2011 Official Boxing Thread: 12/30 Jermain Taylor + Andre Dirrell return on ShoBox.
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I maybe in the minority, but I've always enjoyed Fight Camp for than 24/7. What did you guys think of the first episode?
- 4,984
- 39
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2003
I maybe in the minority, but I've always enjoyed Fight Camp for than 24/7. What did you guys think of the first episode?
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- Joined
- Jan 4, 2011
I thought the first episode was pretty uneventful, a little boring.I have enjoyed the super six 360 episodes however. So I still got hope for this one...
But as for which one is better: 24/7 >>> 360...24/7 feels more scripted, but the presentation just feels so much more epic...
Random thing about the newest 360: I thought it was funny how they made it seem like Gus Johnson was calling all those old Manny fights
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- Joined
- Jan 4, 2011
I thought the first episode was pretty uneventful, a little boring.I have enjoyed the super six 360 episodes however. So I still got hope for this one...
But as for which one is better: 24/7 >>> 360...24/7 feels more scripted, but the presentation just feels so much more epic...
Random thing about the newest 360: I thought it was funny how they made it seem like Gus Johnson was calling all those old Manny fights
Maidana interview.
Piece on David Lemieux.
Weekend wrap.
Small notes.
Spoiler [+]
In a high-caliber championship fight between two boxing stars, we can expect nothing less than a head-on collision between two planets. But the planets colliding April 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (HBO PPV, 10 p.m. ET) could not be further apart from each other. Three-division champion and battle-tested veteran Erik Morales of Mexico will face Argentina's Marcos Maidana, a young contender and murderous puncher with more-than-respectable boxing skills. It's the proverbial crossroads fight, with the winner moving on to greater challenges and the loser at risk of spinning out of orbit in an already crowded galaxy at 140 pounds, which includes some of the best fighters in boxing. We caught up with Maidana during the final leg of his training camp in Las Vegas to hear his thoughts on the fight.
What can you tell us about your training for this fight?
Training has been the same, just as in any other fight. I always train very hard and I trained well for this fight, too, so I'm feeling very good. I was in Mexico for five weeks, and now we're going to finish our job here in Las Vegas. In Mexico, we trained in the mountains and all that, and here in Vegas we just finished our preparation with four more weeks of training. We're getting acclimated here; we come a few weeks early just to get acclimated and feel comfortable before the fight.
Do you think you need to win convincingly to stay among the top fighters at 140 pounds?
I always come to win, I never settle for a defeat. I always go for a victory. I want to win, and in this fight I will come out charging forward. I will go out, wait to see what Morales does and how he wants to fight, and then get my punches in there and see if I can knock him out. And if I can't, I'll take the victory on points.
What do you think Morales saw in you that made him choose you as his opponent?
I don't know. Probably he's under the impression that he can beat me. But I don't see the possibility of him beating me. I'm well-prepared and I'm not going to give him the advantage in anything.
What does Morales bring to the table that maybe you haven't seen from another opponent?
Morales has a lot of experience, as we all know. He was a world champion three times, but he is past his prime and his best days are behind him. He is on the way out. He is bigger and slower, and he won't be the same as he was before.
A lot of people believe that Morales is taking a dangerous chance with you. Do you agree or are you convinced this will be a competitive fight?
No, I believe it will be a fair fight because he is fine. I see him doing well physically. If he chose to fight me, he must be feeling OK.
What are your thoughts about the situation with Nacho Beristain, who refused to train you after Juan Manuel Márquez asked him to do so? Has this episode significantly affected your training camp?
I have already left all that behind. Now we're training with Rudy Perez, who is a great trainer, and we're getting to know each other and getting along real well. That episode didn't affect me that much.
Have you been able to put together a game plan with Perez [who trained Marco Antonio Barrera in two victories over Morales] that may give Morales trouble?
Rudy brought a little bit of everything. We'll see whether I can show my progress on fight night. I do a lot of gym work with him, and I pay attention to everything he says.
What are your postfight plans? Are you still gunning for Amir Khan?
I'm going to wait and see what the market has to offer. I'm over Khan, and if sometime in the future we find the opportunity to fight him again, we'll do it. But for now it's all OK. I don't have anybody in mind; I will wait and see who comes up next on my list, and that's it.
How do you envision the fight developing, round by round?
I imagine a slow fight until one of us lets loose, and then we go toe-to-toe for the rest of the night. We can make all kinds of plans, but up there [in the ring], things turn out completely different.
What can you tell us about your training for this fight?
Training has been the same, just as in any other fight. I always train very hard and I trained well for this fight, too, so I'm feeling very good. I was in Mexico for five weeks, and now we're going to finish our job here in Las Vegas. In Mexico, we trained in the mountains and all that, and here in Vegas we just finished our preparation with four more weeks of training. We're getting acclimated here; we come a few weeks early just to get acclimated and feel comfortable before the fight.
Do you think you need to win convincingly to stay among the top fighters at 140 pounds?
I always come to win, I never settle for a defeat. I always go for a victory. I want to win, and in this fight I will come out charging forward. I will go out, wait to see what Morales does and how he wants to fight, and then get my punches in there and see if I can knock him out. And if I can't, I'll take the victory on points.
What do you think Morales saw in you that made him choose you as his opponent?
I don't know. Probably he's under the impression that he can beat me. But I don't see the possibility of him beating me. I'm well-prepared and I'm not going to give him the advantage in anything.
What does Morales bring to the table that maybe you haven't seen from another opponent?
Morales has a lot of experience, as we all know. He was a world champion three times, but he is past his prime and his best days are behind him. He is on the way out. He is bigger and slower, and he won't be the same as he was before.
A lot of people believe that Morales is taking a dangerous chance with you. Do you agree or are you convinced this will be a competitive fight?
No, I believe it will be a fair fight because he is fine. I see him doing well physically. If he chose to fight me, he must be feeling OK.
What are your thoughts about the situation with Nacho Beristain, who refused to train you after Juan Manuel Márquez asked him to do so? Has this episode significantly affected your training camp?
I have already left all that behind. Now we're training with Rudy Perez, who is a great trainer, and we're getting to know each other and getting along real well. That episode didn't affect me that much.
Have you been able to put together a game plan with Perez [who trained Marco Antonio Barrera in two victories over Morales] that may give Morales trouble?
Rudy brought a little bit of everything. We'll see whether I can show my progress on fight night. I do a lot of gym work with him, and I pay attention to everything he says.
What are your postfight plans? Are you still gunning for Amir Khan?
I'm going to wait and see what the market has to offer. I'm over Khan, and if sometime in the future we find the opportunity to fight him again, we'll do it. But for now it's all OK. I don't have anybody in mind; I will wait and see who comes up next on my list, and that's it.
How do you envision the fight developing, round by round?
I imagine a slow fight until one of us lets loose, and then we go toe-to-toe for the rest of the night. We can make all kinds of plans, but up there [in the ring], things turn out completely different.
Piece on David Lemieux.
Spoiler [+]
Middleweight David Lemieux, one of the most exciting rising prospects in boxing, is one win away from a title shot.
In order to position himself for an eventual crack at the winner of the June 4 bout between titlist Sebastian Zbik and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (who fight on June 4), Lemieux (25-0, 24 KOs) needs to defeat experienced former title challenger Marco Antonio Rubio (49-5-1, 42 KOs) of Mexico in their title eliminator April 8 in the main event of "Friday Night Fights" (ESPN2).
Lemieux, who is from Montreal and a potential star in the making, will have the home-turf advantage at the Bell Centre.
"Rubio is the best opponent I have fought to date," said the 22-year-old Lemieux, who has knocked out his past four opponents inside of two rounds. "It is going to be interesting to see what Rubio brings to the table. He is a big puncher and has a lot more experience than I do. I am ready to give it my all and I am preparing for war.
"I honestly feel that Rubio is tougher than either of the fighters I would face for the title if I win. I am not looking past Rubio and [am] taking it one step at a time, but I am really looking forward to making a statement with this fight and doing whatever I have to do to get a shot at the middleweight title."
Rubio has been a good contender for several years. He has won six fights in a row since then-middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik stopped him in the ninth round of a February 2009 title bout.
Promoter Yvon Michel has been building Lemieux for this kind of significant fight since he turned pro in 2007 after winning three Canadian national amateur titles.
"He is a fantastic, very exciting fighter and I think this very competitive fight against Rubio will catapult him to another stage of his career," Michel said.
If Lemieux reaches the top by winning a title, which many expect of him, it will be quite a feat for a young man who once got in regular trouble in school and had numerous street fights. When he was 9, a neighbor caught Lemieux smoking a cigar and offered to take him to a boxing gym to teach him discipline.
"Boxing saved my life," Lemieux said. "Violence and drugs were all around me when I was growing up. If I hadn't discovered boxing, I don't know what I would be doing. I never would have been good at a routine desk job. I fell in love with the boxing gym, and I never wanted to leave."
In order to position himself for an eventual crack at the winner of the June 4 bout between titlist Sebastian Zbik and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (who fight on June 4), Lemieux (25-0, 24 KOs) needs to defeat experienced former title challenger Marco Antonio Rubio (49-5-1, 42 KOs) of Mexico in their title eliminator April 8 in the main event of "Friday Night Fights" (ESPN2).
Lemieux, who is from Montreal and a potential star in the making, will have the home-turf advantage at the Bell Centre.
"Rubio is the best opponent I have fought to date," said the 22-year-old Lemieux, who has knocked out his past four opponents inside of two rounds. "It is going to be interesting to see what Rubio brings to the table. He is a big puncher and has a lot more experience than I do. I am ready to give it my all and I am preparing for war.
"I honestly feel that Rubio is tougher than either of the fighters I would face for the title if I win. I am not looking past Rubio and [am] taking it one step at a time, but I am really looking forward to making a statement with this fight and doing whatever I have to do to get a shot at the middleweight title."
Rubio has been a good contender for several years. He has won six fights in a row since then-middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik stopped him in the ninth round of a February 2009 title bout.
Promoter Yvon Michel has been building Lemieux for this kind of significant fight since he turned pro in 2007 after winning three Canadian national amateur titles.
"He is a fantastic, very exciting fighter and I think this very competitive fight against Rubio will catapult him to another stage of his career," Michel said.
If Lemieux reaches the top by winning a title, which many expect of him, it will be quite a feat for a young man who once got in regular trouble in school and had numerous street fights. When he was 9, a neighbor caught Lemieux smoking a cigar and offered to take him to a boxing gym to teach him discipline.
"Boxing saved my life," Lemieux said. "Violence and drugs were all around me when I was growing up. If I hadn't discovered boxing, I don't know what I would be doing. I never would have been good at a routine desk job. I fell in love with the boxing gym, and I never wanted to leave."
Weekend wrap.
Spoiler [+]
[h4]Saturday at Mexicali, Mexico[/h4]
Junior flyweight
Giovani Segura KO3 Ivan "Iron Boy" Calderon
Retains world junior flyweight title
Records: Segura, 27-1-1, 23 KOs; Calderon, 34-2-1, 6 KOs
Rafael's remark: Can't say that this went much differently than expected, as Segura rolled through the much smaller Calderon with ease. Put it this way: Segura was the windshield and Calderon was the bug. When they met for the first time last August, Mexico's Segura went to Calderon's native Puerto Rico and they waged a fierce fight that ranked as one of the best slugfests of 2010. A rematch was an obvious business decision for both sides. So after some healthy debate about the weight -- Segura, who struggles to make the 108-pound junior flyweight limit, wanted it in the 112-pound flyweight division, while Calderon insisted it be at 108 again for the title -- and after Calderon agreed to go to Mexico, they got it on again. But not much had changed, other than the fact Calderon -- idle since the first fight, while Segura had fought one nontitle bout -- had gotten a little older.
In his heyday, Calderon was the most supreme technical boxer in the world. He was a guy who rarely got hit, rarely lost rounds and had perhaps the best defense in the game. But while the former strawweight and junior flyweight champion is headed for the Hall of Fame one day, he is 36 now and has obviously slowed down -- especially when you compare him to Segura, an ultra-aggressive brawler with limited technical ability. But Segura, who turned 29 the day before the fight, is an extreme pressure fighter who throws every shot with knockout intentions. In the first fight, Segura forced Calderon to fight an exhausting pace and eventually caught up to him, stopping him in the eighth round with a withering body assault. Calderon simply could not take it anymore and when he went down, he stayed on a knee rather than get up and take more abuse.
The rematch, the main event of an Integrated Sports pay-per-view show, was a virtual carbon copy in terms of action, but it was not as competitive and ended quicker. The fight opened as you would have expected -- with Segura chasing after Calderon and throwing haymakers from all angles while Calderon tried to use his legs, move around, jab and avoid the incoming blows. It seemed like only a matter of time before Segura, forcing intense pressure, would catch up to him again. Segura began landing good body shots on Calderon in the second round, though he was warned for a low blow. But Segura was committed to the body attack and also hurt Calderon with a shot upstairs. In the third round, Segura continued to pour it on and eventually pinned Calderon against the ropes -- the last place in the world he should have been -- unloading some heavy shots, including a crushing right hand to the midsection. Calderon went down in virtually the same position he fell in the first fight, to one knee with his head down, and was counted out at 1 minute, 39 seconds by referee Sammy Viruet.
It was a tremendous performance by Segura, who now plans to leave behind the 108-pound division, along with his alphabet title and the lineal championship, to pursue a title in the 112-pound flyweight division. For Calderon, perhaps this is the end. If it is, he has had a tremendous run -- from the 2000 Olympics to a 19-2-1 record in world title fights, most of which he won in dominant fashion. He will someday be enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y.
Featherweight
Jorge Lacierva W12 Fernando Beltran Jr.
Title eliminator
Scores: 119-109 (twice), 118-109
Records: Lacierva, 39-7-6, 26 KOs; Beltran, 35-5-1, 19 KOs
Rafael's remark: If it feels like Mexico's Lacierva has been around forever, well, he's only 32 but has been fighting professionally since 1994. He has been a decent contender for most of that time, although he is 0-2 in world title fights. He lost a technical decision to Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson in a 1999 junior bantamweight title bout and a unanimous decision to Celestino Caballero for a junior featherweight title in 2007. But since that loss to Caballero, Lacierva has won seven fights in a row, including this surprisingly one-sided decision. Beltran, 29, has been a pro since 2000 and is also 0-2 in world title bouts, dropping decisions to Joan Guzman in 2005 and Steve Molitor in 2008, both in junior featherweight title fights. Beltran and Lacierva were meeting in an eliminator that would give the winner a third shot at a title, this time in the featherweight division. Although there was some good action between the two, Lacierva got the better of Beltran throughout the fight, pounding out the clear decision. He is now set up to fight the winner of a mandated bout between Miguel Angel "Mikey" Garcia and Billy Dib, who have been ordered to meet for the alphabet belt recently vacated by Yuriorkis Gamboa.
Flyweight
Alonso "Finito" Lopez W6 Jorge Guerrero
Scores: 60-54, 60-55, 59-55
Records: Lopez, 9-0-1, 3 KOs; Guerrero, 5-5, 2 KOs
Rafael's remark: Lopez, 25, of Mexico, is the son of all-time great Ricardo "Finito" Lopez, the Hall of Fame former strawweight and junior flyweight champion. The younger Lopez looks like a carbon copy of his father in the ring because of the way he holds his hands and moves during a fight. He was obviously taught well. But he is not his father. He seems quite a bit more limited and certainly does not have the kind of punching power the old man possessed. But Lopez had a fairly easy time against Mexico's Guerrero (whose three-fight win streak ended) to take the easy decision in the first fight he went beyond four rounds.
[h4]Saturday at Panama City, Panama[/h4]
Flyweight
Hernan "Tyson" Marquez TKO11 Luis Concepcion
Wins a flyweight title
Records: Marquez, 30-2, 23 KOs; Concepcion, 22-2, 17 KOs
Rafael's remark: Well, Fight Freaks, we have our first legitimate fight of the year candidate (and an upset) in this back-and-forth brawl, which featured all kinds of momentum swings and multiple knockdowns, as well as a round of the year candidate in the first frame.
Concepcion, 25, who was fighting in front of a raucous hometown crowd, was making his first title defense since having the interim tag on his belt lifted after three defenses. He was the clear favorite against Marquez, 22, of Mexico, who pulled the upset in dramatic fashion to win his third fight in a row after back-to-back losses in 2010 (a poor performance in a decision loss to Richie Mepranum followed by an eighth-round knockout against Nonito Donaire in an interim junior bantamweight title bout).
There were no feeling-out rounds. The first round was sheer wildness as they slugged it out from the opening bell and exchanged knockdowns. Concepcion dropped Marquez to his backside with a right hand midway through the frame, but Marquez recovered quickly and rocked Concepcion with a left hand. Concepcion then rebounded to rock Marquez again, but he ate a left hand and went down a couple of seconds before the round ended. Whew! And this was just the first round! The second round featured more sensational toe-to-toe action, minus the knockdowns. They saved that for the third round as Marquez connected with a huge right hand seconds into the frame, dropping Concepcion. He almost went down again later in the round as the fighters traded vicious shots in a violent war. They rocked and wobbled each other several times throughout the fight, and it appeared that either could still win late. But in the 10th round, Marquez dropped Concepcion for the third time with a right hand. Concepcion rebounded to buckle Marquez later in the round, but Concepcion had bad swelling and a cut around his left eye, which was nearly closed. As soon as the 11th began, referee Luis Pabon called timeout to have the ringside doctor check the eye, and he advised Pabon to stop the fight, which the referee did. Perhaps it was a slightly unsatisfying ending, but it was a tremendous fight overall -- one that figures to receive strong consideration for fight of the year honors come December.
[h4]Saturday at Halle, Germany[/h4]
Cruiserweight
Marco Huck W12 Ran Nakash
Retains a cruiserweight title
Scores: 118-110 (twice), 116-112
Records: Huck, 32-1, 23 KOs; Ran Nakash, 25-1, 18 KOs
Rafael's remark: Germany's Huck, 26, was supposed to make his sixth defense against former titlist Giacobbe Fragomeni of Italy until he pulled out less than two weeks before the fight, citing injury. That opened the door for Philadelphia-based Nakash, 32, of Israel, who had been training for another fight, to get the opportunity. Nakash was earnest in his efforts, but he is a one-dimensional fighter who mainly pressed forward with his physical style in an effort to outmuscle and outwork Huck, who is a faster and more well-rounded fighter. Nakash had some moments, and it was often a competitive (and entertaining) fight, but he could not do enough to gain any serious momentum. Huck, meanwhile, landed a lot of punches -- including many hard shots to the body -- and left Nakash with facial swelling (including a bad left eye) by the time the fight reached the final bell. Considering this fight was made on very short notice, credit to both guys for putting on a good show.
Heavyweight
Robert Helenius TKO9 Samuel Peter
Records: Helenius, 15-0, 10 KOs; Peter, 34-5, 27 KOs
Rafael's remark: The matchmakers for promoter Sauerland Event are high on Helenius, a 27-year-old from Sweden who's based in Germany. And he showed them that they had made the right call to match him with Peter, 30, a powerful former titleholder from Nigeria now living in Las Vegas. It seemed like a risky fight for Helenius to take at this stage of his career, even though Peter was coming off a lopsided 10th-round knockout loss to heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in their September rematch. But the once iron-chinned Peter now appears to no longer be able to take a solid punch. Klitschko brutalized him, and Helenius cleaned up on what was left. The fight was a bit boring, although Peter did well in the early rounds. Helenius was having trouble getting going and didn't do much more than flick his jab. But Helenius, whose only previous notable victory was sending long-faded former titlist Lamon Brewster into retirement with an eighth-round knockout in January 2010, sure closed the show.
In the ninth round, Helenius landed a booming left hook out of nowhere that dropped Peter flat on his back. Peter was a bit dazed as he struggled to his feet at the count of eight. Helenius then landed a right hand followed by another left hook, splattering Peter flat on his back again and spread eagle in the center of the ring at 1 minute, 50 seconds. Peter had no prayer of beating the count from referee Dave Parris, who didn't bother to go all the way to 10. Very good win for Helenius, whose finish of the fight might make most folks forget about how shaky he looked in the early going. For Peter, he has now crossed over into opponent territory.
[h4]Saturday at Bydgoszcz, Poland[/h4]
Cruiserweight
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk W12 Francisco Palacios
Retains a cruiserweight title
Scores: 118-112, 116-113 Wlodarczyk, 115-113 Palacios
Records: Wlodarczyk, 45-2-1, 32 KOs; Palacios, 20-1, 13 KOs
Rafael's remark: In the second title defense of his second title reign, Wlodarczyk, 29, of Poland, got the tight decision to retain his belt. (And what was the judge who scored it 118-112 watching anyway?) Still, this was a woeful match, one not worth the bandwidth used to watch on an Internet stream. Search it out if you have trouble sleeping in the future. Palacios, 33, of Puerto Rico, talked a big game before the fight and then, like Wlodarczyk, did very little -- unless staring while mixing in the occasional punch counts. Neither man took any chances, which for Wlodarczyk, who was slightly more aggressive, figured to work out fine because he was at home. But Palacios, whose best rounds came in the early going, fought so passively that he had no prayer of getting a decision on enemy turf. Palacios actually slowed down in the final few rounds, perhaps thinking he had the fight in the bag. Shame on him. Just a horrible fight.
[h4]Saturday at London[/h4]
Lightweight
John Murray W12 Karim El Ouazghari
Retains European lightweight title
Scores: 117-111, 116-110, 115-112
Records: Murray, 31-0, 18 KOs; El Ouazghari, 11-2-2, 4 KOs
Rafael's remark: Murray, 26, of England, who was in his first fight since signing with promoter Frank Warren, was supposed to meet countryman Kevin Mitchell in an anticipated showdown. However, Warren had issues closing that deal, so Murray wound up facing the unknown El Ouazghari, 31, of Spain. Murray made a successful second defense of his European title but labored at times and didn't look all that good in his first fight since September, especially in the first half of the bout. But Murray, perhaps a bit rusty from the layoff, got through a tougher-than-expected test to win the decision in an action fight and set the stage for a possible July fight with Mitchell, who was ringside. Murray did notch an 11th-round knockdown, but he lost a point for a punch behind the head in the 12th as he was still gunning for a knockout. El Ouazghari had been penalized a point in the 11th round for a head-butt.
[h4]Saturday at Okinawa, Japan[/h4]
Junior featherweight
Daiki Kameda KO5 Jesus Martinez
Records: Kameda, 20-2, 12 KOs; Martinez, 21-7, 12 KOs
Rafael's remark: Kameda, 22, of Japan, retained his flyweight belt on a controversial split decision against Silvio Olteanu in December. Kameda was very lucky to get the nod and afterward declared that he had too much trouble making weight, so he was going to move up. Saturday's bout was Kameda's first since renouncing his title, and he weighed a career-heavy 119¼ pounds to face Mexico's Martinez, 35, who lost his second fight in a row (and fourth in his past five bouts). Kameda, the younger brother of bantamweight titlist Koki Kameda, ended matters at 37 seconds of the fifth round when he stopped Martinez with a body shot.
[h4]Saturday at Mexico City[/h4]
Flyweight
Edgar Sosa TKO8 Kenichi Horikawa
Records: Sosa, 42-6, 25 KOs; Horikawa, 20-10-1, 4 KOs
Rafael's remark: Sosa, 33, a former longtime junior flyweight titlist from Mexico, is a mandatory challenger for flyweight titlist Pongsaklek Wonjongkam of Thailand, and he isn't about to risk his shot by taking a hard fight. So Horikawa, 31, of Japan, got the call and lost his second fight in a row and third in his past four (each by knockout). Sosa was winning handily on all three scorecards (70-63, 70-62 and 68-65) when they went to the eighth round. Sosa had opened a cut over Horikawa's left eye, which was checked by the ringside doctor at the request of referee Frank Garza. As blood streamed down Horikawa's face, the doctor recommended the fight be called off. Sosa won his fifth fight in a row since losing his junior flyweight belt to Rodel Mayol via second-round knockout in November 2009.
[h4]Friday at Mashantucket, Conn.[/h4]
Lightweight
Hank Lundy W10 Patrick Lopez
Scores: 99-91, 97-92, 95-94
Records: Lundy, 20-1-1, 10 KOs; Lopez, 20-4, 12 KOs
Rafael's remark: It was a good scrap in the ESPN2 "Friday Night Fights" main event, and certainly not nearly as one-sided as the 99-91 scorecard. That's an abomination. Nonetheless, Lundy, 27, of Philadelphia, certainly deserved the decision as he turned back a spirited effort by Lopez, 33, a two-time Olympian from Venezuela who now lives in Londonderry, N.H. Lundy, known mostly for his big mouth, won his second fight in a row since he talked all kinds of smack about John Molina, had a big lead and then got knocked out in the 11th round last July. On Friday, Lundy used his speed advantage and movement to outhustle Lopez, whom he knocked down to his rear end with a left hand in the second round. Lopez, who lost his second fight in a row, also suffered a cut by his right eye courtesy of an accidental head clash. Lundy, who switched between a southpaw and an orthodox stance, had gotten out to a lead in the early rounds, but Lopez pressured him and worked his way back into the fight over the second half of the entertaining bout.
[h4]Friday at Indio, Calif.[/h4]
Bantamweight
Eric Morel TKO4 Luis Maldonado
Records: Morel, 44-2, 22 KOs; Maldonado, 37-5-1, 28 KOs
Rafael's remark: Morel, a 1996 U.S. Olympian from Puerto Rico and former flyweight titlist, lost a junior bantamweight title bout by decision to Martin Castillo in 2005. They were supposed to meet in a rematch in the main event of Telefutura's "Solo Boxeo Tecate," but Castillo suffered a foot injury the Tuesday before the fight and needed to be replaced. Enter Maldonado, a 33-year-old from Mexico with tons of experience but an 0-3 record in world title fights (knockouts by Fernando Montiel for a junior bantamweight belt and Nonito Donaire and Vic Darchinyan in flyweight title challenges). Morel had an easy time with Maldonado. He dropped him with a right hand to the chin just as the bell rang to end the first round. He fired shots, opened a cut over Maldonado's right eye and moved out of the way through the rest of the fight. After referee Raul Caiz Sr. asked the doctor to check the cut near the end of the fourth round, Caiz stopped the fight after the round. Morel is in good position to get another title opportunity. Maldonado lost his fourth consecutive bout.
Junior flyweight
Giovani Segura KO3 Ivan "Iron Boy" Calderon
Retains world junior flyweight title
Records: Segura, 27-1-1, 23 KOs; Calderon, 34-2-1, 6 KOs
Rafael's remark: Can't say that this went much differently than expected, as Segura rolled through the much smaller Calderon with ease. Put it this way: Segura was the windshield and Calderon was the bug. When they met for the first time last August, Mexico's Segura went to Calderon's native Puerto Rico and they waged a fierce fight that ranked as one of the best slugfests of 2010. A rematch was an obvious business decision for both sides. So after some healthy debate about the weight -- Segura, who struggles to make the 108-pound junior flyweight limit, wanted it in the 112-pound flyweight division, while Calderon insisted it be at 108 again for the title -- and after Calderon agreed to go to Mexico, they got it on again. But not much had changed, other than the fact Calderon -- idle since the first fight, while Segura had fought one nontitle bout -- had gotten a little older.
In his heyday, Calderon was the most supreme technical boxer in the world. He was a guy who rarely got hit, rarely lost rounds and had perhaps the best defense in the game. But while the former strawweight and junior flyweight champion is headed for the Hall of Fame one day, he is 36 now and has obviously slowed down -- especially when you compare him to Segura, an ultra-aggressive brawler with limited technical ability. But Segura, who turned 29 the day before the fight, is an extreme pressure fighter who throws every shot with knockout intentions. In the first fight, Segura forced Calderon to fight an exhausting pace and eventually caught up to him, stopping him in the eighth round with a withering body assault. Calderon simply could not take it anymore and when he went down, he stayed on a knee rather than get up and take more abuse.
The rematch, the main event of an Integrated Sports pay-per-view show, was a virtual carbon copy in terms of action, but it was not as competitive and ended quicker. The fight opened as you would have expected -- with Segura chasing after Calderon and throwing haymakers from all angles while Calderon tried to use his legs, move around, jab and avoid the incoming blows. It seemed like only a matter of time before Segura, forcing intense pressure, would catch up to him again. Segura began landing good body shots on Calderon in the second round, though he was warned for a low blow. But Segura was committed to the body attack and also hurt Calderon with a shot upstairs. In the third round, Segura continued to pour it on and eventually pinned Calderon against the ropes -- the last place in the world he should have been -- unloading some heavy shots, including a crushing right hand to the midsection. Calderon went down in virtually the same position he fell in the first fight, to one knee with his head down, and was counted out at 1 minute, 39 seconds by referee Sammy Viruet.
It was a tremendous performance by Segura, who now plans to leave behind the 108-pound division, along with his alphabet title and the lineal championship, to pursue a title in the 112-pound flyweight division. For Calderon, perhaps this is the end. If it is, he has had a tremendous run -- from the 2000 Olympics to a 19-2-1 record in world title fights, most of which he won in dominant fashion. He will someday be enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y.
Featherweight
Jorge Lacierva W12 Fernando Beltran Jr.
Title eliminator
Scores: 119-109 (twice), 118-109
Records: Lacierva, 39-7-6, 26 KOs; Beltran, 35-5-1, 19 KOs
Rafael's remark: If it feels like Mexico's Lacierva has been around forever, well, he's only 32 but has been fighting professionally since 1994. He has been a decent contender for most of that time, although he is 0-2 in world title fights. He lost a technical decision to Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson in a 1999 junior bantamweight title bout and a unanimous decision to Celestino Caballero for a junior featherweight title in 2007. But since that loss to Caballero, Lacierva has won seven fights in a row, including this surprisingly one-sided decision. Beltran, 29, has been a pro since 2000 and is also 0-2 in world title bouts, dropping decisions to Joan Guzman in 2005 and Steve Molitor in 2008, both in junior featherweight title fights. Beltran and Lacierva were meeting in an eliminator that would give the winner a third shot at a title, this time in the featherweight division. Although there was some good action between the two, Lacierva got the better of Beltran throughout the fight, pounding out the clear decision. He is now set up to fight the winner of a mandated bout between Miguel Angel "Mikey" Garcia and Billy Dib, who have been ordered to meet for the alphabet belt recently vacated by Yuriorkis Gamboa.
Flyweight
Alonso "Finito" Lopez W6 Jorge Guerrero
Scores: 60-54, 60-55, 59-55
Records: Lopez, 9-0-1, 3 KOs; Guerrero, 5-5, 2 KOs
Rafael's remark: Lopez, 25, of Mexico, is the son of all-time great Ricardo "Finito" Lopez, the Hall of Fame former strawweight and junior flyweight champion. The younger Lopez looks like a carbon copy of his father in the ring because of the way he holds his hands and moves during a fight. He was obviously taught well. But he is not his father. He seems quite a bit more limited and certainly does not have the kind of punching power the old man possessed. But Lopez had a fairly easy time against Mexico's Guerrero (whose three-fight win streak ended) to take the easy decision in the first fight he went beyond four rounds.
[h4]Saturday at Panama City, Panama[/h4]
Flyweight
Hernan "Tyson" Marquez TKO11 Luis Concepcion
Wins a flyweight title
Records: Marquez, 30-2, 23 KOs; Concepcion, 22-2, 17 KOs
Rafael's remark: Well, Fight Freaks, we have our first legitimate fight of the year candidate (and an upset) in this back-and-forth brawl, which featured all kinds of momentum swings and multiple knockdowns, as well as a round of the year candidate in the first frame.
Concepcion, 25, who was fighting in front of a raucous hometown crowd, was making his first title defense since having the interim tag on his belt lifted after three defenses. He was the clear favorite against Marquez, 22, of Mexico, who pulled the upset in dramatic fashion to win his third fight in a row after back-to-back losses in 2010 (a poor performance in a decision loss to Richie Mepranum followed by an eighth-round knockout against Nonito Donaire in an interim junior bantamweight title bout).
There were no feeling-out rounds. The first round was sheer wildness as they slugged it out from the opening bell and exchanged knockdowns. Concepcion dropped Marquez to his backside with a right hand midway through the frame, but Marquez recovered quickly and rocked Concepcion with a left hand. Concepcion then rebounded to rock Marquez again, but he ate a left hand and went down a couple of seconds before the round ended. Whew! And this was just the first round! The second round featured more sensational toe-to-toe action, minus the knockdowns. They saved that for the third round as Marquez connected with a huge right hand seconds into the frame, dropping Concepcion. He almost went down again later in the round as the fighters traded vicious shots in a violent war. They rocked and wobbled each other several times throughout the fight, and it appeared that either could still win late. But in the 10th round, Marquez dropped Concepcion for the third time with a right hand. Concepcion rebounded to buckle Marquez later in the round, but Concepcion had bad swelling and a cut around his left eye, which was nearly closed. As soon as the 11th began, referee Luis Pabon called timeout to have the ringside doctor check the eye, and he advised Pabon to stop the fight, which the referee did. Perhaps it was a slightly unsatisfying ending, but it was a tremendous fight overall -- one that figures to receive strong consideration for fight of the year honors come December.
[h4]Saturday at Halle, Germany[/h4]
Cruiserweight
Marco Huck W12 Ran Nakash
Retains a cruiserweight title
Scores: 118-110 (twice), 116-112
Records: Huck, 32-1, 23 KOs; Ran Nakash, 25-1, 18 KOs
Rafael's remark: Germany's Huck, 26, was supposed to make his sixth defense against former titlist Giacobbe Fragomeni of Italy until he pulled out less than two weeks before the fight, citing injury. That opened the door for Philadelphia-based Nakash, 32, of Israel, who had been training for another fight, to get the opportunity. Nakash was earnest in his efforts, but he is a one-dimensional fighter who mainly pressed forward with his physical style in an effort to outmuscle and outwork Huck, who is a faster and more well-rounded fighter. Nakash had some moments, and it was often a competitive (and entertaining) fight, but he could not do enough to gain any serious momentum. Huck, meanwhile, landed a lot of punches -- including many hard shots to the body -- and left Nakash with facial swelling (including a bad left eye) by the time the fight reached the final bell. Considering this fight was made on very short notice, credit to both guys for putting on a good show.
Heavyweight
Robert Helenius TKO9 Samuel Peter
Records: Helenius, 15-0, 10 KOs; Peter, 34-5, 27 KOs
Rafael's remark: The matchmakers for promoter Sauerland Event are high on Helenius, a 27-year-old from Sweden who's based in Germany. And he showed them that they had made the right call to match him with Peter, 30, a powerful former titleholder from Nigeria now living in Las Vegas. It seemed like a risky fight for Helenius to take at this stage of his career, even though Peter was coming off a lopsided 10th-round knockout loss to heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in their September rematch. But the once iron-chinned Peter now appears to no longer be able to take a solid punch. Klitschko brutalized him, and Helenius cleaned up on what was left. The fight was a bit boring, although Peter did well in the early rounds. Helenius was having trouble getting going and didn't do much more than flick his jab. But Helenius, whose only previous notable victory was sending long-faded former titlist Lamon Brewster into retirement with an eighth-round knockout in January 2010, sure closed the show.
In the ninth round, Helenius landed a booming left hook out of nowhere that dropped Peter flat on his back. Peter was a bit dazed as he struggled to his feet at the count of eight. Helenius then landed a right hand followed by another left hook, splattering Peter flat on his back again and spread eagle in the center of the ring at 1 minute, 50 seconds. Peter had no prayer of beating the count from referee Dave Parris, who didn't bother to go all the way to 10. Very good win for Helenius, whose finish of the fight might make most folks forget about how shaky he looked in the early going. For Peter, he has now crossed over into opponent territory.
[h4]Saturday at Bydgoszcz, Poland[/h4]
Cruiserweight
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk W12 Francisco Palacios
Retains a cruiserweight title
Scores: 118-112, 116-113 Wlodarczyk, 115-113 Palacios
Records: Wlodarczyk, 45-2-1, 32 KOs; Palacios, 20-1, 13 KOs
Rafael's remark: In the second title defense of his second title reign, Wlodarczyk, 29, of Poland, got the tight decision to retain his belt. (And what was the judge who scored it 118-112 watching anyway?) Still, this was a woeful match, one not worth the bandwidth used to watch on an Internet stream. Search it out if you have trouble sleeping in the future. Palacios, 33, of Puerto Rico, talked a big game before the fight and then, like Wlodarczyk, did very little -- unless staring while mixing in the occasional punch counts. Neither man took any chances, which for Wlodarczyk, who was slightly more aggressive, figured to work out fine because he was at home. But Palacios, whose best rounds came in the early going, fought so passively that he had no prayer of getting a decision on enemy turf. Palacios actually slowed down in the final few rounds, perhaps thinking he had the fight in the bag. Shame on him. Just a horrible fight.
[h4]Saturday at London[/h4]
Lightweight
John Murray W12 Karim El Ouazghari
Retains European lightweight title
Scores: 117-111, 116-110, 115-112
Records: Murray, 31-0, 18 KOs; El Ouazghari, 11-2-2, 4 KOs
Rafael's remark: Murray, 26, of England, who was in his first fight since signing with promoter Frank Warren, was supposed to meet countryman Kevin Mitchell in an anticipated showdown. However, Warren had issues closing that deal, so Murray wound up facing the unknown El Ouazghari, 31, of Spain. Murray made a successful second defense of his European title but labored at times and didn't look all that good in his first fight since September, especially in the first half of the bout. But Murray, perhaps a bit rusty from the layoff, got through a tougher-than-expected test to win the decision in an action fight and set the stage for a possible July fight with Mitchell, who was ringside. Murray did notch an 11th-round knockdown, but he lost a point for a punch behind the head in the 12th as he was still gunning for a knockout. El Ouazghari had been penalized a point in the 11th round for a head-butt.
[h4]Saturday at Okinawa, Japan[/h4]
Junior featherweight
Daiki Kameda KO5 Jesus Martinez
Records: Kameda, 20-2, 12 KOs; Martinez, 21-7, 12 KOs
Rafael's remark: Kameda, 22, of Japan, retained his flyweight belt on a controversial split decision against Silvio Olteanu in December. Kameda was very lucky to get the nod and afterward declared that he had too much trouble making weight, so he was going to move up. Saturday's bout was Kameda's first since renouncing his title, and he weighed a career-heavy 119¼ pounds to face Mexico's Martinez, 35, who lost his second fight in a row (and fourth in his past five bouts). Kameda, the younger brother of bantamweight titlist Koki Kameda, ended matters at 37 seconds of the fifth round when he stopped Martinez with a body shot.
[h4]Saturday at Mexico City[/h4]
Flyweight
Edgar Sosa TKO8 Kenichi Horikawa
Records: Sosa, 42-6, 25 KOs; Horikawa, 20-10-1, 4 KOs
Rafael's remark: Sosa, 33, a former longtime junior flyweight titlist from Mexico, is a mandatory challenger for flyweight titlist Pongsaklek Wonjongkam of Thailand, and he isn't about to risk his shot by taking a hard fight. So Horikawa, 31, of Japan, got the call and lost his second fight in a row and third in his past four (each by knockout). Sosa was winning handily on all three scorecards (70-63, 70-62 and 68-65) when they went to the eighth round. Sosa had opened a cut over Horikawa's left eye, which was checked by the ringside doctor at the request of referee Frank Garza. As blood streamed down Horikawa's face, the doctor recommended the fight be called off. Sosa won his fifth fight in a row since losing his junior flyweight belt to Rodel Mayol via second-round knockout in November 2009.
[h4]Friday at Mashantucket, Conn.[/h4]
Lightweight
Hank Lundy W10 Patrick Lopez
Scores: 99-91, 97-92, 95-94
Records: Lundy, 20-1-1, 10 KOs; Lopez, 20-4, 12 KOs
Rafael's remark: It was a good scrap in the ESPN2 "Friday Night Fights" main event, and certainly not nearly as one-sided as the 99-91 scorecard. That's an abomination. Nonetheless, Lundy, 27, of Philadelphia, certainly deserved the decision as he turned back a spirited effort by Lopez, 33, a two-time Olympian from Venezuela who now lives in Londonderry, N.H. Lundy, known mostly for his big mouth, won his second fight in a row since he talked all kinds of smack about John Molina, had a big lead and then got knocked out in the 11th round last July. On Friday, Lundy used his speed advantage and movement to outhustle Lopez, whom he knocked down to his rear end with a left hand in the second round. Lopez, who lost his second fight in a row, also suffered a cut by his right eye courtesy of an accidental head clash. Lundy, who switched between a southpaw and an orthodox stance, had gotten out to a lead in the early rounds, but Lopez pressured him and worked his way back into the fight over the second half of the entertaining bout.
[h4]Friday at Indio, Calif.[/h4]
Bantamweight
Eric Morel TKO4 Luis Maldonado
Records: Morel, 44-2, 22 KOs; Maldonado, 37-5-1, 28 KOs
Rafael's remark: Morel, a 1996 U.S. Olympian from Puerto Rico and former flyweight titlist, lost a junior bantamweight title bout by decision to Martin Castillo in 2005. They were supposed to meet in a rematch in the main event of Telefutura's "Solo Boxeo Tecate," but Castillo suffered a foot injury the Tuesday before the fight and needed to be replaced. Enter Maldonado, a 33-year-old from Mexico with tons of experience but an 0-3 record in world title fights (knockouts by Fernando Montiel for a junior bantamweight belt and Nonito Donaire and Vic Darchinyan in flyweight title challenges). Morel had an easy time with Maldonado. He dropped him with a right hand to the chin just as the bell rang to end the first round. He fired shots, opened a cut over Maldonado's right eye and moved out of the way through the rest of the fight. After referee Raul Caiz Sr. asked the doctor to check the cut near the end of the fourth round, Caiz stopped the fight after the round. Morel is in good position to get another title opportunity. Maldonado lost his fourth consecutive bout.
Small notes.
Spoiler [+]
5. Danny Green (30-3)
Australia's Green, whose last fight was a decision against B.J. Flores in November, had considered retirement after January surgery to remove an abscess from his abdomen. However, he is going to be OK and plans to continue his career.
4. Paul Williams (39-2)
In his rematch with Martinez on Nov. 20, Williams got starched in the second round in a massive knockout loss. Williams, who likely will fight at junior middleweight, probably won't return until midsummer.
1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0)
Apparently, Mayweather never bothered to pay his 2009 tax bill, so the IRS has placed a $3.4 million lien against him. Two thoughts: One, maybe Mayweather should stop tweeting photos of his winning gambling tickets and address his taxes; and two, his money problems figure to accelerate his return to the ring
Australia's Green, whose last fight was a decision against B.J. Flores in November, had considered retirement after January surgery to remove an abscess from his abdomen. However, he is going to be OK and plans to continue his career.
4. Paul Williams (39-2)
In his rematch with Martinez on Nov. 20, Williams got starched in the second round in a massive knockout loss. Williams, who likely will fight at junior middleweight, probably won't return until midsummer.
1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0)
Apparently, Mayweather never bothered to pay his 2009 tax bill, so the IRS has placed a $3.4 million lien against him. Two thoughts: One, maybe Mayweather should stop tweeting photos of his winning gambling tickets and address his taxes; and two, his money problems figure to accelerate his return to the ring
Maidana interview.
Piece on David Lemieux.
Weekend wrap.
Small notes.
Spoiler [+]
In a high-caliber championship fight between two boxing stars, we can expect nothing less than a head-on collision between two planets. But the planets colliding April 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (HBO PPV, 10 p.m. ET) could not be further apart from each other. Three-division champion and battle-tested veteran Erik Morales of Mexico will face Argentina's Marcos Maidana, a young contender and murderous puncher with more-than-respectable boxing skills. It's the proverbial crossroads fight, with the winner moving on to greater challenges and the loser at risk of spinning out of orbit in an already crowded galaxy at 140 pounds, which includes some of the best fighters in boxing. We caught up with Maidana during the final leg of his training camp in Las Vegas to hear his thoughts on the fight.
What can you tell us about your training for this fight?
Training has been the same, just as in any other fight. I always train very hard and I trained well for this fight, too, so I'm feeling very good. I was in Mexico for five weeks, and now we're going to finish our job here in Las Vegas. In Mexico, we trained in the mountains and all that, and here in Vegas we just finished our preparation with four more weeks of training. We're getting acclimated here; we come a few weeks early just to get acclimated and feel comfortable before the fight.
Do you think you need to win convincingly to stay among the top fighters at 140 pounds?
I always come to win, I never settle for a defeat. I always go for a victory. I want to win, and in this fight I will come out charging forward. I will go out, wait to see what Morales does and how he wants to fight, and then get my punches in there and see if I can knock him out. And if I can't, I'll take the victory on points.
What do you think Morales saw in you that made him choose you as his opponent?
I don't know. Probably he's under the impression that he can beat me. But I don't see the possibility of him beating me. I'm well-prepared and I'm not going to give him the advantage in anything.
What does Morales bring to the table that maybe you haven't seen from another opponent?
Morales has a lot of experience, as we all know. He was a world champion three times, but he is past his prime and his best days are behind him. He is on the way out. He is bigger and slower, and he won't be the same as he was before.
A lot of people believe that Morales is taking a dangerous chance with you. Do you agree or are you convinced this will be a competitive fight?
No, I believe it will be a fair fight because he is fine. I see him doing well physically. If he chose to fight me, he must be feeling OK.
What are your thoughts about the situation with Nacho Beristain, who refused to train you after Juan Manuel Márquez asked him to do so? Has this episode significantly affected your training camp?
I have already left all that behind. Now we're training with Rudy Perez, who is a great trainer, and we're getting to know each other and getting along real well. That episode didn't affect me that much.
Have you been able to put together a game plan with Perez [who trained Marco Antonio Barrera in two victories over Morales] that may give Morales trouble?
Rudy brought a little bit of everything. We'll see whether I can show my progress on fight night. I do a lot of gym work with him, and I pay attention to everything he says.
What are your postfight plans? Are you still gunning for Amir Khan?
I'm going to wait and see what the market has to offer. I'm over Khan, and if sometime in the future we find the opportunity to fight him again, we'll do it. But for now it's all OK. I don't have anybody in mind; I will wait and see who comes up next on my list, and that's it.
How do you envision the fight developing, round by round?
I imagine a slow fight until one of us lets loose, and then we go toe-to-toe for the rest of the night. We can make all kinds of plans, but up there [in the ring], things turn out completely different.
What can you tell us about your training for this fight?
Training has been the same, just as in any other fight. I always train very hard and I trained well for this fight, too, so I'm feeling very good. I was in Mexico for five weeks, and now we're going to finish our job here in Las Vegas. In Mexico, we trained in the mountains and all that, and here in Vegas we just finished our preparation with four more weeks of training. We're getting acclimated here; we come a few weeks early just to get acclimated and feel comfortable before the fight.
Do you think you need to win convincingly to stay among the top fighters at 140 pounds?
I always come to win, I never settle for a defeat. I always go for a victory. I want to win, and in this fight I will come out charging forward. I will go out, wait to see what Morales does and how he wants to fight, and then get my punches in there and see if I can knock him out. And if I can't, I'll take the victory on points.
What do you think Morales saw in you that made him choose you as his opponent?
I don't know. Probably he's under the impression that he can beat me. But I don't see the possibility of him beating me. I'm well-prepared and I'm not going to give him the advantage in anything.
What does Morales bring to the table that maybe you haven't seen from another opponent?
Morales has a lot of experience, as we all know. He was a world champion three times, but he is past his prime and his best days are behind him. He is on the way out. He is bigger and slower, and he won't be the same as he was before.
A lot of people believe that Morales is taking a dangerous chance with you. Do you agree or are you convinced this will be a competitive fight?
No, I believe it will be a fair fight because he is fine. I see him doing well physically. If he chose to fight me, he must be feeling OK.
What are your thoughts about the situation with Nacho Beristain, who refused to train you after Juan Manuel Márquez asked him to do so? Has this episode significantly affected your training camp?
I have already left all that behind. Now we're training with Rudy Perez, who is a great trainer, and we're getting to know each other and getting along real well. That episode didn't affect me that much.
Have you been able to put together a game plan with Perez [who trained Marco Antonio Barrera in two victories over Morales] that may give Morales trouble?
Rudy brought a little bit of everything. We'll see whether I can show my progress on fight night. I do a lot of gym work with him, and I pay attention to everything he says.
What are your postfight plans? Are you still gunning for Amir Khan?
I'm going to wait and see what the market has to offer. I'm over Khan, and if sometime in the future we find the opportunity to fight him again, we'll do it. But for now it's all OK. I don't have anybody in mind; I will wait and see who comes up next on my list, and that's it.
How do you envision the fight developing, round by round?
I imagine a slow fight until one of us lets loose, and then we go toe-to-toe for the rest of the night. We can make all kinds of plans, but up there [in the ring], things turn out completely different.
Piece on David Lemieux.
Spoiler [+]
Middleweight David Lemieux, one of the most exciting rising prospects in boxing, is one win away from a title shot.
In order to position himself for an eventual crack at the winner of the June 4 bout between titlist Sebastian Zbik and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (who fight on June 4), Lemieux (25-0, 24 KOs) needs to defeat experienced former title challenger Marco Antonio Rubio (49-5-1, 42 KOs) of Mexico in their title eliminator April 8 in the main event of "Friday Night Fights" (ESPN2).
Lemieux, who is from Montreal and a potential star in the making, will have the home-turf advantage at the Bell Centre.
"Rubio is the best opponent I have fought to date," said the 22-year-old Lemieux, who has knocked out his past four opponents inside of two rounds. "It is going to be interesting to see what Rubio brings to the table. He is a big puncher and has a lot more experience than I do. I am ready to give it my all and I am preparing for war.
"I honestly feel that Rubio is tougher than either of the fighters I would face for the title if I win. I am not looking past Rubio and [am] taking it one step at a time, but I am really looking forward to making a statement with this fight and doing whatever I have to do to get a shot at the middleweight title."
Rubio has been a good contender for several years. He has won six fights in a row since then-middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik stopped him in the ninth round of a February 2009 title bout.
Promoter Yvon Michel has been building Lemieux for this kind of significant fight since he turned pro in 2007 after winning three Canadian national amateur titles.
"He is a fantastic, very exciting fighter and I think this very competitive fight against Rubio will catapult him to another stage of his career," Michel said.
If Lemieux reaches the top by winning a title, which many expect of him, it will be quite a feat for a young man who once got in regular trouble in school and had numerous street fights. When he was 9, a neighbor caught Lemieux smoking a cigar and offered to take him to a boxing gym to teach him discipline.
"Boxing saved my life," Lemieux said. "Violence and drugs were all around me when I was growing up. If I hadn't discovered boxing, I don't know what I would be doing. I never would have been good at a routine desk job. I fell in love with the boxing gym, and I never wanted to leave."
In order to position himself for an eventual crack at the winner of the June 4 bout between titlist Sebastian Zbik and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (who fight on June 4), Lemieux (25-0, 24 KOs) needs to defeat experienced former title challenger Marco Antonio Rubio (49-5-1, 42 KOs) of Mexico in their title eliminator April 8 in the main event of "Friday Night Fights" (ESPN2).
Lemieux, who is from Montreal and a potential star in the making, will have the home-turf advantage at the Bell Centre.
"Rubio is the best opponent I have fought to date," said the 22-year-old Lemieux, who has knocked out his past four opponents inside of two rounds. "It is going to be interesting to see what Rubio brings to the table. He is a big puncher and has a lot more experience than I do. I am ready to give it my all and I am preparing for war.
"I honestly feel that Rubio is tougher than either of the fighters I would face for the title if I win. I am not looking past Rubio and [am] taking it one step at a time, but I am really looking forward to making a statement with this fight and doing whatever I have to do to get a shot at the middleweight title."
Rubio has been a good contender for several years. He has won six fights in a row since then-middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik stopped him in the ninth round of a February 2009 title bout.
Promoter Yvon Michel has been building Lemieux for this kind of significant fight since he turned pro in 2007 after winning three Canadian national amateur titles.
"He is a fantastic, very exciting fighter and I think this very competitive fight against Rubio will catapult him to another stage of his career," Michel said.
If Lemieux reaches the top by winning a title, which many expect of him, it will be quite a feat for a young man who once got in regular trouble in school and had numerous street fights. When he was 9, a neighbor caught Lemieux smoking a cigar and offered to take him to a boxing gym to teach him discipline.
"Boxing saved my life," Lemieux said. "Violence and drugs were all around me when I was growing up. If I hadn't discovered boxing, I don't know what I would be doing. I never would have been good at a routine desk job. I fell in love with the boxing gym, and I never wanted to leave."
Weekend wrap.
Spoiler [+]
[h4]Saturday at Mexicali, Mexico[/h4]
Junior flyweight
Giovani Segura KO3 Ivan "Iron Boy" Calderon
Retains world junior flyweight title
Records: Segura, 27-1-1, 23 KOs; Calderon, 34-2-1, 6 KOs
Rafael's remark: Can't say that this went much differently than expected, as Segura rolled through the much smaller Calderon with ease. Put it this way: Segura was the windshield and Calderon was the bug. When they met for the first time last August, Mexico's Segura went to Calderon's native Puerto Rico and they waged a fierce fight that ranked as one of the best slugfests of 2010. A rematch was an obvious business decision for both sides. So after some healthy debate about the weight -- Segura, who struggles to make the 108-pound junior flyweight limit, wanted it in the 112-pound flyweight division, while Calderon insisted it be at 108 again for the title -- and after Calderon agreed to go to Mexico, they got it on again. But not much had changed, other than the fact Calderon -- idle since the first fight, while Segura had fought one nontitle bout -- had gotten a little older.
In his heyday, Calderon was the most supreme technical boxer in the world. He was a guy who rarely got hit, rarely lost rounds and had perhaps the best defense in the game. But while the former strawweight and junior flyweight champion is headed for the Hall of Fame one day, he is 36 now and has obviously slowed down -- especially when you compare him to Segura, an ultra-aggressive brawler with limited technical ability. But Segura, who turned 29 the day before the fight, is an extreme pressure fighter who throws every shot with knockout intentions. In the first fight, Segura forced Calderon to fight an exhausting pace and eventually caught up to him, stopping him in the eighth round with a withering body assault. Calderon simply could not take it anymore and when he went down, he stayed on a knee rather than get up and take more abuse.
The rematch, the main event of an Integrated Sports pay-per-view show, was a virtual carbon copy in terms of action, but it was not as competitive and ended quicker. The fight opened as you would have expected -- with Segura chasing after Calderon and throwing haymakers from all angles while Calderon tried to use his legs, move around, jab and avoid the incoming blows. It seemed like only a matter of time before Segura, forcing intense pressure, would catch up to him again. Segura began landing good body shots on Calderon in the second round, though he was warned for a low blow. But Segura was committed to the body attack and also hurt Calderon with a shot upstairs. In the third round, Segura continued to pour it on and eventually pinned Calderon against the ropes -- the last place in the world he should have been -- unloading some heavy shots, including a crushing right hand to the midsection. Calderon went down in virtually the same position he fell in the first fight, to one knee with his head down, and was counted out at 1 minute, 39 seconds by referee Sammy Viruet.
It was a tremendous performance by Segura, who now plans to leave behind the 108-pound division, along with his alphabet title and the lineal championship, to pursue a title in the 112-pound flyweight division. For Calderon, perhaps this is the end. If it is, he has had a tremendous run -- from the 2000 Olympics to a 19-2-1 record in world title fights, most of which he won in dominant fashion. He will someday be enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y.
Featherweight
Jorge Lacierva W12 Fernando Beltran Jr.
Title eliminator
Scores: 119-109 (twice), 118-109
Records: Lacierva, 39-7-6, 26 KOs; Beltran, 35-5-1, 19 KOs
Rafael's remark: If it feels like Mexico's Lacierva has been around forever, well, he's only 32 but has been fighting professionally since 1994. He has been a decent contender for most of that time, although he is 0-2 in world title fights. He lost a technical decision to Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson in a 1999 junior bantamweight title bout and a unanimous decision to Celestino Caballero for a junior featherweight title in 2007. But since that loss to Caballero, Lacierva has won seven fights in a row, including this surprisingly one-sided decision. Beltran, 29, has been a pro since 2000 and is also 0-2 in world title bouts, dropping decisions to Joan Guzman in 2005 and Steve Molitor in 2008, both in junior featherweight title fights. Beltran and Lacierva were meeting in an eliminator that would give the winner a third shot at a title, this time in the featherweight division. Although there was some good action between the two, Lacierva got the better of Beltran throughout the fight, pounding out the clear decision. He is now set up to fight the winner of a mandated bout between Miguel Angel "Mikey" Garcia and Billy Dib, who have been ordered to meet for the alphabet belt recently vacated by Yuriorkis Gamboa.
Flyweight
Alonso "Finito" Lopez W6 Jorge Guerrero
Scores: 60-54, 60-55, 59-55
Records: Lopez, 9-0-1, 3 KOs; Guerrero, 5-5, 2 KOs
Rafael's remark: Lopez, 25, of Mexico, is the son of all-time great Ricardo "Finito" Lopez, the Hall of Fame former strawweight and junior flyweight champion. The younger Lopez looks like a carbon copy of his father in the ring because of the way he holds his hands and moves during a fight. He was obviously taught well. But he is not his father. He seems quite a bit more limited and certainly does not have the kind of punching power the old man possessed. But Lopez had a fairly easy time against Mexico's Guerrero (whose three-fight win streak ended) to take the easy decision in the first fight he went beyond four rounds.
[h4]Saturday at Panama City, Panama[/h4]
Flyweight
Hernan "Tyson" Marquez TKO11 Luis Concepcion
Wins a flyweight title
Records: Marquez, 30-2, 23 KOs; Concepcion, 22-2, 17 KOs
Rafael's remark: Well, Fight Freaks, we have our first legitimate fight of the year candidate (and an upset) in this back-and-forth brawl, which featured all kinds of momentum swings and multiple knockdowns, as well as a round of the year candidate in the first frame.
Concepcion, 25, who was fighting in front of a raucous hometown crowd, was making his first title defense since having the interim tag on his belt lifted after three defenses. He was the clear favorite against Marquez, 22, of Mexico, who pulled the upset in dramatic fashion to win his third fight in a row after back-to-back losses in 2010 (a poor performance in a decision loss to Richie Mepranum followed by an eighth-round knockout against Nonito Donaire in an interim junior bantamweight title bout).
There were no feeling-out rounds. The first round was sheer wildness as they slugged it out from the opening bell and exchanged knockdowns. Concepcion dropped Marquez to his backside with a right hand midway through the frame, but Marquez recovered quickly and rocked Concepcion with a left hand. Concepcion then rebounded to rock Marquez again, but he ate a left hand and went down a couple of seconds before the round ended. Whew! And this was just the first round! The second round featured more sensational toe-to-toe action, minus the knockdowns. They saved that for the third round as Marquez connected with a huge right hand seconds into the frame, dropping Concepcion. He almost went down again later in the round as the fighters traded vicious shots in a violent war. They rocked and wobbled each other several times throughout the fight, and it appeared that either could still win late. But in the 10th round, Marquez dropped Concepcion for the third time with a right hand. Concepcion rebounded to buckle Marquez later in the round, but Concepcion had bad swelling and a cut around his left eye, which was nearly closed. As soon as the 11th began, referee Luis Pabon called timeout to have the ringside doctor check the eye, and he advised Pabon to stop the fight, which the referee did. Perhaps it was a slightly unsatisfying ending, but it was a tremendous fight overall -- one that figures to receive strong consideration for fight of the year honors come December.
[h4]Saturday at Halle, Germany[/h4]
Cruiserweight
Marco Huck W12 Ran Nakash
Retains a cruiserweight title
Scores: 118-110 (twice), 116-112
Records: Huck, 32-1, 23 KOs; Ran Nakash, 25-1, 18 KOs
Rafael's remark: Germany's Huck, 26, was supposed to make his sixth defense against former titlist Giacobbe Fragomeni of Italy until he pulled out less than two weeks before the fight, citing injury. That opened the door for Philadelphia-based Nakash, 32, of Israel, who had been training for another fight, to get the opportunity. Nakash was earnest in his efforts, but he is a one-dimensional fighter who mainly pressed forward with his physical style in an effort to outmuscle and outwork Huck, who is a faster and more well-rounded fighter. Nakash had some moments, and it was often a competitive (and entertaining) fight, but he could not do enough to gain any serious momentum. Huck, meanwhile, landed a lot of punches -- including many hard shots to the body -- and left Nakash with facial swelling (including a bad left eye) by the time the fight reached the final bell. Considering this fight was made on very short notice, credit to both guys for putting on a good show.
Heavyweight
Robert Helenius TKO9 Samuel Peter
Records: Helenius, 15-0, 10 KOs; Peter, 34-5, 27 KOs
Rafael's remark: The matchmakers for promoter Sauerland Event are high on Helenius, a 27-year-old from Sweden who's based in Germany. And he showed them that they had made the right call to match him with Peter, 30, a powerful former titleholder from Nigeria now living in Las Vegas. It seemed like a risky fight for Helenius to take at this stage of his career, even though Peter was coming off a lopsided 10th-round knockout loss to heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in their September rematch. But the once iron-chinned Peter now appears to no longer be able to take a solid punch. Klitschko brutalized him, and Helenius cleaned up on what was left. The fight was a bit boring, although Peter did well in the early rounds. Helenius was having trouble getting going and didn't do much more than flick his jab. But Helenius, whose only previous notable victory was sending long-faded former titlist Lamon Brewster into retirement with an eighth-round knockout in January 2010, sure closed the show.
In the ninth round, Helenius landed a booming left hook out of nowhere that dropped Peter flat on his back. Peter was a bit dazed as he struggled to his feet at the count of eight. Helenius then landed a right hand followed by another left hook, splattering Peter flat on his back again and spread eagle in the center of the ring at 1 minute, 50 seconds. Peter had no prayer of beating the count from referee Dave Parris, who didn't bother to go all the way to 10. Very good win for Helenius, whose finish of the fight might make most folks forget about how shaky he looked in the early going. For Peter, he has now crossed over into opponent territory.
[h4]Saturday at Bydgoszcz, Poland[/h4]
Cruiserweight
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk W12 Francisco Palacios
Retains a cruiserweight title
Scores: 118-112, 116-113 Wlodarczyk, 115-113 Palacios
Records: Wlodarczyk, 45-2-1, 32 KOs; Palacios, 20-1, 13 KOs
Rafael's remark: In the second title defense of his second title reign, Wlodarczyk, 29, of Poland, got the tight decision to retain his belt. (And what was the judge who scored it 118-112 watching anyway?) Still, this was a woeful match, one not worth the bandwidth used to watch on an Internet stream. Search it out if you have trouble sleeping in the future. Palacios, 33, of Puerto Rico, talked a big game before the fight and then, like Wlodarczyk, did very little -- unless staring while mixing in the occasional punch counts. Neither man took any chances, which for Wlodarczyk, who was slightly more aggressive, figured to work out fine because he was at home. But Palacios, whose best rounds came in the early going, fought so passively that he had no prayer of getting a decision on enemy turf. Palacios actually slowed down in the final few rounds, perhaps thinking he had the fight in the bag. Shame on him. Just a horrible fight.
[h4]Saturday at London[/h4]
Lightweight
John Murray W12 Karim El Ouazghari
Retains European lightweight title
Scores: 117-111, 116-110, 115-112
Records: Murray, 31-0, 18 KOs; El Ouazghari, 11-2-2, 4 KOs
Rafael's remark: Murray, 26, of England, who was in his first fight since signing with promoter Frank Warren, was supposed to meet countryman Kevin Mitchell in an anticipated showdown. However, Warren had issues closing that deal, so Murray wound up facing the unknown El Ouazghari, 31, of Spain. Murray made a successful second defense of his European title but labored at times and didn't look all that good in his first fight since September, especially in the first half of the bout. But Murray, perhaps a bit rusty from the layoff, got through a tougher-than-expected test to win the decision in an action fight and set the stage for a possible July fight with Mitchell, who was ringside. Murray did notch an 11th-round knockdown, but he lost a point for a punch behind the head in the 12th as he was still gunning for a knockout. El Ouazghari had been penalized a point in the 11th round for a head-butt.
[h4]Saturday at Okinawa, Japan[/h4]
Junior featherweight
Daiki Kameda KO5 Jesus Martinez
Records: Kameda, 20-2, 12 KOs; Martinez, 21-7, 12 KOs
Rafael's remark: Kameda, 22, of Japan, retained his flyweight belt on a controversial split decision against Silvio Olteanu in December. Kameda was very lucky to get the nod and afterward declared that he had too much trouble making weight, so he was going to move up. Saturday's bout was Kameda's first since renouncing his title, and he weighed a career-heavy 119¼ pounds to face Mexico's Martinez, 35, who lost his second fight in a row (and fourth in his past five bouts). Kameda, the younger brother of bantamweight titlist Koki Kameda, ended matters at 37 seconds of the fifth round when he stopped Martinez with a body shot.
[h4]Saturday at Mexico City[/h4]
Flyweight
Edgar Sosa TKO8 Kenichi Horikawa
Records: Sosa, 42-6, 25 KOs; Horikawa, 20-10-1, 4 KOs
Rafael's remark: Sosa, 33, a former longtime junior flyweight titlist from Mexico, is a mandatory challenger for flyweight titlist Pongsaklek Wonjongkam of Thailand, and he isn't about to risk his shot by taking a hard fight. So Horikawa, 31, of Japan, got the call and lost his second fight in a row and third in his past four (each by knockout). Sosa was winning handily on all three scorecards (70-63, 70-62 and 68-65) when they went to the eighth round. Sosa had opened a cut over Horikawa's left eye, which was checked by the ringside doctor at the request of referee Frank Garza. As blood streamed down Horikawa's face, the doctor recommended the fight be called off. Sosa won his fifth fight in a row since losing his junior flyweight belt to Rodel Mayol via second-round knockout in November 2009.
[h4]Friday at Mashantucket, Conn.[/h4]
Lightweight
Hank Lundy W10 Patrick Lopez
Scores: 99-91, 97-92, 95-94
Records: Lundy, 20-1-1, 10 KOs; Lopez, 20-4, 12 KOs
Rafael's remark: It was a good scrap in the ESPN2 "Friday Night Fights" main event, and certainly not nearly as one-sided as the 99-91 scorecard. That's an abomination. Nonetheless, Lundy, 27, of Philadelphia, certainly deserved the decision as he turned back a spirited effort by Lopez, 33, a two-time Olympian from Venezuela who now lives in Londonderry, N.H. Lundy, known mostly for his big mouth, won his second fight in a row since he talked all kinds of smack about John Molina, had a big lead and then got knocked out in the 11th round last July. On Friday, Lundy used his speed advantage and movement to outhustle Lopez, whom he knocked down to his rear end with a left hand in the second round. Lopez, who lost his second fight in a row, also suffered a cut by his right eye courtesy of an accidental head clash. Lundy, who switched between a southpaw and an orthodox stance, had gotten out to a lead in the early rounds, but Lopez pressured him and worked his way back into the fight over the second half of the entertaining bout.
[h4]Friday at Indio, Calif.[/h4]
Bantamweight
Eric Morel TKO4 Luis Maldonado
Records: Morel, 44-2, 22 KOs; Maldonado, 37-5-1, 28 KOs
Rafael's remark: Morel, a 1996 U.S. Olympian from Puerto Rico and former flyweight titlist, lost a junior bantamweight title bout by decision to Martin Castillo in 2005. They were supposed to meet in a rematch in the main event of Telefutura's "Solo Boxeo Tecate," but Castillo suffered a foot injury the Tuesday before the fight and needed to be replaced. Enter Maldonado, a 33-year-old from Mexico with tons of experience but an 0-3 record in world title fights (knockouts by Fernando Montiel for a junior bantamweight belt and Nonito Donaire and Vic Darchinyan in flyweight title challenges). Morel had an easy time with Maldonado. He dropped him with a right hand to the chin just as the bell rang to end the first round. He fired shots, opened a cut over Maldonado's right eye and moved out of the way through the rest of the fight. After referee Raul Caiz Sr. asked the doctor to check the cut near the end of the fourth round, Caiz stopped the fight after the round. Morel is in good position to get another title opportunity. Maldonado lost his fourth consecutive bout.
Junior flyweight
Giovani Segura KO3 Ivan "Iron Boy" Calderon
Retains world junior flyweight title
Records: Segura, 27-1-1, 23 KOs; Calderon, 34-2-1, 6 KOs
Rafael's remark: Can't say that this went much differently than expected, as Segura rolled through the much smaller Calderon with ease. Put it this way: Segura was the windshield and Calderon was the bug. When they met for the first time last August, Mexico's Segura went to Calderon's native Puerto Rico and they waged a fierce fight that ranked as one of the best slugfests of 2010. A rematch was an obvious business decision for both sides. So after some healthy debate about the weight -- Segura, who struggles to make the 108-pound junior flyweight limit, wanted it in the 112-pound flyweight division, while Calderon insisted it be at 108 again for the title -- and after Calderon agreed to go to Mexico, they got it on again. But not much had changed, other than the fact Calderon -- idle since the first fight, while Segura had fought one nontitle bout -- had gotten a little older.
In his heyday, Calderon was the most supreme technical boxer in the world. He was a guy who rarely got hit, rarely lost rounds and had perhaps the best defense in the game. But while the former strawweight and junior flyweight champion is headed for the Hall of Fame one day, he is 36 now and has obviously slowed down -- especially when you compare him to Segura, an ultra-aggressive brawler with limited technical ability. But Segura, who turned 29 the day before the fight, is an extreme pressure fighter who throws every shot with knockout intentions. In the first fight, Segura forced Calderon to fight an exhausting pace and eventually caught up to him, stopping him in the eighth round with a withering body assault. Calderon simply could not take it anymore and when he went down, he stayed on a knee rather than get up and take more abuse.
The rematch, the main event of an Integrated Sports pay-per-view show, was a virtual carbon copy in terms of action, but it was not as competitive and ended quicker. The fight opened as you would have expected -- with Segura chasing after Calderon and throwing haymakers from all angles while Calderon tried to use his legs, move around, jab and avoid the incoming blows. It seemed like only a matter of time before Segura, forcing intense pressure, would catch up to him again. Segura began landing good body shots on Calderon in the second round, though he was warned for a low blow. But Segura was committed to the body attack and also hurt Calderon with a shot upstairs. In the third round, Segura continued to pour it on and eventually pinned Calderon against the ropes -- the last place in the world he should have been -- unloading some heavy shots, including a crushing right hand to the midsection. Calderon went down in virtually the same position he fell in the first fight, to one knee with his head down, and was counted out at 1 minute, 39 seconds by referee Sammy Viruet.
It was a tremendous performance by Segura, who now plans to leave behind the 108-pound division, along with his alphabet title and the lineal championship, to pursue a title in the 112-pound flyweight division. For Calderon, perhaps this is the end. If it is, he has had a tremendous run -- from the 2000 Olympics to a 19-2-1 record in world title fights, most of which he won in dominant fashion. He will someday be enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y.
Featherweight
Jorge Lacierva W12 Fernando Beltran Jr.
Title eliminator
Scores: 119-109 (twice), 118-109
Records: Lacierva, 39-7-6, 26 KOs; Beltran, 35-5-1, 19 KOs
Rafael's remark: If it feels like Mexico's Lacierva has been around forever, well, he's only 32 but has been fighting professionally since 1994. He has been a decent contender for most of that time, although he is 0-2 in world title fights. He lost a technical decision to Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson in a 1999 junior bantamweight title bout and a unanimous decision to Celestino Caballero for a junior featherweight title in 2007. But since that loss to Caballero, Lacierva has won seven fights in a row, including this surprisingly one-sided decision. Beltran, 29, has been a pro since 2000 and is also 0-2 in world title bouts, dropping decisions to Joan Guzman in 2005 and Steve Molitor in 2008, both in junior featherweight title fights. Beltran and Lacierva were meeting in an eliminator that would give the winner a third shot at a title, this time in the featherweight division. Although there was some good action between the two, Lacierva got the better of Beltran throughout the fight, pounding out the clear decision. He is now set up to fight the winner of a mandated bout between Miguel Angel "Mikey" Garcia and Billy Dib, who have been ordered to meet for the alphabet belt recently vacated by Yuriorkis Gamboa.
Flyweight
Alonso "Finito" Lopez W6 Jorge Guerrero
Scores: 60-54, 60-55, 59-55
Records: Lopez, 9-0-1, 3 KOs; Guerrero, 5-5, 2 KOs
Rafael's remark: Lopez, 25, of Mexico, is the son of all-time great Ricardo "Finito" Lopez, the Hall of Fame former strawweight and junior flyweight champion. The younger Lopez looks like a carbon copy of his father in the ring because of the way he holds his hands and moves during a fight. He was obviously taught well. But he is not his father. He seems quite a bit more limited and certainly does not have the kind of punching power the old man possessed. But Lopez had a fairly easy time against Mexico's Guerrero (whose three-fight win streak ended) to take the easy decision in the first fight he went beyond four rounds.
[h4]Saturday at Panama City, Panama[/h4]
Flyweight
Hernan "Tyson" Marquez TKO11 Luis Concepcion
Wins a flyweight title
Records: Marquez, 30-2, 23 KOs; Concepcion, 22-2, 17 KOs
Rafael's remark: Well, Fight Freaks, we have our first legitimate fight of the year candidate (and an upset) in this back-and-forth brawl, which featured all kinds of momentum swings and multiple knockdowns, as well as a round of the year candidate in the first frame.
Concepcion, 25, who was fighting in front of a raucous hometown crowd, was making his first title defense since having the interim tag on his belt lifted after three defenses. He was the clear favorite against Marquez, 22, of Mexico, who pulled the upset in dramatic fashion to win his third fight in a row after back-to-back losses in 2010 (a poor performance in a decision loss to Richie Mepranum followed by an eighth-round knockout against Nonito Donaire in an interim junior bantamweight title bout).
There were no feeling-out rounds. The first round was sheer wildness as they slugged it out from the opening bell and exchanged knockdowns. Concepcion dropped Marquez to his backside with a right hand midway through the frame, but Marquez recovered quickly and rocked Concepcion with a left hand. Concepcion then rebounded to rock Marquez again, but he ate a left hand and went down a couple of seconds before the round ended. Whew! And this was just the first round! The second round featured more sensational toe-to-toe action, minus the knockdowns. They saved that for the third round as Marquez connected with a huge right hand seconds into the frame, dropping Concepcion. He almost went down again later in the round as the fighters traded vicious shots in a violent war. They rocked and wobbled each other several times throughout the fight, and it appeared that either could still win late. But in the 10th round, Marquez dropped Concepcion for the third time with a right hand. Concepcion rebounded to buckle Marquez later in the round, but Concepcion had bad swelling and a cut around his left eye, which was nearly closed. As soon as the 11th began, referee Luis Pabon called timeout to have the ringside doctor check the eye, and he advised Pabon to stop the fight, which the referee did. Perhaps it was a slightly unsatisfying ending, but it was a tremendous fight overall -- one that figures to receive strong consideration for fight of the year honors come December.
[h4]Saturday at Halle, Germany[/h4]
Cruiserweight
Marco Huck W12 Ran Nakash
Retains a cruiserweight title
Scores: 118-110 (twice), 116-112
Records: Huck, 32-1, 23 KOs; Ran Nakash, 25-1, 18 KOs
Rafael's remark: Germany's Huck, 26, was supposed to make his sixth defense against former titlist Giacobbe Fragomeni of Italy until he pulled out less than two weeks before the fight, citing injury. That opened the door for Philadelphia-based Nakash, 32, of Israel, who had been training for another fight, to get the opportunity. Nakash was earnest in his efforts, but he is a one-dimensional fighter who mainly pressed forward with his physical style in an effort to outmuscle and outwork Huck, who is a faster and more well-rounded fighter. Nakash had some moments, and it was often a competitive (and entertaining) fight, but he could not do enough to gain any serious momentum. Huck, meanwhile, landed a lot of punches -- including many hard shots to the body -- and left Nakash with facial swelling (including a bad left eye) by the time the fight reached the final bell. Considering this fight was made on very short notice, credit to both guys for putting on a good show.
Heavyweight
Robert Helenius TKO9 Samuel Peter
Records: Helenius, 15-0, 10 KOs; Peter, 34-5, 27 KOs
Rafael's remark: The matchmakers for promoter Sauerland Event are high on Helenius, a 27-year-old from Sweden who's based in Germany. And he showed them that they had made the right call to match him with Peter, 30, a powerful former titleholder from Nigeria now living in Las Vegas. It seemed like a risky fight for Helenius to take at this stage of his career, even though Peter was coming off a lopsided 10th-round knockout loss to heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in their September rematch. But the once iron-chinned Peter now appears to no longer be able to take a solid punch. Klitschko brutalized him, and Helenius cleaned up on what was left. The fight was a bit boring, although Peter did well in the early rounds. Helenius was having trouble getting going and didn't do much more than flick his jab. But Helenius, whose only previous notable victory was sending long-faded former titlist Lamon Brewster into retirement with an eighth-round knockout in January 2010, sure closed the show.
In the ninth round, Helenius landed a booming left hook out of nowhere that dropped Peter flat on his back. Peter was a bit dazed as he struggled to his feet at the count of eight. Helenius then landed a right hand followed by another left hook, splattering Peter flat on his back again and spread eagle in the center of the ring at 1 minute, 50 seconds. Peter had no prayer of beating the count from referee Dave Parris, who didn't bother to go all the way to 10. Very good win for Helenius, whose finish of the fight might make most folks forget about how shaky he looked in the early going. For Peter, he has now crossed over into opponent territory.
[h4]Saturday at Bydgoszcz, Poland[/h4]
Cruiserweight
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk W12 Francisco Palacios
Retains a cruiserweight title
Scores: 118-112, 116-113 Wlodarczyk, 115-113 Palacios
Records: Wlodarczyk, 45-2-1, 32 KOs; Palacios, 20-1, 13 KOs
Rafael's remark: In the second title defense of his second title reign, Wlodarczyk, 29, of Poland, got the tight decision to retain his belt. (And what was the judge who scored it 118-112 watching anyway?) Still, this was a woeful match, one not worth the bandwidth used to watch on an Internet stream. Search it out if you have trouble sleeping in the future. Palacios, 33, of Puerto Rico, talked a big game before the fight and then, like Wlodarczyk, did very little -- unless staring while mixing in the occasional punch counts. Neither man took any chances, which for Wlodarczyk, who was slightly more aggressive, figured to work out fine because he was at home. But Palacios, whose best rounds came in the early going, fought so passively that he had no prayer of getting a decision on enemy turf. Palacios actually slowed down in the final few rounds, perhaps thinking he had the fight in the bag. Shame on him. Just a horrible fight.
[h4]Saturday at London[/h4]
Lightweight
John Murray W12 Karim El Ouazghari
Retains European lightweight title
Scores: 117-111, 116-110, 115-112
Records: Murray, 31-0, 18 KOs; El Ouazghari, 11-2-2, 4 KOs
Rafael's remark: Murray, 26, of England, who was in his first fight since signing with promoter Frank Warren, was supposed to meet countryman Kevin Mitchell in an anticipated showdown. However, Warren had issues closing that deal, so Murray wound up facing the unknown El Ouazghari, 31, of Spain. Murray made a successful second defense of his European title but labored at times and didn't look all that good in his first fight since September, especially in the first half of the bout. But Murray, perhaps a bit rusty from the layoff, got through a tougher-than-expected test to win the decision in an action fight and set the stage for a possible July fight with Mitchell, who was ringside. Murray did notch an 11th-round knockdown, but he lost a point for a punch behind the head in the 12th as he was still gunning for a knockout. El Ouazghari had been penalized a point in the 11th round for a head-butt.
[h4]Saturday at Okinawa, Japan[/h4]
Junior featherweight
Daiki Kameda KO5 Jesus Martinez
Records: Kameda, 20-2, 12 KOs; Martinez, 21-7, 12 KOs
Rafael's remark: Kameda, 22, of Japan, retained his flyweight belt on a controversial split decision against Silvio Olteanu in December. Kameda was very lucky to get the nod and afterward declared that he had too much trouble making weight, so he was going to move up. Saturday's bout was Kameda's first since renouncing his title, and he weighed a career-heavy 119¼ pounds to face Mexico's Martinez, 35, who lost his second fight in a row (and fourth in his past five bouts). Kameda, the younger brother of bantamweight titlist Koki Kameda, ended matters at 37 seconds of the fifth round when he stopped Martinez with a body shot.
[h4]Saturday at Mexico City[/h4]
Flyweight
Edgar Sosa TKO8 Kenichi Horikawa
Records: Sosa, 42-6, 25 KOs; Horikawa, 20-10-1, 4 KOs
Rafael's remark: Sosa, 33, a former longtime junior flyweight titlist from Mexico, is a mandatory challenger for flyweight titlist Pongsaklek Wonjongkam of Thailand, and he isn't about to risk his shot by taking a hard fight. So Horikawa, 31, of Japan, got the call and lost his second fight in a row and third in his past four (each by knockout). Sosa was winning handily on all three scorecards (70-63, 70-62 and 68-65) when they went to the eighth round. Sosa had opened a cut over Horikawa's left eye, which was checked by the ringside doctor at the request of referee Frank Garza. As blood streamed down Horikawa's face, the doctor recommended the fight be called off. Sosa won his fifth fight in a row since losing his junior flyweight belt to Rodel Mayol via second-round knockout in November 2009.
[h4]Friday at Mashantucket, Conn.[/h4]
Lightweight
Hank Lundy W10 Patrick Lopez
Scores: 99-91, 97-92, 95-94
Records: Lundy, 20-1-1, 10 KOs; Lopez, 20-4, 12 KOs
Rafael's remark: It was a good scrap in the ESPN2 "Friday Night Fights" main event, and certainly not nearly as one-sided as the 99-91 scorecard. That's an abomination. Nonetheless, Lundy, 27, of Philadelphia, certainly deserved the decision as he turned back a spirited effort by Lopez, 33, a two-time Olympian from Venezuela who now lives in Londonderry, N.H. Lundy, known mostly for his big mouth, won his second fight in a row since he talked all kinds of smack about John Molina, had a big lead and then got knocked out in the 11th round last July. On Friday, Lundy used his speed advantage and movement to outhustle Lopez, whom he knocked down to his rear end with a left hand in the second round. Lopez, who lost his second fight in a row, also suffered a cut by his right eye courtesy of an accidental head clash. Lundy, who switched between a southpaw and an orthodox stance, had gotten out to a lead in the early rounds, but Lopez pressured him and worked his way back into the fight over the second half of the entertaining bout.
[h4]Friday at Indio, Calif.[/h4]
Bantamweight
Eric Morel TKO4 Luis Maldonado
Records: Morel, 44-2, 22 KOs; Maldonado, 37-5-1, 28 KOs
Rafael's remark: Morel, a 1996 U.S. Olympian from Puerto Rico and former flyweight titlist, lost a junior bantamweight title bout by decision to Martin Castillo in 2005. They were supposed to meet in a rematch in the main event of Telefutura's "Solo Boxeo Tecate," but Castillo suffered a foot injury the Tuesday before the fight and needed to be replaced. Enter Maldonado, a 33-year-old from Mexico with tons of experience but an 0-3 record in world title fights (knockouts by Fernando Montiel for a junior bantamweight belt and Nonito Donaire and Vic Darchinyan in flyweight title challenges). Morel had an easy time with Maldonado. He dropped him with a right hand to the chin just as the bell rang to end the first round. He fired shots, opened a cut over Maldonado's right eye and moved out of the way through the rest of the fight. After referee Raul Caiz Sr. asked the doctor to check the cut near the end of the fourth round, Caiz stopped the fight after the round. Morel is in good position to get another title opportunity. Maldonado lost his fourth consecutive bout.
Small notes.
Spoiler [+]
5. Danny Green (30-3)
Australia's Green, whose last fight was a decision against B.J. Flores in November, had considered retirement after January surgery to remove an abscess from his abdomen. However, he is going to be OK and plans to continue his career.
4. Paul Williams (39-2)
In his rematch with Martinez on Nov. 20, Williams got starched in the second round in a massive knockout loss. Williams, who likely will fight at junior middleweight, probably won't return until midsummer.
1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0)
Apparently, Mayweather never bothered to pay his 2009 tax bill, so the IRS has placed a $3.4 million lien against him. Two thoughts: One, maybe Mayweather should stop tweeting photos of his winning gambling tickets and address his taxes; and two, his money problems figure to accelerate his return to the ring
Australia's Green, whose last fight was a decision against B.J. Flores in November, had considered retirement after January surgery to remove an abscess from his abdomen. However, he is going to be OK and plans to continue his career.
4. Paul Williams (39-2)
In his rematch with Martinez on Nov. 20, Williams got starched in the second round in a massive knockout loss. Williams, who likely will fight at junior middleweight, probably won't return until midsummer.
1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0)
Apparently, Mayweather never bothered to pay his 2009 tax bill, so the IRS has placed a $3.4 million lien against him. Two thoughts: One, maybe Mayweather should stop tweeting photos of his winning gambling tickets and address his taxes; and two, his money problems figure to accelerate his return to the ring
- 8,406
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- Joined
- Dec 1, 2009
What does Morales bring to the table that maybe you haven't seen from another opponent?
Morales has a lot of experience, as we all know. He was a world champion three times, but he is past his prime and his best days are behind him. He is on the way out. He is bigger and slower, and he won't be the same as he was before.
Might as well say "I have nothing to gain by beating him"
- 8,406
- 41
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2009
What does Morales bring to the table that maybe you haven't seen from another opponent?
Morales has a lot of experience, as we all know. He was a world champion three times, but he is past his prime and his best days are behind him. He is on the way out. He is bigger and slower, and he won't be the same as he was before.
Might as well say "I have nothing to gain by beating him"
- 1,497
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- Feb 17, 2006
I dont wanna see Morales get beaten up got more Balls than since but thats what made him great in the first place but he just doenst have it anymore .
Caleron was just too small and being 36 at 108 doesnt help especially when your a light punching guy like him . He had a great Career though them legs just dont hold up and Segura should probably be at 112
Caleron was just too small and being 36 at 108 doesnt help especially when your a light punching guy like him . He had a great Career though them legs just dont hold up and Segura should probably be at 112
- 1,497
- 14
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2006
I dont wanna see Morales get beaten up got more Balls than since but thats what made him great in the first place but he just doenst have it anymore .
Caleron was just too small and being 36 at 108 doesnt help especially when your a light punching guy like him . He had a great Career though them legs just dont hold up and Segura should probably be at 112
Caleron was just too small and being 36 at 108 doesnt help especially when your a light punching guy like him . He had a great Career though them legs just dont hold up and Segura should probably be at 112
- 4,081
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- May 25, 2008
How does everyone think Morales would do this weekend?
I'm hoping for a good bout but his age definately plays a factor
I'm hoping for a good bout but his age definately plays a factor
- 4,081
- 390
- Joined
- May 25, 2008
How does everyone think Morales would do this weekend?
I'm hoping for a good bout but his age definately plays a factor
I'm hoping for a good bout but his age definately plays a factor
I actually think it might go the distance believe it or not. I wanna see how Maidana looks at the weigh-in before I actually comment on it. If he looks like he did before the Khan fight, it might be over early. Looks like he did before he fought Chop Chop, he'll be in for a long night.
I actually think it might go the distance believe it or not. I wanna see how Maidana looks at the weigh-in before I actually comment on it. If he looks like he did before the Khan fight, it might be over early. Looks like he did before he fought Chop Chop, he'll be in for a long night.
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- Jun 3, 2005
Assault in the Ring was as good as advertised. All 8 parts are there under the same uploader and the quality is fine.
- 77
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- Jun 3, 2005
Assault in the Ring was as good as advertised. All 8 parts are there under the same uploader and the quality is fine.
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@danrafaelespn The tentative date for the return of Paul Williams is July 9 on HBO. No opponent yet. #boxing about 2 hours ago
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@danrafaelespn Been told Canelo Alvarez-Ryan Rhodes fight (which is close to being made) likely will land on HBO's Boxing After Dark instead of HBO PPV.
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@danrafaelespn The tentative date for the return of Paul Williams is July 9 on HBO. No opponent yet. #boxing about 2 hours ago
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@danrafaelespn Been told Canelo Alvarez-Ryan Rhodes fight (which is close to being made) likely will land on HBO's Boxing After Dark instead of HBO PPV.
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- Aug 25, 2005
Taver and Roy Jones Jr. need to both sit down. It's a shame watching my idol RJJ continue to fight with nothing left.
- 2,931
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- Aug 25, 2005
Taver and Roy Jones Jr. need to both sit down. It's a shame watching my idol RJJ continue to fight with nothing left.
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- Dec 5, 2010
Hasegawa-Gonzales on @ 4am PST.
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- Dec 5, 2010
Hasegawa-Gonzales on @ 4am PST.
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- Aug 27, 2004
That was terrible. There are some things I like about FC 360 more then 24/7 but ultimately I feel that 24/7 is a better quality production even though it's become a little stale recently. In other words, this first episode would start with "From the streets of Manilla, to the mountains of Big Bear, two warriors blah blah blah". Then it would end with a training montage and we'd probably hear how Manny isn't focused and Shane looks like a beast throughout. Still, there's something about it that really makes me hype about the fight.Originally Posted by Milkman Dead
I thought the first episode was pretty uneventful, a little boring.I have enjoyed the super six 360 episodes however. So I still got hope for this one...
But as for which one is better: 24/7 >>> 360...24/7 feels more scripted, but the presentation just feels so much more epic...
Random thing about the newest 360: I thought it was funny how they made it seem like Gus Johnson was calling all those old Manny fights
