The future

Paul Williams gets a shot to showcase himself on BAD against Sharmba Mitchell. It is amazing how fast Mitchell has fallen. Just a few years ago, people were predicting that he was going to beat Tsyzu in the highly anticipated rematch. Mitchell ended up getting knocked out and since then has been on the comeback trail. This is his last shot and he sort of reminds me of when William Joppy was booked against Jermaine Taylor. I haven't seen enough of Williams to get on the bandwagon and I think Mitchell has a few tricks up this sleeve to make this an interesting fight. But if history holds true just like the Taylor vs. Joppy fight, we are looking at the future of boxing in Paul Williams.

Sugar

Sugar Shane Mosely is the hottest man in boxing right now. His win over Vargas puts him as the prime contender for Mayweather's Pound for Pound title. Mosely looked very fast his last two fights and it is great to see him fight on his toes again. I will continue to say that his first fight verse De La Hoya was one of the best performances I have seen. He was lightning fast and beat one of the best in the business. I hope he takes the November fight with Mayweather and recaptures his place on the Pound for Pound list.

Quick recap of Mosely vs. Vargas II

Vargas is a shot fighter that should retire. He couldn't put punches together and was unable to use his strength. Mosely knocked out a tough fighter that was good but couldn't become great. The victory made Mosely look invinsible but that was partially part of how bad Vargas looked.

Thunder is all but a whisper

On Sat. night, Arturo Thunder Gatti was shown why little men with big punches at low weight classes usually get knocked out when they battle the big boys. Gatti packed a big punch when fighting at 140 and lower but the 7 pounds he added to fight Baldomir for his welterweright championship changed everything. Nobody heard of Baldomir prior to his destruction of Zab Judah and thought that his record of 9 losses and 6 draws was a sign that he was not going to have time to enjoy his championship belt because he was going to lose it that quickly. Gatti isn't the best boxer but he overcame his flaws by using his heart and determination to withstand knockdowns and comeback to win fights in historic fashion. When Gatti stepped into the ring on Sat. night, he was the smaller man that couldn't hurt Baldomir. Punches that would have knocked out fighters at lower weight classes were now just glancing shots. In the end, the bigger man won and it is time for Gatti to hang them up.

Baldomir better capatilize on this two recent victories and I think he will end up fighting Miguel Cotto. That should be a highly entertaining fight where Cotto ends up earning a decision.

Top 10 boxers I want to see fight

1) Oscar De La Hoya - For whatever reason, when this guy steps into the ring, I am excited to watch the fight. It might because De La Hoya is involved in "big" fights that turn out to have a great story to them. His fights against, Mayorga, Trinidad, Hopkins, Mosely, Whitaker etc. all were great boxing events. Hands down De La Hoya is the biggest draw in boxing.

2) Arturo Gatti - Gatti is not a great fighter but is always involved in great fights. From his wars with Ward to his beat down by Mayweather, you are always drawn to the tv. He is has the heart of a champion and in a few weeks I think he will have the belt as well.

3) Floyd Mayweather - Pound for Pound he is the best out there. I can't even think of a fighter that can really give him trouble. People think that Margarita could present problems but these are the same people that though Corrales was going to beat him as well and we all know how that turned out. Mayweather will go down as one of the best fighters ever when it is all said and done.

4) Miguel Cotto - Up and coming and is about to explode on the scene with a fight against a top fighter at 147. His style is exciting to watch because he is hard hitting and loves to knock people out.

5) Manny Pacquiao - His destruction of Barerra and Morales put him on this list. His style is fun to watch because he has both power and speed. I hope that Pacquiao and Barerra have a rematch down the road.

6) Marco Antonio Barerra - He is slowing down a bit but he is still a master technician in the ring. His boxing style gives his opponents fits as he is able to take a punch as well as deliver one just as hard. His fights with Morales are for the ages. He may come off this list next year because father time is starting to look like it is catching up to him.

7) Jermaine Taylor - Beats Hopkins twice and gets a controversial draw against Wright but his biggest highlight is making this list. He is the king of the middleweight division and I will turn on my set every time to see if he can be in the same class as Hagler and Hopkins.

8) Diego Corrales - He gets knocked down and gets up again. His first fight against Castillo is the 2nd most exciting fight I have seen next to Gatti vs. Ward I. Because of that, I will be watching each time he steps in the ring.

9) Fernando Vargas - He is a good fighter that always seems to be involved in highly entertaining fights. Classics include Trinidad, De La Hoya and Mosely. He lost all three but they were all fun to watch and that is why he is on my list.

10) Shane Mosely - He is looking to reclaim is greatness and only has 2 or 3 more years to do it. He lost some speed in his punches but his skills are still there. His wins against De La Hoya and Vargas were great fights.

Enough is Enough

Evander Holyfield is returning to the ring after a 21 month layoff. His 2 - 5 -1 record is enough to make us scream for his retirement. There is no need for him to get back into the ring, he is not going to win another championship, his pending victory against a journeyman fighter in Jeremy Bates will not impress anyone and most importantly he still has his health and millions in the bank. We have seen too many times, fighters taking that extra fight because they think they still have it and end up getting their butt kicked. Ali, Tyson, Roy Jones etc. all did not want to believe that the end was here and all of them left hurt, beaten and almost carried out on a stretcher instead of on the shoulders of their fans. I have no interest in this fight and I hope the rest of the media agrees. Yes, I am the media.

If you think Holyfield still has it, check out this clip.

Jail always seems to get in the way

Once in a while a heavyweight fighter comes along that captures your imagination. You believe he is going to be the best in the world, people will fear him, he will be respected. We haven't had that prospect since Ike Ibeabuchi. Ike was built like a heavyweight and had the punch to back it up. He handed David Tua and Chris Byrd their fist defeats and made a name for himself in doing so. He was on his way to becoming the best in the world until he was sentenced for five to 30 years of hardtime in Lovelock Correctional Center in northern Nevada for attempted sexual assault and battery with intent to commit a crime. With a profession that encourages violence, Ibeabuchi did not know how to separate his professional and personal life. This is just another story of what could have been.

Tarver vs. Lacy

Rumors are flying that Antonio Tarver and Jeff Lacy will fight this fall. This is an interesting matchup considering both Tarver and Lacy were dominated the last time they fought.

Tarver's loss to Hopkins was not only devastating to his boxing career but may hurt the promotion of Rocky VI. He needs to step back into the ring this fall but I am not sure he should be doing it against a younger, hungrier, stronger Jeff Lacy.

Lacy was beat by Joe Calzaghe in a fight where Lacy was outworked but it did prove that Lacy has a strong chin in being able to withstand the beating he took for 12 rounds. Lacy's strength, determination and left hook should cause Tarver headaches. In the end I see Tarver retiring after the fight and Lacy taking a step back to stardom.

This matchup is just a rumor and in the end I don't believe this fight will ever happen. Both fighters need a tuneup fight before they can step back into the ring against a world class fighter.

Brock and Quintana victorious

This past Sat. night's recap of HBO's Boxing After Dark.

Quintana vs. Julio
If the name of this blog Styles Make Fights didn't mean anything to you before the fight it should now. Julio was one of the hottest prospect in all of boxing going into to the fight. The 21 year old Columbian was 27 - 0 and was knocking people out with his aggressive boxing style and strong punches. Unfortunately for Julio, Quintana was able to withstand a first round knockdown and outbox Julio for the next 11 rounds. Quintana, a slick southpaw, was able to use his boxing skills to keep away from Julio and dominate almost every round. Quintana looks like he will be able to keep up with some of the big names at 147 lbs. and should get an opportunity after his masterful performance. As for Julio, he needs to develop a jab and learn how to cut off the ring while boxing. His style of walking down fighters and looking for one big punch will not work against boxers that aren't willing to trade punches.

Brock vs. Ibragimov
Brock said it best in that Ibragimov was thinking safety first rather than trying to win. This made for a boring fight. With that said, Brock's slow and steady performance earned him a unanimous victory. The win is great for Brock but he needs to develop an aggressive boxing style if he wants the public to embrace him. Let us just hope that Brock and Ruiz never fight one another because it might go down as one of the most boring fights of all time.

Mesi's lackluster 2nd fight

Joe Mesi returned to the ring on Friday night to battle Stephane Tessier in his second fight since doctors informed him that he suffered from bleeding on the brain. Mesi did not have trouble beating the 3 and 8 Tessier to a unanimous decision but he looked slow, sluggish and out of shape doing so. Mesi didn't seem to have any pop on his punches and seems a ways away from being any sort of threat to enter the top 10 rankings any time soon. I think Mesi's best days, which weren't numerous, are behind him and he should hang up his gloves instead of trying to make a comeback in a sport where when most fighters that try comebacks end up getting hurt and are forced to retire instead of voluntarily walking away.

The Rock

Hasim Rahman faces Oleg Maskaev on August 12th. This is a huge fight for Rahman as he tries to avenge the devastating knockout that Maskaev administered a few years back. It was so devastating, that it knocked Rahman clear out of the ring. At this point in Rahman's career, he can't afford to lose and needs this win to potentially setup a championship fight against Klitschko. Rahman's career has had its up and down. He was a huge underdog against Lennox Lewis and shocked the world when he knocked out the lethargic Lewis. Unfortunately for Rahman, Lewis returned the favor and Rahman has yet to have a big time victory since. The question that comes back is, can Rahman return to the top of the division? I think it is possible with the current state of the division. I know that Styles Make Fights but Rahman's loss to Maskaev had nothing to do with the title of this blog. He was winning the fight and got caught with a right hand that cost him the fight. I think Rahman wins the fight easily and is in good position to take on Klitschko at the end of the year.

HBO does it again

HBO's main event this Sat. night is Calvin Brock vs. Timor Ibragimov. With the heavyweight division in disarray since Lennox Lewis stepped away, boxing needs a great performance from the American Calvin Brock to give people a reason to continue watching. If Brock's knockout power as seen in his last fight against Zuri Lawrence is an indication of Brock's future then we are in for a fun ride. Let the Calvin Brock era begin!

With all that said, the fight I am most interested in watching is not Calvin Brock vs. Timor Ibragimov, it is the undercard of Joel "Love Child" Julio vs. Carlos Quintana. Julio is 27 - 0 and is knocking out opponents in impressive fashion. With Sat. night's HBO exposure, we may see Julio jump right into stardom and I can't wait to see it happen.

De La Hoya to turn down millions

ESPN is reporting that De La Hoya will be announcing his future plans tomorrow afternoon and they don't include a fight with Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather on September 16th. De La Hoya seems to be battling some injuries and needs the time off. He also might be thinking that he can't beat Mayweather so why should he risk his reputation by being outclasses by one of the best fighters in our generation. With that said, I am shocked that he is going to turn down the money that would be on the table if they decided to get it on in September.

I didn't hear no bell

The Jermaine Taylor vs. Ronald "Winky" Wright fight was much better than anticipated. What was thought to be a strategic fight in which each fighter would use their jab to create opportunities turned into an all out war where power punches set up more power punches. The fight was dead even toward the later rounds and I had Taylor ahead by one round going into the 12th and final round. This where champions are made and apparently Wright never watched De La Hoya vs. Trinidad and Wright decided to run around the ring like he had the fight in the bag. This is partially do to his cornermen celebrating before the end of the fight and telling Wright that he was ahead on points. Taylor won the round and I had him winning 7 rounds out of the 12. Three judges had it scored very close as well with the fight ending in a draw. I have no idea how the Associated Press had it 116 - 112 for Wright.

Some things to note:
At the end of the fight Taylor's left eye was almost completely closed and both of Wright's eyes had severe swelling. I think Taylor's eye closing was more a result of the frequent head butts.

The referee warned Taylor about pushing Wright down while clinching. It happened two times and the referee made it seem like it was frequent.

Jim Lampley calls a great fight.

A classic remake

Taylor vs. Wright

Taylor vs. Wright is a fight for the middleweight championship of the world. This will be the first time in 20 plus fights that we can say middleweight championship and not have Bernard Hopkins' name attached to it. That is because Jermaine Taylor beat Hopkins twice and it is his belt to defend. Taylor faces southpaw Ronald "Winky" Wright for his second title defense. Wright is coming off wins against Sugar Shane Mosely and a dominating performance against Felix Trinidad. This fight is a direct reflection of the name of this blog. This fight is Wright's impressive defense vs. Taylor's aggressive offense. Understanding that Wright is going to be one of Taylor's toughest fights, Taylor hired Emanual Stewart to help him prepare for the fight. Stewart has an impressive resume when it comes to championship fights and that may prove to be the difference maker. Both fighters are highly motivitated out to prove that there recent victories against Hall of Fame fighters wasn't just a fluke and that they are the best in the world.

Who is going to win?
Wright's lackluster performance in his showcase fight against Sam Soliman has me leaning towards Taylor. Wright was a shadow of his former self against Soliman and made me rethink his recent victories. Wright did beat Mosely and Trinidad but are they "great victories". Mosely was best in his younger years where he was faster and ligther and Trinidad hasn't fought a quality opponent since his loss to Hopkins.

In boxing you can lose your skills very fast and I think we saw Wright heading in that direction in his last fight. Taylor is younger, faster and stronger and is coming off two wins against our era's greatest fighter. That will carry Taylor to a knockout victory in the 10th round.

ESPN Classic - Tyson

Last night I watched Mike Tyson vs. Jesse Ferguson on ESPN Classic. The 19 year old Tyson had the fastest reflexes I have ever seen from a heavyweight. He was moving side to side all night long and then threw punches with bad intentions. His right uppercut in the 5th round broke Ferguson's nose and shortly into the 6th round a young Joe Cortez stopped the fight when Feguson wouldn't stop holding. After the fight Jim Lampley interviewed Tyson and questioned his conditioning and next career moves. Tyson was a gentleman, talked about past champions and even thanked Ferguson for the opportunity. Tyson's career is now over but watching a fight from 20 years ago still makes me wonder what could have been.

The trilogy that will never happen

Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo fought two times with one fight going to Corrales and one fight going to Castillo. Both were in knockout fashions and a triology was scheduled for June 3rd where the winner would be the king of the 135 pound division. Unfortunately for Corrales and Castillo the fight didn't happen and will never happen at 135 lbs because Castillo can't make that weight anymore. Castillo didn't make 135 lbs. in the 2nd fight and I am not sure why we thought he was going to be able to make it this time. After the beating that Corrales took in the second fight from a heavier Castillo, Corrales decided not to enter the ring and be at a disadvantage again. He canceled the fight and is now suing Castillo and his promoter Top Rank Inc. because of Castillo's extra weight. Corrales does have the right to sue as he lost millions because of Castillo. The problem with Corrales is that he is suing for $12 million with $10 million for punative damages. I say the decision should be to give Corrales what he would have earned if the fight took place and not even consider the additional $10 million. With Castillo almost winning the first fight and dominating the second, perhaps it was in Corrales favor that Castillo never made weight.

Joe Mesi fights again

Joe Mesi will battle an unknown fighter named Daniel Frank on June 23rd on ESPN 2. This will be Joe's second fight since returning to the ring after having his license revoked when medical tests revealed bleeding on the brain. Joe had a lackluster performance last April where he won a unanimous decision against a journeyman fighter that was able to give Mesi a shiner that should have him rethink his career path. The fact is, Mesi was never that good to begin with. His wins were against lesser competition that never really tested him. Now at the age of 32 with some medical issues still to deal with, he is on the comeback trail but how long will the trail be? If Vassiliy Jirov was able to hurt Mesi and almost end his career, how is he going to be able to take a punch from a real heavyweight like Calvin Brock, Haseem Rachman etc. Mesi should reconsider his career plans and enjoy the little fame that he had while he is still be able to talk about it.

How much do you weigh?

Most people think that the heavyweight division is the most dangerous. I also thought this was true until one Sat night in MSG with Alan Baron. That was the night that we almost saw someone die. Arturo Gatti vs. Joey Gamache was scheduled for the 140 lbs. weight limit. Gatti is naturally bigger than this weight and needed to force his body to make the agreed upon weight. With the advantage of power, will and determination already on Gatti's side, Gamache really didn't have a chance but it was supposed to be an exciting fight anyway. Unfortunately for Gamache, Gatti gained 20 lbs. from the weigh in to his ring entrance. Gamache was overmatched without the extra weight and now he had to face one of the hardest hitting punchers in the division with an extra 20 lbs to boot. The fight itself was short but the impact of the fight has lasted a lifetime. Gamache never fought again and still suffers from that night in MSG.

So what's the solution?
I say weigh the boxers before they enter the ring and don't allow the fight if they don't make weight. The referees always say to "keep it clean" before the fight starts. Maybe the commissions needs to do the same thing and stop letting boxers gain the amount of weight that Gatti did before someone gets killed.

Mike Tyson hates numbers but loves cursing

Tyson is always up for giving a great interview.