As predicted, Vitali Klitschko successfully defended his title against Kevin Johnson, who deserve loads of credit for going 12 rounds against the Ukrainian powerhouse. Klitschko was awarded a unanimous decision with 2 judges scoring it 120-108 and the other 119-109.
It went as expected, with Vitali dominating from start to finish and giving problems to Kevin troughout. Johnson couldn't deal with the bigger and more powerful Klitschko and was on the defensive most of the match. He took some beating but was constantly taunting Vitali, sending a message that he's still standing.
Johnson Verdict
Credit to this guy for going all the way to the final round. I honestly thought he wont make it through the the 9th but he showed great character and lasted till the final bell. He needs to get more fights under his belt before thinking of challenging fighters like Klitschko. He's 30 and could still get a title, but hard work is needed over here. Less trash talking would also benefit him too.
Vitali Verdict
I though he was only on 4th gear throughout the fight and could have stepped up a if he wanted to. There has been a few names thrown around for his next fight ( Solis, Boystov and Adamek) but they may fall to the Doctor anyways. I guess the only superfight worth pursuing would be against David Haye. Whatever happens, he has already cemented himself as a boxing great and it looks like the domination of the Klitschko Brothers will continue unopposed after all.
So you figured out what style you gonna adopt, now lets see which stance are you.
The Orthodox
Right handed boxers who put their left foot and fist out and keeps the right ones in. They jab with their left and delivers power punches and uppercuts with the stronger right. Most modern day boxers are perfecting their left hand as well, to counter the threat of the other stance. The video below is from the Lewis Vs. Holyfield fight whereby both fighters are Orthodox. See how they stand, lead-in, move-out, jab and punch as Orthodox.
The Southpaw
The exact mirror image of an Orthodox, where left handed boxers stand with their right foot & hand out. They jab with the right and deliver power punches and uppercuts with the left. The video below is from the Pacquiao Vs. Barrera fight. See how Manny Pacquiao (red trunks), a southpaw fighter stands, lead-in, move-out, jab and punch as a Southpaw fighter
Can you do both?
Yes you can and it has already been adopted by a few boxers to counter the threat of the southpaw and take advantage when facing orthodox fighters. In the video below, you will see Miguel Cotto (Black with white trunks) who starts as an Orthodox, switches to southpaw (1:27 into the video),and switches back to orthodox (1:45 into the video)
I'm not a pretty big fan of the heavyweight scene. Since Tyson's days were numbered, I just lost interest and moved to the lower weight classes. Then came the Klitschko Brothers. Now these behemoths have single handedly dominated the heavyweight boxing scene with such ridiculous power, I honestly thought no one could topple them, or is there? Saturday sees Kevin Johnson take on Vitali for the WBC Heavyweight title. So can Johnson finally end the reign of the Ukrainian powerhouse, or will he end up on a wall, along with everyone else who has dared to face DR. Iron Fist?
Lets give credit to Kevin for his guts in taking this fight. Not many fighters would want to go head to head with Vitali so bravo to Kevin for your courage, you got balls man! I'll also side with him on speed as I think he is the niftier of the two and has quick punch combos going on. He is also the younger guy but thats where it all ends. Vitali is superior in strength, power, stamina, vision, wisdom, technique, skills and has experience. What the hell were you thinking Kevin? I mean this is an absolute no-brainer. Before you say "wait a minute maybe we are about to see an upset victory here" let me bring you back to reality. Johnson has never faced a fighter with the qualities that Vitali possess let alone trying to beat him. The question for this fight should be "how long can Kevin last" and not "can he pull an upset".
I see him starting fast though, weaving in and out trying to outbox Vitaly, and get some power shots in. That will eventually fail and the Ukrainian monster will then dish out a murder-esque beating on Johnson and test the referee's resolve on when he will finally stop the fight
Prediction
I see Vitaliy powering himself to a successful defense of his world title with a KO in the 8th or 9th
Mark this date in your calenders, diaries, Pda's & laptops people coz its a date you should not forget. This date will bare witness to the greatest fight of the decade and potentially in the history of boxing. it has been compared to Ali Vs. Frazier, Ali Vs. Foreman & De La Hoya Vs. Trinidad, and is set to break every financial record that exist in boxing history. The American Dream will finally go head to head, fist to face against the Fighting Pride of the Philippines. The questions that has been frequently asked, will finally be answered.
What an exceptional performance by Khan. He knocked Salita down 10 seconds in with his first and second punch ( a left straight and a right hook) of the fight, knocked him down again 36 seconds later and ended the fight with a KO victory within 72 seconds of the first round. That is as good as it gets. Salita had no chance to do anything at all. He was destroyed, annihilated, obliterated with such speed and precision from Khan. Khan just couldn't miss him, connecting with powerful shots at ease.
This kid has a very bright future, and I tip him to shine in Las Vegas, which shouldn't be too far away.
To Salita, you seriously need to figure yourself out. You boasted a record of no defeat and yet you were out in the first round. The world of boxing is very tough and unless you make a convincing comeback, your future in the ring looks bleak
It was billed as the ultimate rematch between two boxing greats. 40yr old Roy Jones Jr. & 44yr old Bernard Hopkins thought they had it all planned. Have a "prep" fight and then square off against each other to finally determine who the better fighter is. Hopkins, who had a 1 year layoff executed his plan perfectly, winning the match via a dominating unanimous decision against Enrique Ornelas (I was expecting him to get a KO). Jones Jr. on the other hand, an active boxer thus far got executed in the first round against IBO cruiserweight Aussie champion, Danny Green via TKO. So how did the "Fighter Of The Decade " get humiliated so badly?
Lets face it. RJJ is not improving with age. Unlike Hopkins who is, RJJ has lost some of his speed and instead of boxing with his experience (adopt a more technical, strategic & defensive approach) he tried to use the same techniques that made him a legend. Just not gonna work buddy. Physically he just doesn't have it anymore. The agility that made him great has gone, his amazing footwork that made him unpredictable has slowed down and his body has ran its course. He no longer strikes fear into opponents nor will he win any mind games.
Roy Jones Jr., you a truly a boxing superstar but I believe that it is best if you retire from boxing. You have already cemented your name in history and there is nothing more for you to prove or achieve. Before you get hospitalized, take the wise road and leave while your head is still held high.
Danny Green Vs. Roy Jones Jr. (Green wins via 1st round TKO)
My my my. Is the sky really the limit? or did Freddie Roach tore it up and went higher. Buoyed by the success of his superstar protege, Freddie Roach has come out flaring saying that the Pacman's' penultimate fight will see him up his weight to 154lbs and challenge Yuri Foreman for his title.
"Yuri Foreman might be the opponent. It is a possibility, and then Mayweather in September. If they guarantee me that, we'll do that, but I need more of a commitment from Mayweather because he's not negotiating too well," Roach told the British press.
I guess it does make sense, both financially and reputation wise. Mayweather does not want to fight Pacman in March (pussy), so Pacman will go for title number 8, smashing the record for titles in weight class (which he recently set) and seal himself as a legend in the history of boxing. Floyd might then fight Shane Mosley in May, prepping himself up for the big showdown in September when two of the worlds biggest boxing stars collide. Roach is definitely a smart man. 154lbs may seem too much for Pacquiao, but I think he will be able to pull it off. One question though. Can Pacman fight Foreman at 154lbs, and then come down to fight Floyd? Wouldn't that have some sort of implications on his body? Unless they are planning the Mayweather fight at 154lbs (Mayweather vs De La Hoya was contested at 154lbs). Whatever it is, I think Freddie & Manny will be looking at this issues closely and see whats best for Pacman
Yuri, you better be reading this coz you might be next!!
What a way to end the year with an eye catching world title bout that will pit a hotshot Pakistani-Brit against a power punching Ukrainian-American. Lets have a look at how these two fighters square up, and who I think will emerge victorious.
As the reigning & defending champ, Khan has not set the world alight in his professional career so far. This has to be attributed to the fact that he has a glass jaw. In his 22 fights, Khan has been consistently knocked down by opponents, making it the biggest and most threatening weakness that he possess. Boxing fans alike will never forget the match against Breidis Prescott, who knocked him down within 25 secs of the first round, before shutting the lights 41 seconds later. I personally feel that Khan was naive to agree to face a bigger opponent, much to the delight of then trainer, Jorge Rubio. But Khan is not all weak. His credentials resides in his speed and punch accuracy, learning from sparring partner Manny Pacquiao. Under the eye of Freddie Roach, Khan will be fighting in front of a largely supportive home crowd who will be looking for a successful defense of the title.
Step up Dimitry Salita. Not much is know about this orthodox fighter, other than he is the number one contender for Khans' title. with an impressive record of 30 wins and 1 bout even, Salita is definitely a darkhorse who might just steal that title away from Khan but it wont be that easy. Salita's strong points are his power punching. A solid left hook and a right hand has scored him the wins in his career and if compared to Khan, he does have the better chin. He does however, lack both hand speed and agility
Salita will need to neutralize Khan's hand speed and fancy footwork if he wants to land those power punches. This might be hard as Khan will adopt a similar fighting style vs Kotelnik. Salita might struggle to get to Khan but if he can land a few decent punches, than believe me Khan will wobble, and might just get knocked-down
Verdict
This fight is definitely too close to call as both fighters can fully exploit the others weaknesses. If Salita can get that knock down early on then he will have an amazing chance to topple Khan. However, I do feel that Khan will be an improved fighter thanks to Roach and strongly see him winning this via decision but he might even sneak-in a KO in the 9th or 10th.
So you wanna know more about boxing but not sure where to start, well then let's get down and dirty. Today, I'll be profiling the various styles that a boxer can adopt, depending on the strengths that the boxer possesses.
The Out-Fighter
Considered to be the traditional style, boxers fight at a range, making full use of their long reach ability and fancy footwork. These fighters are champion strategist, choosing to slowly weaken opponents and regularly aim for scorecard victories rather than knockouts. This style requires you to be agile, flexible and possess quick feet.
Famous Out-Fighters: Millie Pep, Meldrick Taylor & Muhammad Ali
The Puncher
Here we have my personal favorite among all styles. These complete boxers combine punch power and great technique and often destroy opponents in outstanding fashion. They are fairly similar to out-fighters but will look for knockout wins. This style requires you to be fast, technical, flexible and pack a power punch
Famous Punchers: Sugar Ray Robinson, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao
The Brawler
The name says it all. These boxers can't dance or move with amazing agility so the make it up with sublime power. They tend to lean towards constant pummeling instead of smart combos and favor stability rather than flexibility. To adopt this style, you basically need only two qualities; devastating power and high levels of punch tolerence, especially against faster opponents
Famous Brawlers: Max Baer, Rocky Graziano & George Foreman
The In-Fighter
A short reach boxers tends to stay close to his opponents where he lets loose spells of combos to destroy them. A sturdy chin is needed as they're most likely to get hit a lot before getting close enough to hit back. To adopt this style you need to have plenty of aggression to carry out your non-stop assaults, bob & weave defensive technique and most importantly, high levels of stamina and endurance to take in all those punches.
Famous In-Fighters: Jake La Motta, Joe Frazier & Mike Tyson
The Counter Puncher
Defensive oriented punchers who rarely get hit due to their great defenses. A famous line that I often use is " if you can't hit'em, you can't beat'em" bodes well with counter punchers. Speed is crucial as they make their move when opponents misses theirs. To adopt this style you need to be a fast puncher, have quick feet and a sharp technical mind
Famous Counter Punchers: Marvin Hagler, Juan Manuel Marquez, Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The Multi Styled
A boxer who has mastered more than one style and is good at either combining them or switching between them in fights is a deadly fighter. To have the possibility to switch styles helps a boxer counter the threats of his opponents. If one style doesn't work, simple switch to another one or combine them both and exploit the opponents weaknesses. This style requires the same characteristics of the styles chosen with the addition of an intelligent mind
Born into the bloodlines of boxing greats, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has established himself as one of the top performers in the sport. The undefeated, quick feet fighter has won 6 in 6 as well as numerous awards but is Mayweather, voted Ring Magazine fighter of the year in 98' and 07' really the best boxer of all time? Or just a load of hype built on the "American Dream" concept? I'll be revealing just what is it that makes him good, and the flaws that he claims does not exist to find out if he is indeed The Read Deal
Fight Record: Wins: 40 Knockouts: 25
The former #1 pound for pound king started his ascent to glory in the 96' Olympics, coming in 3rd after a controversial defeat against Bulgarian Serafim Todorov. Beginning his career at featherweight, Mayweather scored some memorable wins against Genaro Hernandez, Diego Corales, Luis Castillo & Zab Judah before defeating Oscar De La Hoya in a fight that broke the record for most lucrative fight in boxing history. After a KO win against Hitman Hatton, Mayweather took a hiatus for 21 months and has since returned to the ring, winning his comeback fight against Manuel Marquez.
What Makes Him Good
Speed
Floyd is a dancer in the ring. His ability to dance around opponents, get in quick one two combos and get out clean makes it very difficult for his opponents to cope. Good body and head movement, coupled with quick feet co-ordination helps him avoid getting pummeled, while landing his shots well.
Defense
Mayweather has admirable defense that boxers like Cotto & Hatton should take note of. This is the main reason why Mayweather wins all of his fights. If you can't hurt him, you can't beat him. When was the last time you saw Floyd at the end of a vicious beating? or bloodied?
Confidence
Winning all your fights will do your confidence a whole lot of good. Floyd is known for being cocky & arrogant but in my opinion this has helped him. If a man truly believes he is the better boxer and that he can't get hurt or walked -over, he will achieve this feat. Boxers who even have the slightest doubt in themselves going into a fight has a chance of losing, but if they believe that they are the superior boxer, than not even a bigger boxer can stop them
But wait...
Power
Mayweather has 25 knockout victories under his belt, but most of those came against lesser opponents. His high profile matches have ended with a decision against Judah, a split against Oscar and a decision against Marquez. The KO of Ricky Hatton came in the 10th (Pacquiao KO'ed him in 2nd). Unlike some of the other top fighters who have had notable knockout victories within the first 5 rounds, Floyd's punches are touch and go punches which helps him rack up points, but against sturdy opponents like Clottey, Cotto & Pacman, he will struggle
Tolerence
Can Mayweather take big punches? No he can't. This may not seem like a weakness as Mayweather never taken too many hits but then he hasn't fought too many top fighters who are at their prime ( fought Baldomir when he was 35yrs, Gatti when he was 33yrs and Marquez when he was 38yrs). I, like many other fans out there, would love to see him face Pacquiao, just to see how he measures up against a prime fighter. I can safely guarantee you Mayweather will start fighting on the backfoot as early as round 4 as his body would not be able to cope with the pain inflicted by Pacman
So Mayweather...
Is a good boxer. He has had some remarkable wins early on in his career and the numerous titles do compliment his boxing skills. However, he is NOT the best, and only rate him 4th best in my current top 5, and a generous 8th within the decade. The only way that I can be proven wrong is if the former #1 P4P king faces the current P4P king and defeats him
Well the big match has come and gone. Many (except for me) were surprised at the way Pacman dispatched Cotto, in what was billed as the fight of the year. Sympathies for Cotto though as he wanted to go out with honor via decision, but the referee made the right choice in stopping the fight, with regards to fighter safety. Lets review the performance of both fighter, and I'll give you a glimpse of what the future might hold for these two warriors.
Post Fight Analysis: Manny Pacquiao
I'm running out of superlatives for Manny. This fight was easily the best performance in his already remarkable career. This fight was nothing like what we saw against De La Hoya & Hatton, in the sense that Manny did not flurry his opponent with a barrage of non-stop punches, but tore him apart piece by piece, mercilessly. First round aside, Pacquiao dominated the fight impressively, dishing out deadly combos to Cotto, cutting and bruising him till he was literally a staggering flesh wound. The 3rd & 4th round knockdowns clearly showed that at 145lbs, Manny still has the power and ferocity to obliterate opponents. Cotto did sneak punches, jabs & uppercuts in, but Pacman merely shrugged it off, grinned and continued his onslaught. Manny's' stamina baffled the crowd as he showed no signs of fatigue right up to the 12th round, on-route to his TKO and I personally felt that he was only in 4th gear throughout. 10/10 for Pacman
Post Fight Analysis: Miguel Cotto
Credit to Cotto for his lion like courage & heart throughout the match. No other boxers could ever take that kind of beating. Cotto had a plan, and it all looked bright after the 1st round. He got some good punches in, had a great defence against Mannys' attack and really brought himself well, but that was it. 2nd round onwards he seemed to have lost the strategy as everything went totally wrong. 3rd & 4th saw him go down once in each, taking some menacing looking punches from the Pacman. He looked to have come back from the dead in the 5th, composing himself and taking the fight to Manny, getting some good punches in which looked to have hurt the small Filipino. 6th onwards he lost everything again, and was constantly on the back foot, looking like he was "running away" from the Pacman. My personal opinion was that he could have have gone all the way till the end of 12, but the fight was stop after 55 seconds on the 12, when referee Kenny Bayless decided enough was enough and sounded the bell.
Pacquiao Verdict
Pacman has hinted that he might have 3 fights left before he retires, so we shall definitely see some big name opponents on the cards. A final bout against Manuel Marquez is on the cards, and I see Pacquiao winning that easily via KO. Then he may face either Shane Mosley or the highly anticipated, mouth-watering fight against Mayweather Jr. ( he'll knock both guys out, trust me). Whoever Manny's' future opponents may be, we can be sure that this record breaking, boxing extraordinaire will bring with him the kind of excitement and thrill that has made him a worldwide superstar.
Cotto Verdict
Miguel should not feel incredibly disappointed after this match. he did infact fight the #1 pound for pound boxer and managed to stay on his feet (almost) throughout the match. He is still a big name in the boxing arena and has a few exciting prospective opponents for the future. I feel Cotto should fight Margarito next, and prove to the world that Margarito did win the previous encounter with loaded gloves. If he wins that, then a fight against Shane Mosley might be up. A rematch against Pacquiao is possible although highly unlikely. Cotto is a very good fighter and I give him full credits for all that he has achieve, and see him returning to the spotlight in the near future.
The reason for my explosive interest in boxing has to be attributed to this guy. I have been following him since his fight vs. Barrera 1 and he keeps on surprising me. Started his career at a weight of 106lbs, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao will go into his next match vs. Miguel Cotto at a catch weight of 145lbs. A quick research shows that he is one of only 6 boxers who have won 6 titles in 6 different weight divisions, and the first boxer to win the lineal championship in four different weight divisions (take that critics!). Lets break this guy down piece by piece and see if he is indeed The Real Deal.
Fight Record
Win: 49 Loss: 3 Draw: 2 Knockout: 37
Pacquiaos' first two losses came early on vs. Torrecampo 96' & Singsurat 99'. He has improved himself and stormed in the United States with wins vs. Jorge Julio & Manny Lucero. Pacman suffered his 3rd defeat at the hands of Erik "El-Terrible" Morales in 05'. Manny never looked back since, and picked-up memorable wins, twice against Morales & Marco Antonio Barrera. Pacquiao also picked-up wins against Juan Manuel Marquez & David Diaz, before scoring the biggest TKO in his career, vs. "Golden Boy" Oscar De La Hoya. His last match vs. Ricky "Hitman" Hatton saw him destroy the Brit in the 2nd round ( Cocky @$$ Brit got his face smashed with a left!!).
Advantages
Speed
Pacquiao, best known for his lightning fast hands, is a master of combos. He can hit you with a 5 punch combination in seconds, leaving you sprawling on the floor, gasping for air. The words " Hes' too fast" has been used by his opponents before being "put to sleep". Although in his thirties, Manny has not lost his speed and continues to baffle analyst, as he seems to get faster & faster, much like a Chateau Haut-Brion which gets better with age. Future Boxing Hall of Famer, Bernard Hopkins said of Pacquiao, " Manny is the Bruce Lee of boxing. You can't tell where his shots are coming from".
Power
Asians boxers usually do not pact power punches, but an exception has to be made in Mannys' case. Manny has scored 6 knockout victories in the first round, and a further 26 knockout victories in the first 6 rounds, highlighting the fact that Pacquiao can easily crush opponents.
Versatility
Manny will write himself in the record books this Saturday, if he manages to defeat Cotto to claim his 7th title in 7 different weight division. I strongly believe that Pacquiao is at his best at 127lbs, but that won;t stop the "Mexicutioner" from climbing up. He has already claimed a victory at 147lbs against Oscar, and although the jury is out saying that Oscar was "watered-down", shadow of his former self, they can't deny the fact that Pacman stepped up, got his game on and gave Oscar the worst defeat in his 17-year career (even FM Jr. couldn't do that!!). A win against Cotto will silence the critics (for now at least) and establish himself as one of the most versatile boxers of all time.
Trainer
"Behind every great fighter, is an even greater master", a saying that fits the bill perfectly for Freddie Roach. The former trainer for Tyson, Hopkins & De La Hoya has transformed this one-trick Filipino into a complete killing machine. Pacquiaos massive improvements have been attributed to the Massachusetts mastermind, who will now engineer a record win for his prized protege.
Disadvantages
Defense
Pacman has rarely suffered cuts from his fights so its easy to conclude that his defense is second to none, but a closer look will reveal that he leaves himself open too much. When Pacman punches, hes' like a rabid hound, punching his way to a knockout victory but opening himself to counter punches. A smart game plan that includes counter punching will wobble Pacquiao.
Final Verdict
Manny has been labeled as "Overrated" and "Lucky" in light of his high profile wins lately but looking at the case presented above, one can clearly see that Pacquiao is a killer in the ring. With lightning fast speed, crushing power & deadly accuracy, I believe that Pacman will gobble his way to boxing history
This Is It. After years of scouring the net with a purpose of finding a good read to satisfy my hunger for the sport that I am fond of, I have decided to blog about boxing. I'll be profiling some of the hotshot boxers out there, predict who will shine in the future, give an analysis on every major fight, and tell you who to put your money on.
In the words of Michael Buffer, "Lets get ready to rumbleee!"
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