Bad Left Hook Fight Night: Nate Campbell v. Ali Funeka

The Martinez/Cintron fight should be bummed to the main event in my opinion.

I have to figure out a way to peel my wife off of the TV. Gonna be rough sailing on V-day.

No stupid minor belts on the line or anything.

Rivera LOST a pound overnight. Angulo is fighting at 165 pounds, Rivera at 150.

. . . as hopless as that may be. I change my prediction to Angulo TKO3.

Lennox is here. Fuck.

Angulo stings Rivera with a jab about 20 seconds in. Jesus Christ, Lennox. “I heard Cosme Rivera came in 15 pounds lighter. For this fight.”

Angulo hammering to the body. Angulo with a left to the head. Angulo targeting the body, Rivera tries to work in weak uppercuts. Rivera with a ice little combo. Angulo taking hard shots, and he’s cut near the right eye. Angulo with a left, Rivera shoots back with combination shots. Angulo to the body. Left from Rivera. Angulo throwing heavy with about 30 seconds left, upstairs and downstairs.

That cut is looking pretty bad, and he’s throwing like he’s aware of it.

Angulo 10-9

That cut could be a factor.

Ruled a punch, though.

Rivera circling now, jabbing a bit, and staying away. He knows if that cut is a stoppage, he wins by TKO. It may be smart but I don’t have to like it.

Rivera with an overhand right. And another. Swiping left lands. Rivera with an uppercut. Lennox just said “worser.” Angulo with a left-right combo, Rivera eats it and comes firing back. Angulo throws again. People are barking.

Nice counter right from Angulo! Rivera might be hurt just a little as Angulo goes on the attack, and heavy. Rivera backs down, tries to get away. Angulo with great body work and a right cross. Angulo took the round with a great final minute.

Angulo 10-9
Angulo 20-18

Rivera is always game….

I can’t believe he didn’t go down… fuck… that was amazing heart from Rivera.

Angulo with a nice right, and Rivera retreats to the corner. Left to the body by Angulo. Jab snaps Rivera’s head back. Angulo with another right, counter from Rivera. Angulo HAMMERING AWAY in the corner and he’s got Rivera rocked. LEFT HAND ANGULO! Rivera is wobbly and hurt. Right lands, HUGE COMBINATIONS! Angulo is all over him and the referee is showing no desire to stop it. Right hand sends him stumbling. Jesus. Finally he grabs.

RIGHT HAND ANGULO! This is vicious. Right hand! Left hand! Angulo might’ve been able to pounce and finish there but he didn’t. Angulo destroying the body now. Round ends. Rivera’s on his last legs.

Angulo 10-8 w/o a knockdown
Angulo 30-26

This is a waste of time. 15 pounds. Rivera can barely stand in there. The ref better stop it quickly if the 4th round looks anything like the 3rd.

Hurrld has the same score I do.

Angulo seems willing to just take shots and look to land a big one in order to start another big flurry. Rivera with some lefts and the cut is open again. Angulo has switched southpaw briefly. Rivera takes another clean right. Lefts to the body from Angulo. This is simply a physical mismatch with the 15-pound difference tonight. Angulo backs Rivera down again, and there’s a combo. HARD RIGHT! Rivera’s hurt yet again. Angulo southpaw once more, and he finishes another round beating the shit out of Rivera.

Angulo 10-9
Angulo 40-35

Rivera: “I’m just tired.” Trainer (translated): “BUUUUULL! Tired!”

Rivera’s getting badly beaten up here. Why let a a fighter with a 15 pound weight disadvantage take such a bad beating? Thank him for saving the fight and giving us a few rounds, and let him go home on his feet.

This ref SUCKS.

Fuck… i just fuck stop it stop it three times out load…

Lederman went 10-8 again.

I’m hoping Angulo ends this. It’s not exciting, just sort of sad. It’s an ugly mismatch.

JESUS, left to the body and a vicious right to the jaw from Angulo. Rivera hurt again. There’s barely over a minute left, Rivera isn’t throwing anymore, can’t move to get away, and is now eating murderous right hands. Listen, stop the fight. This is horrible. Angulo is drilling Rivera in the corner and the referee is just watching. This is awful.

THE COMMISSION STOPS THE FIGHT. Thank you, Florida commission.

Max sums it up: “The corner is the first line of defense, they didn’t stop it. The referee is the second line, he didn’t stop it. The commission is the third. Good for the commission.”

You said it, Max.

ALFREDO ANGULO TKO-5

I don’t want to see that ref ever again.

God Bless Rivera… he was gritty and game. Gave his best but he was overmatched. I love fighters like him but I hate it when his corner don’t realize that they are doing a piss poor job. I am ticked off at the ref and corner.

Cosme… big hairy ones, brother.

Let me do my serious, spot-on impression of Kenny Smith during Danny Granger’s up:

he’s a scorer not a shooter.
he’s a scorer not a shooter.
he’s a scorer not a shooter.
he’s a scorer not a shooter.
he’s a scorer not a shooter.
he’s a scorer not a shooter.
he’s a scorer not a shooter.
he’s a scorer not a shooter.
he’s a scorer not a shooter.
he’s a scorer not a shooter.

Same night as the premier of Thrilla in Manila and the Williams-Wink fight.

Nice spot, Max. Very nice.

People are really overrating Gamboa with hype like this.

I’m about sick of his college student story.

I like that they are pimping the prospects hard…

Boxer vs puncher coming up next…

Carolina, P.R. REPRESENT!

Both at 164 tonight.

IN DEFENSE OF MY INTERIM POST!!!

Martinez looks like a Carrot.

Lennox: “If [Cintron] wants to change, he definitely will change.” Yeah that’s the key…

40 seconds of nothing and then Martinez lands a jab. Martinez is orange. Boy this is not starting hot. There’s been a couple clinches. People are randomly booing, loudly. There’s a minute left in the round and there hasn’t been a single good punch or one real exchange. Cintron has been allowed to do nothing. Cintron shoots a right that is well short. Martinez with a right, Cintron’s counter misses after Martinez’s left misses.

Well that round was hideous. Crowd lets them know it, loudly.

Martinez 10-9

Here’s the Margarito mention and highlights of Shane Mosley stomping his balls.

Lennox will weigh in!

“It’s basically a disgrace.”

Well you’re on target here, big man.

God… that was a crapful round

Harold gave the first to Cintron. I guess you could do that since he threw more punches. He landed nothing of note.

Martinez coming out a little more active this round. Martinez sneaking some shots in. Then he clinches and takes Cintron’s firepower away. Cintron pawing his left over and over to set up the right and he looks like he’s unsure of himself. There’s a right shot, but mostly blocked by Martinez’s glove. Right from Cintron during Martinez throwing two shots. Cintron crowding, then clinched. And again.

This fight is, um, not good.

Martinez 10-9
Martinez 20-18

COMING SOON ON REAL SPORTS! TONYA HARDING! Hey, guess what: she’s broke ass country trash. Shocking, I know.

this isn’t what i was expecting so far

Harold has the first two to Cintron. I don’t know. I don’t care. Cintron hasn’t done anything.

Martinez with a right hook. With these two pawing this many jabs, throwing one meaningful shot and then backing off, it’s like a couple of cats sparring.

The crowd is really not pleased with this fight. I’m not either. Martinez is forcing Cintron to box, and Cintron is not a very good boxer. At the same time Martinez isn’t really mixing it up, and he probably shouldn’t.

Martinez with a flurry of shots that don’t land. This is uglier than boiled sin.

Lots of hugging. Martinez throws three punches. Nothing lands clean. Martinez now shooting in and out without doing anything. And yet that beats Cintron’s nothing at all. Martinez with some quick shots, I think one or two actually connected, and Cintron throws a fugly right back, nowhere close to landing.

Horrible fight so far.

Martinez 10-9
Martinez 30-27

I changed the channel and watched the dunk contest….

Little Nate dunked over 7 foot Dwight Howard…

To some cable access CUNY station. Again, I have no argument with her.

Cintron calls Martinez into the middle of the round. Audibly. He’s daring him. Martinez laughs and they slap gloves and then Martinez keeps working his way around the ring on a leisurely log.

Martinez circles, throws a couple where he’s way too close to land, they tie up, Cintron stares with great vigor, might paw a jab, and you can repeat that. This is a turd of a fight.

This round I’m giving it to Cintron for throwing more, I think. With about 20 seconds left they both throw a little, and Martinez appears to get the better of it. Left hand sneaks in. Now I’ve changed my mind. That’s what it takes in this kind of party.

Martinez 10-9
Martinez 40-36

Before the Bunema fight, I thought very little of Martinez, another guy with an insanely padded record and nothing of note. But he looked great that night. Watching him against someone he’s got some fear of is making me lean toward my initial thought more than the post-Bunema thought.

Martinez with a straight left and Cintron has a cut now. Martinez is picking his spots now. Cut is streaming fairly well. Cintron does snap Martinez with a right hand as Martinez throws another combo. Lennox has offered his usual tip: Double up on the jab, Kermit!!!

Martinez with a left to the body, and another. That cut doesn’t look very good.

Martinez 10-9
Martinez 50-45

Daniel Day Louis just whacked some guy with a bowling pin, and she told me it was a “better fight.” I’ll stop with the updates now.

The crowd sounds like they are getting a little restless.

And we go back to the rotten pace of the first few rounds. Cintron is out of his depth. He has absolutely no answers for Martinez’s movement and ability to stay the hell away from him. When all you have is a punch you can’t win if you don’t land anything. The crowd is REALLY giving this fight the business.

27 seconds left. Power punches landed this round: Martinez 6, Cintron 2.

Martinez 10-9
Martinez 60-54

I think Cintron is in the wrong sport watching this fight. Honestly, if he thinks he can win a boxing fight vs a quality slick boxer with one punch, he is wrong. He would be more successful in a MMA fight.

Hurrld is furious with Ronnie Shields. This is great. "IN THE MEANTIME, IT’S TURNED INTO A STINKAH

FIGHT!"

This is a God awful fight and Cintron’s utter lack of versatility and ability to adapt has made it so. I’m not saying Martinez’s dancin’ and pepperin’ fight is, like, warrior guts honor!! admirable or anything, but Cintron has just stood there and let him do it.

He does back Martinez down once. Oh man Cintron drilled drilled with a headbutt and he’s down?

Oh fuck, they’ve counted him out. He reacted like it was a headbutt. But dude, you have to get up, too.

SERGIO MARTINEZ KO-7

Ugh.

Cintron grunted, backed off, went to his knees, and pointed to his head immediately. Oh fuck, no headbutt on the replay. Yup, sucks to be your Kermit. Perfect left hand.

Cintron’s throwing a hissy fit. Boy is his face gonna be red when he sees the replay. Stop and catch the replay, Frog.

No headbutt…. doesn’t look good for Cintron.

You got knocked down and out by a punch.

THEY’RE RE-STARTING THE FUCKING FIGHT?

“he was up at nine,” says the referee. Oh fucking come on. Disaster. He counted him out, didn’t he?

Kermit was clearly counted out.

Um Que?

Martinez 10-8
Martinez 70-62

My goodness….

I feel bad for Martinez….

Get some quality refs…

Remind me where is this card taking place?

I feel like it is someone in South America.

Martinez and Cintron both look kinda pissed. Martinez is daring him to fire. Of course yelling and posturing doesn’t make these guys throw punches.

Cintron with a thudding counter right. He’s looking to load that thing up. Martinez is throwing two or three shots, glancing, and Cintron is seriously just cocking his right. Cintron nails Martinez and I think he was hurt there. He acts like he wasn’t, but I still say there’s nothing more obvious about a hurt fighter than pretending he isn’t hurt. Martinez with a nice left. Cintron lands a right just before the bell. This fight is bizarre. It’s like the first one ended and this one started.

Cintron 10-9
Martinez 79-72

This is madness….

Pace is a little slower again but Martinez is back to controlling that pace. Cintron is firing harder, though and landing some decent stuff. Martinez with a combo. There’s two rights from Martinez. 20 seconds left and Cintron has landed 7 punches this round. Martinez has landed a gaudy 13. How do these guys stay up! Martinez with a left before the bell.

Martinez 10-9
Martinez 89-81

FORCED HER to change it back. It did not last long. Larry David Show now.

Long time lurker, first time poster. Although I did email SC once regarding one of his posts.

Basically, what compelled me to post was a thought that passed through my head as I’m watching this fight. That thought being, “What the fuck?”

Yeah, it did kind of look like he was just pointing him to the corner. He was very unclear about it.

As for Cintron, he didn’t argue the call until the count of 10. He saw the ref was counting, and he said nothing.

Their feet are definitely tangling a lot as this fight goes on. Martinez with a left to the chest. Martinez warned for the second time for punching behind the head. Cintron with a left hook, kinda sloppy coming in, and he went too far for the follow-up right to land. Cintron with a nice right this time. Cintron with a thudding right at the end of the round.

Max calls this a “pretty good fight.” I think he’s grossly swayed by the fact that the Second Part of this fight has been watchable. The First Part blew.

Cintron 10-9
Martinez 98-91

Cintron’s power does seem to have started getting to Martinez a little bit, but it might be too late. Martinez with a great left to the body. Martinez with a couple more decent shots. Cintron really should’ve rushed and crowded more tonight, but Shields has him trying to be a fucking boxer, and that’s just not a good idea. You can’t change a zebra’s stripes, man. I might seem like I’m dumping on Kermit the last couple days, but I think he’s got a puncher’s chance with ANYONE from 147 perhaps through 160, and there are ways to make that guy a viable contender. But boxing ain’t it.

Martinez with a nice flurry to end the round.

Martinez 10-9
Martinez 108-100

They’re going to bitch a ton when they found out it isn’t.

Martinez with a sharp left, and he springs in with a couple more. Martinez is dangling his arms now. Time called, and yup, Martinez is having a point taken away. The crowd cheers wildly for some reason.

Down goes Cintron on a slip. Cintron has been tying up this round. He should really be going for a KO. Lennox even points it out. Martinez is the guy bringing the action. Martinez lands to the back of the head again but that was Cintron’s fault.

30 seconds to go. Nothin’ happens.

Martinez 10-9
-1 for Martinez
Martinez 117-109

Cintron thinks he won.

You stiff.

Martinez has to win this by wide margins in my opinion… even if I didn’t see a few rounds.

Kermit Cintron does his moronic victory dance on the turnbuckles. Kermit Cintron has totally lost me as a fan. This was a bad performance and worse behavior, and when he loses I expect he’ll be even worse.

OK on that angle, someone else said something that sounded like “It’s over,” but it wasn’t Frank Santore.

What the fuck?

116-110 Martinez
113-113
113-113

MAJORITY DRAW

Fuck off. The point deduction was the difference.

The rarest of rarities happened…. a MD.

Absurd.

Shut up, Kermit.

Someone must have bought the judges…..

and bet on a MD.

Martinez: 151/558, 27%
Cintron: 103/534, 19%

I can’t believe how f’ed up this card has been….

that i’m still rooting for campbell? that dude really deserves to have something good happen to him. i know he loses the belts either way, but at least he can get another headlining fight if he wins.

At first it was like the card was a hot chick with 36DD… and now it feels like a fat chick with 32AA…

Is hopelessly Herb. Max is a Herb.

I love the Baby Bull, but I’ve never seen The Ghost. Well, at least not “The Lightweight Ghost.”

I’ve heard Valero’s name, but had no idea he had that kind of record. Has he fought much legit competition?

I was making a drink. Ali’s listed at 6’1" by HBO by the way, which gives him a seven-inch height advantage.

Funeka is a tall goofy bastard.

He makes Caballero look normal…. he is skinny and lanky.

Funeka shooting hooks to start, Campbell blocking. Well these guys have come to mix it up. Funeka’s throwing, Nate’s trying to block and then comes forward. Nice right hand by Campbell. Funeka throwing his loooong jab. NASTY right by Nate. He’s ripping shots to the body now. Funeka is interesting to watch so far, but Nate’s landing the better shots. A few idiots boo briefly because this isn’t Grand Theft Auto.

Campbell 10-9

“Tell us about the weight.” “Didn’t make it. We tried.” He’s gonna go to 140, obviously.

Funeka hanging on here.

OK, honestly, maybe you should’ve shown the interview BEFORE THE FIGHT.

Nate is successfully keeping Funeka moving backwards, which is pretty impressive. Campbell is making this fight go, and doing a really good job thus far. Funeka doesn’t yet look totally comfortable, but he is flicking the jab with real intent. BIG RIGHT Nate Campbell, and Funeka is hurt! Campbell goes to the body as he pounces! RIGHT UPSTAIRS! DOWN GOES FUNEKA!

Lennox: “Timber!”

You got that right. Funeka up at nine.

20 seconds left.

Nate fires a right, body, right upstairs, and Funeka is hanging on to not fall. Well this went nasty real quick.

Ali Funeka, welcome to America.

Campbell 10-8
Campbell 20-17

Campbell has a cut on his right eye.

Nate looking for the opening, letting Funeka throw that jab. He winds up and throws, but their legs tangle and Nate was real close to hurting his knee there. Campbell hunts the body about halfway in. Funeka tries to answer in kind. Funeka tries an uppercut. Nate shoots that right over the top once more, but not as nasty as the two or three big ones n the second. Campbell back to the body. Funeka, to his credit, is staying in it and looking for big shots of his own.

Campbell getting cocky at the end of the round as he shakes his head at two missed punches by Funeka.

Campbell 10-9
Campbell 30-26

I have to admit…. Lewis finally made a good call with the Timber comment….

Nice counter right by Funeka. Funeka turns at the wrong time and takes a shot to the lower back. Funeka warned for pushing Campbell moments later. Funeka throwing, but Nate is blocking everything. Nate, though, has slowed his pace dramatically this round. Now he flings leather to the body. Slow round.

Funeka 10-9
Campbell 39-36

Ummmm…Nate is really just not throwing anymore. He’s blocking about 90% of what Ali throws, but he’s not responding back. There’s some body work right after I type that. Nate is acting like he’s waiting for a one-shot knockout. It was an accumulation of shots that put Funeka down earlier. Funeka going to the body now. Right comes between the guard, and then a jab snaps Nate’s head back. Campbell needs to kick the workrate up again. Funeka looked overmatched earlier, now he doesn’t.

Funeka 10-9
Campbell 48-46

Campbell with a left to the body after Funeka is again warned for shoving. Now Nate’s snapping the jab a little, landing it pretty much at will. Funeka throws a couple power shots, mostly blocked. Funeka trying to double the jab. Now he slugs hard to the body, and Funeka’s on the ropes. Roundhouse right misses. Campbell shakes his head at Funeka again.

Two clubbing left hooks from Funeka. Two body rights by Nate, two body lefts by Funeka. Against the ropes again and Campbell and Funeka are really focusing on each others bodies. He turns Nate around, even. Funeka lands body shots, Campbell throws a right, doesn’t land clean.

Good round.

Funeka 10-9
Campbell 57-56

Hard body shot by Funeka. Campbell going to the body now, but backed down a little. Nate’s foot is almost totally off the gas pedal. Funeka has acquitted himself very nicely since that second round knockdown. He took that overhand right away from Campbell and has been winning the fight the last three rounds.

Nate going back to the body, Funeka comes back with a right. Funeka hit off-balance, Nate tries to pounce, Funeka recovers. Left to the jaw by Funeka.

Funeka 10-9
66-66

Funeka staying busy. A lot of it isn’t landing, but he’s dictating the pace and has been for four rounds now. And Nate just isn’t doing much other than busting him up to the body fairly well, which may well pay off over the course of the fight, but might also not. In the meantime Funeka is putting rounds in the bank and we’ve got a very close fight on our hands.

Campbell takes a jab and responds by acknowledging it in body language and then doing…nothing. Right hand Nate Campbell, but then a left hook from Funeka. Funeka slips as their feet tie up.

Hard right to the body from Campbell, then one upstairs, and a digging left back to the body. Funeka with a nice right to the head. They flurry at the end of the round, with Nate winning the exchange on hard body blows.

Campbell 10-9
Campbell 76-75

Hurrld has Funeka up 76-75 now. And they keep saying Nate has three belts so I’m just utterly confused by the WBA lightweight title situation. Is he a SUPER CHAMPION? Is it the WBA that does that? Fuck the WBA. I pay attention closely and this shit is hard to follow. Imagine casual fans.

Yeah it is the WBA. They had Kessler as SUPER CHAMPION. Fuck the WBA.

Anyway, the fight.

Nate’s back to waiting and praying for openings. Funeka is the one working the body well this round, but there’s a sharp right upstairs from Campbell, and he’s got Funeka on the ropes again. Right to the body by Funeka.

Campbell is very tired.

Funeka 10-9
85-85

My brother’s just cracking up at Campbell’s wild rights

COME ON NATE!

Hurrld has Funeka up two points now.

Funeka working the body, Nate is throwing some looping rights this fight. it’s like he refuses to believe Funeka can see it coming since the knockdown and that he’s looking for it. Nate’s leaning on Funeka, pushing him around the ring. Funeka warned for pulling now. Campbell had a right in there too.

Funeka with a right, now he’s flicking the jab. Campbell is really tired. He might be closed to gassed. Campbell ripping to the body, Funeka with a right in return.

Campbell 10-9
Campbell 95-94

Nate with more RIPPING body shots. He’s really digging those in there, but Funeka is responding very well, to his credit. I mean those are heavy body shots and it’s time for them to pay off.

Stiff jab from Campbell. Chopping right by Campbell. Campbell with a lot of body shots this round, totally slowing Funeka down. Big right from Campbell, FUNEKA’S HURT AND DOWN!

Up and he’ll continue.

Nate is all over him! He’s throwing all he’s got, Funeka’s still hurting, and he’s just trying to smother the attack and hang on. 30 seconds left in the round.

Nate going to the body as Funeka is guarding his head at all costs. Funeka manages to hang on until the bell. That could’ve been fight-swinging. Nate is EXHAUSTED. He slumped into his stool.

Campbell 10-8
Campbell 105-102

I think Harrald’s scoring is horrible. I have Nate winning solidly.

Just checking in, not sure how Scott is scoring the fight, but I had Nate ahead even before his second knockdown.

Harold is clueless. I don’t think Funeka’s ahead here.

He was gassed early, but he’s landed enough to win enough rounds. Nothing more than was necessary.

Nate comes out throwing, looking for the right again. Funeka is still wobbly-legged and praying. Hard shots to the body. About six of them. Right hand Campbell, near the ear again, where he’s been putting Funeka on the mat. Funeka has no answers anymore. He fought a pretty decent fight but in the end the better fighter was able to shine through. But I think Ali acquitted himself nicely on the world stage, too. He can learn from this.

Body work from Campbell persists. Funeka throws a couple shots. Campbell with the right hand over the top. 30 seconds to go.

Funeka is throwing what he’s got left. Good effort by him, and Campbell lands another right. Bell sounds. Fine effort from both men, but I think Nate clearly won.

Campbell 10-9
Campbell 115-111

I have Cambell 116-110.

HIGH DRAMA, BAWB! I GOT IT A DRAW!

Whatever, Hurrld. As the comment above stated, Nate couldn’t buy a round from Lederman in the middle.

I dont think the margin was THAT wide

113-113
115-111 Campbell
114-112 Campbell

NATE CAMPBELL VIA MAJORITY DECISION

Enjoy 140 pounds, Nate.

His corner is consoling him with, “He goes home with nothing anyway.”

Another guy says, “You did yourself proud, Ali.” He sure did.

Good fight.

I’d like to see Funeka get a shot at one of the vacant belts. He deserves it.

As much as you’d like to say “this would be a fine rematch” you’d more like to say “I want to see Funeka get some more bigtime fights and see Nate up at 140 where he can comfortably make weight.”

Someone said Hatton and Paquiaou…

The guy’s almost 37. Couldn’t get close to making weight. Was completely gassed by the end of the fight, despite not throwing many punches nor getting hit with anything much beyond jabs through the first 8-9 rounds of the fight.

Even if he does go up to 140, at his age, I can’t imagine him lasting 12 against a guy at 140 with much in the way of power.