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This quote from Hopkins got me thinking - What fighters could compete in any era?

Certainly skill-wise, I believe Mayweather could have competed in any era, but to make it to 100 fights? To fight every few weeks? Never. Any fighter that can't stay in boxing shape 365 days of the year is also out of the mix. Fighters like ODLH would struggle to be stars in an era with 15 minute rounds. So who could compete? The Klitschkos? Hopkins? Mayweather? Pacquiao? Martinez? Ward? Etc.

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I wish I could say i’m shocked that there are rumours of a Chavez jr. Margarito fight but unfortunately not. I know even if this fight doesn’t go ahead, there is no doubt that one of the governing bodies will magically manage to sanction another fight for Margarito, circumstances which will no doubt be shrouded in mystery. I’m not going to lie; I’m not a big Margarito fan and never have been. I have never seen any palpable talent emanating from him other than his in built Mexican ability to take a hell of a lot of punishment. The man is too tough for his own good. If only his skill set matched his hardiness. However, his last two brutal defeats to Pacquiao and Cotto reinforced the reality of the situation. The pictures from aftermath speak for themselves. The former destroyed his eye socket, the latter nailed the final bolt in the coffin that is Margarito’s career; at least the successful part of it. Anyone who now fights Margarito has a blue print for defeating him. He might as well have a giant target painted on his right eye.

Sure, he could radically change his fighting style and focus on his defense and really work on protecting that eye but we have to bear in mind again at who we’re talking about here. This isn’t a young fighter, nor a fighter who has ever been defined as master of defence, not even a defensive fighter full stop. Nor are we talking about a fighter who has been blessed with astounding speed or finesse. No, Margarito - the stalker, the pressure fighter, the brawler with not a shred of respect for his own safety, the over the hill 33 year old who’s slowly racking up defeats. Just a few descriptions which come to mind. It makes for entertaining fights but now I think it’s time to call it quits.

Margarito has already accomplished what most fighters only dream of, albeit under questionable circumstances but let’s not get into that. Sadly he’s also going to accomplish what many fighters also manage to achieve in fighting past his sell by date. Unfortunately, Margarito being the warrior that he is will no doubt let his willingness to take punishment cloud his judgement in making his next decision. And what’s even more unfortunate is that the governing bodies will no doubt let their financial desires cloud their better judgement and thus the demise of Marco Antonio Margarito will continue.

What are your thoughts on Margarito’s future? Is there any hope for the career of El Tornado de Tijuana?

Peter Quillin's little brother boxes at my gym in Grand Rapids, MI. He is around 14-15 and today he and I were shooting the shit until I asked about how his brother was doing. Apparently, he is looking for a shot at Canelo for one of the big undercards coming up . I am assuming this means either Manny or Floyd. Honestly, I don't think Canelo would go for Quillin, especially of Shane is in the way, but who knows. I just wanted to let some of this info roam. If any of you guys have anything to contribute, please do.

At the weight in today for the match between Sonny Bill Williams vs Clarence Tillman 3rd, things got little heated and turned for a stare down to push to fight. Its not sure what was said between the two but it quickly escalates, you can clearly see Tillman 3rd land a right hand to the chin of Sonny Bill Williams that wobbles him

At this stage the fight is still all go. Link is below

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-sport/6376387/SBWs-opponent-hits-floor-at-weigh-in

PS. My first FanPost so hope it came out alright.

In my opinion, one conclusion stands out from the rest; namely; that the entire global boxing landscape has become just that—a global boxing landscape where a Ghanaian can live in Stockholm and fight in Europe, or a Venezuelan can live in Tokyo and fight everywhere but in the U.S. An Armenian can become a German or Australian citizen and live in France and thereby get a triple dose of adulation. Vic Darchinyan is given triple homeboy love in Glendale, CA; Australia; and in Armenia. The late Edwin Valero was worshiped in Tokyo and Venezuela—and then, for his macho style, in Mexico. An Armenian born Russian citizen can live in France and fight throughout Europe. A Cuban can defect to South America, move to Europe and fight out of Germany or Ireland. Born in Uzbekistan and Russian by nationality, a fighter can live and fight out of Munich these days, and in the process, he just might become tri-lingual. How about a Tunisian who resides in Germany but fights in Australia?

Heck, a fighter can be born in Belarus, immigrate to Israel, learn to box in Haifa under a Russian coach, train out of an Arab gym, and then move to Brooklyn, New York where he studies to become a rabbi while at the same time becoming a WBA Super Welterweight Champion.

That’s why I call it Planet Boxing.

HBO launched its 2012 season of championship boxing this evening with a doubleheader snoozefest from San Antonio's Alamodome, not to be confused with the Alamo, where a real fight occurred. The opening bout featured the the much-hyped Filipino Flash, Nonito Donaire, who was moving up in weight to take on Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. for the vacant junior featherweight championship of the WBO, a title described by HBO commentator Larry Merchant as "bogus" as the fighters made their way to the ring.

As things turned out, Vazquez did most of his fighting with Donaire two days prior at a cliched pre-fight scuffle designed to create the illusion of bad blood and ensuing warfare. Sadly, the only bad blood in evidence seeped from the injured left hand of Donaire, who ground out an obvious, if unimpressive, victory over Vazquez, who suffered the first knockdown of his career. Astonishingly, Donaire had to settle for a split decision victory when judge Ruben Garcia scored the bout 115-112 for Vazquez, in contrast to the other two judges who both had Donaire cruising in at 117-110. Reports that Garcia will be evaluated for attention deficit disorder next week have not been confirmed.

In the main event, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., fresh off a DUI a mere fortnight ago, successfully defended his WBC middleweight crown with a unanimous decision against Marco Antonio Rubio, who he outweighed by ten pounds after rehydrating to a 181 pound cruiserweight--a twenty-one pound increase from the weigh-in, which is equivalent to consuming two and a half gallons of water, or whatever other beverage Chavez Jr. may have preferred. The weight diffential proved too much for Rubio, who was bulldozed and shouldered by the space-eating Chavez from rounds two through ten, which were so indistinguishable from one another as to resemble Ground Hog Day. And though the final two rounds produced a flurry of activity, it was too little, too late to salvage an otherwise soporific evening.

HBO's coverage unveiled two new features for 2012: Jim Lampley sporting owlish eyeglasses in an affectation of indeterminate intent, and an irritating attempt at television verité during the undercard, in which the announcers went silent mid-round so the audience could be treated to an insert of Nonito Donaire's trainer shouting predictable instructions and encouragement to his fighter. The experiment lasted a dull minute before it was pulled and declared DOA.

With little entertainment going on inside the ring, HBO was left with nothing more than the wit and acumen of its commentators, who regaled the audience with an announcement that a wave was in progress at the Alamodome, and with pearls such as:

• "Raging Bull . . . Boom!" (Jim Lampley)
• "Rubio's not fighting a smart fight." (Emanuel Steward)
• "Fighting force with farce does not usually work." (Larry Merchant)

In the end, however, all's well that ends well. A vacant bogus title was captured, nobody was hurt, and Harold Lederman never once said, "Jim, I gotta tell you something."

“You’re blowing it, son.”

In four crisp words Angelo Dundee, who passed away February 1 at the age of 90, branded a legendary moment in boxing history and secured his place in the pantheon of sport.

It was 1981, a bygone era when championship fights were still fifteen rounds and Dundee’s charge, Sugar Ray Leonard, had just given away rounds nine through twelve to the undefeated Thomas Hearns. It was “The Showdown” for the lineal welterweight title and as he headed back to his corner, his left eye grotesquely swollen, Leonard was confronted by his trainer.

Dundee’s message was both economic and brilliant, for it challenged and touched his fighter’s heart. Within minutes Sugar Ray Leonard was World Champion, his fortunes reversed, his adversary TKO’d and defenseless on the ropes.

Angelo Dundee was an old-school trainer and master of his craft. He was an iconic, bespectacled figure in a white short-sleeved shirt, accessorized with a towel draped on his shoulder. He knew when to goad, when to protect, and when to get out of the way.

When he inherited the improvisational talents of young Cassius Clay, he recognized that conventional wisdom is not always wise. With a deft touch Dundee refined his prodigy rather than reshaping him, modestly claiming, “I just put the reflexes in the proper direction.”

He did much more than that.

In 1963, when Clay found himself dazed on his stool between rounds, his ascendant rise in jeopardy following a knockdown at the hands of Henry Cooper, Dundee bought him time by craftily enlarging a slice on one of his gloves. After working his finger into the slit and tearing it open, Dundee turned to the referee with faux-innocence and asked for assistance, lest Mr. Cooper be exposed to an unfair advantage. There being no spare gloves available, the fight resumed and a recovered Clay TKO’d Cooper on cuts in less than three minutes.

It would not be the last time Dundee would play a key role in The Greatest’s legacy. Whether it was shoving him back into the ring against Sonny Liston when a reluctant and frightened Clay was temporarily blinded, secretly tightening the ropes in Zaire to optimize Muhammad Ali’s rope-a-dope tactics, or throwing in the towel to terminate an unnecessary and brutal battering at the hands of Larry Holmes, Angelo Dundee knew how to work the corner, as well as the edge.

Alright, so these five boxers who fight for the Polish flag are sending shockwaves with their performances. Young heavyweight prospect Artur Szpilka, middleweight Grzegorz Proksa, cruiserweights Pawel Kolodziej and Mateusz Masternak, as well as light heavyweight Andrzej Fonfara (8-0 win streak) are all earning important victories that are bringing them closer to big fights and contracts with major boxing TV networks.

Each guy is making a name for himself, and three of them—Proksa, Kolodziej, and Fonfara—are set to have their breakthrough fight this year. 2012 could be a spectacular year for Polish boxing (if all goes right), and for the first time, boxers not named Golota or Adamek may bring glory to fans waving the white-and-red national flag. The national emblem is the white eagle, and the five aforementioned fighters are beginning to soar like that white eagle, all the way to the top of the mountain…. Let's take a closer look at what each pugilist has to offer.

Artur Szpilka: This 22-year-old native of Wieliczka, Poland, is an undefeated southpaw (9-0, 7 KOs). Nicknamed "Szpila," he moved up from cruiserweight to heavyweight, and has fought five matches in the latter so far. His biggest victory came against Owen Beck last October. At age 19, he captured the Polish national amateur championship in the heavyweight division. Szpilka has a Golota-like past, as he served time in prison for 18 months for partaking in a melee near a disco which resulted in him stealing a cell phone and assaulting another person. Before this incident, Szpilka was a soccer hooligan on the streets of Kraków. His next fight is on March 24 in Atlantic City versus Terrance Marbra.

Grzegorz Proksa: Known as "Super G," the 27-year-old undefeated middleweight seems to have a super future ahead. By defeating Sebastian Sylvester in October, the England-based Proksa won the vacant EBU middleweight title. Since that splendid victory, Proksa’s name has become more and more recognizable around boxing circles. Talks of a possible match with Argentinian star Sergio Martinez began—and that certainly may materialize—but for now the European Champion is expected back in the ring late Spring.

Pawel Kolodziej: A 29-0, 17 (KOs) cruiserweight, Kolodziej is a former kick-boxer who is the current WBA International Champ. Previously, Kolodziej held the WBF cruiserweight belt. He’s scored victories over Parfait Amougui Amougou, John McClain, and Felix Cora Jr. There is big hype surrounding Kolodziej’s 30th pro bout—it’s supposed to be him facing a very notable opponent. Interestingly, fellow countryman Krzysztof Wlodarczyk is the WBC titlist, and there’s another Pole who is also a division foe—Mateusz Masternak—whom you’ll read about in the following paragraph. A Polish showdown of cruiserweights? The future might look something like that (promoters Krzysztof Zbarski and/or Tomasz Babilonski could easily make a tournament pitting these three cruisers against one another).

Mateusz Masternak: And so here he is, Masternak, also undefeated. The "Master" recently signed a promotional contract with top-flight German power-horse Sauerland, an outlet which is expected to draw big fights for him. At this point, Masternak needs them, as he’s already fought 24 pro matches against decent-level opposition at best. Striking a deal with Sauerland was a good move, because if he continued fighting in Poland, his career would not progress to a level that would match his talent and ability. Masternak seems to be a natural athlete with a notable amateur record of 61-9 (Bronze Medalist at the Junior European Championships). Masternak fights tomorrow night in Frankfurt against Michael Simms.

Andrzej Fonfara: Trained by Andrew Golota’s partner-in-crime Sam Colonna, Andrzej "Polish Prince" Fonfara may fight for a world light heavyweight title by the end of the year! That’s huge for only a 24-year-old with just two losses, and talk has already begun about the possibility of him moving up in weight sometime in the future considering how he’s been developing as a light heavyweight. "Polish Prince" is expected back on March 17 in his second home which has become the UIC Pavilion in Chicago. At 20-2, with 11 KOs, Fonfara is a fighter you must keep on your radar. He’s already been ducked by Nathan Cleverly and Tommy Karpency, but he may travel to Africa to face Braimah Kamoko in a WBO eliminator.

With Szpilka’s, Proksa’s, Kolodziej’s, Maternak’s, and Fonfara’s great potential, and with Golota and Adamek having already achieved so much, the question has to be asked...will Poland become a nation with a boxing-rich history such as the United Kingdom and Mexico? That may be wishful thinking, but the average boxing fan should realize that Poland has produced some good fighters and is not a stranger on the boxing map. Before Andy and Tom hit the scene, Poland’s biggest boxing successes have virtually come from amateur fighters, who combined captured an unprecedented 43 Olympic medals for the nation! Now, however, it may be time for professional boxing to kick into gear and bring glory to an Eastern European nation hungry for pugilistic successes. So fly high white eagles, and let Polish power prevail!

Which of these guys are you most interested in seeing?

With time working against him and his May date, Floyd Mayweather has finally selected his opponent; the illustrious and ever humble Miguel Cotto. These two men are two of the three biggest names and thus attractions in Boxing and their meeting will undoubtedly be watched by many. Both will achieve great paydays. For Cotto, maybe his largest to date.

So there is much to look forward to.

Clearly, despite their star power, neither men are in their absolute primes but no matter. They will arrive in the ring as the professionals they are, prepared as always for giving their best efforts.

As with all such high profile later stage fights, we should expect their respective constuencies to be out in force with Miguel wearing the white hat and Floyd being Floyd. If we are fortunate, we will see much and learn all the more exactly where both men are in the arc of their careers.

But what exactly will we see. When we last saw Cotto he was avenging one of his two defeats; a bad one at the hands of Antonio Margarito. Cotto won that fight with aplomb but there are some, arguably the minority, who believed that had the fight gone on longer, the result may have been different. Personally, credit due where credit is due. Miguel Cotto took the fight that haunted him and he won. Period.

Floyd was last seen dominating a mentally 'challenged' but otherwise game Victor Ortiz in his second fight at welterweight. The bigger Ortiz was game until the screws in his head loosened and he used it's housing to try to change the trajectory of a fight he was going to lose no matter.

The problem, given how absurdly that fight ended, is that we saw too little. Certainly we saw a shutout being pitched against a top prospect but we never saw the complete game. And given Floyd's age and the rarity of his appearances, we would have been better served watching him go longer and deep.

I cannot speak for you gentlemen and ladies but I cannot see how a Cotto who struggled with Clottey and was absolutely destroyed within twelve by Pacquaio (over two years ago, no less) will fare any better. I can say I hope so but that and a few Benjamins aren't getting me to Vegas to see the fight.

I am both a critic and a great admirer of Cotto so I wish him well. But the realist in me says not bloody likely.

Lastly, the all mighty dollars aside (and there will be many), I cannot see exactly what Floyd can accomplish fighting this version of Cotto as compared to say ... a prime Cotto four or so years ago. Beating Miguel is beating Miguel but as Floyd likes to say, why should he fight someone else's leftovers. Cotto can be called many things....but no one can call him fresh. Or prime.

What say you?

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