Live Round by Round Blog: John vs Juarez

Welcome to The Boxing Bulletin's live round by round blog coverage of the Mayweather/Marquez under-card bout between featherweights Chris John and Rocky Juarez.

We will also be doing round by round updates of Michael Katsids vs Vicente Escobedo and the main-event between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez. Make sure to check back in with us after 9 PM EST for our comprehensive blow by blow coverage of all the action.

Chris John 42-0-2 (126) vs Rocky Juarez 28-4-1 (126)

If you are here early, check out some our stories on tonight's main-event and next week's Vitali Klitschko vs Chris Arreola heavyweight showdown: The Case for Juan Manuel Marquez Beating Floyd Mayweather Part One & Part Two by Lee Payton Chris Arreola Has The Tools To Rise Above Expectations by Michael Nelson Has Arreola Sacrificed Enough To Beat Klitschko by Lee Payton

Refresh this page often as updates will be frequent 5:30 PM EST... Coverage will start immediately after the Michael Katsidis vs Vicente Escobedo bout ends. As the televised portion of show starts at 9:00, and this will be the 3rd bout, we estimate it should get underway around 10:30. 10:34... The Katsidis/Escobedo fight has finished. This one should be getting underway soon. 10:36... John has re-hydrated up to 135 tonight, while Juarez is up to 134. 10:37... Rocky Juarez is sporting a mohawk. 10:39... Joe Cortez with the final instructions. We're ready to go here. 10:42... John working the jab early. Rocky trying to close the gap and fire his hook. Rocky tryng to jab his way in. John fires a 1-2, with the right hand going to the body. John with a jab. Steward comments on how John very rarely goes straight back, that he's always using angles. Rocky tries to jab his way in and hook to the body. John looking very comfy defensively though when Rocky attacks. John with a jab and a slashing right hand. John with a jab, and then slips away. John with a right hand. they clinch. Juarez edging forward, and John fires a 1-2 through the guard. Rocky moving forward, John slipping away to his right. John with an uppercut that gets through. Rocky gets inside and then gets tied up and Cortez tells them to break. Rocky jabs his way in and gets tied up again. John has Rocky's arm hooked on the inside. There's the bell. 10:46... Lampley is yapping away about compubox numbers. Harold has it 1-0 for John. Lampley's compubox chatter was about Rocky not landing anything in the opening round. John with a combo, and follows up tot he body. Rocky with a right hand. Rocky trying to jab his way in there, but John slipping away to his right. John with a right hand. Now John ties Rocky up in close. Cortez tells John to stop holding. John with a jab, and a right to the body. John again hooks Rocky's arm in close. John digs a hard right hand to the body. John with a jab, and follows up with another right hand downstairs. 1:00 to go. Rocky with a hook to the body. John ties him up. John's done a fair bit of holding so far in the early going. John sticking the jab in there. Rocky just short with a right hand. John again has Rocky tied up in close. John with a 1-2. Rocky jabs his way in. John wit a decent right hand. Some action in close right before the bell goes to end round 2. 10:50... 2-0 for John on Harold's card (and I assume all 3 judges). Rocky trying to jab his way in. When he does get inside, John just ties him up. John with a jab, and is short with a right hand. John with a couple of slashing shots on the inside. John hanging around on the inside a little bit more this round. Now he gets back on the move, and slips to his right. John with a jab. John with a right. John with another jab. Rocky getting outworked here. John sticking the jab and then firing his right hand. John with a 1-2. 1:00 to go in round 3. Rocky misses with a hook. John misses with a right hand and then holds. John with a jab. John with a couple more jabs and slips away. John just walked into a hard right hand... it connected, but not quite flush. John handled it well though. 10:51... Rocky is being urged to throw his punches in combination by his corner. 10:54... Harold gave Rocky the 3rd. "He landed a heck of a right hand over the top late in the round." He did, although I don't think it was enough to overcome the rest of the round. Rocky fires the hook, and then gets tied up. Steward comments that he's not very impressed with John tonight and he'd be a little worried if he was in his corner. John sticking the jab and follows up with an uppecut. Action in the middle of the rign there. John with a nice 1-2. rocky now edges forward, but John slips away and then ties Rocky up. John with a flurry. Rocky bangs the body with a left and a right. John ties Rocky up. John with a 1-2 that's blocked. Rocky a little slow to respond and John's long gone when he throws his hook. A nice exchange, with John firing a right and Rocky responding with his own. John with a flurry. 10:58... 3-1 on Harold's card for John. John with a right hand, and there's an early clinch here in the 5th. John with a jab, and a right hand that is blocked. Rocky edging forward, but John jabs and moves away. Rocky digs with a hook to the body. 2:00 to go. Steward has changed his tune and now sounds more impressed with John's work. Rocky comes forward and digs a hook to the body. John ties Rocky up. Cortez is telling him to let Rocky go. perhaps a warning might make him think twice about all this holding. John with a right hand Rocky responds with his own. John with a 1-2. Roky with a jab. John with a right. Rocky pressing forward and gets tied up. John digs to the body. John again hooks Rocky's arm. John flicking out the jab and lands a right hand. There's the bell. 11:02... Round 6 is underway. 5-1 on Harold's card. Rocky pressing forward, and misses with a right. John on the move to his right. Now he stops and throws a 1-2. Lampley just mentioned that Mayweather is not allowing HBO to weigh him tonight. Rocky edging forward, trying to get inside, while John is moving from left to right. John with a jab and then ties Rocky up. Rocky following, as John moves away to his right. John stops and throws a 1-2 into the gloves. John with a couple of slashing shots on the inside and they clinch. John with a 1-2. Rocky tries to bang the body, while John grabs a hold of him. There's the bell. 11:06... Rocky coming forward, John moving to his right, and now to his left. Rocky trying to jab his way forward. John with a jab and a right hand. John circling to his right. He stops and throws and then moves again. Rocky follows, but when he gets close enough, John flurries and moves again. rocky really needs to set his feet to throw and even when he gets close enough, John is often beating him to the punch. John with a right hand. Harold has it 5-1 for John. John has Juarez' tied up again on the inside. Rocky keeps pushing forward, but not at all effectively. Now John stops and lands a right hand. John with a 1-2. John with a flurry. John with a right hand. Rocky with a chopping right hand. John with another flurry and then grabs Rocky and Cortez tells him to stop holding. There's the bell. 11:10... 6-1 on Harold's card. I'd say it might be 7-0. John jabbing in the middle of the ring and then moving away to his right. Then he stops and throws when Rocky gets close. John with a 1-2. John misses with a right and then misses with a follow up left. Then he ties Rocky up. John with a 1-2. John again ties Rocky up. John with a hook. John jabbing and moving. Rocky digs a hook to the body. John flurrying and Rocky bangs another shot to the body. Rocky following, getting close, only for John to flurry and move. Now John ties up Rocky. A decent exchange in the middle of the ring, where Rocky landed a hook. 11:14... John starts the round off letting his hands go. He's mixing his shots up nicely, making sure to not forget about working the body. Rocky following, but just not able to land anything big. John with a 1-2. John looking very comfortable here, firing 1-2's. Now he ties Rocky up. Rocky gets back to following, not with much success though. John with a flurry. This one is starting to get a little dull. 11:15... Harold has it 8-1 for John after 9. 11:18... John flicking the jab home and then tying up Rocky. Meanwhile Lampley and the crew are chatting about Mayweather/Marquez. John with a 1-2 and then holds. John with a right hand to the body. John with a right. Rocky looks like if he had another 20 rounds, he still wouldn't catch John with a fight changing punch. there's another clinch. Rocky witha jab. John with a jab and a right downstairs. John flicking the jab out, and then holds Rocky. Cortez telling him to let Rocky go. how about a warning Joe? That might help a litle more than endlessly telling John not to hold. Rocky with a hook. John with a flurry and then grabs Rocky again. Rocky misses with a hook. There's the bell. 11:22... 9-1 on Harold's card. John with a 1-2. John with a flurry. John's getting a little sloppy with his shots and he's sometimes hanging around a little bit on the inside. John with a flurry. Rocky with a little hook. John holds again. John with some shots on the inside. Rocky fires back. John with a 1-2 and then holds. John flurrying, and Rocky responds with a decent right hand, and John grabs him again. John looking a little tired here. not that the HBO crew are noticing, as they are rambling on about Mayweather/Marquez. Max now mentions that Juarez is landing some decent shots upstairs. John with a 1-2 and then holds. Lampley comments that John is looking a little weary. They both just stepped on each other's feet and Juarez stumbled a bit. There's the bell. 11:27... John's left eye doesn't look good. It's swollen quie badly. 9-2 on Harold's card. Rocky has 3 mins to do something big. John with a 1-2. Rocky with a jab. John comes forward, throws a jab and then misses over the top with a right hand. John with a flurry. 2:00 to go. John with a 1-2. John with a jab. John flurries. Rocky not showing any real urgency here... probably tired as well. John ties him up. 1:30. John now on the move. he stops and flurries and grabs Rocky. John again holds on. 1:00 to go. John with a flurry and then again ties Rocky up. Both fighters looking tired here. John again holding. Rocky lands a big left hook! That hurt John. John was wobbled! But John throws back and ties Rocky up and walks Rocky back. Rocky now lands a hard right hand. Rocky just doens't have the energy though. John is hurt, but throwing back. Rocky trying to land one more big shot, but he's going to run out of time. That's it. The bell seemed to go 2 or 3 seconds before the HBO clock ran out. 11:28... It was a left hook on the inside that hurt John. If Rocky lands that shot 30 seconds earlier, perhaps he's got enough time to make it pay off. Harold has it 9-3. 11:29... Michael Buffer with the scores... 114-113, 119-109 and 117-111 all for Chris John. 11:30... 114-113? Was there a 2 point round in there? Interesting. I think the 9-3 card was closest to reality. 11:31... Alright, now let's get to the main-event between Mayweather and Marquez.

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Guerrero Beats Klassen to Win Belt

By Lee Payton

Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero threw 100 punches a round on his way to a 12 round unanimous decision win over Malcolm Klassen. While he only landed about 1 in 5 all night long, the constant activity kept the former title holder's hands busy on defense most of the time.

Check out our live round by round blog coverage of the show, including the Jacobs/Smith and Malignaggi/Diaz bouts.

It was the best performance of Guerrero's career. He took advantage of his overall edge in quickness by getting off first with the most all night long. Once he was finished letting loose with a speedy combination, he turned to his right, making Klassen pick up his feet and start all over again.

It looked like things might get dicey in the middle rounds as the South African came on strong, but Guerrero was able to take back control late. His energy level was extremely impressive tonight. The time he spent in Big Bear obviously did him a lot of good. He owes his new belt to the thin air up there. Read more!

Robert Guerrero vs Malcolm Klassen Preview

Michael Nelson previews Saturday night's super-featherweight match-up between Robert Guerrero and Malcolm Klassen.

Robert Guerrero will be the definitive favorite Saturday night. He has the impressive KO record (his last 16 wins have been by knockout), the significant size advantage, and most importantly, the name recognition.

Check out our live blog coverage of this event: Guerrero vs Klassen

But recently, South African fighters have shown that name recognition and glossy records mean little to them. Ali Funeka burst onto the scene by destroying Zahir Raheem and nearly upsetting Nate Campbell. And most believe that heavy underdog Jeffrey Mathebula deserved the nod against Celestino Caballero in April, five months after Moruti Mthalane made Nonito Donaire look ordinary until a cut inside of his eyelid forced the ring doctor to halt the fight.

The perpetual underdog role may be partially due to the memory of Mzonke Fana's embarrassing 2005 performance against Barrera, ghosts that linger whenever a relatively unknown South African fighter steps up to the big stage. Whatever the case, these guys will continue to exceed expectations as long as fight fans overlook them because of their anonymity outside of their home country.

It would be a mistake to overlook Malcom Klassen. The baby face 28 year old from Toekomsrus, Gauteng, South Africa is a punishing fighter with busy hands. In his surprise victory over Cassius Baloyi, Klassen thrashed his older opponent with a harrowing body attack until Baloyi finally crumbled under a cascade of punches.

The inside work between Guerrero and Klassen will be fun to watch. The tall southpaw is a rough customer in close and has one of the better body attacks in the game. Quite a few opponents have been brought to a knee from his digging left hands to the solar plex. But Klassen won't shy away from the combat; look for him to run off combinations to the midsection and mix in uppercuts and left hooks up top. As long as the fight is waged in the trenches, the smaller man with the busier hands may have the advantage.

Being three inches taller, Guerrero's advantages will lie on the outside. The Ghost has displayed refined boxing skills as of late, particularly in his victory over Spend Abazi, and in the quick dismantling of Martin Honorio. He'll have his opportunities to pick Malcolm off with counters; Klassen's jab is busy, but not stiff enough to deter Guerrero from shooting left hands over the top or timing uppercuts underneath.

Klassen's torrid pace will keep Guerrero from getting too comfortable though. Through the first 6-8 rounds, the man is a tornado. The amount of punches thrown behind a solid guard would give anyone fits. Down the stretch though, he tends to settle into more of a brisk breeze, electing to counter punch off the ropes instead of push the fight. He outworked Mzonke through the majority of their 2007 clash, only to falter late and lose a split decision (I scored it a draw when I recently watched video of it). He showed similar stamina issues in his decisive win over Gary St. Claire.

Malcolm's busy starts and shaky endurance in the late rounds births a quandary in picking a winner here. Guerrero has shown that he can be frustrated and outworked by relentless opponents in the past. Gamiel Diaz gave the 26 year old Californian his first loss (later avenged) by staying in his chest and keeping his hands moving. Likewise, Orlando Salido moved Guerrero around the ring and peppered him with shots to win a wide decision (later overtuned due to Salido failing a steroid test). While it's true that Robert has improved since these setbacks, it's also true that Klassen will probably be the best opponent he's faced in his professional career.

How many rounds will Guerrero win in the first two-thirds of the bout if the aggressive South African keeps his head buried in his chest? And can Klassen withstand a late Guerrero surge if he begins to wilt in the championship rounds? It has the makings of a rugged battle of attrition, one that may favor the slightly more battle-tested Klassen. If Klassen's tough enough to take Guerrero's heavier artillery, which I suspect he will be, I favor him to win a close decision.

e-mail Michael Nelson

Check out our preview of Juan Diaz vs Paul Malignaggi by Carlos Acevedo. Read more!

Score it!.. Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Marquez II

Earlier this month, The Boxing Bulletin's Score It! feature went back to May 8, 2004 for the first of the two dramatic battles between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. For this edition, we're going to take a look at last year's bloody and equally contentious rematch.

The lightning fast Filipino southpaw came away from the Mandalay Bay that night with the win, but many fans felt the Mexican maestro deserved the verdict, leaving supporters of both warriors hotly debating the rightful winner.

Did the judges have it right? Let's take a look at our scorecards...

March 15, 2008 - Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Marquez II

The Boxing Bulletin judges for this one are: Lee Payton, Michael Nelson, Jeff Pryor, John Vaci and Andrew Fruman. "This is much more of a chess match than what took place in the first round of May 8, 2004." - Jim Lampley 10-9 Pacquiao “Pacquiao landed about half a dozen right jabs and light right hooks, mixed in with a few body shots, while Marquez didn't land much of anything except a big straight right. Marquez' shot was by far the hardest punch of the round, and made it razor close on my card.” – Michael Nelson “Very close round. Pac was the busier of the two, and landed more, but the best punch of the round was a hard straight right hand by Marquez with just over a minute to go. Not enough to turn the tables however.” – Andrew Fruman 10-9 Marquez “In a mostly quiet opening 3 minutes, Marquez landed the most significant punch of the round with an eye catching straight right hand that snapped Paquiao’s head back.” – John Vaci 10-10 Even "JMM landed the best punch of the round, but was outworked, so I made it even. It really was round 13 in many ways. I scored the 12th round of their first fight even and I am going to do the same here. The respect they have for each other is obvious." - Lee Payton Official Judge's Cards Tom Miller 10-9 Pacquiao, Duane Ford 10-9 Pacquiao, Jerry Roth 10-9 Pacquiao 10-9 Marquez “Tit for tat until the beautiful combination that rocked Pacquiao in the final seconds. Marquez is starting to time his counters well in this round, particularly whenever Pac reaches for his body. He's also landing a sweeping left hook behind Pac's guard.” – Michael Nelson “Through minute one, each man has landed a few solid body blows. Pac lands a punch that nails Marquez's cheek, Marquez lands a right that twists Manny's head. With two minutes to go they fence with multiple swings none of which land. JMM lands another sweeping right that rakes Pac's head around. Then they take turns driving one another back. Manny is more effective, causing Juan's knees to buckle for just an instant. Marquez is unfazed and continues countering effectively until the end of the round. A right hook-left hook combo nearly decapitates Manny and causes him to stumble for a moment. Ding! The Bell saves him. Not surprisingly, Manny grins in the corner.” - Jeff Pryor Official Judge's Cards Tom Miller 10-9 Marquez, Duane Ford 10-9 Marquez, Jerry Roth 10-9 Marquez "Marquez almost went down a second time and and he almost went to the wrong corner as well!" - Jim Lampley 10-8 Pacquiao “A minute in and another sweet straight right lands right in the mush for JMM. It appears he's successfully lulled Pacquiao into a chess match, only to get suckered into a battle of exchanges near the end of the round and pays a huge price as a perfect short left hand finds his chin and deposits him on his trunks. It was a devastating punch, but he somehow gets up at 3 or 4. His first instinct is to fight back as hard as he can (Ya Gotta Love it!) and they trade wildly for the last 5 seconds and Pac lands a right hook to the temple that has Marquez dazed and staggering around in a fog after the bell." - Lee Payton "Late in the round, Manny catches Marquez flat footed with a straight shot. Marquez tries to counter, but he's off balance from the blow. He might be more hurt by that then he lets on. Moments later they flurry along the ropes and Pacquiao clips Juan with a cross to the body, followed by a short left hook that sends Dynamita flailing down to the mat. Marquez is stung, he gets up and unloads both barrels in an effort to survive as the two of them engage in a whirlwind. Marquez catches Pac with three brutal straight salvos, but the Filipino keeps swinging, buckling Marquez's knees again. The round ends and Marquez is still standing, trying to catch his breath, trailing after Manny in a daze. The ref pulls him around, and he plods towards his own corner.” - Jeff Pryor “Marquez landed a hard right hand in the first minute, which was the only real punch of note until Pac started to find the range with his left hand. He landed a couple good ones in the last minute, before finding the mark with a huge counter left that put Marquez flat on his back. Marquez tried to rally, but was almost put down for a second time as the round ended.” - Andrew Fruman Official Judge's Cards Tom Miller 10-8 Pacquiao, Duane Ford 10-8 Pacquiao, Jerry Roth 10-8 Pacquiao 10-9 Pacquiao “Pac comes out to test his man and Marquez lets him know it is gonna be another long night. Every time Manny lands something, Marquez tries to come right back. What a chin! He's taking some bombs in this round and is standing up to them quite well. At :53 Manny threw something similar to the shot that nearly beheaded Hatton and JMM took it. Things calm down a little and Marquez whips out a lead left hook that Pac seems to enjoy. Pretty awesome round that belonged to the Pac-Man.” – Lee Payton “The first two minutes were all Pacquiao, as he smacked Marquez upside the head with the straight left. Marquez rallied a bit the last minute of the round, but not anywhere near enough to win it.” – John Vaci 10-9 Marquez “The first minute is solid action. Manny steals a page from Juan and sweeps a left that just misses, the clean-up right bangs off Marquez's face. Marquez asserts himself and drives Pacquiao to the ropes, peppering him with blows. Manny nods his head. The second minute ticks by with minor skirmishes, then they explode again, each landing big shots, generally ramrod rights and lefts. Pacquiao smacks Marquez with a left hook upside the head. Marquez takes it. A moment later, Marquez cracks Pacquiao with a sweeping left hook flush to the cheek. Paquiao takes it. Nods. The rounds a dead heat. Marquez hears the sticks, and darts forward flinging a couple hard shots, just nudging things his way.” – Jeff Pryor Official Judge's Cards Tom Miller 10-9 Pacquiao, Duane Ford 10-9 Pacquiao, Jerry Roth 10-9 Pacquiao Totals after 4 rounds Tom Miller 39-36 Pacquiao, Duane Ford 39-36 Pacquiao, Jerry Roth 39-36 Pacquiao "There's the right hand again. That's the scoring weapon for Juan Manuel Marquez. He has managed to keep it a boxing match in this round." - Jim Lampley 10-9 Marquez “Little to choose between the two for the first 1:30 and then JMM gets home with a straight right, followed by a short combination that puts Manny on the defensive. A little right counters Pacquiao's long left attempt. Marquez has cut Pacquiao's activity down in a big way by circling to his own left and staying set offensively. A cobra-like right with :20 to go seals the round for Marquez.” – Lee Payton “Marquez landed 3-4 good left hooks to the body, got his jab working, and nailed Pacquiao with a few hard right hands to clearly take the round.” – Michael Nelson "These guys are the best of the best; when they land, it tends to be flush. Marquez is showing a little more tenacity right now, and towards the end he presses forward unleashing a flurry of punches. Again, just putting out a little more and nipping the round.” Jeff Pryor Official Judge's Cards Tom Miller 10-9 Marquez, Duane Ford 10-9 Marquez, Jerry Roth 10-9 Marquez "Alright, I want you to get busy out there. When you're first, you control him. Let's be first out there with that jab. Control him with that jab." - Freddie Roach 10-9 Marquez “Two perfectly set up counter rights take the first minute for JMM, who continues to circle intelligently. Pac is frustrated and just tries to explode but is tagged with a right hand to end an exchange. Beautiful left uppercit-straight right comination for JMM who is very comfortable. He's totally messed up Pac's rhythm thus far. Another laser right to the side of the head to punctuate a perfect round for Marquez. He landed all of the clean punches.” – Lee Payton “What control... Marquez starts the motion for a straight right, hesitates just an instant until things line up and then flings it out, smacking flat into Manny's face. Again, things have slowed a little. Marquez lands a right counter over the top clean. Manny catches Marquez standing straight and clips him. Pacquiao hooks inside; left, right to good effect. Follows with a hard straight. Marquez makes Pacquiao's whole body flail sideways with a right hook. They trade brutally, on even terms, then Marquez shoots a couple inside, scores and pistons quickly back out to distance and safety. Marquez catches Manny standing straight and clips him. Once again the sticks clap, and Marquez puts together a couple impressive punches. While both men do tremendous work, Marquez out slicks him when necessary, out punches him when all else fails.” – Jeff Pryor Official Judge's Cards Tom Miller 10-9 Pacquiao, Duane Ford 10-9 Pacquiao, Jerry Roth 10-9 Marquez "Marquez is going to have to fight him. You can't outbox this guy. You've got to fight him." - Emanuel Steward 10-9 Pacquiao "The exchanges were pretty even, but I gave Pacquiao the edge because I thought he landed a couple really hard, clean punches while forcing the action.” – Lee Payton “I'm tempted to call this an even round. There were frenzied exchanges after the headbutt that seemed to favor Pacquiao, but neither man landed much. I give a slight edge to Pacquiao for two left hands near the middle of the round that seemed to be the most definitive punches of the stanza.” – Michael Nelson “The first third of the round Marquez gets the better of it. Pacquiao forcefully bangs his gloves together once again. Midway through, a clash of heads and blood trickles from the right corner of Juan's eye. Blood seeps from his nose too. Pacquiao enlivened by the crimson, pours it on, ferociously attacking. Marquez responds in kind and they go toe to toe, tit for tat, with Pacquiao having slightly the better. Things settle and the round is still up for grabs. Neither seals it in the final seconds, though for me Pacquiao's work in the frenetic final minute puts the round in his column. Pacquiao is cut by the rounds end as well.” – Jeff Pryor 10-10 Even “Each man had their moments in a round with some great exchanges. I felt like Marquez had the slightest of leads at the one minute mark, with Pac evening things up in the second third, with neither man separating themselves in the final minute. I watched it a second time, and still wasn't comfortable choosing a winner. Even on my card.” – Andrew Fruman Official Judge's Cards Tom Miller 10-9 Marquez, Duane Ford 10-9 Marquez, Jerry Roth 10-9 Marquez "An amazingly even fight... and the straight right hand by Marquez hurts Pacquiao!" - Jim Lampley 10-9 Marquez "Marquez beat Pacquiao up in this round.” – Lee Payton “Marquez lands a right hand that results in a bad cut over Pacquiao right eye, then hurts Pacquaio with a left hook to the body shortly thereafter. Over the next two minutes, he lands several more right hands to close out a dominant round.” – Michael Nelson 10-8 Marquez “The ABC scoring guidelines state that: No knockdowns, but a clear dominating winning of the round – 10-8. I think this round qualifies. Marquez was dominant. He cut Pacquaio early, and proceeded to lay a steady hurting, landing several of the hardest punches we've seen so far in the fight. By far the most one sided 3 minutes by either man since the opening frame of the first fight.” – Andrew Fruman Official Judge's Cards Tom Miller 10-9 Marquez, Duane Ford 10-9 Marquez, Jerry Roth 10-9 Marquez Totals after 8 rounds Miller 76-75 Pacquiao, Ford 76-75 Pacquiao, Roth 76-75 Marquez 10-9 Pacquiao “Another extremely close round. It could be called even, but Pacquiao's punches caused more damage. A big left hand opened a nasty gash over Marquez' right eye.” – Michael Nelson “Unsurprisingly, Pacquiao comes out ruggedly determined to turn the tide and press things. For the first half of the round he makes it happen, landing several big shots over the course. Then Juan lands two big straight right hands, reopening Manny's cut. Pacquiao shotguns a straight left into Marquez's face, and then gets a little wild and they come together awkwardly. After a few heated exchanges where Pacquiao continues to slimly edge it, Marquez's face is smeared with blood again. The doctor takes a look. Marquez has a second cut on the same eye. Marquez comes out looking to reestablish himself, but it's just simply Manny's round. His shots are landing, and Juan's are coming up short. Manny, does a brief Ali shuffle as the bell sounds, underlining his solid bounce back round.” – Jeff Pryor “This was another really close round, in which Pacquiao did just a little bit more. I said this in my comments on the first fight – but having the ½ point option which is now available to judges in some places would be nice for a round like this.” – Andrew Fruman Official Judge's Cards Tom Miller 10-9 Pacquiao, Duane Ford 10-9 Pacquiao, Jerry Roth 10-9 Marquez "Another left hand rocks Marquez and the blood begins to flow in his right eye. Big round for Pacquiao so far." - Jim Lampley 10-9 Pacquiao “Pac staggers JMM with a weird, wide left hand that come out of nowhere. He followed up like a mad man with JMM on the ropes. Of course, Marquez sings right along with him and quiets things down with a nifty move that turns him off the ropes. Pac lands his own big counter punch in response to a missed right. JMM seems to be standing his ground more and is eating lefts for his bravery.” – Lee Payton “In the first 15 seconds of the round Marquez gets aggressive and pays. Pacquiao lands a prequel to the punch that would end Hatton's night, a short right hand that he lands while slipping Juan's attack. It's a thing of brutal beauty and sends Juan staggering to the ropes. Manny shoots forward trying to capitalize, but Marquez dodges much of the attack, like a matador. He seems unfazed and is firing back, but nothing by either man really lands. The next two minutes, Marquez rights the ship and they fight on even terms. Both men are damn near indomitable. Manny, punctuates the round with a final blow and bags another stanza.” – Jeff Pryor “After hurting Marquez with a left hand counter early in the round, Pac went on the offensive and had much the better of things for the first minute and a half – and then Marquez steadily worked his way back into the round, having most of the good moments over the final minute. After the rough start, he made it close, but not close enough to overcome the big early deficit.” – Andrew Fruman Official Judge's Cards Tom Miller 10-9 Pacquiao, Duane Ford 10-9 Pacquiao, Jerry Roth 10-9 Pacquiao "You're not pressing him. You're not pressing him. You're waiting. Come'on. Press, press. There's only two more rounds Juan..." - Nacho Beristain "Blood is drama. We have blood, we have drama." - Larry Merchant 10-9 Marquez “I thought Marquez won it close but clear with a handful of solid punches upstairs and down. Manny was tamed for the most part.” – Lee Payton “The first half of the round is an even affair. A punch by Juan strays minimally low, Manny takes the opportunity for a breather. He looks shop worn. Midway through, Marquez lands a string of straights that drive Pacquiao back to the ropes, asserting his lead in the round. It tightens up a little, as both men land effectively, but Pacquiao seems to be tired and isn't throwing as much. Very slight edge to Marquez. Lampley thinks Marquez may need a knockout to win, Marquez probably thinks the same thing himself these days.” – Jeff Pryor 10-10 Even “Both guys had their moments, each landing a handful of clean punches in a very closely contested round. Neither one separated himself enough from the other to pick a winner on my card.” – John Vaci Official Judge's Cards Tom Miller 10-9 Marquez, Duane Ford 10-9 Marquez, Jerry Roth 10-9 Marquez "I have the fight 6-5 for Marquez, which means I have an even fight, because of the knockdown by Pacquiao" - Larry Merchant "Sometimes judges score blood, and it's Marquez that has had blood running down his face for the last three rounds of the fight." - Jim Lampley 10-9 Marquez “Marquez closed out the fight by having his way with Pacquiao tactically. He controlled the pace of the round and countered at will. Clear round for Juan Manuel.” – Lee Payton “A clear round for Marquez, as he put together some of his best combinations of the fight. He seemingly out-landed Pacquiao 2 to 1.” – Michael Nelson “The first minute, Marquez is just doing more. Much is being blocked, but some are getting through. Manny seems to be holding himself in reserve. Second minute, they trade. Marquez looks tired and off balance which is quite rare for him. Marquez lands a couple big rights over the last minute, but is more economical. Pacquiao is pressing, but largely ineffective. They both have minor rallies. Overall Marquez, takes the round.” – Jeff Pryor 10-9 Pacquiao “Marquez had his moments, but I thought Manny landed enough straight lefts and outfought Marquez in close quarters to take it.” – John Vaci Official Judge's Cards Tom Miller 10-9 Marquez, Duane Ford 10-9 Pacquiao, Jerry Roth 10-9 Marquez Final Scores Official Cards Tom Miller: 114-113 Pacquiao Duane Ford: 115-112 Pacquiao Jerry Roth: 115-112 Marquez The Boxing Bulletin Cards Lee Payton: 114-114 Draw Michael Nelson: 114-113 Pacquiao Jeff Pryor: 114-113 Marquez John Vaci: 115-113 Pacquiao Andrew Fruman: 114-113 Marquez The Boxing Bulletin Official Scorecard R1: Pacquiao R2: Marquez R3: Pacquiao (10-8) R4: Pacquiao R5: Marquez R6: Marquez R7: Pacquiao R8: Marquez R9: Pacquiao R10: Pacquiao R11: Marquez R12: Marquez Overall, we scored the bout 6-6, which comes out to 114-113 Pacquiao with the knockdown. However, we were deadlocked 2-2-1, with two scorers favoring Pacquaio, two going with Marquez and one even card. Marquez swept 4 rounds on our cards (2, 5, 6, 8) as well as taking a 4/5ths share in rounds 11 and 12, while Pacquiao had the unanimous edge on 3 cards (3, 9 & 10) and a 4/5ths share of rounds 4 and 7. In 11 of the 12 rounds, at least 4 of us had the same score. Notable differences to the official cards: All 3 official judges gave Marquez round 7, while 4 of the 5 Boxing Bulletin judges scored the round for Pacquiao. All 5 Boxing Bulletin judges gave round 6 to Marquez, while 2 of the 3 official judges scored the round for Pacquiao. Please join us again next month when we give the round by round scorecard treatment to another controversial fight from the past. Previous Editions of Score it! Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Marquez I Nigel Benn vs Chris Eubank II Larry Holmes vs Tim Witherspoon Erik Morales vs Marco Antonio Barrera I Sugar Ray Leonard vs Marvin Hagler

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British Scene Weekend Recap

This past Friday night at the Bellahouston Sports Centre in Glasgow, Ricky Burns defended his Commonwealth super-featherweight title against Kevin O'Hara. The show also featured the return of Edinburgh's Alex Arthur.

Dave Oakes has the recap.

Check out Dave's Preview of the Show: Ricky Burns vs Kevin O'Hara Preview

Saturday June 13 Burns Scrapes Past O'Hara By Dave Oakes Ricky Burns survived a tough test on Friday night to retain his Commonwealth super-featherweight title at the Bellahouston Sports Centre, Glasgow. Burns never seemed to find his rhythm and struggled to establish himself against a fired up Kevin O’Hara. O’Hara has been guilty of underachieving when he’s taken a step up in class in the past, but it was a different story this time as he jumped on the champion early and tried to force the pace of the fight. The first four rounds were very even, with O’Hara pressing but not landing many punches and Burns back-pedaling whilst also not landing many punches. Burns fared slightly better in rounds five to eight, he wasn’t dominating but he was out-hustling O’Hara to edge the rounds. O’Hara was starting to look a touch tired in the seventh but continued to press forward where Burns met him with a jab before clinching. This was to be a pattern in the fight, Burns didn’t look comfortable when O’Hara was on the inside and was content to tie him up rather than trade with him. O’Hara seemed to get a second wind in the last few rounds; he was pressing with more authority but was still landing very little. O’Hara was only throwing left-hooks; Burns had noticed this early in the fight and was now catching most of them on his gloves. Despite the predictability of his opponent, Burns wasn’t doing much other than throwing the odd jab and left hook to the body before tying O’Hara up on the inside. Surprisingly he didn’t seem capable of countering O’Hara and looked uncomfortable and awkward all through the fight. O’Hara was deducted a point in the ninth for deliberate use of the head. With the fight looking to be very close, it was a daft thing for O’Hara to do. As it was, it didn’t make any difference as the judges scored the bout surprisingly wide in favour of Burns. The judges scorecards read: 117-110, 117-111 and a much more sensible 115-113. All in all, this wasn’t a particularly entertaining fight and has to go down as the worst performance by Burns since he lost to Carl Johanneson a couple of years ago. He didn’t seem to be motivated and was lucky that O’Hara was one-dimensional in his attacks; if O’Hara had mixed it up a bit more he could’ve pulled off a shock win. Burns may be in need of a break to help recharge his batteries before making another defence of his title later this year. I don’t think it would be wise at this stage of his career to go looking for fights against Kevin Mitchell and Roman Martinez like he’s been talking about. Both of those fighters would make very easy work of Burns based on Friday night’s performance. On the undercard… Alex Arthur made a successful return to the ring by blowing away the hapless Mohamed Benbiou inside ninety seconds. Benbiou was down three times and looked hurt every time Arthur landed. It was a big left hook to the body that brought the mismatch to an end. Arthur is now campaigning at lightweight; it’ll be interesting to see how he does there after a fairly successful career at super-featherweight. e-mail Dave Oakes

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British Scene: Ricky Burns vs Kevin O'Hara Preview

Tomorrow night in Glasgow, Commonwealth super-featherweight champion Ricky Burns makes the 3rd defence of his title against challenger Kevin O'Hara.

Dave Oakes has the preview.

Make sure to check back in with us on Monday for our recap of this show.

Saturday June 13 Ricky Burns vs Kevin O'Hara (Sky) By Dave Oakes The ever improving Ricky Burns makes the third defence of his Commonwealth super-featherweight title on Friday night against former amateur star Kevin O’Hara. O’Hara was a top class amateur but has so far failed to reproduce that form in paid ranks. He turned pro just over six years ago and has amassed a disappointing record of 16-4 with only five of those victories by stoppage. All four defeats have come in fights where he’s taken a step up from fighting journeymen. There’s no disgrace in losing to Willie Limond or Choi Tseveenpurev, who are both very good fighters, but his defeats against Henry Castle and Eddie Hyland are much more worrying. Castle is entertaining to watch but is nothing more than a crude slugger, and whilst Hyland has talent, he’s got very little ambition and doesn’t punch with any authority; they’re the kind of fighters that are made for O’Hara, yet he managed to let himself get outworked by them and lost both fights on points. Burns is coming off a career best win against an old but always dangerous Michael Gomez. Burns was on top form that night, controlling the pace of the fight with a ramrod jab and keeping his hands held high and his chin tucked down. He kept Gomez off balance all night and I was really impressed with his hand-speed as well as the patience he showed before turning up the tempo in the sixth and seventh rounds to stop Gomez. Burns’ only defeats have come against Alex Arthur and Carl Johanneson but he’s improved greatly since those fights. Those defeats have improved him as fighter and it goes to show that an undefeated record in a young fighter doesn’t mean anything other than they’ve been well matched. Burns has won by stoppage in both of his title defences and is showing improved power. However, I’d be surprised if he stopped O’Hara, who’s got a very solid chin and knows how to slip away from punches to minimise the effect. O’Hara is a lovely boxer when he’s allowed to settle into a rhythm, so Burns must use his jab to full effect to stop that happening and to set up his own attacks. I think he will do just that and will control the fight from start to finish to take a wide points decision in front of his hometown fans at the Bellahouston Sports Centre, Glasgow. Former world champion Alex Arthur makes his long awaited return on the undercard. Arthur hasn’t boxed since losing his world title to Nicky Cook last year and will be looking to shed some ring rust against little known Frenchman Mohamed Benbiou. e-mail Dave Oakes

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British Scene Weekend Preview

In store for British boxing fans this weekend...

Dave Oakes previews Friday night's commonwealth super-featherweight title clash between champion Ricky Burns and challenger Michael Gomez.

Matt Chudley takes a look at the vacant British super-middleweight title bout between Tony Quigley and Tony Dodson. Matt also touches on what might be next for Ireland's Bernard Dunne.

Friday March 27 Michael Gomez vs Ricky Burns (SKY) By Dave Oakes Michael Gomez’s demolition of Alex Arthur in 2003 remains the career highlight for the erratic, self-proclaimed madman of Manchester. On Friday night, he returns north of the border to challenge Ricky Burns for the Commonwealth super-featherweight title at the Bellahouston Sports Centre, Glasgow. A lot has happened to Gomez since that famous night, namely a movie of his life story being made, a split from trainer Billy Graham, four knockout losses, including his strange walk-out midway through the 5th round of a fight he was winning comfortably against Peter McDonagh, and a dabble at lightweight resulting in a failed attempt to beat the then unbeaten Amir Khan. It’s safe to say Gomez doesn’t do quiet. He had Khan down and hurt that night, but was taking too many punches and was ground down in the 5th round when he appeared to run out of energy. It’s a common trait in Gomez’s career, if he doesn’t get his opponent out of there early, he tends to fade later on. The similarities between this fight and the Arthur fight are there to see. Burns is a long range boxer with height and reach advantages and is considered the up-and-coming fighter. Gomez is seen as past his best and is the underdog going into the champion’s backyard. Gomez knows this and will thrive off it; he’s already started the war of words and will certainly try to unsettle his younger opponent at the weigh-in with his usual antics. This will be Burns’ second defence of his title and his biggest fight since losing to Carl Johanesson two years ago. He has improved since that fight but the fact he struggled to cope with the aggressive style of Johanesson must be a worry for his team. Burns will be looking to hit and move rather than trading with the stronger Gomez. His stiff jab and quick straight right will be of great importance in this fight and the need to keep a calm head early on could decide the way the fight goes. Gomez will be looking to force Burns onto the ropes from the first bell and will deliver some punishing hooks to head and body. If Burns can survive the early attack and establish his jab as the fight progresses, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him wear Gomez down and stop him around the 9th round. e-mail Dave Oakes

Saturday March 28 Tony Dodson vs Tony Quigley (Setanta) By Matt Chudley On Saturday at the Echo Arena in Liverpool Tony Dodson and Tony Quigley clash for the vacant British super-middleweight Title on a card that has seen more chopping and changing than the average HBO Boxing after Dark show. Initially the main event was to involve British light-middleweight champion Ryan Rhodes defending his title against loud mouth Londoner Anthony Small with the co-feature being Belfast’s Brian Magee defending his British super-middleweight title against local boy Tony Dodson. Rhodes, the resurgent Sheffield fighter pulled out due to a cold although the idea of facing awkward stylist and mandatory challenger Small when he had once again crept into the WBC top ten couldn't have been the most enthralling of prospects. After suffering a back injury during training Brian Magee opted to vacate his Lonsdale belt, allowing scousers Tony Dodson and Tony Quigley to contest the vacant title. Dodson, a big character on the British circuit held the title previously but was unable to defend it himself after suffering a string of injuries resulting from a car crash in May 2004. It is a big step up in competition for Tony Quigley, who auditioned unsuccessfully for a place on the latest series of mixed-martial-arts reality TV show “The Ultimate Fighter”. Sporting a soft 12-1 record Quigley was afforded the opportunity out of convenience as he was previously scheduled to fight for the English title on this card. While Haymaker Promotions may have lost the three most established fighters from this bill they have been lucky enough to hold onto the services of the two biggest tickets sellers. The last of the British Olympians to turn pro and the oldest of the group, local Heavyweight Bronze medalist David Price will accompany the controversial “Dirty” Derry Mathews in filling out the undercard. Mathews, who is renowned for testing referees and socializing with football stars had built quite a following in the region until losing 2 of his last three and is looking to rebuild against South African journeyman Harry Ramogoadi over six rounds. Price is to take on short notice trail horse David Ingleby, also over six. e-mail Matt Chudley

What next for Bernard Dunne? Without a doubt the fight which everyone in the British Isles would like to see is Dunne vs Leicester man Rendall Munroe. However, it is reasonable to assume though that the same promotional complications that have hampered this potential fight will continue to plague it. Dunne’s promoter Brian Peters has an ongoing deal with Irish flagship broadcaster RTE and Munroe’s promoter with the British based Sky Sports who are also present in Ireland. With an unwillingness to jump networks, an overstating of their man’s value and the public finger pointing it has become a similar situation to that of Arthur Abraham and Felix Sturm. The real WBA champion Celestine Caballero has been amongst the many who have now called out the Irishman, guaranteeing a sell-out crowd and a big TV audience in his native land Dunne has become the meal ticket of the division. Peters had said that their dream fight would be Israel Vasquez in Las Vegas but that a voluntary defense is the likely next move. - Matt Chudley

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