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Post by grover on Dec 18, 2007 12:30:55 GMT -5
Yeah, that was fucked.
Chris, I was having this convo on 39. Hatton: Overrated or no? Comparable to Prince Hamed?
I say no to both.
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Post by Chris on Dec 18, 2007 13:00:24 GMT -5
Well, like I said earlier....NO WAY I expected Mayweather to knock him out. I don't think Mayweather could knock Balls out. Ricky Hatton's chin HAS TO BE suspect now. I fully anticipated Mayweather to pull another track meet like he did against De La Hoya.
After that match with Mayweather, I don't see any top guys that I think he could beat. I think De La Hoya, Hopkins, Wright, Cotto, Mosely - any of those guys could beat him. He ought to fight chubby Vargas.
But I certainly don't think he's as much a tomato can as the Prince -that guy was lame.
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Post by Chris on Dec 18, 2007 13:05:16 GMT -5
Now what I'm REALLY stoked about is Jones-Trinidad in January.
Unfortunately this fight SHOULD HAVE happened 10 years ago, but it should be a great fight nonetheless.
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Post by grover on Dec 18, 2007 13:14:27 GMT -5
Thing is, Hatton is the type of guy who can't step up in weightclass and still be effective. Floyd was bigger and quicker than him, and actually took it to him past the 4th round, which was shocking.
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Post by Chris on Dec 18, 2007 13:31:42 GMT -5
I'm reliving a few Roy Jones Jr. highlights on YouTube right now. The Vinny Pazienza fight is one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen. Vinny was talking BIG shit leading up to that fight, and even in the ring Vinny was very much showboating, dancing, gesturing, laughing, raising his arms....and the whole time Roy Jones was beating the fuck out of him. That is funny. At one point RJJ lands a hard punch to Vinny's face, Vinny raises his arms in the air as if to indicated that the punch had no effect, so RJJ mockingly raises his arms and proceeds to knock Vinny on his ass...again. That fight is seriously, not just a decisive win, but a very embarrassing ass whooping for Vinny....almost as if it was a big brother whooping his little brother ass. Watch any of these Roy Jones Jr tribute vids on YouTube - the thing is that RJJs legacy is not only one of wins, not only won of decisive wins, but one of really really decisive wins that make his opponents look embarrassingly bad...EMBARASSINGLY bad! Montell Griffin, who was an upper echelon middleweight, who had a victory over Jones by way of DQ because Jones punched him while he was on his knees, gets dropped twice in the 1st round in the re-match and is made to look like an absolute clown. The embarrassing destructions of Kelly, Pazienza, and Griffin can be seen here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK8qHnvBo9U
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Post by Chris on Jan 15, 2008 17:45:01 GMT -5
Trinidad/Jones this weekend!!!
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Post by Chris on Jan 21, 2008 12:22:53 GMT -5
Come on...no one? I shelled out my $50 bucks and it was a great fight. Jones took it to Tito....basically toyed with him from Round 4 on. Of course, you all know I'm the biggest Jones mark around, but it was a great fight. I was a bit startled to see Jones change his style for Trinidad. He didn't rely on handspeed at all...he basically went toe to toe with Trinidad...I guess he was unimpressed with Trinidad's alleged power. I know the handspeed is still there because he's shown in even after the three losses to Tarver and Johnson...he's shown it against Hanshaw and Prince Badi Ajamu which both took place in the past year and half or so. So I was bit disappointed to hear the HBO crew proclaim that Jones has lost his handspeed - he hasn't, he just didn't rely on it as weapon du jour this time out. But great fight nonetheless. And in case any of your are complaining about this being a meaningless fight of has-beens....Pavlik/Taylor II is coming in Feb.
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Post by Chris on Jan 21, 2008 17:45:41 GMT -5
Conclusion from ESPN.com:
For 12 rounds on Saturday night, we saw someone familiar, someone we hadn't seen for a while. We saw the Roy Jones of old. We saw a man whose hand speed and innate talent were obvious to the audience and overwhelming to his opponent. And when he was done, we wanted to see him again, and wondered when, where and against whom that would be.
For Roy Jones, that was the greatest victory of all.
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Post by Chris on Feb 12, 2008 14:24:38 GMT -5
Pavlik-Taylor II coming up this weekend. This is a GREAT story, behind the fight....lots of good human interest stuff here. Kelly Pavlik has rejuvenated the spirit of the suffering Rustbelt town of Youngstown OH with his KO of Taylor 4 months ago to capture the middleweight title. Pavlik still lives in Youngstown (home of Ray Boom Boom Mancini) and still lives in his parents' modest home while training. This is a guy that us "Average Joes" can get behind and root for! For most of the world, a prize fight is a sporting event, entertainment, a show. For a fighter, each bout carries the potential to be a crucial turning point in his life.
Kelly Pavlik is a fighter, a self-described “skinny white kid from Ohio.” He has a thin muscular body and knows one way to fight: going forward, punching. In high school, he worked odd jobs to get the money to go to amateur tournaments. More often than he cares to remember, he was bussing tables in a Youngstown restaurant when his high school classmates came in for something to eat after a school dance.
On September 29th, years of sacrifice paid off for Pavlik, when he dethroned Jermain Taylor at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City to become middleweight champion of the world.
Pavlik was born on April 4, 1982. His father, Mike, was a steelworker, who now works as an insurance agent for AIG. His mother, Debbie, is a cook at Hardee’s. The family has Slovak, Sicilian, Irish, and German roots.
Kelly lived at home with his parents until autumn 2006. He now lives in Boardman (a Youngstown suburb) with Samantha Kocanjer and their sixteen-month-old daughter, Sydney.
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Post by Chris on Feb 18, 2008 12:14:10 GMT -5
Pavlik-Taylor II was a really good fight. It really bums me out a lot that boxing is just losing it's luster.
This is about the most compelling story in boxing over the past several years, since the heavyweight division became a joke.
Mr. "Down To Earth" Kelly Pavlik retained his undefeated status and his middleweight Champ Of The World status (even though the belt was not on the line, due to weight issues) by withstanding an emotionally charged barrage of power punch flurries from Jermaine Taylor - Pavlik did this by consistently and methodically pumping his jab into the face of Taylor all night long, while landing some devastating body shots sending ripples through Taylor's body.
This Pavlik story was is just a great American story and it should really get much more play than it is.
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Post by Chris on Feb 26, 2008 12:57:27 GMT -5
Shane Mosley has signed up to fight Zab Judah. Mosley should destroy Judah.
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Post by 9 on Feb 26, 2008 14:58:30 GMT -5
Judah has been a disappointment. The Daily News has been on his jock since he was about 14, so I've followed him for years.
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Post by Chris on Feb 26, 2008 15:52:00 GMT -5
I think he's a DOUCHEBAG...I hope Mosley pummels him.
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Post by Chris on Mar 17, 2008 11:37:29 GMT -5
There's good....no GREAT boxing....still to be seen out there.
This Saturday's match, 4 years in the making, Manny Pacquiao (quite possibly, the current pound for pound champ) and Juan Manuel Marquez was a stellar fight!!!!!!
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Post by Chris on Apr 18, 2008 14:02:12 GMT -5
Nevermind the over-hyped fights between lackluster performers.
Here's another that us boxing die-hards want to scream from the mountain tops about:
Bernard Hopkins (who is going in to this fight having uttered multiple borderline racist comments about the inferiority of his opponent due to nothing more than race) vs Joe Calzaghe.
This is going to be a great fight. Hopkins has pulled this shit before - denigrating his opponent's race and the promptly going out and kicking the shit out of the guy (he threw a bowl of rice and beans in Felix Trinidad's face and then uttered..."Isn't that what THOSE people eat? I'm the executioner and that was his last meal.")
Calzaghe is a champ, but hasn't ventured much into the American fight scene - this should be a good and it's not PPV!
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Post by Chris on Apr 21, 2008 11:18:59 GMT -5
Fight was a bit of a let-down in terms of the action, but I'm glad Calzaghe won and shut Bernard up.
I have seen all of Bernards 4 losses and he has yet to cop to losing a fight. Nevermind that RJJ beat him with a broken hand, Jermaine Taylor outmuscled him TWICE, and now Calzaghe just outworked him. There's always some unfair circumstance with this guy.
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Post by Chris on May 5, 2008 11:07:29 GMT -5
The De La Hoya vs Tomato Can Forbes was a bore-fest. No way Oscar can hope to beat Mayweather if he can't put away a light punching reality show winner.
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Post by Chris on Jun 5, 2008 9:04:05 GMT -5
Tom, I missed your post.
As you can see, I'm alone in here! HAHA
Is this guy related to Zab Judah?
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jun 5, 2008 9:18:35 GMT -5
Hello! Wow, sure is peaceful in here.
Have not seen the fight yet, will do shortly. Hey, is it the same guy? I did see the ring intros, and both guy were described as crusty vets with 8, 9 years of experience.
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Post by Chris on Jun 5, 2008 9:26:07 GMT -5
Zab Judah is from Brooklyn...he's a head case with a bad attitude. Without going back and looking at your post, did you say this guy is from Brooklyn?
Wikipedia confirms it...he is the brother of Zab.
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Post by Chris on Jun 5, 2008 9:39:13 GMT -5
Tom: If you can camp out at someone's house with HBO, or even order it for the weekend and then cancel...if you're remotely interested in boxing you should do what you can to catch Kelly Pavlik's fight this weekend. This guy is a good story - the kind of guy that with the human interest story behind him that could be the face of boxing and could bring the casual fans back. Brief synopsis - about 2 years ago Pavlik, a very big/tall guy for a middleweight, was an up and coming fighter hidden somewhat in obscurity. He took a fight on an undercard for a Jermaine Taylor event, when Jermaine was trying to get redemption after his flawless record had been marred by a draw with Winky Wright (should have been an outright loss - the draw was a gift for Taylor). Pavlik is not a slick fighter - he's strong and fights like a bull in a China shop and he simply outworks his opponents (the post-fight punch count stats are always startlingly in favor of Pavlik). Anyway, he beat a top middleweight that night which caused Larry Merchant to ask Taylor (after his victory) about a fight with Pavlik. Suddenly Pavlik was the flavor of the month in the middleweight division, a fight was signed with Taylor. Despite being floored by Taylor in the 1st or 2nd round, Pavlik came back and worked Taylor for the next several rounds, finally shocking the boxing world and knocking Taylor out. Pavlik won the rematch by decision, again by simply outworking Taylor. Pavlik comes from Youngstown, Ohio - same hometown as Ray Boom Boom Mancini. Youngstown is a blue collar, poor, dying town, and Pavlik has become their source of pride and hope. That whole "blue collar athlete" gimmick is worn thin, BUT Pavlik is exactly that - a no frills, all business, stereotypical white fighter, who sleeps on his Mom and Dad's couch in the living room of the modest Youngstown home he grew up in, while training. There's nuthin' NOT to like about Kelly Pavlik. Check it out! www.hbo.com/boxing/events/2008/0607_pavlik_lockett/columns/gottlieb_middleweights.html
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Post by Chris on Jun 5, 2008 9:44:32 GMT -5
If you go to that link, Tom (after your obligatory "link doesn't work" post).....in red EVENT RUNDOWN section, view the Highlights: Pavlik-Taylor I video....GOOD STUFF!
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jun 6, 2008 19:20:08 GMT -5
Couple of things - wont be seeing the HBO fight. Just wont work, getting somewhere. I will however read up on, and follow.
Got to say though, watched that Yusuf Mack fight the other night - went the full 10 rounds. I found myself bored....for one thing, it was probably the fight, they did a lot of dancing, and Mack dominated the connects. But I was also "fought out" - I had watched so much MMA the last few days that I was thrown off by simple boxing. Not to say I prefer MMA...in fact, the opposite, I would rather get back into boxing.
One thing I liked was Teddy Atlas on commentary, although I can imagine he turns many off.
I am going to give "Friday Night Fights" another go. Its kind of a test, if I cant get into it I will only be watching boxing in spates. If I can get myself into this stuff, I will tape it weekly. Tonight is a card from Montreal, featuring Souleymann M'Baye (36-2-1, 21 KOs) vs Herman Ngoudjo (16-2, 9 KOs) - I will be DVRing the replay shown by me listed from 3AM-5AM.
And I will look into this Kelly Pavlick but i need to wade through the HBO site cause your link dont work.
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jun 6, 2008 20:02:47 GMT -5
Welterweight champ Floyd Mayweather Jr. retires
Unbeaten welterweight Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced his retirement again Friday, with boxing’s unofficial pound-for-pound king saying he no longer has the passion necessary to fight.
Mayweather, an Olympic bronze medalist who has won belts in five weight classes, made the abrupt announcement in a letter to select media members Friday. The 31-year-old WBC welterweight champ (39-0, 25 KOs) hasn’t fought since beating Ricky Hatton last December, but was widely expected to take on Oscar De La Hoya in September in a rematch of the richest fight in boxing history.
“This decision was not an easy one for me to make, as boxing is all I have done since I was a child,” said Mayweather, the son and nephew of three of the sport’s top trainers. “However, these past few years have been extremely difficult for me to find the desire and joy to continue in the sport.”
Mayweather also said he was done fighting after each of his last two bouts, but his letter somberly described the reasons for his decision to “permanently retire from boxing.” “I loved competing and winning and also wanted to continue my career for the fans, knowing they were there for me and enjoyed watching me fight,” Mayweather said. “However, after many sleepless nights and intense soul-searching, I realized I could no longer base my decision on anything but my own personal happiness, which I no longer could find.”
Though Mayweather reportedly earned more than $50 million combined for his split-decision win over De La Hoya and a knockout of Hatton last year, he has seemed much more interested in being a celebrity and a mogul than a fighter over the past 18 months, perhaps best evidenced by his self-proclaimed nickname change from “Pretty Boy” to “Money.”
In the past year alone, he has appeared on “Dancing With the Stars,” worked on his record label, served as the honorary starter at the Indianapolis 500 and entered the wrestling ring for a choreographed tussle with the 440-pound “Big Show” at WrestleMania in Orlando, winning that bout with a set of brass knuckles.
“Floyd was a very talented fighter, no question about it, but he got to a particular point where it was just for the money,” said Bob Arum, Mayweather’s longtime promoter with Top Rank before the boxer began promoting his own career. “Which is all right, it’s a professional sport, but there’s nothing wrong with his decision. It’s a rational decision.”
Though fans and promoters have clamored for Mayweather to take on unbeaten welterweight Miguel Cotto or another top competitor in perhaps boxing’s deepest division, Mayweather had repeatedly dismissed the idea. Instead, his representatives were in discussions for another fight with De La Hoya, whose own plans for a three-bout arc to end his career will be altered by Mayweather’s decision.
De La Hoya, who beat Steve Forbes in a tuneup last month, had hoped to fight Mayweather and perhaps Cotto this year before turning full-time to his lucrative career in charge of Golden Boy Promotions.
“I am surprised a bit about the timing of it, but if he decides he wants to retire, that is his right,” Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told The Associated Press. “We did not announce that fight (between Mayweather and De La Hoya), so I can’t really say that something fell apart. Floyd was certainly the name that we were focusing on for a September fight, so now we will go down the list and find, I’m sure, other names that will ensure a megafight.”
Schaefer confirmed De La Hoya still intends to fight Sept. 20. Several welterweights will jockey for the chance to meet him in a guaranteed big payday, while every big name in boxing’s middle weight classes from Hatton to Manny Pacquiao also could get in the mix.
“I am sorry I have to leave the sport at this time, knowing I still have my God-given abilities to succeed and future multi-million dollar paydays ahead, including the one right around the corner,” Mayweather said. “But there comes a time when money doesn’t matter. I just can’t do it anymore. I have found a peace with my decision that I have not felt in a long time.”
Mayweather gave no indication of what he plans to do next, though it probably involves increasing his fame. He gained a broader measure of fans through two short-run reality shows on HBO leading up to his last two fights, detailing the wacky family dynamics of the Mayweather clan.
Mayweather’s father, Floyd Sr., is estranged from his son. He is De La Hoya’s longtime trainer, and though he sat out De La Hoya’s first fight with Floyd Jr., he planned to train De La Hoya for the rematch. Floyd Jr. is trained by his uncle, Roger, and another uncle, Jeff, also is emerging as a respected trainer.
Floyd Sr. and Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather’s adviser, didn’t immediately return phone calls seeking comment.
Arum, who fostered Mayweather’s development into a dominant champion before their professional split, knows many fans still won’t believe Mayweather is truly finished.
“You never know, but I will say the language was different this time,” Arum said. “This time the language sounds like he might be done for good. … I can hardly blame him (for retiring). We should commend him for what he’s done. He’s retiring at the height. Is there anything greater than that?”
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Post by Chris on Jun 8, 2008 14:09:49 GMT -5
First - regarding the Mayweather retirement. Two things possibly at play here. One - he knows Oscar was the aggressor and stronger man in the last fight and he might be concerned that Oscar will adjust. The decision for Mayweather was highly questionable last time. Two - Mayweather may have alternate career plans - he's been seen in wrestling and I would put it past him to be trying to kickstart an acting career. Of course, this could be a ploy to generate more interest, more money, in his eventual "comeback" - it worked splendidly for Tito Trinidad TWICE! Tom - LOVE the Pavlik pic on top. Last night I watched Pavlik easily dispose of Europe's NUMBER ONE middleweight contender Gary Lockett, easily, in 2 rounds. I was a bit bummed that in lieu of going to the Cal State Fullerton game, I chose to watch this fight. Looks like Pavlik is stuck in a bit of a Roy Jones Jr. circa mid 90s situation - he's cleaned out the middleweight division, chased a superstar in Jermaine Taylor out of the weight class, and there's no one really good left to fight him. I'd like to see him take on Joe Calzaghe, coming on the heels of Calzaghe's win of Bernard Hopkins - to me that would absolutely solidify Pavlik as THE MAN, and the face of American boxing. But who knows what Calzaghe is thinking - he might see that Pavlik already beat Taylor twice and steer clear, stay in a higher weight class. Perhaps Winky Wright or Bernard Hopkins might venture back into the middleweight division to take on Pavlik....I don't think Roy Jones could possibly get back to middleweight, but perhaps Trinidad could. To me, Pavlik needs a Wright, Hopkins, Trinidad, or Calzaghe fight for the big splash into becoming a household boxing name. I should start watching Friday Night Fights - truth be told I don't spend nearly as much time watching actual fights than I do reading about boxing on various newspaper and boxing websites and watching highlights. I'm pretty well-versed in the latest and greatest in the sport for the little time I spend actually watching current/live fights. But I do Tivo tons of classic bouts and occasionally revisit some of the classic past battles I've taped. I do not ever miss any of the free HBO fight, and order a good share of the PPVs. Check out Gary Lockett after 2 rounds with THE GHOST!
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$heriff Tom
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Post by $heriff Tom on Jun 8, 2008 14:59:29 GMT -5
Yeah, the wrestling thing came up for Mayweather, but as much as he is a fan its highly unlikely. Thing is, he really does not need to do anything for any "buildup" - he already has the monster paydays and attention to boot.
One problem with Friday Night Fights is the unpredictability of its start time. Its generally on after one event or another, and the time is either pushed back...or worse, pushed up. Even when you tape the replay, it seems to be starting in the middle of a fight. So I have to figure the best time to DVR this so I get the most out of it. I scrapped this weeks episode cause it started in the late rounds of a fight.
I can relate to reading up on sports moreso than seeing the events, thats how I have followed a lot of the MMA.
Im going to give Friday Night Fights another go next week, we'll figure out a plan then.
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Post by Chris on Jun 9, 2008 12:20:19 GMT -5
From Ring Magazine:
CALZAGHE-PAVLIK: TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING
By William Dettloff
Almost immediately following Kelly Pavlik’s easy win over one of the Little Rascals Saturday night—I forget which one—rumors and dates started flying around about a fight against Joe Calzaghe, possibly in October.
You’ll recall that Calzaghe’s team has been negotiating a fight with Roy Jones since Calzaghe’s win over Bernard Hopkins in April. Jones, apparently even this older, wiser, more accommodating (see: desperate) version, is notoriously difficult when it comes to these matters, so it’s no great surprise that things haven’t progressed.
Now it looks as though Pavlik, who has yet to establish his bona fides as “difficult,” may bump Jones from the picture. Many of you see this as a good thing. I do not. Calzaghe-Pavlik can be a big fight, or it can be a very big fight. Which one it turns out to be depends largely on when it happens.
I’ll concede that Calzaghe-Pavlik is more interesting than is Calzaghe-Jones, primarily because of Jones’ faded stature, which looks even grayer next to Pavlik’s striking (if balding) youth. But this one can simmer a little while. There’s no good reason not to do, say, Pavlik-Arthur Abraham and Calzaghe-Jones first—two very interesting fights—and then make Calzaghe-Pavlik next. Hell, put them on the same show if you want.
We’re not losing anything that way. If anything, we gain—two big, interesting fights followed by one very big, interesting one.
I realize Calzaghe’s age is a consideration here, and there have been so many big fights in the last year that we’ve gotten used to moving fast. Normally I’m all for that. Not this time. This one can and should cook for a little while.
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Post by Chris on Jul 12, 2008 13:03:25 GMT -5
It's ON!
In September, Roy Jones Jr. will fight Joe Calzaghe - the light heavyweight champ from Wales.
This is a good fight for many reasons. Roy Jones Jr. has already solidified his comeback and has re-established himself as one of the top fighters to be reckoned with in the sport TODAY, let alone his past career in which he literally dominated two weight divisions for over a decade like no fighter has ever dominated in the history of the fight.
Calzaghe just beat Bernard Hopkins. There had been talk of a Hopkins-Jones rematch (Jones already kicked Hopkins' ass in his prime in the middleweight division and Jones did it WITH a broken hand...not sure why Hopkins ever thought he deserved a rematch). Jones just polished off undefeated Anthony Hanshaw AND stifled Hall Of Famer Tito Trinidad's comeback. Basically, between the two of Calzaghe and Hopkins this screams of the old adage "To BE the man you've got to BEAT the man!" Well both of these guys have beaten most the names out there, so the winner of this will surely BE THE MAN!
The only piece of the puzzle missing here is Kelly Pavlik. However Pavlik is a middleweight, but he's certainly big enough to move up and deal with the likes of Jones or Calzghe...although I believe, at this time, right now before he gets much older, Jones would still prevail in a round-robin between himself, Calzaghe, and Pavlik.
Jones-Calzaghe will be a very good fight.
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Post by Chris on Jul 17, 2008 12:19:37 GMT -5
Free fight this weekend - James Toney v Hassim Rahman.
8 years ago this would have been a PPV worthy fight....not so much now, but should be interesting.
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Post by Chris on Aug 28, 2008 17:13:48 GMT -5
This is incredible. Manny Pacquiao, a small small man, is moving up 2 weight classes to fight Oscar De La Hoya.
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