylva had signed with his company.
Jake Paul was so confident that his protege would accomplish big things that he matched Sylva with Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield. Currently 18-0 and ranked #2 by the WBA, Schofield was further along than Sylva in the pantheon of hot lightweight prospects. But Schofield backed out, alleging an injury, opening the door to a substitute.
Enter Lucas Bahdi who despite his eye-catching record was a virtual unknown. This would be his first outing on U.S. soil. All of his previous bouts were staged in Mexico or in Canada, mostly in his native Ontario province. “My opponent may have changed,” said Sylva who hails from Long Beach, California, “but the result will be the same, I will get the W and continue my path to greatness.”
The first five rounds were all Sylva. The Canadian had no antidote for Sylva’s speed and quickness. He was outclassed.
Then, in round six, it all came unglued for the precocious California. Out of the blue, Bahdi stiffened him with a hard right hand. Another right quickly followed, knocking Sylva unconscious. A third punch, a sweeping left, was superfluous. Jake Paul’s phenom was already out cold.
Sylva landed face-first on the canvas. He lay still as his handlers and medics rushed to his aid. It was scarifying. “May God restore him,” said ring announcer Joe Martinez as he was being stretchered out of the ring.
The good news is that Ashton “H2O” Silva will be able to resume his career. He is expected back in the ring as early as February. As for Lucas Bahdi, architect of the Knockout of the Year, he has added one more win to his ledger, winning a 10-round decision on the undercard of the Paul vs Tyson spectacle, and we will presumably be hearing a lot more about him.
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Usyk Outpoints Fury and Itauma has the “Wow Factor” in Riyadh
Usyk Outpoints Fury and Itauma has the “Wow Factor” in Riyadh
Oleksandr Usyk left no doubt that he is the best heavyweight of his generation and one of the greatest boxers of all time with a unanimous decision over Tyson Fury tonight at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. But although the Ukrainian won eight rounds on all three scorecards, this was no runaway. To pirate a line from one of the DAZN talking heads, Fury had his moments in every round but Usyk had more moments.
The early rounds were fought at a faster pace than the first meeting back in May. At the mid-point, the fight was even. The next three rounds – the next five to some observers – were all Usyk who threw more punches and landed the cleaner shots.
Fury won the final round in the eyes of this reporter scoring at home, but by then he needed a knockout to pull the match out of the fire.
The last round was an outstanding climax to an entertaining chess match during which both fighters took turns being the pursuer and the pursued.
An Olympic gold medalist and a unified world champion at cruiserweight and heavyweight, the amazing Usyk improved his ledger to 23-0 (14). His next fight, more than likely, will come against the winner of the Feb. 22 match in Ridayh between Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker which will share the bill with the rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Fury (34-2-1) may fight Anthony Joshua next. Regardless, no one wants a piece of Moses Itauma right now although the kid is only 19 years old.
Moses Itauma
Raised in London by a Nigerian father and a Slovakian mother, Itauma turned heads once again with another “wow” performance. None of his last seven opponents lasted beyond the second round.
His opponent tonight, 34-year-old Australian Demsey McKean, lasted less than two minutes. Itauma, a southpaw with blazing fast hands, had the Aussie on the deck twice during the 117-second skirmish. The first knockdown was the result of a cuffing punch that landed high on the head; the second knockdown was produced by an overhand left. McKean went down hard as his chief cornerman bounded on to the ring apron to halt the massacre.
Itauma (12-0, 10 KOs after going 20-0 as an amateur) is the real deal. It was the second straight loss for McKean (22-2) who lasted into the 10th round against Filip Hrgovic in his last start.
Bohachuk-Davis
In a fight billed as the co-main although it preceded Itauma-McKean, Serhii Bohachuk, an LA-based Ukrainian, stopped Ishmael Davis whose corner pulled him out after six frames.
Both fighters were coming off a loss in fights that were close on the scorecards, Bohachuk falling to Vergil Ortiz Jr in a Las Vegas barnburner and Davis losing to Josh Kelly.
Davis, who took the fight on short notice, subbing for Ismail Madrimov, declined to 13-2. He landed a few good shots but was on the canvas in the second round, compliments of a short left hook, and the relentless Bohachuk (25-2, 24 KOs) eventually wore him down.
Fisher-Allen
In a messy, 10-round bar brawl masquerading as a boxing match, Johnny Fisher, the Romford Bull, won a split decision over British countryman David Allen. Two judges favored Fisher by 95-94 tallies with the dissenter favoring Allen 96-93. When the scores were announced, there was a chorus of boos and those watching at home were outraged.
Allen was a step up in class for Fisher. The Doncaster man had a decent record (23-5-2 heading in) and had been routinely matched tough (his former opponents included Dillian Whyte, Luis “King Kong” Ortiz and three former Olympians). But Allen was fairly considered no more than a journeyman and Fisher (12-0 with 11 KOs, eight in the opening round) was a huge favorite.
In round five, Allen had Fisher on the canvas twice although only one was ruled a true knockdown. From that point, he landed the harder shots and, at the final bell, he fell to canvas shedding tears of joy, convinced that he had won.
He did not win, but he exposed Johnny Fisher as a fighter too slow to compete with elite heavyweights, a British version of the ponderous Russian-Canadian campaigner Arslanbek Makhmudov.
Other Bouts of Note
In a spirited 10-round featherweight match, Scotland’s Lee McGregor, a former European bantamweight champion and stablemate of former unified 140-pound title-holder Josh Taylor, advanced to 15-1-1 (11) with a unanimous decision over Isaac Lowe (25-3-3). The judges had it 96-92 and 97-91 twice.
A cousin and regular houseguest of Tyson Fury, Lowe fought most of the fight with cuts around both eyes and was twice deducted a point for losing his gumshield.
In a fight between super featherweights that could have gone either way, Liverpool southpaw Peter McGrail improved to 11-1 (6) with a 10-round unanimous decision over late sub Rhys Edwards. The judges had it 96-95 and 96-94 twice.
McGrail, a Tokyo Olympian and 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, fought from the third round on with a cut above his right eye, the result of an accidental clash of heads. It was the first loss for Edwards (16-1), a 24-year-old Welshman who has another fight booked in three weeks.
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Fury-Usyk Reignited: Can the Gypsy King Avenge his Lone Defeat?
Fury-Usyk Reignited: Can the Gypsy King Avenge his Lone Defeat?
In professional boxing, the heavyweight division, going back to the days of John L. Sullivan, is the straw that stirs the drink. By this measure, the fight on May 18 of this year at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was the biggest prizefight in decades. The winner would emerge as the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999 when Lennox Lewis out-pointed Evander Holyfield in their second meeting.
The match did not disappoint. It had several twists and turns.
Usyk did well in the early rounds, but the Gypsy King rattled Usyk with a harsh right hand in the fifth stanza and won rounds five through seven on all three cards. In the ninth, the match turned sharply in favor of the Ukrainian. Fury was saved by the bell after taking a barrage of unanswered punches, the last of which dictated a standing 8-count from referee Mark Nelson. But Fury weathered the storm and with his amazing powers of recuperation had a shade the best of it in the final stanza.
The decision was split: 115-112 and 114-113 for Usyk who became a unified champion in a second weight class; 114-113 for Fury.
That brings us to tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 21) where Usyk and Fury will renew acquaintances in the same ring where they had their May 18 showdown.
The first fight was a near “pick-‘em” affair with Fury closing a very short favorite at most of the major bookmaking establishments. The Gypsy King would have been a somewhat higher favorite if not for the fact that he was coming off a poor showing against MMA star Francis Ngannou and had a worrisome propensity for getting cut. (A cut above Fury’s right eye in sparring pushed back the fight from its original Feb. 11 date.)
Tomorrow’s sequel, bearing the tagline “Reignited,” finds Usyk a consensus 7/5 favorite although those odds could shorten by post time. (There was no discernible activity after today’s weigh-in where Fury, fully clothed, topped the scales at 281, an increase of 19 pounds over their first meeting.)
Given the politics of boxing, anything “undisputed” is fragile. In June, Usyk abandoned his IBF belt and the organization anointed Daniel Dubois their heavyweight champion based upon Dubois’s eighth-round stoppage of Filip Hrgovic in a bout billed for the IBF interim title. The malodorous WBA, a festering boil on the backside of boxing, now recognizes 43-year-old Kubrat Pulev as its “regular” heavyweight champion.
Another difference between tomorrow’s fight card and the first installment is that the May 18 affair had a much stronger undercard. Two strong pairings were the rematch between cruiserweights Jai Opetaia and Maris Briedis (Opetaia UD 12) and the heavyweight contest between unbeatens Agit Kabayal and Frank Sanchez (Kabayel KO 7).
Tomorrow’s semi-wind-up between Serhii Bohachuk and Ismail Madrimov lost luster when Madrimov came down with bronchitis and had to withdraw. The featherweight contest between Peter McGrail and Dennis McCann fell out when McCann’s VADA test returned an adverse finding. Bohachuk and McGrail remain on the card but against late-sub opponents in matches that are less intriguing.
The focal points of tomorrow’s undercard are the bouts involving undefeated British heavyweights Moses Itauma (10-0, 8 KOs) and Johnny Fisher (12-0, 11 KOs). Both are heavy favorites over their respective opponents but bear watching because they represent the next generation of heavyweight standouts. Fury and Usyk are getting long in the tooth. The Gypsy King is 36; Usyk turns 38 next month.
Bob Arum once said that nobody purchases a pay-per-view for the undercard and, years from now, no one will remember which sanctioning bodies had their fingers in the pie. So, Fury-Usyk II remains a very big deal, although a wee bit less compelling than their first go-around.
Will Tyson Fury avenge his lone defeat? Turki Alalshikh, the Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and the unofficial czar of “major league” boxing, certainly hopes so. His Excellency has made known that he stands poised to manufacture a rubber match if Tyson prevails.
We could have already figured this out, but Alalshikh violated one of the protocols of boxing when he came flat out and said so. He effectively made Tyson Fury the “A-side,” no small potatoes considering that the most relevant variable on the checklist when handicapping a fight is, “Who does the promoter need?”
The Uzyk-Fury II fight card will air on DAZN with a suggested list price of $39.99 for U.S. fight fans. The main event is expected to start about 5:45 pm ET / 2:45 pm PT.
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