Boxing (May 16 - 19

[H2O Man]

WEDNESDAY - at Fort Lauderdale, Florida (ESPN2) -
12 rounds, light heavyweights: Glen Johnson (44-11-2, 29 KOs)
vs. Montell Griffin (48-6, 30 KOs).

FRIDAY - at New York - 10 rounds, middleweights:
John Duddy (19-0, 15 KOs) vs. Dupre Strickland (18-1-1, 7 KOs).

FRIDAY - at Tulsa, Oklahoma (ESPN2) - 10 rounds,
light heavyweights: Shaun George (13-2-2, 6 KOs) vs.
Richard Hall (27-6, 25 KOs); 10 rounds, lightweights:
Zahir Raheem (27-2, 16 KOs) vs. Cristobal Cruz (34-10-1, 22 KOs).

FRIDAY - at Broomfield, Colorado - 12 rounds,
lightweights: Stevie Johnston (40-4-1, 18 KOs) vs.
Humberto Toledo (31-3-2, 19 KOs); 12 rounds, light
welterweights: Adrian Mora (18-01, 10 KOs) vs. Marc Thompson
(15-1-1, 12 KOs).

SATURDAY - at Guadalajara, Mexico - 12 rounds,
IBF light flyweight title: Ulises Solis (23-1-2, 17 KOs) vs.
Jose Antonio Aguirre (34-5-1, 20 KOs).

SATURDAY - at Memphis, Tennessee (HBO) - 12 rounds,
WBC middleweight title: Jermain Taylor (26-0-1, 17 KOs) vs.
Cory Spinks (36-3, 11 KOs); 12 rounds, middleweights:
Edison Miranda (28-1, 24 KOs) vs. Kelly Pavlik (30-0, 27 KOs);
12 rounds, light middleweights: Vernon Forrest (38-2, 28 KOs)
vs. Carlos Manuel Baldomir (43-10-6, 13 KOs).

This will be an interesting week for boxing fans. ESPN has two good cards scheduled. Wednesday night's light heavyweight match featuring Glen Johnson versus Montell Griffin should be entertaining. I suspect that Johnson will win, but with those two, anything can happen.

The FNFs will feature some interesting matches; both Shaun George and Zahir Raheem will likely win in relatively easy matches against journeymen.

I'd like to see the John Duddy fight on Friday. He is going to have to step up a level in competition if he plans to fight for a title. This fight could give us a pretty good idea if he is going to be able to fight well against the top level in his division.

The HBO card on Saturday will be fun. I hope all three fights are covered. Vernon Forrest vs Carlos Baldomir could be interesting, though slow-paced. Either man could win. I think it is pretty likely to go to a decision, though Baldomir is very strong, and could create problems for Forrest in the later rounds.

The most exciting fight on paper is clearly Edison Miranda vs Kelly Pavlik. Though I would tend to favor Miranda, it seems that he is often open to be hit. And Pavlik has the size and range to land his powerful punches. I do not anticipate this one going to a decision, though as always, anything is possible.

Taylor versus Spinks is an interesting fight for those who appreciate the "sweet science." It may not have the appeal to the casual fans that the Miranda vs Pavlik fight has. I favor Taylor, but Spinks has the ability to make it a frustrating night for the champion.

[Wetzelbill]

1. Zahir Raheem is a slick fighter

I like him a lot. I felt he beat Acelino Freitas last year.

I'd like to see both Taylor and Pavlik win. I think Taylor will, but not sure with Pavlik. That's a tough call either way, and you know, you may have it right on by favoring Miranda.

Montell Griffin seems like he's been around forever! He and Johnson should really be entertaining.

Other than that, I'm rolling with Jose Antonio Aguirre. I gotta give light flyweights a mention, you know?

[H2O Man]

2. Raheem

I think he beat Freitas, too.

I like both Taylor and Spinks, and both Miranda and Pavlik. All four of them are good men, and credits to the sport. Taylor may be a little too big and strong for Spinks; if that is the case, after the 6th round, Taylor will control the fight. I don't think Spinks has been active enough since the loss to Judah.

If I were working with Miranda, I would be concerned that he is focused on fighting Taylor in his next fight, and appears to be taking this fight for granted. I've never seen that type of thinking help any boxer. Pavlik is fully capable of upsetting those plans.

[H2O Man]

3. Glen Johnson

looked pretty good in TKOing Griffin.

[Stephist]

11. I Like Glen Johnson.

He always gives it his all.

[H2O Man]

13. He is one

of the "good guys" in the sport. He adds some class.

[H2O Man]

4. Weighty issues ....

Both Spinks and Miranda came in over the middleweight limit, and had to shed 1-2 pounds to come in under the limit. That seems curious to me -- Spinks is moving up from welterweight, then jr. middleweight. He should have had an easier time being the proper weight than Taylor, who is growing.

Miranda is also a pretty big middleweight. Pavlik is a big kid, too, and has a frame that could hold more weight in the future.

I am not impressed with how both Taylor and Miranda are very focused on future fights. DUers who get the Everlast catalog (or read their web site) know that Teddy Atlas did a fascinating interview with Taylor, who is a really good man. But he is thinking about his next two fights. And I've read three interviews with Miranda, all of which focus almost entirely on his next fight.

I remember when I was a young man, my good friend Rubin saying, "Pat, I need to remind you of something important: when you go into that ring to kick another man's ass, you have yours right there behind you." A boxer has to be focused, and fully appreciate that the guy they are fighting is determined to beat them. I favor both Taylor and Miranda, but I am concerned that they are not properly focused. And that's always an error.

[TSIAS]

5. This is a tougher fight than expected

Originally, Taylor's camp wanted him to face journeyman "Contender" alumni Sergio Mora in a hometown showcase. Fortunately, HBO stepped up and demanded a credible opponent. It remains to be seen if Spinks can prove to be that. If there's one guarantee, Spinks won't be able to hurt Taylor. Spinks was light-fisted at 147, and I can't imagine it getting better at 160. I also was curious about the weight. If anything, it would seem like Spinks would struggle to make it to 160.

I give HBO credit for putting together a pretty good "showcase" card. Obviously the plan has to be for Taylor to take on the winner of Miranda/Pavlik. Still, it isn't outside the realm of possibility that both fights could go either way. Taylor hasn't always impressed me in the ring. He won 2 razor thin fights against Hopkins (I think I had it exactly 12 rounds to 12 rounds over both fights). He was clearly the most marketable fighter to come out of the 2000 Olympics. Not sure yet if he has the longevity.

Pavlik/Miranda should be extraordinary. While Miranda/Green in March was a bit of a disappointment, both of these guys are big punchers. I just hope that Miranda doesn't overlook Pavlik. I've been reading for years how Pavlik is a tremendous prospect. But promoter Bob Arum has sheltered him for the most part.

I'm terribly disappointed that they won't televise Forrest/Baldomir. I know that Forrest is years past his prime --- and that his prime wasn't all that great. Still, this is the matchup of two former LEGITIMATE Welterweight Champions. Forrest held the real title by defeating Mosley back in 2002. And while Baldomir's reign was short-lived, he took the universally recognized title over Judah last January. For some reason, HBO and Showtime hardly ever show three bouts on a non-PPV event. I remember they did it on a BAD card earlier this year featuring Malignaggi and some other young fighters. I hope they at least decide to show highlights.

I have to watch my Tivo of Glen Johnson/Montell Griffin. Frankly, I was surprised to hear that Griffin was still in contention to fight for a bogus title belt. I've grown to like Glen Johnson. He's settled down in Miami and I've seen him at the Hard Rock. I like his story. For years, he was pretty much a journeyman who went to other fighter's hometowns and lost controversial decisions. Lucky for Johnson, he finally picked up a belt against Clinton Woods in England in 2004, and has come up with quality performances against Roy Jones, Jr. and Antonio Tarver. At least the guy will be able to retire with some money.

[H2O Man]

6. The Miranda vs Pavlik

fight could end in one round, or it could go the distance. But it is fair to say that either man has the power to seriously hurt the other at any moment. And that just isn't the case in the main event.

I went through some of my films yesterday. I fully agree that Pavlik has been sheltered. And while he is a prospect with a lot of potential, this is a big step up for him. Yet the guy has a very good "delivery system" .... he can put punches together.

The Miranda vs Green fight didn't live up to expectations, but it seems like Green has some physical concerns that are being treated now. I remember DUers discussing how he kept looking down at one foot during the fight, and almost seemed to have difficulty with motion on his feet. I wish him well, even if he isn't able to return to the ring .... but in a selfish way, I hope he is able to heal and fight again, because he has real potential to be one of the best in his division.

Taylor is a fascinating case study outside the ring. The interview with Teddy Atlas shows him to be a complex, very decent yet somewhat angry young man. I do not believe that he has harnessed his potential at this point; I think he is probably fighting at about 80% of what he could be at. He might do well to look at the career of Marvin Haglar -- another complex, very decent yet somewhat angry young man. The media treated Haglar with the same lack of respect that bugs Taylor today. But Haglar reached his full potential by ignoring what the press said, and concentrating 100% on each and every fight. (Haglar will be at the inductions at the Hall of Fame again this year. A few years back, a few of us got to sit near to him and Jake LaMotta at the fight card on induction weekend.)

[H2O Man]

7. Duddy on MSG

The John Duddy fight will be shown tonight at 10 pm est on MSG tv, for those who do not get the live HBO card. Here is the brief report from SecondsOut:

"(By Jerry Glick in New York) John Duddy dropped his opponent in the first round for the only knockdown of the fight while winning a unanimous decision over Dupre Strickland, in a middleweight scrap on Friday night at the Beacon Theater in New York, USA.

"27 year-old Duddy improves his record to 20-0 (15). 37 year-old Strickland is 18-2-1 (7). ...

"Big heavyweight Vaughn Parham, 2-0 (2), was awkward but had too many guns for equally awkward Kenyatte Ravenell, 1-2 (1), halting him at the end of the third round."

I'm interested in Parham; he's 6'6" and 260 lbs. That's a good, big young man.

[H2O Man]

8. Also:

ESPN Classic has "classic" fights on from 1 pm est through 8 pm. You can watch Arguello, Pryor, McGirt, Meldrick Taylor, Whitaker, Gatti, Mayweather, Tracy Patterson, and more. Then at 8-10 pm, there is the Ringside special, "Sugar Ray Robinson: Poetry in Motion." The way I see it, there is 9 hours of classic fights, followed by :15 minutes of Duddy on MSNBC, and then the HBO card.

[Stephist]

9. 111-107 WTF?

Say what you want to about the quality of the fight Jermain Taylor won easily. I think Most boxing fans knew the Pavlik/Miranda fight was going to be better than the Spinks Taylor fight.

[Stephist]

10. Turns out the judge had it 117-111 Spinks...

Which is worse than the mathematically impossible 111-107. Like I said I don't care how bad the fight was or how bad Jermaine Taylor looked he still won the fight easily.

[H2O Man]

12. Taylor won.

It's hard to look good against Spinks. In their first fight, Zab Judah had problems, and lost a very close decision. In their rematch, Zab moved on his feet in a very different way, and was able to beat Spinks up and knock him out. Why Taylor didn't learn from that one is a mystery.

However, he won, and now he faces a very strong contender in Pavlik. For US boxing fans, that would be the most interesting middleweight fight right now. What we saw in their corners last night was mighty interesting: Pavlik's cornermen were a little anxious after the first round, but were able to keep their man on track, and Pavlik showed the ability to handle anything Miranda had to offer; Taylor's corner gre increasingly frustrated by the champ's inability to adjust to the tactics that everyone knew Spinks would use.

[H2O Man]

14. Pavlik did to Miranda

about the same thing Oscar De La Hoya did to Mayorga: throw straight punches inside the strong man's round houses; show him you aren't intimidated; and move him backwards.

There was a couple points where I think the ref or corner should have stopped it. Miranda has a lot more balls than Mayorga. We don't need another Benny "Kid" Paret.

Pavlik is very, very impressive.

[TSIAS]

15. I thought Taylor won

The main event was closer than HBO made it out to be. Frankly, I'm disappointed in how ardently Lampley criticized the judge who gave it to Spinks. I had it 115-113 for Taylor, but there are people I respect on the Internet who had Spinks slightly ahead.

At the end of the day, I would tend to score the fight in favor of myself for enduring 12 rounds of an absolute stinker.

[H2O Man]

16. While I love

a good "chess match" between good boxers, that was not an example of one. It's too bad. Even on paper, it looked to be a dull fight. But it was beyond dull. Neither man fought like they were intent on winning. What stood out for me was that both guys were capable of doing more, but made a conscious decision to do less.

[TSIAS]

17. Big time boxing is on hold for a few weeks

I looked through the upcoming schedule, and unfortunately there isn't much to look forward to in the near future. The month closes out with a WNF return of former champ Clarence "Bones" Adams. Both the Peterson brothers are on another ESPN2 card, but that doesn't qualify as excitement. The scheduled BAD fight with Juan Guzman is off because of injury.

Next month, I might want to see Briggs/Ibragimov. It's a PPV, and I hope it's one of the $25 variety. Cotto/Judah is being hyped a lot by HBO, bt I'm not sure it's that big of an attraction. If I happen to have a spare $40, it could be interesting to see Cotto in a rather big test. But it's not an affair that brings me great anticipation.

Miranda/Pavlik saved HBO's ass with the show they put on. I thought Pavlik had a pretty good shot of upsetting Miranda. All the focus was on the potential Miranda/Taylor super-fight. Of course, now the hype surrounds Taylor/Pavlik. As you stated, Taylor may opt to fight Calzaghe for more money.

That whole 2000 class of Olympians that Lou DiBella signed have been disappointing for the most part. Ricardo Williams Jr, Clarence Vinson, and Michael Bennett all flopped early on. Cotto (with Top Rank) and Taylor are the only two to make big noise, unless you include former beltholder Brian Viloria into that mix.

Finally, I'm sad to hear that HBO may opt not to renew Larry Merchant's contract. I always counted on Larry to not parrot the company line. While his insight into the sport isn't as great as some commentators, I counted on him for comic relief. For some reason, I always pictured him drinking a pint of whiskey before getting dressed in his tux and going to the venue. Max Kellerman is also someone I enjoy, and he has great enthusiasm for the sport. I would rather see someone like ESPN2's Teddy Atlas get the coveted role in the HBO booth.

[H2O Man]

18. Interesting.

Yesterday, at the end of another showing of the 5-19 card (my son fell asleep during Taylor vs Spinks on Saturday), when they had the preview of the June fights, my son commented how many good fights there are going to be this summer. A lot of the ones he and I are looking forward to aren't the "super" fights, of course, but are the second and third tier fighters.

I think Judah vs Cotto will be interesting. I think Zab has 4 rounds to win; after that, he will probably be in trouble. It should be interesting to see how each one looks in training.

I thought Pavlik had a chance against Miranda, in part because of Miranda's seeming to be looking past him. But it turned out that wasn't the case. Miranda looked nervous getting in the ring, and before the first bell .... if he was over-confident, I wouldn't expect that. Pavlik won because he is the better fighter. He can make the division interesting.

Larry Merchant does not seem to be on the same track as the other guys on HBO. His conversation with Floyd Mayweather Sr was one of the strangest things I've seen. Maybe they can do a show together. I do like Max Kellerman, though I think he is better in a studio than ringside. Teddy Atlas is the best in the business today, though I hope he sticks with ESPN.