Bad Left Hook Fight Night: Juan Manuel Marquez v. Manny Pacquiao II
MAIN EVENT
For The Ring Magazine and WBC Super Featherweight Titles
JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ
(48-3-1, 35 KO, Mexico City, Mexico)
versus
MANNY PACQUIAO
(45-3-2, 35 KO, General Santos City, Philippines)
For the WBO Featherweight Title
STEVEN LUEVANO
(34-1, 15 KO, Los Angeles, CA)
versus
TERDSAK JANDAENG
(29-2-1, 19 KO, Tasae, Thailand)
ABNER MARES
(15-0, 9 KO, Montebello, CA, by way of Guadalajara, Mexico)
versus
DIOSDADO GABI
(30-3-1, 21 KO, Davao City, Philippines)
DAVID DIAZ
(33-1-1, 17 KO, Chicago, IL)
versus
RAMON MONTANO
(15-4-2, 1 KO, Las Vegas, NV, by way of Ciudad Obregon, Mexico)
We've talked up the main event, and you already know what that's about. I'm sticking with my gut, though I'm maybe 55% confident in the pick: Marquez via tight unanimous decision
Let's take a quick look at the PPV televised undercard.
Steven Luevano v. Terdsak Jandaeng
Hearing Michael Buffer say "Terdsak" is going to be a highlight of the night, I believe. Luevano was last seen dominating Antonio Davis on the undercard of Pacquiao-Barrera II in October, and this seems like a very similar matchup, to be honest. Luevano isn't going to make you forget the all-time great featherweights, but he was a class above Davis and I suspect he'll be a class above Jandaeng as well. Luevano in a unanimous decision rout
Abner Mares v. Diosdado Gabi
Mares, 22, is a good prospect with some solid stepping stone developmental-type of wins. Gabi, 28, is a past Vic Darchinyan victim, falling in the 8th round against the ex-flyweight champion in 2006. After that, he proceeded to knockout Mauricio Pastrana in the first round in his debut at 115, and has now jumped all the way up to 118 pounds. Mares has to be considered the favorite, and this is a PPV showcase for his skills. But, to Harold Lederman it up for you briefly, I gotta tell ya somethin': this one smells heavily like upset city. Gabi is a more experienced fighter, has been in with good fighters, and he's a southpaw. I rarely go off and call upsets of this magnitude, but I'm feeling it with this one. Gabi via decision
David Diaz v. Ramon Montano
The question has been asked. "Who the hell is Ramon Montano, and why is the WBC lightweight champion fighting him in a non-title bout after being inactive since August?" This is a Top Rank publicity stunt -- get Diaz an easy win on PPV, and set up Diaz-Pacquiao for this summer. But all things considered, Diaz is no special talent. He's a tough son of a bitch and an enjoyable fighter to watch because he actually comes to fight, but Montano is sort of a Jesse Feliciano-type of guy, a possible fly in the ointment. Not a pretty record, and that's no typo -- he has one career knockout. But he has sparred with some excellent fighters, and he also deserved a win over Dmitriy Salita in their 2006 draw, a really bogus decision. But I won't call the upset here. I'm just saying, don't be shocked if Diaz-Pacquiao doesn't look attractive at all after tonight. Diaz via TKO
The show starts live at 9PM ET, and the non-televised undercard bouts will be streaming at Yahoo! and ESPN360 in just moments. I'm going to watch those, but probably not score them. Settle in for a great night of boxing with us! We'll be scoring the PPV fights round-by-round in the comments below.
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Comments
first fight
Junior Middleweights
Tyson looks like the better fighter through two of the six rounds. Herrera is a Nacho Beristain guy.
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 7:15 PM EDT 0 recs
Buddy Tyson
Third round looks better for Herrera. Doug Fischer and whoever is doing PBP both think Tyson looks tired already. I agree.
I love empty arena fights.
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 7:18 PM EDT 0 recs
night's first knockdown
My opinion has changed. Herrera is much better.
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 7:20 PM EDT 0 recs
oof
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 7:22 PM EDT 0 recs
for the record, too
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 7:23 PM EDT 0 recs
went the full six
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 7:30 PM EDT 0 recs
missed the second fight
Featherweights
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 8:06 PM EDT 0 recs
third fight
Nice left hook to end it. Garcia is 4-0 and has yet to go past the second round.
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 8:18 PM EDT 0 recs
re:
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 8:19 PM EDT 0 recs
PRAISE THE LORD
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 8:35 PM EDT 0 recs
man, I am pumped
And it doesn't hurt that the preview show keeps repeating that great Lampley line at the end of the first fight's first round: "Manny Pacquiao is a storm!"
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 8:50 PM EDT 0 recs
both weighed in at 136
by SC on
Mar 15, 2008 9:05 PM EDT
up
0 recs
David Diaz
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 9:08 PM EDT 0 recs
Diaz-Montano R1
Montano pops away with a four-punch combo, most of it blocked, but the last shot landed to the body. Diaz looks like the slower puncher so far, but he might just not be loosened up yet. Montano keeps sticking in some really nice counter shots.
Diaz with two short little uppercuts in a clinch, but Montano keeps beating Diaz to the punch, and he's winning this round. If he had any power, he'd REALLY be winning the round.
There's a nice right hook from Diaz. Fine opening round to start the night proper.
Montano 10-9
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 9:12 PM EDT 0 recs
Diaz-Montano R2
Montano comes out throwing. He's getting an opportunity tonight and doing his damnedest to take advantage of it, as he very well should. He doesn't know he's only supposed to lose, apparently.
Diaz eats another quick left, kind of an awkward punch -- sort of looping, but didn't loop.
There's that right hook again. They're really winging some leather and making a fight of this.
Diaz occasionally lands first, and Montano is hitting him back every time. How do you score power when Diaz is so clearly being hit more?
Diaz catches him a little bit with a right hand to the forehead. Right lands again for Diaz at the tail of a three-punch combo. Montano is landing more, but Diaz IS landing the better shots. That's going to make a difference. Montano can be tough, but he's already eaten a few square shots, and he's going to wear down some over the next eight rounds. It's science.
Diaz 10-9
19-19
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 9:16 PM EDT 0 recs
Hmm..
by Kevin Gonzalez on Mar 15, 2008 9:17 PM EDT 0 recs
re:
by SC on
Mar 15, 2008 9:21 PM EDT
up
0 recs
Diaz-Montano R3
Diaz really is better than you might notice at first on the defensive side. The first half of this round has really shown that. They are throwing a lot of punches, not a lot is really landing hard, but this is an enjoyable PPV opener.
Accidental headbutt, no real stop.
Nice left uppercut from Diaz, then a left down the pipe lands, too. He's starting to bust Montano up a little bit. Good right from Montano before the bell.
Diaz 10-9
Diaz 29-28
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 9:20 PM EDT 0 recs
Diaz-Montano R4
Nice 1-2 from Diaz, ended with a hard right hook. Montano with a left hook, and his punches just have nothing on them right now.
Merchant: "It's a little odd, having a guy who holds a lightweight title, fighting the first fight."
Lampley: "Yes. Setting the stage for Abner Mares?"
Mares is a good fighter, but Lampley's delivery there was really funny.
Diaz 10-9
Diaz 39-37
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 9:24 PM EDT 0 recs
Diaz-Montano R5
Nice stiff jab from Diaz knocks Montano back. Montano is trying to fight more from a distance this round, which is probably a really good idea. He cannot beat Diaz on the inside.
Montano badly misses a lunging left hook. Slower round than the first four. Two hard shots from Diaz, then a hard right uppercut. Diaz is really starting to score with big shots now. Good shots to the body, then a straight left from Diaz.
Montano is kind of a neat fighter. A niche fighter, if you will. I'm really liking him, in the way that you really like someone that isn't ever going to be a world title guy or close to it. You know, how some people go apeshit for Darnell Wilson.
Diaz 10-9
Diaz 49-46
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 9:28 PM EDT 0 recs
Diaz-Montano R6
Hurrld has the same score.
Lead right from Montano. He's backpedaling a lot more now, and he's got himself against the ropes. I don't think that's what he wants. But he fights out.
And goes to the other side of the ring to stand by the ropes. Good job!
Diaz is trying to work the uppercuts more, when really he could win this fight with just about anything. Diaz sticks him a few times against the ropes, though Montano, God bless him, is still trying to fight.
Right back to the ropes. Diaz continues to rock Montano's head back repeatedly, but Montano doesn't seem terribly hurt by anything. He's a tough young man, give him that.
This is pretty much a formality. If I were David Diaz, though, I'd be really trying to do something sensational. It'd be easier to sell Diaz-Pacquiao, potentially, if Pacquiao wasn't fighting a guy who just went 10 rounds with a nobody like Roman Montano.
Diaz 10-9
Diaz 59-55
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 9:32 PM EDT 0 recs
Score
This sounds odd, but even though it's a fairly good fight, and both guys are landing, I'm pretty bored with it. Perhaps it's the lack of punching power, perhaps the lack of boxing ability.
In any case, I think Pacquiao kills Diaz.
by Kevin Gonzalez on Mar 15, 2008 9:35 PM EDT 0 recs
re:
by SC on
Mar 15, 2008 9:37 PM EDT
up
0 recs
re
by Kevin Gonzalez on
Mar 15, 2008 9:39 PM EDT
up
0 recs
yeah
by SC on
Mar 15, 2008 9:41 PM EDT
up
0 recs
Diaz-Montano R7
And this is another routine round where Diaz does score enough good shots to win, but isn't at all overwhelming a guy that, on paper, the WBC lightweight champion should have spanked by now.
They might want to consider putting Diaz-Pacquiao, if it happens, on regular old HBO.
Pretty good round, both guys landed some good shots. Actually, I thought Montano won that one.
Montano 10-9
Diaz 68-65
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 9:36 PM EDT 0 recs
Diaz-Montano R8
Blah blah from Diaz, blah blah from Diaz. Montano wings his hands around, lands little, and when he does he might as well be tickling Diaz.
Montano is not a bad fighter, and this is not a bad fight. But it's just so academic. And Diaz not being able to really hurt Montano to a major degree is pretty damning for trying to sell him as a big-time main event fighter.
Diaz 10-9
Diaz 78-74
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 9:40 PM EDT 0 recs
One thing's for sure
by Kevin Gonzalez on Mar 15, 2008 9:41 PM EDT 0 recs
re:
by SC on
Mar 15, 2008 9:45 PM EDT
up
0 recs
Diaz-Montano R9
There's a big hard left hand from Diaz, and a right comes on its heels. That took about two minutes of routine round-winning from Diaz for us to get to that point. Diaz really does kind of NEED a knockout. He wins either way, but jeez. Let it roll, you're not going to get knocked out by this guy.
Diaz 10-9
Diaz 88-83
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 9:44 PM EDT 0 recs
Meh...
by Kevin Gonzalez on Mar 15, 2008 9:44 PM EDT 0 recs
Diaz-Montano R10
Larry says it's only pride keeping Montano up at this point. I think it's pride and the fact that Diaz isn't anything special. At all. Like Kevin said, a prime Morales would've smoked Diaz. Diaz is top 10 in the division, but this fight is not scoring points in his favor if you ask me.
Someone has got to get Larry's mic away from his nose. He's breathing pretty heavy.
Montano's mouthpiece gets knocked out, and then his wrist tape dies.
Joe Cortez gets a HUGE ovation for grabbing Montano's wrist tape and ripping it off without stopping the fight. He waits for a clinch to give him the mouthpiece back. Goddamn, that is some slick shit from Joe. Wonderful stuff.
Diaz 10-9
Diaz 98-92
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 9:48 PM EDT 0 recs
DIAZ-MONTANO OFFICIAL DECISION
Robert Hoyle: 97-93
Dave Moretti: 99-91
Glenn Trowbridge: 95-95
DAVID DIAZ VIA MAJORITY DECISION
I have no clue how Trowbridge scored it 95-95.
Lampley: "Hm."
Steward: "Hoooo."
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 9:52 PM EDT 0 recs
what the fuck
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 9:55 PM EDT 0 recs
Mares-Gabi weights
Gabi came in at 119 1/2...and he's 135 tonight. That's a red flag. A Paul Williams red flag.
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 9:55 PM EDT 0 recs
Mares
by Kevin Gonzalez on Mar 15, 2008 10:00 PM EDT 0 recs
Mares-Gabi R1
Judges: Adalaide Byrd, Dick Houck, Chuck Giampa
Hooks come from both sides, and Gabi looks like he really felt like that one. Gabi is pressing so far, and he really wants to make this a fight. That's not so much Mares' style.
Left stuck in from Gabi.
This is a really sloppy, awkward fight so far.
BIG right from Mares, and Gabi staggers to the ropes. 35 seconds left in the round. Big right lands again, and Gabi is just trying to stay away now. This all happened just as Jim was going to launch into a tirade about Sultan Ibragimov, it seemed.
Mares 10-9 -- kind of stole it
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 10:01 PM EDT 0 recs
Mares-Gabi R2
This is ugly. Gabi is not in shape, and not mentally there.
Mares is now unloading on him with hard shots. Gabi goes down again.
Jay Nady stops it. Gabi really had no business being in there gaining 16 pounds overnight. That's not good for anyone.
ABNER MARES TKO-2
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 10:04 PM EDT 0 recs
Well..
by Kevin Gonzalez on Mar 15, 2008 10:04 PM EDT 0 recs
God
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 10:06 PM EDT 0 recs
I'm sorry
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 10:06 PM EDT 0 recs
Luevano-Jandaeng weights
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 10:11 PM EDT 0 recs
refs & judges
Judges: C.J. Ross, Dick Flahery, and Paul Smith
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 10:13 PM EDT 0 recs
Luevano-Jandaeng R1
HUGE left hand from Luevano stuns Jandaeng. Hard right to the body from Jandaeng as he recovers well from the big shot. Actually, I don't know why Luevano didn't follow up on that left hand. He could've possibly closed the show.
Jandaeng is eating jabs with his hands really low, looking to fly in and land a big shot. Jandaeng is boxing like a predator so far -- Luevano is countering by staying back, avoiding the charges, and popping Jandaeng with nice counter shots.
If Jandaeng lands on one of those charges, though, it could get really interesting.
Luevano 10-9
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 10:18 PM EDT 0 recs
Luevano-Jandaeng R2
Jandaeng is now starting to land a few shots, and Luevano doesn't look like he wants anything to do with THAT. There was one point where Luevano actually sort of tried to slap him away.
There's a cut over Jandaeng's right eye.
Tough round to score, I thought.
Luevano 10-9
Luevano 20-18
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 10:22 PM EDT 0 recs
Luevano-Jandaeng R3
Luevano is now just peppering him with the jab, and that's about the only punch he's throwing. I don't know why people are so excited to see Luevano fight Robert Guerrero. Luevano is fairly dull. Good fighter, but hardly exciting. He seems to fear Jandaeng's power more than he did that of Antonio Davis, which means I doubt we're going to see any knockdowns. Luevano is a much better technical boxer than Jandaeng, and that adds up to this being, you know, boring.
Which it has been so far, to be honest.
Wow, Lampley talking about Vazquez-Marquez III (they have highlights) and he actually went ahead and said "Showtime." That's fairly rare.
Luevano 10-9
Luevano 30-27
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 10:26 PM EDT 0 recs
Luevano-Jandaeng R4
The boo birds are coming out in a small portion of the arena. This is clinical stuff so far from Luevano. He's jabbing his way to victory.
Now don't get me wrong, this isn't anywhere near as horrific as Wlad Klitschko jabbing his way to victory over Ibragimov.
JANDAENG SLAMS LUEVANO WITH A LEFT HAND, AND DOWN GOES LUEVANO
Up at 8, and he'll fight on.
HARD left from Jandaeng. He's throwing hard, knowing now that he can definitely hurt Luevano. Two BIG shots from Jandaeng. All of a sudden, this has become a fight.
Down goes Jandaeng on -- OK, it was a slip. It looked questionable.
Jandaeng 10-9 -- I know he got a knockdown, but Luevano totally owned the round otherwise
Luevano 39-37
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 10:30 PM EDT 0 recs
Luevano-Jandaeng R5
Now they're starting to slug, and Lampley's right on when he says that is not what Luevano wants. He was, in fact, instructed to "not take any chances." Merchant comically poked fun at that.
Nice right hook from Luevano. Jandaeng has some good (well, bad) swelling around his eyes.
And now we're back to Luevano's routine outboxing of Jandaeng. Really good bounce-back round (well, sort of) from Luevano.
Luevano 10-9
Luevano 49-46
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 10:33 PM EDT 0 recs
5th round
by Kevin Gonzalez on Mar 15, 2008 10:34 PM EDT 0 recs
Luevano-Jandaeng R6
...I won't go on.
Merchant just called this "a very good fight" -- I can't say as though I'd go that far.
Luevano is continuing to win in this round, and Lampley and Merchant get in some more digs on Sultan Ibragimov without naming him. Jim: "The way he fought, he doesn't deserve to have his name mentioned."
This was a pretty damned dull round. Luevano at a distance can't be beaten by Jandaeng, and that is now very, very clear.
Luevano 10-9
Luevano 59-55
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 10:38 PM EDT 0 recs
Ibragimov
by Kevin Gonzalez on
Mar 15, 2008 10:40 PM EDT
up
0 recs
yeah, well
by SC on
Mar 15, 2008 10:43 PM EDT
up
0 recs
Merchant
by Kevin Gonzalez on Mar 15, 2008 10:41 PM EDT 0 recs
Luevano-Jandaeng R7
Luevano 10-9
Luevano 69-64
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 10:41 PM EDT 0 recs
Oh Snap
by Kevin Gonzalez on Mar 15, 2008 10:42 PM EDT 0 recs
Luevano-Jandaeng R8
LOW BLOW from Jandaeng. That was a cracker.
Wow, that was some kind of low. That was tremendously low. Outstanding.
Luevano is taking his time considering his nuts. And now he's ready to go back to work.
I like how some people that speak English really do seem to think that saying things slower and with emphasis is going to make a non-English speaking guy like Jandaeng understand. "No push! No push! No wrestle! No wrestle!"
Luevano 10-9
Luevano 79-73
For someone not intent on scoring or anything like that, this is the type of fight where you make something to eat and, oh, KIND OF pay attention.
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 10:47 PM EDT 0 recs
Luevano-Jandaeng R9
Not that he's not still dangerous, but he's tired and his face hurts.
That said, give Jandaeng all credit for not giving up. He still has plenty of spirit. I might have tried to do ANYTHING ELSE by now were I Terdsak, but I am not Terdsak.
Lampley digs in on Dick Flaherty for scoring Taylor-Spinks for Spinks. Lampley on that card as it happened was hilarious.
Another fairly typical round.
Luevano 10-9
Luevano 89-92
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 10:51 PM EDT 0 recs
Luevano-Jandaeng R10
Oh Jesus, now Lampley is bringing up kickboxing again to Merchant.
The two minutes that have gone by are pretty much the same as the rest of the fight. Luevano is just a lot better than Jandaeng.
This looks no different than Luevano-Davis, really, except that Luevano is more fearful of Terdsak's power.
Luevano 10-9
Luevano 99-91
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 10:54 PM EDT 0 recs
Luevano-Jandaeng R11
Uh oh!
UH OH!
Jandaeng pops him, and Luevano starts trying to fix his mouthpiece while running away. Momentary excitement, amounting to nothing. It looked like Luevano caught his own dislodged mouthpiece there.
Luevano 10-9
Luevano 109-100
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 10:59 PM EDT 0 recs
Luevano-Jandaeng R12
Hurrld gave that one to Jandaeng.
Luevano is now just making the rounds all the way around the ring, staying away and not engaging at all. He'll throw a jab out now and again to keep Jandaeng honest, but that's about it. Jandaeng is physically spent, totally beaten, and has no answers.
There's a STIFF left hand from Jandaeng, but Luevano survives. As Lampley notes, Terdsak does not have the balance to follow up on big shots.
And Luevano gets on his horse for the last minute or so, not winning any fans, but winning the fight.
Jandaeng 10-9
Luevano 118-110
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 11:03 PM EDT 0 recs
LUEVANO-JANDAENG OFFICIAL SCORES
Dick Flaherty: 118-109
C.J. Ross: 119-109
Paul Smith: 119-109
STEVEN LUEVANO VIA UNANIMOUS DECISION
No surprises. Luevano really didn't win any fans it doesn't appear, but it's a crowd full of people that came out to see a FIGHT in the main event, and that's just not Luevano's style. His style, though, is never going to make him popular. It will make him good.
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 11:05 PM EDT 0 recs
Luevano sets a record!
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 11:06 PM EDT 0 recs
Alright!
It's not only that the fights weren't exciting, it's that none of them had any real significance. Say what you will about Don King, but he knew how to put on a show back in the early 90s, when he promoted JC Chavez.
Alright, let's get ready for these anthems.
by Kevin Gonzalez on Mar 15, 2008 11:12 PM EDT 0 recs
HERE WE GO
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 11:12 PM EDT 0 recs
nice sleeves
by Kevin Gonzalez on Mar 15, 2008 11:14 PM EDT 0 recs
Gotta say
by Kevin Gonzalez on Mar 15, 2008 11:16 PM EDT 0 recs
Er
by Kevin Gonzalez on
Mar 15, 2008 11:17 PM EDT
up
0 recs
jeez
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 11:17 PM EDT 0 recs
Good rendition
by Kevin Gonzalez on Mar 15, 2008 11:18 PM EDT 0 recs
yeah
by SC on
Mar 15, 2008 11:19 PM EDT
up
0 recs
weights
Pacquiao 129 -> 145
I wonder if Lampley shits over the 16 pound gain for Pacquiao like he did Gabi.
...nope, not yet. Just a "functional four-pound weight advantage."
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 11:19 PM EDT 0 recs
hey!
by SC on Mar 15, 2008 11:19 PM EDT 0 recs


