By Peter Lim
Coming on the heels of Canelo-Kirkland, the so-called Fight of the Century turned out to be the missed opportunity of the century for the sport of boxing. Had Mayweather-Pacquiao even remotely lived up to its hype, its momentum might very well have compelled many a casual fan to watch the genuinely explosive match-up that is Canelo-Kirkland and perhaps generated a new batch of lifelong sweet science converts. Instead, the humdrum, anticlimactic outcome of the richest fight in boxing history probably rendered the general public turned off and tuned out, relegating this potential Fight of the Year to a marginalized audience of diehard boxing fans and patriotic Mexicans.
Fire and Ice
Canelo-Kirkland is analogous to a collision course between a massive glacier and a raging wild fire. We've seen the cool, calculating and versatile Canelo box with boxers and brawl with brawlers, beating both at their own game. Mature beyond his years, no other boxer except his lone conqueror, Floyd Mayweather Jr., can adapt and adjust to his opponents' style as well as Canelo.
Kirkland, on the other hand, only knows how to fight one way and that is all out war. Not only is he a relentless high-volume puncher, he also packs mind-numbing punching power. There isn't anything too cerebral about his game plan; he blasts away with both fists with uncompromising ferocity until the other man wilts, and it has worked for him in all but two of his 33 fights.
The two fights that Kirkland was unable to impose his will on his opponents came against two relatively light hitters - Nobuhiro Ishida and Carlos Molina. In the Ishida fight, Kirkland was caught cold, dropped three times and stopped in the first round. Against Molina, he was outboxed and befuddled but was spared a second defeat when Molina was dubiously disqualified in the tenth round.
Canelo has never faced anyone as dangerous as Kirkland before, but all in all, Kirkland's weaknesses play more into Canelo's strengths than vice versa. Moreover, Kirkland will be coming off a 17-month layoff and will be fighting without long-time trainer Ann Wolf in his corner for the first time since the Ishida disaster.
See this blogger's prediction for Canelo-Kirkland at peterliminator.blogspot.com.
Several members of Houston's boxing fraternity weighed in on Canelo-Kirkland
Juan Diaz, (40-4, 19 KOs), former triple-crown lightweight titleholder
"Canelo's
like a young lion now who hasn't been hurt like Kirkland. We've seen
Kirkland hurt and he cannot take a punch. Even though he's a knockout
artist, once he get's touched, he's going down. I believe that Canelo's
going to feel Kirkland's power but as soon as Kirland feels Canelo's
power, he's going to fall like he normally does in big fights. I believe
Canelo's going to stop Kirkland in five."
Lou Savarese, promoter and former heavyweight contender
"I
like Canelo who has gotten better with every fight. Kirkland is a guy
who puts everything on the line and will knock you out or gets knocked
out. It'll go to a decision, it'll be an exciting fight but I like
Canelo to win it."
Rocky Juarez, (30-11-1, 21 KOs), 2000 Olympic silver medalist and five time world title challenger
"Canelo's
going to win in less than six. The reason I believe that is because he
starts off quick and the only loss that Kirkland has suffered was from
first round stoppage. You've got to catch him cold because once Kirkland
gets started he's a relentless and dangerous fighter."
Edwin Rodriguez, (26-1, 17 KOs), super middleweight contender
"It's
going to be a good fight. I think it's going to be a unanimous decision
for Canelo. Kirkland brings a lot of pressure but the thing about
Kirkland is you don't know which one is going to show up."
Frank Tate, trainer, 1984 Olympic gold medalist, former IBF titleholder
"The first one to land is going to be the winner. I'm going with Canelo."
Ronnie Shields, trainer at Plex Gym
"I'll say Canelo by disputed decision."
Bobby Benton, trainer at Main Boxing Gym
"I think Canelo wins pretty easily."
Juan Lopez, trainer at Lopez Boxing
"All
the deficiencies in Kirkland's technique - he gets hit, he's careless -
is going to catch up. I think Canelo's going to stop him. It's
going to be a knockout in six or seven rounds."
Result and Aftermath:
The dynamic, fire-and-ice clash of styles
aside, there were numerous intangibles that added to the pre-fight
intrigue of Canelo-Kirkland. Could Alvarez withstand Kirkland's punching
power or be fazed by his uncompromising ferocity? Would Kirkland be as
destructive and well-conditioned after a 17-month layoff and without Ann
Wolfe in his corner? Was his chin was frail as it appeared in his
disastrous knockout loss to Ishida or was that an aberration
considering he had survived the punches of harder-hitting fighters?
All
those question marks were erased after the first round. As expected,
Kirkland (32-2, 28 KOs) came out fast and strong,forcing the fight into
the trenches while unleashing a fusillade of punches upstairs and down
from his southpaw stance. Back against the ropes, Alvarez (45-1-1, 32
KOs) took a few direct hits but absorbed most of
the incoming fire on his arms and gloves, and stemmed the onslaught by
tying Kirkland up in a clinch.
When the action resumed, it
was Alvarez's turn to go on the offensive. While there was little method
to madness in Kirkland's attack, Alvarez's assault was calculated but
no less violent. Clinically timing Kirkland with pinpoint straight
rights and left hooks, Alvarez stopped Kirkland in his tracks before he
could close the distance and resume his blitzkrieg. A left hook to the
body followed by a straight right to the chin dropped Kirkland along the
ropes.
The writing was on the wall after that; Kirkland had
revealed his full hand in the opening round, while Alvarez still had a
few cards up his sleeve, and both men seemed to know it.
"When I dropped him the first time, I knew I had him," Alvarez said.
Kirkland
went for broke in the second round, gunning for Alvarez with reckless
abandon only to run into solid counters that came in the form of hooks,
crosses and uppercuts from both sides and at all angles. Alvarez
viciously zeroed in to the body when Kirkland missed and overextended
his punches. Still, Kirkland courageously pressed the action and landed a sporadic flush shot that kept the fight interesting.
By
the third round, Kirkland seemed gassed but nevertheless went through
the motions of throwing inconsequential punches in bunches that Alvarez
casually deflected and dodged, biding his time and waiting for the right
moment to pounce. That moment came when Kirkland dipped smack
into a perfectly-timed right uppercut that dropped him to his knees. He
beat the count on wobbly legs and Alvarez went in for the kill. Offense,
being Kirkland's only means of defense, he swung at Alvarez with a right hook only to be beaten to the punch by a curling right
that caught him clean on the jaw and knocked him out cold at the 2:19
mark of the round.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Savarese Boxing card a prelude to Canelo-Kirkland
By Peter Lim
Houston will see two consecutive nights of live boxing as former heavyweight contender Lou Savarese puts on a fight night at the Bayou City Events Center on Friday, a day prior to the dynamic showdown between Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and James Kirkland at Minute Maid Park. While big HBO-televised bouts like Canelo-Kirkland only comes to Houston every once or twice a year, Savarese Boxing Promotions has been staging regular cards in the city since 2009.
The show has traditionally served as a platform for young local fighters to transition from rookie to prospect to contender while honing their skills in front of their homegrown fans, but it gradually evolved to feature an international cast of foreign imports as well. Fighters from South Africa to Uzbekistan to El Salvador and everywhere in between began to attract immigrants from their respective homelands to the cards, creating a festive atmosphere where people from all corners of the globe and walks of life with little in common except their passion for the sweet science comfortably mix, mingle and make merry.
This latest card, showcasing an eclectic mix of local and foreign talent, is no exception.
In the main event, local favorite and regular fixture on the Houston boxing scene Juan Leija (11-1-1, 3 KOs) takes on Samuel Gutierrez (10-12-4, 3 KOs). Leija is the Texas flyweight champion but his title will not be on the line.
Radmir Akhmediyev (4-0, 4 KOs) takes on Aaron Anderson (3-36, 1 KO) in a middleweight bout. Akhmediyev, 24, who relocated from Kazakhstan to Houston last year to train under Bobby Benton, has often been touted by Savarese as the next Triple G.
Welterweight Craig Callaghan (7-1, 4 KOs) of Liverpool, England, will attempt to rebound from his first loss against Anthony Hill (1-7).
Polish heavyweight Krystian Dzienski makes his pro debut against Jerome Aiken (0-1).
Justin Ledet (3-0, 2 KOs) faces Celso Pinzon (3-2-1, 3 KOs) in a heavyweight bout.
And junior middleweight Angel Huerta makes his debut against Raymond Johnson (0-1).
Results and fight report: http://www.boxingscene.com/gutierrez-shocks-leija-radmir-akhmediyev-wins-big--90811
Houston will see two consecutive nights of live boxing as former heavyweight contender Lou Savarese puts on a fight night at the Bayou City Events Center on Friday, a day prior to the dynamic showdown between Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and James Kirkland at Minute Maid Park. While big HBO-televised bouts like Canelo-Kirkland only comes to Houston every once or twice a year, Savarese Boxing Promotions has been staging regular cards in the city since 2009.
The show has traditionally served as a platform for young local fighters to transition from rookie to prospect to contender while honing their skills in front of their homegrown fans, but it gradually evolved to feature an international cast of foreign imports as well. Fighters from South Africa to Uzbekistan to El Salvador and everywhere in between began to attract immigrants from their respective homelands to the cards, creating a festive atmosphere where people from all corners of the globe and walks of life with little in common except their passion for the sweet science comfortably mix, mingle and make merry.
This latest card, showcasing an eclectic mix of local and foreign talent, is no exception.
In the main event, local favorite and regular fixture on the Houston boxing scene Juan Leija (11-1-1, 3 KOs) takes on Samuel Gutierrez (10-12-4, 3 KOs). Leija is the Texas flyweight champion but his title will not be on the line.
Radmir Akhmediyev (4-0, 4 KOs) takes on Aaron Anderson (3-36, 1 KO) in a middleweight bout. Akhmediyev, 24, who relocated from Kazakhstan to Houston last year to train under Bobby Benton, has often been touted by Savarese as the next Triple G.
Welterweight Craig Callaghan (7-1, 4 KOs) of Liverpool, England, will attempt to rebound from his first loss against Anthony Hill (1-7).
Polish heavyweight Krystian Dzienski makes his pro debut against Jerome Aiken (0-1).
Justin Ledet (3-0, 2 KOs) faces Celso Pinzon (3-2-1, 3 KOs) in a heavyweight bout.
And junior middleweight Angel Huerta makes his debut against Raymond Johnson (0-1).
Results and fight report: http://www.boxingscene.com/gutierrez-shocks-leija-radmir-akhmediyev-wins-big--90811
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Mayweather-Pacquiao: A strength-weakness assesment
A strength-weakness analysis of Mayweather-Pacquiao
By Peter Lim
Beyond the unprecedented hype of the richest super fight in the history of the sport lies a genuinely intriguing collision course style-wise in which each fighter has assets that play well against the other one's liabilities.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s defensive wizardry stems from an almost supernatural ability to read body language; he seems to know what his opponents are going to do before they do. Against Manny Pacquiao, though, he faces a southpaw who flouts the fundamentals of the sweet science, shooting from awkward angles to land punches on unlikely targets.
One of Mayweather's favorite evasive moves is turning and dipping to his right away from the usual incoming punch trajectory, leaving his opponents catching nothing but air. But should he attempt that move against Pacquiao, he might be flirting with disaster by exposing himself to Pacquiao's wide-angled straight left. Conventional wisdom dictates that the left fist almost always connects on the right side of the intended victim and vice versa, but Pacquiao has the uncanny knack for landing his left on the left side of his opponents' face. He emphatically demonstrated that propensity with knockdowns against Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez and Chris Algieri.
The only time Mayweather was dropped came courtesy of a southpaw right hook in the second round against Zab Judah in 2006 that was mistakenly ruled as a slip. Although the straight left is Pacquiao's deadliest punch, he packs a pretty mean right hook as well, thrown from tight, unexpected angles. Just ask Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto how hard he hits with that hook. Mayweather tends to hold his left low leaving himself susceptible to the shot.
Even if Pacquiao can catch Mayweather cleanly, Mayweather rarely makes the same mistake twice. He was dropped by Judah and wobbled by Mosley early but was never hurt again and went on to beat both fighters decisively. Short of Pacquiao landing a fight-ending punch, Mayweather should gradually be able to figure out Pacquaio as the fight progresses.
How effective Pacquiao can be offensively against Mayweather is a matter of speculation, but Pacquiao's vulnerability against the pull-counter is a proven fact, as Marquez exposed in his four bouts against the Filipino. And as effective as Marquez was with that maneuver, Mayweather practically invented the pull-counter. Not only does he execute it precisely with a harpoon of a straight right, he mixes in the check hook as well.
Pacquiao is most dangerous when he establishes a comfortable rhythm but against Mayweather, he faces the quintessential rhythm killer. Mayweather makes himself a frustratingly elusive target not only with his deft movement but also by smothering and entangling his opponents in clinches forcing them to constantly set and reset.
Masterful boxers have faced ferocious punchers throughout the history of the sport, but Mayweather-Pacquiao is unparalleled because of the fighters' uniquely contrasting modes of combat. Although it's a nebulous comparison, Leonard-Hagler - a match-up between two legends a few years past their primes - bears the closest resemblance to this showdown. (Sandy Saddler versus Willie Pep also comes to mind). Like Mayweather, Sugar Ray Leonard was a speedy, cerebral technician who knew how to adjust to any style. And like Pacquiao, Marvin Hagler was violent but calculating right-handed southpaw capable of ending a fight with a single punch. Brain prevailed over brawn in the case of Leonard-Hagler. How will this one unfold?
Read this blogger's prediction at: peterliminator.blogspot.com.
Several members of the Houston boxing fraternity weigh in on Mayweather-Pacquiao:
Ronnie Shields, trainer at Plex Gym
"The first two rounds will probably go to Pacquiao. Mayweather will sit back and try to figure him out but it won't take him long. Once he gets the timing down he's going to throw a lot more combinations that will keep Pacquiao off balance and I think it's going to be an exciting fight from there. I just see Mayweather outboxing him."
Lou Savarese, promoter and former heavyweight contender
"I like Mayweather by decision."
Frank Tate, 1984 Olympic gold medalist, former IBF middleweight titleholder, trainer at Hank's Gym
"I'm going early with Pacquiao. But if it goes the distance, Mayweather wins."
Rocky Juarez (30-11-1, 21 KOs), 2000 Olympic silver medalist, five-time world title challenger
"Mayweather's going to win by decision. Mayweather's just too intelligent, too smart and he always finds a way to figure his opponent out."
Juan Lopez, trainer at Lopez Boxing Gym
"The thing about Mayweather is he's real good at blocking two, three, four punches, but what's going to happen if Pacquiao throws six or seven? He's real unorthodox and it's hard to prepare for a guy like that. But I still think Mayweather's going to outbox him and win a decision."
Miguel Flores (14-0, 7 KOs), featherweight prospect
"Pacquiao's going to bring to the table more than people expect but I'll have to go with Mayweather. I believe it'll be a decision but we'll see some wary moments where Pacquiao's going to make him work harder than he thinks he needs to."
By Peter Lim
Beyond the unprecedented hype of the richest super fight in the history of the sport lies a genuinely intriguing collision course style-wise in which each fighter has assets that play well against the other one's liabilities.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s defensive wizardry stems from an almost supernatural ability to read body language; he seems to know what his opponents are going to do before they do. Against Manny Pacquiao, though, he faces a southpaw who flouts the fundamentals of the sweet science, shooting from awkward angles to land punches on unlikely targets.
One of Mayweather's favorite evasive moves is turning and dipping to his right away from the usual incoming punch trajectory, leaving his opponents catching nothing but air. But should he attempt that move against Pacquiao, he might be flirting with disaster by exposing himself to Pacquiao's wide-angled straight left. Conventional wisdom dictates that the left fist almost always connects on the right side of the intended victim and vice versa, but Pacquiao has the uncanny knack for landing his left on the left side of his opponents' face. He emphatically demonstrated that propensity with knockdowns against Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez and Chris Algieri.
The only time Mayweather was dropped came courtesy of a southpaw right hook in the second round against Zab Judah in 2006 that was mistakenly ruled as a slip. Although the straight left is Pacquiao's deadliest punch, he packs a pretty mean right hook as well, thrown from tight, unexpected angles. Just ask Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto how hard he hits with that hook. Mayweather tends to hold his left low leaving himself susceptible to the shot.
Even if Pacquiao can catch Mayweather cleanly, Mayweather rarely makes the same mistake twice. He was dropped by Judah and wobbled by Mosley early but was never hurt again and went on to beat both fighters decisively. Short of Pacquiao landing a fight-ending punch, Mayweather should gradually be able to figure out Pacquaio as the fight progresses.
How effective Pacquiao can be offensively against Mayweather is a matter of speculation, but Pacquiao's vulnerability against the pull-counter is a proven fact, as Marquez exposed in his four bouts against the Filipino. And as effective as Marquez was with that maneuver, Mayweather practically invented the pull-counter. Not only does he execute it precisely with a harpoon of a straight right, he mixes in the check hook as well.
Pacquiao is most dangerous when he establishes a comfortable rhythm but against Mayweather, he faces the quintessential rhythm killer. Mayweather makes himself a frustratingly elusive target not only with his deft movement but also by smothering and entangling his opponents in clinches forcing them to constantly set and reset.
Masterful boxers have faced ferocious punchers throughout the history of the sport, but Mayweather-Pacquiao is unparalleled because of the fighters' uniquely contrasting modes of combat. Although it's a nebulous comparison, Leonard-Hagler - a match-up between two legends a few years past their primes - bears the closest resemblance to this showdown. (Sandy Saddler versus Willie Pep also comes to mind). Like Mayweather, Sugar Ray Leonard was a speedy, cerebral technician who knew how to adjust to any style. And like Pacquiao, Marvin Hagler was violent but calculating right-handed southpaw capable of ending a fight with a single punch. Brain prevailed over brawn in the case of Leonard-Hagler. How will this one unfold?
Read this blogger's prediction at: peterliminator.blogspot.com.
Several members of the Houston boxing fraternity weigh in on Mayweather-Pacquiao:
Ronnie Shields, trainer at Plex Gym
"The first two rounds will probably go to Pacquiao. Mayweather will sit back and try to figure him out but it won't take him long. Once he gets the timing down he's going to throw a lot more combinations that will keep Pacquiao off balance and I think it's going to be an exciting fight from there. I just see Mayweather outboxing him."
Lou Savarese, promoter and former heavyweight contender
"I like Mayweather by decision."
Frank Tate, 1984 Olympic gold medalist, former IBF middleweight titleholder, trainer at Hank's Gym
"I'm going early with Pacquiao. But if it goes the distance, Mayweather wins."
Rocky Juarez (30-11-1, 21 KOs), 2000 Olympic silver medalist, five-time world title challenger
"Mayweather's going to win by decision. Mayweather's just too intelligent, too smart and he always finds a way to figure his opponent out."
Juan Lopez, trainer at Lopez Boxing Gym
"The thing about Mayweather is he's real good at blocking two, three, four punches, but what's going to happen if Pacquiao throws six or seven? He's real unorthodox and it's hard to prepare for a guy like that. But I still think Mayweather's going to outbox him and win a decision."
Miguel Flores (14-0, 7 KOs), featherweight prospect
"Pacquiao's going to bring to the table more than people expect but I'll have to go with Mayweather. I believe it'll be a decision but we'll see some wary moments where Pacquiao's going to make him work harder than he thinks he needs to."
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