BRY GUY BOXING

2010-07-05T22:52:00.001-04:00

Worcester's Edwin Rodriguez Fights Biggest Battle Outside Boxing Ring (Video)

Edwin Rodriguez had reason to believe he was going to be an Olympic boxer.

Rodriguez, a Worcester, Mass., native by way of the Dominican Republic, had established himself as one of the best super-middleweight boxers in the country and was a strong hopeful for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

But as he was preparing to do so, an event that usually brings joy to a man's life put his boxing career on hold and cost him an opportunity to fight in the Olympics.

That's because Rodriguez's wife, Stephanie Rapa, gave birth to the couple's twins, although she did so prematurely, only 23 weeks into her pregnancy in November of 2006.

The premature birth of the twins halted Rodriguez's training for the Olympic qualifying trials.

Rodriguez's manager, Larry Army, said that Rodriguez was "definitely one of the favorites to make the U.S. Olympic team."

But despite the young boxer's hopes and dreams of participating on the biggest stage, he knew what he had to do. He needed to be by his wife's side as their kids battled for their lives.

TO SEE THE VIDEO PLEASE GO TO NESN.COM

2010-06-10T15:55:00.002-04:00

STADIUM SLUGFEST WAS A HIT(PUN INTENDED)

On a normal Saturday in June, Yankee Stadium is home to one of the best offensive teams in baseball. However, last Saturday, the fairly new ballpark may have boasted more hitting than all the Yankees' games thus far.

Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs) squared off against Yuri Foreman (28-1, 8 KOs) in the first fight at the new Yankee Stadium, the first at a Yankees park in 34 years.

Entering this fight, many believed Cotto’s best days were behind him and Foreman’s awkward style would win out (this writer included). Instead, Cotto looked like the fighter of old -- the fighter that used to chop down his opponents with a vicious body attack, cut off the ring and suffocate his victim with punishment. Foreman did what he usually does -- dance, change direction and get off in quick bursts -- but he just didn’t have enough to keep the power-punching Puerto Rican off him.

Cotto had control from the opening bell. He cut the ring and he was scoring regularly with his jab, and he was successful landing hard-thudding shots throughout the night.

Foreman slipped in the seventh round and got up hobbling. According to The Associated Press, he tore his meniscus and stretched ligaments in his right knee.

His corner decided to continue with the fight into the eighth round only to suddenly have a change of heart partway through, throwing in the towel.

In a strange twist, referee Arthur Mercante Jr. decided that the towel was unjustified and the fighters could continue. So after ushering the crowd out of the ring, the fight went on.It was a strange move -- but not as surprising as when referee Frank Santore Jr. counted Kermit Cintron out against Sergio Martinez

TO READ THE REST VIST NESN.COM/BOXING

2010-05-27T17:05:00.002-04:00

THREE FIGHTS FOR PACMAN

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT NESN.COM

It seems that, lately, Manny Pacquiao (51-3, 38 KOs) can't lose. It doesn't matter if he's fighting for a belt at 140 pounds, 147 pounds or a seat on the Philippines Congress. Even acid reflux is no match for this guy.

Now as happy as I am that Pacman has dreams outside the ring and is accomplishing them by getting involved in the Philippines political scene, I am also very saddened that the end of his boxing career is in sight. As the world watched to see if Pacquiao would get elected, Bob Arum was telling media outlets that he thought Pacquiao still had three fights left in him.

So that leaves us to make some decisions -- maybe not congressional decisions, but almost as important. What three fighters does Manny Pacquiao have to take on to close out his career?

Here are my choices.

1. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (41-0, 25 KOs)
OK, this is obvious. Bob Arum has said Pacquiao is fighting in November. A date of Nov. 13 has been pegged as a possible date for the superfight, and the world is collectively sending out good karma in hopes that it gets done. It's not often that the two all-around best boxers in the game are fighting around the same weight class. If this fight fails, it would not only be a huge money-making opportunity lost, but it would also open the floodgates for people to say, "It's another black eye on the sport of boxing."

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is coming off the best win of his career against Shane Mosley. Not only did Mayweather overcome a few rough moments in the third round after being wobbled by Mosley, but he also beat Mosley to the punch, walked the offensive fighter down and was somewhat entertaining. "Money May" looked so good against his 38-year-old opponent that the message boards, Twitter accounts and Facebook status updates were filled with boxing fans proclaiming what would happen to Pacman if a fight did indeed take place. To that, I reply with another boxing cliche: "That's why they fight the fight".

This fight needs to happen. It would be good for the sport, good for both fighters' legacies and, most of all, good for the fans who have stood by patiently while the two sides bickered like an old married couple.

2. Timothy Bradley (25-0, 11 KOs)
No matter the outcome of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight -- meaning win, lose, draw or doesn't happen -- I would like to see this matchup. Timothy Bradley is a no-nonsense, come-forward boxing machine. He first opened eyes when he took a split-decision victory over the awkward Junior Witter in enemy territory (England). He walked away with WBC light welterweight title and boatloads of respect from hardcore boxing fans.

Bradley has followed up that fight with nothing but impressive victory after impressive victory. He has beaten Edner Cherry, Kendall Holt, Nate Campbell and Lamont Peterson in the past two years. I would be willing to bet that there aren't many boxers who have faced that caliber of opposition lately, much less beaten them all. Bradley has also just joined the HBO ranks, which means he will start to get some recognition.

Bear with me as I toss out another one: "Pressure busts pipes." In the case of a Pacquiao-Bradley fight, I think "Pressure makes a diamond." Pacquiao doesn't back down, and neither does Bradley. Bradley seems to be built like the Energizer Bunny, never slowing down, never stopping and constantly banging away. You could name the fight after one of my favorite Tom Petty songs: "I Won't Back Down."

TO SEE THE REST OF MY LIST PLEASE GO TO NESN.COM/BRYAN-BRENNAN

2010-05-01T09:02:00.002-04:00

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Has Speed, Youth on His Side for Bout With Shane Mosley

Going into a Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight, the question for me isn’t about whether he will win. The questions are: Will he be tested? Will he start to crack? Will he be pushed to the point where he has to dig deep? Will I hear his trainer say, "We need these rounds"?

As a fight fan, you can’t help but love the fighters that can get through certain situations on nothing but heart and instinct. Guys who, for no good reason, continue to fight, claw and scratch their way to victory. Those are the guys who really touch you and make you so dedicated to supporting such a crazy sport. They make you believe that if they can overcome that insane adversity, then anything is truly possible.

Someone with the skill set of a Floyd Mayweather also makes you appreciate the finer points in a brutal sport like boxing. You see the chess match aspect of the sport come into play. You are at times mesmerized by the speed and finesse one human being can put on display. When I watch Mayweather fight, I am in awe of his talent, but that still isn't enough. I want to see the fight inside of him. He has achieved amazing things in this sport, and at times he has done it without breaking a sweat. I wouldn’t want Mayweather to fight in a different style, or try to become more fan-friendly in the ring. I just want to see him go beyond what we already know he can do.

Shane Mosley is easily one of the best fighters of this generation and arguably Mayweather's toughest opponent to date. He has the potential to take Mayweather to the limit, and he has the obvious tools and talent to beat the undefeated fighter. Can he be the guy who, as Nazim Richardson said, "forces Floyd to become a dragon?" Could he get the best out of Floyd? It all depends on Shane.

Let’s look at their last few fights: To Read The Rest Please Go To NESN.com

2010-03-19T10:54:00.001-04:00

EDWIN RODRIGUEZ REEMERGES

I wrote a story on the Lowell Golden Gloves tournament at Lowell Memorial Auditorium in 2005 and had the privilege of meeting a few promising athletes. Danny O'Connor, Demetrius Andrade and Edwin Rodriguez were just three of the many boxers I spoke to that night. Because of their boxing skills, personality and potential, I kept an eye on their careers.

O'Connor went on to become an Olympic alternate at the Beijing Olympics and later turned pro in Manchester, N.H. He's now 10-0 with three knockouts and is headlining his first card Friday night at Twin River Casino in Rhode island.

Andrade was a medal hopeful in Beijing, but he bowed out of the Games unexpectedly. He is now a pro with a 9-0, seven-KO record, and has several national television appearances under his belt.

Even though I follow boxing pretty closely, I seemed to lose track, though, of Rodriguez, a smiley kid from Worcester who seemed so excited about the chance to go to the nationals.But when I finally caught up Rodriguez, I found out that between that Golden Gloves tournament and our latest meeting, it had been a long and bumpy road for the now 25-year-old fighter. But as difficult as it was, he says he wouldn't change it for anything.

Following the Lowell tournament, Rodriguez went on to win several national tournaments, including the U.S. Nationals that same year and the National Golden Gloves tournament in 2006. He seemed be on the same Olympic path as his fellow New Englanders O'Connor and Andrade. Then, in November of 2006, his fiancee, Stephanie Rapa, gave birth to twins, Edwin Jr. and Serena Lynn, 17 weeks premature. They were not in good health and had to be kept on life support. Edwin and Stephanie were faced with questions that no one should have to answer, especially new parents.

TO READ THE REST FOLLOW THE LINK....

2010-03-12T16:29:00.002-05:00

HBO SPORTS PRESIDENT STILL OPTIMISTIC ABOUT A

MANNY PACQUIAO - FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. FIGHT

Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey are squaring off on HBO pay-per-view on Saturday. It’s not for just a belt or payday, but for a much bigger future opportunity.

Pacquiao already had a gargantuan payday in his sights when a little squabble over needles crashed the party. The top pound-for-pound fighter eventually moved on and is slated to fight Clottey at the brand-new Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

Sadly, no matter how good this fight might be, no one cares. All thoughts are still on a potential showdown between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

We caught up with HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg a few weeks ago. Greenburg was in Boston promoting a Larry Bird and Magic Johnson documentary, but he was more than happy to chat a little boxing and didn’t shy away from expressing his disappointment that the superfight never came together.

"Again, we find ourselves in the scenario where we have to have a little bit of luck and both those fighters have to win," said Greenburg, who’s been at HBO since 1978.

This past winter, he was front and center for the collapse of what could have been the biggest fight in boxing. It was a present the television veteran wasn’t expecting.

"It ruined my Christmas vacation, to be honest with you." Greenburg said. "I was on the phone probably four or five hours a day trying to make it happen."

PLEASE READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE AT NESN.COM

2010-02-03T13:03:00.002-05:00

JOHN RUIZ TAKES ON DAVID HAYE APRIL 3RD

Two-time WBA Heavyweight champion and Massachusetts native John Ruizis getting another title shot.

Ruiz will be taking on current WBA Heavyweight champion David Hayeon April 3rd in Manchester, England. It was Haye who defeated Nikolay Valuev for the WBA strap back in November after Ruiz (the No. 1 contender) agreed to step aside and fight the winner.

"The Quiet Man" stopped by the South Boston Boxing Gym for a quick workout but as I soon found out, he's not all that quiet once you get him going. And unlike some people, he has not lost faith in the Patriots, as we dished on everything from his upcoming fight to his first car.

NESN.com: How have you changed after fighting over in Germany the past few years?

Ruiz: Yeah definitely people haven’t noticed. People think I have retired already because they haven’t seen me fight; I’ve been fighting over in Germany the past three or four years. It was a good experience, the fans were great -- I just never got a break with the decisions. I’m looking forward to moving on and fighting David Haye in England.

NESN.com: Tell me a little bit about David Haye.

Ruiz: David Haye is definitely a quick guy, he’s not going to be easy to corner him. He likes to move around a lot. The main thing is try to cut the ring off, and stay on top of him. He’s a perfect style for me because his most difficult fights are the people who basically stay on top of him and make him fight. That’s my kind of style, and I think I have a good chance.

TO READ THE REST GO TO NESN.COM/BOXING...

2010-01-29T08:56:00.002-05:00

New England sports fans are categorized several different ways. We are, of course, a Red Sox Nation and a hockey town, but we also happen to bleed green. Plus, as Robert Kraft put it, "We are all Patriots."

But people are forgetting that this area also has a great tradition of boxing.

New England has paved the way for some of boxing's greatest and most memorable athletes. Rocky Marcianois a legendary heavyweight, and the only champion to retire undefeated.Marvin Hagler is not only one of the best middleweights of all time, but his third round TKO over Tommy Hearns is a fight that will be talked about forever. We also have to give major props to Lowell's Micky Ward for giving us a splendid career as well as three devastatingly amazing fights against Arturo Gatti.

More recently, the Northeast has spit out quite a few promising pro prospects, including Matt Godfrey, Edwin Rodriguez, Peter Manfredo Jr., Jason Estrada, Danny O'Conner and Demetrius Andrade.

What do all these fighters have in common? They have all gone through the New England Golden Gloves tournament. The Gloves has been a tradition in New England since 1964 and sells out the Lowell Memorial Auditorium year in and year out.

Continue at nesn.com

2010-01-20T10:29:00.001-05:00

Berto, Mosley, and Mayweather, Oh my!!

What happens next?

2010-01-14T23:39:00.002-05:00

Pacquiao & Mayweather let boxing down.

A little over a month ago, I firmly believed the state of boxing was changing for the better. Thanks to the pressure of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), the demand from fans and the overall talent in boxing, great fights were being forced to happen, pay-per-views were diminishing and boxing fans were turning their frowns upside down.

The two best pound-for-pound fighters were planning to square off in March, and some fantastic fights were just over the horizon. I don't know about you, but my glass was full of optimism for the future of the sport.

Then, they did it to us again. Shame on us for falling for it.

Please read the rest of my article.

2010-01-06T18:34:00.002-05:00

It's the year 2010 and there is no time to waste! Who do we need to see in the ring duking it over the next year?

I know we are focused on two people that refuse to get along, but I think there are a few fights that could happen in 2010 to take our mind off of the pound for pound knuckleheads.

Check out my list of 20 fights that I would like to see in 2010.....

2009-12-23T11:22:00.002-05:00

Pacquiao - Mayweather off?

Last night Golden Boy Promotions sent out a press release stating that the Manny Pacquiao - Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight was in jeopardy due to the fact that Pacquiao was not willing to comply with certain areas of the Olympic style drug testing. According to the statement, Pacquiao doesn't want to have his blood taken too close to the fight (30 days) due to superstitions. The release made it seem as if this is a big sticking point and the fight could be ruined because of it.

In the release Mayweather added ""I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don't know anyone who really does," said Mayweather. "But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same. It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA."

Not one to be pushed around, Bob Arum has fired back, going as far as saying the fight is off and that "the plug is pulled."

"Mayweather proves that he’s a coward and he’s looking for a way out of the fight," Arum said. "The Nevada commission has been doing drug testing for the last 40 years. To appease Mayweather, we agreed they could do urine analysis any time they wanted. But Manny doesn’t want them to draw his blood when he’s in training because it weakens him."

Arum turned the blame completely around, saying the testing was only a way for Mayweather to find a way out of the fight.

"All they’re doing is harassing Pacquiao," Arum said. "I’m not going to allow it to happen. We’re willing to do urine analysis at random, even though we don’t have to do it under Nevada rules.

"I know deep down Mayweather doesn’t want the fight. He can take a walk."

To read my views and opinions please go to the main article........

2009-12-21T17:21:00.002-05:00

Boxing's Naughty List of 2009

After going through some magazines and websites it seems like this is time of the year writers and fans give out their personal awards, make best of lists, and overall just recap anther year that just passed us by. I don't have any awards to give out and I feel like ten of something tends to be a bit too much, but five on the other hand is just right. So in celebration of Christmas I am going to make up a "Naughty and Nice" list of the sweet science in the year 2009. Usually when someone asks you what you want first, "Good news or the bads", I always start with the bad. Now as a boxing fan I usually don't like to get negative about the sport of boxing, but let's be honest... it is boxing. I promise though, I won't call dead or talk about how corrupt it is, there are plenty of other writers to bash the sport like that, I'm just going to cover the things that dissapointed me most this year.

The Naughty five of '09:

Honorable Mention:

Wasted Talent: As Robert DeNiro's character Lorenzo in A Bronx Tale said "the saddest thing in life is wasted talent". This year one of, if not the most exciting fighter to come up through the ranks over the past few year, James Kirkland was arrested on gun charges. In July Kirkland pleaded guilty to gun charges and was sentenced to federal prison for two years. I won't make a judgement on Kirkland because I know that we live in very different worlds, but that doesn't mean it isn't sad to see him sitting out his prime in a jail cell. Lorenzo was right, it truly is sad to see his talent wasted.

To see #'s 5 - 1 please check out the full article on nesn.com.........

2009-12-13T13:01:00.004-05:00

DALLAS vs. VEGAS

So it has come down to Vegas or Dallas for the Manny Pacquiao - Floyd Mayweather showdown on March 13th. I am here to tell you that for the good of boxing this fight needs to be in Dallas. I completely understand that Texas has been known to have some bad decisions in the sport, but Vegas has had bad decisions too. What state hasn't?

As much as I loved watching the Miguel Cotto - Manny Pacquiao fight it wasn't as electric as a Ricky Hatton fight when he fought at the M.E.N Arena, or Lucian Bute when he fights in Montreal, and they don't even have to be taking on stellar competition. That because they have a decent following and have their fights in venues that actual fight fans can get tickets for. If you are putting on the biggest fight in the sport in years rational thought would be that you would want to put it in the biggest venue, right?

What does a boxing fan have to do to get in on a big time fight? Why do hardcore fans, the ones that pay the money and support the sport for years get punished when a big event comes around? True boxing fans deserve the chance to see this fight, and if it happens in Vegas you can forget about it. Cowboy Stadium is the only hope for Pac-maniacs and Floydians to see this fight in person.

Check out my full article on the subject.......

2009-11-22T10:16:00.006-05:00

PACQUIAO IS WAPAKMAN!

As I've stated in previous blogs, I will never again go doubt Manny Pacquiao's boxing ability. On November 14th he showed the world what an incredible talent he is by dismantling a legitimate Welterweight champion in Miguel Cotto. Manny Pacquiao has to now be considered one of the best fighters of our generation, and he now lands himself in conversation about where on the list he is All-time.

I repeat, I will never doubt Manny Pacquiao in the ring ever again......... I will however laugh at his acting abilities all day long! Pacquiao's movie Wapakman is due to come out in the Philippines around Christmas, but I tend to believe he won't be getting very many offers from Hollywood after this. He looks like a cross between Great American Hero, and a little kid on Halloween, you know the kid that comes to the door and you feel bad for.

I guess it is a Sci-Fi comedy about an average man who develops super-powers. After watching the trailer I have to wonder if the comedy is intentional!

Check out the Wapakman trailer, let me know what you think.

2009-11-17T20:00:00.011-05:00

Hype Hangover
IT'S UNFAIR TO TWO WORTHY FIGHTERS
As a die hard boxing fan it's not hard to get sucked up into the hype of a big time fight, especially one as solid as Pacquiao vs. Cotto. The difficult thing is dealing with the hangover. No not your typical booze induced headache of a hangover, more of a hype hangover.

If you are a boxing fanatic like me you spent the weeks leading up to fight just pouring yourself over every article, video, chat room, and friendly conversation that had anything to do with that fight. You watched every installment of HBO's 24/7, maybe even watched them twice. You wore out the Pacquiao - Cotto discussions with your girlfriend(probably didn't take long), you even bought bobble-heads of the fighters(I did, can't help it, I love both guys). The problem is that after the big night your brain is mush.

You have have done one of two things since Saturday: Gotten so obsessed with the fight that now all you care to read is recaps, and talk of a Pacquiao -Mayweather showdown, or you are just plain tired of reading about boxing. I understand how you feel, the hype to a big fight can wear any man down, but I am here to tell you it is unacceptable. Go splash some water on your face, take a nap, do some deep knee bends, whatever it is that you need to do to shake that hangover(perhaps eating something greasy can help in this instance too).

We have two fighters that need our support and attention now. Andre Ward and Mikkel Kessler will square off in Oakland California Saturday night for the WBA Super-middleweight title. Almost any other month, or even week this would be a huge deal, but after the amazing performance that Manny Pacquiao put on in what was easily the most anticipated fight in years, this fight seems to have taken second fiddle. I have been referring to this fight as the "Christmas Baby Fight". I was born three days after Christmas, and because of that I have always been shorted on gifts, parties, and anticipation for my birthday. I feel for Ward and Kessler, I know what it's like to be the after thought to a bigger event(I like to think it has nothing to do with me as a person).

That should not be the case with this one. These are two of the best Super-middleweights in the world and they should not be ignored. This is the final fight of group stage one in Showtime's Super Six tournement, and these could be arguably the two best in the tourney.

Mikkel Kessler(42-1,32ko)
Monaco, Denmark

Kessler's rap sheet is much more impressive than that of Oakland's Ward. His only loss came at the hands of Joe Calzaghe two years ago(which is no shame, 46 others fell to Calzaghe too).Kessler has wins over Librado Andrade, Marcus Beyer, Eric Lucas, and Anthony Mundine. He has solid boxing ability, a granite chin, and what could be the best 1-2 in the biz.

Andre Ward(20-0,13ko)
Oakland, CA USA

Ward was the 2004 Olympic gold medalist, and started off his career at middleweight. He has yet to lose in his professional career, but the quality of names on his resume doesn't even close to the ones on Kessler's. Ward has wins against Rubin Williams, Jerson Ravelo, and his biggest win to date came against the brawling Edison Miranda. Ward is a smart fighter with fast hands, and outstanding athletic ability.

When Joe Calzaghe retired most thought Mikkel Kessler would be the heir apparent, but do to some promotional issues he ended up sitting out of the sport for most of 2009. He had one tune up fight back in September in Denmark before getting into the tournament. Ward on the other hand stepped up in 2009, taking on Edison Miranda; by far the toughest test of his career(he won by TKO in the 8th). Ward was pegged as a superstar after getting the gold medal in the 2004 Olympics, but got wobbled a few times in early fights, took the slow road, and was beginning to test the patience of his fans. These days when it seems like too many fighters are in a hurry to fight for a title, Ward took his career slowly and carefully, now five years since he won his gold medal win Ward gets his first title fight.

THE FIGHT

The fight takes place in Ward's hometown of Oakland California, not a bad place to have your first title fight, just ask Carl Froch if being the hometown fighter has it's advantages(Froch beat Andre Dirrell in a close fight earlier this year in his hometown of Nottingham England). This is a tough fight to call, Kessler has the power to KO Ward, but Ward has the ring intelligence to move and box from the outside.

The questions: Can Kessler cut the ring down enough to corner Ward? Ward has the far superior hand-speed, but is that enough to keep Kessler off of him? Can Kessler win a decision in Oakland? Does Ward have the power to KO Kessler?

In the end I'm going to go with Ward to take a tight decision in what should be a great fight. I feel he will potshot the Dane from the outside and not let himself get caught against the ropes. I will say that if Kessler can force the fight and make Ward trade shots with him he could get the KO. Ward has shown a shaky chin at times and "The Viking Warrior" can drop that 1-2 combination like a hammer(just ask Marcus Beyer). That being said I don't think Ward will let Kessler set his feet and throw with as much pepper on his shots as he would like. Ward will use his superior hand-speed and outbox Kessler. Remember they are fighting in Oakland, so if it's close the fight is going to Ward. I also have to say I think this will be a much more entertaining fight than the Dirrel-Froch match-up. Dirrell at times fights as if he is afraid of fighting, while Ward doesn't mind mixing it up. I really think this could fight could go so many ways, but Ward is just so fast, and in his home town, that is a lot to overcome for the Dane. Either way I feel the winner Saturday could take the whole Super Six Tournament, and may very well be the best Super-middleweight in the world. If that isn't enough to shake your "Hype Hangover" I don't know what will, except maybe a Bloody Mary.

Two questions to close it out:
1. Who do you pick this weekend?
2. Who do you think will win the whole tourney?

2009-11-17T19:25:00.001-05:00

Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr?

How did we get here?

I originally wrote this post back in May when Floyd came out of retirement, but I thought with a little updating it was perfect to repost.

Not too long ago it seemed like after every fight I watched the winning fighter would call out Floyd Mayweather Jr., while Experts and fans alike had differing opinions on who should get a crack at the reigning pound-for-pound champ. All signs now point to a show-down with the "little man that could" Manny Pacquiao. Did "Pretty Boy" actually help himself out by disappearing for a little while?

The names of Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Paul Williams, Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Manny Pacquiao were all being thrown out there. Not to mention some thought Hatton deserved a second shot at the undefeated fighter. If Floyd hadn't retired would we have gotten to this point?

Here are some big fights that have lead to a Mayweather Jr. - Pacquiao showdown:

December 12th 2008: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Ricky Hatton
Mayweather Jr. lands a perfect left hook on Ricky Hatton's jaw to knock him out in the 10th.

February 9th 2008: Carlos Quintana vs. Paul Williams
Quintana upsets Williams by unanimous decision, and takes his WBO title. We start to wonder if Williams was just a bit overrated.

March 15th 2008: Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez II
In a spectacular fight Pacquiao walks away with a Split Decision win (many experts and fans thought it could have gone the other way, I had Pacquiao winning). It gives Pacquiao an edge against his arch nemesis with the win, either way I think most look forward to a third encounter.

April 24th 2008: Antonio Margarito vs. Kermit Cintron II
Margarito once again owns Kermit Cintron and KO's him 6 rounds. Cintron has lost a chance at Floyd with this outing. Margarito has the masses talking again.

June 6th 2008: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Retirement
The retirement would cancel the upcoming Delohaya-Mayweather II bout scheduled for September. Oscar is left without an obvious Mega-fight and has to look outside the welterweights.

June 7th 2008: Paul Williams vs. Carlos Quintana II
Williams erases the only defeat from his record with the one round destruction of Carlos Quintana, Williams is back in our good graces.

June 28th 2008: Manny Pacquiao vs. David Diaz
Pacquiao successfully moves up in weight and has arguably the best showing of his career by thoroughly dismantling 135lb champ David Diaz inside of 9 rounds. Word on the street is Paquiao is the new pound-for-pound champ.(Does that sound hip?)

July 26th 2008: Antonio Margarito vs. Miguel Cotto
Margarito stops Miguel Cotto in the 11th round of a spectacular fight. Cotto suffers his first loss, and is no longer seen as the unstoppable machine he had looked like in his past few bouts.

September 13th 2008: Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Joel Casamayor
Marquez takes on cagey southpaw veteran Joel Casamayor in his first fight at Lightweight, and takes him out in the 11th of a solid fight. Marquez continues his climb up the pound-for-pound ranks, and stalks a third fight with Pacquiao.

September 27th 2008: Shane Mosley vs. Ricardo Mayorga
Shane Mosley KO's Ricardo Mayorga in the last seconds of surprisingly entertaining twelve round fight. The scorecards were pretty close, and it seemed as if Mosely was finally starting to show some signs of aging.

December 6th 2008: Manny Pacquiao vs. Oscar Delahoya
Pacquiao man-handles the much bigger Oscar Delahoya, and gets the TKO in the 8th round. Pacquiao sends Delahoya into retirement, and is now widely considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. (Many considered him before, but after this fight there was no question).

January 24th 2009: Shane Mosley vs. Antonio Margarito
Shane Mosley puts on one of the best performances of his career and goes almost untouched while delivering an embarrassing beating to Antonio Margarito, stopping him in the 9th. Previous to the fight Margarito was found to have padding in his hand-wraps, it was later revealed those pads were indeed Plaster-of-Paris. This puts into puts into question all of his previous wins.

February 28th 2009: Juan Manual Marquez vs. Juan Diaz
Marquez would put on a stellar performance in what would be a front runner for fight of the year, stopping Diaz in the 9th. Marquez continues his rightful quest to take on Pacquiao for a third time.

April 11th 2009: Paul Williams vs. Winky Wright
Williams completely out hustles and out classes the usually hard to handle Winky Wright, taking home a one-sided unanimous Decision. This was just the 3rd time Williams has fought over the Welterweight limit and his 2nd fight at Middleweight. Williams has been so good at Middleweight, do we really want him to move down again?

May 2nd 2009: Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton
Pacquiao shows the world why he is now called the best fighter in the world. He may have sent his second superstar into retirement, this time with a flush left hook to the jaw in the 2nd round. Ricky Hatton can kiss his rematch with Floyd Jr. goodbye.

July 18th 2009: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez
Mayweather steps out of retirement and steps back in the ring to take on another pound for pound ranked fighter in Juan Manuel Marquez. Floyd was the much bigger fighter, but Marquez was still a tough test considering Floyd had been off for two years. Mayweather puts on an amazing display off boxing skill for twelve rounds. He completely out boxes another master technician and announces to the boxing world he is back and ready to reclaim his thrown as pound for pound king.

November 14 2009: Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto
In a bold move Pacquiao stays at the around the Welterweight division and challenges for his record seventh world title against what is by most to be considered his toughest test.(I thought he would simply wait for Mayweather to beat Marquez). Pacquiao dominates and punishes the bigger fighter in Cotto, and proves to boxing fans that he is not just a great fighter, but an all-time great fighter. Pacquiao continues a streak unlike anything I've ever seen, stopping his fourth world class fighter in a row.

TBA: Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
I don't think I'm going out on a limb by saying that this one will get done. This is the fight that fans, fighters, and even my mom wants to see. There is too much money to be made for both fighters and evreyone involved in the event for this not to happen.

So there you have it, some of the big things that have happened in boxing between "Pretty Boy's" destruction of Hatton and Pacquiao's instant classic against Cotto. If I had said a few years ago that Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. should fight people would have laughed at me, but now it's the only fight fans want to see.

Long story short, The Pacquiao-Mayweather fight is the only fight in boxing that MUST happen. All it took was a two year hiatus, a violent spree of KO's from Pacquiao, some crappy undercards, and few PPV's!

FINAL THOUGHTS ON PACQUIAO - COTTO

I fully apologize to the Pacmaniacs out there for underestimating their man; he put on quite a show and proved that he is truly an all-time great fighter. I have always had only one rule in boxing; never bet against Bernard Hopkins, well I think my second rule in boxing may have to be never bet against Manny Pacquiao. That may not be quite as big an honor as your seventh title in as many weight classes, but it’s the best I can do. So again, I’m sorry; I fully see the errors of my way.

I thought that Miguel Cotto’s corner completely let him down Saturday night. At several points in the fight I felt bad for Cotto starting around the 3rd round when all he was being told was “come on, box, come on”, I may be wrong but I would think you should have more to say to him than that. He needed some advice on what to do, and what to stay away from at that point. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it would have changed the outcome, but I’m sure it could not have hurt anything. I also thought letting the fight go past the ninth round was somewhat inhuman, Cotto was in full retreat mode, and it was obvious he was just trying to survive. He had taken quite a beating up to that point, as his corner it’s your job to protect the fighter, and take the decision out of his hands. Cotto is a proud fighter and he didn’t want to quit, it was Santiago’s job to say enough is enough.

I was actually entertained through out the Yuri Foreman – Daniel Santos fight. I was happy for Foreman and I’m glad he took the title, he deserved with his performance. Santos deserved to loose it just for coming in the way he did. I was sure that would be the worst fight of the night, instead Julio Cesar Chavez Jr gets that honor. I have always cut Chavez Jr. some slack for fighting less than stellar competition because he didn’t have much of an amateur background, but now it’s a little ridiculous. I wonder if a talked about fight between John Duddy and Chavez Jr will actually happen now.

I thought the scrap between Alfonso Gomez and Jose Soto-Karass was decent. It seemed like it was just starting to heat up when Gomez got the cut. I know that Gomez will never be a star fighter, but I would watch him on any undercard.

2009-11-08T20:13:00.005-05:00

MANNY PACQUIAO vs. MIGUEL COTTO

THE NEXT SUPER-FIGHT

Part 3: The Prediction

Ahhhh, the prediction, it is half the fun of a fight. It doesn't need to be a big fight, or even a hard one to predict, just as long as you can ponder, debate, and make the call. How many times have you sat down to Friday Night Fights and thought to yourself, "this is a recipe for an upset, I'm taking the little guy". When the fights get bigger it just means you have more research to do: who beat who, who looked good against what type of fighter, who's bigger, who's faster, which guy cuts, what shirt was I wearing last time he won? The prediction can lead to months of back and forth anguish, sleepless nights, and all sorts of mathematical equations. You read another person's prediction and think, "maybe they know something I don't". You ignore house chores, and procrastinate when it comes to anything that might take away from fight study. In the end it's all about bragging rights...telling people you knew all along what was going to happen...you are the Nostradamus of fistic fury. On the flip side, once it's out there you can't take it back. All your ranting and raving, all the fights you watched, and all the hours you spent reading on the internet were for nothing. Now you have catch up on bills you ignored, the laundry that hasn't been touched in a month, and that damn shed that you never finished building. Remember though, if you get it right, you will lifted through the city on the shoulders of others, parades will be formed in your honor, and there is no doubt that streets will be named after you.

I think I am looking forward to this fight so much because it seems like it's been so long since a PPV fight came along that people were actually split on their predictions. In the Floyd Mayweather Jr.- Juan Manuel Marquez fight, was there any real question as to who would win? Even if you were a big time Marquez fan you had to know that it was a long shot. When Manny Pacquiao took on Ricky Hatton I thought that it would be a tougher fight, but I always thought it would finish with Hatton on the canvas. The last PPV fight that had such a split opinion might be Miguel Cotto - Shane Mosley. (I'm obviously not referring to the minor PPV cards like Latin Fury and such).

I separated this series into three parts for several reasons: I have major respect for both fighters, I have respect for the massive fan base of both fighters, and I am just plain excited about this match-up. Each guy has a legitimate chance to win this fight. They both have giant hearts, solid resumes, and great boxing skill.

Manny Pacquiao has looked like a world beater as of late, steam rolling through David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, and Ricky Hatton. Miguel Cotto looks as if he has seen better days, being stopped for the first time at the hands of Antonio Margarito, and pulling out the decision against Joshua Clottey by a thin margin. There are some questions left lingering with both of these fighters... Was Hatton made for Pacquiao? Was Joshua Clottey that good, or did Miguel Cotto lose a step? Does Pacman look better than he actually is? Did Cotto get a little fight taken out of him by Margarito? Can Pacquiao handle Cotto's body work? Can Cotto handle Pacquiao's speed?

MANNY PACQUIAO (49-3-2,37KO)

I firmly believe no matter what Jim Lampley and his cohorts wanted us to believe, Oscar De La Hoya didn't look good against Steve Forbes. I will fully admit going into his fight with Pacquiao all I paid attention to was the difference in size, not where the two were at in their respective careers, which as we all know turned out to be a mistake. With Ricky Hatton, I don't think he is as bad as people have made him out to be since his destruction at the hands of Pacman. He always had a habit of going in face first, he had done it his whole career. There were only a few guys who took full advantage of that: Floyd Mayweather Jr, Manny Pacquiao, and Louis Collazo. Collazo was a slick boxer who caught Hatton late in his fight with Hatton, but didn't have the explosiveness that Pacquiao has to finish him off. I think that Manny Pacquiao deserves to be rated as the pound for pound best these days because he is doing something that not many people in the sport are, stepping up. I don't mean that to say that other fighters are chicken, but Manny can make money without Cotto or Hatton. He wants to be the best, and fights like this are what puts him there.

MIGUEL COTTO (34-1, 27KO)

Miguel Cotto on the other hand is coming off of a decision over Joshua Clottey, and didn't look his best. My question to you is, has anyone looked good against Clottey? Clottey to me is a Winky Wright type fighter... even if you beat him, you'll never look good against him. Clottey was beating Margarito until he claims he hurt his hands. Either way he stopped fighting the same way he did against Cotto. So maybe that fight looks the same no matter when it happened(before or after Margarito).

I always felt going into fights that Cotto had finally bit off more than he could chew. Against Judah I thought uppercuts and speed could be a major factor, but Cotto weathered the storm, went to work and broke Judah down. Against Malignaggi I thought Cotto would have issue with his boxing skill and movement, but Cotto stuck to his game-plan, cut off the ring, and punished Malignaggi. Shane Mosley was a big, strong, fast, and skilled welterweight; I was sure Cotto was over his head, but he boxed, moved, and showed some skills I didn't know he had (keep in mind I never doubted Cotto, just questioned him).

I have always thought that Miguel Cotto's weakness was fast handed slick boxers like Paulie Malignaggi , Zab Judah, or Shane Mosley. Cotto disposed of three of those fighters, he cut off the ring, boxed beautifully, and broke each guy down as if he were chopping down a tree. (Mosley wasn't chopped down, but he did lose the fight).

In the end the two fighters that gave Cotto the most trouble were straight ahead rough and tumble boxers, Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey. Two sturdy guys who come to fight, don't back up, and have granite chins.

BREAKING IT DOWN:

For some reason the fight that I think about most when trying to make a prediction is the Zab Judah vs. Miguel Cotto fight. A small, fast, hard hitting, skilled Junior Welterweight taking on Miguel Cotto. Cotto had some rough moments early on and eventually his size and strength was imposed on the smaller fighter. The major difference is that Pacquiao is a much smarter fighter than Zab Judah, and can punch from all angles. I also have zero questions about Pacman's heart, corner, or his ability to change game-plans in the middle of a fight.

I do think that Manny Pacquiao is explosive enough to hurt and perhaps even KO Miguel Cotto if he's not careful. I think back to Allen Green on Friday Night Fights talking about different kinds of knockout power, some have brute strength, and some speed from out of nowhere; Pacquiao seems to have the later. The early parts of this fight are very dangerous for Miguel Cotto.

I can see this fight going somewhat similar to the Zab Judah fight. Pacquiao will be very dangerous early with his hand-speed and what I consider explosive power, but I think Cotto will weather the Pacman tornado and take over in the later rounds. I feel that Cotto will take some punishment from Pacquiao's early movement and fast combinations, but will be doing what Teddy Atlas refers to as "putting money in the bank", as he works Pacquiao anyway he can to slow him down in the second half of the fight. Ricky Hatton said after his fight with Louis Collazo that he he could feel the force of the punches more at 147 pounds than he could at 140. Pacquiao is not only facing a harder puncher than Collazo, but he will also be facing a guy who will be able to hit him, unlike his last couple fights.

My official prediction is that the first half of the fight is all Pacquiao with Cotto's methodical style and bodywork taking it's toll late. I think Pacquiao's streak stops here.

PREDICTION: COTTO TKO 10

Hopefully I am correct because I really don't want to finish that damn shed!

I leave you with one final question, no matter who you pick in the Cotto-Pacquiao fight, who do you think has a better chance against Floyd Mayweather Jr.?

2009-10-31T00:29:00.024-04:00

MANNY PACQUIAO vs. MIQUEL COTTO

THE NEXT SUPER-FIGHT

Part 2: Why I Love Manny Pacquiao

At this point I think most know that Manny Pacquiao is one of the most exciting fighters in combat sports. That's right, not just boxing, but in all of the sports where two people square off to prove who's best. If you don't see it this way, you are 1 of 3 types of people:

1. In denial: You are so for Miguel Cotto on November 14th that you refuse to admit that Manny Pacquiao is not only a formidable opponent, but also an exciting customer at the Cotto counter.

2. New to Boxing Guy: You have never really been a boxing fan and are just starting to check it out. You peruse a few websites, and have heard of this "Pac-Man", but figure he's over-rated, and you're not going to give in to the hype.

3. A Moron: You are just in general not too bright. You probably mope through life disagreeing with pretty much whatever people say just to make them angry. You are also probably the person that is always in front of me when I'm driving.

My advice is simple;

Denial Guy: I understand how you feel. I have my favorite fighters as well, and I know you just don't like anyone challenging your man, but please admit to yourself, this is a great fight, between TWO great fighters. Now go put on your Cotto shirt, cross your fingers, and get ready for a solid fight. Trust me, you will live a happier life if you just give in on this (life might be a bit dramatic, but it will make the week and a half easier).

New to Boxing Guy: Go to Youtube, look up Manny Pacquiao, watch some of his fights, or at least some of his highlights. Read a little about him, maybe check out his Wikipedia page, and watch 24/7 on HBO, which will give you a little insight into his accomplishments and personality. Then if you still don't agree follow the Moron's advice.

Moron: I'm not sure how you even got this far in the article! You and I obviously have nothing in common, and I'm pretty sure I don't like you. You should go watch a different sport because you obviously can't tell when a fighter is exciting, and fun to watch. You're probably the type of guy that would dis Arturo Gatti too. Shame on you. Also, get off the road... you are always holding me up. My commute would be much easier without you!

Now that those morons are out of the way I will continue. My point is that we all know that Pacquiao is entertaining, talented, and one of the best parts of the sport we all love so much. We know that he has great reflexes, fast hands, and what seems to be an endless amount of energy. We hope that November 14th will be an explosive show, and that Pacquiao will once again give us an entertaining night of boxing.That is why I want to tell you a few different reasons why I love Manny Pacquiao, something that maybe you can’t find somewhere else. I can only read so many articles about Manny and this fight before I start to get bored, but I am so excited for it that I can't help but write about it anyway! So here goes, I hope you enjoy it!

How I Love Manny Pacquiao, Let Me Count The Ways:

1. 106 pounds: I could honestly write that Pacquiao weighed 106 pounds in his first fight, and he is now fighting a guy at 145 pounds (a catch weight). That is amazing to me! How does a guy who once weighed 106 lbs. add that much weight and still be so good all along the way? (Or I could spell it weigh if I really wanted to be funny).

A fighter gets the most accolades when he moves up in weight to heavyweight, but this feat is as big an accomplishment, if not more. I will always be impressed by what guys like Chris Byrd, James Toney, and Roy Jones Jr. were able to do, start at Middleweight and win to heavyweight. (I picked these three because it's about the same amount of weight, and I personally watched them all do it. I’m not going to talk about Henry Armstrong because I was born in ’78 and I didn’t watch him fight). The difference is, Byrd took advantage of the fact that he was the smaller, faster guy in a land of slow giants. Toney could have been better if he would've backed away from the table. Jones didn't test himself after he won the title. Pacquiao is not only moving up, he looks as if he has been getting better all along the way.

When a fighter looks as good as Pac-man has his past few fights, it's easy for people to discredit his opponents, but it's always after he destroys them that they are discredited, not before. Ricky Hatton looked like a new man when he stopped Paulie Malignaggi, now people talk about him as if he were an average club fighter and it’s all because of how Pac-man ended the fight. Weight drained, washed up, shell of a fighter, these are all the things Oscar De La Hoya was AFTER he fought Pacquiao, NOT before. I am finding a common theme to Pacquiao's opponents lately! Even when he fought Morales a few pounds ago, Morales beat Pacquiao fair and square in their first fight, then suddenly was washed up over night for their next two. Is it out of the question that Pacquiao is one of those special athletes that raises his game as he continues his career? He is only thirty, it's not like he is an old dog that can't learn new tricks, which brings me to my next one.

2. Manila Ice: The Hayemaker is David Haye's go to punch... his heavy right hand, yet naming it is cocky, arrogant, and in someway desperate. Yet Manny Pacquiao names his right hook "Manila Ice", and for some reason I think he's the coolest boxer to step foot on the canvas. In all seriousness, I think it shows how much both he and Freddie Roach really enjoy doing what they do, and that translates to fans watching his fights. They are having fun in a sport that can at times wear down its fans with all of its B.S. Manila Ice is such a cool name too, it should be Pacquiao's fighting name it's so good. (I may have exaggerated on Hayemaker, I actually kind of like that one too, what can I say, I'm a sucker for theatrics).

3. Swagger?: When I think of someone having swagger I think of cool, calm, collected, and confident, almost to the point of being uncaring. I think Jack Nicholson, Frank Sinatra, and Paul Newman. I would even say Miguel Cotto has that classic swagger that I am referring to, but not Manny Pacquiao. He has something different. He has a swagger that's all his own, that of a hyper kid from your elementary school days. You remember that one kid growing up that could never sit in his seat, always got in trouble, and was still somehow the coolest guy in class? That's Manny Pacquiao to a T. He's not cocky, but still confident, caring. Not worrisome, but is definitely cool in his own way. Come on, how many other boxers can get away with having a singing career?

4. Piano Solo: You can show someone why boxing is such a great, beautiful, and amazing sport just by having them watch a Manny Pacquiao fight (especially lately). He embodies all the great things that a famous piano solo should have: finesse, grace, and when the time is right, aggression. If I had to turn Manny Pacquiao into a song it would be a combination of Fur Elise, and Flight of the Bumble Bee. He is so fluid in his motions, even though he has a staccato and somewhat choppy rhythm. I am always amazed at how well he combines all the elements of aggression, speed, and power in an almost wreck-less manor, but rarely crosses that line to sloppiness.

5. Fighter: At the end of the day Manny Pacquiao is a fighter. He can sing all he wants, mingle and dabble in politics, do movies, commercials, and even appear on a postage stamp, but at the end of the day he knows he's a fighter. He is always prepared, always puts on a good show, and never lets his fans down.

Manny Pacquiao is something special in boxing; a guy who is guaranteed to give you your moneys worth. I was a little upset that the Hatton fight didn't last longer, but that doesn't mean I wasn't impressed. I wish the De La Hoya fight had lived up to expectations, but I was still amazed at what Pac-man had done. I was rooting for him in the first Morales fight, but was satisfied with the night of boxing in the end. I love Manny Pacquiao because in this day and age when I have to pay fifty bucks for the sport I love so much, he gives me an entertainment guarantee... a boxing warranty if you will, and on November 14th I wait to cash it in.

Stay tuned for Part 3: The Prediction

2009-10-27T09:07:00.021-04:00

MANNY PACQUIAO vs. MIGUEL COTTO

THE NEXT SUPER-FIGHT

On November 14th two of the biggest stars in boxing will face-off for a PPV super-fight. These fights are something special for boxing; they are the types of fights that get the general public to pay attention to our wonderful sport of boxing. I go through a few different phases for a super-fight, here's a look at what life is like for The Bryguy:

PHASE 1: Going into a big fight like this I always envision an epic battle between two gladiators, blood and guts warriors, grit, sweat, anger, and other adjectives that sound tough and manly! I blog about what an amazing ballsy, kick-butt fight it will be. I talk to whoever will listen to my expectations, scientific analysis, and true gut feelings. This is a great phase to be in.

PHASE 2: Honey roasted Peanuts are set out, Bud Lights are cold, my scorecards are ready, and my girlfriend is patiently waiting until fight night is over(because she's been listening to me for a month, she knows THIS one is important). I then proceed to suffer through two or three horrid under-card fights, that if I'm lucky are complete mismatches and will at the very least end quickly. If I'm not lucky it's a Zab Judah mismatch that should have ended early, but he once again doesn't live up to expectation and drags me through the miserable fight for ten or twelve rounds. This is phase filled with anxiousness and a little aggravation.

PHASE 2.1: The under-cards were terrible, but that's OK, the main event will be so amazing it will make up for everything! I refill my peanut jar, double check the fridge to make sure I have enough BL’s (because the main event will have me on the edge of my seat for at least ten rounds). I answer a few text messages driving home my prediction, letting everyone on the planet know what an amazing boxing mind I have. THE FIGHT: The main event ends as soon as it starts or is a patty cake match for twelve rounds, where on top of everything the decision is a debacle!(obviously there is the diamond in the rough, but most do end in disappointment).

PHASE 3: Then comes the moping, tears, sadness, and complaining about forking over $50 bucks, "FOR THAT!” After that I swear off the sport forever because it's corrupt, doesn't treat its loyal fans with respect, and bleeds me dry every time I am forced to spend my hard earned cash! My girlfriend cues up Dancing with the Stars on DVR, and just yeses me to death until I finally stop my babbling and go to sleep in a Bud Light induced coma (She's very patient with me).

PHASE 4: I read on Eastsideboxing.com how the winner will square off against another huge name in the sport for what will inevitably be the fight of the year! Now THAT fight is going to be the best fight ever! I can't wait to blog about it, talk about, and pay money for it! I guess that means it's back to phase one.

Well folks, I am here to tell you that I am knee deep in Phase one right now! Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto are two guys who haven't ducked anyone, fight with true heart, and put on fights for the fans. There is no way this one can let us down. I am so deep into phase one that one blog won't cover this showdown. If I am going to do it justice I must break it into three parts:

PART 1: Why I Love Miguel Cotto

Miguel Cotto has been one of the most consistent fighters in the world of boxing over the past few years. There hasn't been another guy in boxing who has constantly stepped up competition, fought entertaining fights, and tested his own abilities quite like Miguel Cotto, except maybe Manny Pacquiao.

The reason Miguel Cotto is so fun to watch is that he IS beatable. I suppose that shouldn't be a reason why you love a fighter so much, but I think that was why Arturo Gatti was so popular. That's why every Diego Corrales fight was a must see, and it's probably why Floyd Mayweather Jr. hasn't been able to find the fan-base he thinks he deserves. It's not that you root against a fighter; it's that you never really know how he will pull off the victory.

There is a crazy nervous feeling I get when Cotto steps into the ring with his opponent, because a lot of the times I've thought the other guy has the tools to beat him. Somehow Cotto has figured out a way to overcome that adversity, and that is what fans want in their fighters. That ability to dig deep and muster some energy, or skill that maybe even the fighter didn't know he had, it is what makes elite athletes so special.

Miguel Cotto for the most part looks like a machine when he enters the ring, chin down, gloves high, and his eyes glaring between his fists like a sniper peering through his scope. He is also very militaristic in the way he can systematically break an opponent down, as he did with Carlos Quintana, Paulie Malignaggi, Randall Bailey, Kelson Pinto, Lovemore N'dou, and many others. He'll chop you down whatever way he can, not shying away from bodywork, or with Branco, just banging away at the arms!

There have been many fights though where he wins using other tools in his arsenal, in 2005 Cotto faced off against Ricardo Torres and won that fight with his heart. The two traded bombs in the center off the ring for several rounds; until Cotto was the last man standing

(This picture of Cotto at the end of that fight will always be a lasting memory for me).

In 2007 Miguel proved to the world that he was an upper echelon fighter when he disposed of two fast capable fighters in Zab Judah, and Shane Mosley. Against Judah he was taking on a fast, heavy handed fighter, who when his mind is in the game can beat just about anyone (of course his mind is never really in the game). Cotto overcame a vicious uppercut early in the fight, and fought through a severely damaged lip to impose his will, stopping Zab in the eleventh. Fighting Mosley later that year Cotto was beating the faster guy to punch and showed off some magnificent boxing skill that many didn't believe he possessed. He out boxed Mosley in an extremely entertaining fight, in which I think Miguel showed the ability to not only break opponents down, but also game plan and execute against another elite fighter.

In the lead up to the showdown against Manny Pacquiao all the talk has been about what the Pac-man is going to bring to the table, and rightfully so, he has had a run unlike anything I have seen in a long time. I feel however it's because of Cotto's only loss (Antonio Margarito) and his last fight (Joshua Clottey) that people are forgetting what a solid fighter Miguel Cotto is. In 2008 he took on the self-proclaimed "most avoided man in boxing" Antonio Margarito. The first half of the fight Cotto fought like he did against Shane Mosley, dancing around the ring, and putting on splendid display of his boxing skills (I still wish he had focused on the body instead of the head though). Then as the sixth round came and went, Cotto began to slow down and Margarito's punches started to take their toll, forcing Cotto to take a knee in the eleventh. Margarito was found with loaded hand-wraps in his next fight against Cotto victim Shane Mosley, begging the question of whether he had loaded wraps against Cotto as well.

In his last fight Cotto took on the very tough, and I feel much underrated Joshua Clottey. Cotto suffered a cut in the third round, and Clottey put on heavy pressure making it a close fight. Cotto had to dig deep in the championship rounds to pull off the split decision. The fight could have gone either way, but it seemed like Clottey just stopped fighting in those last rounds, and Cotto was able to walk away with the razor thin decision.

Is Cotto still haunted by the loss, and beating to Margarito? Maybe, I know I would not be able to overcome something like that. Did that affect him in the Clottey fight? I don't think so; I think Clottey is an underrated fighter, who will only be beat by the best fighters in the world. Let's not forget that Clottey’s only other loss is to Antonio Margarito, in which Clottey was making Margarito look very human for the first half of the fight, before he stopped boxing in the second half. Which brings up a few questions; were Clottey’s hands hurt as he claims? If so, he is quite a tough rugged fighter, were Margarito's hands loaded then as well? Where Clottey's hands fine, and he just has a habit of slowing down and not fighting towards the end of fights, as he did with Cotto? Either way Clottey is no pushover and can beat any fighter on any given night.

I love Cotto for many reasons, but one above all the others, he comes to fight (I also like some of his new tattoos, but mostly because he come to fight). Whether he's the wrecking ball that ran through Quintana, Branco, and Malignaggi, the Rocky Balboa who survived Ricardo Torres, or the finesse boxer who outpointed Shane Mosley; Cotto shows up and entertains on fight night. I have yet to watch Miguel Cotto step in the ring and not be entertained, and I don't see him letting me down on November 14th.

Stay tuned for PART 2: Why I Love Manny Pacquiao

Bryan blogs regularly at www.bryguyboxing.blogspot.com

Feel free to e-mail him at thebryguy21@gmail.com

2009-10-18T10:41:00.013-04:00

DIGESTING THE SUPER SIX

Watching the first two fights of Showtime's Super Six tournament on Saturday was fun, and a little frustrating to me. I saw so much Saturday night. I saw great boxing, fantastic crowds, an amazing KO, and I also saw people being betrayed.
If you are like me and thought Dirrell won that fight you are a little perturbed about the decision. Well, I'm here to tell you Dirrell wasn't betrayed by the judges, he wasn't betrayed by the fans, or the ref, he was betrayed by his management team. The same way Taylor was betrayed by his past, his body, and his chin. The fans were betrayed by the sport again not getting it right, and therefore the tournament betrayed boxing by not fully living up to it's potential(Are you still following me?)

Jermain Taylor(28-4,17ko) vs. Arthur Abraham(31-0,25ko):
The tension after fifth round of the Jermain Taylor - Arthur Abraham fight was as thick as a Boston accent. Everyone knew coming in that Abraham was going to start slow and that Taylor may be able to stack up a few points because of it. Taylor seemed disciplined, focused, and very respectful of Abraham's ability as a fighter (mostly his power.) He was using his jab, moving, and as it seemed to me, reserving his energy so that he could avoid falling apart at the end.
Abraham was doing what he usually does, hands high absorbing shots, and consistently moving forward like a Panzer absorbing the enemies ammunition and waiting for it to run out. I think everyone knew at some point he was going to open up, start firing bombs, and leave tread marks on the opposition (that's it for the tank analogies, I promise.) In the fifth round Abraham started letting his hands go. By the sixth round it seemed like it was time for Taylor to return fire, the same way he did early in the first Pavlik fight and the Froch fight. Taylor just kept pawing with the jab and moving to his left. I kept thinking, "Ok, he's just making sure he's got enough gas in the tank for later." It's understandable with the issues he's had in the past, but the scorecards were evening up very quickly. Taylor seemed so afraid of running out of gas that he wasn't willing to throw with "Bad Intentions." I feel Taylor was haunted by his past. If he hadn't run out of gas so many times before, would he have put more on his punches? Could he have taken more steam out of Abraham, so perhaps that right in the 12th wouldn't have had so much on it? Did he fight scared? The answers no longer matter. Taylor's past caught up with him Saturday night, and it may be a warning, just like old Marley to Ebenezer, it's time for a change.

Andre Dirrell(18-1,13ko) vs. Carl Froch(26-0,20ko):
This fight was not easy to watch at times and yet still entertaining. Froch was the older grizzled champion taking on the young lion looking to make a name for himself. It was quite obvious from the get go that Dirrell had twice the athletic ability of Froch. The question was could he box as well. The answer, yes. He out-boxed Froch for most of the fight, and even held his own under the pressure of Froch's dirty tactics. I don't blame Froch for getting rough; he did what he had to do.

I don't fully blame the judges for giving Froch the fight, after all Dirrell ran and held quite a bit in this fight, I might even say he was wimpish. I don't even blame Dirrell; this is by far the biggest fight of his career. I blame Dirrell’s management for him losing this fight. A guy like Dirrell, with a bronze medal and boat loads of God given athletic ability, should have stepped up his game well before this fight.

You could see Dirrell gain confidence towards the end of the fight; he started to sit down on his punches, and stand up to Froch's reckless aggression. Dirrell seemed to realize what we all realized from the first round: he was a better fighter than Froch. That is something he would have known from the start, had he already been accustomed to fighting at this level. In the end it was poor planning on team Dirrell that betrayed them. Had Dirrell stepped faced a top ten Super-middleweight prior to his Froch fight I feel the outcome in Nottingham would have been very different. It wasn’t the decision that was bad, it was the decision to not step up his competition sooner that was no good!

Showtime:

One of my major problems with boxing has always been that the judges in a boxing match are paid by the promoter of the event (not directly, but that is where the money comes from). Imagine if the NFL refs were hired by the home team? What if all Olympics judges were paid by the host country? What would baseball be if the pitcher paid the umpires?

Sometimes in big fights the promoter even pays for the hotel and other expenses of the judges. Don't bite the hand that feeds you is the term, isn't it?!

Showtime put together a one of a kind tournament, something that could help boxing in the long run. They did something that no one else is doing; put the best against the best, with no exceptions. If they wanted this done right, they should have taken the promoters control over judges and refs out of the equation. Showtime should have been the ones signing the checks and picking the judges, or at least making sure it was someone other than the promoter. After all, the network put this together, put up the money, and is giving these guys huge amounts of exposure. A few bad decisions in the tournament and the whole thing could be tarnished. That means future tourneys won't make the same money, and Showtime Boxing will still be viewed as the bastard child of that other network (HBO.)

This is a tournament that could do wonders for the sport of boxing. If it is successful we could see this happen again with other divisions, or even better, all the divisions. Could boxing go to a World Cup, or US Open type format?

What if every year boxing was set up as a series of tournaments to find the champions in every division? Wouldn't that get boxing back on top? (I know this is a huge pipe dream.) Not if TV networks don't demand that something else happens with payment of the judges and refs. Perhaps both promoters split the cost of judges and refs, and an intermediate like the network pays them? (I don't solve problems, I just question them.)

IN CLOSING....

All that being said, the great thing about this tournament is whether the decision was correct or not. The boxers and the public move on. I don't have to read about people clamoring for a rematch that will never happen. Instead it feels more like regular sport, where people argue over the outcome and move on to the next game. Don't you like that feeling?!

It may have seemed as if I didn't enjoy the first two fights with all my ranting and raving, but I did very much. As much as boxing has burned me and fans like me, I will never abandon or betray it, because when it all comes together just right, it is the greatest sport in the world. Bring on Ward vs. Kessler and Group Stage Two!

2009-10-15T08:28:00.013-04:00

Filling the playoff void

With the Sox out of the playoffs and the Yankees locomotive steaming towards another potential another World Series title, Sox fans have a void that needs to be filled this October. Pre-season basketball sure isn't gonna do it. Footballs great, but what do I do on a Saturday night? Bruins are helping, but I need more to fill the playoff void. Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic should be just the thing to knock me out of my playoff slump. Think of it as a boxing desert after your Bruins entree.

The Classic pits six of the top Super middleweights in world against each other in a round robin tournament. In the first stage of the tourney each fighter will face off against each other, with the victor being awarded two points for a win, and an extra point for a KO(in the case of a draw each fighter will be awarded one point). After each fighter has squared off, the top four points leaders move to the semi-finals. In the Semi's the one seed will face the four seed and two vs. three, then the winners tangle for the first ever Super Six championship.

I will remind you that these are six of the best Super Middleweights in the world! That means that boxing fans will get to see nine excellent match-ups, between top tier fighters...... and that's before the semi-finals of the tournament even begin! Now, seeing six top tier fighters face off against each shouldn't be a big deal, it actually should happen all the time, but it doesn't. That is why this is such a great event for both the fans, and the sport in general. Let's take a look at the fighters involved:

OCTOBER 17th

Carl Froch - United Kingdom (25-0,20ko)

WBC Super-middleweight champion

Age: 32 Height: 6'1" Reach: 74 1/2"

Biggest wins: Jermain Taylor TKO 12, Jean Pascal UD 12

Fact: Has fought twice outside of the United Kingdom.

Knock: Oldest in the tourney, looked beaten against Taylor until the late rounds.

Best Assets: Froch has heavy hands, a heart that won't quit, and a solid chin.

VS.

Andre Dirrell - USA (18-0,13ko)

Bronze medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics

Age: 27 Height: 6'2" Reach: 75"

Biggest wins: Anthony Hanshaw TKO 5, Mike Paschall TKO 4, Victor Oganov TKO 6

Fact: Has never fought professionally outside of the USA

Knock: Has faced the weakest competition of anyone in the tourney.

Best Assets: Dirrell has extremely fast hands, is the only southpaw in the tourney, and has yet to taste defeat (Ward fights southpaw at times, but is primerally an orthadox fighter).

OCTOBER 17th

Arthur Abraham - Germany (30-0,24ko)

Former IBF Middleweight champion

Age: 29 Height: 5'10" Reach: 72"

Biggest wins: Edison Miranda UD 12, Edison Miranda TKO 4

Fact: Suffered a broken jaw in the first Miranda fight, and still took the Unanimous Decision.

Knock: Notoriously slow starter, smallest in the competition.

Best Assets: Abraham has underrated defense, a world class chin, and very heavy hands.

VS.

Jermain Taylor - USA (28-3,17ko)

Former Undisputed Middleweight Champion

Age: 31 Height: 5'11" Reach: 74 1/2"

Biggest wins: Bernard Hopkins SD, Bernard Hopkins UD

Losses: Kelly Pavlik TKO'd 7, Pavlik UD, Carl Froch TKO'd 12

Knock: Has had serious problems fading in the late rounds, which led to his KO to Froch .

Best Assets: Has had some of the best competition of anyone in the tourney, starts fast, and really has nothing left to lose at this point.

NOVEMBER 21st

Mikkel Kessler - Denmark (42-1,32ko)

WBA Super-middleweight champion of the world.

Age: 30 Height: 6'1" Reach: 73"

Biggest wins: Anthony Mundine UD 12, Markus Beyer ko 3, Librado Andrade UD 12

Only Loss: Joe Calzaghe UD 12

Knock: Has not been extremely busy since his loss to Calzaghe.

Best assets: He has fought the best opposition out of the six, has KO power, and one of the best 1-2 combos in the biz.

VS.

Andre Ward - USA (20-0,13ko)

Gold medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Age: 25 Height: 6'1" Reach: 73"

Biggest wins: Jerson Revelo TKO 8, Edison Miranda UD12

Knockdown: Ward has hit the canvas once, the 4th Rd. of his 7th fight against Darnell Boone.

Knock: Ward was rocked a few times early in his career, some believe he has a suspect chin.

Best Assets: Ward has blazing speed, his 1st fight will be in his hometown of Oakland, CA, and he doesn't know how to lose yet.

I know that in New England nothing replaces Red Sox playoff baseball, but I think a few KO's could be just what the doctor ordered. Take two fights this Saturday, and comment in the morning!

The Bryguy's quick picks: Dirrell with the upset over Froch. I wasn't that impressed with Froch against Jermain Taylor, and thought he was outboxed throughout the fight until Jermain hit the wall. I think Dirrell uses movement, and keeps Froch at bay. Dirrell UD

I'm taking Abraham over Taylor. This is a great fight because both guy are former middleweight champs who stepped up to Super-middleweight. I keep hearing how Taylor's camp has fixed the problem with his fading in fights, but this problem has been going on for too long, I see it haunting him again. Abraham is a tough guy and will keep pressure on Taylor through the whole fight. The other problem, Abraham gets stronger as the fight goes on.

ABRAHAM UD

I will hold off on my Ward - Kessler prediction until later, let me know your thoughts.

2009-09-17T09:41:00.007-04:00

THE PREDICTION/EL PREDICCION

Floyd Mayweather Jr. (39-0,29ko) vs. Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1, 37ko)

This Saturday night two of the best boxers on the planet square off at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Juan Manuel Marquez is moving up in weight to take on the former pound for pound champ Floyd Mayweather Jr. 140 pounds. This is a big fight for both. Mayweather has had a two year lay off, and could be looking at huge payday against Manny Pacquiao if he wins. While Marquez is also looking at a fight against Pacquiao with a win,(that would be their 3rd fight), more importantly he needs to make people forget he drank his own urine.(Yup, he did it, on TV no less.)

The situation we have surrounding this fight reminds me somewhat of the potential upcoming ALDS match-up between the Boston Red Sox and the Anahiam Angels. Most fans are looking ahead to the ALCS match between the New York Yankees and the Red Sox. Most critics and bloggers are talking as if Floyd is going to win hands down. Why?

The Angels are a solid baseball team, Marquez is a great boxer. The Angels have proven that they can beat just about anyone in baseball, Marquez has moved up in weight and seemed to be more explosive than he did in past years. Then why are people writing these two franchises off so easily?(Yes, Marquez can be considered a franchise.)

Why?

Mayweather and the Red Sox have too much potential. When you boil it down, and put the facts side by side, the potential of both Mayweather and the Boston Red Sox is far too great to think that anything but a win could happen for them. They both seem as if they could be the sleeping giant.

The Sox have looked as if they where slumping, but then Matsuzaka comes back, a few quick wins later, and it seems like they may be starting to stoke the engine as they chug towards the playoffs. Could Maywether do the same with all the potential match-ups at 140 and 147? Could he be chugging into the Marquez fight towards what could be considered the playoffs of his legacy?(I don't know if that makes sense, but sure does sound deep doesn't it?!)

Floyd is one of the fastest boxers I have ever seen, but as Teddy Atlas always says, timing beats speed, and Marquez is a master counter puncher. He is an extremely smart fighter, with the ability to think on his feet, and adapt to what ever his opponent throws his way. He is the type of fighter that can seem as if he isn't doing very well, the next thing you know he's picking his opponent apart. We saw this in both the first Pacquiao fight, and his last fight against Juan Diaz. My problem with Marqueaz is that most of he knockdowns seem to happen when he is caught by speed. What I mean by that is, he never seems to be totally rocked, just off-balance, or surprised when he lands on his backside. That could be a major issue with a guy as fast as Floyd Jr.

In the end I am no different than everyone else, Mayweather is too young, too fast, too big, and just has too much untapped penitential to lose this fight. Floyd has rarely had to take to that next level against an opponent, but I think Marquez may be a guy to wake the sleeping giant. I think his speed will eventually be too much for Marquez and the fight will be stopped in the late rounds. Let's not forget though, same as the Angels won't just hand the Sox the ALDS, Marquez isn't going climb through the ropes, lay down, and say "count me out, because on paper you should win", and that my friends could make for an interesting fight, both in the park and in the ring.

PREDICTION/PREDICCION - Mayweather TKO 9

2009-09-15T10:07:00.002-04:00

SHORT AND SWEET..... SCIENCE

Many athletes dabble in the sweet science during their off-seasons to stay in shape: Chad Johnson, Shawn Merriman, and Tom Zibikowski are just a few. (Zibikowski actually had one pro fight). NBA star Shaquille O'Neal just took on Oscar De La Hoya for his show Shaq Vs. on ABC. Now you can add Bruins forward Shawn Thornton to that list. Thornton was working out at The Ring Boxing Club all summer and I caught up with him recently to toss a few softball questions his way. Seeing as how I write about boxing and he's a hockey player I kept it short and sweet..... science.

The Bryguy:

Shawn you have been spotted training at the Ring in Allston over the
summer. Why did you decide to pick up boxing this off-season and how has
it been going?

Shawn Thornton:
Well, it’s done now, it was fun, a good summer. My trainer Tommy is a
great guy and went out of his way to help me out. It was a great
experience. For conditioning it is more fun to go in and do that then to
just go for a run in the afternoon or ride the bike. It’s better to
train with someone

How do you think boxing will help you when you hit the ice?

Conditioning wise it should help me and it helped me lose a few pounds.
It might help with my balance too. I didn’t do it to become a better
hockey player. I don’t really like talking about fighting really to
tell you the truth, I’m sure it won’t hurt me, but it wasn’t my
mind set to become a better fighter.

You told me at a recent event you went to the Kelly Pavlik vs. Jose
Luis Zertuche fight. (Pavlick KO'd Zertuche in the 8th) What were your impressions of that event?

It was awesome, we were sitting pretty much ringside and Pavlik was
actually staying in my hotel. I got to go have breakfast with him the
next day; he’s a big hockey fan, a big guy. I hadn’t heard of him
before then, but I have been trying to follow his career ever since. It
was a pretty cool experience.

Last but not least, every fighter has a carefully chosen ring entrance
song and fighting nickname. Any ideas for yours?

No, neither… I have not put any thought into that, but I am sure one of
my hockey nicknames would carry over, but for a fight song I would have
to put a little more thought into that, and get back to you.

Thank you Shawn for all your time and we'll see you on the ice.

As an after thought, I'm not sure about a nickname, but to keep with the Bruins theme, I think his entry music should be AC/DC Back in Black

For more information on The Ring visit their website, and for more on Shawn's hockey career you can check him out on the Bruins website.

2009-09-01T23:15:00.001-04:00

Always Leave Them Wanting More

In 2009 it seems like the boxing gods have taken the advice of the one and only Walt Disney.(I think it was Walt Disney who said that!) The end of the year seems like it could go out with a bang, and as the quote says leave us wanting more.(Well, I always want more, but I'm a bit of a boxing extremist.) I feel being a big boxing fan comes with quite a heavy burden to carry. The difference between Sox fans, or Bruins fans and a boxing fan is, I have to convince people my beloved sport is not dead. Instead of saying my teams better than your team, Yankees Suck, or talk about the bullpen needing more depth, I have have to inform/convince people my wonderful sport as a whole is alive and kicking. I am like a cheerleader, or salesman for my and I need to let you know there are some solid fights out there. So I am hear as a good boxing fan and cheerleader of fistic fury to let you know about some great match-ups that are going to close out 2009.

September 19th HBO PPV

Floyd Mayweather Jr.(39-0,25ko) vs. Juan Manuel Marquez(50-4,37ko)

In a perfect world, the winner of this fight would fight the winner of the Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao fight.(I may be a fan, but even I know that boxing is not perfect, so keep your fingers crossed.) At first glance I thought this was just a way to hype up a future Mayweather-Pacquiao showdown. The closer we get the more interested I am in this fight. Not only are they two of the best pound for pound fighters on the planet, but they're also two of the slickest. People always refer to fights as a chess match, if that is true, this is the ultimate chess match. Both fighters are fast, smart, and can adjust as the fight goes on. Also, there is quite a bit on line, as I stated before, the winner could be in for a huge payday against the winner of Cotto - Pacquiao. Heck I'd love to see the losers fight! Last but not least, the undercards for this PPV is shaping up as well. A rematch between Chris John and Rocky Juarez, Zab Judah vs. Antonio Diaz, and all action brawler Michael Katsidis vs. Vincente Escobedo. For once a PPV that may be worth the money.

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNEY

October 17th SHOWTIME

Andre Dirrell(18-0,13ko) vs. Carl Froch(25-0,20ko)

It's Showtime's first official telecast with fighters from the tournament facing off against each other. Eventually all the included combatants will meet in the ring, with not one of the potential match-ups being boring. The first fight is a battle of the undefeated; Andre Dirrell, the former 2004 Olympic Bronze medalist will take on the heavy-handed straight ahead Carl Froch. On paper it looks as if Dirrell has all the tools to dispose of the British champ, but Dirrell has never faced anyone even close to caliber of Froch. On paper it looked like Jermain Taylor had the tools to dispose of Froch too, we know that didn't happen.

Arthur Abraham(30-0,24ko) vs. Jermain Taylor(28-3,17ko)

The second of fight of the tourney is one I thought I might have seen at middleweight(160) a few years ago. Taylor lost his last fight to Carl Froch via twelve round TKO, but was beating Froch for most of the fight, and may have won had he not faded down the stretch. Unfortunately for Taylor, Abraham is loosely similar to Froch, he has heavy hands, rarely stops coming forward, and has a solid chin.(Loosely-similar, I think it's an oxymoron, but you get it!) Unfortunately for Abraham, Taylor is a very desperate man, which in a tournament like this, is a very scary thing. No matter what both these fights, and the other look great. If you want more information on the tournament go to Showtime's website.

November 7th HBO

Chad Dawson(28-0,17ko) vs. Glen Johnson(49-12,33ko) II

Back in January I posted a blog that stated the fights I would like to see in 2009, this was one of them. Dawson walked away with a Unanimous decision over Johnson in 2008, but many fans and critics alike have been vocal about their feelings that Johnson took the fight. I thought Dawson did just enough to win, but Johnson did enough to get a rematch. It's finally here and it's not a minute too soon. This could be Johnson's last chance to be at the top, so expect him to throw everything but the kitchen sink at Dawson...... you know, the usual way he fights!

November 14th HBO PPV

Manny Pacquiao(49-3,37ko) vs. Miguel Cotto(34-1,27ko)

I wrote about this fight not too long ago, so I won't beat you over the head with it. This has fight of the year written all over it. Over the past few years Cotto and Pacquiao have repeatedly given fans what they want, solid entertaining fights. This is just one more quality fight for both guys. Let's hope that we get a few decent fights on the under-card.

November 28th HBO

Lucian Bute(24-0,19ko) vs. Librado Andrade(28-2,21ko) II

Last but not least, is this rematch of their exciting, but controversial fight in October 2008. Bute got away with a unanimous decision after, either some hometown cooking, or perhaps just some awful refereeing. Bute was out on his feet in the 12th when the Ref took his sweet time getting to the count. Early in the fight Bute pulled out to a pretty good lead, but Andrade broke him down as the fight went on. The rematch will be interesting; Will Bute pace himself? Will Andrade start faster? Will memories of the first fight haunt Bute? I can't wait to find out.

I'm sure you notice I left a certain Heavyweight fight off my list, it's on purpose. No matter how good a heavyweight fight has looked over the past few years, it always lets me down. Could this one be different? Sure, but I'm not going to waste my time talking about it until the division as a whole rebounds.

If that isn't enough for you HBO has also started up the Emmy winning 24/7 series again for the Mayweather - Marquez fight, and I would hope they would do another for the Pacquiao - Cotto fight as well.

With a packed Fall fight schedule 2010 has quite a bit to live up to, but I think that's a good thing, since we'll probably want more.

2009-08-22T10:33:00.010-04:00

WHY I LOVE THE SPORT OF BOXING

Last night I got home after a normal day of working, cracked a beer and chilled on my couch, as most normal people do. I then decided to check my Facebook, again, as most normal people do. I saw an update from a boxer I had "friended" about a year ago;

Emanuel Augustus: "Well yesterday I had a bad dream. I dreamt I had got KO'd in the ninth round....ooh yea it wasn't a dream, it really happened. BOOO-HOO-HOO looks like it is either time for me to stop boxing and start training fighters!!!"

I will give you a little background on just who Emanuel Augustus the boxer is, but I suggest after reading this, you-tube him. Augustus was a true fighter, he was ready to get in the ring anytime, anywhere. Late in his career Augustus took on a bit of a different style that can only be described as "the drunken master". It is hard to put into words, so I once again suggest you youtube it. These days it seems most fighters are taken through the ranks so carefully to protect that shiny undefeated record, they are never in a real fight. That was not the case with Emanuel Augustus. It seemed as if he never had an easy fight, and at times no real time to prepare for one. Augustus has a record that reads 38-31-6. If you looked strictly at his record you would say he was no good, but you would be very wrong! At the end of his career we have to look a little closer at his sheet:

Jesus Chavez

Ivan Robinson(Augustus was 8-5-2 when he took on the 22-0 Robinson)

Teddy Reid

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Mickey Ward(ESPN + Ring fight of the year, Nominated for ESPN fight of the decade)

Leonard Dorin

Leavander Johnson

Carlos Wilfredo Vilches(Augustus took the fight on 2 days notice)

David Diaz(undefeated at the time)

Courtney Burton(controversial SD lose, he would KO Burton in 8, two years later.)

Ray Oliveira

Kelson Pinto(undefeated at the time)

He has fought in 22 different states, 9 countries, and many of those places were the other fighter's home turf.

The best fight I saw involving Augustus was against Lowell's own Mickey Ward, which would end up being Ring Magazines Fight of the Year.(Ward won a unanimous decision, in NH.) That may have been the best fight, but it is not my strongest memory.

On July 8th, 2005 Augustus took on veteran Ray Oliveira at Hampton Beach Casino in New Hampshire. Ray Oliveira was a never quit, never give up type of boxer. The type that would probably continue fighting even if the building started to cave in. During the 8th round of that fight Oliveira grabbed the back of his head as if he had taken a rabbit punch, but none were thrown. It was a strange reaction that had many people watching imagining the worst. In typical Oliveira fashion, he said he was fine, refused the doctor, and the fight continued with 1:30 still left in the round. Augustus never threw another head shot, he barely even threw a body shot. Augustus could see the same as everyone else, that something was wrong. He decided to take the high road and not worsen the situation, or the saftey of the other fighter. Referee Steve Smolger didn't let the fight continue after that round.

In a sport where a cut is pounced on like a shark to food, and swollen eyes are target practice. Where Antonio Margarito thinks it's ok to put Plaster of paris on his hand wraps (last January he and his trainer were caught putting pads laced with paster of paris in his hands wraps.) In a sport that sometimes is dirty, dangerous, and downright inhumane, Augustus did the unthinkable, he backed off.

After reading his Facebook update I wrote on his wall: "It has been fun watching you throughout the years. It's not often you get to thank an athlete you admire, but because of Facebook I can. Thank you!"

This morning he wrote back to me "My pleasure, and I'm glad you liked some of the things I did in the ring."

No one would have blamed Emanuel Augustus if he had gone for the knockout that night, and he certainly didn't have to respond to me on Facebook, but he showed honor, class, compassion and most of all, reminded me why I love boxing.

2009-07-20T20:21:00.019-04:00

MANNY PACQUIAO VS. MIGUEL COTTO

In other sports such as football or baseball fans know what months are big. October is MLB playoffs, and the Super-bowl happens every February. Boxing fans have a bit of a revolving door, Hagler-Hearns was in April, Duran-Leonard was in June, then again in November. My point is most sports fans can mark the calender, while boxing fanatics have to endure rumors, failed contract negotiations, and less than stellar match-ups before a super-bowlish fight comes along. To paraphrase Forrest Gump; boxing is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.

Well, in this case I know what we are gonna get, a great fight! So if you aren't a boxing fan, at least be happy for those of us that are.(A chest bump when you see me would be nice.) Now we have the date and the fight we wanted. Something big to look forward to, hype up, and toil over the outcome.

Bob Arum announced on Monday that Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto will square off on November 14th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. This is a fight fans fight. This year boxing's Superbowl, World Series, Stanley Cup, lies in November.

Pacquiao is coming off of a career best performance, knocking out Ricky Hatton in two rounds. Pacman went up to 140 pounds to stop the reigning ring champion. Now the man at the top of the pound for pound rankings will again go up in weight to 145 pounds to lock horns with another pound for pounder in Miguel Cotto.

One thing that you can say about Miguel Cotto is that he has been doing what many fighters in the boxing haven't lately: putting on entertaining fights. Cotto has put some solid names on his ledger the past few years, Paul Malignaggi, Zab Judah, Shane Mosley, Antonio Margaritto, and Joshua Clottey. Now you can add the multi-division champion to that list.

WHY SHOULD YOU BE EXCITED?

Unlike some fights, this one guarantees to pay off. It pits two very exciting fighters against each other, one of which is arguably the most exciting in all combat sports(Pacquiao). Yes, I said it, even if you are one of those "MMA is way better than Boxing" kinda guys, you must admit a Manny Pacquiao fight is different. He has a power, as he proved with Ricky Hatton, he has guts, which he proved with Eric Morales, and he has become one of the best all around fighters in the game, as he proved by moving up several weight divisions to crush the likes of Oscar DeLahoya and David Diaz. Win or lose you get your money's worth with Manny.

Cotto is coming off a razor thin decision to the sturdy Joshua Clottey, who probably could have taken the fight had he not stopped punching in the late rounds. Unlike DeLahoya, Cotto will not be draining himself to make 145lbs. Cotto has fought the past few years at 147lbs, so the 2 extra pounds shouldn't be anything to worry about. Cotto is also a sturdy guy with a hell of a punch himself, and he really enjoys going to the body.(Except against Margarito, which I will never understand). Anyway, he will no doubt be a solid foe for the Filipino icon, and will not make for a boring fight.

These are two proud combatants that seem to fight for more than money. They fight for the fans, and they fight to prove they are the best. That my friends, is why you should be excited. So set the DVR, start preparing the wings, and put November 14th on your sports calender.

2009-07-15T11:20:00.006-04:00

Memories of a fighter

Over the past couple weeks people have seen how they can be affected by the passing of strangers. It's funny how someone you don't really know can come into your life through television, music, movies, or sports and really connect with you. I was old enough to know what Ed McMahon had brought to The Tonight Show, and wasn't around for the glory days of Farrah Fawcett. I remember how good Micheal Jackson was in the 80's, but was just getting into music when he started getting destroyed in the tabloids. I understand how these passings can feel for most, but to me they are just celebrities who went too soon. Alexis Arguello had his second fight with Aaron Pryer in 1983, when The Bryguy was only 4 years old, that was well before Bryguyboxing.

Arturo Gatti on the other hand came through my TV as he did most of his fans, and touched me with his grit, guts, and heart. In the ring he had the tools that we all hope, and wish we had in everyday life: the ability to never give up, never give in, never be bullied, and the courage to push through seemingly insurmountable odds. When I think of Arturo Gatti though, the first things that come to mind aren't his fights, it's the few memories I have of actually interacting with the true life gladiator.

In 2003 I had the chance to meet Arturo Gatti for the first time at Micky Ward's annual Golf Tournament in Andover Mass. The thing that shocked me was how nice both he and Mickey Ward were. They were both ferocious inside the ring, but kind people outside of it. I got a picture with the two former rivals. It was nice to meet someone that I had so much respect for and they took the time to be courteous back to a fan.

A year later I would bump into Arturo again at a movie premier for the boxing film Black Cloud. I was simply a camera guy covering the event and my reporter John and I wanted to get a few of his thoughts in an interview. I remember being taken aback by how gentle and nice he was with us. This was a guy who beat people up for a living, a guy who was being swarmed by fans at the event, and he couldn't have been more laid back and patient with us.

A year ago this December I found myself taking a vacation in the Bahamas with my lovely girlfriend Jayme. During our stop at Atlantis(a giant water park in Nassau) I was enjoying a Daiquiri poolside when I noticed Gatti chilling on the other side of the pool. Seeing as how he had retired recently I felt I had to approach him and let him know what a fan I was and thank him for the memories. I remember walking over to him and wondering if it was appropriate to bother him when he was obviously on vacation, but being a fan I couldn't help myself. I thought, how many times do you bump into a guy you admire so much when you are on vacation? Arturo was even cooler than he had been in past experiences! I introduced him to my girlfriend, and he introduced me to his wife, and baby son. He told about heading to baptise his son in Florida, and stopped in the Bahamas on the way. He was gracious and even though I was probably bothering him, he never showed it, he was happy to talk to a fan. I think he knew just chatting with me would make my day and wouldn't really affect his. These are memories that will last with me forever.

The picture I got at the golf course has been hanging in my kitchen since 2003, and continues to be one of my favorite possessions. Arturo Gatti gave me many great memories from his altercations in the ring, but more importantly didn't tarnish those memories when I had the chance to meet him outside of it. Thank you for those memories Arturo.

2009-04-25T18:18:00.018-04:00

PACQUIAO VS. HATTON

This is my favorite time of the year, no not spring-time, not baseball season, not draft day, and definitely not Alcohol awareness month! It's big fight time! The Bryguy is ready to hunker down and watch arguably the biggest boxing event of the year.( I say arguably only because if Pacquiao wins there could be a Mayweather-pacquiao showdown later in the year.)

Does it get better than this? I love the hype of a big fight, especially when the fight looks like it could live up to it.(Not like Delahoya-Mayweather, although I enjoyed that hype as well.) For most people all they have to do is go to the bar or call a friend to talk about their favorite sport. Baseball fans have at least a game a day, Fox shows a National game every Saturday afternoon, ESPN has Sunday night baseball, and of course in New England, Red Sox games are always available on NESN(shameless plug). Football fans have every Sunday and Monday night to bunker down and devour game after game. Boxing fans get one or maybe two big fights a year that will attract casual fans. This means more interest in the sport and more people to talk boxing with. A fight like this to a boxing fan is like the playoffs to a football fan. Can you tell I'm excited?!

Prediction:

This is a tough fight to call, both guys are very good and looked like world beaters in their last fights. Ricky Hatton dismantled the usually slick Paulie Malignaggi, and Manny Pacquiao tore apart Oscar Delahoya as if he were nothing but a club fighter. There are many things to consider when talking about the outcome of this fight:

1. Hitman has never lost at 140lbs and Pacman has never fought at 140lbs

2. Hatton has only been with his trainer for 1 fight, Pacquiao has been with Freddie roach since 2001.

3. It's been a while since Hatton has fought a guy his own size(Ricky is small for 140lbs.)

4. Paulie Malignaggi has zero power, so Ricky had nothing to fear with him.

5. Delahoya was a shot fighter by the time Manny got to him.

6. Most importantly, Ricky can't wear his thong into the ring(check out the first 24/7 on demand if you don't get the joke).

So after thinking about all that, forget it because none of it matters! Yes Pacman is stepping up in weight; Yes Hitman is with a new trainer; Yes Hatton is a great body puncher; Yes Delahoya was shot; What I see more than anything is, Pacquiao has much greater hand speed and is the all around better fighter. Ricky, no matter what Floyd Sr. says is still the same fighter he was before. Hatton is the underdog going into tomorrows main event, but he is about as live an underdog as you're going get. He lost one fight to the pound for pound best fighter on the planet, of course in this fight he is taking on the guy who replaced Mayweather as number 1 on that list.

My pick is going to be the same as most, Manny Pacquiao. Although I think this will be a solid fight, worth the money spent on the PPV, I just feel that Manny is too good a fighter. Hatton will bring the fight to Pacquiao and force the Phillipino icon to dig deep, I just don't think Hatton can pull off the upset. I think The Hitman will have his moments, perhaps even hurting Pacman in the middle rounds, but Pacquiao will recover to bring home the victory. One of the problems is, as I just stated Hatton will bring the fight to Pacquiao, David Diaz did the same thing and Pacman ate him up with ease. I am not saying Diaz is as good as Hatton, but they both come straight forward and don't get too cute. Pacquiao has most famously had trouble with Juan Manual Marquez, a counter-punching wizard that throws punches from all angles. Hatton does have a tremendous body attack, but I don't see Pacquiao sitting on the ropes the way Jose Luis Castillo did when he fought Hatton.(The Hitman stopped Castillo in four rounds with a body shot). In the end Pacquiao will be too fast and surprisingly I think stronger than most think, Ricky Hatton will fall in the 11th of a tough fight.

PPV Plans:

When shelling out cash for a boxing event, it is always best to get a group to split it, and use it as an excuse to party. I will be watching this fight at my brothers place, having some Delicious Bud Lights and perhaps some wings(I recommend Wings Over Brookline). The last Hatton PPV was a great time at my place and I am hoping tonight will be just as good. Sadly we will be missing one from the party, Boom-Boom made the last Hatton PPV an event to remember. Boom-Boom has moved on to a better place, his presence and picture taking skills will be sorely missed tonight.

2009-03-19T11:44:00.011-04:00

Welcome Back!

Last Thursday I had the day off and did what most lazy people do with their free days, I slept late, lolly-gagged, and told everyone on Facebook what I was doing as I did it.(I know I'm that guy that updates you that I'm eating a Boston Creme donut in my underwear while watching Maury Povich, sorry!) Anyway, on this particular day I noticed that my friend HBO boxing has updated their status to; HBO Boxing wonders what you think: will Floyd Mayweather come back to boxing?

I immediately put down the Boston Creme, and did some research. Dan Rafeal of espn.com was reporting that Floyd was indeed making a comeback and an HBO date of July 11th had been bandied about for a tune-up fight. The Sweet Science.com and Maxboxing both had similar reports, saying that Floyd wanted to return and was looking to take on all comers.

Once I caught my breath I finished the donut and starting thinking about all the possible great fights Floyd could get into. It's not that I am the biggest "Pretty Boy" fan, or that his fights are overly exciting, it's just that fact that he is the best boxer in the game, and I want to see if he can be beaten. Here are the five I want after his tune-up:

1. MANNY PACQUIAO (48-3, 36ko)

This is the most obvious fight, and seems to be the fight that has brought "Money May" out of retirement. This is a great match-up between the former pound for pound champ and his replacement. This fight will happen, I just hope Mayweather doesn't pull a Bobby Fisher and go back into hiding after beating the number one guy, there a few number two's I would like him to face as well.

2. JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ (50-4, 37ko)

Juan Manuel Marquez is arguably the second best fighter on the planet, and the only argument you could give for that statement would be, he's actually the best. Jimbobaroo once told me "Juan Manuel Marqeuez is the essence of dodge and punish". I will be honest, I don't know what Jimbob was talking about, but I think it meant that JMM is a smart, solid fighter that shouldn't be doubted against anyone, even the pound for pound best. If you saw his fight with Juan Diaz he looked as if he was getting pushed around by the younger man, but he was landing pin point punches(Alliteration!) the whole time. If he did miss it was almost like he did it just to set up a better punch. I would like to see how Mayweather matches up with this counter-punching wizard. Would Mayweather seem as fast if he was being timed? Does timing really beat speed? Who is the best fighter in the world, Mayweather, Pacquiao, or Marquez? I don't have the answers, but I sure would like to find them!

3. SHANE MOSLEY (46-5, 27ko)

This would be such a good match-up between the guy who didn't think Antonio Margarito was anything special, and the guy who proved it. After watching Mosley put on a clinic against Margarito, it seems like he hasn't lost much off his fast-ball(that's for all you baseball nerds reading this). I would love to see how Mayweather would handle Sugar Shane's speed and power. Zab Judah looked like he gave Mayweather some fits early on in their fight, and I don't see Mosley fading or getting knocked out.

4. MIQUEL COTTO (33-1, 27ko)

If these two fighters were military weapons Miquel Cotto would be a tank, and Mayweather would be a Ninja.(OK, I know a Ninja isn't a military weapon, but come on, Ninjas are cool.) I personally think Cotto is a guy with the perfect style to beat Mayweather. He is a relentless, powerful fighter who chops his opponents down until they crumble. I would love to see if the vicious body puncher could slow down the slick defensive dynamo.(Another alliteration, where do I get these?!) I have a feeling that this is one guy that "Money Mo" will avoid.

5. PAUL WILLIAMS (36-1, 27ko)

I'm not sure if I really even want to see this fight. I respect Paul Williams. but am just not that big a fan. I do enjoy that the guy moves up and down he weight classes to fight, but I just don't find him all that entertaining for some reason.(I really can't figure out why!) I just want to see Mayweather square off with a guy who has a 5 inch height advantage and a 10 inch reach advantage, talk about David vs. Goliath. After this one I would then put him in with Valuev!

Let's admit it, Mayweather will never please everyone in the boxing world, but he sure can try a little harder. I think he needs to fight at least 3 of these 5 to quiet the critics and not end up like Roy Jones, chasing the fights he should have had in his prime.

LOCAL UPDATE:

I found out that a few good local fighters will be filling out the April 25th Jermain Taylor-Carl Froch card, both Edwin Rodriquez and Danny O'Connor. Edwin is coming off of an impressive outing, last Thursday he stopped veteran Patrick Thompson(15-13-1) in the second round, Rodriquez is only the second fighter to stop Thompson. O'Connor's last victory was a first round TKO of Charles Wade(4-7-0) in Dorchester on March 14th. There are still $50 and $75 seats available, and this is turning out to be a solid card.

2009-03-02T21:46:00.008-05:00

LOCAL LEATHER

Over the next month New Englanders have a chance to see three full fight cards, two of their best up and comers, and one title fight that could be a pretty good brawl. Seeing as how I am a true fan of the sport and try to recruit new fans as well as make other fans aware of fights in the area, I am going to tell all about the local leather flying over the next month.

Saturday March 14th
The National Guard Armory
70 Liberty Ave.
Dorchester,MA

I will be honest, I only know about one fighter on this card, Framingham's Danny O'Connor. You may remember Danny from his stint on Friday Night Fights a couple weeks ago or Danny's pro debut which was featured on NESN.com. Danny has been busy since he turned pro in September, going 4-0 with one knockout. He should have a crowd rooting for him Saturday, since he's close to home, and it could be a fun night to see him perform.

There are several other locals on the card and many are making their pro-debuts:

Dan Conway - pro debut
Super Middleweight
Dorchester, MA

Alexis Santos - pro debut
Cruiserweight
Lynn,MA

Eddie Caminero (5-0, 5ko)
Super Middleweight
Lawrence,MA

Mike Reyes - pro debut
Light Middleweight
Roslindale,MA

Derek Sylveria (1-0, 1ko)
Light Middleweight
Byfield,MA

Jimmy Leblanc (12-15, 4ko)
Welterweight
Boston,MA

I will be honest other than Danny and maybe Jimmy Leblanc,who I saw lose once, I don't know much about anyone on the card. I do know that it's a pile of local kids and if you can you should show them some love. You never know, one of these guys could be the next Mickey Ward.

Thursday March 19th
Mechanics Hall
321 Main St.
Worcester,MA

Another up and comer I have blogged about before will be lacing up the gloves in his home town Thursday night for his first fight with his new promoter. Worcester native Edwin Rodriquez(9-0, 6ko) just signed a contract with Lou Dibella (Dibella Entertainment) and looks to be ready to do some big things in the next couple years. Edwin has fought 9 times in the past year is facing his biggest test yet, Patrick Thompson(15-13, 5ko) who despite his record is a solid fighter. His 13 loses have come against solid competition like John Duddy, Joe Greene, Vanes Martirosyan, and Alfonso Gomez. Thompson has a sturdy chin and doesn't lose to soft competition, so Rodriquez should be in for a pretty good fight.

Other locals on the card:

Dustin Rinehold - pro debut
Welterweight
Providence,RI

Valar Boise - pro debut
Light Heavyweight
Providence,RI

Ryan Kielczewski (3-0, 0ko)
Lightweight
Quincy,MA

Of course don't hold me to this as all bouts are subject to change.

Saturday April 25th
Foxwoods MGM Grand
Ledyard, CT

Here is the grand daddy of all the cards within driving distance. Jermain Taylor and Carl Froch will be facing of for a the WBC Super Middleweight title at the brand new MGM Grand-Foxwoods casino. Jermain Taylor(28-2, 17ko) is coming off a near shutout performance against former Olympic teammate Jeff Lacy. Froch(24-0,19ko) has decided to come over to the United States for only the second time(he fought in Cali once in 2005) to defend the belt he won via Unanimous decision against Canada's Jean Pascal(21-1,14ko). Many who saw that fight believed to be in contention for fight of the year.(Me, I youtube'd it, it's a pretty good scrap). The fight between Taylor and Froch should be good one, both guys have something to prove, Froch is looking for his first exposure to an American audience, and Taylor needs let everyone know he can compete with the elite 168 pounders. Taylor has only two losses, both at the hands of Middleweight titlist Kelly Pavlick and Carl Froch hasn't lost yet in his career. No matter how you cut, this could be a fight you want to be at.

The only other fight announced for this card is also a good one. another Super Middleweight bout, Allen Green(27-1,19ko) taking on Carlos Deleon Jr.(21-2,14ko). From what I've been reading on the numerous boxing message boards I check daily,(I'm a boxing nerd, what can I say?!) it sounds as if Green needs to impress and then could land some bigger money fights. He is line to take on former gold medalist Andre Ward(18-0,12ko) or maybe even the winner of the Taylor-Froch fight.

These are the only two fights announced so far, but with a month left before the fight, I'm sure a pile of others will be added. Fight cards like these are usually filled out with local guys who can sell tickets, so I'm sure there will be a few locals you've heard of filling out the night. I will be sure to keep you up to date.

Well, there you have it, if you are feeling a bit frisky(please don't take that the wrong way) go check out a fight, and support your local boxing community. You might even catch the Bryguy there(that's me, by the way).

2009-02-13T22:30:00.003-05:00

Spring Spraining!

It's that time of year where little kids start to work over mitts, while their parents yell "no ball in the house". Baseball fans start talking bout what moves teams made in the off-season, who's going to be a surprise, and marking their calender for the big Yankees-Sox match-ups. That's right New Englanders, it's Spring Training time. Athletes and fans a like will be heading to Fort Myers to stretch, click pictures, and get or give autographs(depending on what side of the fence you're on). There will be plenty of running, throwing, catching, and even a little hitting. Well, there just isn't enough hitting for me! I need more jabbing, bobbing weaving, hooking, and 10 counts! Good thing this month seems to be packed with fight cards in Florida, and all about a two hour drive from Fort Myers! So, if you are here in sunny Florida to oogle some athletes, why not take the drive and check a couple guys putting on different kinds of gloves. I am even willing to give you the info, just in case you decide to give the sport I love a chance.

Saturday May 14th
The Bank Atlantic Center
Sunrise Florida
2 hours and 5 minutes

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This is the fight card to be at if you are a fight fan. You'll get to see a heavy handed head-case, a brawling prospect, and a guy who could be the best lightweight in the world. That's just in the main event, the under-cards are just as stacked. There are twelve fights on the card, and tickets as cheap as $25, that $2.08 a fight!! (Not including beers of course). LATE ADD: Word has Campbell didn't make weight, which means it's no longer a title fight, but the fight will still go on.

HEADLINERS

NATE CAMPBELL(32-5-1, 25ko) vs. ALI FUNEKA(30-1-2, 25ko)

This is a solid title fight. Campbell has been an exciting fighter who at times comes up just a bit short.(For instance, not making weight). Campbell is coming off a career best performance against the rugged, never take a step back Juan Diaz. Ali Funeka is a solid fighter with a good record and is coming of his biggest victory, a knockout out of Zahir Raheem in the fourth. Campbell is one of the top two Lightweights in the world, a fight against the other Juan Manuel Marquez could happen if Campbell keeps impressing. I look for this fight to be a crowd pleaser.

CO-HEADLINERS

KERMIT CINTRON(30-2, 27ko) vs. SERGIO MARTINEZ(44-1-1, 24ko)

This is a quality matchup and a great co-headline. Kermit Cintron is a bit of a head-case(he rolled around the ring crying after his fight with Jesse Feliciano), but Killer Kermit sure can punch. He'll be moving up in weight for the first time in his career to take a shot at a 154 lb belt. Sergio Martinez is a 33 year old veteran who's last fight was a career best on HBO. Both fighter's have losses to Antonio Margarito, and after his little hand-wrap incident it seems like a loss to Margarito was unavoidable.

ALFERDO ANGULO(14-0, 11ko) vs. COSME RIVERA(31-11-2, 22ko)

Angulo is just one of a stable of up and coming prospects being showcased by HBO. Angulo is a hard punching straight forward brawler. He has a style that can't make for a boring fight. Cosme Rivera is a veteran gate keeper, has taken other prospects like Andre Berto, and Joel Julio to the brink before taking the loss. Angulo was originally supposed to take on Ricardo Mayorga, but he pulled out over money. I would have rather seen that fight, but this one isn't to shabby.

NOTABLE UNDERCARDS FIGHTERS

ANTHONY DIRRELL (14-0, 12ko)

Dirrell is the brother of Bronze medalist Andre Dirrell. He has not been brought along the same way as his brother, is still quick and has some skills. Anthony has been feasting on less than stellar competition, but if you're at the fight that means he usually walks away with a KO. He isn't as good as his brother, but is still quite talented and worth checking out.

GARY RUSSELL JR. (1-0, 1ko)

Gary was one of the major disappointments in the Beijing Olympics last year, he lost his battle at the scales, failing to make weight. Sometimes a loss in the amateurs can fuel a guy to succeed in the pro game. If he does turn out to be a good fighter, why not say "I saw that guy when....."?

Saturday February 20th
The Nova University Center Arena
Fort Lauderdale
2 hours 10 minutes

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There are a few people worth checking out on this card, especially when you can get tickets as cheap as $15.

MAIN EVENTS

RICHARD GUTIERREZ(24-2-1, 14ko) vs. JESUS GONZALES(24-1, 13ko)

This is a must win for both guys. Gutierrez was on a roll, winning 21 straight fights until he ran into Alfred Angulo. Gonzales has only one loss to the hard hitting Jose Luis Zertuche, and has been matched fairly carefully, and needs to prove he's ready for some bigger fights. A loss for either guy would set them way back, so both guys should be fighting with plenty of intensity and heart.

YURIORKIS GAMBOA(13-0, 11ko) vs. WALTER ESTRADA(35-8, 24ko)

Gamboa has been on the fast track to the big time since he turned pro two years ago. I will admit, he could be one of the most exciting fighters to watch in boxing (I personally don't like him, but I will admit he's exciting). He has speed, power in both hands, and a little bit of a wobbly chin, which makes for edge of your seat fun. Estrada is a veteran, but don't let the record fool you, his competition has been below average for a guy with 43 fights. Then again, if you look at Beidis Prescott's record before Ahmir Khan it wasn't that impressive either!

NOTABLE UNDERCARD FIGHTERS

BREIDIS PRESCOTT (20-0, 18ko)

The hard hitting Colombian destroyed the much ballyhooed Englishman, and Olympic silver medalist Ahmir Khan in 54 seconds last time out. That's about all I know about Prescott, but that is enough to peak my interest.

ERISLANDY LARA (3-0, 2ko)

This Cuban prospect has been talked about quite a bit lately(mostly by his promotional team), as if he could turn out to be something. Why not check him out?

FEBRUARY 27TH
Seminole Hard Rock Casino
Hollywood, Florida
2 hours, 5minutes

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This is the last fight card in Florida during the Red Sox regular Spring Training schedule. The undercards are a little weaker than the other cards, but the main event is worth the trip.

MAIN EVENT

GLEN JOHNSON(48-12-2, 33ko) vs. DANIEL JUDAH(23-3-3, 10ko) II

It seems the Glen Johnson has spent his whole career begging people to get in the ring with him. The first fight with Judah ended in a controversial draw back in 2004. Judah has fallen off a bit since that last fight, but what I'm really interested in is seeing the Road Warrior(Johnson) get his revenge.

UNDERCARDS

DANNY O'CONNOR (3-0, 1ko)

This is a New England kid that Sox fans should support. I have written about him before, and I think he could turn out to be pretty good. Danny is a defensive fighter and has been busy in the very beginning of his pro career. So, don't be one of the band wagon jumpers, go support him now. Do you and him a favor, take the ride and show him some love.

I will fully admit I don't know too much about any of the other under card fighters. Sometimes those are the best fighters on card.

Well, there you go, all you need to add another stop on your Spring Training road trip. If you get sick of catching and throwing, you can watch some bobbing and weaving. If you're tired of K's and you'd rathe KO's, or maybe you want to see stretchers more than stretching(I have a million of these), take the 2 hour trip!

2009-01-22T19:25:00.012-05:00

GET ER DONE!

It was announced recently that talks between pound-for-pound titlist Manny Paquiao and Light Welterweight conqueror Ricky Hatton were halted, allegedly because Pacquiao has insisted a 60-40 split of PPV profit. Now I don't want to go into detail about the money or circumstances that were reported. I will instead weep quietly, and eat a gallon of ice cream, or I could just write about the fights I feel need to get done in 2009, including the one being reported as dead in the water(Hatton-Pacquiao). Yeah, the writing would probably be better for my hips, so here you go:

1. Ricky Hatton(45-1, 38ko) VS. Manny Pacquiao(48-3, 36ko)

Light Welterweight(140lbs.)

This fight needs to get done, and needs to get done soon. Both fighters are coming off big-time wins, Pacman with his destruction of Oscar Delahoya (the most popular fighter in the world), and Hatton with his dominating showing over a tricky Paulie Malignaggi (which makes him the ruler of the division). Each fighter has always been immensely popular with their countrymen, but I think the two of them together would garner much attention in the states. Of course, most of all, it would be a great fight! Both are tough guys, both have aggressive nonstop, come forward styles, and both have loopholes in their defense. What more could you ask for?

PROGNOSIS:

I have a feeling this will get done, there is too much money involved. I read that Manny was guaranteed 12 million for the fight, he won't find that fighting anyone but Hatton. I have a feeling that Floyd Mayweather waiting in the wings and will have some influence, he seems poised to come out of retirement to challenge the winner, which would be another big money fight. This fight needs to happen first. So, GET ER DONE!

2. Lucian Bute(23-0, 18ko) VS. Librado Andrade(27-2, 21ko) II

Super Middleweights (168lbs)

Showtime aired the first fight on October 28th, 2008 from the Bell Centre in Montreal Canada. Bute, who was in front of his "home town" crowd of 16,000 was putting on quite the performance, when he faded down the stretch. He was knocked on his keester with just seconds left, and were it not for some shady referee maneuvers he would have been counted out! No joke, Bute probably thought he was Sylvester the cat and the end of the fight! That is no way to end one of the best fights of 2008. The only way to rectify the situation......rematch in 2009!

PROGNOSIS:

It could get done, but I'm not sure Bute's camp is going to go into it willingly. They still have that big shiny 0 on the end of his record, barely, but it's still there. His camp has a fight scheduled for March 13th against Fulgencio Zuniga(22-3, 19ko). One would think Bute would want to set the record straight, but I seem to doubt it. Their are many big names at Super Middleweight that could make for interesting fights and bigger money in 2009(Mikkel Kessler, Jermaine Taylor, Andre Dirrell, Andre Ward). So, I don't see this one getting done in 2009. NOT GETTIN DONE!

3. Miguel Cotto(32-1, 26ko) VS. Antonio Margarito(37-5, 26ko) II

Welterweight (147lbs)

The first fight was an instant classic. In the first six rounds Miguel Cotto was fighting the best fight of his life. He was dancing, hitting and moving, it was a splendid display of his boxing ability. The only problem? The bus that was in the ring with him didn't slow down, and didn't stop coming forward. Antonio Margarito wore down Cotto and eventually broke his will in the eleventh to give the Puerto Rican his first loss. This fight was runner up for the fight of the year in 2008, and I think a second fight could top it in 2009.

PROGNOSIS:

This one is in the bag! Bob Arum(promoter for both) has already said this fight is happening in June, as long as Cotto wins his tune-up against Michael Jennings. (That's as sure a thing as you're gonna get in boxing). So my message to Cotto? Take Jennings seriously, and GET ER DONE!

4. Tomasz Adamek(36-1, 24ko) VS. Steve Cunningham(21-2, 11ko) II

Cruiserweight (200lbs)

Another candidate for fight of the year in '08 was this knockdown drag out fight between these two top level Cruiserweights. Steve Cunningham outboxed Adamek for much of the fight, but he just couldn't overcome being sent to the canvas three times by the heavy-handed Polish fighter. Even with the three knockdowns it was a split decision, and I personally think demands a rematch.

PROGNOSIS:

I think this fight will get done. It may not happen right away, I think both fighters will need to win a bout or two, before facing off for a second time. Adamek is already defending his title on February 27th against undefeated, Emmanual Steward trained Jonathon Banks (20-0, 14ko). Cunningham is also fighting pretty quickly..........for a rematch. Check out this website he has started, asking fans to petition for another fight.

http://www.wewantarematch.com/

5. Chad Dawson(27-0, 17ko) VS. Antonio Tarver(27-5, 19ko) II

Light Heavyweight(175lbs)

Remember their first fight? Chad Dawson laid such a one-sided beating on Tarver we all thought "Magic Man" might retire! Yeah, Tarver, I want you to retire too! So why the hell is their a rematch?! I understand that there was a rematch clause in the contract for the first fight, but Antonio, you gotta know how badly you were beaten, just let it go! This is the type of fight that hurts boxing. I was really just kidding with this one!

PROGNOSIS:

Unfortunately this one is going to happen, GET ER OVER WITH!

The fight we should be seeing instead:

Chad Dawson(27-0, 17ko) VS. Glen Johnson(48-12, 33ko) II

Light Heavyweight(175lbs)

Johnson was a huge test for "Bad Chad", and he almost didn't pass, in fact some don't think he did. I had Dawson winning by a very slim margin, but I thought Johnson deserved a rematch in what was a barn burner of a fight. Chad being the slick lefty Matador, and Johnson the hard relentless bull wearing down the younger Dawson. This fight was similar in many ways to the Cotto-Margarito, except in that one, the bull stopped the Matador.

PROGNOSIS:

Even though the public demands this fight, I don't think Dawson's people, nor HBO want anything to do with it. They like Chad's undefeated status, and Johnson seems like the only guy right now who could snatch it. Maybe Johnson should start a website like Cunningham, then maybe we could GET ER DONE.

6. Floyd Mayweather(39-0, 29ko) VS. Manny Pacquiao(48-3, 36ko)

Light Welterweight(140lbs)

I don't think I need to say much about this fight. The Former pound-for-pound king taking on the current pound-for-pound king? It sounds like something right out of the WWE! Even though Mayweather did do a short wrestling stint, this is the real deal! Mayweather comes out of retirement to reclaim his thrown, that sounds like big money, and a true fight to get ordinary fans excited.

PROGNOSIS:

The only way this fight doesn't happen is if Pacman loses to Ricky Hatton. We should all pray that doesn't happen, (except Hatton fans of course), because this would be a truly great match-up. Now GET ER DONE!!

2009-01-12T11:49:00.025-05:00

OUR OWN BACKYARD

New Englanders have true love for just a few things, four seasons(not always), sarcasm, Dunkin Donuts, the saying "it's not the heat, it's the
humidity", and of course sports. Everyone in the Northeast knows and loves the four majors(Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, and Celtics). Some are even quite found of the assortment of minor league teams, and fringe sports, such as Soccer, and Lacrosse. I am here to tell you about a few people you should be looking out for, and supporting the same as you do your local teams. New England has a few up and coming fighters training in it's region, and they may be fighting in your neighborhood from time to time. So in the honor of the four seasons I am going to list 4 up and coming fighters you should keep and eye on.

Matt "Too Smooth" Godfrey 27,
Cruiserweight: 18-1, 10ko's
Providence, RI
PAST: Matt was a highly touted amateur fighter, and was a 2001 Pan-American Games bronze medalist. Matt won 6 New England Golden gloves , and went on to become the a Golden Gloves National champion in 2002. He was also a U.S. National Amateur champion in 2000, and 2004(Middleweight, then Heavyweight).

PRESENT: As a pro Matt has compiled an 18-1 record with 10ko's, his only loss taking place in Germany(a tough place for foreign boxers to win) to an Olympic silver medalist named Rudolf Kraj. Godfrey has saved his most memorable fights for national audiences, in his Friday Night Fight appearances he finished with early KO's of Shaun George, Felix Cora Jr., and Emmanual Nwodo. In the Nwodo fight, Godfrey rose from a knockdown in the 3rd to finish Nwodo in the 4th.

FUTURE: Godfrey is getting ready for the a title eliminator against former Heavyweight champion Herbie Hide. If he wins this fight he will land himself another title shot against the winner of the Krzysztof Wlodarczyk(41-2, 31ko) and Giacobbe Fragomeni(26-1, 10ko). I hate to be the guy calling that fight!!

Danny O'Connor 23
Welterweight, 2-0, 1ko
Framingham, MA
PAST: Danny has been a 4 time New England Golden Gloves champion, and went on to become a bronze medalist in the 2007 Olympic trials. 2008 was his biggest year as an amateur, he was not only an Olympic Alternate in Beijing, but was also the National Golden Gloves champion, and U.S. Future Stars National Champion. He was voted most outstanding boxer at the U.S. Future Stars tournament, and was featured in Sports Illustrated as a Face in the Crowd. Danny also holds a 23-3 victory in the amateurs over the eventual Olympic Gold medalist Felix Diaz.

PRESENT: O'Connor made his pro debut at the Verizon Wireless center September 17, 2008. He ended the fight against Jose Guerrido(0-2) at 1:55 in the second. Danny followed up his debut with a 4 round unanimous decision over Anthony Woods(5-10) at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, FL.

FUTURE: O'Connor was to fight on an under-card in New York city, but the fight card was scraped when the headliners pulled out. Look for Danny to keep very busy, while he moves up the ranks.

Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez, 23
Middleweight, 9-0, 5ko's
Worcester, MA
PAST: Edwin started amateur boxing career in 2001 and became USA Boxing National Champion at a 165 pounds in 2005. He followed that up in 2006 with a championship at the same weight in the National Golden Gloves tournament. In the end Edwin compiled an amateur record of 84 wins, with only 9 losses.

PRESENT: As a pro Edwin has been on the fast track, starting in January 2008, and finishing the year 8-0 with 5 knockouts. He may be the busiest fighter in the country, but at the very least he is the busiest fighter in New England. This past Saturday Edwin fought on the Andre Berto-Luis Collazo undercard in Biloxi MI. That was a good HBO card, and all the right people were there to see him stop Brad Austin(8-5) in the third round. His competition has slowly progressed over his first 9 fights, and he has done well, with a good mix of KO's and distance rounds under his belt.

FUTURE: After his fight Saturday night, hopefully a relationship with HBO will mainatain. Perhaps a few more undercards on big shows. He is now 9-0, he should start to get some exposure in the near future. He might wind up with on Friday Night Fights, or maybe even a Shobox(Showtime) at some point in 2009. Also, a move up to the Super Middleweight division is probably going to happen sooner than later. The Supers right now are stacked with bigger name fighters, so big fights could be on the horizon.

Demetrius "Boo-Boo" Andrade, 20
Light Middleweight, 2-0, 2ko's
Providence, RI
PAST: Boo-Boo has been boxing since he was six years old, and began to really impress in 2005 when he became a U.S National Champion. In 2006 he was a U.S. National champion, and a National Golden Gloves Champion in '06 &'07. Demetrius took home gold in the 2007 World Amateur Championships, and Silver in the Pan American Games that same year. Andrade also made it to the semi-finals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

PRESENT: Boo-Boo made his pro debut in Washington with a second round stoppage of Patrick cape on October 23rd. He followed that up on November 29th with another knockout, this time in the fourth round, and in front of his home town crowd in Providence, RI.

FUTURE: Andrade looks set to make his ESPN Friday Night Fights debut on March 2nd at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. Demetrius has a split contract with two promoters, which should keep him very busy and move him up the ranks at a quick pace.

2008-12-07T14:10:00.008-05:00

NOT DEAD,

JUST DVR'D!

As a die hard boxing fan it saddens me to see the sport of boxing not doing well. (I know 2009 is off to a great start, but I'm talking in the grand scheme of things). I know the usual complaints of corruption, bad fights, and too many PPV's. I agree with all of them! The Bryguy is not here to convince you that the sport he loves is perfect. I am not here to talk about the reasons why you should overlook bad fights, or even forget about corruption. What I am here to do, is tell you the great secret about how I still enjoy boxing so much. THE DVR! It's not just great for the Office, and Always Sunny in Philidelphia, but boxing too. As much as I love the sport of boxing, I am not willing to lose out on a good Friday or Saturday night out. I can go to the bar and I am guaranteed not to see Jim Lampley and Emmanuel Steward on the TV, and I have even less of a chance catching a PPV or Showtime fight on. I don't have to worry about someone ruining the outcome of the fight and best of all, if the fight stinks, just fast forward past it! I am as big a fight fan as you'll find, and I actually watch most of my fights over coffee not beer. Pavlick - Taylor I, Lacy - Calzaghe, and Cotto - Malignaggi are just few of the brawls I watched over my morning caffeine. (there is the occasional fight I watch with one eye as the room spins, but I usually re-watch those in the morning too). Not a bad way to start the day if I do say so myself. (Of course I'm talking about the fight, not the hangover!) So next time you decide to say boxing is a dying sport, take a moment and ask yourself, "am I just watching it wrong?".

2008-11-14T16:39:00.003-05:00

Jeff Lacy vs. Jermain Taylor

If you had told me 3 or 4 years ago that Jeff lacy was going to fight Jermain Taylor, I would have told you "the PPV is on me!". I would talked for months about how Lacy would overwhelm Taylor with combinations in the late rounds, but perhaps after he hit the deck once or twice from flush shots from Taylor. I would have preached how it had the potential to be a fight of the year candidate, and the winner might never lose a fight. (I may be exaggerating a little, but I do get pretty pumped up for big fights, and a few years ago this would have been considered a good fight.)

Fast forward to 2008 and this is a crossroads fight. My stomach churned as I watched Jeff lacy get absolutely destroyed by Joe Calzaghe. I caught up on sleep during Taylor's middleweight reign, and I cheered as Kelly Pavlick brought that reign to thudding close with his sledgehammer right hand. What the hell happened to these two rising stars? Both guys seemed to not only have the goods to be solid fighters for years to come, but they also had something that could have made them crossover stars, something boxing needs as "The Golden Boy" calls it quits. Lacy laid an egg against Calzaghe and if you ask me took a needless beating because his corner was too proud to halt the bout. When Lacy returned after his Calzaghe embarrassed Lacy, "Left Hook" was put in with another awkward lefty, where he tore his rotator cuff in the 3rd round, and again fight till the end needlessly. Since then it has seemed as if Jeff has been a shell of himself. He doesn't let his hands go with reckless abandon, and lightning fast combinations that had halted opponents, has all but disappeared. He doesn't even seem the same in his interviews, that guy with endless confidence who feared nobody, has turned into the guy who looks as if he is putting on a fake bravado to prove how tough he is in hopes the school bully won't pick on him.

Taylor just squeezed by Hopkins, and then cashed in on his title, while at the same time picking a trainer that didn't suit his style very well. Two lackluster performances against smaller opponents, in Cory Spinks and Kassim Ouma left the champ without to many fans. That lead Jermain to an undefeated highly touted middleweight named Kelly Pavlick. Even though he dropped Pavlick early, Taylor took too many rights to the head, and was finally stopped in the 7th. Taylor would reunite with his childhood trainer Ozell Nelson, and give Pavlick a better fight in the rematch, but still end up on the losing end. He has since moved to 168 and will square off against his former Olympic roommate tomorrow night.

It looks as iff this could be a WWE type match, winner moves on, and the loser goes home, for good! This will be a tough fight for me to watch because there wasn't a bigger Lacy fan on the planet that The Bryguy. I was such a big fan that my Mom even said she was sorry after the Calzaghe(that's the honest to god truth, momma Bryguy is the best). Even though Taylor seems to have had less wear & tear than Lacy has, I can't pick against my man. I head says a stoppage late for Taylor, somewhere around the 10th, my heart says the old "Left Hook" is going to show up and take a 10 round decision. It's not out of the question, Lacy has never shown up to a fight and given anything less than 110 percent. He has had lackluster performances, but the past few years can be seen as ring rust from injuries. Taylor however has been stopped once before and Will always have to apologize for his showing against Spinks and Ouma. I will never root against Lacy, so I'm going with a classic "Left Hook" to take this. PREDICTION: LACY UD

TOP RING ENTRY SONGS

2008-09-15T01:24:00.003-04:00

TOP RING ENTRY SONGS II

I started Bryguy Boxing exactly three years ago to the day! Thank you, thank you. In that time I have written some good stuff(I predicted Hatton-Mayweather to the round), I have written some horrible stuff(I've gotten just about every other prediction dead wrong), and I have written one entry that appears at the top of Google if you are looking. Ring entry songs! Yes, my blog entry about my top five picks for great ring entry songs has been Googled more times than I can count on my hands and feet! Who knew the Bryguy would be the go to guy for such a thing? I guess I know my stuff, that or I could be the only human being strange enough to write about what songs should be played just before you get into a ring to bash someones face in. In honor of Bryguy Boxing's third anniversary I have decided to make another list, because more music has been released, I've been to a few more fights and......I sure would like a few more hits from Google.

I will just repeat what I feel a good entrance song should be all about. It should be something to pump up fans, while at same time getting the fighter amped up. The song should also be something that could intimidate the the other fighter, realistically if you get the fans going, that should be enough to intimidate the other fighter. Also, I like something that has a solid beat, can get my head bobbing, and keep the fighter moving to the ring, something almost militaristic. Well, there you have it, my criteria for which this list is based. Without further ado, here are my suggestions for some good ring entrance songs.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Believe it or not, I am a big fan of score music. It is some of the best stuff on the planet, and some of it is downright tough. Think about it, when you go to the movies, what makes you scared? What makes you sad? What fills you with pride for a character that you don't know? What would Rocky's training scenes be without his theme? Therefore I think some of this score music could be used for entering the ring. Last of the Mohican's is filled with uplifting, tough, militaristic type music. So is Backdraft, Gettysburg, Gladiator, and Braveheart. Here are a few tracks that stand out to me:

PROMENTORY - Last of the Mohican's - Trever Jones
Last of the Mohicans - James Horner

On the surface this is a nice beautiful song, but if you really listen to it, the strings and the light drum in the back ground keep quite a kick ass beat. It never looses it's rhythm and can get people feeling pretty good about their fighter. The NFL didn't put it in their TV adds because it was pretty!

THE BATTLE - Gladiator - Hans Zimmer

The Battle - Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard

This music is from the same guy who brought you The Contender theme. I personally feel this one packs a bit more of a kick than the Contender stuff does. You just need to skip in about two minutes and you've got a great ring entrance. If that doesn't get your pulse going, I don't know what would.

5. IT'S TIME FOR WAR - LL COOL J
Its Time For War - LL Cool J

Seeing as how my last ring entry song list was topped by LL's "Mama Said Knock You Out", I thought it was fitting that my new list would start off with an LL track. This one is off his latest album, Exit 13, in fact it's the 1st track, and gets his album off to a thumping start. The bells ring and choir sings right off, it sounds as if you are going to someones funeral. It would be a perfect song for Bernard Hopkins to enter the ring to, because LL is mostly rapping about being disrespected do to his age. The chorus just echoes over and over "It's time for war!", the beat stays heavy through out, and the choir never stops. This is no doubt the type of track that would get me amped up while my favorite boxer made his way to the ring.

4. HELLS BELLS - AC/DC

Hells Bells - AC

You can hear it now, can't you? The bells slowly ringing, one at a time, a sign that something bad is going to happen, or perhaps someone bad ass is on his way? Sometimes, a good ring entry song will let you know it's time, but then let you wait, for a slow boil. Hells Bells is the perfect song for that. When the guitars kick in that's when the walk begins. It isn't the type of song to make you jump up and down uncontrollably, but it will make you turn to your friend a let him know, "someones getting knocked out tonight!".

3. REMEMBER THE NAME - FORT MINOR

Remember The Name - Fort Minor

With a catchy hook, heavy beat, and a tough attitude this track is just begging to lead someone to the ring. It also obviously states that after this night you will, "remember the name". It's all about trying to make it big by having a big heart, and a will that won't quit. Remind you of anything? I know that this song has been used for everything from NBA commercials to TV shows like Friday Night Lights, but that's because it's that good. This is type of song that makes me drive faster when I hear on the radio, and I can guarantee you, it would make me stand up and bob my head at a boxers entrance.

2. EYE OF A SOLDIER - YOUNG BUCK

Eye Of A Soldier (Feat. Trey Songz) - Young Buck

As I said in the beginning I like as song that is somewhat militant. Most every Young Buck track is Militant, but this has a little more to it. I think it's due to the background of Trey Songz. The chorus starts up first thing and boasts "I've got the heart of a soldier, got the soul of Tiger, if you ever said I'm scared, then you a mothef****** liar." Thems fighting words if I've ever heard them! The beat is tough throughout, the pace is not too fast, but not too slow either. It could be just enough to let people know, your here for business.

1. STAND UP (LET'S GET MURDERED) - P.O.S.

Stand Up (Lets Get Murdered) - P.O.S.

This is one of my favorite artists right now, and this track from his album Audition stands out above all the rest. The horns kick in right away, and soon after the chorus is yelling at you to "Stand Up". The beat keeps moving and P.O.S. raps with a frantic angry, yet somehow thoughtful pace that sounds like a combo of Eminem, and Common. Two minutes in to the track, the horns really pick up and you are told, "hands up if your broke, go find a way to stand up, give it up if you're hoping to never give it up, hands up so we know who's here, who wants to open up the machine and rage against the gears, STAND UP!". According to my Ipod, I have listened to that song 625 times, and I can tell you, yes, I still want to rage against the gears(whatever that means). This one gets an added bonus, because I'm sure not many people have heard it, and it could be the type you will try to find after the fight.

There you have it, my suggestions for some ring entrance songs. Let me know what you think, or if you have a few suggestions, let me know.

Big Weekend

2008-09-13T00:39:00.004-04:00

It's a big weekend for fight fans, no matter if you're rich or poor. If your rich, you may be purchasing the Jaun Manuel Marquez vs. Joel Casamayor fight on HBO PPV, while at the same time, DVRing the Showtime double-header of Nate Campbell vs. Joan Guzman and Timothy Bradley vs. Edner Cherry. Those poor fight fans like me, will no doubt catch the Showtime card and patiently wait for the HBO replay a week later. I think both cards are strong, with the Showtime card being the more exciting of the two, and the HBO card while being an intriguing match up, not exactly PPV worthy. Well, I don't want to get into another blog entry about what is wrong with this sport, I just want to give a few predictions.

HBO

Jaun Manuel Marquez vs. Joel Casamayor

Ok, since I'm running late, I will make these short and sweet. I think JMM outpoints Casamayor fairly easily. When you are as talented as JMM, I don't think moving up in weight makes that big a deal. I also feel Casamayor has gotten away with his last two fights. He should have lost against Santa Cruz, and Katsidis got caught. Jaun Manuel Marquez UD

Vernon Forrest vs. Sergio Mora II

I don't really care about this fight, and I think it's really sad that it is kind of a co-main event. They should of had something better for a PPV show. That being said, I thought Vernon looked over the hill in his last fight, and the reason he lost was because he couldn't let his hands go. I don't see that changing, and I think he should consider retiring. Mora UD

SHOWTIME

Nate Campbell vs. Joan Guzman

This could be the toughest fight to call out of them all. Guzman is slick and undefeated, but Campbell is battle tested veteran. Guzman came in overweight, but does that mean he's out of shape, or just doesn't care about the belt. We remember what happened the first time Castillo came in overweight against Corrales! I still have to go with the seemingly tougher, grittier champion. Campbell seems like the type of guy who busted his butt to get the title, and isn't going to let some undefeated slickster take away from him. I think he'll pressure Guzman till the youngster crumbles. Campbell TKO 12

Edner Cherry vs. Timothy Bradley

I have really enjoyed watching Edner Cherry over the years, and for that reason, I'm giving him the win. I think he will surprise everybody and pull off the upset, just because I like him! Cherry SD

PREDICTION

2008-07-24T22:48:00.004-04:00

MIGUEL COTTO vs. ANTONIO MARGARITTO

I have an idea, the winner of this should fight Manny Pacquiao for the number one pound for pound fighter in the world........I'm just kidding that would be as stupid as Pacman fighting Oscar Delahoya!!! Anyway, both of this weekends combatants are tough, talented, and getting ready for the toughest fight of their careers. Miguel Cotto is an undefeated fighter, who has been able to break down every opponent methodically like the Terminator searching for John Conner. Antonio Margarito has made a career of beating solid opponents and being avoided by the most solid of opponents. This will by far be the best fighter each has faced in their respective careers, and both seem to be ready for the task. How is gonna go down? I thought you would never ask!! I personally have never been all that impressed with Antonio Margarito. Although I do think he is a solid fighter with the guts to match any pro in the biz, I think his best quality is being awkward. Every punch he has seems to loop whether it's supposed to or not, and somehow it works for him. I suppose I should also mention that Antonio has a granite chin, too bad he's facing a fighter who loves to go to the body. I can see a few scary moments early on, kinda like the Cotto-Judah fight. Cotto does take some nice uppercuts and Margarito sure know how throw them! I think Cotto will weather the storm and break down Antonio the same way he has the rest, by ripping to the body. I think Margarito's corner or the ref will stop the fight late, say 11 or 12. PREDICTION COTTO TKO 12

2008-01-23T11:38:00.000-05:00

GLEASON'S GYM

Sorry it's been a while since I last posted. I've been in the midst of a job change. I will no longer be working for CN8: The Comcast Network. I am now a Videographer for NESN. I will be covering mostly Red Sox and Bruins, I will miss covering as much boxing as I have in the past, but the move overall is a good one. Since I won't be covering boxing as a photog anymore I decided before I left to put together one last boxing piece that had been siting idle for about 8 months.

Every time I sat down to watch boxing I would hear about famous gyms through the United States, Kronk, Gleason's, and more recently the Wild Card. The one gym that is mentioned in nearly every boxing broadcast was Gleason's Gym, and it was always prefixed with the likes of, historic, famous, one and only. I wanted to know what was so special about Gleason's( ya, I know they had a bunch of champs) what I wanted to was, why. So Jeb Fisher and I, along with our trusted sidekick Dan"the animal" Cordella, took a trip to the famous gym and were truly inspired by what we saw. So much so that I put this piece together with no intention of it seeing TV time, Dan is know boxing, and Jeb still has dream about Zab Judah.

Thanks to everyone at Gleason's for helping us out Bob Jackson, Hector Roca, Yoel Judah, Zab Judah, John Duddy, and Bruce Silverglade.

I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think.

2007-12-06T12:10:00.000-05:00

PREDICTION IN THE FORM OF POETRY

Twas' three days to go for the fight,

and there are 30,000 Brits stirring all through the Vegas night.

The gloves are hung in the locker rooms with care,

just waiting for fists to fly through the air.

Boxing fans are not sleeping too well,

they're waiting anxiously for the ring of the opening bell.

My mom's not a boxing fan but even she has asked,

what is my prediction in who will be standing last.

24/7 has made my mouth water for weeks,

I just wish I had never seen Ricky Hatton's cheeks.

Even though it came and went in a flash,

I will repeat, I really didn't need to see his pale white ash.

Before you know it, they'll juke and they'll jive,

I don't think there's any way it ends inside of five.

Hatton will go to the body Mayweather to the head,

I'm so excited after the fight I could probably drop dead.

Mayweather is slick, Hatton is tough,

Ricky's best chance is to make this one rough.

Mayweather will use all his speed and skill,

to stay on the outside and try to break Ricky's will.

I don't think this will go the distance at all,

I just want it to end in a brawl.

I don't see Hatton's hand being raised,

What I do see is poor Ricky going down in a blaze.

Mayweather doesn't take fights he thinks he could lose,

he picked the hitman, someone he thinks he can abuse.

Hatton will fall around eight or even nine,

he is not suited for the 140 to 147lb. incline.

The loser should not be ashamed of the outcome,

just risking their records is more than most have done.

All in all I just want to see a good fight,

holy good gosh, I wish they could square off tonight!

2007-11-19T23:38:00.000-05:00

SHEER ENTERTAINMENT

The only thing dumber than these two guys flexing

at each other is the fact that this fight is on PPV.

Over the past few months I've been reading and watching interviews with Ricardo Mayorga and Fernando Vargas. I will say that I have learned a few things:

1. They are both very funny.

2. They are both very stupid.

3. They are not getting my money.

I truly feel that the best part of this fight has been the lead up to it. I'm not sure what i laugh at more, Mayorga's completely original insults towards Vargas “You see this fat girl in this photo?(showing a picture of Vargas) This is the fat girl I am going to knock out. I would like to introduce her to you today. She is Fernando Vargas." or perhaps I find more humor in watching Fernando take his shirt off every two seconds to show off his flabby physique.(I say that only because he is supposed to be an elite athlete, he is still in far better shape than I have ever been in.) Watching the two of them at their final presser had me laughing out loud at times and crying a little on the inside. With these two idiots standing on opposite sides of a piece of plexi glass, shouting at each other as if they were at recess comparing your mama's fat jokes, I can't help but laugh. Yet, it's sad to think that boxing has crossed that line that separated it from the world of professional wrestling. I hope people don't pay for this fight. This is exactly what's wrong with boxing. Trying to hype up two has been fighters by having outrageous pressers and making it seem like these two guys have genuine dislike for each other. I don't care if they like each other or not, they are getting paid to fight so that's what they're gonna do! I wouldn't be surprised to hear on Saturday that someone got hit over the head with a steel chair and the ref didn't see it. This could be a fun fight, but that doesn't make it worth paying for. In the end just remember it can't be more fun than the pressers have been, and that's because those were free. I will also give you my prediction for free. I think Vargas has been shot for a while and was exposed by Mosley. PREDICTION: Mayorga TKO 8

2007-11-13T12:59:00.000-05:00

A LETTER TO BOXING

With most things jobs, sports, families, there is someone in charge, someone you can bring your problems to. If you have a problem with the NFL, you can write a letter to Commissioner Roger Goodell. If you have a problem with the rules at your house, you can bring it up to Mom or Dad(if your living at home, your landlord if your not). If you have a problem with boxing, you have to just bitch and moan about it, like the no good whinny cry-baby you are. Well, I have many problems with boxing, and thanks to my friend Coach, I have decided to write a letter.

Dear Boxing,

I am writing you because I feel as if I am in a one way relationship. I am not completely unhappy, I just feel that I give so much more to you, than you give back to me. There are times I feel as if I am being stood up on a date. Remember the time you had the pound for pound champ take on the most popular fighter in the game, tota l let down. Maybe you remember the time you had two of the games pound for pound best tacticians square off in a boxing chess match of sorts, then charged me 50 bucks to see it. How about when you dare ask me to give 50 dollars for match-ups that are even less interesting? You have been trying lately, but it seems as if these things you've done for me this fall will be taken away by spring time. Taylor-Pavlick II will be on PPV, Joe Calzaghe's next fight will probably land there as well. That's just more money down the drain.

I have a few suggestions for you that would change our relationship. I know that I can't ask you to be a different sport, it's too late for that. You'll never be the NFL, or MLB, or even the National Beer pong League for that matter. I'm asking for little things, just enough change to make me feel as if you care. To start, you need to fix the heavyweight division. It's the one division that no n-boxing fans pay attention to. This is easier than you think, are ready for the simple fix.......change the heavies to the Super Heavyweight division. You can then change the name of Cruiserweight to Heavyweight. Think about it, it's just a name, all people will know is that these are big athletic guys who put on good fights and can knock fellas out with one punch. The Supers will be fat and out of shape, like they have been for years. You could even extend the limit to 205 or maybe 210 if you needed to.

Idea number two, stop charging me for good fights. It's been nice this fall with the Pavlick-Tayor and Kessler-Calzaghe fights, but with that you throw at me Pay-Per-Views like Cotto-Mosley, and Mayweather-Hatton. I'm not saying thaose are bad fights, I'm just asking why can't you find advertisement money instead of taking my hard earned cash? Those are good fights, but along with those you try and get me to buy Shannon Briggs vs. Sultan Ibragimov and Fernando Vargas vs. Ricardo Mayorga. I understand that the sport is always going to have PPV's, but if you keep having these lame ones you're not promoting yourself. How do you expect to get new fans involved in the sport? No one is going to fork over 50 bucks for something they don't know anything about. That goes for cheap tickets to the events themselves too. Recently I went to the Contender Finale at The Banknorth Garden, the cheapest tickets were 45 bucks! The Garden is huge, you're telling me that selling 10 or even 20 dollar tickets would have broken the bank? On top of that you didn't even advertise it very well, I talked to at least ten people(most of whom work in the sports industry) and they had no idea there was a big fight happening in Boston. If you sold cheap tickets you would have packed the place and maybe walked away with a few extra boxing fans.

I would l ike to have more good fights televised. I don't think this is too much to ask. Why is it that Spike TV shows every UFC worth watching. ESPN Classic picked up Holyfield vs. Ibragimov, who the heck wants to see that fight? Yet I have to find David Haye vs. Jean Marc Mormeck, and Lucian Bute vs. Alejandro Berrio on youtube after the fact. Or the time you made me watch Wlad Klitschko destroy Ray Austin within seconds. Just air good fights, people will begin to watch if you do that. Along that same line, is it too much to ask to have a PPV event be shown at a bar? The way you charge a bar for PPV's is by their max capacity number. That's forcing bars to not order the fights, that means regular sports loving people are being turned away from the sport. I don't know about anybody else but if it's a sport and it's at the bar, I'll watch it. Once again, your just sucking old fans dry, and not introducing yourself to new ones. Why not just charge a flat rate to the bar, something affordable, you'll benefit in the end, I promise.

One last thing, just make some effort. You have made some real progress this fall. You put together some great fights, now don't turn back. Get the winner of Mayweather-Hatton to fight Miguel Cotto. Heck you could even have the loser fight Mosley. I will also say for the first time in a while I am happy with a PPV undercard(Mayweather-Hatton). You usually stiff on the entertainment for the prefights, but this time you're doing it right, good for you. I know you're not perfect, I don't expect you to be, just give me some effort. I'm gonna love you no matter what, I just don't want other people to say I'm in an abusive relationship, that's all. So work on a few of these things and I think we'll be alright.

Love,
The Bryguy

2007-11-10T18:51:00.000-05:00

HAYE READY FOR HEAVYWEIGHTS

David Haye put his final stamp on the Cruiserweight division and Jean Marc Mormeck's head last night. Haye has decided to move up to heavyweight after knocking the Frenchman out in the seventh Saturday night. Haye has stated in the past that making the Cruiserweight 200 pound limit was not easy. I look for big this from the guy with the big right hand. This may be just what the heavyweight division needs. HBO and Showtime need to start televising this guys fight, he is much more entertaining than half of the crap they usually air. Let me know what you think after you check out the 7th round. Thank you youtube for helping me when TV execs and promoters won't.

2007-11-10T16:02:00.001-05:00

PREDICTION

Someone was upset that I didn't put in my prediction last night. Obviously not a regular Bryguy reader, or he'd know my predictions are worthless. I'm usually wrong and in wrong in a bad way! Oh well here goes anyway.

SHANE MOSLEY(44-4,37ko) vs. MIGUEL COTTO(30-0,25ko)

We've already had two fights this year worth the title fight of the year, Marquez-Vasquez, and Codrington-Bika. Yet some how I feel this one tonight could very well be fight of the year and the two combatants haven't even stepped in the ring. We have the young bull Miguel Cotto facing off against the veteran matador Shane Mosley. Is Mosley too old to avoid the bull's horns? Will it be too easy for the matador to tag the bull? Is Cotto destined for greatness? Does Mosley have one more great performance left?(I'm drooling!) All these questions will be answered tonight in front of a packed house at Madison Square Garden.

I see this fight being similar to the Zab Judah-Miguel Cotto fight. The first four to five rounds will be fast paced and anyone's guess as to who is winning each round. As time goes on I see Cotto's body attack wearing down the 36 year old Mosley. Miguel Cotto has not handled speed well in the past. Light punching Paulie Malignaggi gave Cotto a good test, and Zab Judah staggered the power puncher several times. I can see "Sugar Shane" putting the bull down more than once with viscious upper cuts, but I don't think any of them will keep him on the mat. Mosley looked great in his past few fights, but lets remember who they were against, Fernando Vargas twice and Louis Collazo. No disrespect to Collazo, but he is no Cotto. There is a differance when you're fighting a guy with little to no power and one who punishes you from the second the bell rings. I also have to question how good Mosley looked against Vargas, for Frenando is no longer Ferocious! As we have seen of late Fernando's body has just been giving up on him, I think most qualified fighters could look good against him lately. Cotto on the other hand has been slowly stepping up competition over the years and has passed all tests, I see no reason why tonight will be different. The undefeated Puerto Rican reminds me of Joe Calzaghe, every one he fights talks about how ordinary he is until he beats them. I even look at him and always say the quicker guy can beat him, yet I'm always wrong. I see Cotto breaking down Shane with a body attack and stopping him late. Then gain I've been wrong before, and there was ever a fight that I could wrong with, it's this one! PREDICTION: COTTO TKO 11

2007-11-09T17:39:00.000-05:00

PREDICTION
JEAN MARC MORMECK(33-3,22KO) vs. DAVID HAYE(19-1,18KO)

I can not stress enough how disappointed I am that I have to watch this fight after the fact on youtube. Someone with some brains should have picked up the rights to this fight. I would have even paid a cheap PPV fee to see this fight.

These are two solid fighters with big time punches and world class skill. Both guys could probably move to heavyweight and do pretty well. I'm glad they stayed at the 200 pound limit though. David Haye has one loss for depending too much on his power. He may very well need to have an all around game to dispose of "The Marcsman". Mormeck looked very good in defeating O'Niel Bell in their rematch earlier in the year. I don't see this fight going the distance, both fighter have power and like to use it. I have to lean towards "The Hayemaker" to take this fight. He is younger and quite an impressive right hand. While waiting for this fight he tried his hand at heavyweight and ended things in quick fashion, destroying Tomasz Bonin(37-1) in 1:45 of the first round. Haye has lost only once and only gone the distance once, I don't see this fight being any different than his other wins. He will try and stay on the outside and bomb away on Mormeck's dome with the effect sinking somewhere late in the fight. PREDICTION: HAYE TKO 8

2007-11-08T11:50:00.000-05:00

DOWN THE ROAD

One of the things I hate about watching boxing is I know that two guys are going to slug it out as long as they can, and then some guy who has been sitting ringside drinking tea, is going to get in the ring and say "who do you want to fight next?". As much as I hate that question, I can't help but think about who the winner, or sometimes even the loser, should fight next. At least I'll wait a few days before putting my opinion out there. Let's go over some great fights, and recent news, and look down the road for a few good match-ups.

JOE CALZAGHE

First, I would like to say Calzaghe put on another amazing performance and deserves all the credit in the world for stepping up at the end of his career and fighting the best of the best. That being said, I got tired of Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman talking about how great Kessler was! I agree that Kessler is a good fighter, let's not shove it down my throat. It seemed like they were prepared to talk about Kessler more than Joe. Why not focus on how great Joe Calzaghe is? Maybe because they know Joe is at the end and HBO plans on Kessler being their fighter? It could just be me, but that's what I thought anyway. As for Joe's future, it seems he is determined to fight Bernard Hopkins. I'm not sure why Joe is so intent on fighting The Executioner. It seems to me there is not much of an upside to it. If he loses to him, which the possibility is there, people will say he only fought over rated contenders, or see he can't win outside of Wales. If he bets him, everyone says big deal he beat a 43 year old fighter. Then again I guess there aren't too many other big money offers out there for a guy who has beaten everyone at 168. The fight has my blessing, sorry Joe I gotta root for my man Bernard.

MIKKEL KESSLER

As much as I was sick of hearing HBO kiss this guys butt over the weekend I do think he is a great fighter. The one thing I couldn't help but think about was, maybe people will now give Jeff Lacy some credit. They stop saying he was overrated, and over hyped. People should start saying there is no shame in losing to a great fighter like Joe Calzaghe. I would love to see the two Calzaghe victims get a few fights under their belts and then face off for the 168 thrown. I would also like to see a match with the Canadian Lucian Bute get made. It would be tough because both guys can draw a crowd at home, so I'm sure there would be a pissing contest for home turf.

JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ

I don't think I even need to mention what should happen with Marquez. If the rematch with Manny Pacquiao doesn't happen then I would never watch either fighter again. This fight needs to happen, for the fans, boxing, and most of all for me! I will not even write about this any longer, because it's only going to make me upset that they haven't gotten in the ring already.

ROCKY JUAREZ

This is one tough dude, that just can't seem to win the big one. He is entertaining and as I said before very tough, he is now in my eyes the perfect gate keeper for the division. I wouldn't mind seeing him give Robert Guerrero a stiff test or even take on the heavy punching Edwin Valero. Let's see if Valero could handle Rocky before being fed to Pacquiao.

SAKIO BIKA
I was ringside for this potential fight of the year, and the more I think about it, the more grateful I am for being able to witness this one in person. These two guys started fast and didn't stop swinging for the fences from round one all the way to the end. I'm still not sure what happened, I just know that I was on my feet the entire time! Where should Bika go from here? Well, I would like to see him give Jaidon a rematch later down the line. Codrington
needs to get some other fights under his belt before tangling with Bika again. I would like to see Bika in with any of the other tough 168ers, Allen Green could be a good match-up, maybe Edison Miranda, or perhaps take on the winner of Lacy-Manfredo.

JAIDON CODRINGTON

I know that Codrington was knocked out by Bika and knocked out by Green, I still think this kid is pretty good and can handle big time fights. He proved his heart by getting up in that first round and standing toe to toe with Bika for seven more rounds. I think one of "The Dons" flaws is he was pushed so fast. He was put up against Allen Green way to soon, and even after that he has never been able to get rounds under his belt. I think even though he got KO'd in eight, he should proud of what he accomplished. He went eight extremely hard rounds with a world class fighter and hasn't gone ten rounds more than once in his career. Jaidon was running solely on heart after the fifth round. I would like Jaidon to take it slow get some rounds under his belt and then try for revenge against Bika in a year or two. I have a feeling we'll see a different fight.

2007-11-03T12:20:00.000-04:00

PREDICTION

Two great fights, one great night. At 9 the best Super Middleweights in the world square off, followed at 10 by a pound for pounder trying not to blow his chance for a big pay day against the Pacman again. I give credit to Showtime for not only making this fight a non-PPV fight, but also setting it up so that it can be seen after the Calzaghe-Kessler fight. I was right last night, lets see how I do tonight.

JOE CALZAGHE(41-0, 32KO) vs. MIKKEL KESSLER(39-0, 29KO)

First, I would like to say I like both guys, enjoy their styles and commend them for taking this fight. Second, I think Mikkell Kessler has a really cool Tattoo! That thing is awesome! As far as the fight goes, I think it will be very competitive, and brutal. Both men seem as if they not only want to win, but win impressively. I wouldn't be surprised to see both guys get up off the canvas in this one. That being said, I'm gonna have to go with Joe Calzaghe, it seems every big fight people forget he's been the champ for ten years. I'm not saying Kessler is a slouch, I just think it seems that Kessler another guy in the long list that is supposed to be Joe's real challenge. I don't buy it, I think Joe really is that good! Now I think Kessler is his toughest fight, but I think Joe's handspeed and movement will be too much for the Dane to handle.PREDITION: Calzaghe UD

JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ vs. ROCKY JAUREZ

This one is going to be a good fight. Rocky Jaurez a tough foe, and always comes prepared to fight. I think Marquez is one of the best fighters in the world and will be too much for Rocky. I see him boxing circles around the rugged challenger, and still perhaps being caught with a stunner at some point from Juarez. In the end though, I think Marquez will walk away with the win and get the much anticipated rematch with Manny Pacquiao. PREDICTION: Marquez UD

2007-11-02T16:15:00.000-04:00

PREDICTION

I'm not sure why I even post my predictions anymore. If you've ever read my blog you'll know I'm usually very wrong! I should help myself and others by not posting prediction anymore, but that would be no fun, so here goes.

CALVIN BROCK(31-1, 23KO) vs. EDDIE CHAMBERS (29-0, 16KO)

I will come right out and say it, I don't care who wins. I hate the heavyweight division. I think I would rather watch Field Hockey than heavyweight fights these days. for the good of boxing Eddie Chambers needs to win this fight. Calvin Brock had his day, he got knocked out in the 7th, in one of the many very boring heavy fights this year. If Chambers wins he would go on to fight Alexander Povetkin, and the winner would face off against Wlad Klitschko for title in '08. The idea of a Brock-Klitschko rematch makes me throw up in my mouth. I think Chambers can and will beat Brock based solely on his speed. Brock is a slow lumbering very robotic type fighter. Someone with good movement and handspeed should be able to box circles around him. I'm looking for Eddie to use his speed and movement to stay away from Brock's power and win on a unanimous decision. PREDICTION: CHAMBERS UD

2007-10-16T13:07:00.000-04:00

OTHER THAN THE OBVIOUS

Any good boxing fan knows that the best is yet to come. Even with a few fight of the year candidates in the bank(Vasquez-Marquez, Pavlick-Taylor, Cotto-Judah) there a still a few fights that have the potential to top even those. Yes, we know that the Miguel Cotto-Shane Mosley fight will be great, and great hype will come with the Floyd Mayweather-Ricky Hatton showdown. We know that Mikkel Kessler and Joe Calzaghe will not disappoint and that Jaun Manuel Marquez and Rocky Jaurez will have my DVR working overtime that action packed Saturday night. What I am talking about is a few fights I am personally excited about, and may have fallen through the cracks due to the full schedule this fall. Some of these fights may not be fight of the year caliber or even have a title at stake, but I'm interested and you might be too. Have no fear friends I am hear to remind you of the intriguing undercards, shamefully non-televised fights, and maybe one or two showdowns you hadn't known were even happening.

1. LUCIAN BUTE(20-0, 26KO) vs. ALEJANDRO BERRIO(26-4, 25KO) OCTOBER 19

Bute is Ring Magazine's fourth ranked Super Middleweight in the world. He is undefeated and getting his first title shot against a very tough Berrio. Bute has fought on ESPN a couple of times and impressed me. He has good power, hand speed, and knows how to command the ring well. He has been slowly stepping up the competition and handily outpointed the always rugged Sakio Bika in his last fight. Berrio is another step up for the Romanian, Berrio has handed knockout loses to some pretty could fighters, including Syd Vanderpool and Yusef Mack. He has power and likes to bang, not to mention a belt I'm sure he doesn't want to leave in Montreal. If that's not enough to make you interested in the fight, then how about the fact that those Canucks sure know how to support a fighter. When Bute faced Bika the Bell Center was devoured by a thunder and lighting storm, and it seemed to only make the fans get louder. Now those are the fight I enjoy seeing. Unfortunately this one's not televised in the U.S. but will be on TSN in Canada(the Canadian version of ESPN) which means I can see this one later on youtube. If anyone is interested some of Lucian's fights are on youtube now.

2. JEAN MARC MORMECK(33-3, 22KO) vs. DAVID HAYE(19-1, 18KO) NOVEMBER 10

What a shame that this fight will not be seen in the states. Two talented heavy hitting athletes squaring off for the title, this is the stuff you can't find at heavyweight. I wish people would pay closer attention to this division, it could be the best of them all. Mormeck is coming off a huge win against former undisputed champion O'Niel Bell, and taking on the number one challenger as all champions should do. Haye is a power puncher out of England looking to add another KO to his list before moving up to collect paychecks at heavyweight. These are two guys coming for the knockout. If you want to watch a tactical boxing match you might want to look elsewhere. I don't think it could be possible this to go the distance. Youtube, I am asking you as a friend please have this fight on your site ASAP.

3. ANDRE WARD(13-0, 8KO) vs. ROGER CANTRELL(12-0, 8KO) NOVEMBER 16

People in the past have in my opinion, been very tough on the gold medalist Andre Ward. I have always been a Ward supporter, and don't mind that his handlers have been bringing him along slowly. I understand that he has more experiance than most because of his extensive amatuer background, I know he's won a gold medal. What I think most don't understand is that he's 23. What's the rush? This is not basketball, or baseball, or even football. In those sports if your in over your head or pushed too fast, you go practice some more, work on free-throws, study your play-book, and work on the mechanics of your swing. In boxing if you have an off night you could end up severely hurt, and maybe never fully mentally recover from it. Do I even have to mention the name David Reid? I'm looking forward to this one because on paper they seem fairly evenly matched and it should be a decent test for Ward. Of course that's on paper, this could also be a chance for Ward to show off.

4. MATT GODFREY(16-0, 9KO) vs. JEREMY WILIAMS(42-5, 35KO) NOVEMBER 24

This a huge step up for my man Too Smooth, and I think he can handle it. Jeremy Williams made a name for himself by being an undersized heavyweight with heavy hands. He took a few years off after being grossly knocked out by Sam Peter. Williams has decided to try and make a name for himself in the Cruiserweight division, where he is matched with guys his own size. This fight will be a co-headline to a small PPV event held at Mandalay Bay Thanksgiving weekend. This one is a test for both fighters, if Williams can get past the Smooth undefeated fighter out of Providence, he may indeed be ready to conquer the division. If Godfrey can get by the tough veteran, he may indeed be ready for a title shot. Only time will tell. I am actually hoping to be in attendance for this one, hoping to make Godfrey's first fight in Vegas my first fight in Vegas.

Late word has it that this fight will be moved to Hartford Conecticut, oh well I guess Vegas can wait. The date will stay the same and the opponent should still be Williams.

5. JEFF LACY(22-1, 17KO) vs. PETER MANFREDO JR.(28-4, 13KO) DECEMBER 8TH

Both Manfredo and Lacy are coming off of some down time due to surgery, Lacy for a rotator cuff and Manfredo for an elbow. Lacy's time as been almost a year while Manfredo's last fight was in June. I'm looking forward to this fight for a few reasons, first these are both crowd pleasing fighters. Neither guy is going to shy away from contact and neither guy is known for amazing defense. Second, Manfredo is a very good test for Lacy, who is still one of my favorite fighters. I don't mean for that to down play Manfredo's talents, but I think the Jeff Lacy from a few years ago would take Manfredo apart. The question is can Lacy get back to his old form after two very long physically grinding fights. If he is not in good form he'll have a tough time getting rid of Manfredo. Third, it's on the undercard of a PPV I was planning on ordering. I have come to terms with the fact that most PPV's have crappy undercards. Who was on the undercard of Mayweather-Delahoya again? At least now I have two fights to look forward to on December 8th.

There you have it. those are a few fights I am interested in seeing or reading about this fall that have been lost in the shuffle. Let me know if you agree or maybe I missed a couple.

2007-09-29T18:13:00.001-04:00

PREDICTION

I know I haven't posted in a while and I'm sorry to the three people that read my blog. I promise I have stuff to write about I've just been busy. Before it's too late I wanted to get my prediction in.

Jermain Taylor vs. Kelly Pavlick

I'm sorry to say that this fight will not go the way Pavlick-Miranda went. I think that Jermain is a much better fighter than Miranda and he will control the action using his jab. The last couple of fights for Taylor may have been boring to watch, but the two guys he fought still had better resumes than Kelly Pavlick. I'm not taking anything away from "The Ghost" I think he's a tough fighter. He just hasn't fought anyone even close to as good as Bernard Hopkins or Winky Wright. I think Taylor will control the pace from the start and may get rocked a time or two in the middle trying to prove he's a champ, then reign it in a bit towards the end to pull out the decision. PREDICTION: Taylor UD

2007-09-05T17:15:00.000-04:00

CONTENDER SEASON 3

Ok, so I went home last night after work completely pumped for the new season of the contender, I get excited about any new boxing on T.V. Well, I saw a few good things and a few bad things about this season already. We'll start with the good:

1. This seasons fighters seem to have the best credentials yet. I mean Sam Soliman gave Winky Wright all he could handle not to long ago, and Sakio Bika is not too shabby going twelve with Joe Calzaghe.

2. The fighters already have more personality than any of the fighters from last year. Last year took a step up in experience but a step down in personality.

3. The trainers are a step up, I mean Buddy Mcgirt, come on he's one of the best out there.

4. The music is still awesome. How can you not get pumped up when hear the Contender theme blaring over the opening credits?

5. The underdog has already been chosen. It seems that the K-9 award goes to David Banks, I'm already liking and feeling bad for the last guy picked. (In case you didn't know Cornelious K-9 Bundrage got picked last in season 2 and came in third.)

There you have it that's what I liked about last nights episode. Now here comes the bad stuff, I will however try to be optimistic about the upcoming season:

1. It was thoroughly unentertaining! Nothing really happened, it was just another look at the audition process. OPTIMISM: I'm in hopes that last nights episode was a way for us to get to know all the fighters better before two guys actually square off.

2. Listening to Sugar Ray for an hour straight makes me sea sick. He sounds like he's doing a bad impression of William Shatner! OPTIMISM: I hope he isn't in so much of the up coming shows.

3. The trainers may be a step up but they are no where near as entertaining as Tommy Gallagher. OPTIMISM: Maybe they'll open up as we get to know them better as we get to know them. Hey maybe they'll even become crabby old men, you never know.

4. I will be very upset if we are forced to see a guest celebrity every week. Especially c-list celebs like Adam Corolla! Come on man, who cares what Adam Corolla says about anything, much less boxing! I watch the show to get to know the fighters and watch some boxing, not hear the same regurgitated crap about how amazing it is to be in the presence of so-and-so. OPTIMISM: I don't really have any on this one I think we're stuck with the guests, I just hope the get better than Corolla.

5. When they show ed the previews for next week I realized they still have the same announcer. I would rather listen to Suger Ray read me a Charles Dickens novel than hear that guy gurgle through "ROUND NUMBER FIVE". OPTIMISM: He doesn't look like he keeps in the best shape, maybe he'll drop dead and they'll replace him.(Sorry I know that's a bit harsh).

Any thoughts about last nights show?

2007-08-08T10:19:00.000-04:00

PREDICTIONS

I decided that I would get my predictions in a bit early this week because I'm leaving for Vegas Friday.(I just wanted to brag that I'm going to Vegas). A couple of good fights coming up this weekend. I will keep it brief so that I can go sit in my room and mentally prepare for Vegas. It just feels so good to say it.....I'm going to Vegas!

MATT GODFREY vs. DERRICK BROWN

Matt Godfrey is an up and coming Cruiserweight fighter out of Providence R.I. who just keeps trucking along, stepping up competition bit by bit, and beating everyone in his path. Matt is taking a risk with this fight. He is ranked pretty high by the WBC and could probably fight lesser guys until he gets his shot at a title. Instead he's fighting a bigger guy who campaigned most of his career at heavyweight. I will give Matt credit, instead of taking a keep busy fight he is taking a fight fight. That being said I think Matt will use his superior boxing skill and ring generalship to control the action. "Too Smooth" will indeed be....too smooth for Brown, thus derailing the "D-Train".(Sorry I know that was lame but it had to be done). Unfortunately I will not be in attendance for this fight, due to the fact that I am going to Vegas.(There it is again!) I have not missed many of Matt's fights and am disappointed to be missing this one, but hey, Vegas calls!(I gotta stop saying that).
PREDICTION: GODFREY UD

JHONNY GONZALEZ vs. GERRY PENALOSA

Not that the last boxing after dark was a bad fight, but this is what the shows should be. A young buck taking on a cagey vet. Both guys can pack a punch and Gonzalez may have questionable chin. Penalosa is coming off a bit of a robbery when he lost a UD to Ponce DeLeon last March. He is looking to rebound and let everyone know he's the true champ. Gonzalez lost by 10th round TKO to Israel Vasquez back in 2006. Due to the fact that Gonzalez is the younger guy, and Vasquez proved how good he is last weekend, I'll take Gonzalez with a late rally.
PREDICTION: GONZALEZ UD

DANIEL PONCE DELEON vs. REY BAUTISTA

These guys are stepping into the ring with a combined record of 54 wins 1 loss and 45 wins coming by way of knockout. This should be a shootout worth watching. As Everlast once said "I came to drop bombs". Both guys should enter the ring to House of Pain Saturday because they are both looking to bring it.(I know that's worse than derailing the D-Train comment, sorry it's been a long week). This fight is a toss up for me, I want to lean towards Ponce DeLeon, but I can't bet against Bautista in this one.(I sure as heck won't while I'm in Vegas!)
PREDICTION: BAUTISTA UD

2007-08-07T11:46:00.000-04:00

OK, now that I know philippoussis picked Amanda(I would've taken Megan), The Bryguy needs a new show to obsess over. Thank god the Contender's coming back.(It's a little manlier than Age of Love). This time they are back at Super Middleweight, and have some pretty decent names.
Sakio Bika (22-3-2, 14 KOs)
Jaidon Codrington (16-1, 12 KOs)
Sam Soliman (33-9, 13 KOs)

Rubin Williams (29-2-1, 16 KOs)

Those are just a few of the notables. They have also been listening to the fight fans and have made a few changes to the show. The fights will still be cut down and edited for the show, but the fights will be shown in their entirety later on ESPN2. This should please both the hard core fight fans and fans of the show. Also they have gotten some new trainers, Buddy McGirt and Pepe Correa. I'm a little sad to see Tommy Gallagher go, he always made me laugh. I'm very glad I don't have to listen to Jeremy Williams cliches in the corner week after week! I for one am happy the show is coming back and will be paying extra close attention because the finale will be in my back yard(TD Banknorth Garden). Look out Contenders The Bryguy's coming for pictures! I had heard a rumor that the Contender people had wanted Jeff lacy on the show, but he wasn't fully rcovered from a torn rotator cuff.(That would've been too much for The Bryguy to handle anyway). So just as ESPN Fight Nights are coming to an end I'm getting Fridays replaced with Tuesdays. The DVR will be set, the keg will be full, and The Bryguy will be giddy.
HERE'S A FULL LIST OF THE PARTICIPANTS:

• Max Alexander (26, Camden, N.J., 14-1, 2 KOs).
• David Banks (24, Portland, Ore., 14-2-1, 2 KOs).
• Sakio Bika (28, Sydney, Australia, via Cameroon, 22-3-2, 14 KOs).
• Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan (28, Capital Heights, Md., 14-1, 11 KOs).
• La Farrell Bunting (27, Las Vegas, 16-3-1, 16 KOs).
• Jaidon Codrington (23, New York, 16-1, 12 KOs).
• Miguel Hernandez (32, Chicago, 20-5, 10 KOs).
• Wayne Johnson (29, Lyndhurst, N.J., 16-1, 9 KOs).
• Donny McCrary (24, St. Joseph, Mo., 23-5-2, 13 KOs).
• Les Ralston (25, Buffalo, N.Y., 16-2, 9 KOs).
• Danny Santiago (34, Ocala, Fla., 29-3-1, 19 KOs).
• Paul Smith (24, Liverpool, England, 20-0, 12 KOs).
• Sam Soliman (33, Melbourne, Australia, 33-9, 13 KOs).
• Brian Vera (26, Austin, Texas, 14-0, 9 KOs).
• Rhoshii Wells (30, Las Vegas, 18-2-2, 10 KOs).
• Rubin Williams (31, Detroit, 29-2-1, 16 KOs).

My early prediction(this could change once the show starts) David Banks.(I have no real reason for this, but I'm sticking with it.)
Gimme your early Prediction.

2007-08-04T20:55:00.000-04:00

PREDICTIONS

OK, tonight is short and sweet because I gotta go drinkin':

Morales vs. Diaz

I think we are going to see a repeat of Gatti-Gomez here. Morales has been going down hill ever since the first Pacquiao fight. PREDICTION:Diaz TKO 9

Marquez vs. Vasquez

I think this fight is going to pick up right were it left off. I can see both fighters hitting the deck more than once. In the end I think Marquez will out box Vasquez in the late rounds. PREDICTION: Marquez UD

OK, predictions in...DVR set....time to go boozin!

Southern New England golden Gloves

2007-08-03T20:05:00.002-04:00

Here's another video treat from "The Bryguy":

The Southern New England Golden Gloves located in Fall River, Massachusetts and is one of the precursors to the New England finals held in Lowell Mass. It has had it's share of names pass through including Matt Godfrey, Jason Estrada, Peter Manfredo Jr., and of course Marvin Hagler. Going to this event is like stepping through a time machine. The auditorium is dank and dirty, the paint is falling of the walls, lights are flickering and the only thing anyone cares about is the boxing. It was an absolute pleasure to witness the event and I would recommend going to anyone. I went and did a small story on the event for my show Out of Bounds, I hope you enjoy it.


Videographer/editor Bryan Brennan(The Bryguy) covers the sights and sounds of the history rich Southern New England Golden Gloves in Fall River, MA.

2007-08-01T18:11:00.000-04:00

TESSITORE AGREES

I will come right out and say it I'm happy that Ricky Hatton is fighting Floyd Mayweather on December 8th. I will also say that I would have preferred to see him take on Brooklyn born Paulie Malignaggi first. Malignaggi is a hand full for anybody at 140lbs to handle. I think it would have been nice to see Hatton test the waters with Malignaggi and then move on to the "Pretty Boy". I used to think Mayweather would be too much for Miguel Cotto to handle until I witnessed him slow down the much quicker Malignaggi, now I would love to see this match up. Well, I don't want to brag, but the voice of Friday "Night Fights" Joe Tessitore agrees with "The Byrguy". Check it out. http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?columnist=tessitore_joe&id=2956984

2007-07-28T18:07:00.000-04:00

THE BIG FINISH!

If you're reading this blog you're:

A: someone I work with
B: my mom
C: a boxing fan

For those of you in the C group I'm sure you've already heard about a few of the bouts close to being signed to finish out the year. For those of you in the A and B groups I will let know what's going on(mom you don't have to pretend you know who these people are). It looks as if Chad Dawson could be taking on Antonio Tarver on September 23rd, Shane Mosley might tangle with Miguel Cotto on November 10th, and on December 8th Floyd Mayweather and Ricky Hatton will square off. For me this makes for a great end to a pretty decent boxing year. Aside from the heavyweight division and the Jermain Taylor Corey Spinks fight, we've had a pretty good year.(I actually enjoyed my recent root canal more than those two bouts). Even if you were let down by the "Golden Boy" vs. "Pretty Boy" matchup you've got to admit it was kinda fun having boxing in the spotlight again. The first big fight being lined up is Tarver - Dawson for late September. I'm impressed that Tarver took this fight. Dawson looks to be one of the most dangerous guys in all of boxing, and I thought Tarver would duck the young lion. I'm glad it's being made, Dawson can now begin to clean up the division starting with it's most popular man, and then move on to the rest of the nursing home known as the Light Heavyweight division. Very soon after that fight ends HBO-PPV will air Shane Mosley vs. Miguel Cotto. This very well could be the best fight of the year. Mosley has looked great in last couple of performances against Louis Collazo and both fights with Fernando Vargas. Miguel Cotto has been steam rolling opponents for thirty straight bouts. This fight could very well be the one to seal Mosley's legacy or vault Cotto into superstardom. To cap off the boxing year we are going to see two unbeatens face off on December 8th in Las Vegas, when Ricky Hatton gets in the ring with the pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. This fight could be a slight let down just like the Oscar Delahoya fight, but again it will have a bunch of hype leading up to the fight so perhaps for the second time this year the general public will pay attention to the world of boxing. One thing is for sure the crowd on hand will be extremely entertaining. Those are three fights I'm looking forward to seeing along with a few others(Pavlick-Taylor, Kessler-Calzaghe, and Pacquiao-Barrera). So it looks like the Fall of '07 is trying to resuscitate the so called "dead" sport of boxing. I better get started on my predictions. Let me know what fight you're most looking forward to seeing.

2007-07-27T12:02:00.000-04:00

WHAT'S NEXT?

It seems to me that Bernard Hopkins has done everything, defeated everyone, and has nothing left to prove. Although now that i think about he hasn't defeated everyone, has he? Clinton Mitchell, Jermain Taylor, and Roy Jones Jr. can still claim victories over the hall of fame boxer. Mitchell beat Hopkins in his first fight back in 1988, I think we can chalk that up to a fluke. Jermain Taylor beat Hopkins by razor thin decisions in 2005, but many had Hopkins winning one maybe even both of those fights, so once again he's forgiven. Then there is Roy Jones Jr. who got a unanimous decision over Hopkins in 1993. Their giant egos never let them agree on terms for a rematch. Now could be different, they need each other to go out the way they want to. In his win against Winky Wright, Bernard seemed to finally show some signs of age. I would by no means call him shot, but I do feel a guy like Calzaghe could to take advantage of Hopkins' slowed reflexes. Ever since his back to back knockouts by Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson Roy Jones has been trying to fix his legacy so he can ride off into the sunset as a pound for pounder. What better way to go out than beating a pound for pound great like Bernard Hopkins? What better way is there to retire than defeating Roy Jones, the only guy who has a legitimate win over you? Hopkins can't compete with the likes of Chad Dawson and Joe Calzaghe. A win over Glen Johnson or Clinton Woods wouldn't really do much to improve his already impressive list of victims. To get rid of a blemish on your record, now that would be a nice caper to an already remarkable career. Now some fans would say this fight five years too late, I say it's just in the nick of time! The fight is more interesting now than it was five years ago, because both now have kinks in their armor. They still match up in a similar way to when they were in their primes, they are each just a little more vulnerable. Also I kinda like that the roles would be reversed, in 1993 Hopkins was the bad guy. This time around I think most would be rooting for the "executioner" to finish Jones once and for all. Let me know what you think.

2007-07-26T16:30:00.001-04:00

WHY DO I GET PUNISHED?

I had recently heard that there was an article in Ring magazine about one of favorite fighters(Matt Godfrey). So during a trip to my local Stop & Shop two weeks ago, I decided to peruse the magazine section and see if they had the issue. They had quite the selection of mags. They must have had ten hip-hop magazines, at least a dozen teeny bopper mags, countless health & beauty reads, and three pro wrestling magazines(WWE type stuff). Not one issue of The Ring! I wasn't too surprised, maybe a little angry, but that's because I think boxing fans take it a little more personally when people bash their sport. I returned to S&S today to pickup a few essentials(chips, dip, Ramon Noodles, Tuna) and I thought two things: Why do I eat like a college student, and I wonder if they have a copy of The Ring today? Sure enough they did, then as quickly as I picked it up to see what the issue contained, I put it down realizing it was 8 bucks. There was no way in hell I was paying 8 dollars for a magazine, even if it is "The Bible of Boxing"! As I continued to shop I wondered, "Why am I being punished?" Why did I have to pay 50 dollars to see my favorite fighter get in the ring on Saturday? Why should I pay 8 bucks for a magazine covering my sport? Why do eat so much Tuna? Why do I have spend so much money to watch a sport that I love? The only answer I had was, Tuna is cheep and easy. When two elite fighters square off it's guaranteed that I am going to fork over 50 smackers. When the Patriots play the Colts everyone watches Monday night football. When the Red Sox play the Yankees I just tune in to my local radio station and listen in. I'm not saying that Winky and Bernard should be on radio and given Superbowl treatment, but at least try and drum up support from new fans instead sucking the old ones dry. All I can say is boxing needs to be more accessible to everyone. Promoters and managers will take a prospect and bring him along slowly, making sure he gets the skills he needs and builds a fan base. Why can't they treat the sport of boxing the same way they do their prospects? I have no answers only questions, sorry if you were expecting more. By the way, being a stupid boxing fan, I paid the 8 bucks and bought the magazine.

2007-07-18T20:12:00.000-04:00

HOPKINS WRIGHT

PREDICTION

I have come up with a few rules while watching boxing all these years:

1. Never bet against Bernard Hopkins.

2. Never bet against Winky Wright.

3. Always bet on black.(no, wait, that's Wesley Snipes in Passenger 57. Sorry, my bad.)

So, I guess I only have two rules for boxing.(I'm gonna have to come up with a few more). Now this fight just goes and screws with the little system I had going. I won't bet on either guy, but who should I pick to win. After mulling it over for about two months I have decided to go with(drum roll please, rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr) Bernard Hopkins. I think the fight will be more entertaining than people think. We are talking about two of the best ring technicians on the planet. Why are people acting like this is gonna be John Ruiz vs. Fres Oquendo? Both of these guys want to prove they're the better man, and I believe they'll come out fighting. Hopkins showed much more energy against Tarver than he had in his 5 bouts before that. Bernard Hopkins is the Roger Clemens of boxing, or even better the engizer bunny of boxing, he just keeps going. He will be the bigger man in the ring and will force his will upon Winky the same way he did against Oscar DeLahoya. Winky got broken up worse in the Jermain Taylor fight than all the rest of his fights combined. After two fights with Taylor, Hopkins looked fine. I would also add that Taylor was a young guy full of energy, Wright is not. Also it's very important to point out that Hopkins is 9-0 with 7 ko's against southpaws. If all that wasn't enough, Bernard is also one of my favorite fighters, so I can't pick against him. PREDICTION: HOPKINS UD

2007-07-12T16:30:00.000-04:00

CALZAGHE - KESSLER CLASH

It was announced that the top two Super Middleweights in the world will face off on Novermber 3rd in Cardiff Wales. This is the fight fans have been waiting for and I thought it would never get done. I figured it would be too easy and too enticing for Calzaghe to meet up with bigger name opponents for bigger money(Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor). I love this fight! These are two undefeated, PROVEN fighters, laying it all on the line for the fans(I'm sure they're making a pretty penny too, but I like to think they're doing this for me). There's no doubt in my mind that Millennium Stadium will be sold out, the fight will not disappoint, and I will be ordering wings. (The wings will be washed down with Moosehead of course). I will not give a prediction till we get closer to the fight, instead I have decided to list five other fights I feel have to get made.

5. RICKY HATTON vs. PAULIE MALIGNAGGI
Everyone is talking about Hatton taking on Mayweather, I would prefer to see him take on Malignaggi first. Ricky is a straight ahead in your face brawler, while Paulie is a slick boxer. I would like to see which would prevail between these two. If "The Hitman" gets past "The Magic Man" then I'd would say he is ready for Mayweather. I enjoyed the Cotto-Malignaggi fight and I think this one could be similar. Not only that, both Hatton and Malignaggi are funny guys, I bet the press conference would be as entertaining as the fight!

4. SHANE MOSLEY vs. MIGUEL COTTO
This fight is very possible now that Paul Williams beat Antonio Margarito over the weekend. I was actually rooting for Williams so that this fight could happen. I would love to see these two superstars square off, power vs. speed. Would Cotto be able to break down "Sugar Shane" the same way he has everyone else in his path? Would Shane's speed and experience overwhelm the young star? The hype for this fight would amazing, and unlike Mayweather-Delahoya I think this one would deliver in the end.

3. MANNY PACQUIAO vs. JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ II
In their first fight it looked like it would be an early night for the "Pacman" as he knocked down Marquez three times in the first round. As the fight went on Marquez starting putting rounds in the bank, and would eventually come back to get the draw. Both fighters have improved, and moved up a weight class since then. I think the fight would be all fireworks and would probably set up a third fight no matter who comes out with the win.

2. CHAD DAWSON vs. GLEN JOHNSON
"Bad" Chad Dawson is one fast rising young star in a division full of old men. I would love to see how Dawson handles the constant pressure from the "Road Warrior". I think eventually Chad could move up to Cruiserweight or even heavyweight and make some noise, but I would like to see him clean up the Light Heavies first. I think he should start with Johnson and move on to Clinton Woods and perhaps even send Roy Jones into retirement.

1. THE BRYGUY vs. MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS
This one would be a fight for the ages, and done out of shear jealousy. I hated Mark "The Playa" Philippoussis when I heard about his dating show Age of Love(a.k.a Cougers vs. Kittens). This guy doesn't need any help getting women, why hand him thirteen to pick from? Not only that, in episode three "The Playa" sent home my favorite Coug Lynn and my second favorite kitten, Adalaide. As if I wasn't angry enough after that, it seems my all around favorite Megan is destined to be voted off soon as well. Philippoussis needs to stopped and I'm just the guy to stop him. Also once he is out of the way I would like to start my own dating show called "Age of The Bryguy". What you think? That would work right?

2007-07-09T20:45:00.000-04:00

WEEKEND PREDICTIONS

I did such a bad job making predictions last weekend I decided to get this weekends predictions in early. I would just like to say that when I make predictions, unfortunatly they come from the heart. If I were betting on these predictions I would sometimes go the other way. For instance, everyone knew that Wlad klitschko was going to beat Lamon Brewster on Saturday. I knew it too, but I wanted to be daring and hope for the Brewster upset again. If I had to put money on it, I would have gone with Wlad. That being said I have more than enough boxing coming up this weekend to be wrong about! Saturday night we have five big fights, four different venues, three up and comers, two PPV's, and one great night of boxing for the Bryguy! HERE GOES:

WELTER WEEKEND
The Antonio Margarito-Paul Williams fight is taking place at The Home Depot Center in California, but airing as an undercard for the Arturo Gatti-Alfonso Gomez fight in New Jersey. HBO was willing to spend a buck and bring three great fights to boxing fans(it's about time). After sitting through two Klitchsko snooze fests, and a terrible fight in Wales(Manfredo-Calzaghe), HBO owes this triple header to boxing fans.

ARTURO GATTI vs. ALFONSO GOMEZ
(40-8,31KO'S) (16-3-2,7KO'S)
I'm back and forth on whether or not it will be a good one. I understand that almost any fight Arturo Gatti is in is a good one(this excludes his fights against Mayweather, and Baldomir). From what I've seen Alfonso Gomez is full of heart just like his opponent. He has some skill as well, but has never fought anyone with more than 25 wins. Arturo Gatti has been in the ring with some of the best. Of course Gatti is also on the downslide of his career. I'm just afraid this fight might turn out to be more Gatti-Dorin than Gatti-Ward. Ward I should mention will be working the corner for Gatti in this fight(just a bit of trivia I thought I'd throw at ya). I think Gomez has enough heart to stay in there for a few rounds, but the ref will stop it late. I think after the beatings Gatti has taken from Mayweather and Baldomir this fight is for his fans.
PREDICTION: GATTI KO 10

KERMIT CINTRON vs. WALTER MATTHYSSE
(27-1,25KO'S) (26-1,27KO'S)
Fist off, the answer is I have no idea how to pronounce Walter's last name...so don't ask! This fight will be on the undercard of the Gatti Gomez fight and has a chance of being a better fight. Kermit Cintron is was once thought to be a wrecking machine until he bumped into Antonio Margarito two years ago. That fight sent Cintron back to the drawing board and Margarito on to the ever increasing list of guys to avoid. "The Killer" took some time off and came back to knock off two sturdy challengers(Mark Suarez and David Estrada). The Estrada fight was on my list as candidate for fight of the year. I think Kermit has gotten himself back on track and is looking to make a statement on Saturday...Bryguy predicts this statement will be loud and clear. I don't know much about Matthysse other than he has a solid record against solid opponents and almost as many KO' as victories. I'm not over looking Matthysse, but he's the smaller man against a hard hitting fighter with something to prove. I think this fight will be bombs away from the get go with Cintron coming out on top.
PREDICTION: CINTRON KO 11

PAUL WILLIAMS vs. ANTONIO MARGARITO
(32-0,24KO'S) (34-4,24KO'S)
This fight should be an interesting one. For a while it looked like Margarito would take a fight with Miguel Cotto and Williams wouldn't get his mandatory shot. I guess with all Margarito's bitching about being ducked by everyone, he couldn't then turn around and duck Williams. It looks like the winner could get a shot at miguel Cotto. Two years ago the Antonio found himself in a very similar situation, on a big fight card fighting a dangerous undefeated fighter, that many thought could defeat him(Bryguy included). So now it's 2007 and that undefeated dangerous fighter is "The Punisher". Paul Williams is a big weletrweight, at 6'1" he's got a three inch height advantage over Margarito, and a nine inch reach advantage. I have never been a big fan Margarito. I think he's a solid fighter with an akward style, but I I think he's been blown up into something he's not. He would have lost his fight with Joshua Clottey if Clottey hadn't broken both his hands. Two of his four loses have come against southpaws, and "The Punisher" is one big southpaw. I think Williams is going to finish the Margarito hype train and put himself on that list we talked about.(In case you missed it, that was the list of fighters to avoid.)
PREDICTION: WILLIAMS UD

PPV BONANZA!

This weekend sports fans also have two pay per views to choose from, that's if you don't mind foking over the cash. Headlining one is John Duddy who is fighting in Ireland for the first time. The other is headlined by the aging roy Jones Jr. They're not exactly dueling, Duddy's fight card will start at 5:00pm eastern time, Jones' will begin around 9:30pm. Let's break em down!

JOHN DUDDY PPV

The first PPV is John Duddy vs. Alessio Furlan in what is going to be "Ireland's" John Duddy's first pro fight in......well Ireland. The undercards are not so great, but there are a few reasons to get this fight.

1. I have yet to see John in a fight that isn't exciting.(That's kind of a lie, I saw him put Joseph Brady down 1 minute into the fight on a sad body shot...but I was front row so who cares?!)

2. The PPV is 20 bucks, much cheaper than most PPV's that have bad undercards.

3. The fights start at 5:00pm eastern time, which makes it a perfect pregame to the HBO fight card.(Or in The Bryguy's case perfect pregame before you go out on the town. Don't worry the HBO card will be DVR'd.)

As for my prediction, I see an easy night for Duddy. His opponent Furlan has lost 3 of his last 5 fights. His two wins came against a couple of guys with a combined record of 13 wins, 65 losses, 10 No Decisions, and only 3 KO's. I'd say his handlers want his home coming to be spectacular. PREDICTION DUDDY KO 5

ROY JONES JR. PPV
The second PPV of the night will be Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anthony Hanshaw. This fight has a better undercard, but costs ten dollars more than the Duddy fight. My problem with this is that it will start around 9:30pm, which will interfere with the HBO telecast. The main event also doesn't intrigue me all that much. Jones is doing what Shannon Briggs did, and what Evander Holyfield is in the midst of doing...fight opponents they know they can beat until someone gives them a title shot. I think Jones has lost a step and shouldn't be fighting a super middleweight. I like Hanshaw, he impressed me in Showtimes super middleweight tourney, but he's still not on Jones' level. Jones isn't going to let Hanshaw near him just in case he gets tapped on his chin. He'll probably make it a boring fight and then tell everyone after what a great fight and they're both warriors.(See Bryguy vs. Bozo). I'll save $10 and go with the Duddy pregame thanks. PREDICTION JONES UD

2007-07-06T11:35:00.001-04:00

WEEKEND PREDICTIONS

We have decent entertainment to look forward to this weekend. A heavyweight showdown, that has an interesting back story. A Junior Middleweight title fight, two guys about the size of children, and I will assume a ton of dollar drafts. Overall, I'd say not too shabby!

Vic Darchinyan vs. Nonito Donaire
(28-0, 22ko's) (17-1, 10ko's)

I've read that some people think Donaire is slick enough to give Darchinyan some trouble. I am not one of those people. Everyone needs to stop thinking about how Christian Mijares upset Jorge Arce. I think Darchinyan is a much more dedicated animal. I'm even gonna as far to say he's like a mini Miguel Cotto. He breaks his opponents down and punishes them until the ref feels they've had enough. I just hope no one ends up in a coma this time.
PREDICTION: DARCHINYAN KO 8

Travis Simms vs. Joachim Alcine
(25-0, 19ko's) (28-0, 18ko's)

This should be a pretty good scrap between two evenly matched players. Both men are undefeated against pretty good opposition, and have a decent knock out ratio. The difference is Alcine fought three times last year, and Simms has only fought once in three years. Of course that one time was is absolute annihilation of Jose Antonio Rivera. Simms showed no sign of ring rust and looked as if his best years were still in front of him. Simms is also a southpaw, and tricky one at that. For that reason I have to go with Tremendous Travis in a late fight TKO.
PREDICTION: SIMMS TKO 10

Wladimir Klitschko vs. Lamon Brewster II
(48-3, 43ko's) (33-3, 29ko's)

Just like three years ago, on paper Klitschko should destroy Brewster. The only problem with that is "Dr. Steelhammer" has no chin, and a bit of a mental block. I think if he gets tapped by Brewster he'll have a panic attack just like last time. Brewster may not be the most talented heavyweight, but he sure is the most exciting. He's like the Arturo Gatti of the big boys, he's even got Buddy McGirt in his corner. Which now that I mention that may not be such a good thing. It seems like Buddy has been in a lot of losing corners lately. Anyway, back to the fight at hand, I don't see Wlad taking any chances of letting history repeat itself. He is going to fight the same way he did against Sam Peter, jab and grab. I could be wrong, but I'm gonna say this fight will go the same way the Brewster Krasniqi fight went. Brewster is gonna get slapped around for most of the fight only to land a few bombs and walk away with the win. Brewster knows if lands a hard punch or two Wlad will start to unravel.
PREDICTION:BREWSTER KO 11

2007-07-05T11:21:00.000-04:00

NEW ENGLAND GOLDEN GLOVES

Two years ago I got to do a story on the New England Golden Gloves tournament in Lowell Massachusetts. It was one of the best boxing events I've been too. There were Olympic hopefuls(Demetrius "Boo-Boo"Andrade, Edwin Rodriquez) and guys just trying to prove they could compete on this level. Many good fighters have come through the Lowell Gloves including Lowell's own Micky Ward, Rocky Marciano and current Cruiserweight contender Matt Godfrey. If you ever get a chance to catch one of the shows I highly recommend it.
Let me know what you think of the story.

2007-07-04T11:18:00.000-04:00

A HAYE'K OF A FIGHT
VS.

It was just announced that hard hitting slugger David Haye(19-1,18ko's)will get his shot at Jean-Marc Mormeck's(33-3,22ko's)WBA and WBC cruiserweight titles on September 28th. To me this fight has the potential to be better than any heavyweight fight this year. I have said for a while now that the cruiserweight division is what the heavyweight division used to be. It's a bunch of great boxers, that are all in good shape, and they all have KO power. Most importantly, unlike the heavies, they're willing to fight each other, this fight proves that. David Haye is a monster puncher with a good record, a guy like this would have been avoided as a heavyweight. Mormeck is coming off a hard fought twelve rounder with O'neil Bell and easily could have taken on a lesser opponent. This fight is going to be an all out war. I'm not sure Mormeck knows how to take a backward step.(Until the late rounds when he's winded of course.) Haye is like a much less sloppy version of O'Niel Bell. He stalks his opponent cutting off the ring with his right hand cocked looking for his patented "Hayemaker".(He calls it that not me, although being the tool I am, I kinda like it.) I have a feeling Mormeck could be in trouble in this fight. From the looks of it David Haye is a beast in the cruiserweight division. I will however mention that everyone thought the same thing about Edison Miranda in the Middleweight division. That is until Kelly Pavlick showed us that Miranda couldn't fight backing up. We will have to wait till September 28th to see if Haye can fight backing up. If HBO and Showtime pass on this possible fight of the year they may receive a very angry letter from "The Bryguy", and trust me they don't want that. As a side note if you've never seen David Haye fight look him up on Youtube, they have a few of his fights.

2007-07-02T10:54:00.000-04:00

"GOLDEN" OPPORTUNITY

As a boxing fan I would like to give a big shout out to Bob Arum and Oscar DeLahoya for putting their differences aside, and giving the fans a chance to see some great fights. Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions had been stuck in court fighting over the rights to superstar Manny Pacquiao. Both promoters had signed contracts from the Pacman, but after some further discussions have decided to split the promoting duties, and pave the way for some major brawls. The first fight under the new marriage will be a second fight between Manny Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera. Just for the record I would prefer a second fight between Jaun Manuel Marquez and Pacquiao, but hopefully that fight will be made right after. This could also pave the way for potential match ups between Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley, and a number of match ups including Pacman, Joan Guzman and Humberto Soto. So once again I would like to say thank you to Golden Boy and Top Rank promotions for finally giving back to fans.

2007-06-28T12:17:00.000-04:00

GO HOME HATTON!

I mean that in the nicest possible way. I like Ricky Hatton, as you can see by my picture located on the left.(Excuse my double chin, it sneaks up on me sometimes.) I mean seriously, how can you not like a guy who wears a shirt that says Ricky Fatton?(That's what people call him when he puts on weight between fights.) Anyway, this past Saturday I cut the drinking a little short and ventured to the lounge to enjoy the Ricky Hatton- Jose Louis Castillo fight, which I had DVR'd. Leading up to the fight all people were talking about was their displeasure in Ricky's two past performances. Some blamed Ricky's level of opposition, others said Ricky was overrated. I say Ricky's always been Ricky! The difference is when he's fighting in the states the crowd is not behind him. When he fought Kotya Tszyu he packed an arena full of rabid fans wanting nothing more than to see their man Ricky maul whoever Else was in the ring. This past weekend in Vegas Jim Lampley kept talking about the atmosphere, and how passionate the Hatton fan base was. There were an estimated 13,000 fans attendance. While they were loud and entertaining, I would much prefer to have that be 30,000 loud entertaining fans! Watching Ricky Hatton fight in Vegas is like watching the Red Sox play in Toronto. I'll watch the games, but complain that nobody appreciates what they're seeing. I am begging the promoters, if Mayweather and Hatton fight, PLEASE make the fight in England. Mayweather doesn't have any fans anyway! So for the sake of boxing, Ricky please go home!
Just as a side note: you could rewrite this article and put Joe Calzaghe's name in the place of Ricky Hatton.

2007-06-08T11:15:00.000-04:00

EXPLOSIVE WEEKEND

When the fight between Zab Judah and Miguel Cotto was announced I was surprised at the criticism it received from fans. I for one was very excited about the idea of the thudding Cotto taking on the lightning fast Judah. Getting two guys in the ring who have heavy hands, suspect chins, and their careers on the line, genius! Slowly the criticism has faded away and people are getting excited for this brawl, however long it lasts. I do however feel this should not be a PPV fight. Definitely not a 45 dollar PPV anyway. Luckily for fight fans Showtime has an interesting card airing at the same time. It's time to let The Bryguy do his thing and make a few bad predictions. If you're a betting man you should probably stay away from my predictions, I have a terrible record.

ZAB JUDAH vs. MIGUEL COTTO

I think this fight is going to start fast and leave bodies all over the mat. I have a feeling Zab is going to come out throwing bombs the same way he did against Mayweather. The only difference between Mayweather and Cotto is a major amount of punching power. I think Miguel Cotto is going to do what he does best, chop his opponent down like a tree. As long as Cotto can deal with Zab's speed for the first few rounds he is going to cut off the ring and punish Judah with body shots. Of course I am not discounting Zab, he is a live underdog. If Zab can expose Cotto's chin early, I think he has the speed and power to put away the undefeated Puerto Rican fighter. If the fight goes more than four rounds I don't think Zab has the heart to survive the pressure of Cotto. PREDICTION: COTTO TKO 9

ANTONIO TARVER - ELVIR MURIQI

While most people are thinking there could be an upset at Madison Square Garden , my upset of the weekend is Elvir Muriqi over Antonio Tarver. I just don't think Tarver has looked good since his win over Glen Johnson in 2005. He had terrible fight against a lame duck Roy Jones, and was completely dominated against Bernard Hopkins. I can't help but think that this fight is very similar to Roy Jones Glen Johnson fight back in 2004. Jones was brutally knocked out by Tarver months earlier and decided to fight a relatively unknown Johnson in what was supposed to be a tune up fight. We all know what happened in the ninth round. Tarver's career lately is taking on the same feel as Jones. He moved up to heavyweight like Jones.(Jones fought John Ruiz, Tarver Tangled with Rocky Balboa.) After fighting at heavyweight Jones moves down and is KO'd by Tarver, Tarver moves down and is outclassed by a middleweight. Now Tarver is looking for his tune up, be careful in ninth Magic Man! PREDICTION: MURIQI UD

CHAD DAWSON - JESUS RUIZ

This is Bad Chad's first defense of his Light Heavyweight belt. I think this is an easy one, Bad Chad will prove there is a reason why he is the future of the Light Heavyweight division. This fight won't go the distance. PREDICTION: DAWSON TKO 9

2007-05-02T22:29:00.000-04:00

FIGHT WEEK HYPE

So once again I state that I'm very excited about this fight. Not just for the fact that I think it should be a good scrap, but also because everyone else is excited about this fight. Not just freaks like The Bryguy, who write blogs about their favorite sport. It's the people who wouldn't normally care about a fight that are getting me amped up. Today I read two articles in ESPN the magazine, and one in SI about the fight. Both magazines had the fight featured on the front cover, which is unheard of these days. After all that i didn't think I could be more into this fight, but wait there's more! I worked an early day and went home for some delicious home cooking, and some overdue vegetables. On my way home I decided last minute to stop and do some food shopping. Probably not the best idea when you're not sure exactly what you need. I found myself wondering the supermarket aimlessly. Suddenly I was in the magazine section and looking at me square in the face was the new Ring Magazine. In bold letters across the front it said "25 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION GOLDEN BOY VS. PRETTY BOY THE WORLD AWAITS". My first thought was I wish I had renewed my subscription to The Ring. My second thought was I don't have the money for this and yet I'll buy it anyway. As I stood in line I realized I didn't need most of what I had put in my basket. Then the cashier asked "who you taking". It took me a minute to realize what he was talking about, when I noticed the magazine was on top of my groceries. So, of course I replied "Mayweather". The cashier then came with "ya, I think Delahoya's been out too long". That was pretty much the extent of the conversation, but it was a first for me and a much better chit chat than, "nice day out huh". So, my friend the cashier said he is going to have to work during the fight, which I honestly felt bad about for some reason. I will not be working and I will enjoy sharing in the excitement with all the people who will probably never get excited about boxing again after May 5th. Of course that's not me, I get excited about every fight.

2007-04-28T11:06:00.000-04:00

DELAHOYA vs. MAYWEATHER

I sometimes forget to post my predictions, so I decided to get this one in early. I actually may be a little sad when this fight is over. It's the first time in a while that the general public has been interested in a fight. I will miss the hype has been revolving around this fight. I will go back to being the only guy excited about a match up. I will go back to getting blank stares when I tell people about a big fight coming up. With one week left I will enjoy the hype, conversations, and all the predictions that come along the last mega fight for years to come.

Now comes the time where I pick apart this fight as if I know what I'm talking about. This is not an easy fight to predict. Floyd is the pound for pound champ without a doubt, but everyone must lose at some point. Oscar is the biggest and most talented guy Floyd has ever faced. The more I read about this fight the more it seems Oscar has become the popular choice to win. It's almost as if Floyd has somehow become the underdog. Lately Floyd has been fighting what seems to be hand picked opponents in Carlos Baldomir and Arturo Gatti. He looked like a mortal early on in the fight with Zab Judah. People are making a big deal about Oscar being the bigger man, yet Oscar and Floyd both started fighting at 130pounds. I think this fight will go somewhat similar to the Zab fight. Floyd will lose a few of the early rounds and look vulnerable. Oscar has a habit of fading down the stretch, this will be a big factor. Floyd will figure out Oscar in the second half and start to pick him off. I think the second half of this fight will prove to everyone just how special an athlete Floyd Mayweather Jr. really is.
PREDICTION: Mayweather UD

2007-04-02T23:49:00.000-04:00

WEEKEND PREDICTIONS:

MATT GODFREY vs. FELIX CORA JR.(ESPN)
This is my pick for the best fight of the weekend. Both fighters have great reputations and are looking for a major title fight in the future. A loss here would be devastating to both men's careers. A loss in the cruiserweight division is much worse than any other because it's lesser known division. Godfrey will be fighting in front of his hometown crowd which gives him the advantage if the fight goes the distance. Both fighters seem to have solid chins and both have a bit of power. I think in this fight both fighters will be pushed to their limits. I have a feeling Godfrey is going to walk away as an actual threat to the Cruiserweight division.

PREDICTION:Godfrey TKO 11

PETER MANFREDO JR. vs. JOE CALZAGHE(HBO)
This is tough for me to write being that I've met Manfredo several times and I think he's a very nice guy. I haven't been terribly impressed with Calzaghe, but I don't think Manfredo has fought anyone nearly as talented as the Welshman. I think the deciding factor in this one is Calzaghe's handspeed. Peter hasn't fought anyone with that kind of handspeed. Peter will impress a few people with how far he goes, but I think he will be stopped.

PREDICTION: Calzaghe TKO 9

DIEGO CORRALES vs. JOSHUA CLOTTEY(Showtime)
This is my pick for the upset of the weekend. Joshua Clottey proved to me that he can beat a-list fighters. In my opinion he put on a clinic against Antonio Margarito until he broke his hand. Chico has moved up two weight classes and I think that could be a mistake. At the lower weight class he was dropped several times and got himself out of trouble because of his punching power. I don't think his power will travel two weight classes.

PREDICTION: Clottey KO 7