- Sep 28, 2003
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Ward would beat both systematically.... unless he gets caught of course.
Froch vs GGG would be good too, we know he has a chin.
Last edited:
Official 2013 Boxing Thread: Year is over, please lock.
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Ward would beat both systematically.... unless he gets caught of course.
Froch vs GGG would be good too, we know he has a chin.
- Apr 4, 2003
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Who do you guys think has better "boxing skills"? Matthysse or GGG?
- Sep 28, 2003
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It's about even IMO. We know Matthysse has a solid chin. Not sure about GGG though, he has yet to be tested.
- Dec 29, 2012
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Matthysse
- Jul 7, 2011
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GGG is a better boxer IMO. He just hasn't had the chance to display his skill because no one has stood up to his power.
But from watching his training, the way he systematically stalks and breaks down opponents and his upper body movement on defense, I think he's the more skilled boxer.
But from watching his training, the way he systematically stalks and breaks down opponents and his upper body movement on defense, I think he's the more skilled boxer.
- Jun 1, 2008
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I'm going with GGG as well, from what I've seen he has better footwork, more speed, better defense and power is about equal. We don't know about his chin yet but I'm sure we will. I like Matthysse but against a fighter with enough counter punching and better speed/footwork, he can lose.
- Nov 23, 2012
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GGG is the better boxer. He fought in the amateurs and luckily, doesn't fight like one in the pros. The guy is just scary, Doesn't waste any punches, even his jabs are home run power. Very patient and accurate, Lucas can get a bit wild. But man, the way he was walking down Macklin all night. Can't wait to see who they put him up with next.
- Apr 15, 2007
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All of this
I would love to see him fight sergio....i think GGG would win and im a huge sergio fan. This will never happen though
celticsfan9783
Banned
- Oct 12, 2010
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Man i wish P. Will was still boxing. Ashame what happened to him 
I'd pay cash money to see him fight Blumpkin
That would be an exciting fight..
I'd pay cash money to see him fight Blumpkin
That would be an exciting fight..
- Dec 29, 2012
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LOL dude said GGG has better defense than Matthysse. I have no idea what some of you people are watching.
- Sep 28, 2003
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They're about the same in that regard if you ask me. I guess they don't really notice because his fights don't last as long.
- Dec 29, 2012
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Did you see GGG's face after the Rosado fight? Tell me when have you saw Matthysee swole up like that? You never have because he doesn't just eat punches like GGG does. GGG is a slugger pure and simple. He has zero interest in boxing. He wants to cut of the ring and unload power shots. That's his game.
Matthysee has shown a decent level of boxing skill in many fights. He boxed with both Alexander and Judah. I have never seen GGG box with anybody on the pro level. Show me a fight where he was boxing and not purely slugging?
celticsfan9783
Banned
- Oct 12, 2010
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Yeah Matthyse doesn't get hit cleanly very often. Reminds me of Clottey in a way. Has some pretty good technical defense. Tucks his elbows, has a nice guard, etc.
- Jul 23, 2007
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Matthysse's best defense is his offense. Vs judah, corley, olusegun he got hit quite a bit. Nithing phased him. Vs Alexander all his power totally discouraged Devon from even thinking of throwing more than a 1,2.
- Jun 1, 2008
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Exactly what I was thinking
- Dec 29, 2012
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All fighters get hit. The difference is, are you getting hit flush shots or are you getting hit with grazing blows.
- Jul 23, 2007
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Lamont peterson perfect example of hooking with a hooker. You dont wanna go there
- Jul 23, 2007
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Lucas ate a lot of quality leather vs Zab and Olesugun. Check it out. Its on youtube.
- Dec 29, 2012
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I've seen both fights. I agree he gets hit. He doesn't get hit like GGG though.
- Jul 23, 2007
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Ive only 3 full Triple G fights, i dont have enough ammo to even compare the two. I've aeen way more Matthysse.
Get ready for that summer lull 
I'll update the first post with July's schedule. For some reason now at work, IE won't let me eidt the thread title. So I've just been updating the schedule on page 1.
Weekend wrap up.
I'll update the first post with July's schedule. For some reason now at work, IE won't let me eidt the thread title. So I've just been updating the schedule on page 1.Weekend wrap up.
A roundup of the past week's notable boxing results from around the world:
Saturday at Mashantucket, Conn.
Gennady Golovkin KO3 Matthew Macklin
Retains a middleweight title
Records: Golovkin (27-0, 24 KOs); Macklin (29-5, 20 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Golovkin is everything most fight fans want -- a smiling, affable people person outside of the ring who is a pure destroyer, with skills, inside it. That reputation will continue to grow after this absolutely sensational performance against Macklin, whom he cut down with one of the great one-punch body-shot knockouts in recent boxing history to retain his world title for the eighth time.
Even in light of those defenses, Macklin was supposed to be Golovkin's stiffest test. Let's be honest: For all of the acclaim Golovkin has received in the past couple of years and for all of the exciting knockouts he had registered, his résumé was pretty thin. Macklin was the first legitimate middleweight contender whom Golovkin would face. Macklin, after all, is a longtime contender who deserved to win a world title in 2011 but was ripped off in Germany on a split decision against house fighter Felix Sturm. In 2012, Macklin dropped Sergio Martinez and was about even with him for most of the fight until Martinez stopped him in the 11th round. Macklin didn't win those bouts, but he gained huge respect and credibility. But Golovkin, who admitted afterwaard that it was one of his easiest fights, just crushed him. Sometimes you're the windshield and sometimes you're the bug. On this night, with Golovkin overpowering him from the outset, Macklin was the bug.
Golovkin rattled Macklin, who actually looked a bit scared -- a la Frank Bruno against Mike Tyson -- in the first round with right hands. Golovkin opened a bad cut over Macklin's left eye in the second round and then finished him suddenly in the third. Golovkin threw a right uppercut and followed with a pinpoint left hook to the liver that connected flush. Macklin immediately dropped to the canvas in agony and was writhing on the mat as referee Eddie Cotton counted him out at 1 minute, 22 seconds. Macklin was down for a few minutes, giving Golovkin a body-shot knockout that will take its place in the pantheon of similar finishes -- such as Bernard Hopkins' KO of Oscar De La Hoya and Roy Jones' rib-cruncher against Virgil Hill. Even Lou DiBella, Macklin's promoter, who had knocked Golovkin for his competition before the fight, was utterly impressed and said it was possibly the hardest body blow he has seen in some 25 years in boxing.
Golovkin, 31, who is from Kazakhstan and lives in Germany (but trains in the United States and is in the process of securing a green card), raised his knockout percentage to 88.9 percent, the best among active titleholders. The Macklin KO was his 14th in a row; Golovkin has now stopped every one of his opponents since winning an eight-round decision in Denmark in 2008.
Macklin said Golovkin is the best opponent he has ever faced, and after this performance Golovkin, arguably the world's best 160-pounder, is going to have an even harder time finding quality opponents -- even with the strong backing of HBO, which means A-level money for opponents. Golovkin is now 3-0 this year and plans to fight twice more in 2013, perhaps as soon as August. The biggest issue, however, is who will fight him. Whomever takes on the difficult assignment, Golovkin has showed himself to be must-see TV.
Brandon Gonzales D10 Thomas Oosthuizen
Super middleweights
Scores: 98-92 Gonzales, 96-94 Oosthuizen, 95-95
Records: Gonzales (17-0-1, 10 KOs); Oosthuizen (21-0-2, 13 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Gonzales, 29, of Sacramento, Calif., fought as well as he ever has and surprised a lot of people with how well he performed in this, his first scheduled 10-round fight. Meanwhile, South Africa's Oosthuizen, 25, a far more experienced contender, fought well below expectations in a terribly disappointing performance. The result was a draw, but most ringside observers thought Gonzales deserved to win. Even if you believe the fight was a draw, one thing was very obvious: The rounds that Gonzales won were clear and fairly easy to score, while the rounds that Oosthuizen won were barely edged out. Statistically speaking (which has no bearing on the scorecards because the judges don't have access to them), the fight was essentially a dead heat, according to CompuBox. Gonzales landed 164 of 545 punches (30 percent), while Oosthuizen landed 160 of 478 (33 percent).
Gonzales, who is guided by 2011 trainer of the year Virgil Hunter and fights out of the same camp as super middleweight champion Andre Ward, opened the fight strong and took it to the taller, longer Oosthuizen -- the son of 1980s South African junior middleweight and middleweight national champion Charles Oosthuizen. Gonzales was backing up Oosthuizen and landing accurate combinations. But he faded a little bit later in the fight, allowing Oosthuizen the chance to steal rounds in what turned out to be a pretty good fight. Oosthuizen won Rounds 6 through 10 on two of the scorecards. He had his best round in the 10th as he landed hard body and head shots to close strong and pull out the draw by winning the round on all three cards.
The idea behind the fight was to introduce a new face at super middleweight, where HBO is trying to cultivate opponents for franchise fighter Ward, who called the fight at ringside. Oosthuizen was supposed to be one of those guys, but with his uneven, unimpressive and often-passive performance, he didn't do anything on Saturday to push himself into that conversation.
Willie Nelson W10 Luciano Cuello
Junior middleweights
Scores: 97-93 (twice), 96-94
Records: Nelson (21-1-1, 12 KOs); Cuello (32-3, 16 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: An impressive three-fight run of wins against former Cuban amateur standout Yudel Jhonson, John Jackson (in a mild upset) and Michael Medina (in an eye-catching first-round knockout) thrust Nelson into the junior middleweight picture. But he failed to impress in this hard-fought bout against Cuello, 29, of Argentina.
Nelson, 26, of Cleveland, is freakishly big for a 154-pounder (6-foot-4 with an 81-inch reach), but he failed to use his size to his advantage. Instead of keeping Cuello on the outside with his long jab, he fought inside and bent over into several uppercuts, giving away his reach advantage. Nelson also seems to lack a good chin, because he was rattled several times by a guy who isn't known for his punching power. Still, it was a crowd-pleasing fight, and although Nelson was on the run in the later rounds, in deep trouble and on the verge of being dropped multiple times, he hung on for a decision that he deserved (no matter the booing from the crowd after the judges' scorecards were read).
Nelson was very active early on and put rounds in the bank, but Cuello, whose only previous defeats came against a couple of Mexican stars -- Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Canelo Alvarez -- hung in the fight and came on strong in the middle and late rounds. An accidental head-butt opened a cut near Nelson's right eye, which bothered him and which he continually dabbed at. He was cut over his other eye later in the fight when Cuello mounted his charge.
In the seventh round, Cuello nearly had Nelson out. He clobbered him with right hands that wobbled Nelson, backed him into a corner and swelled his left eye. Cuello nearly knocked Nelson out in the 10th. A right hand badly hurt Nelson and caused him to literally grab onto Cuello to avoid going down. Nelson, whose left eye was in bad shape, simply wanted to hold on for dear life and run out the clock, and it worked.
Nelson has incredible physical attributes, but if and when he faces a more skillful puncher, he's going to be in deep, deep trouble. Cuello gave a good enough account of himself to warrant another solid TV fight.
Saturday at Thackerville, Okla.
Daniel Diaz W10 Robert Marroquin
Featherweights
Scores: 96-92 (twice) Diaz, 95-93 Marroquin
Records: Diaz (20-5-1, 15 KOs); Marroquin (23-3, 16 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Diaz, 27, of Nicaragua, notched the biggest win of his career with this well-deserved upset split decision over Marroquin, 23, who was fighting near his hometown of Dallas.
It was a helluva fight, which nearly ended in the first round when Diaz dropped Marroquin twice. With about a minute left in the round, Diaz landed a clean right hand to the side of Marroquin's head to send him to the canvas. Then, with about 10 seconds left in the round, Diaz landed another clean right hand. Marroquin crumpled to the mat, landing on top of his own right leg and clearly hurting it. Marroquin made it out of the round, but he was limping and seemed bothered by the leg for the rest of an entertaining and rugged fight.
Marroquin, who lost a decision to Guillermo Rigondeaux in a junior featherweight world title fight last September, had his moments against Diaz, including late in the fifth round when he rocked him with a combination. But Diaz, who was stopped in the 11th round of a bantamweight world title fight against Koki Kameda in Japan in May 2011, had the benefit of the 10-7 first round and was steady throughout the fight. He did enough to warrant the split verdict.
Marroquin, once a top prospect, has lost two of his past three bouts and may not reach his potential.
Jose Ramirez TKO1 Christopher Williams
Junior welterweights
Records: Ramirez (4-0, 3 KOs); Williams (1-2, 0 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: The 20-year-old Ramirez, a 2012 U.S. Olympian, is one of the bright prospects in boxing. But this fight for the Avenal, Calif., product was merely a showcase. He certainly gets better work in the gym than he did against Williams, 21, of Puerto Rico, who showed nothing.
Ramirez, who is fluid with his punches, took it right to Williams. Ramirez eventually sent him reeling into the ropes courtesy of his best punch, a left hook. Williams never recovered and Ramirez unleashed about eight unanswered blows, including repeated right hands to the rib cage. After the final shot, Williams pulled up, grabbed his side and walked away to lean on the ropes. After Williams turned his back on the fight, referee Jay Nady called it off at 1 minute, 30 seconds. Easy work for Ramirez, whose three professional knockouts have come in the first round. He was pushed the four-round distance in his third pro bout on April 27.
Saturday at Bolton, England
Anthony Crolla W12 Gavin Rees
Lightweights
Scores: 116-113, 115-113, 115-115
Records: Crolla (26-4-1, 9 KOs); Rees (37-3-1, 18 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Rees, 33, of Wales, is a former junior welterweight titlist who was coming off a one-sided fifth-round knockout in a challenge of lightweight titlist Adrien Broner on Feb. 16. Now Rees, the heavy favorite on Saturday, has lost two in a row after dropping a majority decision in this close and bloody battle with Crolla, 26, of England.
Crolla got off to a strong start, but both fighters were cut on an accidental head-butt in the action-packed fourth round. Their heads came together several times throughout the fight, including again in the ninth round, opening a cut over Rees' right eye. Rees continued to march forward winging shots, but although his effort was there, Crolla was a bit sharper. He timed his shots well and landed to Rees' body in what appeared to be a clear victory, despite the one draw scorecard.
Scott Quigg KO3 William Prado
Featherweights
Records: Quigg (26-0-1, 19 KOs); Prado (21-4-1, 14 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Quigg, 24, one of England's best young fighters, holds an interim junior featherweight title. Easing back into action with this nontitle bout -- his first fight since claiming the interim belt in November -- Quigg cruised to the early knockout win against Prado, 29, of Brazil.
Quigg felt Prado out in the first round and then picked things up in the second round, dropping him to his rear end with a right hand down the middle just before the bell sounded to end the round. Quigg went into another gear in the third round, hammering Prado with body shots and combinations and basically doing as he pleased. Finally, Quigg took a step back and fired a right hand at Prado, who was coming at him with his hands down, and nailed him on the chin. Prado went down on his back, and referee John Latham counted him out at 2 minutes, 31 seconds as Prado was trying to get to his feet.
This was a very good performance from Quigg, who left promoter Ricky Hatton to sign with Matchroom Sport in June. Now that his promotional situation is settled, Quigg figures to get a lot busier. The best from him seems yet to come.
Saturday at Windhoek, Namibia
Harry Simon TKO2 Zoltan Kiss Jr.
Cruiserweights
Records: Simon (28-0, 21 KOs); Kiss (29-15-3, 14 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: From 1998 to 2002, Simon was one of the best junior middleweights and middleweights in the world. He had won belts in both weight classes and, because he had been fighting on American television, was gaining exposure and recognition. But his career was left in limbo when he was convicted and went to jail for "culpable homicide" after he was badly injured in a 2002 car wreck that left other motorists dead.
Having fought sporadically since a 2007 return -- and not at all in the past year -- Simon, 41, a hero in the African country of Namibia, returned in front of his hometown fans and blew out Kiss, 38, a Hungarian journeyman who hasn't put two wins in a row together in his past 11 fights.
Simon, fighting well above his best weight, took it to Kiss' body in the opening round and dominated. In the second round, Simon dropped Kiss with a right hand and dropped him for a second time in the follow-up attack, prompting referee Timo Haikonda to call off the fight at 2 minutes, 33 seconds as the fans, who filled what appeared to be a school gym, went crazy. Simon is supposed to be back in action again on Aug. 31, also in Windhoek.
Friday at Jacksonville, Fla.
Sergio Mora W10 Grzegorz Proksa
Middleweights
Scores: 98-92, 96-94 (twice)
Records: Mora (24-3-2, 7 KOs); Proksa (29-3, 21 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: The up-and-down career of Mora, 33, of East Los Angeles, is headed up again after this clear victory against Proksa, 28, a southpaw from Poland. Mora has had his highs, such as winning $1 million as the first-season champion of "The Contender" reality series in 2005 and beating Vernon Forrest in their first fight to win a junior middleweight world title in 2008. But he also has had his lows, such as the loss to Forrest in their rematch, an abysmal performance against Shane Mosley in a draw, debatable losses to Brian Vera in both their bouts in 2011 and 2012, and a lack of interest in his fights because of his safety-first style that often isn't entertaining in the least.
But Mora seemed to realize that if he didn't at least try to be a bit more crowd-pleasing, he would never get on TV again. He made an effort to adjust against Proksa in one of his most complete performances. Mora not only boxed well and fought smart, he took a few chances and made it somewhat entertaining for viewers. It was the kind of performance that should earn him an invitation back on television as he rebounded from the second loss to Vera 10 months ago.
Although two of the scorecards were a bit closer than the fight appeared to be, Mora was in control all the way. He was busy, used his jab, landed numerous right hands and easily outboxed the tentative Proksa, the former European champion, who was stingy with his shots and did very little. Proksa is 1-2 in his past three bouts, with the other loss coming by one-sided fifth-round knockout in his challenge of middleweight titlist Gennady Golovkin in September. Mora said he would like a shot at Golovkin. You have to admire Mora's willingness, but it would seem an unlikely fight.
Friday at Kissimmee, Fla.
Vicente Mosquera TKO7 Cosme Rivera
Welterweights
Records: Mosquera (33-2-1, 18 KOs); Rivera (35-17-3, 25 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Mosquera, 33, a former junior lightweight titlist from Panama, extended his winning streak to nine in a row with this one-sided beatdown of Rivera, 36, of Mexico, who took the fight on a day's notice. Mosquera hasn't lost since 2006 in a 10th-round knockout to the late Edwin Valero, who took his 130-pound world title. But Mosquera then didn't fight again until 2011 after spending time in prison. Mosquera was supposed to fight former junior featherweight and junior lightweight titlist Joan Guzman for a vacant interim junior welterweight belt on Saturday, but Rivera wound up stepping in to take Guzman's place after the 37-year-old Dominican Republic native was booted off the card after weighing in at 148.2 pounds -- 8.2 over the 140-pound limit for the bout.
Rivera was pressed into action after the sanctioning organization declined to sanction Mosquera-Guzman for the belt (with only Mosquera eligible to win it) because there was such a wide weight difference. Without the belt at stake, Mosquera had no reason to face Guzman. But Rivera, who was knocked out in the third round in a challenge of Zab Judah for the undisputed welterweight championship in 2005, was ready to go.
Mosquera took a couple of rounds to get rolling, but once he did after about the second or third round, he took it to Rivera. He broke down the older, slower man, eventually causing Rivera to quit on his stool after the seventh round. Rivera has lost three bouts in a row. At least he came in ready to fight, unlike Guzman, who missed weight for at least the fourth time in his career and whose reputation at this point is tattered beyond repair.
Friday at Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Xiong Zhao Zhong W12 Denver Cuello
Retains a strawweight title
Scores: 115-112, 113-110 Xiong, 113-113
Records: Xiong (21-4-1, 11 KOs); Cuello (33-5-6, 21 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: In November, Xiong, 30, outpointed the ordinary Javier Martinez Resendiz in China to become the first Chinese world titleholder. Cuello, 26, of the Philippines, had been in a mandatory position to fight for the vacant belt but took a $25,000 payment to step aside. That allowed Xiong the opportunity to face Resendiz in a much easier fight in order to allow him to make history as his country's first titleholder. Cuello was promised the first shot at Xiong and got it in what also was the first world title bout ever held in the United Arab Emirates.
Xiong pulled out the win via tight majority decision despite the fact that Cuello dropped him with a clean left hand a minute into the fight. Xiong didn't have a great night, but Cuello was hampered by a right shoulder injury coming into the fight and his corner was seen working on it between rounds. During the eighth round, referee Hector Afu called a timeout to have the ringside doctor examine Cuello's shoulder, but the fighter was allowed to continue. In the opening seconds of the ninth round, Xiong and Cuello collided in a vicious accidental head-butt. It was so bad that Cuello dropped to the canvas and had a terrible gash on his forehead that was spurting blood. Because Cuello was cut and Xiong wasn't, Xiong was docked a point under the WBC's bizarre rule. After a short break for Cuello to recover and for the doctor to take a look at the cut, the fight continued, featuring high energy from both men.
Although the fight did take place -- and turned out to be a good one -- there were doubts until the final hours whether it would happen because of questions over the financing of the show. Although it did go on, Cuello, according to Filipino media reports, still hasn't been paid for the fight by KO Promotions.
Friday at Liverpool, England
Frankie Gavin TKO7 Denton Vassell
Retains British, wins Commonwealth welterweight title
Records: Gavin (16-0, 12 KOs); Vassell (20-1, 10 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Gavin, 27, a southpaw from England, won a world amateur championship in 2007 (the first ever for Great Britain) and is one of the nation's top up-and-coming fighters, even though things haven't always progressed smoothly for him since he turned pro in 2009.
Gavin, using his fast hands, started well in the fist round, repeatedly nailing Vassell, 28, of England, with left hands. At some point during the fast-paced fight, Gavin broke Vassell's jaw, probably with one of those left hands. The injury became more apparent in the seventh round, and when the round was over referee Howard John Foster sent the ringside doctor in to the corner to examine the fighter. Vassell was willing to go on, but the doctor took a look at the jaw and called off the fight. Gavin, who fought very well, retained the British title for the second time. Vassell lost the Commonwealth title while making his fourth defense.
Saturday at Mashantucket, Conn.
Gennady Golovkin KO3 Matthew Macklin
Retains a middleweight title
Records: Golovkin (27-0, 24 KOs); Macklin (29-5, 20 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Golovkin is everything most fight fans want -- a smiling, affable people person outside of the ring who is a pure destroyer, with skills, inside it. That reputation will continue to grow after this absolutely sensational performance against Macklin, whom he cut down with one of the great one-punch body-shot knockouts in recent boxing history to retain his world title for the eighth time.
Even in light of those defenses, Macklin was supposed to be Golovkin's stiffest test. Let's be honest: For all of the acclaim Golovkin has received in the past couple of years and for all of the exciting knockouts he had registered, his résumé was pretty thin. Macklin was the first legitimate middleweight contender whom Golovkin would face. Macklin, after all, is a longtime contender who deserved to win a world title in 2011 but was ripped off in Germany on a split decision against house fighter Felix Sturm. In 2012, Macklin dropped Sergio Martinez and was about even with him for most of the fight until Martinez stopped him in the 11th round. Macklin didn't win those bouts, but he gained huge respect and credibility. But Golovkin, who admitted afterwaard that it was one of his easiest fights, just crushed him. Sometimes you're the windshield and sometimes you're the bug. On this night, with Golovkin overpowering him from the outset, Macklin was the bug.
Golovkin rattled Macklin, who actually looked a bit scared -- a la Frank Bruno against Mike Tyson -- in the first round with right hands. Golovkin opened a bad cut over Macklin's left eye in the second round and then finished him suddenly in the third. Golovkin threw a right uppercut and followed with a pinpoint left hook to the liver that connected flush. Macklin immediately dropped to the canvas in agony and was writhing on the mat as referee Eddie Cotton counted him out at 1 minute, 22 seconds. Macklin was down for a few minutes, giving Golovkin a body-shot knockout that will take its place in the pantheon of similar finishes -- such as Bernard Hopkins' KO of Oscar De La Hoya and Roy Jones' rib-cruncher against Virgil Hill. Even Lou DiBella, Macklin's promoter, who had knocked Golovkin for his competition before the fight, was utterly impressed and said it was possibly the hardest body blow he has seen in some 25 years in boxing.
Golovkin, 31, who is from Kazakhstan and lives in Germany (but trains in the United States and is in the process of securing a green card), raised his knockout percentage to 88.9 percent, the best among active titleholders. The Macklin KO was his 14th in a row; Golovkin has now stopped every one of his opponents since winning an eight-round decision in Denmark in 2008.
Macklin said Golovkin is the best opponent he has ever faced, and after this performance Golovkin, arguably the world's best 160-pounder, is going to have an even harder time finding quality opponents -- even with the strong backing of HBO, which means A-level money for opponents. Golovkin is now 3-0 this year and plans to fight twice more in 2013, perhaps as soon as August. The biggest issue, however, is who will fight him. Whomever takes on the difficult assignment, Golovkin has showed himself to be must-see TV.
Brandon Gonzales D10 Thomas Oosthuizen
Super middleweights
Scores: 98-92 Gonzales, 96-94 Oosthuizen, 95-95
Records: Gonzales (17-0-1, 10 KOs); Oosthuizen (21-0-2, 13 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Gonzales, 29, of Sacramento, Calif., fought as well as he ever has and surprised a lot of people with how well he performed in this, his first scheduled 10-round fight. Meanwhile, South Africa's Oosthuizen, 25, a far more experienced contender, fought well below expectations in a terribly disappointing performance. The result was a draw, but most ringside observers thought Gonzales deserved to win. Even if you believe the fight was a draw, one thing was very obvious: The rounds that Gonzales won were clear and fairly easy to score, while the rounds that Oosthuizen won were barely edged out. Statistically speaking (which has no bearing on the scorecards because the judges don't have access to them), the fight was essentially a dead heat, according to CompuBox. Gonzales landed 164 of 545 punches (30 percent), while Oosthuizen landed 160 of 478 (33 percent).
Gonzales, who is guided by 2011 trainer of the year Virgil Hunter and fights out of the same camp as super middleweight champion Andre Ward, opened the fight strong and took it to the taller, longer Oosthuizen -- the son of 1980s South African junior middleweight and middleweight national champion Charles Oosthuizen. Gonzales was backing up Oosthuizen and landing accurate combinations. But he faded a little bit later in the fight, allowing Oosthuizen the chance to steal rounds in what turned out to be a pretty good fight. Oosthuizen won Rounds 6 through 10 on two of the scorecards. He had his best round in the 10th as he landed hard body and head shots to close strong and pull out the draw by winning the round on all three cards.
The idea behind the fight was to introduce a new face at super middleweight, where HBO is trying to cultivate opponents for franchise fighter Ward, who called the fight at ringside. Oosthuizen was supposed to be one of those guys, but with his uneven, unimpressive and often-passive performance, he didn't do anything on Saturday to push himself into that conversation.
Willie Nelson W10 Luciano Cuello
Junior middleweights
Scores: 97-93 (twice), 96-94
Records: Nelson (21-1-1, 12 KOs); Cuello (32-3, 16 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: An impressive three-fight run of wins against former Cuban amateur standout Yudel Jhonson, John Jackson (in a mild upset) and Michael Medina (in an eye-catching first-round knockout) thrust Nelson into the junior middleweight picture. But he failed to impress in this hard-fought bout against Cuello, 29, of Argentina.
Nelson, 26, of Cleveland, is freakishly big for a 154-pounder (6-foot-4 with an 81-inch reach), but he failed to use his size to his advantage. Instead of keeping Cuello on the outside with his long jab, he fought inside and bent over into several uppercuts, giving away his reach advantage. Nelson also seems to lack a good chin, because he was rattled several times by a guy who isn't known for his punching power. Still, it was a crowd-pleasing fight, and although Nelson was on the run in the later rounds, in deep trouble and on the verge of being dropped multiple times, he hung on for a decision that he deserved (no matter the booing from the crowd after the judges' scorecards were read).
Nelson was very active early on and put rounds in the bank, but Cuello, whose only previous defeats came against a couple of Mexican stars -- Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Canelo Alvarez -- hung in the fight and came on strong in the middle and late rounds. An accidental head-butt opened a cut near Nelson's right eye, which bothered him and which he continually dabbed at. He was cut over his other eye later in the fight when Cuello mounted his charge.
In the seventh round, Cuello nearly had Nelson out. He clobbered him with right hands that wobbled Nelson, backed him into a corner and swelled his left eye. Cuello nearly knocked Nelson out in the 10th. A right hand badly hurt Nelson and caused him to literally grab onto Cuello to avoid going down. Nelson, whose left eye was in bad shape, simply wanted to hold on for dear life and run out the clock, and it worked.
Nelson has incredible physical attributes, but if and when he faces a more skillful puncher, he's going to be in deep, deep trouble. Cuello gave a good enough account of himself to warrant another solid TV fight.
Saturday at Thackerville, Okla.
Daniel Diaz W10 Robert Marroquin
Featherweights
Scores: 96-92 (twice) Diaz, 95-93 Marroquin
Records: Diaz (20-5-1, 15 KOs); Marroquin (23-3, 16 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Diaz, 27, of Nicaragua, notched the biggest win of his career with this well-deserved upset split decision over Marroquin, 23, who was fighting near his hometown of Dallas.
It was a helluva fight, which nearly ended in the first round when Diaz dropped Marroquin twice. With about a minute left in the round, Diaz landed a clean right hand to the side of Marroquin's head to send him to the canvas. Then, with about 10 seconds left in the round, Diaz landed another clean right hand. Marroquin crumpled to the mat, landing on top of his own right leg and clearly hurting it. Marroquin made it out of the round, but he was limping and seemed bothered by the leg for the rest of an entertaining and rugged fight.
Marroquin, who lost a decision to Guillermo Rigondeaux in a junior featherweight world title fight last September, had his moments against Diaz, including late in the fifth round when he rocked him with a combination. But Diaz, who was stopped in the 11th round of a bantamweight world title fight against Koki Kameda in Japan in May 2011, had the benefit of the 10-7 first round and was steady throughout the fight. He did enough to warrant the split verdict.
Marroquin, once a top prospect, has lost two of his past three bouts and may not reach his potential.
Jose Ramirez TKO1 Christopher Williams
Junior welterweights
Records: Ramirez (4-0, 3 KOs); Williams (1-2, 0 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: The 20-year-old Ramirez, a 2012 U.S. Olympian, is one of the bright prospects in boxing. But this fight for the Avenal, Calif., product was merely a showcase. He certainly gets better work in the gym than he did against Williams, 21, of Puerto Rico, who showed nothing.
Ramirez, who is fluid with his punches, took it right to Williams. Ramirez eventually sent him reeling into the ropes courtesy of his best punch, a left hook. Williams never recovered and Ramirez unleashed about eight unanswered blows, including repeated right hands to the rib cage. After the final shot, Williams pulled up, grabbed his side and walked away to lean on the ropes. After Williams turned his back on the fight, referee Jay Nady called it off at 1 minute, 30 seconds. Easy work for Ramirez, whose three professional knockouts have come in the first round. He was pushed the four-round distance in his third pro bout on April 27.
Saturday at Bolton, England
Anthony Crolla W12 Gavin Rees
Lightweights
Scores: 116-113, 115-113, 115-115
Records: Crolla (26-4-1, 9 KOs); Rees (37-3-1, 18 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Rees, 33, of Wales, is a former junior welterweight titlist who was coming off a one-sided fifth-round knockout in a challenge of lightweight titlist Adrien Broner on Feb. 16. Now Rees, the heavy favorite on Saturday, has lost two in a row after dropping a majority decision in this close and bloody battle with Crolla, 26, of England.
Crolla got off to a strong start, but both fighters were cut on an accidental head-butt in the action-packed fourth round. Their heads came together several times throughout the fight, including again in the ninth round, opening a cut over Rees' right eye. Rees continued to march forward winging shots, but although his effort was there, Crolla was a bit sharper. He timed his shots well and landed to Rees' body in what appeared to be a clear victory, despite the one draw scorecard.
Scott Quigg KO3 William Prado
Featherweights
Records: Quigg (26-0-1, 19 KOs); Prado (21-4-1, 14 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Quigg, 24, one of England's best young fighters, holds an interim junior featherweight title. Easing back into action with this nontitle bout -- his first fight since claiming the interim belt in November -- Quigg cruised to the early knockout win against Prado, 29, of Brazil.
Quigg felt Prado out in the first round and then picked things up in the second round, dropping him to his rear end with a right hand down the middle just before the bell sounded to end the round. Quigg went into another gear in the third round, hammering Prado with body shots and combinations and basically doing as he pleased. Finally, Quigg took a step back and fired a right hand at Prado, who was coming at him with his hands down, and nailed him on the chin. Prado went down on his back, and referee John Latham counted him out at 2 minutes, 31 seconds as Prado was trying to get to his feet.
This was a very good performance from Quigg, who left promoter Ricky Hatton to sign with Matchroom Sport in June. Now that his promotional situation is settled, Quigg figures to get a lot busier. The best from him seems yet to come.
Saturday at Windhoek, Namibia
Harry Simon TKO2 Zoltan Kiss Jr.
Cruiserweights
Records: Simon (28-0, 21 KOs); Kiss (29-15-3, 14 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: From 1998 to 2002, Simon was one of the best junior middleweights and middleweights in the world. He had won belts in both weight classes and, because he had been fighting on American television, was gaining exposure and recognition. But his career was left in limbo when he was convicted and went to jail for "culpable homicide" after he was badly injured in a 2002 car wreck that left other motorists dead.
Having fought sporadically since a 2007 return -- and not at all in the past year -- Simon, 41, a hero in the African country of Namibia, returned in front of his hometown fans and blew out Kiss, 38, a Hungarian journeyman who hasn't put two wins in a row together in his past 11 fights.
Simon, fighting well above his best weight, took it to Kiss' body in the opening round and dominated. In the second round, Simon dropped Kiss with a right hand and dropped him for a second time in the follow-up attack, prompting referee Timo Haikonda to call off the fight at 2 minutes, 33 seconds as the fans, who filled what appeared to be a school gym, went crazy. Simon is supposed to be back in action again on Aug. 31, also in Windhoek.
Friday at Jacksonville, Fla.
Sergio Mora W10 Grzegorz Proksa
Middleweights
Scores: 98-92, 96-94 (twice)
Records: Mora (24-3-2, 7 KOs); Proksa (29-3, 21 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: The up-and-down career of Mora, 33, of East Los Angeles, is headed up again after this clear victory against Proksa, 28, a southpaw from Poland. Mora has had his highs, such as winning $1 million as the first-season champion of "The Contender" reality series in 2005 and beating Vernon Forrest in their first fight to win a junior middleweight world title in 2008. But he also has had his lows, such as the loss to Forrest in their rematch, an abysmal performance against Shane Mosley in a draw, debatable losses to Brian Vera in both their bouts in 2011 and 2012, and a lack of interest in his fights because of his safety-first style that often isn't entertaining in the least.
But Mora seemed to realize that if he didn't at least try to be a bit more crowd-pleasing, he would never get on TV again. He made an effort to adjust against Proksa in one of his most complete performances. Mora not only boxed well and fought smart, he took a few chances and made it somewhat entertaining for viewers. It was the kind of performance that should earn him an invitation back on television as he rebounded from the second loss to Vera 10 months ago.
Although two of the scorecards were a bit closer than the fight appeared to be, Mora was in control all the way. He was busy, used his jab, landed numerous right hands and easily outboxed the tentative Proksa, the former European champion, who was stingy with his shots and did very little. Proksa is 1-2 in his past three bouts, with the other loss coming by one-sided fifth-round knockout in his challenge of middleweight titlist Gennady Golovkin in September. Mora said he would like a shot at Golovkin. You have to admire Mora's willingness, but it would seem an unlikely fight.
Friday at Kissimmee, Fla.
Vicente Mosquera TKO7 Cosme Rivera
Welterweights
Records: Mosquera (33-2-1, 18 KOs); Rivera (35-17-3, 25 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Mosquera, 33, a former junior lightweight titlist from Panama, extended his winning streak to nine in a row with this one-sided beatdown of Rivera, 36, of Mexico, who took the fight on a day's notice. Mosquera hasn't lost since 2006 in a 10th-round knockout to the late Edwin Valero, who took his 130-pound world title. But Mosquera then didn't fight again until 2011 after spending time in prison. Mosquera was supposed to fight former junior featherweight and junior lightweight titlist Joan Guzman for a vacant interim junior welterweight belt on Saturday, but Rivera wound up stepping in to take Guzman's place after the 37-year-old Dominican Republic native was booted off the card after weighing in at 148.2 pounds -- 8.2 over the 140-pound limit for the bout.
Rivera was pressed into action after the sanctioning organization declined to sanction Mosquera-Guzman for the belt (with only Mosquera eligible to win it) because there was such a wide weight difference. Without the belt at stake, Mosquera had no reason to face Guzman. But Rivera, who was knocked out in the third round in a challenge of Zab Judah for the undisputed welterweight championship in 2005, was ready to go.
Mosquera took a couple of rounds to get rolling, but once he did after about the second or third round, he took it to Rivera. He broke down the older, slower man, eventually causing Rivera to quit on his stool after the seventh round. Rivera has lost three bouts in a row. At least he came in ready to fight, unlike Guzman, who missed weight for at least the fourth time in his career and whose reputation at this point is tattered beyond repair.
Friday at Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Xiong Zhao Zhong W12 Denver Cuello
Retains a strawweight title
Scores: 115-112, 113-110 Xiong, 113-113
Records: Xiong (21-4-1, 11 KOs); Cuello (33-5-6, 21 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: In November, Xiong, 30, outpointed the ordinary Javier Martinez Resendiz in China to become the first Chinese world titleholder. Cuello, 26, of the Philippines, had been in a mandatory position to fight for the vacant belt but took a $25,000 payment to step aside. That allowed Xiong the opportunity to face Resendiz in a much easier fight in order to allow him to make history as his country's first titleholder. Cuello was promised the first shot at Xiong and got it in what also was the first world title bout ever held in the United Arab Emirates.
Xiong pulled out the win via tight majority decision despite the fact that Cuello dropped him with a clean left hand a minute into the fight. Xiong didn't have a great night, but Cuello was hampered by a right shoulder injury coming into the fight and his corner was seen working on it between rounds. During the eighth round, referee Hector Afu called a timeout to have the ringside doctor examine Cuello's shoulder, but the fighter was allowed to continue. In the opening seconds of the ninth round, Xiong and Cuello collided in a vicious accidental head-butt. It was so bad that Cuello dropped to the canvas and had a terrible gash on his forehead that was spurting blood. Because Cuello was cut and Xiong wasn't, Xiong was docked a point under the WBC's bizarre rule. After a short break for Cuello to recover and for the doctor to take a look at the cut, the fight continued, featuring high energy from both men.
Although the fight did take place -- and turned out to be a good one -- there were doubts until the final hours whether it would happen because of questions over the financing of the show. Although it did go on, Cuello, according to Filipino media reports, still hasn't been paid for the fight by KO Promotions.
Friday at Liverpool, England
Frankie Gavin TKO7 Denton Vassell
Retains British, wins Commonwealth welterweight title
Records: Gavin (16-0, 12 KOs); Vassell (20-1, 10 KOs)
Rafael's remarks: Gavin, 27, a southpaw from England, won a world amateur championship in 2007 (the first ever for Great Britain) and is one of the nation's top up-and-coming fighters, even though things haven't always progressed smoothly for him since he turned pro in 2009.
Gavin, using his fast hands, started well in the fist round, repeatedly nailing Vassell, 28, of England, with left hands. At some point during the fast-paced fight, Gavin broke Vassell's jaw, probably with one of those left hands. The injury became more apparent in the seventh round, and when the round was over referee Howard John Foster sent the ringside doctor in to the corner to examine the fighter. Vassell was willing to go on, but the doctor took a look at the jaw and called off the fight. Gavin, who fought very well, retained the British title for the second time. Vassell lost the Commonwealth title while making his fourth defense.
To be fair to both of them, GGG's resume is not there with the quality fighters that could potentially touch him.
- May 25, 2005
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The thing is though he did get marked up against Rosado. GGG has only fought 3 ok/good fighters in my opinion. Ishida who is a joke but knocked out Kirkland lol, Rosado who is a good boxer with a a great am background that has been getting robbed lately, but he marked up GGG pretty good. And Macklin who just got demolished. Matthysse has been fighting top guys and some good fighters and coming out looking PERFECT Alexander, Judah, Harris (used to be), Corley, Soto, and Peterson.
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- Mar 3, 2006
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While I'm not sure who a better boxer is, I feel like Lucas is more untouchable.
Yes, GGG does have a hell of a chin, granite. But he can get hit, and has shown some damage to his face in the past. Rosado and I believe his prior fight both knocked him up a little bit, but he was never in trouble.
Lucas on the other hand, really seems like he's afraid of no one. There isn't a single guy out there who I think Lucas wouldn't send to the canvas.
But with GGG, I can see Ward dominating him. Maybe wouldn't happen, but it's within realm of possibility.
Yes, GGG does have a hell of a chin, granite. But he can get hit, and has shown some damage to his face in the past. Rosado and I believe his prior fight both knocked him up a little bit, but he was never in trouble.
Lucas on the other hand, really seems like he's afraid of no one. There isn't a single guy out there who I think Lucas wouldn't send to the canvas.
But with GGG, I can see Ward dominating him. Maybe wouldn't happen, but it's within realm of possibility.
- Jun 1, 2008
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As it stands presently, Ward would definitely dominate GGG. He has to face more quality fighters before he could even step in there with SOG
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