Say something, anything, about a fight you recently watched or rewatched...

Leonard vs Duran I - I haven't seen this in awhile. But I recently got to rewatch the full fight again after enjoying highlights on our well-worn Fab Four VHS. Duran was relentless and ferocious. But even in defeat, Ray kept it close. Duran had already beaten Palomino prior to Leonard, but this was the fight that undoubtedly confirmed his capacity for greatness beyond lightweight. It was a well-deserved win (kind of like Mosley - DLH I). But still though, had Duran lost, he would've been a collective 0-5 against Leonard, Hearns, Benitez and Hagler, and it wouldn't be absurd to say that it'd might've put his career in a significantly different light.

Tapia vs Romero - I was a huge Tapia fan back in the late 90's. A tough, flashy, all-action guy. And this is arguaby his best fight. If a prime Tapia was around today, I'd sure love seeing him against the likes of Darchinyan, Arce, Montiel, Mijares.

Penalosa vs Vorapin - I kinda feel sorry for Penalosa. Gerry just seems to be allergic to tall, slick, win-ugly types, which is basically what fighters like Injoo Cho and Masamori Tokuyama largely were/are. Losing twice to both definitely derailed his career. Which is a shame really. Had he fought guys who he matched up well against stylistically (Hispanics, African-American fighters and Thai's like, well, Rat Vorapin---good/great fighters who fought straight-up) in key bouts, his career (win or lose) would've panned out a lot better.

Hamed vs Kelly - Hamed's career is kinda similar to Tszyu's in a way that both have stayed in one division, have a single unavenged loss and, have beaten some good/very good fighters. Anyway, I was still in the infancy of my hardcore fandom for boxing during this time (I was 16), but Hamed was one of the fighters I eventually became a fan of. He was arrogant, sloppy and dirty. But he was entertaining. The guy was an original, and the Kelly fight was perfect in introducing him to the US.

 

Cotto vs Margarito: It had been one of my favorite fights and I rewatched it a few times. It's not the same watching it, after this scandal and not knowing what was in Margarito's gloves/wraps.

Khan vs. Gomez: Entertaining fight. Khan's defensive deficiencies made this one fun. Gomez vs. Arthur though, is a favorite of mine.

 

Agreed. Cotto couldn't deter or faze Margarito, so perhaps he would've still lost when Margarito kept on coming forward and he started to tire late (like Freitas), but maybe he wouldn't have gotten fucked up like that without the scandal gloves.

 

maybe Cotto wouldn't have backed up the entire fight like someone does when they're getting hit with a brick. maybe he would've actually stopped and traded with Margarito at some point.

All of Margarito's achievements have come under question given the glove scandal. His win over Cotto is perhaps the most significant one.

 

Salvador Sanchez W15 Juan LaPorte -- Sanchez was brilliant, and I still think LaPorte had one of the all-time greatest chins

Alexis Arguello KO13 Alfredo Escalera (second fight) -- still my favorite puncher to watch, just beautiful... and Escalera was one of the bravest guys ever, he's underrated these days

Pernell Whitaker W12 Greg Haugen -- mastery

 

Loche-Fuji
I could watch Loche all day and night and I sometimes I pretty much do. I think I love him.

Darchinyan vs. Arce
Ashamed to say I lost interest and turned the channel over after 6 rounds. It takes something special to hold my interest when both guys are smaller than the 11 year old school kids I have to wade through when I buy my milk in the morning.

Lewis-Morrison
I like that version of Lewis much better. Lighter, less cautious, made for better fights.

De la Hoya-Vargas
Good fight. It was fun having Vargas around in the early part of the decade.

 

Zeljko Mavrovic - Vincenzo Cantatore. The Mohawk guy was entertaining.
Naseem Hamed - Tom Johnson. The Prince did not look like a bum to me.
Pacquiao - Diaz entertaining beatdown
Duran - Lou Bizzarro. I got bored way before the end

 

DLH vs Pacquiao---Thorough schooling and beatdown. Very enjoyable. It was great to watch the corner ask DLH if he wants to continue and hearing no answer.

 

Heres some fights Ive watched recently(within the last 2 weeks):

Mosley-Fraudarita: I'll never get tired of watching this fight. Its just a shame it got stopped when it did. I wanted Fraudacheata to get up one more time, so that Shane could have inflicted more damage to him.

Mosley-Lejia: Figured I'd take a peak back to Shane in the lightweight days. Lejia gave a good account of himself in this fight, but the Mosley body punishment was just WICKED, and wore Jesse James out.

Hopkins vs Glenn Johnson: Just beautiful to watch B-Hop beat the living shit outta The Road Journeyman.

Mel Taylor vs Buddy McGirt: I love watching this fight. Taylor at his absolute best. The in and out blinding combinations, after the 1st round McGirt was never in the fight.

Norris vs Leonard: Even though Ray was way past it, its somewhat enjoyable watching Terry beat the shit outta him for 12 rounds. Still, it never woulda happened if that were a prime Leonard in there.

Kenty vs Espana: This is a good fight, if not a little one sided. Hilmer Kenty was the underdog, yet just came in and blitzed Espana every round with his power, and handspeed.

Vargas-Marquez: I love watching RauFOOL Marquez get his ass kicked from pillar to post.

Carlos Ortiz vs Battling Torres: Torres was a tough brawler, but Ortiz just outboxed him, picked apart, then knocked him out like the true master Ortiz was.


Fights I'll probably watch this weekend(time permitting):

The St. Valentines Day massacre(its only fitting)

Toney-Barkley

Kalambay-McCallum 1

Tyson-Biggs

Laguna-Ramos

Jones-Toney: Havent watched it in quite awhile, I think I'm due.

 

You just like to see people get beat up right?

 

Who DOESN'T???....


REED::

 

HA HA HA HA. that fight was a sham. my version is from a handheld VHS camera I think.

 

Good stuff. Those were fights you had to trade for or buy.

 

Seagate vs. Canitorez? I think that was his name. Great fight. Minimal holding because both guys knew how to fight and were in great condition.

Trinidad/Vargas - an all-time great fight IMO. Even if Trinidad was cheating he showed some amazing timing and put his punches together like an artist. But Vargas manned up and fought back hard (to his detriment), all in the name of showing up ODH.

Duran vs. Marcel - probably one of Duran's toughest fights as a light-weight. And they were both Panamanian making the stakes high.

Vazquez vs. Gonzalez - let HBO spew their crap while Vazquez slowly breaks down the taller fighter before dispatching him on the canvas. Before the knock-out you would've thought Vazquez had lost every round to listen to HBO. Those guys are such idiots.

Penelosa vs. Gonzalez - see above.

 

:nono:

Get help or leave Finland man.

 

:atu:

 

Seagate vs. Canizales. I think that was the fight I was talking about. Great technical fight.

 

Point taken. I will watch some bloodbath action tonight. Tonight it is Lewis-Akinwande and withOUT pain killers!

 

don't forget about Calzaghe/Starie either. that was another classic. not a popular one, but every bit as compelling as Lewis/Akinwande.

 

Don't know anything about that one. Fill me in.

 

Seabrooks?

 

I rewatched Margarito vs Cotto and had Cotto ahead by two points by the time of the stoppage. And I noticed this time that most of the damage was done by the end of round 10: a round Cotto was winning for 2:50 minutes and then he received a punch that put him on queer street. He didn't recuperated from that punch, so round 11 was the real beating. Had Cotto had survive til the end of the fight it could had been easily a draw had he lost rounds 11 & 12. Just my opinion.

 

I got to rewatch Navarette vs Boza-Edwards a couple of months ago. Rolando is a pity case now (he pops in the news every once in awhile for all sorts of trouble), and I don't know about Edwards, but both guys were entertaining, action fighters back then. Not surprisingly, they also reminded me of how Arguello was in his prime. The guy had KO wins not only over Navarette, Boza-Edwards and Escalera, but also Chacon and Limon.

Impressive stuff.

 

Sometimes I wonder if Vargas might have done better or might not have been KO'd late if he didn't get hurt early. Trinidad was in control, but the fight was still see-saw for the most part. Then I'd think Tito would've hurt him at some point the same way he hurt him in round one (Vargas with his often stationary, come-forward defense, was there to be hit) and the result would probably have been the same. Tito was just better.

 

Darchiniyan vs Arce - Vic listens to his corner more now so at least he's learnt that lesson.

Left hooks are still a clear and present danger to him however. He never met one he didn't want to hit him on the chin.

 

Calz/Starie was a technical fight where Starie held is his own with Calz, but wasn't as good. It locked Starie in my top 10 until he lost to Thysse a few years later.

I think it was kocav who said it was the only fight between two white guys where he had trouble telling the fighters apart. ::

 

a technical fight? it was an absolute slop-fest. not a second went by in that fight during which one fighter wasn't holding the other.

probably the only reason Starie didn't get knocked out is that he did nothing but hold. and when he wasn't holding, well Calzaghe was. it was a horrible fight. seemed like it went on for three hours.

 

REED just Made a Tape for Someone & As Such has Recently Watched a VARIED Mix of Bouts...

1. Gary Russell, Jr. vs. Antonio Reyes- Debut of 1 of the BETTER Talents from the 2008 U.S. Boxing Team...It's Not a Matter of IF Russell will Win a Title, but WHEN...Reyes is a Tough Dallas Area Kid that was MISmatched....

2. "Sugar" Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran I & II - The 1st Bout Definitely was NOT as 1-Sided as Duran Fans Claim, but a CLEAR-CUT Win Nonetheless (REED had it 8-6-1 Even for Duran)...Duran was SKILLFULLY Aggressive & Would've Probably Beaten ANYBODY That Night...

N the RE, Leonard FEINTED, JABBED & CIRCLED More (NO, he WASN'T Running Duran Fans::), Keeping Duran from EVER Getting his Feet SET...He Caught & HURT Duran a Couple Times, as Duran Engaged...By the Time Leonard Employed TAUNTING Tactics, Duran was RUINED Psychologically...

3. "Sugar" Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns I - Take Away 3 or 4 Rounds & Hearns DOMINATED Leonard...Leonard HURT Hearns N the 6th, Continued to Punish him N the 7th...Hurt him Again in the 13th & Finished him N the 14th...But Every Other Round was CLEARLY Won by Hearns....Shows what Kind of HEART Leonard had...

4. "Sugar" Ray Leonard vs. Marvin Hagler - Leonard's SPEED was the Difference...He was a Step AHEAD of Hagler All Night...Hagler UNDERestimated Leonard that Night & it Cost him....

5. "Sugar" Shane Mosley vs. Vernon Forrest I - Round 2 STILL SHOCKS REED to this Day...That Right Uppercut SHOULD Have FINISHED Shane for Sure...Round 10 Wasn't Much Better, as Shane SCREAMED OUT in Pain from a Bodyshot, then Spent the Remainder of the Round Doubled Over, Protecting his Side...He Took a POUNDING that Night...

6. Hector Camacho Sr. vs. Tony Baltazar - Macho was STILL Undefeated, but was Past his Best @ 140lbs...Still, he SCHOOLED Baltazar w/his Southpaw Style, MOBILITY & HANDSPEED...Macho's SKILLSET is Very Underrated...Baltazar Rocked a Nice MULLET That Night::....

7. Salvador Sanchez vs. Wilfredo Gomez - REED WATCHED Wilfredo Gomez as a Kid & was in AWE of his KO Ratio...REED Knew Sanchez was Good, but Thought he'd WILT Under Gomez's Power...It Took LESS than a Round for Sanchez to Change REED's Mind...By the End of the 1st, Gomez was BRUISED Under 1 Eye & STAGGERING Back to his Corner...He Very Nearly Got STOPPED N that 1st Round, but Survived, Prolonging the Inevitable Until Sanchez Pounded him Out in the 8th...EXQUISITE Case of POCKET BOXING on the Part of Sanchez...



REED:hammert:

 

:bears::bears: Mastery

 

Yeah he was pretty much the king, and the rest of those guys were princes... it was a terrific division back then, very deep