Featured Articles
Mike Tyson vs. Tyson Fury: The Mischievous Betting Line
Jimmy Vaccaro is up to his old mischief. Yesterday (May 7) Vaccaro posted odds on a fight between Mike Tyson and Tyson Fury. He made the Gypsy King a 13/1 favorite. The take-back on Iron Mike was +1000 (10/1).
Vaccaro has been known to put up propositions on off-beat events simply as an antidote to boredom, including events unlikely to happen. Vaccaro and his colleagues in the bookmaking fraternity have been bored to death lately, a restlessness that loosened up just a little bit late yesterday when the National Football League announced the 2020 schedule.
Jimmy Vaccaro acquired a measure of fame when he posted odds on the famous fight in Japan between Mike Tyson and Buster Douglas, becoming the only bookmaker in the universe to perform this exercise and then take wagers on the fight. The odds nicked back and forth, but stood at 42/1 for a considerable period of time and that became, for all practical purposes, the official price by virtue of being the most widely quoted.
Vaccaro was then at the Mirage, the place with the faux volcano outside the front entrance. He now hangs his hat at the South Point, a far less opulent property far up the Strip, but a property with a sports book that does a booming business, or did before the sports world went dark. The affable Vaccaro doesnât run the book — that honor goes to his longtime friend Chris Andrews â but he is the face of the book and is free to make mischief; itâs good PR.
The impetus for concocting odds on a Tyson vs. Fury fight came from the video that Mike Tyson recently posted showing him hitting the mitts with prominent MMA trainer Rafael Cordeiro. âHe looked in amazing shape and his intensity had fans speechless,â gushed British writer Reubyn Coutinho of the video which has been viewed by upwards of 9 million people.
Tyson hinted at a possible comeback on Instagram and Coach Cordeiro fanned the flames when he talked about the session with ESPNâs Ariel Helwani. âI thought I was going to die over thereâŠ,â he said. âI saw a guy with the same speed, same power as the guys who are 21, 22 years old.â Australian boxing legend Jeff Fenech, who trained Tyson for Tysonâs final pro fight, threw more fuel on the fire with this observation: âI guarantee that if Mike trained for six weeks, heâd knock (Deontay) Wilder out in a minute.â
Tysonâs career didnât end well. He lost three of his last four fights, failing to last the distance with Lennox Lewis and Danny Williams and then quitting on his stool after six sloppy frames with journeyman Kevin McBride. Tysonâs best blow in that fight was a head butt that opened a cut over McBrideâs left eye. It cost him two points, not that it mattered.
âA tomato can,â is how Tyson described McBride before a punch was thrown. âIâm going to gut you like a fish,â he said at their final press conference. After the bout, he sang a different tune. âI donât have it any more,â he conceded. âYouâre smart too late and old too soon.â
Kevin McBride would go on to fight 10 more times, losing eight. (And Danny Williams, still active at age 46, has lost 18 of last 28).
Mike Tyson turns 54 at the end of next month. Itâs preposterous to think he could defeat Tyson Fury. âTaller fighters have long given him trouble,â noted New York Times correspondent Clifton Brown following his loss to McBride who at six-foot-six had a 7-inch height advantage.
Told that the odds that he eventually settled on were crazy, Vaccaro reminded this reporter that an oddsmaker has to anticipate how the betting public will react. He thought that some people would jump on Mike Tyson regardless of the price. As a frame of reference, the fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor comes to mind.
The South Point took two high-six-figure bets on Mayweather from the Maloof brothers, the former owners of the NBAâs Sacramento Kings, and yet there was such a flood of small bets on McGregor that the house turned a tidy profit nonetheless, a development that confirmed this reporterâs suspicion that a good-sized segment of the MMA fan base is comprised of slack-jawed cretins.
Almost 15 years have elapsed since Tysonâs dismal farewell fight and yet the aura that he had in his prime hasnât faded away. The proof was in the pudding on Feb. 22 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas when he stood side-by-side in the center of the ring with Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield before the start of the Fury-Wilder fight. As each was introduced, the cheers were loudest for Tyson, notwithstanding the fact that both Lewis and Holyfield had defeated him, Holyfield twice.
On that night, Mike Tyson summoned the ghosts of John L. Sullivan and Jack Dempsey.
Sullivan and his conqueror Jim Corbett appeared at many functions together following their historic fight in 1892. Corbettâs appearance would be met with polite applause. John L would receive a rousing reception. Dempsey and Gene Tunney appeared together less frequently after they retired, but the pattern was the same. Tunney defeated Dempsey, actually twice, but yet Dempsey always remained the peopleâs champion.
For the record, Mike Tyson has never hinted that he would like to fight Tyson Fury, either in an exhibition for charity or in a genuine prizefight. An exhibition with Tyson Furyâs eccentric 55-year-old father John Fury, however, isnât out of the question. The elder Fury, who compiled an 8-4-1 record in a pro career that ended in 1995, has expressed an interest in meeting up with the man after whom he named his son.
By the way, if youâre thinking of heading off to the South Point and jumping on the Tyson vs. Fury proposition, hold your horses. The fight has scant chance of ever happening, which means that you will be tying up your money without drawing any interest on it. A Nevada sports book is a remnant of an earlier age in the sense that the plastic in your wallet is no good. Wagers at the counter must be in cash or casino chips.
For the moment, fantasy fights are all we have. There are some delicious matchups on the drawing board and hopefully they will happen in the very near future.
 Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing ChannelÂ
To comment on this story in The Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Emanuel Navarrete and Rafael Espinoza Shine in Phoenix
Emanuel Navarrete and Rafael Espinoza Shine in Phoenix
PHOENIX – Saturday was a busy night on the global boxing scene, and itâs quite likely that the howling attendees in Phoenixâs Footprint Center witnessed the finest overall card of the international schedule. The many Mexican flags on display in the packed, scaled down arena signaled the eventâs theme.
Co-main events featured rematches that arose from a pair of prior crowd-pleasing slugfests. Each of tonightâs headlining bouts ended at the halfway point, but that was their only similarity.
Emanuel âVaqueroâ Navarrete, now 39-2-1 (32), defended his WBO Junior Lightweight belt with a dramatic stoppage of more-than-willing Oscar Valdez, 32-3 (24). The 29-year-old champion spoke of retirement wishes, but after dominating a blazing battle in which he scored three knockdowns, his only focus was relaxing during the holidays then getting back to what sounded like long-term business.
âValdez was extremely tough in this fight,â said Navarrete. âI knew I had to push him back and I did. You are now witnessing the second phase of my career and you can expect great things from me in 2025.â
âI donât really know about the future,â said the crestfallen, 33-year-old Valdez. âNo excuses. He did what he wanted to and I couldnât.â
Navarrete, a three-division titlist, came up one scorecard short of a fourth belt in his previous fight last May, a split decision loss to Denys Berinchyk. This was Navarreteâs fourth Arizona appearance so he was cheered like a homeboy, but Valdez was definitely the crowd favorite, evident from the cheers that erupted as both fighters were shown arriving in glistening, low rider automobiles.
Both men came out throwing huge shots, but it was Navarrete who scored a flash knockdown in the first round, setting the tone for the rest of the fight. There was fierce action in every frame, with Navarrete getting the best of most of it, but even when he was in trouble Valdez roared back and brought the crowd to their feet. He got dropped again at the very end of round four, and Navarrete sent his mouthpiece into orbit the round after that.
When Navarrette drove Valdez into the ropes during round six it looked like referee Raul Caiz, Jr was about to intervene, but before he could decide, Navarrete finished matters himself with a perfect left to the ribs that crumpled Valdez into a KO at 2:42.
âHe talked about getting ready to retire soon so I told him we had to fight again right now,â said Valdez prior to the rematch. There were numerous âbe careful what you wish forâ type predictions of doom and he entered the ring at around a two to one underdog, understanding the contestâs make or break stakes. âBoxing penalizes you if you have a lot of losses,â observed Valdez. âItâs not like other sports where you can lose and do better next season. In boxing, most people donât want to see you again after a couple of losses.â
What Valdez might decide remains to be seen, but even in defeat he proved to be a warrior worth watching.
Co-Feature
After their epic, razor-close encounter almost exactly a year ago, it was obvious Rafael Espinoza, and fellow 30-year-old Robeisy Ramirez should meet again for the WBO featherweight title belt Espinoza earned by an upset majority decision. Espinoza turned the trick again this time around, inside the distance, but it was more anti-climactic than anything like toe-to-toe.
The 6â1â Espinoza, now 26-0 (22), was the aggressor from the opening frame, but 5â6â Ramirez, 14-3 (9) employed his short stature well to stay out of immediate danger and countered to the body for a slight edge. The Cuban challenger avoided much of their previous firefight and initially controlled the tempo. The crowd jeered him for staying away but it was an effective strategy, at least at first.
Espinoza connected much better in the fifth round and looked fresher as Ramirezâs face rapidly reddened. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere in round six, Ramirez took a punch then raised a glove in surrender. Whatever the reason, even looking at Ramirezâs swollen right eye, it looked like a âNo Masâ moment. Replays showed a straight right to the eye socket, but that didnât stop the crowd from hooting their disgust after ref Chris Flores signaled the end at 0:12.
***
Richard Torrez, Jr, now 12-0 (11), displayed his Olympic silver medal pedigree in a heavyweight bout against Issac Munoz, 18-2-1 (15). Torrez, 236.6, found his punching range quickly with southpaw leads as Munoz, 252, tried to stand his ground but looked hurt by early body work that forced him into the ropes. He was gasping for breath as Torrez peppered him in the second, and Munoz went back to his corner on unsteady legs.
Munozâs team should have thought about saving him for another day in the third as he ate big shots. Luckily, referee Raul Caiz, Jr. was wiser and had seen enough, waving it off for a TKO at 0:59.
âI donât train for the opponent,â reflected Torrez, who isnât far from true contender status. âEvery time I train, I train for a world championship fight.â
***
Super-lightweight Lindolfo Delgado, 139.9, improved to 22-0 (16), and took another step into the world title picture against Jackson Marinez, now 22-4 (10), 139.2.
On paper this junior welterweight matchup appeared fairly even, and Marinez managed to keep it that way for almost half the scheduled ten rounds against a solid prospect but Delgado kept upping the ante until Marinez was out of chips. The assembled swarm was whistling for more action after three tentative opening frames, as Delgado loaded up but couldnât put much offense together.
That changed in the 4th when Delgado connected with solid crosses. In the fifth, a fine combination dropped Marinez into a delayed knockdown and a wicked follow-up right to the guts finished the wobbly Marinez, who had nothing to be ashamed of, off in the arms of ref Wes Melton. Official TKO time was 2:13.
In a matter of concurrent programming, Saturday also held a lot of highly publicized college football and basketball games which likely detracted from the larger mainstream audience and media coverage this fight card deserved. Thatâs a shame but you canât fault boxing, Top Rank, or any of the fighters for that because, once again, they all came through big time in Phoenix.
Photos credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
Brooklynâs Richardson Hitchins Wins IBF 140-Pound Title in Puerto Rico
A change of champions took place as Richardson Hitchins rallied from a lethargic start to wrest the IBF super lightweight title from Australiaâs Liam Paro by split decision on Saturday in Puerto Rico at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan.
Brooklyn has another world champion.
âIâm just happy to be a world champion,â Hitchins said.
Hitchins (19-0, 7 KOs) proved that his style of fighting could prevail over Paro (25-1, 15 KOs) who had previously knocked off another Puerto Rican champion, Subriel Matias.
Both fighters expected a different kind of encounter as Paro immediately started the fight with constant pressure and short, precise combinations. Hitchins had expected a different attack and seemed hesitant to pull the trigger.
âI couldnât get my timing,â said Hitchins. âI thought he was going to put the pressure on me.â
Soon Hitchins ramped up his attack.
After Paro had jumped ahead with a constant strategic attack, Hitchins slipped into second gear behind a sharp right counter that found the target repeatedly.
Things began to swing in the Brooklyn fighterâs favor.
Those long arms came in handy for Hitchins who snapped off deadeye rights through Paroâs guard repeatedly. Soon the southpaw Aussieâs eye began to show signs of damage.
But Paro never quit.
Aside from using quick counters, Paro began firing lead lefts and the occasional right hook and uppercut. But seldom did he target the body. Slowly, the rounds began mounting in favor of the Brooklyn fighter.
Perhaps the best blow of the fight took place in the ninth round as Hitchins connected flush with a one-two combination. Though stunned, Paro trudged forward looking to immediately counter.
He mostly failed.
Still, Paro knew the rounds were not one-sided and he could close the distance. The Aussie fighter did well in the 11th and 12th round but could not land a significant blow. After 12 rounds one judge saw Paro the winner 117-11, while two others saw Hitchins the winner 116-112 for the new IBF titlist.
âHeâs a hell of a boxer,â said Paro who loses the title in his first defense. âItâs not a loss, itâs a lesson.â
Other Bouts
A battle between Puerto Rican featherweights saw Henry Lebron (20-0) out-battle Christopher Diaz-Velez by decision after 10 action-packed rounds.
In a lightweight fight Agustin Quintana (21-2-1) gave Marc Castro (13-1) his first loss to win by split decision after 10 rounds.
Welterweight Jose Roman Vazquez (14-1) defeated Jalil Hackett (9-1) by split decision after 10 rounds.
Photo credit: Melina Pizano / Matchroom
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
Featured Articles
A Six-Pack of Undercard Action from the Top Rank Card in Phoenix
A Six-Pack of Undercard Action from the Top Rank Card in Phoenix
Top Rank promoted a 10-fight card tonight at the NBA arena in Phoenix. The undercard included welterweight standout Giovani Santillan and a bevy of young prospects.
Based on his showing tonight, Albert âChop Chopâ Gonzalez is a prospect on the cusp of being a contender. A high-octane fighter with ring smarts that bely his tender age, the 22-year-old Gonzalez pitched a near 8-round shutout over Argentinaâs Gerardo Antonio Perez, advancing his record to 12-0 (7). Although Gonzalez was forced to go the distance after five straight wins by stoppage, Perez, an Argentine who had never been stopped and was better than his 12-6-1 record, had a granite chin.
LA junior bantamweight Steven Navarro improved to 5-0 (4 KOs) with a second-round stoppage of Gabriel Bernardi (7-2). Navarro had Bernardi, a Puerto Rican, on the canvas twice before referee Raul Caiz Jr waived it off.
In a welterweight contest slated for â10,â Giovani Santillan improved to 33-1 (18 KOs) at the expense of Fredrick Lawson who retired on his stool after only one round. It was a nice confidence-booster for Santillan who took a lot of punishment in his last fight vs. Brian Norman Jr, a fight that Santillan was expected to win. However, tonightâs win should come with an asterisk as Lawson, a Chicago-based Ghanaian, is damaged goods and ought not be permitted to fight again, notwithstanding his 30-6 record. (All six of his losses, including the last three, came inside the distance.)
In a welterweight contest slated for six rounds, 19-year-old SoCal prospect Art Berrera Jr advanced to 7-0 (5 KOs) with a second-round TKO over Juan Carlos Campos (4-2) who fights out of Sioux City, Iowa. Referee Wes Melton lost his balance as he stepped in to stop the one-sided affair with a nano-second remaining in round two and went flying into the ropes, but was seemingly unhurt.
In a major surprise, Cesar Morales, a former Mexican national amateur champion, lost his pro debut to unheralded Kevin Mosquera, a 23-year-old Ecuadorian. A flash knockdown in the opening minute of final round factored into the result. The judges had it 39-36 and 38-37 for Mosquera (3-0-1) and 38-38.
The night did not start well for Moralesâ trainer Robert Garcia who had five fighters in action tonight.
In the lid-lifter, 21-year-old Las Vegas lightweight DJ Zamora, a protege of the late Roger Mayweather, improved to 15-0 (10 KOs) with a second-round stoppage of Argentine import Roman Ruben Reynoso (22-6-2). Zamora put Reynoso on the canvas in the opening round with a left to the solar plexus and knocked him down in the second round with a counter left to the chin. Reynoso made it to his feet, but had no beef when the fight was waived off. The official time was 1:56 of round two.
Bouts involving former Olympians Lindolfo Delgado and Richard Torres Jr plus two compelling world title rematches round out the 10-fight card. TSS correspondent Phil Woolever is ringside. Check back later for his post-fight reports.
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
-
Featured Articles2 weeks ago
Remembering the Macho Man, Hector Camacho, a Great Sporting Character
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
The Hauser Report: Some Thoughts on Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Avila Perspective, Chap. 304: Mike Tyson Returns; Latino Night in Riyadh
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
Boots and Bam Win in Philly
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Golden Boy in Riyadh Results: Zurdo Ramirez Unifies Cruiserweight Titles
-
Featured Articles4 weeks ago
The Davis Brothers Hit the Trifecta in Their Norfolk Homecoming
-
Featured Articles3 weeks ago
Say It Ainât So: Oliver McCall Returns to the Ring Next Week
-
Featured Articles5 days ago
R.I.P Israel Vazquez who has Passed Away at age 46