Welcome to The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of HBO's Championship Boxing Show, featuring the rematch between Chad Dawson and Glen Johnson. Also on the bill is a junior-middleweight clash between Alfredo Angulo and Harry Joe Yorgey.
The HBO broadcast starts at 9:30 PM EST, and we'll be doing detailed round by round updates for both fights.
If you're watching at home, please feel free to contribute by posting your scores and opinions of the fights.
Chad Dawson 28-0 (175) vs Glen Johnson 49-12-2 (173 1/2)
Alfredo Angulo 16-1 (153 1/2) vs Harry Joe Yorgey 22-0-1 (153 1/4)
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Refresh this page often as updates will be frequent
6:45 PM EST... Check back in with us at 9:30 PM EST for the start of the show, as round by round coverage will begin with Angulo vs Yorgey.
9:20... Coverage will start in 10 minutes.
9:31... The show's starting. Updates will begin momentarily.
9:35... With Angulo's fight up first, Lampley and Kellerman are going over the top names at 154 to start the show.
9:36... Angulo is 164 tonight, while Yorgey has re-hydrated to 166.
9:37... The fighters are in the ring, and the introductions are underway.
9:38... From Bridgeport, PA... Harry Joe Yorgey.
9:38... From Mexicali, Mexico... Alfredo Angulo.
9:39... We're ready to go.
9:42... Manny Steward is joining Kellerman and Lampley in the booth. Angulo coming forward, with Yorgey fighting from the outside to start things off. Angulo presses forward, firing hooks and rights and pushes Yorgey into the ropes. Yorgey slips away, but Angulo keeps the pressure on. Yorgey moving side to side, as Angulo presses. Yorgey flicking jabs out from the outside. Angulo with his elbows tucked, and gloves up, edging forward. He's sticking out the jab as he moves in. 1:30 to go in the round. Yorgey keeping his distance here. Angulo jabbing his way in, and then hooking to the body. Yorgey trying to jab and move. Angulo backs Yorgey into the ropes, and unloads and lands a solid right. Yorgey on the move, Anuglo stalking. Yorgey trying to counter off the ropes, but he's not doing anything to keep Angulo honest right now. Angulo digging in as he pushes Yorgey to the ropes to end the round.
9:47... I don't think this one's going to last too long. Angulo's closing the distance and managing to unload in close when he does. Round 2 underway. Harold has it 1-0 for Angulo. Yorgey moving to his left, then to his right, and flicks out a jab. Angulo pumps the jab as he moves forward. Yorgey backs into the ropes and then fires a combo, but Angulo keeps stalking. Angulo jabbing his way in, and Yorgey slides away to his right. Angulo lands a right to the body. Angulo presses Yorgey into the ropes and fires a right. Yorgey gets out of there, but Angulo is on him right away and gets him along the ropes again. Yorgey is strictly fighting from the outside, while Angulo stalks. Angulo with a hard shot with Yorgey along the ropes. That hurt him. Anuglo goes after him. Yorgey in trouble along the ropes. Angulo pouring it on and down goes Yorgey. He's up, and takes the count. He's on the move, but Angulo's after him hard. Yorgey is in bad trouble. Angulo is pouring it on, landing hard shots. Hooks, right hands, shots to the body. Yorgey is in desperate trouble, as he can't keep distance. Angulo pouring it on with Yorgey on the ropes. Yorgey to his credit is trying to fight back, but he's taking a real beating here. There's the bell.
9:47... It was a hard right hand that hurt Yorgey.
9:49... Angulo immediately starts chasing to start round 3. Yorgey is in trouble, but he's fighting back. He's taking a beating though, and down he goes. He's up immediately, but the ref should really think about stopping this. Angulo pours it on, as Yorgey retreats to the ropes. He's getting pounded here. The ref would be very wise to stop it. Angulo with a huge right hand and down goes Yorgey. He's out.
9:50... Yorgey really didn't need to take that last shot. He was in desperate trouble BEFORE the round started. When he went down early, it was enough. There was no need for that final flurry. Why let a fighter clearly out of his depth take all that extra punishment??
9:50... That was vicious. It was a left hand, right hand combination that ended the fight. Yorgey is finally up. Good to see he's okay.
9:51... The official time - 1:03 of round 3.
9:57... There was an odd sequence late in the 2nd round which I should mention. Not sure exactly what happened, as I was struggling to type as fast as the action, but I just took another look. Yorgey was on the ropes, and kind of turned around as he came off the ropes and Angulo hit him in the back of the head. The ref came between them and Yorgey retreated to the other corner, and Angulo didn't chase, but seemed to wait for the ref to rule, but the ref backed off and the action started up again.
10:00... We just got a shot of Johnson and Dawson warming up in their dressing rooms. They both look ready to go, so despite the short nature of the first fight, it looks like this one might be starting reasonabl soon.
10:04... I just watched the first knockdown from the second round again. Very questionable decision making from the ref. Yorgey was clearly down, being held up by the ropes and Angulo was teeing off on him, and the ref didn't do a thing. Oh well... not like the result would have been any different, but the man in charge certainly didn't do Yorgey any favors.
10:05... Dawson is 191 tonight, and Johnson is 189. Supposedly Dawson is intersted in fighting in the super six. Hard to imagine him getting all the way down to 168, if he's re-hyrdating all the way up to 191. I think he was around 185 for Tarver II. Either way, it looks like he's filled into a big light heavy.
10:07... Glen Johnson has just stepped into the ring. He's decked out all in yellow, with black trim.
10:08... Dawson is making his entrance. He's in black, with orange trim.
10:09... Mark Lichtenfeld with the introductions.
10:10... Michael Ortega is the ref.
10:11... Johnson looks all business as his name is announced.
10:11... Chad Dawson gets a nice ovation. He's the hometown man.
10:12... Final instructions have been given. We're ready to go.
10:15... Here we go. Johnson immediately begins moving forward. He lands an early right hand. Johnson circling away to his right. Dawson flicking his right jab out. Johnson pressing forward. He's firing the jab, and then coming with the right hand. Dawson staying at long range for now. He's flicking mostly jabs. Glen with his gloves up, pressing forward. He flicks a jab out, and then lands a right hand. Action in the middle of the ring now. Dawson sticking out his right, but not getting close enough to really land it. He's cautious so far. Johnson with a right hand over the top. Dawson with a jab, and a straihgt left to the body. Dawson flicking the jabs out. Now he lands a left hand. Johnson short with a right hand. Dawson comes back with a left, but is short. Johnson moving his head, as he flicks the jab, and tries to comg in with a right hand. Dawson backs away as it misses. Dawson now lands a left hand. Chad doing better in the last minute of the round, while Johnson had the better of things early. There's the bell.
10:15... Dawson's corner tell him they want to see more jabs.
10:16... Glen's corner also wants to see him jabbing.
10:19... Lampley is spouting off punch-stat numbers. Harold has it 1-0 for Dawson. Action in the middle of the ring to start the 2nd. Johnson edging forward, as Dawson slides away to his right. Dason sticking the jab in there. Glen following, trying to get in range. Glen is short with a jab. Dawson is short with a counter left. Johnson with a jab. Dawson misses a left. Dawson sticking home a jab. Glen just misses with a right hand. Now he misses again as he shoots it over the top. Johnson short with a right hand. Dawson flicking out the jab, keeping Johnson from getting off here. Dawson lands a left. Johnson with a jab, and fires a right to the body. Glen edging forward, and is short with another right, as Dawson slips away to his right. Johnson is flicking out the jab, "pawing with it" Lampley points out. Dawson with a left hand. Now Johnson with a right to the body. Johnson now pushes Dawson to the ropes and tries to flurry, but Dawson gets out of there. Now Dawson responds with a nice combo. There's the bell.
10:19... Might be my imagination, but Glen looks like he's pushing his shots a bit. Doesn't seem to have the sting he did during the first fight.
10:23... Round 3. Harold's got it 2-0. Not sure about the first, but Dawson definitely won the 2nd. Dawson with a combo, and slides away to his right. Johnson follows. Dawson flicks the jab out, and Johnson tries to fire a right hand but misses. Dawson moving from side to side, keeping Johnson from getting set and loading up. Johnson follows, and gets tagged with a left. Dawson with a jab. Johnson is short with a right hand. Johsnon now misses with a right hand as Dawson ducks underneath. Now Dawson unloads with a nice 3 punch combo. Dawson looking good this round. Johsnon follows and fires a jab/right, but Dawson avoids both shots. Dawson now lands another combo. Good round for Chad here. Glen fires a hard right, but misses with it. He's just not finding the range with that right hand. Dawson lands a straight left. Johnson edges forward, and misses with another right. Dawson really keeping his distance nicely. Now he lands a left hand. Johnson keeps following, keeps edging forward, now he tries to flurry, but again Dawson slips away without any damge. They exchange with about 10 seconds left. There's the bell.
10:24... Glen's corner telling him he's got to go to the body.
10:27... Johnson comes out moving forward, while Dawson slides off to his right, now his left, and then again to his right as Glen follows. Dawson flicks the jab out to the body and moves away again. Johnson follows, flicking his jab out and then fires a right hand. Might have glanced off Dawson there. Glen pawing with the jab, and trying to follow up with a right, but misses. Glen now jabs, and fires a right to the body. Action in the middle of the ring. Dawson with a jab, and a left hand. Johnson presses forward, and fires the right, but I don't think it landed. Dawson moves things back to the middle of the ring. Glen flickign the jab out, trying to line up his right hand. Now he bangs a right to the body. DAwson responds with a left. Dawson flicking out the jab and moves. Now DAwson fires a hard left. Johnson comes forward with the jab, and fires the right to the body, but Dawson backs away and it doesn't land. Now Glen misses with a hook. Dawson with a nice jab. Dawson flicking out the jab, and Johnson not so eager to attack at this stage as the round comes to a close. There's the bell.
10:28... Johnson's corner is trying to get their man moving. They are telling him he's down 4 rounds. That might be the case, although he may have taken the opening frame.
10:31... Harold has it 4-0. Johnson pressing forward to start the round. Dawson circling. JOhnson trying to get close, but Dawson slides away to his right. Dawson keeping his distance here. Johnson with a 1-2 that lands. Johnson pressing, with Dawson circling to his right. Now Dawson moves to his left and Johnson chases. Johnson with a right hand to the body. Johnson with a right that misses. Dawson lands a jab and then gets out of there. Now Glen closes the distance, but Dawson immediately gets out of there. Dawson with a combo, and then gets on the move again. Dawson was standing his ground a lot more in the previous rounds. He's strictly on the move in this one. Johnson following, but not having much luck. Glen with a 1-2, and Dawson then slips away. Dawson flickng the jab and moving. Glen with a jab, and tries to go to the body with a right. Dawson throws a left. There's the bell.
10:35... Round 6. Harold has it 5-0 for Dawson. I think Johnson had a good argument for the 5th. Dawson circling and keeping his distance. Johnson following, trying to get close enough to land his right. Dawson is flicking that jab, and keeping Glen from unloading. Now Glen with a nice jab. Glen with a nice right hand downstairs. Action in the middle of the ring here. Dawson flicking the jab out. Glen probing with his jab. Glen just misses with a right hand. Dawson coutners with a left. Johnson with a jab. Glen edging forward, and Dawson slides away to his right. Glen comes forward and I think he landed a right hand. Glen with a jab. DAwson coutners with a left. Dawson with a nice left. Dawson on the move again. Johnson short with a jab, and misses witha right hand. Johson with a right hand, and Dawson lands a counter left. There's the bell.
10:36... Johnson's corner is telling him he hasn't won a round.
10:40... Harold gave Johnson the 6th. He's got it 5-1. Glen pressing forward as usual to start the 7th. Lampley says he think if Johnson's won a round, it was the 5th. I agree with Jim. Johnson moving forward, but Dawson circling and picking his spots nicely. He just landed a nice body shot. Glen is stalking, but just not finding the range. Dawson's moving very nicely, and landing most of the clean punches. Action in the middle of the ring now. Glen is not steadily coming forward as much as he was earlier. Now he edges forward, as Dawson circles away to his right. Dawson with a straight left. Johnson tries to fire back with a right. Glen misses with a right hand. Glen now pawing with the jab as he edges forward. Dawson firing the jab out. There's the bell. Not a thrilling round. Johnson looks like he's slowing down a little, and given what the scorecards probably look like, that doesn't bode well for him.
10:43... 6-1 on Harold's card. I'd guess the official judges have similar scores. Johnson presses forward, but Dawson circles away. Now Dawson stops and fires a combo. Glen gets on the attack, but again Dawson stops and fires a combo. Dawson now with a straight left, and turns Johnson and slips away. Johnson follows, as Dawson moves away to his right. Now Dawson moving to his left, as he flicks a couple of jabs out. Glen now presses Dawson into the ropes and fires a right, but again Dawson slips away. Dawson in control here. Glen edging forward, flicking the jab out and trying to find the range with his right, but he's just not landing it. Dawson nicely slips away to his right, and then peppers Glen with a jab/left. Glen keeps coming though. He jabs to the body and follows as Dawson backs away. Dawson now circles to his right, and pops Johnson with a couple jabs. Johnson fires a right hand, but misses with it. Dawson on the move here and Johnson unable to get close enough to land. There's the bell.
10:44... Lampley just said that this is the closest Johnson has ever looked to being an "old fighter". I'd have to agree. He just doesn't seem to have the same snap on his shots as he did last time. He just looks slower all around.
10:47... Round 9. Harold has it 7-1. Glen comes forward, and Johnson smacks him with a combo, and then slides away to his left. Dawson now bangs home a couple of body shots. Johnson keeps coming, as Dawson slides away to his right. Johnson trying to get close, but not having any luck. Dawson flicking out a couple jabs that land. Glen tries to fire a right hand, but doesn't get through. Now Glen lands a decent right hand. Dawson though fires back with a left and slips away. Glen presses forward and tries to dig downstairs, but it's Dawson that responds with what looked like the harder body shot. Now Johnson fires a right hand that may have landed. Dawson though slips away, and then stops and lands a combo. Glen with a right hand into the guard as Dawson backs away. Dawson looking very comfortable. Johnson with a 1-2 that's short. Action in the middle of the ring now. Glen was pressing early in the round, but now he's eased up. He fires a right hand that lands. Dawson responds with a left. Now DAwson with a combo. Johnson might have got a right hand in return. Dawson fires a combo, and Johnson responds as the bell goes.
10:51... Round 10. Alfredo Angulo is ringside, and he gives the thumbs up to the cameras. Glen comes out pressing, while Dawson circles to his left. Now Dawson goes right. Glen pushes forward, and lands a right hand. Glen digs to the body. Dawson responds with his bown body shot. A nice combo from Dawson. Harold has it 8-1. Dawson now flicks the jab as he backs away. Glen follows, but Dawson on the move, keeping a comfortable distance. Glen trying to jab his way in, but Dawson circles away. Glen trying to jab his way in again, and he gets Dawson along the ropes, but Dawson slides off. Now Glen fires a right hand that glanced off Dawson. Glen edginf forward, as Dawson backs away. Dawson stops and fires a shot to the body, and then a straight left. Now Dawson gets on the move again, flicking out his jab. Glen comes forward and misses a right hand. Glen just looks slower tonight. He's again short with a right, and Dawson lands a left in response. Glen closes the gab, and fires a 1-2. Now he misses with a shot. Dawson responds with a decent combo. There's the bell.
10:52... Dawson's corner tells him he's won every round. "Just don't get careless."
10:52... Glen's corner tells him that when he sees Dawson sliding along the ropes, he's got to take chances and go after him.
10:55... Harold has it 9-1. Johnson edges forward, as Dawson slips away, flicking the jab as he does so. Glen flicking out the jab as he comes forward, but he's not getting close enough. Glen fires a hook that misses. Glen is short with a 1-2. Glen lands a right hand. Dawson fires back with a combo. Dawson stuck around a traded there, but then slips away. Now Glen backs Dawson into the ropes and rips a couple shots to the body, but Dawson takes them and slips away. Johnson is short with a couple jabs, as Dawson backs away. Dawson lands a nice left hand. Dawson with a nice combo. Glen keeps coming though, but Dawson circles away. Dawson now rips a left hand on the inside that just missed. Glen edges forward, but a little tentaively now. Dawson hanging around on the inside for a moment, and now flicks the jab out and slips away. Another round in the books.
10:56... "Keep the jab going," Dawson's corner tells him. "You can't stop swinging." - the advice from Johnson's corner.
10:59... Round 12. 10-1 on Harold's card. Johnson with some urgency here, moving forward, while Dawson circles away to his left. Now Dawson moves to his right. Glen with a jab that lands. Glen digs hard to the body. Glen now tries to follow up with a right, but it whizzes over DAwson's head. Now Glen keeps pressing. Dawson backs away. Dawson now fires back with a real nice quick combo and gets out of there. Glen presses forward. He's jabbing his way in, and trying to land a right. Dawson fires off another quick combo, and that drove Johnson back into the ropes. Dawson gets on the move again. He's moving to his right. Action now in the middle of the ring. Glen tries to land a right, but is short. Glen flicking the jab out as he edges forward. Dawson sticks his jab out and moves. Glen gave a good charge to start the round, but now is looking a little tired, as he's not pressing. Dawson circling, but Glen can't get close. Now Glen tries to edge forward, but he's a little tenative and there's the bell to end it.
11:00... Johnson raised his hands at the end, but I'm sure he's aware that he's come up well short. He gave it his all, but he was in wtih a younger, fresher, quicker fighter tonight. Dawson was on the top of his game.
11:01... Harold gave the 12th to Johnson.
11:02... Here are the scores. 115-113, 115-113, and 117-111... all for Chad Dawson. I'm surprised at how close those scores were.
11:04... That wasn't thrilling, but Dawson did what he had to. He moved very well, picking his spots, and managed to have things mostly his way.
11:05.... Dawson is with Kellerman for the post fight interview. "I outboxed him every round. I used my legs. I used my speed. I outclassed him."
11:07... Kellerman mentions Jean Pascal and Tavoris Cloud as possible opponents, and asks Dawson who he'd like to fight. "Bernard Hopkins." Dawson acknowledges that if he can't fight Hopkins, he'd like to fight Pascal.
11:08... Looks like we're not going to hear from Glen Johnson. I think that kind of sucks. Yeah, he didn't come close to winning, but I think it would have been nice to give him a chance to say a few words.
11:09... Well that's it for our round by round coverage. I hope you enjoyed it.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Round by Round Blog: Chad Dawson vs Glen Johnson II, plus Angulo vs Yorgey
Monday, October 26, 2009
British Scene Weekend Recap: Rhodes Stops Moore, Napa and Bayaar Win, Rushton Injured
Dave Oakes recaps this past Friday night's Sky show.
Photo © Chris Royle
Ryan Rhodes became European champion on Friday night after stopping Jamie Moore in the seventh round of a classic domestic fight. Rhodes was a massive underdog going into the fight but out-toughed the usually teak tough Moore to claim the win of his career.
Moore started the fight well, repeatedly catching Rhodes with hooks to head and body in the opening round.
Moore continued the onslaught in the second round, he was beating Rhodes to the punch and was landing some hurtful body punches, a couple of which seemed to have an effect on Rhodes. The Sheffield man responded well to the heavy shots he was taking, firing back with his punches that made Moore think before he charged in.
Rhodes was expected to make full use of the ring whilst countering the aggressive Moore; instead he seemed intent on standing his ground and taking on Moore at his own game. This didn’t seem like the brightest of ideas, especially after the third round in which Moore teed off on him from start to finish with powerful combinations to head and body.
At the start of the fourth, it looked like it was a case of when could Moore get the stoppage, not if he could get the stoppage. There mustn’t have been many people in attendance who could have foreseen what was to happen.
Yet again Moore was the aggressor, he was seemingly far too big and strong for Rhodes to cope with. Rhodes was battling bravely and was having his own successes at times but Moore was landing some telling blows, in particular a left hook that rattled Rhodes’ jaw and visibly hurt the challenger. It was Rhodes though who landed the best punch of the round; he landed a vicious hook under the ribs bang on the bell that had Moore wincing and gasping for air as he made his way back to the corner.
The fifth round saw Rhodes getting dropped to the canvas, but it was a clear low blow that put him there. Despite the roars from the back of the arena, the referee correctly ruled it as a low blow and gave Rhodes the adequate time to recover. The round itself was very close, Moore was still pressing forward but Rhodes was increasingly upping his work rate and was now matching Moore punch for punch.
The sixth round was the first clear round that Rhodes won, you could make a case for him in another couple of rounds but this was the round in which he really made his mark. He was catching Moore repeatedly with spiteful body shots and was starting to boss the usually rock solid Salford champion around. To his credit Moore was still trying to force the pace but he was clearly tiring from his efforts in the earlier rounds, the number of heavy whacks to the body he was receiving didn’t help him to much either.
Moore tried to re-establish his superiority in the seventh but soon found himself on the canvas after a well timed counter right hook by Rhodes had him in all kinds of trouble. He managed to beat the count but he looked unsteady on his legs. He then, in typical Jamie Moore fashion, decided to go toe-to-toe with Rhodes rather than clinch and buy himself some time to recover. Amazingly he seemed to have turned the tide midway through the round and was once again hurting Rhodes to head and body.
Just when it looked as if Moore had weathered the storm and was beginning to break Rhodes heart, he inexplicably dropped his hands and was caught with a monstrous overhand right that sent him staggering backwards towards the ropes. Rhodes jumped on Moore straight away and unleashed a non-stop two fisted salvo that left the referee with no alternative but to stop the fight.
It was a remarkable end to a remarkable fight. A lot of credit has to be given to Rhodes, who at 32, showed he still has the appetite to dig deep and come through adversity to win. He’s had a career of many highs and lows but this has got to rank as the most impressive win of it.
It’s hard to believe that Moore will be able to rebuild from the defeat, he’ll still be able to compete at European level at either light-middleweight or middleweight but hopes of a world title shot now seem to have gone forever. It’s a shame that his world title dream has fallen apart after so many years of hard work and after spending the past three or four years begging to be given the opportunity he deserved.
Bizarrely, despite the fight being billed as a world title eliminator, it now seems that Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr has jumped ahead of Rhodes in the rankings and will fight Sergio Martinez sometime next year. Rhodes will have to be patient, let’s hope he doesn’t have to be as patient as Moore was made to be.
On the undercard...
Ian Napa recaptured the British bantamweight title after a close points decision over Gary Davies. A pumped up and emotional Davies started the fight at a furious pace, possibly letting the occasion get the better of him. His work rate was enough to secure him the first two rounds and make the next four close but it was the silky skills of Napa that dominated the fight from there on in.
Davies tried his hardest but was being beaten to the punch on the inside and at range. He had to survive some problematic moments late on in the fight as Napa unleashed two powerful uppercuts and numerous left hooks that had him rocking and rolling but he courageously hung on to hear the final bell.
Two of the judges had the fight in Napa’s favour (115-114 and 116-112) whilst the third judge scored it as a draw (114-114). I scored the fight 116-112; I felt that Napa’s work was the cleaner in the rounds that were close.
Shinny Bayaar produced the performance of his career to capture the British flyweight title after beating Stoke’s Chris Edwards on a split decision. Edwards, who was making the second defence of his title, never seemed to get going. He was unusually negative throughout the fight and only had himself to blame when the scores were announced.
The likable Bayaar was the aggressor for most of the fight, and despite not being able to hurt Edwards or get complete control over him, I felt he was the clear winner. Two of the judges scored it in Bayaar’s favour (117-112 and 115-113) whilst the third had Edwards winning 115-113.
David Price, the 2008 Olympic bronze medallist, won his third fight in the pro ranks after an uninspiring points decision over Yavor Marinchev. Price controlled the fight from start to finish but looked far from the potential world beater he’s being touted as.
Doncaster’s Jason Rushton was rushed to hospital after collapsing in the dressing room shortly after his fight against Brian Rose. Rushton was stopped in the tenth round after a hard fought fight but seemed to be fine initially.
He was induced into a controlled coma after scans revealed a small tear to brain tissue. His condition was described as being stable on Sunday and initial signs are good.
Everyone here at The Boxing Bulletin would like to wish Jason a speedy and full recovery.
e-mail Dave Oakes
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Photo Gallery: Ryan Rhodes vs Jamie Moore
This past Friday at the Bolton Arena, Ryan Rhodes continued his career resurgence with a dramatic 7th round stoppage of world ranked Jamie Moore. With the victory, Rhodes claimed the European 154 pound title and put himself in the mandatory challenger's position for the WBC junior-middleweight crown held by Sergio Martinez.
Photographer Chris Royle was ringside to capture all the hard hitting action.
Ryan Rhodes vs Jamie MoorePhotos © Chris Royle - Click on the images to enlarge.
Salford's Jamie Moore (left) entered as the reigning European champion, having captured the belt with a 3 round destruction over Michelle Picirillo earlier this year.The all-action fan favourite brought an 11 bout winning streak into the contest, and an overall record of 32-3.
Ryan Rhodes (right), the challenger from Sheffield, also entered on a good run having won his last 7 bouts, reviving a career that until recently appeared destined to fall well short of the promise once shown.
He succeeded in backing Rhodes up, but the 32 year old used movement and solid counter punching to hang tough in the early going.
The 4th through 6th rounds were fought at a torrid pace, with both men standing in the middle of the ring and trading. Moore still had a slight edge, but Rhodes had several good moments. 
The new European champion, and now mandatory challenger for the WBC 154 title celebrates his stunning victory with his team.
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Saturday, May 30, 2009
Live Blog: Berto vs Urango, Angulo vs Cintron
Welcome to The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of tonight's HBO Bad double-header.
Coverage will start at 9:45 PM EST.Up first: Alfredo Angulo (15-0) vs Kermit Cintron (30-2-1) ---- 12 rounds at 154
Main Event: Andre Berto (24-0) vs Juan Urango (21-1-1) ---- 12 rounds at 147If you are here early, check out Michael Nelson's preview of tonight's fights:
Berto vs Urango & Angulo vs Cintron Previews
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Refresh this page often as updates will be frequent
9:30... 15 minutes until show time. Updates will start at 9:45.
9:47... Boxing After Dark is on the air. The venue is the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Bob Papa, Lennox Lewis and Max Kellerman will be calling the action.
9:49... Right now they are showing some highlights of Angulo from HBO's Ring Life. I assume the fighters will be making their way to the ring shortly.
9:51... Angulo didn't start fighting until he was 16. He preferred baseball as a kid. The switch in interests not surprisingly didn't please his mother.
9:56... Fight night weights according to HBO's unofficial scales -- Angulo is 159 and Cintron 169.
9:57... Cintron is making his way to the ring.
9:58... Angulo is on his way in.
9;59... According to Bob Papa and Lennox Lewis, there are rumors that Angulo was sick in the days leading up to the fight. He missed the press conference and was late getting into the event.
10:00... Jimmy Lennon Jr. with the intros.
10:01... Wearing gray trunks with red and white trim, with a record of 30-2-1 (27 KO)... Kermit Cintron.
10:02... Wearing black trunks with silver trim, with a record of 15-0 (12 KO)... Alfredo Angulo.
10:03... We are underway.
10:03... According to Bob Papa, Cintron claims to be in the best shape of his career. At 169 tonight, he's certainly bigger than he's ever been. Lennox says he likes the way Cintron is using his jab, but he'd like to see him step into it a little bit more.
10:05... "Measured approach from both." - Papa. Both using their jab. There was one exchange at the 1:30 mark, where they both threw hooks. Cintron landed a jab, and Angulo countered with a hard right hand. About 50 seconds to go in the round.
10:06... Angulo with a hard right hand that backs up Cintron. He's got Kermit retreating a little bit here as the round comes to a close. Cintron with a jab as he backs away. Round 1 is in the books.
10:06... Angulo's corner is telling him to throw the uppercut. Cintron's corner... "Stay busy with the jab, but feint him."
10:07... Harold's got it 1-0 for Cintron. I'd give it to Angulo.
10:07... Kellerman comments that boxing to Angulo is second nature, while Cintron seems to have to think for a second before he makes his move.
10:08... Cintron's doing well early in the 2nd. He also had a good start to the first. Angulo is steadily coming forward though.
10:10... Cintron is using his jab. Angulo with the guard up, follows, also flicking out his jab and trying to follow up with power shots. He lands a nice hook to the body. Angulo just landed a nice right hand over the top with about 20 seconds left. Cintron is standing his ground though, and he lands a nice hook. Angulo comes back and whacks the body as Cintron backs away. Good round. Good fight so far.
10:11... "jab, jab, straight right hand." - Angulo's corner.
10:12... Cintron is circling to his left, flicking the jab out. Angulo coming forward, misses with a hook. Cintron stops and fires off a combo, but Angulo blocks most of it. Angulo steadily keeps coming forward, but Cintron is landing the clean shots so far.
10:14... Lennox likes what he sees from Cintron. Cintron lands a nice left hook that got Angulo's attention with about 45 seconds left in the round. Cintron lands a nice right between the guard. Good stuff from Kermit here. Angulo keeps coming though. There's the bell. Very good round for Cintron.
10:14... Angulo's corner is telling him he's got to throw more punches and move his head.
10:15... Harold has it 3-0 for Kermit.
10:15... Kermit with a chopping right in close. Lennox comments that Cintron looks nice and relaxed. Kermit working the jab, moving backwards and to his left. Angulo's looking a bit slow in there. Makes you wonder if he really might be a little sick.
10:16... Angulo's hurt. Kermit catches him with a big right hand. Angulo's backing away. Kermit composed here as he goes after him. I think Angulo's got his legs though. 1:30 to go in the round. Nice combo by Cintron.
10:18... 1:00 left in round 4. Been a big round for Kermit so far. Angulo is following him around, throwing one shot at a time and eating counters. Angulo with a body shot on the belt line and is cautioned for it. Kermit with a nice right hand. Lennox wonders how many of those Angulo can take. There's the bell ending another good round for Cintron.
10:18... Cintron has a nick over his left eye just below the eyebrow. His corner tells him it's nothing and not to worry about it.
10:19... 4-0 on Harold's card.
10:20... Lennox comments that Angulo is just pawing with his left jab, which allows Cintron to counter with his right hand. Lennox says he needs to throw some double jabs on the way in. Cintron with a nice counter right, and Angulo takes it and keeps pressing. Nice jab from Cintron. Angulo with a chopping right and then missing with a right.
10:22... Angulo is moving forward all the time, but Cintron is looking very comfy. A good exchange there where they both threw power shots. Papa comments that Cintron's getting a little lazy with the jab. There's the bell.
10:23... 4-1 on Harold's card. He gave the 5th to Angulo.
10:23... The 5th was a better round for Angulo. Cintron didn't really use his jab as effectively as he had in the first few.
10:25... Angulo coming forward behind the jab. Cintron backing up, but he stops and throws a shot to the body before moving again. Kellerman again comments that Angulo didn't look good at the weigh-in.
10:25... Not too much happening other than Angulo following Cintron around, and getting tagged by counters.
10:26... Round 6 is done. Angulo really needs to do something big to turn this around. He's looking sluggish and well beaten so far.
10:27... 5-1 on Harold's card. "I love what Kermit's doing with that jab."
10:28... Full credit to Cintron for the disciplined job he's doing in there, but Angulo really does look poor.
10:30... Angulo keeps walking forward though. He lands a decent right hand with Kermit along the ropes with 1:20 left in the round. Cintron took it well though. Cintron backing up a bit and now he clinches. Angulo back on the attack. He switches southpaw as he comes forward. "He's trying everything." Lennox. He catches Cintron with a hook. Angulo showing a lot more urgency now and he's having more success. He catches Cintron with a right hand along the ropes, but Cintron roars back with a combo. There's the bell.
10:31... 6-1 on Harold's card. I think Angulo got that one though.
10:31... Kellerman says being generous Angulo may have won 3 rounds.
10:32.. Angulo pressing to start the round. He digs a hook to the body with Cintron along the ropes, and Kermit gets out of there. Not a good spot for him. Angulo pressing with the same kind of urgency he showed late in the last round, but eats a right hand as he comes forward.
10:34... 1:30 to go in round 8. Angulo with a right hand that lands. Cintron doing a good job though of standing his ground when he has to and countering effectively. Lennox comments that both fighters are a bit weary. Angulo pressing Cintron here along the ropes. The ref calls time with 11 seconds left in the round. A bit of loose tape on Angulo's glove. There's the bell.
10:35... Angulo's corner telling him he's losing the fight and needs to press.
10:35... Harold has it 6-2 now.
10:37... Angulo coming forward, Cintron circling to his left. Cintron with a combo, both were blocked though. Cintron now flicking the jab. Angulo coming forward, trying to work the body. Kellerman comments that he's now making a concerted effort to go downstairs.
10:38... 1 minute left in the 9th. Angulo with a left to the body and Cintron ties him up. Cintron flicking out the jab, now slips away to this right. Angulo not as active as he was in the previous round. There's the bell. We're done 9.
10:39... Round 10 delayed slightly due to the tape on Angulo's gloves. Harold has it 6-3.
10:40... Harold comments that Cintron's mouth is wide open and he's looking tired.
10:40... Angulo's corner told him between rounds that he needed a knockout to win.
10:41... Angulo is plugging away. Cintron throwing the jab. Both fighters are looking tired.
10:42... Lennox comments that Cintron's hands are coming down a bit. He's tired, but so is Angulo. Cintron with a little hook on the inside. Angulo fighting out of the southpaw stance again. He lands a hook to the body. Cintron flicking the jab and on the move. Angulo with a right hand over the top. He lands another decent right. Cintron backing away here. There's the bell.
10:43... This is the first time Angulo's gone past 10.
10:43... Harold now has it 6-4.
10:45... Cintron with a jab, and a right hand, and then ties Angulo up. Angulo with a long right hand over the top that lands. Cintron dances away to his left, and now to his right. Angulo comes forward and Cintron ties him up. Kellerman comments that even though Angulo's coming on a little over the last couple rounds, Cintron has remained focused and hasn't let the fight get away from him.
10:46... Cintron puts his shoulder into Angulo's chest and holds him. Angulo didn't appreciate it. Angulo pressing forward, Cintron flicking the jab out. Angulo with a right hand. Cintron backing away constantly now, but I don't know if Angulo has the energy to do anything about it. Angulo with a hook to the body. There's the bell.
10:47... "Forget the body, go for the top. This is the last round. Put everything into it." - Angulo's corner.
10:47... "This is the last round, keep your hands up." - Cintron's corner.
10:47... Now 6-5 on Harold's card.
10:48... A tired looking Alfredo Angulo going after a tired looking Kermit Cintron here. He lands a hook to the body. Cintron grabs a hold of him. Angulo pushing forward. Cintron fires a left and backs away. Angulo just misses with a right hand and Cintron holds him again.
10:49... Angulo with a couple short shots in close. 1:30 to go. Angulo with a hard right hand. That looked like it hurt a bit. Cintron backing away. He tries to hold again. Angulo tries to fight through Cintron's clinches.
10:50... 1 minute to go. Cintron is warned for holding. "1 more time and I'll take a point." Angulo trying to pour it on. Cintron is looking completely spent as he backs away. Angulo with a hard right hand. Cintron backing away, flicking out the jab and fires a right hand. Angulo comes back with his own right, and he digs the body. Gutsy stuff from both fighters here. Cintron backing away but firing still. Angulo keeps pressing. There's the bell. Really great finish.
10:52... Harold has it 115-113 for Cintron. He gave Kermit the last one.
10:53... Jimmy Lennon Jr. with the scores. All 3 judges have it 116-112 for Kermit Cintron.
10:56... Cintron is now with Max Kellerman. "This is my best performance to date in my career. We had 8 weeks in training camp... I tell you what, I give credit to my team."
10:57... "Is this redemption for the Margarito fights?" - Kellerman. "No, not at all, the past is the past."
10:58... Cintron says he feels he can still fight at 147.
11:03... Kellerman is going over the welterweight picture while we wait for the fighters.
11:05... Berto is 155 tonight, while Urango is 150.
11:06... Urango is getting ready to make his entrance.
11:08... Berto is on the way in now. There are stairs leading from the dressing rooms to the arena, and Berto's just got to the bottom of them.
11:11... Jimmy Lennon Jr. with the intros for the main event.
11:11... The ref is Tommy Kimmons.
11:13... "The challenger on my right in the blue corner, wearing black trunks with multi-colored trim... his record stands at 21-1-1 (16 KO), moving up in weight... known as Iron Twins, Juan Urango."
11:13... "Wearing white trunks with black trim, with a record of 24-0-0 (19 KO), the undefeated Andre Berto."
11:14... Final instructions have been given. We're ready to get this one underway.
11:14... Papa comments that Urango's a natural righty, but just felt more comfortable boxing as a southpaw.
11:16... Urnago moving forward, with his head going from side to side, gloves up. Berto flicking the jab out, as he circles to his left. He jumps in, lands and holds. Cautious stuff to start from both fighters. We're about half way through round 1.
11:17... A small clash of heads. That's going to be a worry with the southpaw Urango moving forward. They exchange again, and another clash of heads. Urango edging forward. Berto with a jab, and a right. Not sure either landed though. Berto flicking the jab out and they clinch. So far it's looking like the mesh of styles might not be so great. Several clinches and a couple head clashes. There's the bell.
11:18... Berto's corner telling him when he uses the jab, slide over, wait for Urango to reach in and then counter.
11:18... 1-0 Berto on Harold's card.
11:19... Berto jumps in with a right hand, and then clinches. He's looking to beat Urango to the punch and tie him up in close. That's not going to make for pleasing action.
11:20... Berto landed a right hand, and Urango caught him with a right hook, and Berto stumbled a bit, but it looked like he got his foot tangled with Urango's. Some more clinching. Berto with a counter right, and Urango with a shot on the inside in response. 1:00 to go in the round.
11:21... The ref warns Berto that when he tells them to break, to let Urango go. There's another clinch, this time Urango has his arm wrapped around Berto. Berto with a clean right hand, and they clinch again. Berto with a combo just before the bell.
11:22... Two in the books. This is kind of messy stuff so far.
11:22... They clinch immediately to start the 3rd round.
11:24... 2-0 on Harold's card. More clinching. Urango comes forward with a lunging left hand that misses. He misses another one. More clinching. Berto now circles to his right, and slips underneath a hook from Urango. Another clinch. Urango misses with a hook. 1:30 to go in round 3.
11:26... Urango misses, and they get tied up again. Urango comes in, and their feet get tangled and he goes down. It's not a knock-down and the action resumes immediately. That's the second time their legs have got tangled like that, with Berto almost going down in round 1. Messy stuff. 10 seconds left in the round. Urango lunges in with his left and Berto easily makes him miss as he backs away. There's the bell.
11:26... Urango's corner is telling him he needs to lets his hands go on the inside. Berto's corner tells him, "Only hold for a split second, so he won't call that."
11:27... Harold has it 3-0.
11:27... "Juan Urango just has to get busy and punch on the inside." - Harold
11:28... Berto catches Urango with a hook on the way in. He's landing the clean shots here, although clean shots are less common than the clinches so far. Urango lands a hard left, and Berto with a hard right hand. A real good exchange there. About time we've seen one.
11:29... Berto with a right hand. He makes Urango miss, and lands another one. Nice stuff there from Berto. The gap in hand speed is huge.
11:30... Lennox comments that he doesn't like the way Berto throws his combos and then looks to hold. Nobody does, Lennox, but it's working for him. There's the bell to end round 4.
11:31... Round 5 underway. Harold has it 4-0. Kellerman has it a shut-out as well.
11:32... Berto on the move, Urango catches up to him, and Berto grabs him. He releases and catches Urango with a left. He then lands a shot to the body and holds again. I got to say I absolutely can't stand the hit and hold tactics of Berto tonight. I'm a fan of his and usually enjoy his fights, but this isn't good to watch. The ref from the Collazo fight warned him about it early, and we got a much better fight because of it.
11:33... Berto flicking the jab, and then lands a combo. Urango tries to counter, but is a little slow to respond. Berto moving away to his left, and Urango follows, only to be held again. Berto times Urango with a nice uppercut. Lennox says Berto should be pushing Urango back in close, rather than holding. Berto with a jab, and then slips away. There's the bell.
11:34... Urango's corner telling him to use the uppercut in close.
11:35... 5-0 on Harold's card.
11:36... Berto circling away, as Urango follows. Berto tries to time Urango with an uppercut but misses. Urango misses a hook and Berto moves away to his left. Berto with a jab. Urango misses with a hook. 2:00 to go in round 6.
11:37... Urango with a decent uppercut in close. Berto with a right hand, and they clinch. Berto with a right hand, and slips Urango's counter hook. Urango following, trying to get in close, but Berto stays out of range and fires a combo. The ref tells Urango to work out of it, after Berto ties him up. A good exchange, as Urango lands a hook, and Berto lands a right.
11:39... Round 7 is underway. 6-0 on Harold's card.
11:39... Urango backs Berto into the corner and throws a couple of hooks. Berto ties him up, and gets out of trouble when they re-start. Harold says he doesn't know why Berto holds so much, but it's up to Urango to do more when Berto grabs him.
11:40... Harold also commented that Berto is almost back handing his jab.
11:41... This is not thrilling to watch.
11:42... "Urango continues to plod forward, while Berto dances around." - Bob Papa
11:43... Round 8 underway. 7-0 on Harold's card.
11:44... Urango tries to get inside and rough Berto up, but Berto ties him up. "Berto's holding and doing a very effective job of holding." Lennox.
11:45... There's really not much to say about the action. It's dull. Berto's too quick, and when Urango does get close, Berto grabs him.
11:45... "For Urango, it's basically you can't hit what you can't catch." - Papa
11:48... Berto on the move. He goes left. He goes right. Urango follows. Berto going left again. Right again. Bob Papa asks Lennox what Urango can do to make a fight of this. Lennox has no answers. In fairness, there's not much he can do. Berto's too quick, and if he can hold in close all the time, there's little Urango can do other than get a bit dirty. Perhaps getting a bit dirty is the answer though.
11:49... The crowd is starting to boo.
11:50... In between all Berto's dancing about, Urango landed a few shots.
11:50... Urango's corner tells him that when Berto holds, he needs to throw the uppercut.
11:51... Round 10 is underway. Thankfully, only 3 to go. Harold has it 9-0.
11:52... Harold said Tommy Kimmons should have taken a point away from Berto by now. That would be nice. Kellerman says that the ref might do Berto a favor by taking a point away for the holding, since it would make Berto fight more and he's the better fighter.
11:54... The 10th round of this ordeal is over. Only 2 more to go.
11:55... 10-0 on Harold's card.
11:57... Berto landing some jabs. Moving. Lands a right. Urango misses a hook. Some nice moves there from Berto. If he did more of that, and less of the hit and hold, we might have had a better spectacle. Berto with a nice combo. He can fight when he wants to. He's on the move again. Urango following. They hold. "Let him go." Tommy Kimmons. Urango lands a shot just before the bell.
11:58... "Don't change anything." - Berto's corner
11:58... Urango's corner tells him he needs a knockout.
11:59... 10-1 on Harold's card.
11:59... I'm struggling to pay attention here. I'm tempted to flip the channel and watch some basketball and hockey highlights. I'll hang in there though. 1 more round to go.
12:02... Urango pressing and trying to land something big. Not having any luck, although he's landed to the body a bit. Time is running out though. It's not going to happen for Juan tonight. There's the bell.
12:02... Lennox just said that Berto's getting better with every fight. This was not an improvement in my book.
12:03... 118-110 on Harold's card. Berto is pleased with his work. He's chatting away to the cameras. He got the job done. He won easily, but this was not a crowd pleasing performance. This was really not much fun to watch.
12:04... Jimmy Lennon Jr. with the scores. 117-111, 118-110, 118-110 for Andre Berto.
12:07... Berto tells Max Kellerman he was trying to stick to the game plan and not get into his fighting mode.
12:09... "Kermit Cintron was the story of the night." - Max Kellerman
12:10... That's it from The Boxing Bulletin for tonight. We'll be back in a couple of weeks for the next live blog event when Miguel Cotto and Josh Clottey go at it.
Friday, May 29, 2009
HBO Bad Predictions: Andre Berto vs Juan Urango; Alfredo Angulo vs Kermit Cintron
HBO BAD has a good looking double header tomorrow night. Alfredo Angulo takes on Kermit Cintron at 154 pounds in the opener, while the main event features Andre Berto going against Juan Urango at 147.
| Make sure to check out The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of this event. |
The Boxing Bulletin writers give their predictions after the jump...
Andre Berto vs Juan Urango
| Berto is going to war with Urango, no doubt about it. Andre's speed should dominate the exchanges, but Juan will rock him a few times. Urango showed some nice body work in his last fight. I can't recall anyone really attacking Berto downstairs. I'm not going to lie, I was one of Berto's biggest detractors, but he won me over during that war against Collazo. I still don't think he is in a class with the very best in the sport and I honestly doubt he ever will be. He is one of the most exciting fighters in the world, and I expect another sizzling battle, with Andre winning an 8-4 type decision. - Mark Lyons |
| Urango is a 140 title holder, but he'll be right at home at 147. This is going to be some fight. I think it will go the full 12 rounds, and whoever wins the decision will have worked hard for it. Berto will use his speed to beat Urango to the punch with right hand explosions, but I do have some concern for Andre in exchanges, where I think he'll get caught and hurt. The Colombian is underrated when it comes to counter-punching skill. It's always hard to go against an undefeated fighter. You tend to think his management team knows what they're doing, but it's clear that Berto doesn't like southpaws or body punches. I'll pick the upset. Urango take's Berto's 0 by close, gutty decision. - Lee Payton |
| Berto vs Urango should be a good fight. I think Berto’s speed will give Urango problems early on and he’ll win the majority of the early rounds before surviving a late surge by Urango to take the fight by a comfortable points decision. - Dave Oakes |
| Berto/Urango is interesting, and I consider Urango a fairly live dog. His body attack will be a stern test for Berto. But that can be somewhat neutralized by clinching on the inside, which Berto had no problem doing against Collazo before the referee forced him to fight in close by taking a point away. And in previous fights, Urango hasn't worked inside of the clinch as often as he should. I think the hand and foot speed advantages Berto have will get him a competitive decision in a fight where he has to survive some rough moments. - Michael Nelson Check out Michael's preview of the fight: Berto vs Urango & Angulo vs Cintron Previews |
| Berto by 117-111 scores. The rounds will be competitive, but I think Berto's edge in hand speed will allow him to consistently do just a little bit more. - Andrew Fruman |
Alfredo Angulo vs Kermit Cintron
| I don't expect Angulo to have any trouble with Cintron. He will punish him from the jump and score a stoppage within six rounds. Lets say four. - Mark Lyons |
| Cinton doesn't have the stuff to hang with Angulo. He has no defense and absolutely nothing inside. He's going to get ripped to shreds. I'll be surprised if he goes 6. - Lee Payton |
| I think Angulo v Cintron could be a bit of a war depending on Cintron's frame of mind. Angulo is open to straight rights and I believe that Cintron could hurt Angulo early with that punch. My main worry is that Cintron gets caught and decides he doesn’t fancy getting involved after that. I think that is probably the most likely scenario and think Angulo will win via late stoppage. I wouldn’t rule out a shock Cintron win though. - Dave Oakes |
| I agree with Mark and Lee about Angulo/Cintron. Angulo's too big, too strong, and too much of a body puncher for Cintron. Cintron will get his licks in en route to getting taken out within 5 rounds. Should be a nice appetizer before the main dish. - Michael Nelson |
| It's not impossible that Angulo walks into a big right hand early in the fight, but I think once Cintron feels Angulo's power, his determination to stand in and land one of those fight changing punches will drop dramatically. Angulo by stoppage inside of 8 is my pick. - Andrew Fruman |
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Friday, May 22, 2009
Berto vs Urango & Angulo vs Cintron Previews
Next Saturday, quick handed Andre Berto will be putting his undefeated mark on the line against junior welterweight strap holder Juan Urango, while up and coming junior-middleweight bruiser Alredo Angulo takes on big hitting Kermit Cintron.
Michael Nelson has the preview of the HBO double-header.
Photo © Marty Rosengarten / Ringsidephotos.com
Andre Berto's path to his WBC title was paved with scrupulous care. In 2009, starting with a fight of the year candidate against Luis Collazo in January, the paving had become rocky and the navigation system had long indicated that he was on his own.
He has reached uncharted territory; the section of a promising fighter's career where true champions emerge. He is now facing world class opposition that know his weaknesses and have the talent to exploit them.
Still, the physically gifted Berto will enter the ring May 30th as more than a 3-1 favorite over the hard-nosed Juan Urango.
It's easy to see why. Stepping up to the Welterweight division, Urango won't enjoy the same size and strength advantages he had over most of his opponents at 140 pounds. And while his sturdy punch has produced some spectacular knockouts, it hasn't resulted in stoppages over the best fighters he has faced. The most accomplished opponent in his career, Ricky Hatton, earned a lopsided decision over him. In fact, three other southpaws - Eamonn Magee, Luis Collazo, and of course Manny Pacquiao - had far better success in the ring against the British star.
But there's a devastating aspect to Urango's game that makes those odds a bit misleading. It's why Ricky Hatton felt threatened enough to invoke the punch-and-grab spirit of John Ruiz for much of the second half of their bout, and it's why Herman Ngoudjo (who was also favored over him) took several deep, pained breaths during their encounter earlier this year.
Juan Urango is a crushing body puncher. And, well, Berto isn't fond of receiving body punches.
Andre looked worn in the late rounds against Collazo, a side product of Collazo's dedicated body work throughout. He had to dig deep to gut out the last round in an effort that won him a host of converts. Moreover, while the final stretch against Cosme Rivera a year and a half earlier was kinder to Berto, he spent the closing minute of the fight with his arms at his waist, smarting from a left hook to the liver. A series of uppercuts landing solidly against Rivera's bloodied mask made sure his discomfort went unnoticed by many observers. But make no mistake, he was hurt.
Urango's a far more resolute body puncher than either of those men. You have to wonder how Berto's going to fare in rounds six, seven, and eight if Urango's still in his face slamming right hooks into his rib cage.
Juan will likely have to eat a healthy diet of uppercuts to get a taste of Berto's ribs though. Andre shoots punches from underneath quickly and violently, jolting an opponent that gets too comfortable on the inside. How Urango fares in the early rounds against those uppercuts and the significant hand and foot speed disadvantage he'll find himself with may tell the story of the fight. Barring an early KO or knockdowns, he'll have to drop rounds in the first half of the fight against his more explosive foe. Fatigue and body punishment should start to slow Berto in the middle rounds, and Urango will have his best opportunity to snatch a hold of the fight thereafter.
Regardless, Berto will no doubt have his fill of tough southpaws after May 30th.
On the undercard, rugged KO artist Alfredo Angulo - who sports a dog collar into the ring - appears to have an easier assignment. His opponent Kermit Cintron lacks the durability and the unwavering focus of a Juan Urango, having been blown out twice by Antonio Margarito (who many have deemed to be a smaller, more accomplished version of Angulo) and essentially knocked out by southpaw cutie Sergio Gabriel Martinez in his last outing. The beneficiary of a very charitable count, Cintron came away from the latter with a disputed draw.
Meanwhile, Angulo is much like Urango; slow, but strong, with staunch punching power and a tenacious body attack. His last 11 opponents have folded under the duress of his pressure within the distance.
Cintron can hang his hat on the fact that he's no slouch when it comes to punching power himself. Boasting a 90% KO ratio, Kermit had an explosive right hand as a Welterweight. Whether he carries enough of that that power to Jr. Middleweight to stop a bull like Angulo is questionable, but he'll have his opportunities to make his right hand felt.
Otherwise, you don't have to wear a dog collar to sniff out a early to mid-rounds knockout victory for Alfredo.
e-mail Michael Nelson
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