Boxing: Roy Jones vs. Prince Badi Ajamu

[TSIAS]

This Saturday night features a number of noteworthy boxing matches on television.

I won't be buying it, but Roy Jones returns on PPV against the relatively unheralded Prince Badi Ajamu. While the PPV is cheap compared to most PPV cards (suggested value around $25), it's still not worth purchasing. Ajamu is a pretty decent LH fighter, but nowhere near the level of Jones even at his current state. I suspect Jones picked Ajamu because he doesn't have the punching power to really hurt Jones. Most likely, he'll box circles around Ajamu for 12 rounds and claim a shutout victory. Still, there remains the chance that any blow could hurt Jones, since he's become so vulnerable to the one punch KO.

If the undercard featured any desirable fights, I would consider making the purchase. But the card is pretty scant, with only an aging King Arthur Williams and some guy named William Guthrie. I'm happy that HBO is finally putting its foot down and refusing to air any more garbage Roy Jones fights. Frankly, I was disappointed with his last effort against Tarver. I felt that he simply wanted to survive 12 rounds and say he lasted the distance. I've never felt worse about buying a PPV than I did after witnessing Tarver/Jones III. The only reason I'd buy this one is if I thought there was a chance Roy would get KO'd again.

Fortunately, HBO counters with a pretty good Boxing After Dark card of its own. The main event originally featured a pretty good bout between Vivian Harris vs. Mark Arnaoutis. A couple of weeks ago Arnaoutis got injuted and pulled out. HBO decided that former Lightweight champion Stevie Johnson would be an acceptable replacement. Johnston hasn't done much of note since his two fights with Jose Luis Castillo in 2000. He's stayed active, but in his biggest fight since he was KO'd by Juan Lazcano. At one point, "Lil' But Bad" Stevie Johnston was the class of the 135 pound division. Today, I expect him to give a good effort and go the 12 rounds with Harris, losing a decision.

Harris was moving up the ranks in the sport when he lost unexpectedly to Carlos Maussa on last year's Mayweather/Gatti PPV undercard. I still think he's a talented fighter that can make noise around 140 pounds.

I can't say much about the Joshua Clottey/Richard Gutierrez co-feature. I don't know much about either fighter, but on paper it looks like a competitive scrap.

Finally, last night on ESPN2 there was a mildly entertaining HW bout between Sultan Ibragimov and Ray Austin. Both fighters scored knockdowns, leading to a draw after 12 rounds. I wasn't that impressed with Ibragimov. He came into the fight 10 pounds over his usual weight and let Austin outhustle him for most of the middle rounds. I was happy that the hometown judges scored the fight fairly and ruled it a draw. I had it 114-112 for Austin, but could have accepted 7 rounds to 5 either way. The winner was to be the mandatory for IBF beltholder Wladimir Klitschko. I hope these two have a rematch. I regret not driving the hour and watching this fight live at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood.

[H2O Man]

1. Interesting time

in boxing. I don't think that Roy's fight is among the more interesting.

The HBO card looks good. Also, ESPN Classic will be showing their new Ringside episode on Big George Foreman. It's a 2-part program, playing at I believe 7pm est and again at 12.

Showbox started a Super Middleweight tourney last night. It features 8 good young fighters, and is a heck of a treat to watch.

ESPN has been having a number of good heavyweight fights. On Wednesday, David Tua was on the undercard, in an easy warm-up fight. He has the potential to make a showing in the division.

I do not know why no one has taught Ray Austin how to through punches correctly. He has a lot more natural talent that needs to be developed. He reminds me a little of the former contender Ernie Terrel, the "octopus" from the 1960s.

[MessiahRp]

5. HBO card was okay...

Nothing too great.

I thought Clottey was disappointing against Gutierrez. He looked tired (although he did take a lot of body shots and low blows) early. Also I thought Gutierrez was a crybaby. Every butt, hold, even slightly low shot and he was whining to the ref. The ref got tired of it and I thought Clottey ended up getting penalized for the whining later when he took a legit low blow and was forced to resume fighting immediately. I also agreed with Lennox Lewis that the low blow that Gutierrez took and did some acting for was on his hip. It did not look that flush at all.

Johnston showed a lot of heart but he's finished. He got caught coming in quite a few times in those knockdowns. The one round Johnston won though he exposed Vivian Harris quite a bit. Johnston has little to no power yet he was leading in with jabs and getting inside and when he got in he actually had Harris hurt in that round after Johnston had already been knocked down 3 times previously in the fight. Harris also looked totally exhausted at points (which his corner got on him for, threatening to stop the fight) which was sad since he didn't throw all that much. He wasn't jabbing really at all, he waited for Johnston to move in and caught him with effective right crosses.

Johnston who is a Buddy McGirt charge lost tonight as did the guy McGirt actually was with, Prince Badi. Add on Julio, Tarver, Gatti and Brewster this year and they all got owned. McGirt's record with fighters this year is absolutely pathetic. Maybe it's time to start considering him a bit overrated. In almost all of those fights the guys were getting whipped in one sided decisions and McGirt in the 10th and 11th was still telling his guys to jab as if they were still in this thing.

I'm looking forward to next week's HBO fights.. Quartey-Forrest should be interesting. And the Rahman-Maskaev fight will be interesting. After rewatching Maskaev's 1999 KO of Rahman that has to be one of the most brutal KOs I have ever seen.

Rp

[H2O Man]

7. Next week's card

from MSG looks fascinating. Quartey is an exciting fighter. The co-feature looks explosive, as well. We had considered going to watch it from ringside, but I'm not up to it physically right now. Watching from "couchside" will be okay .... nothing like instant replay of the highlights.

[RagAss]

2. The greatest fights I ever saw in the 60's and 70's were on Network

television. Now every time someone gets one of the 30 belts in any one of the divisions, you need to order PPV to watch them...sorry, even if I could afford it there's no way I'd buy it...too many great memories of free fights...

[Awsi Dooger]

3. I wish Roy would end the losing streak then retire

I have more than a dozen of his fights on tape and it's amazing to review them and see how great he once was.

I know fighters are eventually judged on their prime, but Roy has diminished his reputation much more than most and I'd hate to see him become a farce.

[H2O Man]

8. It's interesting,

in a sense, to consider how very few fighters retire at the right time, and stick with it. If Roy had quit after his Ruiz fight -- or after the first Tarver match -- it would have been best.

[dr.zoidberg]

4. I have absolutely no interest for this fight. Also, you're a genius.

I scored the Austin/Ibragimov fight the same as you did. I felt that the fight happened the way it did because of Ibragimov's inability to take the fight to the inside. That inability kept Ibragimov at far range and allowed Austin to fight his way.

I will not talk about the Jones fight. May he lose and mercifully retire.

I'll go with Harris by UD. I think that Johnstons' too old to win the fight.

[Awsi Dooger]

6. Jones wins lopsided decision and insists on kidding himself

I didn't see it. As much as a always liked Jones, these quotes are pathetic and if he fights anyone of quality I'll make a big wager against him.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14098641/

BOISE, Idaho - For one night and against one man, anyway, Roy Jones Jr. was back.

At least the showman part of him.

“I’m close. In two or three months, I’ll be all the way back,” Jones said Saturday night.

Minutes earlier, the Jones ended a 10-month hiatus by being his usual showy self. He played, pranced and preened throughout a methodical — and inconclusive — 12-round unanimous decision over frustrated champion Prince Badi Ajamu to win the NABO light heavyweight title.

All three judges scored the fight 119-106 for Jones, who gave himself a “C” grade for the rather lackluster win. All three cards had the tired Ajamu winning only the first round.

“The champ is on the way back, baby,” a beaming Jones said. “Don’t pay attention to what people say.”

[TSIAS]

9. My thoughts

From what I read, Jones put on a pretty decent performance and nearly shutout Ajamu. However, it seems like Ajamu wasn't really trying to win the fight and was trying to get DQ'd for low blows. With this performance, I expect that he'll get another big fight or two before he retires. I wouldn't mind seeing a rematch between Jones and Glen Johnson.

The HBO card was a bit disappointing. Gutierrez acquitted himself well, but didn't do enough early to get the victory. In the main event, Harris is simply too big for Johnston. Stevie was a small Lightweight and an even smaller Junior Welterweight. Looks like it's time for him to hang it up.

I do like next week's HBO main event. Ouma/Powell has the makings of a great fight. The main event is a question mark. Quartey hasn't done much since losing to Vargas back in 2001, and Forrest's been quiet since his two losses to Mayorga. I think Quartey still has something left. He took the five year break and should have a little left in the tank. Arguably, Quartey did enough to beat Oscar DeLaHoya in their fight. The Vargas fight was the only conclusive loss on his record.

On a side note, I don't get what's up with HBO. They can put Wright/Taylor and Gatti/Baldomir on free HBO, but then they'll try to charge $45 for a Rahman/Maskaev bout. If Rahman didn't hold one of the many belts in the HW division, this would be an undercard fight. But since Rahman's the WBC "Champ", they market this as a PPV main event. :eyes:

[H2O Man]

10. I am far more

interested in either of the Ouma vs Powell or the Quartey vs Forrest fights than the Rahman vs Maskaev match, so I'm happy with HBO right now. I really like Ouma, and hope he wins. But I think he is at very high risk for getting stopped, possibly early, against the hard-punching Powell.

Quartey looked good the last fight I saw him in. I can't remember if it was a month ago, or a little more. But he was doing well, in my book. I thought he beat Oscar, but it was at a time Oscar was given a few gifts, including the Whitaker fight.

Forrest is a talented guy, but I think that he needed more laps around the track before facing Quartey. I think it will end around the 9th round.

I don't understand Rahman's being considered anything more than a top 10 fighter. He hasn't done anything outstanding since knocking Lewis out -- though that was a fantastic moment. He's fighting a re-tread tire, when there are serious opponents out there.