Essential The Official Boxing Random Thoughts Thread...All boxing heads ENTER.

[HARLEM AL]

Pacquiao Booked For April Fight

MANILA, Philippines — Bob Arum has already booked Manny Pacquiao a fight next year provided that he gets past Juan Manuel Marquez on Dec. 8 in Las Vegas, a sign that the Filipino is not retiring anytime soon.

“I have talked with Manny and we agreed to hold his fight (in 2013) on April 20,” Arum told the Bulletin on Wednesday.

Arum said that date is perfect since it will come at a time after March Madness, the US NCAA college basketball finals that takes place in March and just before the May 2013 elections.

Arum said he is not looking too far ahead because Marquez is going to be a very tough challenge for Pacquiao, who is hoping to put an end to the controversy over his first three matches with the Mexican counter-puncher.

Even though Pacquiao had won two of three bouts, the first having ended on a split draw in 2004, ringsiders believe the Marquez had actually been robbed each time.

Pacquiao, who turns 34 on Dec. 17, wants to finally silence his critics, while the 39-year-old Marquez is out to prove that he has Pacquiao’s number with a convincing stoppage win in this fourth fight.

Arum believes there won’t be a fifth chapter to one of boxing’s most storied rivalry.

“Neither fighter wants a fifth fight,” said the 80-year-old Hall of Fame promoter.

Pacquiao is set to leave for training in the US and he has already filed his certificate of candidacy as congressman of Sarangani so he can fully concentrate on his eight-week buildup under Freddie Roach.

Marquez, meanwhile, is in the early stages of his preparation, showing up at the Romanza Gym in Mexico City in the afternoon after doing his morning workout in the mountains of Toluca that includes such primitive methods like wood-chopping.

From what Marquez has been showing, he is out to ruin Pacquiao and Arum’s plans next year.

LOL when will you nikkas learn....

 

[Rev]

Pacquiao Booked For April Fight


LOL when will you nikkas learn....

Jesus. Bob is suckin the dude dry. Got him working like a Filipino immigrant. Who would even be his opponent at this point?

He's not a star...somebody lied.

 

[TheLukieBaby]

what do people think of

Andre Ward vs. Jean Pascal at 175 on HBO

 

[patscorpio]

what do people think of

Andre Ward vs. Jean Pascal at 175 on HBO

i think pascal would be ko'ed in the later rounds after he gasses after 4-5 rounds..pascal is just too crude for anyone who can box textbook and be aggressive like ward is

 

[LauderdaleBoss]

what do people think of

Andre Ward vs. Jean Pascal at 175 on HBO

I think it's a decent scrap. I'd rather Cloud get the fight since Pascal already had a fair amount of big fights. In addition to that, the blueprint is already out on Pascal so we all kinda know how it can possibly play out. I'll say this for Pascal and all of his technical short comings, he's prolly the most explosive guy Ward has ever been in there with.

With the fight being at 175, I feel Dawson done cheated us out of a better performance by caving into all those demands when we all knew Ward would be moving up anyway since there's no more big threats at super middle.

 

[mr. smoke weed]

what do people think of

Andre Ward vs. Jean Pascal at 175 on HBO

brutal beatdown tko in 8
pascal aint got the chops for SOG

 

[SuikodenII]

WBO #4 featherweight Orlando Cruz (18-2-1, 9 KOs), former Olympian has announced today that he “is a proud gay man.” Cruz is the first openly gay man in boxing history. “I’ve been fighting for more than 24 years and as I continue my ascendant career, I want to be true to myself,” said Cruz. “I want to try to be the best role model I can be for kids who might look into boxing as a sport and a professional career. I have and will always be a proud Puerto Rican. I have always been and always will be a proud gay man.”

Cruz began boxing at the age of 7 and posted an amateur career record of 178-11. He won 7 Puerto Rico National Title’s and spent 4 years on The Puerto Rican National Team. Cruz won 7 Gold Medals, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze in various international tournaments. His amateur career culminated as a representative of the 2000 Olympic Team in Sydney, Australia. 2000 Olympic teammates included former world champions Miguel Cotto and Ivan Calderon.

Cruz made his professional debut on December 15, 2000 and won his first world title on March 22, 2008 (vacant IBA Featherweight Title) and a regional title on October 14, 2011 (WBO Latino Featherweight title). His next fight is scheduled for October 19 at the Kissimmee Civic Center in Kissimmee, Florida in which he will defend his WBO NABO title against Jorge Pazos. A win against Pazos should position Cruz for a world title shot. Orlando Cruz is sitting down with Telemundo’s Jessi Losada in an exclusive tell-all that will air next week.

 

[patscorpio]

see this is the type of shyt that's bad for the sport because now it brings the wrong type of attention to boxing...what he does in his personal life is his biz but using this as a gimmick to sell yourself instead of your talent is some bullshyt..ive actually seen this cat fight before..he's not that durable..he was stopped in those 2 losses..ponce de leon beat the fukk of him a couple years ago

 

[comandante]

Here is a better boxing article to start the day. I've been waiting for him to take that belt back from Pirog. Daniel Jacobs is back!

 

[patscorpio]

Here is a better boxing article to start the day. I've been waiting for him to take that belt back from Pirog. Daniel Jacobs is back!

good article....i used to think jacobs was overrated but reading about what he went through when he got ko'ed by pirog...i completely understand...ill be looking out for the young breh...hope he can make a comeback

 

[Willy Waffle]

i wasn't even aware that jermain taylor was fighting next week on shobox.

 

[patscorpio]

i wasn't even aware that jermain taylor was fighting next week on shobox.

safe fight...dude has been ko'ed 11 times...3 in his last 5 fights...i guess they figure somebody on the level of truax who dropped him in the 9th in his last fight was too risky so they went for a softer touch

 

[threattonature]

i never understood why roy left the heavyweight division..john ruiz was a bum but he could punch like a regular heavyweight and he had no trouble handling ruiz's power...he could have had title unifications with chris byrd, face holyfield or tyson, hell even jones-toney 2..there were fights there that were worth his while financially..because, talent aside, most of his fights from the time he blew away montell griffin in the first round in the rematch to the clinton woods fight were not must sees..just glorified flamboyant sparring sessions

he should have fought dariusz during that time too since he was the actual lineal light heavyweight champ (im a stickler for that) before dariusz got ruined in them 2 wars with richard hall (woefully underrated fights)..the biggest mistake roy made with his matchmaking was not fighting bernard hopkins again in 2002..that was the ultimate moneymaker rematch..everyone wanted to see that fight..the stars were aligned and roy fukked it all up with the negotiations..60-40 for a cat who was at equal footing as him at the time ..thats insulting..i was pissed when roy fought clinton woods instead

then of course he fukked up his body draining to 175..suffer damaging losses and his career has never been the same and now it looks like he's on his way to being another boxing brain damage casualty

I never got that either. Byrd to me was tailor made for Jones to fight and maybe even Holyfield at that time. Or stop at cruiser and fight Toney before going back to Light Heavy. That was the perfect time to do the Toney rematch. I think that was right around the time of Toney stopping Jirov.

 

[patscorpio]

article i came across about ali vs holmes


Muhammad Ali vs Larry Holmes: 'The Last Hurrah' Was Anything But

Thirty-two years ago today, October 3, 1980, at Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, one of the worst events in the history of boxing took place - Muhammad Ali vs Larry Holmes.

Younger, stronger, and in his prime, the 31 year old Larry Holmes (35-0), the WBC Heavyweight Champion, was matched up against an old, shopwarn Muhammad Ali (56-4) who was likely in the early stages of Parkinson's Disease, a disorder of the brain that slows one's reflexes and eventually leads to shaking (tremors) and difficulty with walking, movement, and coordination.

Unbeknownst to many, three months before the fight, Ali was ordered by the Nevada Athletic Commission to visit the Mayo Clinic for a neurological exam. The results exam were not made public at the time but contained the following results (source:BoxRec):
Muhammad Ali was a little off when he tried to touch his finger to his nose.
He had trouble coordinating his speech, and
The fight legend couldn't hop on one foot well.

Despite the poor results, Nevada approved the fight with Holmes.

In an absolutely disgusting bout, the 31 year old champion dismantled the 38 year old legend in 10 rounds of a scheduled 15 round bout. There were no
knockdowns, but Holmes dominated the fight and was given every round by all three judges. Finally, Ali's corner stopped the fight after the tenth round.

The TKO marked the first and only time Ali was stopped inside the distance in his 61 fight pro career.

Pictured: Ali vs Holmes fight poster

Holmes entered the bout having made seven successful title defenses since winning the WBC strap in a brusing 15 round affair with Ken Norton in 1978. Still, even with the success, a shadow still casted over the great champion... And that shadow's name was Muhammad Ali.

It's hard to follow in the footsteps of a legend and boxing is no different. Moreover, it's also difficult for a legend's endearing fans to come to grips with reality that their icon just doesn't have it anymore.

Think Johnny Unitas starting for the San Diego Chargers, Hakeem Olajuwon as a Raptor, or Wayne Gretzky as a Ranger.

People still believed Ali was truly 'The Greatest,' as did the media. During this period, sports magazines, specifically Sports Illustrated, had Ali's face on it, calling out the champion.




Pictured: Muhammad Ali dawns the cover of Sports Illustrated prior to his comeback bout against Larry Holmes

But Muhammad Ali, who even then was widely considered one of the all time great boxers and icons of the sport, had been retired from boxing for two years and had absolutely no business being in the ring, let alone fighting boxing's best heavyweight. But the media, fans and the general public never really wanted to acknowledge Larry as a true champion and believed the great Ali would orchestrate one last hurrah.


Sadly, people around Ali seemingly didn't have the sense or courage to talk him out of a ring return. And Ali, despite his withering reflexes and slurred speech, truly believed he could win the fight - But the evidence was clear he had nothing left and couldn't come remotely close to beating Holmes on the champion's worst day.

Holmes, who insisted after the fight that he held back, still unleashed savagery in spurts and pleaded with the ref in Round 9 to stop the fight.

After Holmes won the fight, he sat crying in his locker room. Perhaps he realized he should of never taken part in the fight. Although he quieted the echoes of Ali, he'd beaten up an international hero whom he served as a sparring partner for years prior.

Dr. Ferdie Pacheco, former cornerman and ring physician for Ali, said the following about the bout:

"All the people involved in this fight should of been arrested. This fight was an abomination, a crime."


Pacheco, also Muhammad Ali's long time friend and confidant had asked Ali to call it quits five years prior following the "Thrilla in Manila" in 1975. Ali's reluctance to retire forced Pacheco to leave Ali's camp in 1977 or morals grounds, refusing to take part in what be believed would be Ali's ultimate undoing.

Perhaps Ferdie Pacheco was prophetic?

Today, we look at our great champion in the state that he is in today and have to look back and wonder if Ali vs Holmes contributed to diminished state as its likely Muhammad Ali was already in the early stages of Parkinson's several years before the bout.

How Muhammad Ali, seemingly suffering from the onset of Parkinson's, was able to defeat top fighters in the latter stages of his career is a testament to Ali's greatness.


But win or lose, the signs of the debilitating disease were certainly evident.

So, who is to blame for this charade?

Angelo Dundee: Ali's longtime trainer of 15+ years had to have known Ali was shot. And he may of been the only person who could of put a stop to the madness that ensued.

What drove Dundee to even taking part in this fight? One things comes to mind, if not Dundee, somebody would have taken over trainer duties, right? Maybe Angelo knew this and thought he could be the only one to stop it when it needed to be stopped. Perhaps, he just wanted to be there, but nevertheless he let it go on far too long.

Pictured: Muhammad Ali, right, attempts to fend off Larry Holmes

Larry Holmes: It's tough to blame Larry in this situation. He is this great under-appreciated talent that keeps hearing the echoes of Ali. Why couldn't the public appreciate what Holmes was doing. It's almost like that scene in "The Fighter" where Mickey Ward (played by Mark Wahlberg) keeps hearing all the praise about his brother, when it's suppose to be his time. Other then money, this had to be the exact reason Holmes wanted to take the fight to shut-up the critics;

However it did not do him any favors in the process.

Nevada Athletic Commission: How was Ali sanctioned to fight? What the commission did was almost criminal, especially given Ali's poor neurological test results. Licensing Ali to fight in his poor state was an utter embarrassment and one of the worst decisions in the history of not just boxing, but professional sports.

Muhammad Ali: It's really hard to blame Ali in this situation. He was one of the greatest of all-time. He'd beaten the best all of his adult life, in the amateurs and pros.

It's difficult for great old legends with big egos to realize they don't have it anymore.

And who among his friends, aside from Pacheco, would have dared tell the legend his time as a fighter had past. Despite Ali's sluggishness in training, slurred speech and broken down appearance, his entourage continued to praise him and bolster his ego as they had in years past.

No one stepped up.

Why did Ali vs Holmes happen? Perhaps the answer is simple.

Ali's purse was $8 million, while Holmes earned $2.3 million. And keep in mind, this fight was in 1980. For the same fight today, Muhammad Ali would have earned $23.Million USD while the champion 6.7 Million USD.


So perhaps the public is to blame? After all, public demand generated the enormous sums of revenue the fight garnered.

As sports fans, we often puts our athletes on a pedestal, never wanting to see great old performers exit the stage. Perhaps this event taught sports fans a great and valuable lesson: Everyone, even the great ones, can't be on top forever.

As the great poet Rene Daumal once said "You can't stay at the summit forever; You have to come down one day."

Muhammad Ali vs Larry Holmes was one of the great tragedies to ever take place in sports. Nobody wants to see their heroes fall, especially in such a demoralizing manner. So why put them there in the first place?



Muhammad Ali vs Larry Holmes Facts

Ali was planning to face John Tate for the WBA title, but Tate lost the title to Mike Weaver. Ali then set his sights on Weaver, but Ali said negotiations for a fight against Weaver fell through when promoter Bob Arum made last-minute financial demands.

Caesars Palace constructed a temporary 24,790-seat outdoor arena for the fight. The live gate was $6 million, a record for that time.

Ali blamed the loss on an overdose of thyroid medication that caused him to be weak and overly sensitive to the 100-degree Las Vegas heat. Ali insisted, "I shall return."

At the time of the stoppage, Holmes was winning on all three scorecards, 100-90 (twice) and 100-89

Unbelievably, Muhammad Ali would fight one more time, losing a 10 round unanimous decision to upstart Trevor Berbick in 1981

 

[TheLukieBaby]

Taravious Cloud vs. B-Hop may be in 2013 what do people think of that.

I am almost 100% sure the Ward/Pascal fight is all but a done deal for a March HBO date

BTW Jorge Linares fights this weekend in Sacramento , CA as well