Erik Spring Interview

By Luis A. Cortes III

I caught up with Reading's Erik Spring (13-3-2, 1 KO) to discuss his upcoming middleweight bout on Saturday, January 18th at the Liacouras Center in North Philadelphia. Spring, who is signed by Kings Promotions, will fight Joey Spencer (9-0, 7 KOs) on the undercard of the Premier Boxing Champions' card on Fox featuring a main event between Julian Williams (27-1-1, 16 KOs) and Jeison Rosario (19-1-1, 13 KOs).

You can stream our interview on both SoundCloud and iTunes.

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Makings of a Modern Classic as Hart Seeks Redemption Deep in the Heart of Texas?

By Luis A. Cortes III 

September 22, 2017 was supposed to be the evening when Philadelphia native and super middleweight contender Jesse “Hard work or Hollywood” Hart was going to fulfill his destiny and win the WBO portion of the world championship. It was the lifelong goal of the power punching contender, whose father Eugene “Cyclone” Hart was one of the key staples in middleweight boxing during the golden age of middleweights in Philadelphia during the 1970’s. Cyclone never reached the world championship level, despite becoming a legend in the city having gone to war with many of the greats of his time. 

So, it was only natural that one of his sons would take the reins from the legendary father in what had become the family business. Many of the trials and tribulations that would go along with the long journey through childhood, a decorated amateur boxing career, and his rise through the professional ranks were documented in articles about Hart over the past two years.       

Jesse Hart: The spotlight has arrived

When will the spotlight catch up to Jesse Hart?

Across from Jesse Hart (25-1) (21) that night last year in Tucson, Arizona was the current WBO champion of the world Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (38-0) (25), who himself was aiming to prove that he was indeed the best super middleweight champion in comparison to the other champions in the loaded division. What wound up taking place was one of the most underrated fights of the year. It was a back and forth battle that saw constant action, with both fighters asking crucial questions from each other.  

Going into that fight, Hart was viewed as a power puncher, although many viewed him as a natural talent that had lacked the credible opposition to solidify that he was unequivocally the best contender in the division. As the action started, Hart boxed and moved away from Ramirez, a southpaw that loves to apply constant pressure on his opponents. It didn’t take long into the second round, before Ramirez landed a left uppercut to the chin of Hart, whom he caught bending over. A clearly hurt Hart was knocked to the canvas (his chin and ability to take a heavy punch had many picking Ramirez prior to the fight) and although he gamely rose to his feet, he was clearly dazed. 

Two things usually result from this type of situation occurring to a first-time contender. They are either overwhelmed by the combination of ensuing pressure from the champion, along with the severity of the moment, and wind up folding due to the pressures of the moment. Or their natural talent and crafted abilities take over and they rise to the occasion and discover that yes in fact, they do belong at this elite level of competition. It would be the latter in this instance that pushed the fight forward.  
  
Half way through the back and forth fight the questions about both Hart and Ramirez were answered. As both warriors asked and answered these questions, the fans were the beneficiaries of witnessing just how the pitched battle would eventually play out. With the fight reaching the championship rounds, Hart hurt Ramirez with a powerful right uppercut half way through the round. When Ramirez took a step back (something that is not in his DNA as a fighter), Hart failed to capitalize on the moment. He did however continue to box and move, and wound up landing another powerful punch, this time a looping right hand that also stunned the champion. Ramirez rallied in the twelfth and final round as the bell sounded to end the fight. It was clear to all that the outcome would be close. All three judges scored the fight in favor of Ramirez, with two judges scoring it 115-112 (7 rounds to 5) and the third judge scoring it 114-113 (6 rounds a piece, with the extra point to Ramirez due to the second-round knockdown).  

Clearly disappointed, Hart recognized that he would be on the short end of the close decision as the scores were being read by the ring announcer. To his credit, Hart stated that he would return and instantly started to beat the proverbial drum for a rematch.  

Fast forward 15 months and the boxing world will look to Corpus Christi and to the rematch that many hardcore fight fans have been waiting for. While most of the sport is focusing on the events that will take place the next night in New York City, and the showcase of boxing's biggest draw south of the heavyweight division. It’s this super middleweight rematch that has all the makings for a classic fight that this writer would not be shocked, if like its predecessor, turned into a fight of the year candidate. Just looking at what was learned in the first fight about both the champion and the challenger and the type of fight that took place, this rematch, unlike most second fights, should deliver in the action department. 

You see during the first fight, when both fighters successfully quieted all the doubters that questioned their legitimacy, they also learned things about each other in terms of the types of intangibles that can’t be taught or crafted during the hours of training in the gym. Heart, determination, and the willingness to continue to fight through the heat of battle were things that both fighters showed. Although they both showed this courage, it was the unfamiliarity and bits of caution from both men during the heated up-close exchanges that seemed to prevent their first fight from possibly being an instant modern classic.  

Entering the rematch, Jesse Hart has been a man on a mission, with one goal on his mind, seeking revenge for his lone professional loss. Prior to the first fight, it was all about winning the world championship for both himself and his family (primarily his father), and Ramirez happened to be the man standing in his way. Now you get the sense that this fight is about exacting a bit of revenge and righting a wrong, since Hart believes that he lost their first fight more than Ramirez won it, with the extra bit of incentive being that world championship.

Hart has won three fights in a row since their first encounter, while Ramirez has stayed somewhat active winning two fights. Ramirez has stayed relatively quiet about Hart, only a few times mentioning that he beat Hart once and he will do it again. While Hart has been vocal after each of his three knockout victories (all on ESPN) taking the opportunity to call out Ramirez for his chance at redemption. Hart has done so after each victory with such intensity, that you get the feeling Ramirez has become an obsession.   
  
Add into the mix that the biggest draw in the sport, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, will have his name in lights on the marquee at Madison Square Garden the next night as he competes for another version of a super middleweight championship. For his part in the division, Alvarez has mentioned that he will now fluctuate between middleweight and super middleweight to make the biggest fights for the fans. Winning this fight and having control of the WBO portion of the world championship in this division could mean the opportunity for a career high pay day down the road.  

These ingredients added together, especially the fact that both fighters are familiar with each other and their demeanor that we learned from their first fight should have them continue to push each other to both their mental and physical limits. This means that we just may be in for the instant modern classic that last September was on the cusp of becoming.  Hart vs. Ramirez 2 can be seen on ESPN+ this Friday night at 10 PM, with the undercard starting at 6:30.

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CANELO VS. GOLOVKIN II FULL POST-FIGHT PRESS CONFERENCE

Check out the post-fight press conference from Saul "Canelo" Alvarez's (50-1-2, 34 KOs) majority decision victory over Gennady "GGG" Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

(Video - FightHype.com)

MW

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Fighter Stats provided by BoxStat.co

Breaking Down Canelo vs. GGG II

The time for talk and speculating are almost up, but the anticipation continues to rise as the sport of boxing reaches fight week, days before the scheduled bout between middleweight rivals: Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Gennady "GGG" Golovkin. It was just a year ago, when both fighters were preparing to face off on Mexican Independence Day, while some fans and media called that match up a potential brawl, or ideal 'fight of the year" candidate. Instead, we were left with a technical and somewhat strenuous fight to score, leaving the sport full of controversy in and out of the ring. One question remains the same, and that is: who will emerge victorious?

That answer may be harder to resolve now than last year, as both Alvarez and Golovkin have established a sense of familiarity with each other and their arsenal. To sum that up: the pressure from Golovkin, the counter-punching from Alvarez and the durability of both boxers are what transpired. Today, I will discuss keys to victory, on top of this writers prediction on the rematch this Saturday.

Keys to Vctory -

Gennady Golovkin: *Bodywork and inside fighting.* GGG will have to execute his aggression towards Canelo in a similar approach, but with a few adjustments. The times GGG had Canelo against the ropes ordered a lot more straight crosses and left hooks downstairs than what spectators visualized. Punching through the guard and shoulders against Canelo may prove too difficult while he's backpedaling, but Gennady needs to dictate that pace. He cannot win this fight with a jab by itself.

Saul Alvarez: *Stick and move + more counter-punching.* It's safe to say Canelo found a good amount of success using the ring, rolling punches and countering GGG. Simply, not enough of those counters, or punches were thrown in general and he needs a higher pace of output. It's unwise to pursue and utilize outside fighting against GGG, but it's clear that Canelo needs to turn it up more this time around in the rematch.

To be fair, both fighters executed solid plans when they faced each other in 2017. Each boxer has equal room for improvement and calling a fight of this magnitude may be hard for some, especially this being a rematch with "bad intentions" between the boxers. This writer had picked Golovkin' to defeat Alvarez in the first meeting, but what about this time?

In this article, Canelo is the pick for Saturdays main event. He is the younger boxer with more agile movement, as well as being able to take Gennady's punches. Alvarez is the fighter with faster hands and that motions a better fight going in than before due to not being as intimidated by the power from GGG.

Chris Mealey

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Claressa Shields vs. Hanna Gabriels

Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Claressa Shields (5-0, 2 KOs) is scheduled to fight Hanna Gabriels (18-1-1, 11 KOs) on June 22nd in Detroit. The two top-notch female fighters will square off in a ten round bout for the vacant IBF/WBA Women's Middleweight Title on Showtime. Shields, an undefeated fighter from nearby Flint, is coming off of a unanimous decision victory over women's middleweight contender Tori Nelson. Costa Rica's Gabriels, who is making her American pro debut, has one blemish on her veteran record, a TKO loss to Oxandia Castillo in 2013.

This title fight sits on top of a ten fight card, that also features another women's middleweight bout between Christina Hammer (22-0, 10 KOs) and Tori Nelson (17-1-3, 2 KOs) for Hammer's WBC/WBO Women's Middleweight Title. This match should be of interest to the winner of Shields vs. Gabriels in that it is likely that the winner will face Hammer or Nelson in their next bout. Hammer, an undefeated fighter from Germany, looks to preserve her perfect record in her American pro debut. Nelson, who is coming off of a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Claressa Shields, hopes to get back in the win column, and potentially get a rematch against the popular, Shields.

The card, which will take place at the Masonic Temple, will also feature the following professional bouts:

Umar Salamov (20-1, 15 KOs) vs. Brian Howard (13-1, 10 KOs) - ten rounds, light heavyweights for the IBF North American Light Heavyweight Title

Bakhtiyar Eyubov (13-0, 11 KOs) vs. Nicholas Givhan (21-1-1, 11 KOs) - ten rounds, junior welterweights

Aslambek Idigov (12-0, 5 KOs) vs. James Ballard (10-1, 3 KOs) - ten rounds, light heavyweights

Jarico O'Quinn (8-0-1, 5 KOs) vs. Yaqub Kareem (14-9-1, 8 KOs) - eight rounds, bantamweights

Franchon Crews-Dezurn (3-1, 1 KO) vs. Crystal Byers (0-3) - six rounds, female super middleweights

Apti Davtaev (14-0-1, 13 KOs) vs. Cory Phelps (16-10-1, 8 KOs) - eight rounds, heavyweights

Leon Lawson III (6-0, 4 KOs) vs. TBA - six rounds, junior middleweights

Joseph Bonas (3-0, 3 KOs) vs. Michael Klekotta (1-2, 1 KO) - four rounds, welterweights

MW

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GGG Kayos Martirosyan in Carson

Gennady "GGG" Golovkin (38-0-1, 34 KOs) knocked out Vanes Martirosyan (36-4-1, 21 KOs) in the second round of last nights World Middleweight Title fight at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. Martirosyan was the replacement opponent for Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, who withdrew from the May 5th rematch after testing positive for a banned substance. Last night's bout aired on regular HBO.

Vanes Martirosyan, an Armenian-American, represented the United States as a welterweight at the 2004 Olympic Games. The fighter resides in Glendale, California, a city known for its large Armenian-American population. This factor played into the promoter's decision to schedule Martirosyan as GGG's opponent in Carson last night. Despite not selling out the venue, Glendale's Armenian-American population certainly made their presence known as Martirosyan made his way to the ring.

Martirosyan, one of the few remaining Don King fighters, stepped into the ring last night having not fought in a professional bout in 23 months. This fact caused GGG and his camp to feel the wrath of boxing writers and fans across multiple platforms on the worldwide web.

GGG, the longest reigning active world champion, came out in the first round looking for an early end to the night. He landed jabs almost at will, snapping back his opponent's head on multiple occasions. Later in the round, Martirosyan hit GGG with a nice right hand to the jaw, that he followed up with a jab to the head. These shots seemed to surprise the unified middleweight champion, who controlled the pace of the opening frame up to this point.

At the outset of the second round, GGG appeared to have had enough of Martirosyan. He answered the bell by attacking the Californian. GGG hurt Martirosyan with a hard right upper cut. Soon after, GGG crushed Martirosyan with a brutal multi-punch combo that started with an overhand right, and was followed by two jabs, two right hands, a left hook, a right hand, a left hook, and a final right hook as Martirosyan's knee hit the canvas. Referee Jack Reiss counted Martirosyan out, and waived off the fight at 1:53 of the second round.

GGG said in the post-fight interview that he is willing to fight anyone in the middleweight division, including Canelo Alvarez. GGG told HBO's Max Kellerman, "I want everyone. I have lots of belts. I challenge anyone to come and take my belts. I don't care who it is. Let's clean the division out. Happy Cinco de Mayo."

MW

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Damon Feldman Interview

Matt Ward recently sat down with former professional boxer, Celebrity Boxing promoter, and author of the new book, The 16 Minute Man, Damon Feldman. Matt and Damon sat down following Damon's book release party at Chickie's and Pete's in South Philadelphia to discuss his book and boxing career.

Check out their Bonus Round interview on both SoundCloud and iTunes: 

Bonus Round - Damon Feldman Interview on SoundCloud

Bonus Round - Damon Feldman Interview on iTunes

You can learn more about Damon Feldman and his new book, The 16 Minute Man, by visiting the official Damon Feldman website.   

MW

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RIP Joey Giambra (1931-2018)

Joey Giambra, the boxer who was known as the "uncrowned champion" for beating most of the top middleweights of his day, died on March 2, 2018 at the age of 86 in Las Vegas, Nevada. William Joseph Giambra was born on July 30, 1931 in Buffalo, New York.

Over the course of his career, which ranged from April 1953 to May 1963, Giambra fought and defeated numerous tough middleweights including, Joey Giardello, Attilio "Rocky" Castellani, Florentino Fernandez, Bernard Docusen, Ralph "Tiger" Jones, Rory Calhoun, Gil Turner, Chico Vejar, Al Andrews, Danny Womber, Pat Lowry, Jimmy Welch, Johnny Sullivan, Jimmy Herring, Sal DiMartino, Italo Scortichini, and Charley Early.

On October 20, 1962, he fought Denny Moyer in a 15 round bout for the vacant World Boxing Association Super Welterweight Title. The fight went the distance with Giambra narrowly losing on the cards. He retired from boxing with an impressive record of 65-10-2. 31 of his victories came by way of knockout. Following his professional boxing career, Giambra served as a referee. He was the third man in the ring for the November 5, 1977 heavyweight bout between Jerry Quarry and Lorenzo Zanon.

RIP Champ.

MW

GGG vs. Canelo Part II

The second installment of Gennady Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) vs. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) has been announced for May 5, 2018. The venue for the second part of this mega fight is yet to be determined, although it is highly likely that the fight will be hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The two middleweights last fought on September 16, 2017, when the two men fought to a twelve round split decision draw in front of a capacity crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The WBC, WBA, IBF, and IBO middleweight titles will be on the line.

Stay tuned to The Weigh-In for more information on the venue and undercard over the next few weeks!

(Supremacy... Part II)

MW

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Billy Joe Saunders vs. David Lemieux

WBO Orders Billy Joe Saunders to Defend his Title Against David Lemieux

This just in... WBO World Middleweight Champion, Billy Joe Saunders (25-0, 12 KOs), is scheduled to defend his title against David Lemieux (38-3, 33 KOs) on December 16, 2017 at the Place Bell in Laval, Québec. This will be the first boxing card at the multi-purpose arena that opened earlier this year. It is interesting to see the British champion travel to Lemieux's native province for the fight.

 



MW

 

WBO Orders Billy Joe Saunders to Defend his Title Against David Lemieux

WBO World Middleweight Champion, Billy Joe Saunders (25-0, 12 KOs), has been ordered by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) to defend his title against David Lemieux (38-3, 33 KOs). The WBO has set November 11th as the deadline for the two fighters to strike a deal for the title matchup. Saunders had hoped to fight either Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) or Gennady "GGG" Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) in his next professional bout.

Great Britain's Saunders captured his title on December 19, 2015 with a majority decision victory over Andy Lee (35-3-1, 24 KOs). This will be the southpaw's third title defense. He previously defended his title against Artur Akavov (17-2, 7 KOs) and Willie Monroe Jr. (21-3, 6 KOs). His successful title against Monroe, a unanimous decision victory, came on September 16th of this year at the Copper Box Arena in Great Britain.

Lemieux, a tough French Canadian middleweight, is looking for his fifth straight victory. Most recently, he defeated Marcos Reyes (35-5, 26 KOs) by unanimous decision on May 6th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, a fight that was part of the Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (50-3-1, 32 KOs) undercard.

Stay tuned to The Weigh-In Boxing Blog and Podcast for more information on this middleweight title fight.

MW

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Gabriel Rosado vs. Glen Tapia on 10/19

On October 19th, Philadelphia's Gabriel Rosado (23-11, 13 KOs) will fight Passaic, New Jersey's Glen Tapia (23-4, 15 KOs) in a ten round, middleweight bout at the Park Theater at Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Rosado, who is popular among boxing fans for his brawler style in the ring, is coming off of a controversial majority decision loss to Martin Murray (36-4-1, 17 KOs) at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England. His opponent, the "Jersey Boy" Glen Tapia, looks to rebound from three straight losses to Michel Soro (30-2-1, 20 KOs), David Lemieux (38-3, 33 KOs), and Jason Quigley (13-0, 10 KOs). Tapia lost by technical knockout to Soro (2015) and Lemieux (2016).

This segment of Golden Boy Promotions Boxing on ESPN will also feature a ten round, welterweight contest between Alejandro Barrera (19-3, 18 KOs) and Keandre Gibson (17-1-1, 7 KOs). Mexico's Barrera looks to win his second straight bout, after defeating Eddie Gomez (20-3, 11 KOs) in Tucson, AZ in July. Gibson is also coming off of a summer victory. He defeated Dennis Dauti (14-3, 7 KOs) by unanimous decision at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, CA.

I'm personally very excited for the Rosado vs. Tapia main event this month. I only wish that the promoters could have found a way to schedule this fight in the greater Philadelphia area or greater New York City area. Both men are capable of getting into a classic, middleweight brawl worthy of a venue in this area. I probably sound like a "homer," but mark my words, this will be a fight worth seeing live!

MW

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WBC Orders GGG vs. Canelo Rematch

The WBC ordered a Gennady "GGG" Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs), the WBC World Middleweight Champion, and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) rematch on Monday. This announcement was made during the sanctioning body's 55th annual convention (9/28-10/7) in Baku, Azerbaijan. The announcement came within weeks after the two men fought to a controversial split decision draw at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on September 16th. Prior to the WBC's recent announcement, both camps had already been in discussion for a rematch of the "Fight of the Year" candidate matchup. Both camps are considering a potential Cinco de Mayo rematch in 2018, a fight that seems bound to be part two of a trilogy between the two middleweights.

Stay tuned to The Weigh-In Boxing Blog and Podcast for more information on this mega-fight rematch.

MW

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RIP Jake LaMotta

Former World Middleweight Champion, Jake LaMotta, died on Tuesday, September 19th in a nursing home from complications from pneumonia. The Italian American fighter who was portrayed by Robert De Niro in the 1980 film, Raging Bull, was 95-years-old. The Bronx Bull fought professionally from 1941 to 1954, and compiled an impressive record of 83 wins, 19 losses, and four draws. He fought some of the top boxers of his day including Sugar Ray Robinson, Billy Fox, and Marcel Cerdan. He captured the World Middleweight Title on June 16, 1949 with a victory over the Frenchman, Cerdan, in Detroit. In 1950, LaMotta successfully defended his title against Tiberio Mitri and Laurent Dauthuille. LaMotta fought his final bout on April 14, 1954 against Billy Kilgore.

Following his retirement from boxing, LaMotta worked in the bar industry, wrote books, acted, and did stand-up comedy. He was inducted into a number of halls of fame, including the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. Despite having a few run-ins with the law throughout his life, LaMotta was loved and respected by the boxing world for his intense fighting style. In his later years, LaMotta was often seen attending autograph signings and meet and greets with fans. I had the honor to meet LaMotta in the spring of 2014 at an autograph signing in White Plains, NY.

RIP Jake LaMotta.

Jake LaMotta's BoxRec Page

Jake LaMotta's International Boxing Hall of Fame Page

(Matt Ward and Jake LaMotta in 2014)

(Friend of The Weigh-In, Steve G. and Jake LaMotta in 2003)

MW

Dustin's Corner: Luke Rockhold Victorious at UFC Fight Night 116

Finally, The People’s Red Head has come back to the Weigh-In!

While Canelo and GGG were going at it Saturday night, Luke Rockhold was also in action. Rockhold reaffirmed his dominance in the 185 pound division by defeating David Branch with ground and pound strikes.

It has been almost two years since Rockhold lost his belt in shocking fashion to Mike
Bisping. Rockhold took the first step toward reclaiming the waist hardware Saturday night.

Round one opened with Rockhold showing octagon rust. David Branch put on a smothering attack, similar to the style Bisping utilized to pull off the upset. Branch smothered Rockhold against the octagon and continued to connect. Branch wisely left no room for Rockhold to release his devastating leg kicks. While being smothered, Rockhold gestured for his corner to calm down. Round one ended with Rockhold taking Branch down.

The take down in round one was the catalyst for a dominating round two performance from Rockhold. Rockhold owned round two. He eventually took Branch down to the canvas and submitted him with strikes.

In true Rockhold fashion, he had a lot to say during his post fight interview. Rockhold advised Georges St-Pierre to get out while he can. We all know how Rockhold feels about the pending bout between Bisping and GSP.

Saturday’s win will put Rockhold back in contention. One would think he gets to face the winner of the Bisping fight. However, the UFC goes off script all the time. The 185 pound division remains murky. There is a lot of talent at the top.

Does Rockhold have a legitimate complaint? It is so hard to say. McGregor gets his belt taken away in under six months time. It is rumored Dana White stripped McGregor of one of his belts after McGregor was caught leaving an upper decker in the executive restroom... We do not fact check people, just report what is what! (LOL)

In all seriousness, interim titles are ruining UFC bouts. Most of them have little to no significant meaning. Rockhold is at the top of the division and deserves a shot to take his title back. However, he will have to take a number.

It was a great weekend of fights, and congratulations to Mr. Rockhold!

- Dustin Johnson, The People's Red Head

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Dustin's Corner: Canelo v. GGG Instant Classic and Ginger Power Fight Recap

Finally, The People’s Red Head has come back to The Weigh-In.

Saturday, September 16th, was not only one of the most anticipated boxing matches of the year, but it was a huge step for the ginger initiative. The People’s Red Boxer, Canelo Alvarez put up an inspired effort against the Kazakhstani heavy hitter, Gennady Golovkin. The contest will definitely be discussed as a fight of the year candidate. No matter how you felt about the results, there is no denying the fight lived up to the anticipation. Please see the people’s recap below:

Early Rounds 1-3
I thought the fight began with Canelo getting the better of the exchanges. In round one and two, Alvarez looked sharp. In round three, GGG came on. In typical GGG fashion, he landed the jab and began to do expert work to the body. At this point, it started to look as if GGG was finding a home for bodywork, but the match was still intense.

Rounds 4-7
Rounds four though seven were important. Canelo spent too much time on the ropes. As a fellow red, I was really concerned for what may happen to his hair. Everyone knows we have a higher tolerance for pain and television hair. Still, GGG was putting in good work against the ropes.

Rounds five through seven were where GGG really began to put in work. Neither fighter wanted to let the other one know they were hurt, but massive hooks were landed in various exchanges. GGG began to really pour the pressure on Canelo. Red heads everywhere were shrieking with fright.

Rounds 8-11
Many of these rounds are left open to interpretation. This fight really demonstrates the impact crowd noise can have in a fight. In addition, it shows what can happen when a fighter closes out the “championship rounds.” GGG had his jab working in these rounds. Canelo landed meaningful power shots that made the crowd come alive.

An overhand right that Canelo landed in the eighth made the crowd go wild. Canelo also opened round ten with a nice flurry, but it seemed GGG took over the fight. The eleventh round appeared to be all Canelo. However, due to his earlier work, everyone thought this was GGG’s fight to lose.

12th and Final Round
Both fighters had been in a war and they were still exchanging in round twelve. As the bell sounds, we go to the judges’ scorecards. As we all know, anything can happen at this point. There is no doubt this was a close fight. Anyone would be shocked to see a judge have a lopsided scorecard.

Adelaide Byrd scores the fight 118-110 in favor of Canelo, which created a bigger reaction than the results of the 2017 presidential race. Dave Moretti scored the fight a 115-113 edge for GGG. Don Trella scored the fight an even, 114-114.

Many criticized the lopsided card of Byrd. To this, I say, how dare you all! She clearly loves red heads, and we love her back… Just kidding! However, even I must admit, this score is more lopsided than a woman who gets a discount on breast implants.

With this in mind, it important to consider everything that goes into scoring. I often feel the crowd can influence the scoring of judges. Also, depending on the view, a judge may view something they think has landed, when in reality, it has not landed. The argument will again arise for judges to be sequestered during fights to view the fight on independent monitors that are free of sound in order to produce the most accurate scoring results.

Share your opinion at the Weigh-In Boxing Blog and Podcast. How did you all score it? We would be interested to know how our followers viewed the fight. Also, did the scoring ruin this instant classic? Lastly, do we all think Judge Byrd is dating a redhead? That may be the bigger conspiracy issue to come out of this fantastic fight!

#Byrdluvsreds

The People’s Red Head OUT!

*Thank you to the Sun.co.uk for information regarding the background of Adelaide Byrd.

*Thank you to the boxingscene.com for compubox statistics and judges’ scorecards.

- Dustin Johnson, The People's Red Head

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Now Back to Boxing...

In case you have been living under a rock for the last couple of days, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (50-0) defeated Conor McGregor (0-1) via a tenth round TKO this weekend in Las Vegas. The crafty veteran capitalized on McGregor's endurance problems during the second half of the contest. Kudos to McGregor for looking far better than most boxing analysts thought he would, even against an aging Mayweather. Now we can only hope that this was the first and last time we see McGregor in the boxing ring...

Now that the Mayweather vs. McGregor weekend is over, we can get back to boxing. The next big fight coming up this year is a middleweight title unification contest between Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (49-1-1) and Gennady "GGG" Golovkin (37-0) on September 16th in Las Vegas. The winner of this contest will sit on top of the middleweight division, a division that has had a number of tough and popular fighters pass through its ranks in recent years.

Alvarez is coming off of a May unanimous decision victory over the son of a Mexican boxing legend, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Canelo's only loss came at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013. Golovkin, who is undefeated, most recently won a close fight via unanimous decision over Daniel Jacobs at Madison Square Garden in March.

Stay tuned to The Weigh-In Boxing Blog and Podcast over the next few weeks for more information on this bout and undercard!

MW 

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The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast Episode #5 (Curtis Parker - Former Middleweight Boxing Champion)

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast Episode #5

The Weigh-In Episode #5 on SoundCloud 

The Weigh-In Episode #5 on iTunes

The fifth episode of The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast features my interview with former USBA Middleweight Champion and middleweight contender Curtis Parker. Curtis fought professionally from 1977 to 1988 and is just one of the many great fighters to come out of the City of Brotherly Love. During his career, Curtis compiled a record of 29 wins, 9 losses, and zero draws.

On May 4, 1980, Curtis defeated Mike Colbert for the USBA Middleweight Title in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Parker fought his final professional bout on March 19, 1988 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In this bout, Curtis was defeated by Michael Nunn for the NABF Middleweight Title bout.

For more information on Curtis Parker, please visit the following websites:

Curtis Parker's BoxRec Page

Curtis Parker's Philly Boxing History.com Page

Curtis Parker's New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame Page

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast is brought to you by One Stone Recording and Mastering in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Check out One Stone Recording and Mastering for all of you mixing and mastering needs. Go to onestonerecording.com/theweighin and receive 10% off your first session!

One Stone Recording and Mastering

MW

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast Episode #1 (Frank Savannah - Former Middleweight Boxing Contender)

Welcome to The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast! 

The Weigh-In Episode #1 on SoundCloud

The Weigh-In Episode #1 on iTunes

The series premier of The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast features my interview with former middleweight boxing contender Frank Savannah. Frank fought professionally from 1991-1997, and retired with an impressive record of 15 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw. On December 14, 1994, Savannah fought Dana Rosenblatt for the WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Title. This bout was the only defeat in Savannah’s six year boxing career. Frank is currently a boxing coach and trainer at Nick Catone MMA & Fitness in Brick, New Jersey.

For more information on Frank Savannah please visit the following websites:

Frank Savannah's BoxRec Page


Nick Catone MMA & Fitness 

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast is brought to you by One Stone Recording and Mastering in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Check out One Stone Recording and Mastering for all of you mixing and mastering needs. Go to onestonerecording.com/theweighin and receive 10% off your first session!

One Stone Recording and Mastering

MW

Curtis Parker Interview

I had another great interview with former USBA Middleweight Champion and middleweight contender Curtis Parker. Curtis fought professionally from 1977 to 1988 and is just one of the many great fighters to come out of the City of Brotherly Love. During his career, Curtis compiled a record of 29 wins, 9 losses, and zero draws.

On May 4, 1980, Curtis defeated Mike Colbert for the USBA Middleweight Title in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Parker fought his final professional bout on March 19, 1988 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In this bout, Curtis was defeated by Michael Nunn for the NABF Middleweight Title bout.

My interview will be featured on an upcoming episode of The Weigh-In Podcast! Stay tuned to this website and our Facebook page for updates on upcoming episodes and interviews.

For more information on Curtis Parker, please visit the following websites:

Curtis Parker BoxRec Page

Curtis Parker Philly Boxing History.com Page

Curtis Parker New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame Page

MW