The Week’s Boxing Schedule, Featuring Canelo Alvarez, Austin Trout, Nathan Cleverly And Tyson Fury

Written by Alex McClintock on .

If you like arguing on the Internet, then boxing is the sport for you! Just look at all the people finding ways to disagree about Guillermo Rigondeaux’s impressive victory over Nonito Donaire on Twitter. There are even more fights this week – good ones, too, featuring some of the world’s best boxers. That means there’ll be even more arguing next week – yay!

no comments

Weekend Afterthoughts On Guillermo Rigondeaux Vs. Nonito Donaire And The Tired Taste Debate, Queensberry Rules Radio! And More

Written by Tim Starks on .

Wheels on the bus go round and round... (via)

You may read The Queensberry Rules, but did you know you could watch it or listen to it? You might have caught the relatively new Boxing With The Beard feature on YouTube already, but now you can tune into a TQBR radio show that debuted this week, both helmed by the golden-voiced  Patrick Connor, and both of which revisited the weekend that was. Or, if you're into text and want to get caught up on the immediate post-fight recaps the past weekend from Joseph R. Holzer, Jeff Pryor and myself, you now have the links to do so before diving into this days-removed look. TQBR strives to give you layers of redundancy so that if there's a boxing apocalypse, there will be TQBR there for you somehow, even if it's via semaphore or telegram.

In this edition of Weekend Afterthoughts, we try to conclusively answer the debates that raged this past weekend, such as: Is Guillermo Rigondeaux objectively boring? Are your scorecards dimwitted? What about the Weekend before -- remember that? (Preview of the answers -- no; probably; depends on how Asian you are.)

no comments

Guillermo Rigondeaux Beats Nonito Donaire Resoundingly, If Not Spectacularly

Written by Jeff Pryor on .

NEW YORK CITY -- Radio City Music Hall was brimming with folks who didn't look like they quite belonged in the hallowed halls of past music legends like Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Men in garish t-shirts and hoodies milled around the art deco palace waiting for a fight to break out. The two stars everyone had come to see, hitting center stage at the end of a dynamic knockout filled undercard were, Nonito Donaire and Guillermo Rigondeaux meeting up for a highly anticipated junior featherweight showdown.

When the stage lights came on Nonito Donaire learned very quickly that a fight looks a little different when you are not in the ring with a smaller, weaker, slower, older opponent, the kind he has made his name on throughout his career. Guillermo Rigondeaux, the standout Cuban amateur champion extraordinaire was no Jorge Arce or Fernando Montiel or Vic Darchinyan.

The 1st round, Rigondeaux immediately established that he was the faster man, stunning Donaire and knocking him into the ropes. Looking to make his imprint immediate, he peppered three consecutive showy straight right hands into the Filipino's face to fill out the stanza. The pattern was set and for the remainder of the fight Donaire was clearly outboxed and outfoxed by the Cuban en route to a decisive points loss, his first in 12 years.

The beguiling footwork of Rigondeaux turned Donaire into a spark-less automaton, following the cagey Cuban around the ring eating potshots and not moving his hands or cutting off the target. As rounds ticked by it was clear that Donaire had no idea how to attack Rigondeaux or find any chinks in his defensive armor.

Rounds seeped away, with Donaire gaining few for his column, but one or two Rigondeaux seemed to take off. Finally as the curtain seemed poised to quietly fall on a disappointing show, Donaire woke up in the 10th round and seemed determined to attack.  His biggest hit of the night came when he sent a scintillating left hand down the pike that sent Rigondeaux to his ass and onto the mat. The renewed aggression from Donaire, however, seemed to slip away in a Filipino flash and by rounds end Rigondeaux was back in control.

After Donaire's one hit wonder, the final two rounds saw Rigondeaux continue his masterful ring generalship and look for the knockout in the final round. Donaire's left eye damaged, Rigondeaux became more aggressive but failed to land a finishing blow to put a final stamp on his victory.

The Radio City crowd, heavily favoring Donaire, was restless for much of the fight as their man failed to attack. Boos rung out as Ringondeaux managed to stifle his opponents meager attempts at offense and catcalls echoed across the fabled halls like a Count Basie Orchestra brass run from years ago. The atmosphere crackled with electricity when they exchanged and if nothing else Radio City proved itself an amazing venue for future fights.

As a showcase for legendary stars of the stage and screen, Radio City Music Hall may not have produced a superstar tonight. But Guillermo Rigondeaux proved that he belongs on the elite stages of the sport and Donaire may have to look for a career-reviving hit to wash away this performance.

no comments

Nonito Donaire Vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux Undercard Results

Written by Jeff Pryor on .

NEW YORK CITY -- (Jeff Pryor is live at Radio City Music Hall for Nonito Donaire vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux. Here are undercard results Saturday for bouts featuring Glen Tapia, Felix Verdejo and others.)

no comments

Oscar Gonzalez Defeats Rico Ramos In Sleepy ESPN2 Main Event

Written by Tim Starks on .

Let's pray that is the end of Rico Ramos as a main event fighter on any television program: Oscar Gonzalez dropped and outworked Ramos on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights. Ramos, once so eager to make an impression back when he made his TV debut on Versus is now only interested in avoiding all contact. It cost him in a unanimous decision loss to Gonzalez, another factor being that he's moved up to featherweight, where he doesn't have the power to bail himself out. That power helped him beat a legit top-10 122-pounder, Akifumi Shimoda, back in 2011, which seems like a career ago. The 25-year-old is now a mere stepping stone, and an exceedingly boring one.

Ramos started reasonably well, winning most of the early rounds with his speed, movement and scoring blows. In the 6th, Gonzalez went downstairs with a left hook that dropped Ramos and almost ended the bout, along with a second left hook to the head as Ramos went down. From there, Ramos hardly won a round. He fought like he was trying to survive. He lost a unanimous decision, 98-91, 96-93 and 97-93. There was a time -- including the Shimoda fight -- where the occasional Ramos bout entertained in spurts. That time is over. Ramos is one of the most boring and reluctant professional fighters of today, if not THE most. Gonzalez got himself a nice scalp. but if you're scouting Guillermo Rigondeaux-Nonito Donaire Saturday, you have to discount Rigo's win over Ramos even more now.

On the undercard, lightweight Ray Lampkin rebounded from a 2nd round knockdown to score a 3rd round body-shot stoppage of Landon Horseman in a nice scrap, and junior middleweight prospect Oscar Molina made easy 1st round TKO work of Dary Gardner, who literally came into the ring wearing borrowed blood-stained trunks. Those trunks were the best/worst of Friday Night Fights.

no comments

Bahodir Mamadjonov Stops Nascent Knockout Artist Angelo Santana On ShoBox

Written by Joseph R. Holzer on .

(Bahodir Mamadjonov drops Angelo Santana; credit: Tom Casino, Showtime)

Reminiscent of the classic LL Cool J song, Bahodir Mamadjonov indeed said “knock you out” with a resounding stoppage of the previously undefeated Angelo Santana in the 9th round of their lightweight bout. It was the kind of fight typical of Showtime’s outstanding ShoBox series, where many prospects’ 0s must go. Santana left his at the Treasure Island Casino in Las Vegas on Friday.

In the opening round, Santana backed fellow southpaw Mamadjonov about the ring, capitalizing off of the inactivity of “Baha.” A wide right by Mamadjonov (13-1, 9 KOs) was countered with a straighter jab from Santana that scored a flash knockdown. The apparent ease with which Santana was able to step inside Mamadjonov’s wheelhouse might have also caused “La Cobra” to be lulled into a false sense of security as the fight progressed.

The following two rounds were decidedly in favor of Mamadjonov, who began dictating the pace after loosening up from the knockdown. Santanta (14-1, 11 KOs), who was flat and still lobbing one punch at a time, was out-landed in the 4th round 19-5. Unable to set into a rhythm, Santana seemed dry and was forced to let his hands go more freely in the 5th and 6th to keep up with the pace of Mamadjonov. Halfway through the scheduled 12-round bout, the two were even with 40 landed power punches, but Mamadjonov held the advantage in total landed blows at 64-53.

Santana, still adjusting to the speed of the contest, seemed a beat behind the Uzbekistan fighter. At times, Mamadjonov landed at will, the Cuban fighter uncharacteristically out of position or failing to follow up on his jab. Though Santana was game, he oftentimes waited a fraction of a second too long to respond to Mamadjonov’s assault.

Double left hooks to the liver sent Santana to the canvas as he covered up on the ropes. The vicious shots landed with bad intentions, as if Mamadjonov smelled the kill of weakened prey. Though he beat the count, Santana’s body language was negative as it was obvious the belts to his midsection took their toll.

By the 9th, Mamadjonov had tired of sharpening his knife and went after his opponent’s liver with hungry ruthlessness, backing him into the corner with a barrage that sent Santana slithering downward. He beat yet another count, but it wasn’t long before Mamadjonov floored Santana again with a left hook upstairs. Bayless immediately waved off the fight as Santana simultaneously bounced up from his third knockdown. He protested accordingly, but he likely wouldn’t have made it to 10 anyway.

Mamadjonov landed more jabs (45-21), total punches (124-80) and power punches (79-59) than Santana.

Behind a textbook one-two, Amir Imam laid out Jeremy Bryan at 2:13 of the 2nd round in a junior welterweight co-feature. Bryan was out before his back slammed flat on the canvas, and referee Russell Mora didn’t bother to begin a count.

Never having broken the four-round threshold, Imam remained undefeated at 9-0 with 8 knockouts. But, as is often the case with protected new professionals, his statistics don’t tell his entire story.

To call Imam’s competition “soft” thus far would be an insult to powder puffs worldwide. Sporks have opened tougher tomato cans than his February and March opponents, who make the “Bum of the Month Club” of Joe Louis look like Canastota honorees with respective records 3-20-3 and 4-45-3. In all, Imam’s adversaries amassed 26 wins against 90 losses and 11 draws.

It also remains to be seen what kind of power Imam possesses — Bryan’s three losses have all come by knockout — but his punches get from point A to point B along a seam. The timer just ticked zero, and it’s time for Imam to take the logical next step up the rungs of the talent-laden 140-pound ladder.

 

no comments

Rigolution Or Donairenation?: Preview And Prediction For Nonito Donaire Vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux

Written by Tim Starks on .

As match-ups between boxing archetypes go, “natural counterpuncher vs. natural counterpuncher” might be the most dreaded, likely as they are to degenerate into an unappetizing gruel where feints outnumber blows landed. But on rare occasions, they can be spiced up into something palatable, even mouth-watering, which is the dish on the menu Saturday on HBO.

Nonito Donaire is the 2012 Fighter of the Year and the lineal junior featherweight champion. Guillermo Rigondeaux is his number one challenger, one of the all-time great amateurs and perhaps the most threatening opposition of Donaire’s extraordinarily accomplished career. Donaire has been hyping his own vulnerability by acknowledging that he is more focused on his impending fatherhood than boxing these days, either out of extreme candor or in an attempt to hype one of the fight’s central appeals, which is that it could be very competitive. And while Donaire and Rigondeaux fights aren’t always thrilling affairs independently, both have such explosive speed and power that the counterpuncher détente could go nuclear at any moment.

Despite its enticing elements, Donaire-Rigondeaux probably won’t make anyone forget how the Top Rank-Golden Boy Cold War means we couldn’t get the tastier Donaire-Abner Mares bout. Standing on its own, though, Donaire-Rigondeaux remains one of the best fights on the 2013 calendar, past or future.

no comments

The Week’s Boxing Schedule, Featuring Nonito Donaire, Guillermo Rigondeaux And Juan Diaz

Written by Alex McClintock on .

Some week’s there’s quality, some week’s there’s quantity. This is definitely more of a quality week. There’s only one world class card and it’s on HBO, a battle between junior featherweights Nonito Donaire and Guillermo Rigondeaux. You’ll have to make do with Juan Diaz’s comeback and a couple of other, lesser events if you’re looking for more televised boxing. The photo has no link to the schedule, it’s just hilarious.
 
Nonito Donaire vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux, Saturday, HBO, New York
Two of the best in one of the sport’s best weight divisions – what more could you ask for? Donaire vs. Abner Mares? Well that ain’t gonna happen, so shhh, just appreciate this. Tim will have a full preview later in the week – but I’m going to put forward my views on the fight nevertheless. Donaire (31-1, 20 KO) has fought plenty of good opponents, but he’s never fought anyone who could compare to his “phenom” status. I think Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KO) is going to change that. I think he just might win it too. The question is whether he can deal with Donaire’s heavy artillery – because he’ll likely have to if he wants to get his own bombs away. Rigondeaux has sublime skills, though, and scary body punching – so I’m going to back them. I don’t think Donaire is mentally the strongest fighter in the game and he hasn’t been challenged in a long, long time. We have no idea how he’ll react when he’s put somewhere he doesn’t want to be. Rigondeaux can do that.
 
The Rest. It really is a case of HBO and the rest this week, though seeing long time lightweight favourite Juan “The Baby Bull” Diaz (35-4, 17 KO) return against Pipino Cuevas, Jr. (16-9, 14 KO) on Fox Deportes/FSN on Saturday should be fun. Unless Diaz is seriously diminished, shouldn’t be too hard a night for him… Friday Night Fights on ESPN2 features comebacking junior featherweight Rico Ramos (21-2, 11 KO), once a victim of Rigondeaux himself. He’s up against Oscar Gonzalez (20-2, 14 KO) who has the look of a tough sumbitch… And on ShoBox undefeated Cuban lightweight Angelo Santana (14-0, 11 KO) takes on Bahodir Mamadjonov (12-1, 8 KO) of Uzbekistan in an internationally flavoured clash… Chris John (48-0, 22 KO) defends his featherweight belt in Indonesia on Monday against Satoshi Hosono (23-2, 17 KO), as is his wont.
no comments

Boxing's Biggest Hipsters -- Manny Pacquiao, Bernard Hopkins And The Rest

Written by Alex McClintock on .

Hipster bashing is as hilarious as it is popular, so TQBR thought we'd get in on the act with our list of boxing's biggest hipsters. Never mind the fact that "hipster" style has become so mainstream so as to become meaningless -- that just makes it easier.
 
Don't go punching any of these guys on national punch a hipster day, though.
 
no comments

Round And Round, Featuring What's Next For Alfredo Angulo, David Haye, Mikey Garcia And Others

Written by Tim Starks on .

The good old Scrambler ride. Circles within circles. Since boxing is now divided up between networks and promoters who aren't likely to collaborate in a long, long time, it's a more apt metaphor for boxing's fights in the works than the carousel or merry-go-round metaphor we usually use around these parts.

In this edition of Round And Round, besides the men in the headline, we'll talk about fights in the works for David Price, Andre Berto, Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley, Gennady Golovkin and others.

no comments

Top Stories