BRY GUY BOXING: 2005

Monday, December 26, 2005

WAZ HAPPNIN' IN '06

Things in 2006 are starting to look hot. We are going to see the end of a trilogy(Corrales-Castillo III), the second fight in what could turn into a trilogy(Pacquiao-Morales II), and a mega-fight that could be one for the ages(Judah-Mayweather). Also along the way we'll get to see two Legends (Jones-Hopkins) square off in a long awaited rematch.(some may disagree, but I say better late than never.) Let's not forget what could be the best match-up so far Jeff Lacy is finally going to face off with Joe Calzaghe. And this is all by early APRIL!

Of course in boxing, there are always major ups and major downs. We'll have to see Miguel Cotto go up against another fighter who will not test him. No one wants to see, Tarver fight Tyson. Shane Mosley and Fernando Vargas will charge PPV. And don't even get me started about the heavy-weights.
I have a few predictions, wishes, and brief remarks for the new year.

PREDICTIONS:

ZAB JUDAH VS. FLOYD MAYWEATHER:

I know I stated two days ago in a blog entry that I wouldn't make a prediction, but It's my blog and I'll change my mind if I want too. I think Judah has more power and the ability knockout Mayweather. The reason people haven't been able to do damage to Floyd is because they can't catch him. My friends I think Zab is just fast enough to do it. Judah KO 9

WARNING: THIS PREDICTION MAY FLIP-FLOP FROM NOW TILL THE END OF THE FIGHT ON APRIL 8TH.

DIEGO CORALLES VS. JOSE LUIS CASTILLO III:

I have said right along that Castillo can beat coralles. I think he was winning the first fight with Coralles until the tenth. I think even without weightgate he would've beaten him in the second. The only chance Coralles has is to step back and use his jab. I think he is too proud and too much of a tough guy to do that. Castillo: KO 8

ROY JONES JR. VS. BERNARD HOPKINS II:

I, unlike most think that this fight is more interesting now than it would've been in both fighters primes. I think they are both more vulnerable, and each feels they need this win more than any other to go out on top. This fight could turn into a snooze fest like Taylor-Hopkins or could be a good fight between two guys desperate to reclaim their dominance over the sport. I still feel Jones is just too fast, and Hopkins won't be able to put enough on his punches to slow him down. Jones: UD 12

MANNY PACQUIAO VS. ERIK MORALLES II:

This fight will no doubt be another exciting brawl.(I don't think either fighter knows how to do anything else.) In this one however I don't think the Pac-man will let Moralles dictate the action as much. Pacquiao has learned from his mistakes and will be more of well rounded fighter this time, rather than a knockout puncher looking too impose his power. That and I'd like to see this turn into a trilogy. Pacquiao: UD 12

JEFF LACY VS. JOE CALZAGHE:

Jeff Lacy has been eating up competition ever since he turned pro. It seems as if he's been getting better and more ferocious in each fight as well. It reminds me of Mike Tyson back in the day. People are starting to wonder if he is unstoppable. Joe Calzaghe is one of those guys across the pond that many feel is a protected fighter with a fictional record. I've never seen a full Calzaghe fight just a few highlights. I am totally biased in this prediction because Jeff Lacy is by far my favorite fighter to watch. My only fear is that Calzaghe will be to Lacy what Holyfield was to Tyson, a reality check. I doubt it Lacy is a much smarter person and boxer than Mike was. But the potential is there. Lacy: TKO 10

WISHES:
I have few wishes for 2006.

1. That Ricky Hatton does indeed sign with Golden Boy Promotions. It seems as though Oscar is the promoter of the future and he may be able to get Ricky the fights he deserves and I want to see him in.

2. I would like to see Miguel Cotto step up and fight a real contender no more fringe guys. I want him to take on guys like Hatton, Witter, and even Mayweather.

3. Speaking of Mayweather, after his fight with Judah, move back down to 140lbs. He has some unfinished business by the names of Hatton and Cotto.

4. I would love to see the heavywieght division get off it's ass and put together some fun fights. They don't have to be for titles, just make them entertaining. I would like to see two old pros face off Shannon Briggs and David Tua. I'd love to see Lamon Brewster with his new found confidence go at Wlad Klitchko again. I might even start a petition for the two of the more crafty heavyweights to square off, Chris Byrd and James Toney.(hey if Toney beats Rahman that could be for a title.)

BRIEF REMARKS:

1. HBO and Showtime need to stop booking the same dates for fights. Boxing has enough problems getting fans, you don't split the small audience it does have. Plus, most of the time both cards are shitty anyway, why not put your heads together and do one great card?

2. A lot less PPV! I'm sick of not watching fights because I feel they are trying to rip me off. Although I didn't mind the $20 Hatton fight.(well, I get half off so it was only $10.) I enjoyed watching a $10 fight while I ate dinner, and then had the rest of the evening to enjoy my beers!(Coronas are so good when they hit your lips!)

Saturday, December 24, 2005

ZAB"SUPER"JUDAH vs. "PRETTY BOY" FLOYD MAYWEATHER

It was starting to sound like this fight was never going to happen. I was as happy about this fight going down as I was the Hopkins-Jones rematch. These are two of the most naturally talented fighters in the game right now. Mayweather can beat just about anybody in boxing, but I would love to see him get tested. Zab has a suspect chin and that is the reason I'm giving Floyd the edge. Although Zab can slap and Mayweather got stunned against Chop-Chop Corley(who isn't known as a big puncher). I would never bet against "Pretty Boy", but I think people aren't giving Judah enough respect. Zab took less money than he had to for this fight, which means he considers it personal. So we won't be seeing Zab "the clown" Judah, he'll show up and mean bussiness the way he did in the second Spinks fight. Also, Mayweather did beat up on Sharmba Mitchell in his last fight, but got hit quite a bit in the process. If he does that against Zab he'll pay dearly. I love this fight and it could be the best for 2006, I only hope that Mayweather goes back down in weight after to clean up the 140lbs. division. I am also eager to see him fight Hatton, and Cotto. I won't make a prediction in this fight. It's too easy to say Mayweather and too risky to say Judah. All I'll say is nothing is going to surprise THE BRYGUY.

By the way Merry Christmas.

Friday, December 23, 2005

HOPKINS - JONES II
March 11, 2006

It is kind of crazy that I write an article saying one fight I would love to see is Hopkins-Jones II and one week later it happens. I wonder if they got the idea from the BRYGUY. If so do you think they want to be a part of B.G.N.S.?(See previous blog entry.) Any way I must say I am a big fan of this fight for numerous reasons. First, They both need this fight. Jones looked like a clown in his last fight against Tarver. As for Hopkins he has never been exciting to watch but with the two Taylor fights he hit a new low. Second, as I said in my previous article these two guys still match up similarly to the way they did 12 years ago. In fact they are both more vulnerable now. Which I think makes it a much more interesting fight. Third, I love a fight with hype that has the possibility of crossing into the mainstream. ESPN will do more on this fight than they would any other. Fourth, it makes me look cool for writing about it last week! I think Jones will win the fight. He showed glimpses of his old self in the Tarver fight and he knows Hopkins can't knock him out. Also Taylor proved that if you don't get sucked into a typical Hopkins fight you can beat him. There aren't any titles on the line, just something far more important LEGACY. Each guy would love to ride off into the sunset with a big win, and it wouldn't get any bigger than this. It's a $50 PPV and the BRYGUY will gladly fork over the money and you're all invited. If it's a close fight could we be looking at a trilogy? OOOOOOOOH! I'll save that for next time. I gotta go drinking.

Saturday, December 17, 2005

BERNARD HOPKINS

I have recently read that Bernard Hopkins is indeed going to retire after his two loses to Jermain Taylor. I will admit I am slightly torn on whether I like this decision or not. Allow me to explain why. I never want to see a fighter continue when it's obvious they are just hurting themselves.(Evander Holyfield, Joe Mesi.) So I would not be upset if Hopkins retired. In his last two outings I thought he showed he still has the skills to beat most anybody.(I thought Hopkins won the first fight, and lost the second.) There is still one fight I would love to see before he retires, Hopkins-Jones II (before you sneer and stop reading let me explain). These two fought each other once before and Roy took it. When the fight happened they were both considered to be in there prime, or at least close to it. So this is not a case of two fighters trying to make a fight that should've happened a long time ago. (Lewis-Tyson) These two already fought in there prime. Both fighters skills have diminished equally.(In different ways of course.) I feel that they have the same advantages over each other today as they did 12 years ago. Is Jones still too fast? Can Hopkins take advantage of Jones' chin? Will Hopkins finally show his age? Has Hopkins become too crafty in those 12 years? Has Jones lost his edge? Those are just some of the questions we could have fun asking leading up to the fight. Also I believe a win for either would solidify there career.(Obviously Jones needs it more than Hopkins.) I don't mind that these guys are old as long as they're still evenly matched. If either plan on fighting again and it's not against each other I will be the first one screaming retire! I might even start a new blog called Bryguy's boxers who should retire blog.

Monday, November 07, 2005

TOP TWELVE CURRENT NICKNAMES
This is my list of top 12 current nicknames. I hope you agree.
12. Jermain "BAD INTENTIONS" Taylor
I love the fact that most people know the phrase "Bad Intentions" from Mike Tyson. He said he used to hit people with "Bad Intentions". To take that and turn it into a nickname is borderline genius. The only thing I have against the nickname is Taylor comes off as one of the nicest guys on the planet. I guess that doesn't mean he can't have "Bad Intentions" in the ring.
11. Jeff "LEFT HOOK" Lacy
I know you're thinking what makes "Left Hook" such a good nickname? Well I'd say it's pretty badass to have your best punch as your nickname. Also the fact he is darn good with the right makes the left even scarier. When I see Jeff tucked and ready to throw the Left I wince. I like to think the nickname has something to do with that.
10. "NIGERIAN NIGHTMARE" Sam Peter
He's a big ugly dude with a neck the size of my T-bird. He can knock most people out with his looks alone. By the way he's Nigerian. Need I say more?
9. Evander "REAL DEAL" Holyfield
It's simple and to the point. It's a question that always comes up at some point in a fighter's career. Is he the real deal? Holyfield met the question head on and proved he was. Perfect for a guy who has been doubted time and time again.
8. "THE GOLDEN BOY" Oscar DelaHoya
Your probably saying to yourself that's not such a good nickname. The reason I think your saying that is because you've heard it so much. Oscar is by far the most famous boxer still in the game right now. People who don't watch boxing know who Oscar Delahoya is. Which does in fact make him "The Golden Boy".
7. Jason "BIGSIX" Estrada
"BIGSIX" is one of the few original and real nicknames in boxing. When Jason was on the US Olympic boxing team a kid asked how tall he was. Jason told him he was six feet. The kid replied, "Damn, you the biggest six foot kid I've ever seen". It's a decent nickname, good story, and great fighting name.
6. James "LIGHTS OUT" Toney
Now at his current weight class Toney is not a knockout puncher. "Lights Out" doesn't have mean knockout. Toney is a "Lights Out" boxer.
5. Bernard "THE EXECUTIONER" Hopkins
What's scarier than the image of an executioner? It's a perfect fighting name. Executioner is a person who's job is to kill people. What more could you ask for?
4. Scott "THE SANDMAN" Pemberton
How many fighters are KO, KO KID, or something to like that. Sandman is an inventive way of saying I'm gonna knock yo ass out! I also think Enter The Sandman is a pretty badass song to enter the ring too.
3. "Iron" Mike Tyson
If you haven't figuered it out yet I like a nickname that's short and to the point. "Iron" says it all. With his looks and power something as simple as "iron" turns out to be pretty frightening.(even though Mike says he's done fighting we know he'll get back in the ring again. That in my book makes him a current fighter.)
2. "BAD" Chad Dawson
Some boxers feel the need to make their nickname a full sentence(Andre " The All Terrain Fighter" Ward).(I will write about that later). "Bad Chad" is one of those names that just flows off the tongue. It's short, sweet, and too the point. In fact when I refer to Chad Dawson at work I simply say "Bad Chad" and everyone knows who I'm talking about(when I say everyone I mean 2 people, you know who you are). Everyone learns at a young age what "Bad" is and it's not good, unless you're in the fight game.
1. "THE BRYGUY"
You didn' think I was gonna leave "THE BRYGUY" off the list did you? It just rolls off the tongue doesn't it. Short, sweet, and to the point. If you noticed Bry rhymes with guy so it's got that going for it. Also it sounds so good when referred to in the third person. If you don't like it "THE BRYGUY" says don't visit "THE BRYGUY's" blog any more.

Saturday, October 22, 2005

THE BRY GUY NEEDS YOUR HELP.
I am going to start an organization called B.G.N.S. The Bry Guy Needs Support. This is something I believe in strongly. There would be meetings once a week(at the 99 of course). The meetings would be on Sundays and would involve big buds, chipoltes, and trivia. The Bry Guy would allow anyone to be apart of B.G.N.S. There are only three rules:

1. You must be wear your B.G.N.S. t-shirt to all meetings(t-shirt would be given at initiation).

2. Women in the group must hug The Bry Guy to let him know he's appreciated.

3. Men must once and a while acknowledge The Bry Guy, nod and say "good meeting".

Meetings would be full of beer, fun, and of course support for The Bry Guy.

All donations can be sent to:
Attn. Bry Guy
B.G.N.S.
P.O. Box Frosty Cold One
Rocky Mtns. 9999

Friday, October 21, 2005

Jean-Marc Mormeck Cruiserweight champion
CRUISERWEIGHT COULD BE THE NEW HEAVYWEIGHT:
I was thinking about tonights David Tua fight when I realized how small he is. Tua is only 5'9, that's small for a heavyweight. To put it in perspective Tua is 5'9 and Vitali Klitschko is 6'7. That's a massive height advantage. You'll never see that kind of discrepancy in any other weight division. There are those who say Cruiserweight is a joke division, just get rid of it let them fight heavyweight. Light Heavyweight ends at 175lbs. How can a guy with the weight around the 180's really fight someone "listed" at 260. (That would be like me fighting Big Billy.) It can't happen, so people bashing the cruisers can just shut up. Now my plan would involve extending the cruiserweight limit by a few pounds, maybe five to ten. I know some heavyweights are there because they don't want to watch there weight(James Toney). Imagine if some of these lighter heavies tried to make cruiserweight. They would actually be in shape, evenly matched, and still have KO ability. This could be the most exciting division in boxing. I would love to see Jean-Marc Mormeck take on any of lighter heavies at Cruiserweight. Also, this would have a trickle down affect. The out of shape cruisers wouldn't be able to compete and be forced to get down to light heavyweight. Imagine guys like Toney, Tua, Jirov, Brewster, Johnson, and Byrd at a lighter weight.(Toney and Jirov were at there best at cruiserweight.) I would also think more guys at lightheavy would rather jump to cruiserweight than heavyweight. The matchups would be unlimited. Everyone complains about the state of the heavyweight division. Well, we wouldn't even notice it if some of these guys tried to fight at cruiserweight. The Lighter weights are so much more exciting because they know it's about the fights, not the belts. I wish the Fatties would figure this out.

Sunday, October 16, 2005

THE CONTENDER BLEW IT!
On the Contender Rematch there were three fights, two questionable decisions, and one big loser. The big loser I'm referring to is boxing. The Contender made people who were not boxing fans interested in the sport. Thanks to boxing once again shooting itself in the foot they've lost a golden opportunity to revive the sport. Well, maybe not revive but at least get some fans back. I know these fighters aren't elite, but aside from the decisions the boxing was pretty entertaining. Let's go through the problems together:

1. Only a moron like myself is going to stay up till 3am and watch boxing. If they couldn't put it on at decent hour move it on ESPN 2. The difference in households can't be that big.

2. What in the hell does Mario Lopez know about boxing? I quess Pauly Shore wasn't available. My mother could've asked more intriging questions. This disapoints me very much, because I thought it was a good idea to have the Friday Night Fights crew cover the event. Teddy Atlas is no Jim Lampley but he's also not Sylvester Stallone.(If you saw the first fight Stallone did the commentating and I think he was watching a different fight).

3. The Ref had no right to stop the fight btween Alfonso Gomez and the Little Dude. I do agree the guy was getting beat up, but he was still throwing bombs and might have landed one. That was the first sign the night would not go well.

4. Anthony Bonsante vs. Jesse Brinkly:
First, I would like to say that I was a Brinkly fan and a Bonsante basher on season one of The Contender. After watching Bonsante take the fight seriously and fight his heart out I've switched sides. I was borderline insulted by the way Brinkly carried himself in the ring, as if he didn't even care to be there. Bonsante out-boxed Brinkly for five straight rounds.(Put simply he beat the crap out of him). In the end a unanimous decision went to Brinkly. This was the worst decision I have ever seen! Brinkly in my opinion did not win 1 second of any round. I was flooded with phone calls asking if I believed what just happened.(When I say flooded I mean 3 people called me, I'm not that popular).

5. Peter Manfredo vs. Sergio Mora:
When this fight came around I knew there would be a bogus decision. I figured however it would go in Peter's favor because so far the other two fights went to fan favorites. Oh, I couldn't have been more wrong. Peter came out like a whole new fighter. He dominated Sergio for the first 4 rounds. When Sergio started to open up in the later rounds it didn't look like anything was landing. He was flashy enough to take rounds five, and eight in my opinion. To my surprise the judges had it the other way around for "The Latin Snake". My boss also thought Sergio won, and he knows boxing like I know competitive jump rope. So the majority decision went the home-town boy. His body language after the fight and before the decision showed he knew he lost even though he said otherwise to Peter.

When The Contender first aired I thought it was great for boxing. I've been a big boxing fan for a while now, but only know a few other hard-core fans. Once The Contender aired people who didn't even like boxing would talk to me about the show, and even showed interest in a few big fights on HBO and Showtime. The sad thing is that not only did The Contender lose some of it's fan-base, but it also turned people off the sport of boxing.

I wish I liked figure skating.

BRYGUY'S FIRST BLOG ENTRY: The first post on my blog is going to be my top five current fighters, just so you know where I stand on the sport.

1. Jeff Lacy 20 - 0 - 16ko's There are a few reasons he is my favorite current fighter. Let's start with the fact he can knock anyone out at any moment, so there is always suspense when watching him fight. When finishing an opponent he can put combinations together better than anyone else in the sport of boxing(except maybe Floyd Mayweather Jr.). He is also a great spokesman for the sport of boxing, Lacy is not a thug, he speaks very well, and he wants to fight the best. One last thing is that Showtime is all over this guy so every fight is televised.

2. Miguel Cotto 24 - 0 - 20ko's Now I know Cotto has some flaws(including what might be a suspect chin)but he is still very enjoyable to watch. This is another who has great power and can knock his opponent out at anytime. Cotto has such solid boxing skill he can pick people apart round by round until they just can't fight anymore(case and point when abdullev had to quit because he could no longer see). One last thing is that his peekaboo style of fighting is so intimidating looking that it makes nervous just watching him from my couch.

3. Bernard Hopkins 46 - 3 - 32ko's I also have several reasons for this choice, first off in my book he hasn't lost in about 10 years(he beat up on Jermain Taylor so bad the last half of their fight he proved to me he was the better man). I like the way he is ending his career trying to fight the best and finish in style(not go until he gets humiliated, something that may or may not happen to RJJ). His fights are usually, I take that back, are definitely not exciting, but I do enjoy watching him break a fighter down at the beginning of the fight and expose his weaknesses at the end(admit it the first few rounds of Hopkins-Taylor you thought his age had caught up to him). Last but not least I met him one day at Mohegan Son and he was incredibly nice, I have a pic of us as the background of my computer. Advice to other fighters: be nice to me, have a picture taken and you too could make it into my top five.

4. Jamie Clampitt 16 - 3 - 7ko's Jamie is a female fighter from R.I. who I have had the pleasure of seeing fight 6 -7 times. Every time I see her she is on a fight card packed with fighters, and every time her fights are ten times better than anyone else fighting that night. She is a solid fighter she puts together solid combos and always moves forward, win or lose her fights are always action packed. That and I think she's kinda cute.

5. My friend Billy 1-0 Billy is a 250 pound beer drinking animal. I have only seen him fight once(I have heard plenty of stories but only had the pleasure of witnessing one brawl). I do give him credit he did have quite a bit to drink that night so I applaud him for being able to stand much less move like a cripple with two leg braces. It all began on a cold and stormy night, sorry a bit too dramatic, we were outside a bar when the mouthing off began. Billy started off well grabbing the smaller man by the throat(it was a nice move because while chocking him the man was also helping billy stand up). It was all down hill from there Billy decided to let go and let his fists fly, in one smooth gazelle like maneuver Billy threw five punches missing all of them collapsing on the man in front of the huge window(where the entire bar had gathered to watch) and as if in slow motion his shirt ripped and his big beautiful gut popped out. At this time the bouncer jumped between Billy and his opponent to break it up(all fighting had ceased) and Billy popped the kid with a left.(three cheers for Bill he landed one) So as far as compubox goes Billy land one and the other guy landed none, That's a win in my book. Congrats Billy may you have a long and drunken career in prize fighting.

Well there you have my top five I hope you agree with a least one of them, and If you every get a chance to see Billy brawl I highly recommend it.

Honorable Mention: The Andres:

Andre Ward 5 - 0 - 3ko's Andre Dirrell 5 - 0 - 4ko's Both Olympic medalists just starting their pro careers.(Ward the gold and Dirrell the bronze) Each fighter is very fast and has similarities to a young Roy Jones Jr. They are only starting out, but both fighters are televised a lot. How often do you get to watch a fighter who is not local go from the bottom to top. (by the way if you decide to use the term The Andres please give credit to The Bry Guy)

John Duddy 11- 0 - 10ko's I've only seen two of his fights on Friday Night Fights. One he destroyed a guy in under 2 minutes and the other he went 8 rounds with a very good fighter and KO'd him with about 30 seconds left. He is one of those guys with a knockout punch that can also box. I will be sitting ringside at his next fight this Saturday, so after that he may replace Billy in my top 5. I also met him and he was a very nice guy(no pic though)