The New Floyd Mayweather Jr. Beats Miguel Cotto

Photo credits: HBO BOXING

If a man is never really free unless he is truly able to speak his mind, then American boxer, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is among the freest men I know. Having built his career with superior defensive skills, many boxing experts have heavily criticized the fighter who calls himself “Money” for not matching his fight game in proportion with his trash talking. Some even breach the point of having branded his style as boring for not taking enough chances during matches, lacking back and forth action, content mostly on scoring over an opponent’s mistakes rather than committing himself forward to make a fight. His “offensive” nature in public appearances, per se, contradicts his safety-first-style of fighting backwards. That was then.

Boxing is to hit and not get hit. Excitement has nothing to do with winning a match and throughout history there is a wide array of boxers with intriguing styles. But like change, challenges, too, remain constant even for the seemingly incorrigible Mayweather Jr.  Perhaps in an initial attempt to stay relevant after his long absence from the sport and for contracting to fight only on a once a year basis since his comeback from retirement against Juan Manuel Marquez, plus being amidst the growing number of up and coming boxers with fan-friendly fighting styles, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has tweaked his boxing in recent bouts.

Against the crowd favorite, Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather Jr. would take more hits than he is accustomed to. At one point, late in the match, the black American came out of his corner with a bloodied nose, which is a rare sighting in itself all throughout the defensive wizard’s sixteen year professional career. The heavy handed Miguel Cotto would try to press the action. The heavily tattooed Puerto Rican has made an impressive career with his feared body punching skills, and if this match up had happened years ago I recon Floyd Mayweather would stealthily spin out of this trap, stay away from pockets and smartly use the ring to his favor. He’d be slippery, using his quickness in foot to his advantage. But the reinvented Mayweather courageously stood his ground like a warrior asking for more. He intentionally remained flatfooted, up close with impeccable balance, shifting his upper body side to side and coldly looked at Cotto in the eye while simultaneously parrying his punches.  He wouldn’t keep off and push Cotto back, and then he’d quickly break out from his Philly Shell defense to stun Miguel Cotto with stinging punches and readily snap back in to defend himself. Sometimes he’d break off the cycle of rugged infighting and beautifully circle around like a predator to resume in distance fighting, hitting the Puerto Rican with clean jabs and overhands. He was winning from all aspects of the fight, in and out.

There’s heaviness in Miguel Cotto that’s threatening. He doesn’t talk much and fighters like that work hard alone and away from the spotlight. They are ironic in that they are dangerous because they are stable yet ready to explode. He fought hard the whole gamut and gave Mayweather problems. He hit Floyd Jr. yet didn’t follow it up, but he was able to hit him hard and put real pressure and maintain it ‘til the end. But there’s a way he carries his arms that makes him susceptible to uppercuts. He doesn’t tuck his guard and holds his gloves close to his ears, and these tactical issues were clearly exploited by the American.  Floyd Jr. let go of the usual left hook counter as he would sway on his side and operate on the middle, hitting Cotto with jolting uppercuts, and then smartly stepping in, utilizing his quick footwork, staying too close for Cotto to extend his shots and fully counter with effective body punches and clinching him.

The fight didn’t appear so much as about Mayweather’s speed versus Cotto’s power as most projected it to be when it was formally announced. Miguel Cotto has dealt with fighters with blazing hand speed and beat them squarely, such as Zab Judah and Shane Mosley back in 2007. Floyd Jr. threw more accurate punches in the match,  but beat him in the head by a wider margin.

 

 

Mark F. Villanueva

Follow Mark via Twitter.com/MarkFVillanueva

Brandon Rios Versus Richard Abril: What Makes A Winner

He kept turning him by a corner, sometimes with a sweeping shift on his back foot, leaning on the side, pivoting, simultaneous to a check hook that displaced an undefeated brawler’s energy elsewhere into space. The substitute fighter to fellow Cuban, Yuriorkis Gamboa, smartly used his long left arm like a tailor to a yardstick to keep his distance and consistently frustrate his opponent.

The Mexican-American boxer, Brandon Rios has gained considerable popularity in his career for his fighting style. There is just so much fieriness in him whenever he boxes and that kind of passion has helped him grow a good following in the sport, so that in a previous article I referred to him as Mr.Excitement, which I’m sure many would agree. He throws punches enthused and has an almost equal eagerness to take some hits himself with a capability to sustain the action with a rock hard chin. Coming into this fight he issued a statement that he had trained hard enough for war and there is no reason to doubt it.

When the bell sounded off to signal a battle had formally begun, Brandon Rios trotted his way into a ring against an opponent he could barely hit. Richard Abril didn’t look as powerful as he, nor does he seem to have the kind of physique that can keep up with Rios if he opted to set himself up in a toe-to-toe style of fighting. But in Boxing, the science of it makes it so that the stronger, bigger man doesn’t always win. Rios clearly looked so much more solid out there and even the heavier of the two especially after missing the weight requirement by two pounds during the weigh in and should now be a full-fledged Junior Welterweight.

Richard Abril didn’t  have to think hard on how to tackle his foe, nor hope or pray to the gods for a physical quality he doesn’t have. He simply used his height and long reach advantage to protect his lanky frame and worked the hardest behind his jab. It was the right approach to an opponent like Rios who consistently presses for action, and perhaps his only sound option of getting things done under the circumstances, otherwise he would most likely succumb to the relentless pressure just as the slick Miguel Acosta before him. If this was war as Rios had said he had trained for, then he would be out marching under the piercing rays of the sun in an open field, fighting fiercely on the ground against an enemy firing comfortably from the sky.

Many would say that Brandon Rios looked gaunt up close & that he was not himself in the ring. But had he been in good form that night of the fight my guess is that he would still have lost against the slithering Abril on the grounds of the efficacy of the latter’s tactic. He was so out boxed in that fight that sometimes I forget he had actually won it in a strongly contested Split Decision.

Rios kept walking in to his opposition’s jab that snapped his head back from time to time. It wasn’t so much that Abril’s jab was very precise but it’s apparently due to his lack of head movement and stiff posture. He didn’t move side to side nor time Abril’s long arm coming in so he could slip in to the side and plant that bomb to the body. Head movement makes an opponent miss a lot of jabs and follow up punches and gives you split second opportunities to come in. And the offensive side of his game was not so bright either. Instead of throwing jabs as his corner encouraged him, Rios just kept barging in only to be met with uppercuts and shots to the head and body by an opponent that has already snaked out of harm’s away. Rios wasn’t too quick to cut his opponent’s movement in the ring. Sometimes it looked like he was just walking, flat footed, and sometimes following in on Abril’s wake around the ring. Most of his punches landed whenever their bodies were locked against each other, arms tangled. But in those exchanges, Richard Abril threw some of his own, too. The latter would double up and pawned his jabs and followed it up with a swooshing right overhand punch and move away, fading into the distance beautifully as a sunset.

It was a fight Richard Abril deserved to win. He controlled the fight right from the very start of the war cry to the very end. He had the right style topped with clean and effective punches, clearly outboxing his opponent but still got the wrong decision.  It throws away all the time he had spent training, putting on some honest work to make a living, which many sports fans declare a robbery. It was a waste of time and money for the boxing fans who watched the fight, too.

Brandon Rios didn’t have to fight at 135 pounds but forced himself into it to win back his title.  He said he was never the same without that World Title and that he wanted it so badly.

Now I wonder what a win like this makes him.

 

 

Mark F. Villanueva
Follow Mark on Twitter.com/MarkFVillanueva

Timeless Erik Morales

We all have those moments. We are stalled and we reinforce who we are by holding on to the better parts of our past. We take refuge in it for a while if we’re lucky to have a proud history, a supportive family, or go back to who we were when life was beautiful in its simplicity, where things always seemed to just find a way on its own to work out right, to re-evaluate who we are now after all the years past. We all have those moments when we wish we could turn back time to gain strength or right a wrong, take haven, hoping a relevant past helps us become better men of the present. So maybe it’s not always about moving on as people say. Pop, when he was alive, was a great, great boxing fan and used to say life is like a boxing match and sometimes the best way to throw a punch is by stepping back.

Erik “El Terrible” Morales sways his battle tested, thirty five year old body, side to side with a rhythm like a pendulum as if running time in reverse, back to his old glorious days in the sport.  For love or money, or for whatever reasons Morales came out of retirement for is almost of no consequence to his hardcore fans now as he always comes to a fight to mix it up and add a bit of flavor. One of my best memories of this legendary fighter was when he fought Manny Pacquiao first and in the eleventh and twelfth round this great warrior, for the showman that he is, switched to a Southpaw stance to give the kind of fight the fans came and paid to see. That was a great day for boxing, and you just don’t see that kind of stuff that much nowadays anymore.

Erik Morales cautiously moved to the middle of the ring against a young and powerful, undefeated Puerto Rican fighter Danny “Swift” Garcia, whom many expected to barge in and destroy the warrior more than a decade his senior. Morales failed to make the stipulated weight limit after his training had been disrupted by a Gall Bladder operation. He looked out of shape with a fold around his waist. Nevertheless, Erik Morales is the kind of fighter sports fans want to see for what he never fails to give – bloody entertainment.

The youthful Garcia looked strong as a bull, as expected. He looked very ripped and stiff in the shoulders, boxed, and packed a punch. He wasn’t as aggressive as most had initially thought he would be; not that he didn’t intend to, considering his pre-fight taunts calling Erik Morales “Papa” but the tempest of his youth swiftly became tamed by the savviness of Morales’ skills, and all of a sudden Danny Garcia struggled to show why he’s called “Swift” in the first place. He tried to be fancy but his defense was poor. His speed and power were easily negated by Morales’ timing and precision; shrewdness took over Garcia’s natural abilities that right from the outset of the match the young boxer had been whisked into fighting the older Morales’ game and tempo.

One of the greatest difficulties in fighting a boxer like Erik Morales during an offense is his unpredictability in possum. It’s almost impossible to tell if he’s hurt or weakened, and he can take a combination of punches and still give you that same disinterested look. It’s hard to say if the opening in front of you is legit when you fight with a boxer like him. He moves and twists his upper body, careens as if shaky and tired, oscillating left to right, inviting his opponents to take heed and jump into deadly conclusion that he is in the verge of being knocked out, and that is when he pops and takes you out. It was this cunning that kept the young Danny Garcia at bay. Morales’ jabs were laser-like, timing him every time, and it isn’t hard to time Garcia now who was dancing to his tempo.

Erik Morales was efficient all night. After all the wars he has been in his long and illustrious career he knows exactly what kind of fighter he is and he was very patient, direct, and not wasting so much energy other than what is necessary, as opposed to the young gun who looked to overwhelm him. But there were moments when the Mexican fighter had lapses and Garcia’s shots would come in and hurt him. He was staggered for the first time in the third round, looked tired in the sixth, but he has a way of always looking tired so he can ensnare his opponents. He coaxed Garcia to throw hard punches at him when he leaned on the ropes, attempting to suck the energy out of his youth so he could take him late. He leaned back, in a rope-a-dope, ducking and weaving cleverly in the guise of being hurt, making Garcia miss badly while taking some punches. The crowd was awed at this, some thought Morales was shaky and about to go down, and then he moved out of the fray and flashed a grin that just gets into your nerves. Both fighters moved to the middle of the ring and to everyone’s surprise Erik Morales was energized  once again and beating the young Garcia to the punch. So much trickery indeed up his sleeve. The former was winning each time they fought in the middle using superb timing, lead rights, and there were moments during the match that showed Morales was reliving his glory days as a famous prizefighter. He feigned a right hand as if to throw a straight and then craftily shot a left uppercut followed by a slashing left hook as if to tell the young Garcia that boxing class was in progress. But then he’d get tagged and all that seemed to halt. Morales would taunt Garcia once more, faked a right straight and going for the left, ducked under Garcia’s defense and throwing a right hand that broke Garcia’s nose in the tenth. The crowd was electrified watching this and I imagine all of Mexico backing the legend in session. I tell myself, you gotta love what Morales brings- the tactical skill, deceptiveness, proper execution, and indomitable will.

In the eleventh round the Mexican got a little careless and got caught with a late hook by Garcia during an exchange that surprised him and knocked him to the canvass. Morales looked much weaker after it but it’s hard to tell if its real, except he threw lesser punches. Garcia took advantage up to the end and in the end the scorecards were widely in Danny “Swift” Garcia’s favor.

True, Morales may have been overpowered, looking aged at times and very slow. He was unloaded with a quantity of punches and so with powerful shots, but numbers don’t tell the story. If you want to read between the lines take a closer look at Garcia’s badly swollen and bloodied face.

Erik Morales failed to relive his past in full but there were moments when streaks of greatness would reappear. I see it in older people, I see it in Muhammad Ali. Watching what could have been Morales last fight made me realize that greatness is within.

 

 

P.S.- For C.L.S.

 

Mark F. Villanueva

Follow Mark via Twitter.com/MarkFVillanueva

Bernabe Concepcion: A Critical Review

Mikey Garcia (Left) posing with Bernabe Concepcion (Right)

Facing the 5’8 Mexican it was obvious he had to fight him short. But the manner of which Bernabe Concepcion fought Mikey Garcia last March 10, 2012 in Puerto Rico epitomizes the status of his boxing career, rousing an exasperation among Philippine boxing fans in its wake.

The Filipino, looking bulked up and strong, but never utilizing those qualities to his advantage, kept coming in and out of distance from his opponent. It would’ve been a good strategy fighting a taller boxer- dropping in to inflict hurt, throwing in a couple of punches inside and moving out in harm’s way for defense, but Concepcion didn’t execute proper side to side head movement doing it. And whenever he did it, he never followed it up with a concrete offense, negating it’s whole purpose of attack and counter attacking on his opponent’s misses. He bounced in and out within Miguel Angel Garcia’s jabbing range with his head being an easy target, albeit boxing up, clipping his front leg sawing in and back like in a Filipino “Tinikling” dance, which can be dangerously timed to throw him off balance. Watching him I had to wonder if he truly understood what he was doing. He seemed to be so mechanical and doing things without understanding its purpose, and everything you do in boxing is done always in preparation for something else; it’s almost like listening to a melody leading up to a climax. Concepcion’s flow was all intro with no following.

Instead of trying to disrupt the rhythm of the more skilled pug, Garcia, it looked like he had settled himself nicely for his prey, ready for the taking. It was probably one of Garcia’s easiest fights for some time, and it wasn’t on account of his own doing. Concepcion’s attacks were terribly sparse as he continued to ride on Garcia’s momentum and from there, those who watched him fight and relied on that proverbial “Puncher’s chance” of winning had started to give up too since he wasn’t punching much at all. He wasn’t confident enough and looked stiff, which are signals that he may not have prepared for this moment as thoroughly as all fighters ought to in major fights. His jabs were meaningless, firing a few inches short that they were not even enough to make his opponent flinch. He didn’t stretch his jab nor bring it to it’s target by doubling up on his lead foot. From a more technical perspective, his overall performance was almost as ugly as his fight with Juan Ma Lopez whom he fought swinging wide as if in a street fight, except it lasted longer.

Nothing in his game that night was congruent just as his career since he dropped his loyalty and jumped ship from one promoter to another, switched trainers from Freddie Roach to Buboy Fernandez, who’s never boxed nor probably sparred seriously his entire life, and unto his current team. But I think the major reason why he is on the receiving end of such hard criticism for his recent failures is because Filipino boxing fans feel that he is capable of so much more considering his natural gifts of size, power and strength. It’s just a matter of putting it all together and putting it to good use with proper guidance and discipline. Bernabe Concepcion, I reckon, must be having some alone time far from the madding crowd, and that is completely understandable. It’s time he realizes that it’s not merely on the lack of showing of boxing skill that frustrated his fans, but the palpable lack of discipline in training, inability to listen carefully and stick to the fight plan, lack of focus and dedication. Manny Pacquiao himself blamed him for deviating from the game plan when he fought Lopez and Roach complained about his poor training habits before giving up on the partnership. Boxing without the labors of hard work in training is like a woman with beauty but no character. It just lacks the oomph, if you get my drift, and that is just as honest as I can put it for Concepcion.  He has it, but he doesn’t.

 

Mark F. Villanueva

BOXINGINSIGHT.COM

Follow Mark via Twitter.com/MarkFVillanueva

Mark's 1 On 1 With Wayne McCullough: Rios Versus Gamboa

They say age is just a number and that real wisdom comes with experience. On April 14, 2012 the twenty five year old, Brandon Rios (29-0-1) can ironically put his boxing wisdom and experience to good use over the thirty year old late starter, Yuriorkis Gamboa when the two undefeated boxers face each other in Las Vegas, Nevada.

What Gamboa apparently lacks in his career statistics of 21-0 he makes up greatly with inherent capability and incredible boxing skill. It’s not that the Mexican-American, Rios is bereft of it, in fact, he holds impressive victories over fighters such as Miguel Acosta and Urbano Antillon, fights which many thought he couldn’t win, and he has always been through exciting ring wars in his career, but the former Olympian Yuriorkis Gamboa has skills that glitters like gold. Not only has this Cuban defector reached the zenith in the olympic stands, but since he turned professional in the United States he has knocked out 16 out of 21 opponents, and those whom he didn’t lay flat in the canvas, he clearly outmatched. Yuriorkis Gamboa is in a class of his own in terms of ability. After he fought Mexican, Jorge Solis, who once fought Pound For Pound number one, Manny Pacquiao, the Mexican pug declared that Gamboa hits so much harder than Pacquiao, and that fight ended in just four rounds. In his last match against Ponce De leon, a fighter known for making his opponents look bad, Gamboa overturned the reflection on him that made boxing fans question De leon’s heart in a fight that ended in a Technical Decision after 8 rounds. Very little, if any, would argue that we have a star in our hands named Yuriorkis.

On the other hand, Brandon Rios is like a rock. He always fights with the kind of passion that makes an ordinary fight exciting. He does not look for excitement; he brings it. He does not have that sharpness in skill I wish all boxers had and he tends to just brawl instead of box; he fights like a little Antonio Margarito who is okay with getting hit so he can invest on hitting his opponent harder, but it’s because Rios always comes to fight and that he hits hard that each of his fights leaves us a special impact. Plus, the fact that he is a natural lightweight up against Gamboa who will be backpacking with extra poundage in an unchartered territory that gives him a really weighty advantage. The outcome of this fight is very good for conversation, perhaps at home, at the terrace with a few drinks. So I asked my good friend, Olympic medalist in boxing and former World Champion, Wayne McCullough on his views of the upcoming Rios versus Gamboa fight. Below is an excerpt of our conversation:

Mark: Hey, mate, how are you? hope you and the family are good and healthy. Wish you could come and visit me soon so we can box, too. Don’t forget we have our date in the ring.

On Gamboa, do you think it was wise for him to jump 2 divisions from feather to
lightweight?

McCullough: Gamboa is built like a miniature Mike Tyson. I think he’s a sensational fighter. But his chin is suspect.

Mark: Yes, he has been down at times. He gets caught with his hands down and I don’t know why he keeps doing it. I mean that’s quite a leap, mate, do u believe he can carry that much baggage & maintain his speed & power?

Wayne: I definitely think he’ll be able to make the leap without a problem.

Mark: Personally, looking at his build I
think it’s going to be ok. He has strong legs & a huge upper body. I wonder what
your inputs are on his move up.

Wayne: He’d probably struggle to make featherweight and that’s the most likely reason he skipped the division. Look at (a young) Shane Mosley. He moved from lightweight straight to welterweight without any trouble at all. He was able to move up and stay in there with the supposedly bigger fighters. I think it’s going to be that way too for Gamboa.

Mark: Speaking of speed & power, do u think Rios can handle Gamboa assuming he carries his abilities in lightweight?

Wayne: The only way to beat Gamboa is to be able to take his punches, have a good chin, stay close to him and work hard for three minutes of every round. Gamboa only works for about a minute of each round. Give him room and it’s all over.

Mark: You’ve had a stellar amateur career just like Gamboa. He has certain moves now that resemble the amateurs, such as his footwork, the way he carries his hands, etc. just how good do you think is he in terms of boxing ability? How far do you foresee him go?

Wayne: He’s almost a complete fighter because he lacks a good chin. He’s been on the canvas several times in his career so if you put him down you have to keep him down!

Mark: On Brandon Rios, this guy has so much fighting spirit, but I don’t see
excellence in his skills. I think he relies too much on power & on his
durability to win. How do you see him as a fighter?

Wayne: I don’t really know much about him. But he should stop depending on his power alone and use his boxing skills.

Mark: This fight is about size versus talent. Who do you think wins?

Wayne: Whoever has the best plan will win the fight. Having the best plan and sticking with it. If Rios can stick to Gamboa he’ll win. If Gamboa keeps his distance and uses his punch power and speed he’ll take it.

Mark: You’ve been busy with your project, the WBC software application. So c’mon tell us about it!

Wayne: Hopefully it’ll be ready in a few months. It’s very exciting. I filmed some short drills for them and they’re putting it all together so you can view and review it and learn.

Thanks for ur continued support mate!

I really appreciate it 🙂

 

 

Mark F. Villanueva
Follow Mark via Twitter.com/MarkFVillanueva

Frank Espinoza Jr.'s Response To Donaire

There’s something heroic about second chances. It gives us a sense of redemption and we all need to be redeemed at certain points of our lives and so it is, therefore, necessary to move forward. In fact, it is so vital that even if everybody else seems to have lost their faith in you, you have better learn to give yourself a tap on your shoulder and give it yourself. That’s what makes fighters special. They endure. That is why I look up to Abner Mares.

With only twenty two fights in his career, this Mexican professional boxer is living his second life of sorts in the sport of boxing after being diagnosed with a detached retina. It was during these difficult times that this undefeated boxer had witnessed his “friends” slip away while planning out for his future, but he never gave up on himself. What I appreciate about him is how he maintained his fighting ways and the way he carried himself amidst the adversity, which, incidentally, reflects how he fights inside the ring. I remember him fight Vic Darchinyan back in 2010. He kept moving forward as if his psyche still kept telling him to prove to the world that he is back in the sport even after already being reinstated a few years ago. He won that highly controversial fight, but he fought so valiantly as in during those rough times in his life, leaving a mark as if telling us that he won’t be fazed by all the raging bulls Vic Darchinyan could summon. Abner Mares has been through some controversial fights in his career, but he always endures and remains undefeated.

Yesterday I read a post by Filipino boxing star, Nonito Donaire Jr. in his social media page highlighting his disappointment and why most of his fights don’t push through. He said that these challengers drived up their worth 300% and kept cashing out on him, and posted an article of Mares stating his willingness to fight Donaire only if the “money is right.”

I caught up with Mares’ manager, Frank Espinoza Jr. of Espinoza Boxing Club and asked him if Abner was indeed trying to price himself out of the fight, to which Frankie Jr. responded “No. We haven’t even offered the fight yet. We are still working out certain details of Abner’s fight with Morel.” I inquired further if there was any truth to the article Donaire posted saying that Mares might be fighting Rigondeaux instead and he replied “We cant negotiate two fights at once. I respect Nonito Donaire, but what’s funny though is that he didn’t join the Bantamweight tournament back then because the money wasn’t right.”

Money is an integral part in the prizefighting business & a means to a fruitful life. But it all boils down to the fights, and how we fight the fight that defines who we are. Thanks to Frank Espinoza Jr. for clearing things up. Towards the end of our conversation Frankie Jr. said that he believes Nonito Donaire made that remark against fighters in general and not that Abner himself asked for too much money, and I agree.

Mark: Thanks once again for your time, Frankie.

Frankie Jr: Good stuff, man. Thank you.

Espinoza Boxing Club was launched by L.A. Based businessman Frank Espinoza and also manages Yonnhy Perez, Luis Ramos, Ronny Rios, Carlos Molina, Abraham Lopez & Antonio Orozco.

 

 

Mark F. Villanueva

Follow Mark via Twitter.com/MarkFVillanueva

 

 

 

Adrien Broner Defeats Perez With His Feet

When I was little my father would always remind me inside his chamber at the Hall Of Justice to learn to argue with both feet on the ground. That way, he said, the degree of veracity would strengthen my case in seeking a higher truth. But that was a long time ago and when he passed away I was still very young and I have lost countless arguments merely ’cause of my youth and people would think I was incompetent to discuss serious matters at such a tender age. Tired of talking in a world that never really listens, that’s how I’ve started to try my hand in writing. But we are in a generation that barely reads, I mean, really, really read in earnest.

Whenever people mention to me that boxers are too limited to only using their hands the basis of that argument exhausts me. That notion makes me sigh and visualize legendary fighters such as Muhammad Ali cinematically move around the ring in slow motion; feet barely touching the canvas, almost hovering, floating swiftly. I think of it during my alternate runs of sprints and pacing near the river where I am pushed to my limits so I get lost in its process, and how most people never realize how hard it is to move your feet effectively in the ring so it is in full synchronization with your hands that makes your attack complete and well defended.

I watched American boxer Adrien Broner mix it up with then undefeated, Eloy Perez at the Scottrade Center in Saint Louis, Missouri and the first thing that caught the spectators’ attention was how quick his hands were. Perez came in very confident and relaxed, and if he was fighting a boxer of lesser caliber than Broner he’d have good reason to be assured of his capabilities but the American was consummate. His jabs were sharp, utilizing the advantage in reach to the fullest. Using the Shoulder Roll defense, Broner always kept his right hand up and his left shoulder to guard his chin. He was bigger and taller than the Mexican American, Perez and his black skin became highlighted under the spotlight like a well oiled offensive machine.

Early into the first round the level of confidence began to wane for the Mexican as Broner caught him with a clean left hook to the head. Broner now has a record 23 wins with 19 by knockout and it appeared that the Mexican had a good taste of that power early with that fist forced against his face. In the second round of that match up Perez was staggered by his opponent and walking back to his corner you could almost feel his pride trying to fight out the obvious confusion and personal dissatisfaction over his performance.

Whenever Eloy Perez forced the action he would find Broner difficult to engage with his accurate counter-punches and shoulder defense, but what most failed to see was how Broner manipulated the whole scenario with his feet- how he would slowly trap his opponent or slide to the sides or deftly take a step back with his wide stance. One has to realize that you can only successfully pull off those kind of punches and fancy a little bit of design in execution to the crowd’s delight if your feet is able to carry you to where it needs to be landed, and Broner made it all look so easy. A boxer’s hand speed is highly increased with footwork, sprints, distance running and putting in some of those excruciating leg drills early morning at the gym. Foot speed is essential to viruouso boxing and Broner’s feet are basically as fast as his hands.  His opponent never had a chance to cope with that quality right from the start.

In the fourth and final round of the fight, Broner, whose colorful personality reflects his demeanor when he fights, started to fool around with his feet; darting, moving to the sides, displaying his quickness ’til he was completely behind his opponent which prompted the referee, Geno Rodriquez to call a quick reset and Broner boasted in the middle of the ring with a mini dance performance. Some of those who watched the fight beside me didn’t like his antics but it was clear now who was dominating the match. And when the bout resumed the American was back in his fighting ways, countering with a left hook followed by a swooshing right uppercut, the motion of his white gloves catching my eyes like a magician’s wand. His corner had advised him to go for that uppercut during a time out earlier in the fight and he was doing it perfectly. Broner reminds me of Floyd Mayweather Jr. with his boxing- the speed, stance, defense, footwork, and left hook accentuated with an uppercut. He’s like a young Mayweather Jr. with a one-punch knockout power. Into the fourth round and he stepped up his offense against now a deeply troubled opponent who was slowly backing up close to the ropes. Adrien “The Problem” Broner deceptively opened up his left hand that tricked his opponent to move defensively into the wrong direction, careening, leaving an opening on his left side. The flashy American saw this and reacted within a split of a second, drew all his power from his perfect positioning brought about by impeccable footwork, generating all of it from bottom to top, twisting around the hip before throwing a powerful straight punch unto the head of an unsuspecting Eloy Perez who was instantly dropped on the mat. Broner, the young Black American who reminds me of Floyd Jr., started to celebrate in complete elation as his opponent was sprawled on the floor, still struggling to summon that fighter inside of him, floundering as he was about to beat the count, staggering forward and back down again ala Ricky Hatton. Watching it all happen at that moment was like experiencing deja vu.

There is good reason for boxing fans to celebrate with the influx of young and talented fighters like Broner and this kid can dance.

 

 

Mark F. Villanueva
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Donaire Jr. May Help Rios Prepare For Fight

Word is that the multi-talented Filipino prizefighter, Nonito Donaire Jr., who shares the same trainer with Mexican American Lightweight boxer, Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios in Robert Garcia is willing to help the former in preparing for his match up with Cuban marvel, Yuriorkis Gamboa. When Donaire Jr. went up once again in weight class to fight Vasquez Jr. it was initially rumored that he’d soon be fighting the Cuban in the near future, but since the formal announcement was made of Gamboa’s foray into the Lightweight Class a few days ago it is said that the charismatic Filipino fighter had expressed his willingness to help his stablemate train instead. Both Yuriorkis Gamboa and Brandon Rios have unblemished fight records with a strong following among avid boxing fans for their come-to-fight styles, and are scheduled to trade leather on April 14, 2012 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada. Many boxing experts believe this match up could be a candidate for Fight Of The Year award considering the amount of arsenal these two fighters bring. Rios only knows to fight moving forward, applying pressure from corner to corner and trapping his opponents ’til they break, meanwhile, we have an opponent with such explosive talent but is coming from two divisions down, trekking on unchartered territory.

Nonito Donaire Jr. has the versatility to mimic different fighting styles with ease. He does it every time he’s in the mood for play during his training sessions, and it’s his adaptability, among many things, that specially catches my attention. But if there’s one thing that “Bam Bam” Rios will greatly benefit from and should be grateful for sparring with Donaire it is his speed. Speed kills and whenever Yuriorkis Gamboa fires a flurry of boxing combinations he reminds me of that cartoon character, The Tasmanian Devil, except that it won’t be cute being caught in the middle of it.  Rios needs to tune himself up to this type of offensive rhythm and time those punches and his; not necessarily matching speed for speed, but learning more from his strengths and finding a way around an opponent that looks to whirlwind him with punches that is so fast and powerful that makes him the offensive marvel he is today.

Whether Yuriorkis Gamboa is able to carry his speed and power up two weight classes is something that needs to be seen, but looking at his body structure it is very likely that his transition will be seamless. He makes his opposition look like a joke and Rios, who had gained notoriety for fooling around on camera, imitating Freddie Roach’ speech impairment on account of his infliction with Parkinson’s Disease, well, I just hope that this time around the joke up in the ring won’t be on him.

 

 

Mark F. Villanueva
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Lamont Peterson: A Throwback

There is no driving force as consistent as money. People tend to say business is business, that there’s nothing personal about running down the corporate lane but it’s hard to separate yourself from what drives you. In fact, money consistently and effectively drifts us apart. It keeps challenging the timeless values of family, friendship, loyalty, etc. and it is perhaps the leading precipitator to personal grudges that eventually shift into various facets. Money sucks us in, keeps us going ‘til it wears us down, all alone, and we realize that in the end all that really matters is the truth, but like all endings, it’s all too late for everything else.

Lamont Peterson is not your everyman. Abandoned by his parents at an early age and having lived homeless for years in the streets of Washington D.C., he is now the Unified WBA and IBF Light Welterweight Champion of the world, yet he became a winner long before that momentous day- the very minute he refused to be counted out and first laced a borrowed pair of worn out boxing gloves. And like all winners, everything has got to be a little bit personal than just the casual approach. After his controversial win over Amir “King” Khan, instead of putting on his business suit to sign for a lucrative offer to fight Juan Manuel Marquez with a chance to engage the world’s number one fighter pound for pound, Manny Pacquiao and earn millions of dollars if he wins, Peterson chose to face the truth. And the truth is that he had won their first fight technically and substantially but beating Khan for the second time around, settling the score and eradicating all controversy would give him the kind of fulfillment beyond what any contract could offer. It would be priceless. Amir Khan continues to blame bad officiating and later on came up to the press with a conspiracy theory for his loss. But if their first fight was a story to tell it could only have been of a hard working man’s rags to riches fairy tale. It was Lamont Peterson’s fight.

Amir “King” Khan, who hails from Bolton, England, fights like he talks. He comes in fast and in spurts with a strong tendency to make unnecessary movements or punches. He could be quite showy at times. He borders on the flashy and looks to overwhelm his opponents early on with rapid punches and very good footwork. Before he fought Peterson back in December 10, 2011 he only had one loss in his record and was a favorite to win, yet, unfortunately, for the English pug, Lamont Peterson is not the type of fighter one can easily sway with flashiness. No sir. The American is sturdy and focused. He may not be as blessed with natural skill as Khan but he fights like he really knows what he wants and he does not waiver. While Khan may have won the first few rounds of their encounter, even knocking down Peterson early, the latter, not to my surprise, started to find his way back into the fray. He kept sneaking in hard punches around Khan’s defense, landed hard left hooks to the body, moving forward while the Bolton fighter started to stay away after being buckled at times. Khan’s fleetiness compromised his power, while his American counterpart kept hitting him with heavy punches in pursuit. At least that’s how former world champion, Wayne McCullough and I saw it. Controversy aside, with all due respect, it was Peterson’s fight overall. And if Amir Khan fights the same way he did the first time I do not see any reason how the result could be any different. Peterson will be precise as usual, countering him effectively without wasting too much energy.

Lamont Peterson is a kind of fighter with whom the fighter in each and every one of us easily relate to. He is a warrior who knows his place. He rose above the masses out of nothing to reign king over khan and is not afraid to validate it on May 19, 2012 in Las Vegas. He chose this fight over big money. He’s got to mean business!

 

 

Mark F. Villanueva
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Flashy Donaire

Dateline:  San Antonio, Texas, February 4, 2012 – The crowd was electric as two opposing fighters out to prove their self worth over the other to the boxing community revved up for a world title boxing match. Both fighters were coming in with extra baggage from past performances. The Puerto Rican had lost for the first time in his career with his championship belt snatched by a veteran Mexican fighter, and now this was going to be his first major fight coming off that painful defeat that ended in a technical knockout. In the other corner was a naturally gifted Filipino boxer, the second most popular prizefighter in his country, heir apparent to the throne, who had recently been harshly criticized for an unimpressive victory against a smaller and older Argentinian fighter whom he failed to knockout.

Nonito Donaire Jr., who had not lost a single fight for the last ten years, walked into the expectant Alamodome crowd as if he was in to fight for his first world title. The hunger was unmistakable in his countenance. There was an extra bounce in his movements as he ducked and weaved, shook his shoulders to the rhythm of his entrance song like in a war dance ritual. He was fired up like a foolhardy young fighter who has never been truly hurt and knows nothing of losing. On the other hand, his opponent seemed less fiery, perhaps of the awareness that he had started it all that insulted an opponent blessed with so much natural abilities which he knew he could never surpass, during the day of their weigh-in and that the hype had gone too far unto their families and their people that now the prize in their fight had upped a level to become personal. It had ceased to become merely of money or title, but of something more deadly to every man- Pride.

The first two rounds ended quickly as Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. kept transmitting power shots that heightened the already electrified crowd. Meanwhile, the Puerto Rican, whom, heretofore, was known for his offensive skills had nothing in return and remained content in boxing up, airtight, like a human heavy bag. It was embarrassing to watch him like that after all his boasting, but fighters do that all the time to get to one’s psyche. Nonito was everywhere, getting bigger and bigger, putting in a show while Vasquez became a miniscule of himself like a speck of light you see from a distance in the ocean at night. You know he’s there but one can’t entirely outline his presence. Nonito cruised easily with not much resistance. As early as in the second round he started to drop his left hand to invite an offensive but there came nothing as he continued to hurl punches at Vasquez’ head and body.

As colorful as the flags that represent both fighter’s countries are, the fight was starting to plunge to the doldrums & bore the crowd for its one-sidedness. On the third round, Nonito, not content with dropping his hands, Dempsey Rolled, almost appearing frivolous with it and amusing the crowd, hopping left to right, and caught a confused Vasquez with his left and cornered him. The Puerto Rican looked dazed as the Filipino Flash switched stance and picked his shots wisely, pounding the already trapped Vasquez.

The latter appeared stiff in the upper body all night. Donaire was quite loose and begged for return action that was scant. The seventh came and Vasquez decided to let his hand go, pushing the Filipino for a close-range battle that excited the crowd once more, but couldn’t capitalize on the situation as he got countered all the while as he employed pressure that eventually wiped out his newly gained confidence. Then it was as if he cowered back to his shell and Donaire started to taunt him by resting both hands on knees on the next round. The showboating, intended to irk his opponent into fighting back, caught the ire of some spectators instead as Vasquez kept his distance. The latter got knocked down the following round but got up with a smirk on his face, but the outcome of the fight was clear to everyone, except for judge Ruben Garcia who confounded the audience by calling it for Vasquez.

Nonito Donaire has four titles in as many weight divisions. He is right on track to following the footsteps of the great Manny Pacquiao before him. The way he Dempsey Rolls, moves in circles while throwing jabs at Vasquez ala Muhammad Ali in the last round, the way he leaned back on the ropes and threw a flurry of punches reminiscent of my all time favorite, Sugar Ray Leonard… Nonito Donaire projects a flash of the ages.

 

Mark F. Villanueva

Boxing Insight

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