One More Round With Mark Lyons: Floyd Mayweather, Klitschko/Arreola, Jean Pascal, etc...

Mark Lyons is back with his weekly take on the previous weekend's boxing action, as well as a look ahead to what's coming up.

Photo © Justin McKie

Last week we saw an all time great come back from almost a 2 year absence and look as sharp as ever. We also saw a couple of gutsy warriors possibly move towards the end of their careers. This week, we have a Heavyweight title fight that has at least generated some buzz among the hardcore Boxing fans and a talented Canadian (pictured right) who continues to fly under the radar.

My take on this past weekend’s action...

I may as well call this Eat Crow Corner. In a sport when you should expect the unexpected and will be way off base consistently, you have to admit your errors and hopefully learn from them.

Marquez came in too heavy and had no business at welterweight. That was a big spoonful.

But the difference in skills was dramatic, and I'm not sure it would have been much closer if the two fighters had been the same size. I underestimated Floyd Mayweather. I assumed there would be some ring rust, and there wasn’t even a slight hint of it. For my money, that was the best fighter in the world.

As far as what's next for the winner, while Pac/Money could be the richest fight in history, I’m really hoping to see Floyd and Shane go at it before Mosley gets on anymore in years. Sugar Shane has routinely faced the best in the world, in many instances against better judgment and he deserves the shot in the spotlight.

For Marquez, I honestly don’t see what more he has to accomplish. The man is a great fighter, but I think I saw some signs of deterioration in there, although it could be more the weight and the opponent. You can’t be sure, but if he wants to carry on I suppose Katsidis is next. That would be exciting but unnecessary in the grand scheme of things. Whatever he does, he should hold his head up high. He gave it his all against one of the greatest fighters to ever walk the earth.

The under-card didn’t really meet expectations, but they were well made matches so you can’t blame Golden Boy for this one.

Chris John put on a solid performance against what has become a predictable one from Rocky Juarez. It looks like Rocky’s career will be summed up with a lot of near misses. He is one of the good guys in the sport and has talent, but he just can’t seem to put it together against the elite. I don’t think it’s a matter of effort or desire. There is an instinctual side to the sweet science, and it doesn’t come easily to Rocky. To me, it looks like he bogs himself down trying to think too much in big moments.

Michael Katsidis picked up a nice win with a workmanlike decision over Vicente Escobedo. He was the busier guy and the fight wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t a thriller either. I just get the idea that Michael will beat most, but fall short against the absolute best at 135. I have no idea what that one judge was watching scoring the fight for Escobedo by 4 points. That was a terrible score card.

In what is always welcome, Tuesday brought some high caliber fights to the middle of the week and I felt like I was a youngster, drinking beer and watching Tuesday Night Fights on USA.

Jorge Arce is as gutsy a fighter as you will see, but his days near the top appear to be numbered. It’s rare for a slugger to maintain the level he has for so long. The pounds add up and eventually fighters like Arce are at an impasse because their body has grown to a spot where they are no longer strong enough to impose their will.

Simphiwe Nongayi? Yes I had to look up the spelling. Another South African comes out of nowhere. I’ll look forward to seeing him again.

Humberto Soto is one of the most entertaining fighters in the world. That guy just brings heat early and often. The opponent wasn’t a world beater, but those two rounds were wild and explosive.

I really think Soto/Valero has the potential to be a mini Hagler/Hearns. There is no doubt that they will trade bombs immediately in the opening round and I could see them both on the deck multiple times. Make it happen Bob – even if you have to stage it outside of the United States (which given Valero’s situation might be necessary). You have a possible FOTY type trilogy staring you in the face.

Looking ahead to this week’s action...

It’s good to see some word of mouth buzz about a Heavyweight fight.

Yes, sadly that is exactly how far the division has sunk. I don’t doubt that Arreola will bring a big effort. But the fact that effort is enough to get folks semi-excited for a Heavyweight fight is another example what heavyweight boxing has become.

I just don’t think Arreola has the talent, conditioning or experience to do much more than try his best on the way to an ugly beating. Vitali has every edge in the fight and I have to take the guy with the physical advantages who I know is in condition to go all night. I expect a steady diet of jabs and right hands until Arreola has to retire in the corner or have the ref step in after 6 or 7 one sided rounds. The division is in need of new blood and maybe Cristobal will supply that one day, but it won’t be this weekend.

Jean Pascal has given us two of the best fights in recent years and yet his fights aren’t being televised by premium networks (thankfully this one is available online at GoFightLive.tv).

Pascal doesn’t do boring. This kid is talented and even shuns some of his gifts to get into a war. He’s a television friendly fighter if I ever saw one. Silvio Branco is up there in age, so I wouldn’t expect this to make it on to HBO BAD, but it would be good for a Shobox.

A fight I’ve been thinking about...

In light of discussing Shane Mosley, I figured I’d put Shane in with John Mugabi at 154.

You think some bombs would get tossed here? The Beast is bigger and a murderous puncher, Shane is faster and has a decided edge in chin and stamina. Mugabi is a rare example of a guy getting ruined in one fight. Hagler stole his prime as John took some real heavy stuff that night.

How does this one play out? I think Mugabi is able to last the distance. But after taking some inhuman bombs, Shane grinds him down and wins a UD, 7-5 or 8-4. Maybe a late KD for Mosley.

And by the way, all of the stuff about it being out of line for Shane to talk at Floyd during Kellerman’s interview? I loved it. Promoting future fights is good for the sport.

One last comment...

I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to the greatest Middle Linebacker of all time, Mr. Ray Lewis and the soon to be Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens!

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The Boxing Bulletin Pick'em Game: Week 4

The Boxing Bulletin's Pick'em game is back for week 4.

If you played last week, scroll down to the bottom for the standings. If you missed the opening three weeks, that's not a problem, as you can join right in this week.

Our game is a combination of picking the winners straight-up and beating the odds. If you're ready to match your prognostication skills against other boxing fans, then let's get started...

How to play:

The game is strictly for fun, and entry is free. The deadline to enter this week is Thursday night at 11 PM EST. We'll have the results tabulated and posted with Monday's Week 4 game sheet (please check this post's comments for early results, as we'll try getting them up there by Sunday).

Pick The Winners

This part's easy - 2 points for each correct answer.

Beat The Odds

This is where it gets a little more involved, as you will be risking points to gain points. You will also have the option of choosing 1 fight to risk double points and 1 fight to risk triple points (you cannot choose the same fight to risk double and triple fights on).

Standings

We will keep standings for the full year, although each game will only last for 1 month. At the end of the month standings will be reset and a new game will begin.

We've got a few details below on the fights in play this week, but if you're ready to get started, here's the Week 4 game sheet.

September 25

Matthew Macklin vs Amin Asikainen - 12 rounds - Vacant European middleweight title - Velodrome, Manchester, Lancashire, United Kingdom (Sky)

Originally scheduled to face Darren Barker for the British title, Macklin jumped at the chance when the European title opportunity came his way. He'll be heading in as the prohibitive favorite over Asikainen, as the former European champ has been stopped twice in the past two years.

Jean Pascal vs Silvio Branco - 12 rounds - WBC light-heavyweight title - Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (GoFightLive.tv)

Due to a series of cancellations, the 43 year old Branco missed out on a shot at former title holder Adrian Diaconu, but now gets his chance against Pascal. The speedy Pascal looked very sharp in toppling the aforementioned Diaconu and most expect the Italian to pose few difficulties for the hometown fighter.

September 26

Bernard Dunne vs Poonsawat Kratingdaengym - 12 rounds - WBA super-bantamweight title - The O2, Dublin, Ireland (RTE.ie)

After stopping Ricardo Cordoba in a FOTY candidate, Dunne's jumping right back into the fire against the tough Poonsawat. Given the styles of the two fighters, this could be another classic for Irish fans.

Vitali Klitschko vs Cris Arreola - 12 rounds - WBC heavyweight title - Staples Center, Los Angels, California, United States (HBO)

The big question is will Arreola show up in the type of shape needed to give Vitali a real go? If he does, this could be the big Ukranian's toughest fight since his loss to Lennox Lewis over 6 years ago.

David Diaz vs Jesus Chavez - 10 rounds - lightweight - UIC Pavilion, Chicago, Illinois, United States (GoFightLive.tv)

Both of these all action lightweights are coming off tough outings. Diaz was crushed by Manny Pacquiao last year, while Chavez took his lumps against Michael Katsidis back in April. Does either man have much left? We'll find out on Saturday in what should be a real battle.

Ready to play? Here's the Week 4 game sheet.


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Impressive Williams Batters Wright

By Lee Payton

Photo © Ray Kasprowicz

Middleweight contender, Paul Williams was too big and too fresh for 37 year old Winky Wright. He dominated a fighter who has made a career of hanging with the very best in the business, living up to his claim as the most dangerous man in boxing.

Wright displayed a champion's heart, but was a step behind all night against his ultra-gifted opponent. As hard as he tried to turn it into his kind of fight, the younger man just wouldn't sit still long enough. The result was the first lopsided loss in an excellent career.

The first round saw the two determined fighters going at it in a struggle for control and the stubbornness of the fighters made for heated action. Williams let loose with over 100 punches, while Wright pressed forward steadily in search of opportunities to counter.

"The Punisher" grabbed rounds 2-5 with superior quickness and output, not worrying about whether his punches landed clean. He just kept throwing leather, with some of it finding it's way around Wright's famous high guard and the rest keeping him busy. Not only was Paul throwing and landing more, but by the 4th, he was also finding openings for his hardest shots.

Wright was able to pick his spots more effectively in the 6th. He smacked right hooks upstairs and down during many sustained toe to toe exchanges. It was probably Winky's best round of the fight, and the last he would win on my card

From there it was "The Paul Williams Show". He showcased all of the elements that make him a complete fighter, not just another tall, ballsy fighter. The man has some slick moves, knowledge of angles, the ability to vary the velocity on his punches, and some snappy combination punching. Pound-for-pound stuff. Wright had never seen anything like it.

Though obviously way down on the cards, the former Jr. Middleweight Champion never folded. In fact, when Williams came out for the 10th round with what he hoped would be a fight-ending assault, Winky just kept his hands up and grinned, as if to say "Who do you think you're in with, son?"

It was an honest effort from a real professional who passed the "fighter to avoid" torch to a worthy successor.

Two judges had it 11-1, while the other scored a shutout for Williams.

So what's next for these two?

Winky was better than many people expected last night, and while I feel he still has something left, it might be best for him to retire. He's been to the top already, and took the hard road to get there, does he really need to get back in line at this stage? Sure, he's still good enough beat some of the other contenders at 160, but how many big money options does he have left?

I guess he could win a couple fights and be back in line for one of the belts. Maybe he should gun for Felix Sturm.

The man loves boxing, so he'll be back. I would expect to see him on ESPN2 later in the year.

As for Williams, the sky's the limit. In the ring, he seems to have it all and now he has the backing of HBO, which will make it a lot harder for the big players at 147-160 to just look the other way. Hopefully they put pressure on Bob Arum to give Paul a shot at his Middleweight Champion, Kelly Pavlik, but don't hold your breath. Bob is a smart guy.

Personally, I think Williams would dominate Pavlik. What edge does the champ have, other than one shot power? He'd be up against a real fighter, and a much better athlete, who is sure to get off first with the most all night long.

Of course there are those who will say "Williams gets hit, and Pavlik is a true middleweight with power"

True. But I think that if Paul had chin issues, they'd have shown up by now. He's taken some very good shots right on the button without blinking in past fights, so I have faith in his ability to take a shot.

Don't forget, Kelly actually has to land his right hand, and he won't have an easy time finding the target against this guy. In my opinion he's not quick or accurate enough to win. If the fight comes off, you can bet Paul will send Top Rank back to the drawing board.

What about Arthur Abraham? I'm not sure this will ever happen, but I'd take Williams here too. The German title holder hasn't shown the fire necessary to be the boss in that fight. He'd be playing defense for 2 minutes and 30 seconds of every round. I suppose there is a small possibility that Art ends it out of nowhere.

Some are beating the drum for Williams to face hard-charging lefty, James Kirkland. While Kirkland would surely make it fun for as long as it lasts, he's too green to deal with the incoming. Williams by KO.

Paul Williams has arrived, and he's willing to fight anyone. The man is a mix of old-school warrior mentality and modern athleticism that is pure hell for anyone from welter to middleweight. I've been a believer for quite awhile now. If you're still not convinced, it's simply a matter of time. He's the goods.

Cris Arreola opened the show by knocking out an old and ill-prepared Jameel McCline. A left uppercut-right hand combo hurt McCline, and a follow-up right sent him to the canvas for the ten count in the 4th round.

Arreola is a fun guy who can make some noise and money in today's heavyweight division, but I'm not sure why anyone should take him seriously as a possible heavyweight champion at this point. He needs to lose some weight and fight a live body.

Larry Merchant was great, as always, but he's never been shy about his quest for another decent American Heavyweight Champion. Remember how in love he was with Michael Grant?

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