Gaucho Boxing

Get Well Soon Michael Buffer

2008-03-21T16:33:00.002-04:00

Best wishes go out to Michael Buffer who is having throat and neck surgery to remove small tumors. Along with Jimmy Lennon, Jr., Buffer is the best in the business. Watching the ring announcer to the Nate Campbell-Juan Diaz fight shows how a good ring announcer can add to the drama of hearing the decision. Friday Night Fights which has had a slew of local announcers through the years has had many who don't have a clue on how to properly announce a decision.

I must point out that Buffer's lead in to his signature line at the Pac-JMM fight this past week was uncharacteristic and beyond self-serving. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. That said, nothing but the best to Buffer and here is to a speedy recovery and a quick return to the ring.

Vegas Observation

2008-03-21T15:51:00.003-04:00

I was at the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez fight this past weekend. The crowd was unbelievable in their intensity. I was sitting in the lower 200s which isn't the best place to score a fight, but from there I had JMM up a few points. After the decision was read the Pacquiao fans seemed to be more relieved than ecstatic. The fight was close and could have gone either way, but they knew they dodged a bullet.

This was my second trip to Vegas for a major fight, with Mayweather-Judah having been the other one. It was my first time taking in the full experience however, and I truly understand why Vegas casinos spend the money they do on site fees. All weekend the casino was crawling with fight fans at the tables and in the sports book. You seemingly couldn't see a table without at least one Pacquiao fan. The overpriced ($13 for a tuna sandwich) restaurants in the Mandalay Bay were packed, and after the fight you had 11,000 people pour into the casino. This doesn't even include the increased room rates for a fight weekend. When all is said and done, the casino has to be making out handsomely on a successful fight such as Pac-JMM II. While I would love to see more fights in cities other than Vegas, one trip is all it takes to realize that Vegas is going nowhere, and would be stupid to do so. As Money May likes to say, if it makes dollars, it makes sense.

Cuba

2008-03-04T16:32:00.003-05:00

I wrote a little bit about this a few weeks ago when Yuri Gamboa fought on ESPN2, but today William Detloff has an excellent piece on Cuban boxers and the possibility for some change now that Fidel has retired. I personally don't think things will change much as Raul is just as barbaric as Fidel.

Vazquez-Marquez III

2008-03-02T09:16:00.001-05:00

I will have some more thoughts later in the day hopefully, but for now all I can say is WOW!

Make Them Fight

2008-02-26T18:01:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I read Joe Koizumi's article entitled "Referee's Role In Big Fights" and couldn't disagree more. It is not the refs job to make sure that fans are satisfied by the fight. The fans know going in that there is the possibility that one or both of the fighters will stink the joint out. Koizumi starts out by saying that he was greatly disappointed in the lack of exchanges in the fight. I was too, but that doesn't mean that the ref should have stepped in. Next, he argues that in Japan Klitschko's safety first style and Ibragimov's counter punching style would never have been tolerated. They don't allow counter punching in Japan? I wasn't aware. I know that Edwin Valero now makes his home there, but that doesn't mean all fighters are like him.

The fighter risks his life by entering the ring, and it is his prerogative he he chooses to box safety first. The argument that the rules should be different in "big" fights is absurd and holds no water. What is a big fight anyway? Was Pavlik-Taylor II a big fight? There was no title at stake and the event did not do gangbusters at the box office. It was a big fight, but who can really defined one or do you just follow Justice Stewart's definition of porn.

My advice to Koizumi is to only attend fights where Vic Drakulich or Arthur Mercante Jr. are the refs. Those two won't hesitate to issue ridiculous commands like "throw punches, defense and safety be damned."

The fight was not entertaining. Not every fight is going to be. The remedy is to not pay money to see the fighters again, not to order them to fight in a way they have chosen not to. The long term effect of forcing guys to fight is that while there will be more entertaining fights, there will be more injuries and possibly fatalities.

Comments on Joe Louis Doc

2008-02-23T21:35:00.003-05:00

Just finished watching the HBO documentary on Joe Louis. Like all of HBO's documentary work, it was expertly done if not entirely groundbreaking for those familiar with Louis. What was if not inaccurate, but skewed, was the portrayal of Max Schmeling. While there was a brief segment showing Schmeling sent to the front lines after being KO'd by Louis, the documentary didn't do enough to distance Schmeling from the Nazi regime. Schmeling was not a Nazi and did not support the Nazis. In fact Schmeling risked his life to save Jews. When the documentary mentions that Schmeling was given Coca Cola distribution rights in Germany and became a millionaire, it links him to Nazis, which is inappropriate. Schmeling was a great man who was a pallbearer at Louis' funeral and helped Louis financially.

After the documentary in an interview by Max Kellerman with Wladimir Klitschko, Klitschko mentions that Schmeling was a hero of his and that he had goosebumps when he met him.

Friday Night Fights Tugs At The Heart Strings

2008-02-23T14:48:00.004-05:00

Last nights Friday Night Fights was the TV debut of Cuban gold medalist Yuriorkis Gamboa. Gamboa looked sensational in a quick first round KO of Johnny Edwards. Gamboa defected from Fidel Castro's Communist hell and is now based in Miami. His story is a great one, as few fighters over the years have been able to escape the Communist regime and have a pro career (Joel Casamayor among the few exceptions).

What struck me yesterday however was the brief piece ESPN did featuring Edwards. Edwards, whose brother drowned when he was 8 and Edwards 11, blames himself for the death. The interview with Edwards was one of the most heart-wrenching interviews I have ever seen. You can see the pain that he lives with. After that interview you couldn't help but cheer for Edwards. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

Vivian Harris

2008-02-21T08:05:00.002-05:00

Vivian Harris is moving up to 147 pounds. Before he fought and got stopped by Carlos Maussa, Harris was a highly regarded fighter, and for a while you heard some people say that Mayweather and particularly Ricky Hatton were ducking him. We all know what has happened since then as Harris was brutally KO'd by Junior Witter. A move up to welterweight came too late for Harris who decided to stay at 140 and chase paper titles as opposed to fight at a weight where he was more comfortable. In his lackluster effort against Juan Lazcano, Harris was drained. At this point I believe Harris is just cannon fodder and will be at best a gatekeeper, at worst he will get hurt. Let's hope that if Harris gets KO'd again he decides to hang them up.

JT vs RJJ

2008-02-19T21:37:00.003-05:00

Boxingtalk reported today that Jermain Taylor and Roy Jones, Jr. might fight as early as June. Jones is bigger than Taylor, but my initial reaction is that Taylor beats Jones on youth and punch output, not to mention that Jones is shaky in the chin department. It is an interesting fight, but one that I am not anxious to see because Jones isn't what he once was and Taylor is coming off of two losses.

All that said, this is one I'll believe when the two are in the ring.

Pavlik Wins Again

2008-02-18T09:10:00.002-05:00

The Pavlik-Taylor fight on Saturday was entertaining and an overall good fight, but not a fight of the year contender, unless 2008 turns out to be a terrible year for boxing. Off TV, I scored the fight for Pavlik 118-110 giving Kelly virtually every close round. I gave Pavlik Rounds 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12, and Taylor only 2 and 10. I acknowledge that this card might be a round or two wide in favor of Pavlik, but I was not impressed by Taylor's bursts that came all too infrequently. To his credit, Taylor fought a more strategic fight and would have done better had be pumped the jab the entire fight like Pavlik did. Most of the writers cards I have seen had Pavlik winning by two to four points, with Steve Kim, Dan Rafael and Tom Hauser scoring it even. I will watch the fight a second time and see if I give Taylor more rounds.

One thing that struck me in the post fight write ups is that the coverage seems to be focused on Taylor as opposed to the winner Pavlik. Jermain fought a solid fight and didn't get knocked out like in the first fight, but he did not do enough to win and his lack of lateral movement, steady consistent jab and occasional looping punches are what cost him the fight. As I noted in a question posted in Doug Fisher's Monday Mail Bag, Pavlik was predictable, throwing a double jab and straight right throughout the entire fight. Before the second Erik Morales fight, this is what Manny Pacquiao did and won not because he was consistent, but because he has blazing speed and KO power. Pavlik only has the power. Doug agreed that Kelly needs to expand his game against tougher opposition. If Taylor isn't that tougher opposition, then why all the praise in a losing effort?

There was talk about a third fight between the two down the road, but I see no reason. Kelly has been there, done that and unless Jermain can beat top opposition at 168 (not Jeff Lacy, Sakio Bika, Librado Andrade) I see no reason to do it again. After a long rest and a tune up type of fight, I want to see Taylor in with Kessler, whose jab will be even tougher for him to overcome than Pavlik's, but who is susceptible to speed, which Taylor has.

Notes on the Weekend

2008-02-16T08:15:00.003-05:00

Pavlik v. Taylor II is finally upon us. I fully expect this fight to be no different than the first, with the exception that I don't think Kelly will get knocked down and almost out. No matter how many times they fight, Jermain will always be the quicker fighter and better overall athlete, but this is boxing, not track and field. Pavlik is a better technician, more skilled overall fighter who doesn't have Taylor's flaws, namely the tendency to drop his left hand the entire fight, to go against the ropes and to loop his punches.

This fight is a huge fight for Lou DiBella, Taylor's promoter, as Taylor is his only real money maker at the moment. Andre Berto is not quite there yet, despite having an HBO contract. Mr. DiBella also promotes title holders Carlos Quintana and Paulie Malignaggi.

Another angle to this fight, albeit one that only interests me because I am an attorney, is that both Bob Arum and Lou DiBella are Harvard Law grads, obviously years apart. Mr. Arum I believe graduated and then went to work at the Department of Justice under Robert F. Kennedy, while DiBella worked at the elite firm of Sullivan & Cromwell (#3 ranked firm according to Vault).

Switching gears to the other "major" fight this weekend if you can call it that, Sergey Liakhovich faces Nikolai Valuev. I don't expect this fight to be entertaining in the slightest. Liakovich had a great night when he beat then WBO titlest Lamon Brewster. Since then neither fighter has won a fight. Before the Brewster fight Liakhovich wasn't much of a prospect either. The most interesting thing about this fight is that Liakhovich weighed in at over 250 pounds (about 10 lbs. heavier than he has ever fought at) and doesn't look like a fighter, but rather a whale. I'll go with Valuev just because he is so damn big and can be hard to hit.

Ding-A-Ling Man Defeated

2008-02-12T20:19:00.001-05:00

After the Ding-A-Ling Man lost on Friday, don't expect to see the hype slow down much. My guess is that this loss will be chalked up to Wilson fighting a stinker in Flores who came to box and run, not fight. For ESPN, they will still bring Wilson back because he can punch and when engaged, the fight is entertaining. As for Flores, I don't think anyone is going to want to see him again. Bottom line is that fights should be entertaining. While I won't criticize ESPN for putting Wilson on their cards, please stop with the claims that he is a top cruiserweight. He is what he is, a one dimensional slugger.

Quintana Upsets Williams

2008-02-12T20:11:00.000-05:00

Last week provided boxing fans with the first upset of the year with Carlos Quintana easily outboxing Paul Williams. Easily, not because it was easy, but because the fight wasn't that close. Harold Lederman of HBO had a terrible night scoring the fight, but that happens sometimes. The 11th round was dominated by Quintana, yet Lederman scored it for Williams who didn't land one significant punch. I dont' think Quintana is going to be a world beater, but he is a tough out for anyone not named Cotto.

Ding-A-Ling Man

2008-02-06T19:28:00.000-05:00

Get ready this Friday for the return of Darnell "Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights. Wilson is facing young, undefeated BJ Flores. Becoming a regular on ESPN has done wonders for Wilson. He, along with another ESPN regular, Allen Green, have become excessively hyped by the network, including announcer and ESPN.com contributor Joe Tessitore and ESPN.com writer Dan Rafael. Rafael named Wilson's KO of Nwodo last year the knockout of the year. Wilson is a solid fighter, but he is no world beater and has beaten suspect opposition of late, not the top dogs. I am picking Flores to win, if for nothing else but to see the Wilson hype slow down.

Goosen Ignores Reality

2008-02-06T07:15:00.000-05:00

Add Dan Goosen to the list of promoters who will avoid reality when making statements to prop up their fighters. In an interview Goosen said the following:

"Miguel, not having that really one defining fight against a De La Hoya, or a Mayweather, but certainly raising his profile out there with victories, and a fan base."

A win over Shane Mosley, who twice beat Oscar apparently doesn't count. In terms of money Oscar is obviously a bigger fight, but the win over Mosley goes further to cementing Cotto's status as the top challenger to Mayweather. Goosen's comment is his thinly veiled attempt to get fights for Paul Williams.

Same Old Story

2008-02-04T18:59:00.000-05:00

On Saturday heavyweight Corrie Sanders was KOd in the first round of his fight against Osborne Machimana. Sanders had previously retired, but like so many fighters, decided to come back. He had won his first few fights before losing to Machimana. The reason for the comback is no surprise to anyone. Sanders made good money fighting both Klitschko brothers. At some point I believe Sanders was involved in litigation against his former manager, but I do not know the result.

Back

2008-02-03T14:41:00.000-05:00

It has been nearly a year since I last posted. I have been busy needless to say, but I thought that it was time to give it a go once more. I will try to post regularly, if even just a link or two, so the updates are frequent. I'll see how long I can stick to that. If you actually stumble across the site and find it a bit cynical, don't worry. It is supposed to be cynical. I am interested in asking questions rather than being a fanboy who just declares X to be the greatest. Feel free to post a comment on anything.

Check out the earlier post today on Monte Barrett.

No Guns

2008-02-03T14:21:00.000-05:00

This weekend Monte Barrett scored a second round KO over Damon Reed. That is great for Barrett. There are sites declaring Barrett to be a heavyweight contender. I was not aware that getting KOd by Cliff Couser, getting revenge on Couser and then beating Reed made one a contender. Barrett has had several opportunities in the division and has been beaten almost every time. He may be game, but he is not a contender. Websites that declare Barrett a contender whether they be editorial comments or just through a press release only marginalize their sites. The headline of an interview with Barrett was titled "MONTE "TWO GUNS" BARRETT IN SUPER FIGHT ON SUPERBOWL WEEKEND". If this was a super fight then it is the first one that I can remember that had zero publicity, zero interest among die hards. The real answer to this question is that the charge is led by Boxingtalk whose head is Barrett's adviser/manager.

Really?

2007-05-02T11:04:00.000-04:00

There have been no postings in forever because I have been busy with finals. (Not like my readership was existent anyway, so who cares.) I had to chime in with this tidbit from the kings of hyperbole, Fightnews. In a posting by Stephen Roche on the ESPN card today he mentions the "much anticipated return" of Fres Oquendo. I can't think of a person who cares whether or not Oquendo ever fights again. He lost to a beyond shot Holyfield and is fighting a no name. There couldn't be a lesser anticipated return. Who is editing this stuff?

Quickly, because there isn't much that hasn't already been said on DLH-Mayweather, I like Mayweather to win by UD.

Promoters Not Doing Their Job

2007-04-07T14:28:00.000-04:00

Over at Maxboxing, Steve Kim has an excellent piece on the "State of the Game". The promoters are simply doing nothing to create new fans. They take the quick and easy money from networks and casinos and anything else is gravy. As a former Los Angeles resident, seeing a fight was hard to do. You either had to go to Temecula to the Penchanga resort, to Santa Ynez to the Chumash Casino or to Las Vegas. The shortest drive is about 2 hours. Furthermore, these are not for top level guys either.

Another problem is that some of the local LA shows were expensive. A club fight with local fighters that few have heard of should not have a top ticket anywhere near $100. To ask for young or hardworking blue collar types to shell out $100 for a series of 4 to 8 rounders and two guys in the main event with 25 combined losses is absurd. A Bruce Springsteen concert which is usually 2.5 to 3 hours long doesn't even cost $100, as he chooses to keep prices a little more reasonable.

The worst example of taking the money and running is in relation to Shane Mosley. His fight against Luis Collazo and the rematch against Winky Wright were both in Vegas casinos and both sparsely attended. One of the main reasons is that tickets were as high as $400 if I remember correctly. Even $200 only got you a decent seat. Shane should fight in LA where his fans are and with reasonable prices.

It is also time that fighters got paid in accordance with their economic pull.

Taylor vs. Spinks Not Alright

2007-04-01T23:02:00.000-04:00

I have read the opinion of several writers on the upcoming Jermaine Taylor-Cory Spinks fight. Some, including ESPN's Dan Rafael, feel that the fight is an acceptable one for Taylor. I couldn't disagree more. Who cares that Spinks is considered by most to be the best at 154. That is largely by default. The only time that facing a champion from either a weight class above or below is intriguing is when both champs have cleaned out their respective divisions, have styles that will make a great fight, or are pound for pound elites. This fight fits none of the three.

Spinks has been at 154 for only two fights. One was a questionable decision against Roman Karmazin where Spinks ran the latter portion of the fight to eke out the fight. The second was against nondescript opposition in the form of Rodney Jones. There are fights with Kassim Ouma, a rematch with Karmazin and a unification fight against Travis Simms still out there. Taylor meanwhile is in a middleweight division stacked with talent.

As for the style matchup, all you need to know is that Cory Spinks is involved. His only prayer of winning is to stink out the joint and run all day long.

Finally, while Taylor is a top 10 pound for pound fighter, Spinks isn't close. Spinks is a good boxer, not elite. One other thing that must be mentioned is that Spinks had a questionable chin for 147, his natural weight, having been knocked down and almost out in the first Judah fight and then KO'd in the rematch. At 160, and facing a big middleweight in Taylor, his chin is sure to get checked. When it does, it likely won't hold.

Sure there are reasons such as the local draw of both fighters, and mandatory defenses that others must make as to why this fight is taking place. Despite all that this is still not acceptable. Taylor who keeps saying that he needs to learn, should learn nothing fighting blown up welterweights and small junior middleweights, which has been his diet since the three Hopkins and Wright fights.

Please

2007-03-31T21:37:00.000-04:00

I just visited Boxingtalk and the Sycuan ad on the page scrolls through their fighters, including Jorge Paez, Jr. Fine. Problem is the ad is congratulating him. For what, I don't know. The fun doesn't stop there however. Click on the ad and it takes you to the Sycuan home page. There you will find a banner that also flashes through their roster. When it gets to Jorge Paez it calls him an "undefeated young phenom." This after the overhyped fighter was just KO'd a few weeks ago. Please update your page Sycuan. I realize that you aren't a true promotional outfit who puts on regular fights, but this is embarrassing. In fairness to the Sycuan, the fighter profiles do list Paez as having lost.

Editorial Authority

2007-03-31T19:42:00.000-04:00

It has been a long time since major media has covered boxing in a significant way. Boxing has become a sport that largely lives off of the internet. Any true boxing fan knows that the only place to get up to date information on what is happening is on the internet. There are a plethora of internet boxing sites that vary in their aim and in their quality. For in depth articles Maxboxing is the top. For constant news bits, Fight News is the place to go. Boxingtalk is best for access to fighters such as chats and interviews. For this post however I must single out Fight News and Boxingtalk for a practice that has bothered me for a while.

For some reason Fight News has long chosen to place an exclamation point after every single posting. One recent post is titled, "Kwayiba Stops Sithembile!" No one has likely heard of either fighter or cares. Is it really breaking news that deserves an exclamation point? It gets the same treatment that Juan Manuel Marquez beating Marco Antonio Barrera gets. I am not suggesting that these results should not be posted, as that is what Fight News does, they give news from all over the world. Just save the added emphasis for truly top news.

Boxingtalk, which until their recent string of hiring excellent writers, was focused entirely on getting the scoop and having chats and interviews with fighters. One practice that they have continued to follow is seemingly posting every press release sent in by a promoter or publicist. An example from this week is on Jameson Bostic who is fighting Robert Allen. Again, it is likely that no one has heard of or cares about Jameson Bostic. Further, this is not news. A press release is the creation of the fighter's team and will not have anything critical to say. Boxingtalk should exercise discretion in posting these. When Golden Boy sends out a press release on Oscar, post it. When Silverhawk sends out a posting announcing that they have signed a fighter no one has heard of and that he happens to be some regional sanctioning body champ to boot, keep it out. The only reason I can see for posting this is that the promoter pays for it as advertising. If that is the case, please make it clear that that is what it is. Boxingtalk is not the only party guilty of this, they just happen to be a very visible one.

Welcome. Hope This Works

2007-03-31T16:24:00.000-04:00

I have finally decided to transform my blog to a boxing specific blog. A place to share my thoughts on all things in the industry. I hope to give credit where it is due and to criticize when necessary. I am not a journalist, but an attorney, so don't come here expecting the latest scoop as to who is going to fight whom or for comments from anyone in the industry. Come here to read a fan's opinion on all things boxing. As of now I am not sure how often the postings will be. I will try to be ambitious and post daily, but something tells me that it is unlikely. If anyone actually visits this page and reads what I write, I hope you enjoy it.