Mark's Top 40 At 40: #1 Thomas Hearns

Mark Lyons is back with the final entry of his top 40 at 40 list.

If you've been following along since the start, you've been waiting a little while for Mark's final installment, and of course you know that Mark has been counting down his 40 favorite fighters to celebrate his 40th birthday.

Links to the previous 39 entries can be found at the bottom.

Photo courtesy of TheCyberBoxingZone.

My apologies for turning this list into an endless endeavor. I've really had a difficult time finding the words to describe the last few guys. While I have a lot to say, this list has been emotional and I've had a difficult time following up the one before it. This final entry has been next to impossible.

Boxing has occupied a great deal of my life and these attachments bring back many memories. But anyway, thanks to any who have read this project, and again I am sorry for the massive delays at the end.

1. Thomas Hearns 61-5-1 (48) Three Favorite fights: Hagler KOby3, Duran KO2, Leonard "D" 12 This comes as no surprise to anyone who knows me. Years after dirt has been poured on my corpse I will still think Tommy was a better fighter than Ray Leonard. The way the breaks went and the way that one guy carefully chose his fights makes Leonard "greater", but not by the margin that most inexplicably rate him. Six minutes is all that separated a green Hearns from glory there. People act like he got destroyed and seem to want to ignore the fact that Tommy won about 2 out of every 3 rounds he faced the man in. He asked for no sympathy and he took no shortcuts. While his chin wasn't granite, it damn sure wasn't china. Talk about going out on your shield? That phrase was made for the Hit Man. I remember when Emmanuel Steward first popped on CBS Sports Spectacular with his tall and gangly welterweight prospect. Watching this freak of nature with unrivaled speed and power begin to decimate his competition meant I was hooked for life. Lets take a look at the devastating arsenal... Easily one of history's greatest jabs, with that famous pulverizing right hand behind it. He had a very underrated hook to the head and the body as well. Blinding hand speed and accuracy out of his ass. Just a complete killing machine with the balls and will to face anybody, at any weight, any time. Tommy gave everything he had whenever he graced the squared circle. Be it as the Motor City Cobra or The Hit Man, effort and excitement were guaranteed. His presence in a ring generated an electricity that you could feel through your set. One great thing about today's technology is you are hard pressed to miss a big fight. On August 2nd, 1980 I was in North Carolina, at my grandmothers house, and Hearns/Cuevas was not televised. In the BoxRec era, people look at Pipino Cuevas' record and shrug their shoulders. At the time he was a scary monster. Angel Espada, Harold Weston and Harold Volbrecht all suffered broken jaws trying to take the strap from the vicious Mexican puncher. While his skills were fairly archaic, he had what was thought of as an unbreakable chin, and had become known as one of the most fearsome punchers in the game. During the afternoon I watched Aaron Pryor beat an aging Antonio Cervantes to claim his first title. That night I just sat there, 11 years old, chewing on my fingernails, waiting for the news. I was just hoping and praying they would mention the result. They didn't, so I opened the Sunday paper and saw Thomas Hearns Stops Pipino Cuevas in the Second. The elation was so much that I didn't even care about Earnie Shavers losing to Tex Cobb. Seeing the fight for the first time the following week, it still was astonishing. I had never seen such an explosive combination of speed and power. Lets just say Zab Judah should count his lucky stars he never chicken danced against Thomas Hearns, because another right hand was coming before you went down. The explosive result was far from the foregone conclusion people act like it was now. Sometimes I think making fights like this look so easy makes boxing people take away from some of Hearns' immense accomplishments. Then came Leonard. Yes, Ray won that fight fair and square. He dug down as deep as a fighter can and gutted out a win over a guy who had his number. As much disdain as I have for him, that accomplishment can never be taken away. The fact that it took 8 years for him to nut up and fight Tommy in a rematch is where the Ray Leonard love fest ends. It amazes how people don't give a fuck about all the good work Hearns did when rating the two guys. What if Joe Frazier didn't rematch Ali? Two great fighters with a distinct style advantage for Tommy and people just assume that Leonard is going to eat thunder and with a massacred face, hunt him down late? GTFOH is all I say to that. Much more on the Leonard rivalry later. Less than 3 months after losing his first fight, Tommy was fighting a middleweight. Yeah, weight classes never meant shit to him. "Just get someone tough and a date, I'll weigh-in there". He then destroyed Marcos Geraldo in 1 round. The same Geraldo that gave Leonard and Hagler tough distance fights. He also boxed the ears off of Wilfred Benitez. Yet another masterpiece that people want to throw away for some infuriating reason. I went to the Baltimore Arena with my father to watch Hearns/Duran on Closed Circuit. It was my two favorite fighters going at it, and though I wanted Hearns to win, I couldn't wrap my head around how it would play out. Tommy had predicted a second round knock out and some guys sitting around us were talking about it. I laughed and proclaimed if anybody was getting knocked out, it would be Tommy. Then the Motor City Cobra turned into the Hit Man and delivered the most devastating performance I have ever seen. Leonard, Robinson, whoever you want, would be in trouble if they were in the ring on that night. I never thought I would see the great Roberto Duran reduced to cannon fodder, and yet again the critics of Hearns don't seem to give a damn. Then onto war with Hagler. The most electrifying crowd, stare down, build up and nine minutes the boxing world will ever see. The Hit Man showed more manhood in that ring than Leonard ever could. Losing like a man, on your shield and giving the world something they will never forget? Evidently that is a drawback on his career for the second time. Hagler was a piece of iron, which is why Tommy broke his right hand in the first round. I honestly don't think it changes the outcome, but it sure as hell is possible. When you watch that fight, just remember that Hearns is teeing off on Marvin's dome with a busted mitt. Then you start to get an idea of what kind of man you're looking at. After Tommy devastated James Shuler and Hagler outlasted Mugabi, the stage was set for the rematch. But no, guess who is coming back? That SOB, Ray Leonard. *Puke* on that fight. I wont go into long and drawn out details of everything after, but it involves, not bitching and going about the business of defending your 54 belt and winning a new strap at 175 & 160 in 16 months. How often do you hear that mentioned as one of his great accomplishments? Less than that is huge for Manny Pacquiao these days. Think about it... After the upset loss to Barkley (who was nearly dead from body shots when once again Tommy's balls and desire to entertain got in the way of reason) and a less than dazzling win over Kinchen, Ray Leonard finally decided it was time to fight Thomas Hearns again. Was it fair play or warrior spirit? Neither. It was because Tommy was supposed to be shot. Ray found out that was not the case. When Tommy entered the ring and turned around with the long right arm pointing at Leonard, I nearly punched the guy in front of me at the Towson Center. I can't discuss this too much, but it was another blood and guts performance from Hearns and more proof that he was a better boxer than Leonard. I took the hideous decision with far less dignity than Tommy did, smashing open my knuckles as I destroyed the chair next to me. The most painful robbery and all time sports moment in my 40 years. Just unbelievable. After waiting so long to get screwed like that and not say one word in complaint... That's a man. Yet another fight that doesn't seem to matter. If Leonard rates higher, it's only slightly and no way is it clear that he was better. Match them up at their best 10 times and Leonard wins maybe 4, if he could survive that many. I’m not saying Leonard wasn’t a great fighter, he most certainly was. But if you asked all the greats from all eras who they would rather fight, it would be a landslide wanting to face Ray. Was it because he was the greater challenge? I think not. It’s easy to pick so and so to beat Thomas Hearns. Just keep in mind the kind of hell that a man is required to endure to get that done. Beating the Hit Man was a near death experience. Nobody ever did it without getting their ass kicked first and making an obligatory trip to the ER. He still wasn't done. Completely out boxing long-reigning Virgil Hill to win another legitimate belt at 175 is yet another brilliant performance that nobody talks about. Losing a close war to Barkley and even beating Nate Miller at cruiser in his 40's are also notable achievements. Yes, he came up short in his two biggest fights, but where were his chances after that? Neither fight was one that didn't scream for a rematch, and he would have lit Leonard up had it happened. I don't care what anyone says, Ray gets messed up if they immediately rematch, just like he did when it finally happened. Except worse. I'm talking about a welterweight that won legit fights all the way up to cruiserweight, knocked out Roberto Duran, out-boxed Benitez, Hill & Leonard... You want to know what that is? That is a handful for anyone in history and one of the 20 or so greatest fighters the sport has ever seen. The next time you see fighters making predictions. think about somebody telling Roberto Duran they are knocking him out in the second round... and doing it. In a sport filled with "what's in it for me" think about a star climbing up 3 divisions to face a cinder block of a champion just for the challenge. Instead of nitpicking everything in this legend's resume, fans and experts should sit back, look at it all objectively, STFU and just say thank you Mr. Hearns, because there will never be another one. So many accomplishments and while he has a lot of fanfare, many respected figures in the sport don't give him his just due. I'll be in Canastota for that induction, and with what I expect to be tears in my eyes I will say Thank You Mr. Hearns. Thank you for putting your fans above the easiest way to win. Thank you for being as classy in defeat as you were in victory. Thank you for fighting anybody you could at anytime and never complaining about politics. Thank you for being the most explosive and entertaining fighter I will ever have the privilege to watch. Thank you for bringing me out of whatever seat I was in for over 15 years of my life. Thank you for smashing your fist into Ray Leonard's face over and over. Thank you for never giving up and always going out like a man. Thank you for taking the tough fight. Thank you for my DVD collection that will allow me to relive the great memories for the rest of my life. Thank you for the titles, the highs, the lows, the destructions and the wars. Thank you for always coming back no matter how many times they wrote you off. Thank you for giving a kid a hero in the greatest sport in the world. Thank you for everything Mr. Hearns, your legacy will live long after you're gone and your spot on this list could never change in a million more years.

Mark's previous entries: Intro, 40-36, 35-31, 30-26, 25-21, 20-16, 15-13, 12-10, 9-8, 7-6, 5, 4, 3 & 2.

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Healthy (or Crazy) Choice? Juan Manuel Marquez's Vitamin Beverage

By Andrew Fruman

Photos © Ray Kasprowicz

If you weren’t watching Mayweather/Marquez 24/7 on HBO this past Saturday night, we’re sure you’ve heard by now about Juan Manuel Marquez drinking a glass of his own urine after a training session.

Athletes downing strange beverages is certainly nothing new. The great Sugar Ray Robinson used to regularly drink tall glasses of beef blood, and told a shocked Jake LaMotta before their famous final meeting that the drink was his "secret weapon." Blood, I can somewhat understand... but urine!?

Having downed the contents for the 24 /7 cameras – there looked to be about a shot’s worth in the glass - Marquez explained his curious activities.

“I think that this has helped me. I’ve done it for the last 5 or 6 fights with good results. I also drink my urine because that’s where a lot of proteins and vitamins are, part of your vitamin intake… and why not drink them again instead of wasting them?”

Why not?

Admittedly, I'm no expert when it comes to matters of this nature, and rather than just speculate on the various horrors of drinking one's own urine, I asked Tro Kalayjian of ThreeBrothersHealth.com for his more informed opinion.

"Drinking your own urine can pose some problems. If the source of the urine has a urinary tract infection, then you would be gulping down bacteria. If the urine is highly concentrated because of dehydration, the urine can become toxic. In wilderness survival, drinking urine is not recommended past 2 or 3 times, because each pass through the kidney increases the toxicity. All in all, Juan Manuel Marquez's action is obscure, but pretty harmless. He is a well fed, well hydrated athlete. This means that his urine is dilute, and may not adversely affect him. As far as being a good source of "protein and vitamins", we recommend Centrum and Whey!” - Tro Kalayjian Three Brother's Health

That doesn’t sound too bad.

The masterful Mexican likely isn’t doing anything particularly risky, but for the same benefits, he could easily be going with store bought vitamin supplements. Although that wouldn’t be sending the same I’ll do anything to win message to Floyd Mayweather Jr, and perhaps that’s the whole point of Juan’s vitamin elixir.

For as Sugar Ray explained in his autobiography, "I wanted to create a doubt in his (Jake's) mind that he wasn't training as hard as I was."

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The Boxing Bulletin Pick'em Game - Week 2

The Boxing Bulletin's Pick'em game is back for week 2. There's a lot more activity around the boxing world this weekend, and that's reflected in the fights on this week's game sheet.

If you played week 1, scroll down to the bottom for standings. If you missed the opening week, that's not a problem, as you can join right in this week.

Our game is a little different than most of the variations we've seen online, as it's a combination of picking the winners straight-up and beating the odds. If you're ready to match your prognostication skills against other boxing fans, then let's get started...

How to play:

The game is strictly for fun, and entry is free. The deadline to enter this week is Thursday night at 11 PM EST. We'll post the pick breakdown on Friday, and have the results tabulated and posted with Monday's Week 3 game sheet (please check this post's comments for early results, as we'll try getting them up there by Sunday).

Pick The Winners

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

Beat The Odds

This is where it gets a little more involved, as you will have the option of choosing 2 fights to risk multiple (double or triple, but only one can be a triple) points on. Points gained (and lost) will be multiplied by two and three times respectively for these fights.

You do not need to risk points on every fight. If you wish to skip a fight, just check "pass" for both fighters.

Standings

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

We've got a few details below on the fights in play this week, but if you're ready to get started, here's the Week 2 game sheet.

This Week's Line-up - clicking on the fighter's name will open up their boxrec page September 11 John McDermott (25-5) vs Tyson Fury (7-0) - 10 rounds - English heavyweight title - Brentwood, Essex, United Kingdom (Television: Sky, UK) Having finished off his first 7 opponents inside the distance, Fury will be facing his toughest test to date in McDermott. For a short preview of McDermott vs Fury, check out The Boxing Bulletin's British Scene Season Preview Part One by Dave Oakes. September 12 Mikkel Kessler (41-1) vs Gusmyr Perdomo (16-2) - 12 rounds - WBA super-middleweight title - Herning, Denmark & Andre Ward (19-0) vs Shelby Pudwill (22-3-1) - 10 rounds - Temecula, California, USA (Television, Showtime) With all due respect to Shelby Pudwill, he doesn't belong in the same ring as Andre Ward. Granted Ward needed a stay busy fight while Kessler fulfills his mandatory obligations against Perdomo, but Showtime might as well flash "Super Six Informerical" on the screen for as long as this extremely poor excuse for a main-event lasts. We're only offering it as an over/under, the the total has been set very low. Ivan Calderon (32-0-1) vs Rodel Mayol (25-3-1) - 12 rounds - WBO light-flyweight title Calderon has been one of the best in the sport for many years, but has has shown signs of slipping and was given a tough go by Mayol in their abbreviated draw back in June. On home soil, the masterful southpaw is the definitive favorite to take the rematch, but considering the odds, Mayol might be worth a pick. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (39-0-1) vs Jason LeHoullier (29-1-1) - 10 rounds - Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico (Television, Top Rank PPV) Is LeHoullier good enough to pull the upset? Probably not, but we're also offering this one as an over/under which should make it a little more interesting fight to play. If you're ready to play, click here for the week 2 game sheet.

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British Scene: O'Donnell Ends Glover's Upset Streak

Matt Chudley recaps Saturday's welterweight match-up between John O'Donnell and Tom Glover.

Photos © Justin McKie

Thoroughly out of his depth, Tom Glover was halted in the 6th round after taking heavy punishment from John O'Donnell and offering little in return this past Saturday at the Watford Coliseum.

Although scheduled as O'Donnell’s first defence of the Commonwealth title he claimed from Craig Watson, the belt was not at stake as the Commonwealth Boxing Council failed to rubber stamp the contest. Without the necessary formalities completed the fights still went ahead as a 12 rounder although a 1lb concession was made on the welterweight limit.

Giving up 5 inches in height and conceding significant speed and reach advantages it was clear that Glover was really up against it this time, but in his customary style, the plucky brick layer from Essex gamely tried to work his way inside. The man from West London was too sharp however, and took full advantage of his size and speed advantage, consistently employing the jab that had gone missing last time out against Craig Watson.

After a relatively patient first round O'Donnell began to find his range in the second, catching Glover with flashy combos and showing off his impressive hand-speed. Glover did have his moments in the opening rounds, connecting with a few right hands but with no stoppages to his credit and very limited power he failed to really gain O'Donnell’s respect.

It soon became an impossible task for Glover after his nose was broken during the second round. A sharp left uppercut from the Irish born southpaw that split the gloves seemed to do the damage. Reliant upon his stamina and gritty determination, Glover was no longer able to breathe through his nose and plodded forward with his mouth hanging open.

The blood began to flow steadily in the 3rd after O'Donnell targeted the broken nose with a onslaught of straight lefts and also began to set his feet more and put more into his punches.

O'Donnell seemed to take a breather in the 4th, possibly in an attempt to ensure he didn't punch himself out given Glover's durability and record of never having been stopped. Now masked in blood, the body shots and right hooks where still there for Glover but the more hurtful attacks where still coming from the Londoner.

The 5th and 6th rounds saw the fight continue to follow a predictable path, with Glover at the mercy of O'Donnell's speedy offense and not seeming able to worry O'Donnell in return. With Glover becoming more disorganised and his hands gradually coming down, Richie Davies took a strong interest in the 6th round, and compasionately called it off after a barrage of unanswered punches left Glover reeling on the ropes.

With the win, his 10th inside the distance, O’Donnell moves to 22-1 and will next face mandatory challenger Philip Kotey from Ghana, likely in December. Having sustained the broken nose, Glover's English title challenger planned for next month seems unlikely and he also expressed a desire to move down to light-welterweight.

On the under-card…

The main support saw Lee Purdy get revenge over Peter McDonagh following a decision loss back at the end of last year. While a reasonably entertaining fight it didn't quite reach the same heights as their previous encounter and a better versed Purdy proved too strong at welterweight, winning by a score of 98-94 on referee Jeff Hinds' card. McDonagh plans to head back down to his natural confines of 135-140.

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British Scene: Simpson Stops Game Truscott

Dave Oakes recaps the rematch between British featherweights John Simpson and Paul Truscott.

John Simpson retained his Commonwealth featherweight title on Friday night after stopping Paul Truscott in the tenth round of a savage fight that kicked off the British season in style.

Both fighters started at a fast pace with Truscott landing crisp jabs and Simpson landing a couple of solid overhand rights. The round was fairly even but I felt Truscott was landing the cleaner punches and was looking like a much improved fighter from their first meeting.

Truscott was stopped on a cut in their last meeting and it looked like history would repeat itself in the second round when a clash of heads left him with a nasty cut above his right eye. Sensing the fight might be stopped, Truscott changed tactics and elected to stand and trade with the much stronger Simpson. He did well to match Simpson in the round but you had a feeling watching it that the change of tactics would play into the champions hands.

Truscott started the third round in ferocious fashion, firing punch after punch at Simpson. Simpson isn’t one to back down from a tear-up though, and came back with some heavy shots of his own. Truscott was getting the better of the round but disaster struck towards the end of the round when he was cut yet again, this time around his left eyelid.

Truscott’s corner did well to stem the flow of blood between rounds but the fourth had barely begun when Simpson landed a couple of glancing blows that sent blood streaming down the challengers face. The referee took Truscott into the corner to be examined by the doctor, and after a wipe of his face and a brief inspection of the damage, the doc gave the fight the go ahead to resume. Truscott, clearly feeling he was on borrowed time, went on the offensive. Both fighters traded heavy blows in what was a tremendously brutal and exciting round, but it was obvious that Truscott was facing an uphill battle from there on in.

Simpson could sense victory was near and put his foot on the gas in the fifth round. After four close rounds, this was the first round that either boxer had clearly won; Simpson was closing Truscott down quickly, trapping him against the ropes before firing three and four punch combinations at him. Truscott was still throwing his own punches but they were having little effect on the fired up Scotsman.

The sixth followed the pattern set in the fifth, with Simpson battering Truscott with some heavy shots before having to weather the occasional brave flurry from the bloodied but ever so brave challenger.

Simpson took complete control of the fight over the next two rounds, he was landing heavy punch after heavy punch and Truscott’s face was beginning to look like something out of a slash horror movie. To his credit, Truscott still tried to trade blows despite the fact he was struggling to see. At one point, to the amusement of the fans, he used the referee’s shirt as a towel to wipe away the blood from his face. It provided a brief moment of light heartedness in the middle of a fierce battle.

If things couldn’t get any worse for him, Truscott received a standing eight count in the ninth round after the referee wrongly ruled that he’d touched down following a hook from the champion that clipped the side of his head and made him momentarily lose his footing. Perhaps the referee didn’t find the whole wiping his bloodied face on his shirt as amusing as the rest of us did!

The end came in the tenth. With Truscott tiring and taking more and more punches, Simpson went into overdrive, landing shots that were now rocking the challengers head back. Halfway through the round Truscott was trapped against the ropes, he had been before in the fight and had managed to bravely fight his way out, it wasn’t to be this time though as Simpson landed two crushing hooks that had Truscott sagging prompting the referee to jump in to save him from taking further punishment.

Truscott howled with disappointment at the stoppage but it was the correct decision, sometimes a fighter needs saving from his own bravery. Truscott was in tears in the corner afterwards, distraught at losing in front of his hometown fans for the second time in his career, but after such a courageous performance, he can walk around Middlesbrough with his head held high.

Simpson now moves to 20-6 and looks to have finally established himself at domestic level. He’s expected to make another couple of title defences before challenging the talented Martin Lindsay for the British title sometime next year.

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Marvin Sonsona Gym Workout Photo Gallery

A few days before his title winning effort against Puerto Rican Jose Lopez, 19 year old Filipino southpaw Marvin Sonsona worked out for the fans and media at Toronto's Cabbagetown Boxing Gym.

Photographer Giordano Ciampini was among those gathered to check out the hard hitting youngster as he went through his conditioning drills under the watchful eyes of trainer Jhun Agrabio (center) and co-trainer Nonito Donaire Sr. (pictured left).

Photos © Giordano Ciampini

Click on the images to enlarge.

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The Kid's the Real Deal - Sonsona Decisions Lopez

Andrew Fruman recaps last night's Rumble at Rama IX show.

Photo © Ivan Montiel

Long after his victory over Jose Lopez had ended, young Marvin Sonsona was still signing autographs and posing for photos outside the Casino Rama Entertainment Center. Smiling, but bruised – his left eye had a bump over it, and his right was adorned with a small white bandage covering a single stitch needed to close a cut – the new title holder graciously interacted with the fans still milling about.

He was enjoying the attention, and it had been thoroughly deserved for it had been a grueling give and take battle that after a strong beginning looked to be slipping from his grasp. Lopez had made a valiant charge over the mid to late rounds, and Sonsona appeared to be wavering, but showing poise beyond his years, the 19 year old weathered the storm and buckled down late to cement the unanimous decision win.

Marvin Sonsona Gym Workout Photo Gallery

After a closely fought opening few rounds in which Sonsona had a slight edge, the Filipino southpaw broke through by dropping Lopez along the ropes in round 4 with a big left hand. Lopez made it to his feet, but looked far from steady and was forced to call on all of his ring savvy to escape further danger.

After the fight, Sonsona said he believed he was heading for a knockout win at that point and was surprised by Lopez’ resiliency. He was not alone, as it appeared to just about everyone in the building that the 37 year old veteran was in big trouble and ready for the taking, but instead of folding, Lopez made a determined stand and was gamely fighting back by the end of the round.

Building on his gutsy survival effort in the 4th, Lopez made a good showing in taking the 5th and re-established himself in the fight by battling on level terms through the next two rounds. Then in the 8th, he put together by far his best round of the fight, landing a number of solid hooks and right hands to the body and head, only to lose 2 points in the closing seconds of the frame for what was deemed by referee Rocky Zolnierczyk to have been an intentional low blow.

While Lopez had been warned for straying low in the 6th round, deducting 2 points appeared to be an overreaction on the ref’s part. The punch appeared to land on the hip and did not look like it was purposely thrown south of the border.

Undaunted by the penalty, Lopez continued to have the better of the action in round 9. Grimly determined to hold onto his strap, he kept working hard to the body (which resulted in a couple more low blows) and the steady pressure had Sonsona less willing to engage and starting to look discouraged. Having never been beyond the 5th round, the 19 year old was now fighting only in spurts as his energy levels had dropped noticeably.

The 10th round was a close one with Lopez continuing to press the action, and doing the steadier work, but a couple big flurries from Sonsona indicated he still had something left in the tank.

With the fight hanging in the balance, Lopez came out for the 11th putting the pressure on, but was met by a more willing Sonsona. Having found his second wind, the young challenger let his hands go with more conviction than he had shown in several rounds. Both men had their moments in closely contested frame, with Lopez still plugging away to the body and landing several good right hands, with Sonsona finding the mark with right hooks and straight lefts.

Sonsona was the busier of the two fighters over the final three minutes, as the effects of working so hard to get back in the fight from round 5 on had finally caught up with the older man. The youngster was clearly spent as well, but he dug deep and out-hustled Lopez over the final 3 minutes to take the frame on all 3 judges cards.

The final scores were unanimous in favor of Sonsona, 114-111, 115-110 and 116-109.

The Boxing Bulletin scored the contest 114-111 for Sonsona.

After the bout, promoter Alan Trembley said Sonsona could return to Casino Rama for his first defense, and Sonsona's team indicated it was a very real possibility. The crowd definitely took to the youngster, and with a big Filipino community in the Southern Ontario area, future appearances seem to be a natural fit. The possibility of a double-header involving Steve Molitor was discussed.

In the main supporting bout, the aforementioned Molitor scored a TKO over Dario Azuaga. Towering over the Argentinian, who looked like he belonged a couple weight classes south of the featherweight class, Molitor had his way throughout the bout, landing a number of clean right hooks and left hands.

After dropping Azuaga with a hard straight left in the 4th round, Molitor finished his game but badly over-matched opponent with two more knockdowns in the 5th. The official time was 1:50.

e-mail Andrew Fruman Read more!

British Scene: John Simpson vs Paul Truscott II Preview

Dave Oakes previews tomorrow night's rematch between between featherweights John Simpson and Paul Truscott.

Paul Truscott will be looking for revenge on Friday night when he challenges John Simpson for the Commonwealth featherweight title at the Eston Sports Academy in Middlesbrough.

Truscott will be fighting in front of his hometown fans once more, as he was when he lost the title to Simpson just over seven months ago. Truscott was stopped in the eighth round last time after a couple of hefty head clashes caused a nasty cut above his right eye. The Middlesbrough man was ahead on two of the judges scorecards at the time but was starting to lose his way in the fight, with Simpson’s marauding style seemingly having an effect on him.

Simpson is the older man by just three years but is a far more seasoned campaigner than Truscott, having had twenty-five fights compared to Truscott’s fourteen. Simpson’s record of 19-6 is a bit deceiving; he was thrown in at the deep end very early in his career and has only lost to good fighters. He’s certainly the best fighter Truscott has ever faced.

Simpson isn’t the fastest, slickest, or even the strongest fighter in the featherweight division, but he’s got a massive heart and is more than happy to take a punch to land one. He also hits harder than his record suggests (just seven of his win have come inside the distance), he hasn’t got one punch knockout power; his punches are the type that have more of an accumulative effect.

One thing for certain is that he’s the puncher in this fight. Truscott has only got one stoppage on his record (13-1) and hasn’t got the power to trouble Simpson, who’s got a solid chin. Truscott is fast, stylish, and better suited to hitting and moving rather than trading punches. He started their first meeting well but seemed to be surprised at how quick Simpson was closing him down. If he’s to stand any chance of winning the rematch he must land sharp combinations to keep Simpson off balance before moving out of range.

I’m impressed that Truscott has decided to take the rematch so willingly; it shows that he believes he’s got what it takes to beat Simpson. There were plenty of other options available for Truscott, who at 22, is still in the learning stage of his career.

I’m having a hard time picking a winner in this fight; I believe it’ll go to the scorecards where there’ll be very little separating them. I give Simpson the slight edge but Truscott’s confidence leads me to think he could snatch a victory if he executes the perfect game plan. He’ll have to be on his toes from the first bell to the last if he’s to win but he’s more than capable of doing so.

e-mail Dave Oakes Read more!

Rumble at Rama IX: Jose Lopez vs Marvin Sonsona Preview

Andrew Fruman previews tomorrow night's Rumble at Rama IX show featuring super-flyweights Jose Lopez and Marvin Sonsona.

Photos © Giordano Ciampini

Tomorrow night in Rama, Ontario, Canada, Puerto Rican Jose "Carita" Lopez puts his 115 pound WBO strap on the line against Filipino southpaw "Marvelous" Marvin Sonsona. It’s an intriguing match-up featuring a battle hardened veteran going up against a talented but unproven teenage phenom.

The offensive minded title holder brings a significant edge in experience to the contest, with almost 50 fights to his name spanning a pro career dating back 18 years. During that time, the affable Lopez has endured his share of disappointments, having come up short in four attempts at a major title between 1996 and 2001. He finally broke through earlier this year and claimed a major belt with a unanimous decision win over Thailand’s Pramuansak Posuwan.

If his record is any indication (he's undefeated over his last 16 bouts) Lopez appears to be one of those rare pressure fighters that get better with age – a small man’s Glen Johnson if you will. Like the rugged Jamaican light-heavyweight, he is a dedicated body puncher who loves to come forward and press the action.

Lopez' main weapon is his hard right hand, which he sometimes throws in a slightly overhand style, but he also shoots it straight through the guard. As most southpaws are vulnerable to the straight right, it will be a key weapon against Sonsona.

The steady pressure, which Lopez promises to bring right from the start, combined with his commitment to the body will definitely test the youngster’s resolve - but will also leave the older man open to return fire. How much he has to worry about what comes back will be depending greatly on Sonsona’s ability to stand in under that pressure.

As the naturally bigger man with advantages in height and reach, Sonsona appears to have the physical tools to try and keep the fight at long range, but don’t expect the 19 year old southpaw to play keep away as he prefers to forgo the safety first approach to holding his ground and ripping hard counters with both hands.

That said - its one thing for Sonsona (pictured right working the pads with trainer Jhun Agrabio, while co-trainer Nonito Donaire Sr. looks on) to plant his feet and fire off shots against overmatched opposition, but another to do so against an opponent the caliber of Lopez. This is a huge step-up for a fighter with only 38 pro rounds under his belt – mostly against suspect opposition.

It wasn’t until his previous outing in which he dispatched Wandee Singwancha with a devastating left uppercut, that the heavy handed Sonsona faced anyone of real quality. As impressive as that showing was, the quick nature of the bout didn’t tell us much about his ability to take a shot or how he'll respond when really challenged.

For all his natural talents, we won't know how tough Sonsona is until he's tested and Lopez promises to do just that.

Is the kid ready?

We'll find out tomorrow night in a bout that has all the ingredients to produce some memorable fireworks.

On the undercard...

Steve Molitor, the usual headline attraction at Rama, will be keeping busy with an 8 rounder against Argentinian Dario Azuaga.

The 35 year old Azuaga brings a record of 75-15-2 into the contest and on the surface looks like a solid foe. However, a closer look at his ledger reveals his last victory over an opponent with a winning record came way back in 2003. Since then he’s lost 11 straight when stepping up in competition with 8 of those defeats coming by stoppage.

Canadian broadcaster TSN certainly don’t anticipate Azuaga providing much trouble as they’ve got Molitor penciled in as the television analyst for the main-event. It's not unusual to see fighters in the broadcast booth, but generally not immediately after they’ve fought, and at yesterday’s press conference, Molitor assured the assembled gathering that he was taking his opponent seriously, despite his scheduled double duty.

Also on the card will be unbeaten Canadian heavyweight champion Greg Kiesla (10-0) in a 10 rounder against Michigan heavyweight Kevin Montiy (17-6-1), plus a 4 rounder featuring prospect Felix Mercedes. Mercedes, a welterweight prospect from Buffalo who promoter Alan Trembley speaks highly of, will be attempting to move his record to 3-0 when he takes on Dan Caron.

Rounding out the show are a pair of 4 rounders between super-middleweights Pedro De Melo (1-0) and Steven Boyd (8-3-1) and junior-middleweights Justin Fountain (5-1-2) and Frankie Abbiw (4-2).

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British Scene: John O'Donnell vs Tom Glover Preview

Matt Chudley previews this Saturday's ITV4 Hennessy Sports show.

Photos © Justin McKie

ITV4's first live action of the season sees Commonwealth welterweight champion John O'Donnell defending his title against perennial outsider and upset specialist Tom Glover.

The TV date had originally been set aside for North London's brightest star, Darren Barker and his much anticipated showdown with Matthew Macklin but Macklin decided to go in another direction after the EBU came calling with an opportunity to fight for the vacant European title. With a lack of suitable opponents available for Barker and the ever game brickie Tom Glover fresh off a big win over former European lightweight champ Jon Thaxton, O'Donnell-Glover was a natural replacement to headline the card.

Guided by Robert McCracken, former middleweight world title challenger and trainer of Carl Froch, O'Donnell has begun to regain the form that saw him once touted as one of the UK's finest prospects. The slick West London based fighter last outing saw him headlining a televised card for the first time, and he came through with a gritty effort in narrowly outpointed Craig Watson for the Commonwealth title. While many punters and the judges themselves couldn't agree who deserved the nod, all where in agreement that they had witnessed one of top domestic fights of the year to date.

This time out, up against more limited opposition the onus will be on O'Donnell to impress and prove that he belongs amongst the elite of the current crop of talented British Welterweights. As Kell Brook is taking on Michael Jennings in a domestic super-fight later this autumn, a poor showing could see O'Donnell slip under the radar.

Starting out his career with an unimpressive 5-5-3 record, Essex bricklayer Tom Glover (pictured below after topping Jon Thaxton) has since upset the apple-cart in his previous four fights in the role of 'opponent'. Noted for his good conditioning, durability and lack of power, Glover was viewed by many as a decent test to ease more established fighters who where rebounding from losses back into a decent level of competition.

The man from Maldon though, turned in gritty performances to outwork Scott Woolford (8-2), Chas Symonds (14-2) and the aforementioned Thaxton (34-9) all by one point on the referees score cards. Along the way he also overcame the 22-1 Nadeem Siddique via a DQ for low blows and had earned the right to challenge Adnan Amar for the English title before this opportunity presented itself.

If his career to date is anything to go by, Glover will undoubtedly turn out to fight Amar in a months time should he come through this weekends fight unscathed yet unsuccessful.

Given that Glover had a significant size advantage over Thaxton, O'Donnell clearly presents Glover with his toughest proposition to date and with Glover's proven lack of firepower and O'Donnell's previous display over 12 rounds, its hard to make a case for Glover being able to out hustle the much more skilled fighter.

The main support is a rematch between Lee Purdy and Peter McDonagh, after their exciting 10 rounder last December in which McDonagh truimphed over 10 rounds for the Southern Area 140lb title. This time around they will clash at 147lbs for the welterweight version of the same title which was relinquished by Glover. Purdy, the younger fighter at only 22, was favoured prior to their previous fight will likely be more suited to the higher weight. He has fought above 140lbs in 4 of his 5 last fights, while McDonagh has spent much of his career as a lightweight.

Filling out the undercard are the Brendan Ingle trained duo of Abdul Barry Awad and Richard Towers (2-0) and also light middleweight prospect Steve O'Meara (9-0). Making his pro debut and known as 'Kid Galahad" Adbul Barry Awad will undoubtedly face tough comparisons to Naseem Hamed since he is of Yemeni descent, fighting out of Sheffield and a bantamweight trained by Hamed's former coach Ingle.

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British Scene: Pound-For-Pound Top 15

Dave Oakes and Matt Chudley round off The Boxing Bulletin's preview of the upcoming British boxing season with their updated British Isles (Irish fighters are included) P4P Top 15 list.

There's been some movement since our last list, most notably Amir Khan jumping several spots, and the arrival in the top 15 of rising Welsh star, Nathan Cleverly (pictured landing a right hand on Danny McIntosh's jaw, photo © Justin McKie).

Make sure to check back in with us later in the week, as Dave and Matt will be back with previews of John O'Donnell vs Tom Glover and John Simpson vs Paul Truscott.

The Boxing Bulletin British Isles P4P Top 15 By Matt Chudley & Dave Oakes 1. Ricky Hatton Remains at no.1 on our list, mainly due to David Haye not fighting Nikolai Valuev until November, he may drop a place after that fight. Until then, he’s still got to be considered the best in Britain due to what he’s achieved in the past five years. It’s rumoured that he’ll make his return to the ring in March or April of next year, it’ll be interesting to see what he’s got left in the tank. - Dave Oakes 2. David Haye (vs Nikolay Valuev - Nov 7) After pulling out and opting out of fights with both Klitschko brothers, Haye now finds himself fighting 7 foot Russian Nicolai Valuev for the WBA strap on the 7th November in Germany. Should the south Londoner leave Germany with the trinket, he will be forced to defend against John Ruiz but will have greatly improved his future bargaining position against the Klitschkos. - Matt Chudley 3. Carl Froch (vs Andre Dirrell - October 17) The Cobra will defend his WBC super-middleweight title on October the 17th against unbeaten American Andre Dirrell in the opening round of Showtime's Super Six tournament. With fights against the divisions best assured over the next year, Froch could soon find himself on many full P4P lists. - Matt Chudley 4. Jamie Moore - up 2 (vs Ryan Rhodes - October 23) He jumps two places on our list due to the defeats of Witter and Woods. He’s already no.1 on the most exciting fighter list and is slowly climbing up this list. Moore looks to be the Brit most likely to capture a world title next year, but he must come through a hard test against Ryan Rhodes later this year before he sets his sights on world glory. - Dave Oakes 5. Clinton Woods (lost UD to Tavoris Cloud) He remains at 5 on our list despite his loss to Tavoris Cloud. Woods showed great heart in losing and regained the respect of the American fans that were less than impressed with his pitiful performance when losing his title to Antonio Tarver. The Sheffield man may decide to retire rather than fight again but he can leave the sport with his head held high after achieving far more than what people thought he would when he first turned pro. - Dave Oakes 6. Amir Khan - up 5 (won UD over Andriy Kotelnik) He’s become world champion by picking off the easiest target at light-welterweight. He boxed well against Kotelnik but questions must still remain about how he’ll cope when he’s put in with a decent fighter who can punch. Expect him to make a few easy defences arranged by the wily Mr Warren before stepping up to genuine world class. - Dave Oakes 7. Bernard Dunne (vs Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym - Sep 26) Well rested after his epic truimph against Ricardo Cordoba, Dunne will return on September 26th to make a first defense of his "Regular" WBA 122lb title against Thai Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym. The fight will take place in Dunne's hometown of Dublin, after Dunne's promoter Brian Peters won the purse bids with a minimum bid of $120,000. - Matt Chudley 8. Junior Witter - down 4 (lost to Devon Alexander - did not come out for 9th round) Witter drops down four places on our list after giving up 8 rounds into a WBC title fight with Devon Alexander. He once again faces a hard road back and with his akward style and limited marketability, he may need to get in line for British or European title fights if he is make another run at a world title. - Matt Chudley 9. Rendall Munroe - down 1 The usually busy Munroe has been taking a well deserved break after defeating Isaac Nettey on May 2. With the European scene already conquered, expect him to chase a world title next year. A possible match-up with Bernard Dunne would make sense if the Dublin successfully defends his title in September. - Dave Oakes 10. Ola Ofalabi - down 1 Out of action since his upset win over Enzo Maccarinelli back in March due to promotional and visa confusions, can now focus on his next opponent. Marco Huck recently dethroned Victor Ramirez to claim the full WBO cruiserweight, leaving interim champ Ofolabi expecting a December or January trip to Germany. - Matt Chudley 11. Nicky Cook - down 1 Inactive since losing his WBO super-featherweight title to Roman Martinez, Cook has taken some time out to recuperate before launching a new assualt on the 130lb division. With gym mate Kevin Mitchell out of the picture, a European title run might be in the offing in the near future. - Matt Chudley 12. Jason Booth (vs Michael Hunter - Oct 16) The reigning British super-bantamweight champion is enjoying an Indian summer to his career. It looked to be all over for him after losing to Damaen Kelly in December 2004; it took him two years to shift the demons that plagued him outside the ring before he returned to slowly rebuild his career. He’s gone unbeaten in his past six fights, five of which were for domestic titles. He fights former British and European champion Michael Hunter in October in what should be a really enjoyable fight for the fans. - Dave Oakes 13. Ian Napa (vs Gary Davis - Sep 11) Napa has decided not to move down a weight after losing his European bantamweight title in meek fashion against Malik Bouziane last time out. He now challenges British champion Gary Davis on September 11 in a fight he must win to keep his career at title level going. - Dave Oakes 14. Nathan Cleverly NEW (tko 7 over Danny McIntosh - Jul 19) The young Welsh light-heavyweight, impressively added the Lonsdale belt in stopping Danny McIntosh (check out Justin McKie's photo gallery of Cleverly vs McIntosh) over 7 one sided but entertaining rounds last time out. With little competition left on the domestic scene, it may now be time for Cleverly to make a run at the European title. He returns on the undercard of Sexton-Rogan 2 in October against an opponent to be announced. - Matt Chudley 15. Matthew Macklin (vs Amin Asikainen - September 25) The first marquee pro signed by Hatton promotions, Macklin opted out of an huge all British showdown with Darren Barker in favor of a fight for the vacant European title against Finn Amin Asikainen. Should Macklin come through, a big fight with Andy Lee in his ancestral home of Ireland could be in the offing. - Matt Chudley e-mail Matt Chudley e-mail Dave Oakes

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The Case for Marquez Beating Mayweather - Part Two

By Lee Payton

Photos © Ray Kasprowicz

In Part One, I examined the important numbers, like Mayweather's advantages in height, reach, weight and age, as well as the possible effects of his 2 year lay-off.

Part two will deal with what I consider the "meat". I'll break down the styles of the fighters and touch on some intangibles before taking a stab at who may have the edge after 12 rounds.

Mayweather is a defensive wizard, with great reaction time, solid fundamentals and educated feet. He's one of a very select few in boxing that can sit in the pocket or along the ropes and make quality fighters look ordinary. In truth, he may be the best defender I have ever seen.

On offense though, I see a few chinks that Marquez can exploit. For instance, these days, Floyd is basically a pot-shotter. If you are not familiar with the term, it means he is a fighter who uses his feet to set up single punches from the outside. It's a style he loves because of the safety factor.

Can he beat a brilliant counter puncher with a single shot here and there? When he's in pot-shot mode, he only throws 2 punches - a lead left hook and a quick lead right that he jumps in with. I'm not sure anyone can afford to leave their feet when facing a technician of this quality. If Marquez is not already prepared for these two punches, I believe that he will adjust as the fight goes on. He has on every other occasion, right?

We have all heard Mayweather talk about how he thinks he will be the first man to stop Marquez. Of course this is likely all talk. Mayweather only cares about winning. However, I do believe there is some extra pressure on him to perform, which could mean we're in for some early fireworks. If Money comes out uncharacteristically aggressive, he will get tagged. When that happens, I think he'll chill out on the macho thing and turn on his legs.

If Floyd decides to do more moving than punching, we're probably looking at a tactical affair. Some feel that a slower paced fight is in his favour, but I don't necessarily agree. Marquez is one of the most patient fighters in the game. Throughout his entire career he has shown the ability to come out on top of rounds in which he's only had to throw about 40 punches.

Furthermore, if the underdog sticks to the body first (like I believe he will), and if the judges are paying attention, his punches could end up being the one landing the cleaner scoring blows.

I've mentioned Marquez' amazing ability to counter in combination. When he sees an opening, it's just a natural reaction to respond with 3 or 4 crisp punches, up and down. Mayweather can also counter with the best of them, but the difference I see is in the creation of those opportunities to respond. From what I have observed, Floyd is a master of exploiting the openings that his opponents give him. He's not great at creating them himself, which is why guys who have fought him at a slower pace have always done better than those fighters who just tried to blow him up. I don't see Marquez leaving himself wide open very often, given his history.

Enough with the technical stuff though. Many times fights are won or lost on those factors we can't see or touch. Boxing is just as much a game of guts, timing and determination as style and physical attributes.

During the first installment of HBO's 24/7 series, Nacho Beristain said that his pupil has an "extra sense". I thought that was such a brilliant quote. He is talking about that extra indefinable quality that all great fighters possess. You can't quite put your finger on it, but it's there. It's that added something that makes them just better than most everyone else. He said it comes from all of Juan Manuel's experience and hard work in the gym. It's no coincidence that the best fighters tend to be the hardest workers. Floyd is going to have to deal with someone who knows what being "great" is all about. It is something he has never had to contend with before. He is not going to have his way in there.

Marquez is as determined as any fighter in the world today. When other fighters weaken or lose focus, he takes it to another level. I don't think it is any stretch to say that he is mentally tougher and more secure than Mayweather. That is significant in any fight.

Another factor to consider is timing. Like I've mentioned before, it has been two years since Floyd was last seen in a boxing ring, and while I think the negative effects will be minimal, if there was ever a time to beat him, this is it. When he was off "making it rain" or whatever, his opponent was achieving the greatest results of his entire career.

Mayweather is a great fighter and an all-time talent, but no boxer comes back 100% after a vacation of that length. And they don't usually come back against the best fighter they have ever fought either.

So who will have their hand raised when it's all over? I don't know. Ask me on Friday, September 18th, and I'll have a final pick. I will say that I think this fight is a lock to go 12 rounds. Patient aggression and body punching vs slick boxing and some eye-catching punches. I see a lot of close rounds, which makes it such a tough call. You just never know what the judges will like on any given night.

My bottom line is this: Marquez will miss more than usual, but Mayweather will get hit more than usual.

What's the betting line on a draw?

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