British Scene Season Preview Part Two: Macklin vs Asikainen, Thaxton vs Murray, Sexton vs Rogan & Booth vs Hunter

Dave Oakes is back with the second half of The Boxing Bulletin's preview of the upcoming British boxing season.

In today's preview:

Matthew Macklin (photo © Justin McKie) vs Amin Asikainen - European middleweight title

Jon Thaxton vs John Murray - British lightweight title

Sam Sexton vs Martin Rogan - Commonwealth heavyweight title

Jason Booth vs Michael Hunter - British super-bantamweight title

Macklin vs Asikainen

The quality match-ups keep coming and 25th September sees Matthew Macklin challenge Amin Asikainen for the vacant European middleweight title. Macklin decided to vacate his British title to take this fight and must win to show that it was the correct decision to do so.

Macklin is finally discovering the form that made him one of the hottest prospects in British boxing when he turned pro in 2001. His career has been a slow burner but he’s now got the experience to not just challenge for the European title but to win it.

The quality match-ups keep coming and 25th September sees Matthew Macklin challenge Amin Asikainen for the vacant European middleweight title. Macklin decided to vacate his British title to take this fight and must win to show that it was the correct decision to do so.

Macklin is finally discovering the form that made him one of the hottest prospects in British boxing when he turned pro in 2001. His career has been a slow burner but he’s now got the experience to not just challenge for the European title but to win it.

Asikainen is a quality fighter and will be hoping to regain the belt that he held for two years before his shock knockout loss to Sebastian Sylvester. He’s also suffered a bad knockout defeat against Khoren Gevor and there are still unanswered questions about his punch resistance. There’s a feeling that whilst Asikainen is great when he’s in control, he falls apart when he starts taking heavy shots.

If Macklin can produce the same for that saw him demolish Wayne Elcock inside three rounds last time out, and applies pressure from the first bell, I can see no reason why he can’t stop Asikainen in the mid to late rounds.

Thaxton vs Murray

If you thought September looked pretty good then October is shaping up to be even better. The two best lightweights in Britain do battle on the first Saturday of the month, with Jon Thaxton and John Murray squaring off for the vacant British title.

The undefeated Murray lost the title on the scales last time out but followed it up with a solid performance against the always competitive Scott Lawton, whom he stopped in the sixth round after dishing out a vicious beating.

This fight is make or break time for Thaxton, he’s lost three of his last four and is starting to look like a fighter on the slide. The most surprising of those defeats came in his last fight when he was out-pointed by the game but limited Tom Glover up at light-welterweight. Thaxton believes that the extra weight was the reason behind his loss to Glover, but having spent half of his career fighting at that weight, I find it hard to believe that it would make such a huge amount of difference against someone as limited as Glover.

Thaxton should provide Murray with the hardest fight of his career but I expect the young Mancunian to have too much hunger, stamina and aggression for Thaxton to cope with.

Sexton vs Rogan

Next up is the much anticipated rematch between Sam Sexton and Martin Rogan on October 9th at the Odyssey Arena, Belfast.

Their first meeting in May this year was an action packed back and forth fight that either boxer could’ve won. Sexton started the better but started to struggle as the fight wore on. Rogan showed his usual grit and determination but made a fatal error when he stood back and waited for the referee to step in after wobbling Sexton with a couple of clubbing hooks in the 8th , all this did was allow Sexton to regain his composure, and his senses, when he should’ve gone in for the finish. The end came moments later when Rogan was stopped due to a badly swollen eye.

It was a rarity in that it was an enjoyable heavyweight fight with plenty of action. I expect the same this time but with Rogan coming out the victor via a late stoppage.

Booth vs Hunter

The best fight of the month could come a week later (October 16th) when Jason Booth defends his British super-bantamweight title against former world title challenger Michael Hunter. The ex amateur rivals have not been shy about letting people know of their dislike of each other, with Booth’s manager, Jimmy Gill, joining in by calling Hunter chinny and saying his man should be viewed as the red-hot favourite.

Booth is in the form of his life having won his last six fights, five of which were title fights. This is despite fighting at bantamweight and now super-bantamweight when he’s more of a natural flyweight. He’s always been a beautifully skilled boxer but has now got the experience and maturity to produce the performances everyone knew he was capable of.

The smooth skills of Booth should provide us with a nice clash of styles against the pressure fighting Hunter. Hunter is always at peak fitness, is always prepared to box or brawl his way to victory and has only been defeated once in thirty-one fights, when he was outclassed by Steve Molitor in a clash for the IBF title.

The main worries for Hunter will be his inactivity and his struggles to make the weight. He’s only fought three times in the past two and half years and two of those fights were up at super-featherweight. It was only a few years ago that Hunter was tearing through the division at British and European level but he seems to have lost his hunger since the Molitor defeat.

This fight is a real 50-50 battle; Booth has the skills to outbox Hunter, whilst Hunter has the size advantage and aggressive style to beat Booth. It’s a toss of a coin but I’ve got a feeling that if Hunter still has the desire to be a champion, he’ll find a way of winning a close fight.

e-mail Dave Oakes

Check out the first half of Dave's season preview: British Scene Season Preview Part One; Simpson vs Truscott, O'Donnell vs Glover, Davis vs Napa, Fury vs McDermott & Olusegun vs Daws Read more!

British Scene Season Preview Part One; Simpson vs Truscott, O'Donnell vs Glover, Davis vs Napa, Fury vs McDermott & Olusegun vs Daws

The new British boxing season is just about ready to get underway and over the next couple days Dave Oakes will be previewing what we have to look forward to in September and October.

In today's preview:

John Simpson vs Paul Truscott - Commonwealth featherweight title

John O'Donnell vs Tom Glover - Commonwealth welterweight title

Gary Davis vs Ian Napa - British bantamweight title

Tyson Fury (Photo © Justin McKie) vs John McDermott - English heavyweight title

Ajose Olusegun vs Lenny Daws - British light-welterweight title

It’s at times like this when all British based boxing fans are starting to get withdrawal symptoms. It’s been nearly a month since the last boxing card that contained a title fight, and a month is a long time for any boxing addict. So, with the inevitable feeling of melancholy descending upon me, I decided to raise my spirits by taking a brief look at what we can look forward to when the new season starts in September.

Simpson vs Truscott

First up is the rematch between Commonwealth featherweight champion John Simpson and former champion Paul Truscott on September 4th. Simpson stopped Truscott in the 8th round of their first meeting after a clash of heads opened up a nasty gash above the then champion’s right eye. Simpson was clearly ahead on the cards at the time but Truscott believes there’s unfinished business to be taken care of.

Simpson’s speed surprised Truscott last time out, Truscott thought he could dance rings around Simpson but found that the experienced Scotsman was no slouch in closing the distance between them. If Truscott has learnt from their first fight, and can make the necessary adjustments, he can make it a much closer battle.

O'Donnell vs Glover

In the days of protected fighters with padded undefeated records, it’s good to see a fighter like John O’Donnell proving that a defeat can be a positive rather than a negative.

O’Donnell was a much touted prospect in the early part of his career and was looking the part until bumping into one Christian Solano on a hot night in Vegas in May of 2007. O’Donnell, eager to impress on his U.S debut, was caught cold and went down heavily after a short left hook landed around his temple midway through the first round, he managed to get to his feet but never seemed to recover.

His corner waved the fight off in the second round after he was dropped heavily by another hook, he’d managed to get to his feet again but his legs were still shaky and it was a sensible decision by his trainer Robert McCracken to stop the fight.

Such a devastating defeat proved hard for the likable Londoner to take, he took an extended break before eventually returning to the ring just over a year later, his batteries recharged and mind focused on the future rather than the past.

His patience and determination paid off when he claimed the Commonwealth welterweight title earlier this year, winning on a split decision after a bruising encounter with Craig Watson. Watson started the quicker but O’Donnell came on strong in the later rounds to just edge a fight in which he showed plenty of heart as well as some superb technical boxing.

He returns to the ring on September 5th against the durable but limited Tom Glover in a fight that should be a competitive warm up before the first defence of his Commonwealth title in December.

Glover is in the form of his life having beaten Chas Symonds, Nadeem Siddique and Jon Thaxton in his past three fights. He was considered the underdog in those fights but battled his way to deserved victories through willpower and work-rate. Glover isn’t blessed with great speed, skill or power but makes the most of what he’s got. He’s a fighter that will struggle to win titles in his career but he’ll always gain the respect of his opponents.

O’Donnell should be too skilful for him but Glover will make it a hard night’s work like he always does. I expect the much taller O’Donnell to use his reach advantage to jab and move his way to an early lead before trading punches more as the fight goes on. I think O’Donnell will win somewhere around the 118-110 mark in an entertaining but one-sided fight.

Davis vs Napa

A week later sees Ian Napa challenge Gary Davis for the latter’s British bantamweight title. Napa is coming off a career worst performance, having surrendered his European title in the meekest of manners against Malik Bouziane.

Napa couldn’t get going that night and found himself being picked apart at distance by the much taller man. He needs a performance here to disprove his critics from claiming that his career is on the slide.

Davis, on the other hand, is full of confidence after dropping Matthew Edmonds three times en route to a 7th round stoppage to claim the vacant title earlier this year. Davis imposed his will on Edmonds from the first bell and looked very strong for the weight.

This will be an intriguing clash of styles and experience but I’ve got a feeling the cleaner punching and better tactical nous of Napa will be enough for him to win on points.

Fury vs McDermott

The undercard is headed by Tyson Fury taking on former British title challenger John McDermott. Fury is unbeaten with all of his victories coming inside the distance and will be looking to continue his reign of terror on the domestic heavyweight scene.

McDermott is the nearly man of the division having lost in his three British title attempts. He failed to turn up in his first attempt when he was pummelled to the floor three times and stopped inside a round by Matt Skelton. The other two title defeats were much closer affairs against Danny Williams but it was worrying that when the going got tough, McDermott went into his shell and found a way of losing when he could’ve easily battle his way to victory.

I think this is the perfect fight for Fury at this stage of his career and one in which he’ll be made to work for a few rounds before claiming an impressive stoppage win.

Olusegun vs Daws

The following Friday (September 18) sees the world class Ajose Olusegun defend his British light-welterweight title against former holder Lenny Daws at the legendary York Hall, Bethnal Green.

Olusegun is using this fight as a warm up for a world title eliminator that’s been pencilled in for a month later, this could prove to be a dangerous move if he views Daws as nothing more than a competitive spar.

Daws lost this title in his first defence against Barry Morrison, but still has the ambition and hunger to give Olusegun a real battle. Daws is a pressure fighter who is willing to walk through walls to win.

Olusegun should be too classy for Daws and should be able to pick him apart off the back foot, but if he takes his foot off the gas, or lets Daws get into a rhythm, then he could be in for a bruising night.

e-mail Dave Oakes

Check out the second half of Dave's season preview: British Scene Season Preview Part Two: Macklin vs Asikainen, Thaxton vs Murray, Sexton vs Rogan & Booth vs Hunter
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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!

Juan Diaz vs Paul Malignaggi Preview

Carlos Acevedo previews Saturday night's junior-welterweight match-up between Juan Diaz (pictured) and Paul Malignaggi.

Photo © Marty Rosengarten / Ringsidephotos.com

Juan “The Baby Bull” Diaz and Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi--two fighters looking to reestablish themselves after high-profile defeats--face off Saturday night at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, in a match that practically personifies the hackneyed phrase “crossroads bout.”

Check out our live blog coverage of this event: Diaz vs Malignaggi

The winner of this match stays in the big money mix and the loser faces a murky future at best. In the end, perhaps, the pressure will weigh more heavily on Malignaggi. Although Malignaggi has won an alphabet title at junior welterweight, he has yet to beat a world-class opponent, and, at 28, with recurring hand injuries and losses in his two biggest fights, it seems possible that Malignaggi views his match with Diaz as a last stand for his career.

Diaz, the former unified lightweight champion, will not have that same sense of urgency. If he loses, he will still be a marketable commodity because of his rip-snorting style. Malignaggi, on the other hand, has no such mojo going for him. If Malignaggi loses, he will be looking at the proverbial Dead End sign; a career, perhaps, of narrowing options and diminishing returns. Not even the skillful legerdemain of Lou DiBella will be able to keep Malignaggi, with all of five knockouts in his career, on HBO.

Malignaggi is a solid underdog going into the bout: 3 ½ to 1 on most books and as high as 4 to 1 on others. To his disgust--and to his surprise--Malignaggi realizes that he is being brought in to face Diaz as an opponent. Malignaggi has agreed to a catchweight of 138 ½ pounds, and he has agreed to fight on enemy turf in Houston, concessions usually made by fighters in the blue corner. He is also keenly aware that Golden Boy Promotions is virtually an HBO subsidiary. Even the selection of the judges reeks of cloak and dagger to the cynical Brooklynite. “Basically,” Malignaggi told William Detloff of The Ring, “they put me in a position where I’m showing up for a loss unless I knock out Juan Diaz, and I’m sick of this shit, man. I’m really sick of the shit that goes on in boxing. Nobody fixes it because the people in power are the commissions and the commissions are the most responsible for fucking all this shit up.”

If indeed, the cards are stacked against him before the pre-fight instructions are read, then Malignaggi will have to be at his very best to win. Unfortunately for Malignaggi, 26-2 (5), he has not looked particularly sharp since losing a punishing decision to Miguel Cotto in 2006. He boxed circles around Edner Cherry and Lovemore N’dou, but looked stale against Herman Ngoudjo, where he was wobbled by his feather-fisted opponent and walked away with unanimous decision that might have been a little less unanimous for some. He also looked vulnerable against creaky warhorse N’dou in their rematch, a fight notable for the infamous fright wig debacle that led to Malignaggi getting an impromptu hair cut in his corner between rounds. Then came the grim thumping at the hands of Ricky Hatton last November in Las Vegas where Malignaggi won only a single round on each of the three scorecards. In addition, Malignaggi has been prone to cut over the last few years and his brittle hands have failed him as recently as the N’dou rematch.

For his part, Diaz, 34-2 (17), is looking to rebound from a devastating stoppage loss to Juan Manuel Marquez last February in a riveting shootout for the lightweight championship. Diaz stormed from his corner at the opening bell in an effort to overwhelm his smaller but more skilled opponent. The two traded blows in a frenzy and for a while it appeared that Diaz, not a serious puncher, might be able to get Marquez out of there. By the middle rounds, however, Marquez was connecting with precise counters and Diaz began to decelerate. In the ninth, Diaz was dropped twice, the second time by a vicious uppercut that practically knocked him head over heels. Referee Rafael Ramos stopped the fight without a count. Marquez is one of the best fighters in the world, no question, but getting flattened by a featherweight is not good news for Diaz. Perhaps this is why Golden Boy Promotions has brought him back against an opponent, Malignaggi, with a knockout ratio of just under 18 percent. Diaz, Houston, Texas, is a relentless pressure fighter who throws left hook after left hook to the body and has a seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy. Diaz has lost two of his last three bouts, though, and the question of whether he has reached his peak is a legitimate one.

So the scene is set for a fast-paced bout between an aggressive banger sans power and a skilled counterpuncher sans power. Add to this the subplot of two fighters looking to remain in the Big Time and you should have the makings of an exciting fight.

Malignaggi, Brooklyn, New York, is faster and slicker, but he seems to have lost a defensive step or two recently. He blames that on his former trainer Buddy McGirt: “Buddy and I didn't blend well,” he told Nat Gottlieb at HBO.com. “A lot of the things I'd always done well he didn't want me to do. Me being the type who always wants to listen I went along with what he was teaching me. But it got me away from being the fighter I really was.” These are harsh words for a respected trainer, but Malignaggi was just getting started. “Buddy ruined my main asset by taking away my legs,” Malignaggi continued. “I like to go in and then move out, go in and move out. I call it creating space so I can utilize my jab and hand speed. He wanted me to go toe-to-toe with Hatton, which I'm not afraid to do, but it played into Hatton's strength. What Buddy had me do helped Hatton. I was a world champion fighter when I went to Buddy, and I left as a mediocre one."

Malignaggi has since replaced McGirt with Sherif Younan, a Brooklyn-based trainer best known for the “tough love” sessions he used to put his son, amateur wunderkind Sherif Younan, Jr., through at Gleason’s Gym. He now operates out of the Coney Island Boxing Club in Brooklyn.

In order for Malignaggi to win he will have to work like a tight rope artist—without the slightest margin for error. At 5’8 ½”, he has an edge in height over the 5’ 6” Diaz, and a slight pull in reach as well. But Diaz is determined to knock Malignaggi off the wire and send him plunging into the dark netherworld of undercard fights, ESPN2 main events, and syndicated telecasts on regional cable networks.

Diaz feels that Malignaggi will not be able to handle his onslaught. “I'm going in there and do what I do which is work,” Diaz told The Houston Chronicle. “I don't care what Malignaggi's going to do. He can move and be slick, but I think the pressure is going to be the key to the victory.”

Despite his flashy ring style, his fashionista leanings, and his frailty in the ring, Malignaggi is a real fighter inside. He showed tremendous grit coming back from a poor start and an early knockdown against Miguel Cotto to make a fight of it in the late rounds, and when Buddy McGirt threw in the towel during the Hatton massacre, Malignaggi was distraught at having a TKO loss posted on his record. Like Diaz against Nate Campbell, Malignaggi has also fought on in fights with a variety of cuts and ailments.

With that in mind, it should be a tough bout for both men, neither of whom want to take a wrong turn at this point in their careers and wind up on a detour to nowhere.

For more from Carlos Acevedo, check out his blog, The Cruelest Sport on the MVN network.

Check out our preview of Robert Guerrero vs Malcolm Klassen by Michael Nelson. Read more!

Has Arreola Sacrificed Enough to Beat Klitschko?

By Lee Payton

Photo © Ray Kasprowicz

On September 26, Chris "The Nightmare" Arreola will have a chance to become the first ever Mexican Heavyweight Champion when he challenges Vitali Klitscko in front of what is sure to be a passionate crowd at Staples Center, in Los Angeles. A former amateur stand-out, Arreola has gone undefeated in 27 fights as a pro, with almost all of his wins coming by way of knockout. When you see this guy fight, there's plenty to get excited about, but I have to admit that despite his potential and kill or be killed mindset, I just can't get behind him.

Let me start my explanation off by saying that I generally love Mexican fighters. Gimme the delightful arrogance of Morales, the deadly offensive discipline of Marquez, the brutal clinch work of Castillo, the almost psychotic style of Limon, and the hard-nosed work ethic of Ramirez (I could go on forever), and I'm gushing. These men are what boxing is all about for me. Of course, gutsy, granite chinned, go forward at all cost fighters with nasty hooks to the liver come from scary places all over the world, but those are traits of the prototypical Mexican warhorse. They're a joy to watch if want to see a man broken down in a violent way. They will test your heart, win or lose. You can count on it.

I think Arreola has some of that guerrero in him. I really do. He seems like a guy who loves fighting, and I can't see him pulling the plug when things get rough. He's also got some classic Mexican weapons, like a solid uppercut and a nasty left hook. What he lacks in speed and snap he makes up for in physical strength and heavy punching technique.

The problem is hunger. When those guys I mentioned earlier were on the way up, they were starving. You can't tell me that Arreola's desire is anywhere near the same level. The proof is in his rather comfortable financial situation and his waistline. He's hardly fighting his way out of poverty.

As a rare Mexican heavyweight who can fight, he's been moved along expertly by his promoter, Dan Goossen, who knows just what he has on his hands. Arreola has been paid well throughout his career to beat guys he was supposed to pound on. Many of his fights have been televised, including his last two, which were featured on HBO. What other heavyweight in the world gets on thee big time boxing network against Travis Walker and a retired Jameel McCline? He's been getting the Michael Grant treatment. Not the fighter's fault, obviously, but let's call it like it is.

Heavies rarely fight killers on their way up these days (there are none out there anyway) so I'll give him a bit of a pass for that. My main concern is with his pear-like physique. The man is just way too fat. He's good enough that it doesn't matter against a certain class, but boxing has never been overly kind to anyone who isn't willing to put the work in. At the highest level, this game has to be more than a day job or something you do a few times a year.

I find it astounding that he could be so soft at his age, given his profession. I think you'd actually have to be trying to be as overweight as he often is. Every movement is accompanied by an unsightly jiggle we're just not used to seeing in the ring.

There have been reports that Chris is taking this fight more seriously than others, and I believe them. I also believe those who say he began camp at about 280 lbs. I read that he is so serious about this fight that he actually started jogging! What?! Jogging?!!

Look, I'm sure that he's going to work harder than he ever has, but there is no way he can possibly come into this fight at his best fighting weight. I think those who are hoping for anything below 250 are going to be disappointed. There's just not enough time for him to get into peak condition, in my opinion.

Apart from the issues Arreola has with discipline, I think he's facing a difficult stylistic challenge, as well. Vitali is a 6'7 fighter who understands distance and how to utilize his height both on offense and defense. He uses a steady jab, that tends to come up from his hip, to keep his opponents at bay while sets them up for his other punches. I don't see Chris getting out of the way of these shots too often because he's not very quick of hand or foot, and he has virtually no head movement. Steadily pressing has never worked against Big Brother. He's a master of taking advantage of quasi-aggression from shorter fighters. At 6'3 or so, and with a head that is sure to be right there, I think Arreola's chin is on a tee.

And call it a hunch, but I don't think he's all that difficult to hurt. Not that he has been seriously buzzed all that often, but the way he reacts to shots doesn't exactly remind me of other stone-chinned Mexicans like Chavez and Castillo, who rarely ever blinked inside the ring.

Yes, Vitali Klitscko is 38 years old. He does have a history of injuries, and he has had it pretty easy in his two comeback fights. But we have seen him take flush bombs from real hitters like Lennox Lewis and Corrie Sanders without going down, so I find it hard to question his mettle, even at this stage. I think it's also important to point out that he has been an athlete his entire life. If you saw Arreola on the street, "athlete" is not a word that would cross your mind. As much as this sport is about mental preparation, it is still a physical contest, and in that category, it really is "no-contest".

In the end, it's about sacrifice. You don't truly love and respect this sport unless you are willing to accept the work that comes along with it. I don't believe Chris Arreola has struggled hard enough so I am picking Vitali Klitschko to win by knockout. It will be a painful lesson for the young man.

Email Lee Payton

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Roy Jones is Back... Kinda

by Lee Payton

Roy Jones can still fight. Only these days he needs more co-operation from the opponent. Like most of the great boxers of the past, he'll look a bit like his old self against a dance partner who will provide an available target. Jeff Lacy fit the bill perfectly, and it was mostly target practice for the future Hall of Famer.

Before I get too far into it I just want to say how much respect I think Jeff Lacy deserves for sticking his nose in there and refusing to quit while being tattooed with some vintage stuff from Jones. He understood where the fight needed to take place in order for him to have a chance, but he was never really in it. Only his heart and physical strength kept him upright after 10 rounds of punishment from the better man. Lacy's fans should be proud of their man's effort and courage.

If you like what Roy does, it was pretty entertaining stuff. During the contest we were treated to some otherworldly combination punching, the likes of which only RJ can pull off. It brought me back for awhile. The dazzling speed was on display all night long, as was his ring IQ. He seemed to be having a lot of fun in there, which was good to see.

Now that he's considered ancient in boxing years, Roy has to stay away from speedsters, jabbers and movers. Those types are just too much work for tired legs and 40 year old reflexes. However, if he is content to compete on this level, against this type of fighter, he could probably hang around for another 5 years, or maybe land one more shot at the big time. Bernard Hopkins, perhaps...

Old greats just have to be more careful, in the ring and out of it. If they are realistic, they can still do big things. I think Jones knows that Chad Dawson and Jean Pascal are terrible options for him at this stage because of their overall quickness, but I also think he can still beat some legitimate light heavies if he chooses them wisely. He's one of the few guys out there who can afford to be picky.

Next up is Danny Green, who should play the necessary role quite well. He's aggressive, not all that quick and has seen better days himself. While traveling down under can be seen as a bit of a risk, it also makes great financial sense, given that the battle is sure to take place in front of a packed house.

No, Roy Jones is not all the way back. The laws of boxing dictate that he never will be, but I think that if you tune in with the proper expectations you can still have a good time.

Email Lee Payton

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Live Blog: Roy Jones vs Jeff Lacy

Welcome to The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of tonight's "Hook City" PPV show. The headliner of course features former light-heavyweight superstar Roy Jones taking on once promising Olympian Jeff Lacy.

Also on the show are 3 other bouts and we'll be providing updates on those starting at 9 PM EST.

If you've been with us before for our live blog round by round coverage, welcome back. If this is your first time, thanks for checking us out. Feel free to participate by giving your scores and comments.

There's also another PPV on tonight, and if you're looking for quality round by round updates of the Pinoy Power II show, check out Bad Left Hook's fight night coverage.

Coverage starts at 9 PM EST Roy Jones 174 (53-5) vs Jeff Lacy 174 (27-2) - 12 rounds Danny Green 179.5 (26-3) vs Julio Cesar Dominguez 181.5 (20-4-1) - 12 rounds B.J. Flores 200 (23-0-1) vs Epifano Mendoza 199 (29-7-1) - 10 rounds Jason Litzau 135.5 (24-2) vs Verquan Kimbrough 135 (21-1-2) - 12 rounds We will be providing round by round updates for all bouts on the show. If you are here early, check out some of our recent stories: News & Notes: Roy Jones Reps Captain Hook, Nonito Donaire Reps Pinoy Power, and Chris Arreola Reps Free Willy --- by Michael Nelson Kelly Pavlik vs Paul Williams is a Done Deal... Now Let's Look at the Match-up --- by Lee Payton Score it!.. #7 - Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Jose Luis Castillo I Pacquiao... Cotto... And Why You're a Fan --- by Jeff Pryor

Refresh this page often as updates will be frequent 7:25 PM... Check back in with us in just over 90 minutes. 8:55... 5 minutes until we're underway. 9:00... The show's starting. Updates will start once punches are exchanged. 9:10... Jason Litzau is in the ring. On the front of his t-shirt are the faces of Arturo Gatti and Vernon Forrest. 9:12... Verquan Kimbrough's ready to go as well. The ring announcer is Michael Williams. 9:15... The fighters are in the center of the ring receiving their final instructions. 9:19... Litzau is having the better of the action so far. He's landed his right hand very effectively so far. There were a couple moments in round 1 where it looked like Kimbrough may have been a little stunned, and at one point he stumbled a little after eating a chopping right. 9:23... Kimbrough just landed a couple decent right hands early in round 2. He's looking a little out of his depth defensively though, as he's unable to really avoid getting hit clean in return. The action is nearly all from long range, and Litzau is also using his effectively. Kimbrough just landed a couple hard right hands. Litzau looked bothered by those. Litzau bangs Kimbrough back in return though, and they clinch. Now Litzau comes forward and bangs in a right hand. Litzau with a huge right hand that buzzes Kimbrough along the ropes. Kimbrough is holding on here. His legs don't look good. Another big right hand. Kimbrough is down. He's up with about 15 seconds left in the round, but he doesn't look good. He's got a nasty looking cut on the side of his right eye. 9:23... The knockdown was a hard right hand over Kimbrough's low left. 9:27... The cut is on the side of Kimbrough's eye. He's trying to use the jab to keep Litzau at a distance, but Litzau responds by banging home a hard right hand that drives Kimbrough back into the corner. Litzau follows up and down goes Kimbrough. He's up, and tries to fight back, with a looping right that just misses. Litzau is trying to finish things. Kimbrough backing up. He's eating right hands. His legs don't look good. Litzau drives him into the ropes and opens up. This should be stopped. It's all Litzau. Down goes Kimbrough. He's up... and amazingly the ref is letting this go. We've got 50 seconds left. Kimbrough is taking a lot of punishment. He doesn't have his legs. Litzau with another hard right hand. And another. This ref is TERRIBLE! He's got no idea. Kimbrough goes down again, and the ref rules a slip. Litzau keeps banging away. Kimbrough backing up. There is no reason why this ref hasn't stopped it. Kimbrough is just getting hammered here. There's the bell. There's no way this fight should go on. This is crazy. 9:28... Kimbrough's corner has stopped it. Thankfully. I NEVER want to see this ref ever again. That was absolutely appalling. He had several chances to stop the fight, but for some reason just let it go. 9:29... Kimbrough's okay. That should be said. But he took way more shots than he needed to. We're hearing that the fight was stopped by the doctor. At least someone has some sense. 9:30... I missed his name during the intros. Randy Phillips was the blood thirsty man in charge of the proceedings. 9:32... Next up is BJ Flores against Epifano Mendoza. 9:33... By the way the broadcasters for tonight's show are Barry Tompkins and Daniel Edouard. 9:35... Epifano Mendoza's in the ring. 9:38... Mendoza is no longer in the ring. He just headed to the locker room. Perhaps there's an equipment issue or an emergency bathroom break. Flores has just made his ring walk, and I imagine he's surprised to see he's the only one there. 9:39... Mendoza's back. He forgot his protective cup. He's now fully equipped. 9:42... The intro's are out of the way, and we're ready to go. 9:42... This one is scheduled for 10. 9:43... Tompkins points out that Mendoza is 23 pounds heavier than he's ever been before. 9:45... Both fighters cautious to start. Mendoza landed a looping overhand right. Not much on it though. Flores is sticking his jab out there. Flores with a left hook that is short. Mendoza responds with a chopping right hand that's short as well. Flores is now backing Mendoza up a little with the jab, Mendoza circling to his left. About 1:00 to go in the round. Flores with a 1-2 combo... the right hand landed nicely. Mendoza with another looping overhand right. It landed, but Flores doesn't appear bothered at all. He's slowly edging forward behind the jab. He's sticking it home effectively. He just misses with a follow-up right hand. There's the bell. 9:50... Tompkins mentions that Mendoza needs to find a way to counter BJ's jab, and he hasn't been able to do that. He shows a little aggression though, and comes forward with a right hand. BJ responds though, and has the better of it. Flores with a combo into the gloves as Mendoza backs up. Mendoza tries to come forward with a looping right hand, that BJ easily avoids. BJ with a nice combo that lands clean. Mendoza is backing up to his right. He throws a combo into the gloves. BJ with another nice combo. 1:00 to go. BJ tries to come forward with a 1-2, but Mendoza avoids it backing up. You get the feeling that if BJ opened up a little here, he could get Mendoza out of there, but he's been very cautious so far. He lands a nice jab. Now he lands a nice right hand. Flores in complete control as the round ends. 9:54... BJ is sticking the jab home. Mendoza comes forward, but misses with a left hook. BJ opens up and lands a nice right hand, followed by a hook that knocks Mendoza back. Another nice combo forces Mendoza into the ropes. BJ just looks a lot stronger... and he's a natural cruiser, so that's not a surprise. BJ with a left hand that backs Mendoza back. He lands a nice jab. BJ slowly edging forward here. He comes forward, with another combo that backs Mendoza up. It's all Flores here. It' also not very exciting. The pace is fairly slow, and Mendoza is just unable to really offer much in response. He doesn't pack the punch at this weight to really give BJ much to worry about. Flores with a 3 punch combo. Jab,right, hook. He just landed a heavy right hand over the top that backs Mendoza into the corner. Mendoza has the guard up covering up, as Flores fires a combo as the round comes to a close. 9:56... Mendoza's in trouble here early in the 4th. His left shoulder appears to be injured. It might be a blessing in disguise, because he's badly outgunned here. Mendoza trying to fight back, but he can't really lift his left hand. BJ has been very cautious in attacking. 2:00 to go in the round. BJ lands a left that backs Mendoza up. BJ could really jump on him now and finish it. Now Mendoza turns away holding his arm in pain. This one is over. 9:57... Mendoza might have a dislocated left shoulder. He's clearly in discomfort. 9:58... The official announcement... 1:19 seconds into round 4. Winner by TKO is BJ Flores. 10:00... According to Barry Tompkins, Flores is talking about fighting Vassilly Jirov. Isn't it about time BJ stepped up in competition and fighting Jirov is not doing that. 10:02... Up next is Danny Green vs Julio Cesar Dominguez. 10:05... It appears there will be a little bit of a weight for Green and Dominguez. In the meantime, we're getting a 4 rounder from earlier in the evening. 10:07... We've got two fighters making their pro-debut in this one. It's a super-featherweight contest. Frederick Bowen vs Yaundale Evans. The ref is Randy Phillips. I had just mentioned that I never want to see Mr. Phillips handling a bout again. So much for that wish. 10:09... This one is over in 40 seconds. Evans hurt Bowen almost immediately with a hard right hook, and followed up by banging Bowen along the ropes. Phillips quickly jumped in and stopped it. 10:11... That seemed a very early stoppage. Considering that happened earlier in the evening, perhaps someone suggested to Phillips that he refrain from giving the quick hook next time. That could explain why he let the Litzau/Kimbrough fight keep going when Kimbrough was clearly done. Either way, Phillips needs to use some better judgment next time a fighter is clearly finished. 10:15... We're almost ready for the next one. Danny Green is on his way in. 10:18... I jumped the gun a bit there. That was Dominguez heading in earlier. Green's just coming in now. 10:20... Michael Williams with the intros. This one should be getting underway shortly. 10:21... The ref is Freddie Steinwinder III. 10:23... We're underway. This one is scheduled for 12. Barry Tompkins just said that Dominguez looks a bit more like his accountant than a fighter. 10:27... Green is pressing forward. Dominguez has his gloves up in a bit of shell defense. He comes forward, and wings shots to the body. There might have been a clash of heads there. Green is patiently moving forward. Based on that early flurry, Eduoard comments that Dominguez' plan might be to fight in spurts and try and get lucky. He comes forward again, and bangs the body. He got a really nice right hand to the midsection in that time. Green firing the jab, but it's right into Dominguez' card. Dominguez just walked into a hard right hand, and he's wobbled. The ref is ruling that the ropes held him up I think has called it a knockdown. 10 seconds left in the round. Green with a jab, and hooks to the body. Green didn't really try and jump on Dominguez after the count. 10:28... That was a flush right hand on the button as Dominguez was coming in. He kind of fell forward and grabbed the ropes. I'd say a knockdown was a fair call. 10:31... Green is slowly edging forward to start the round. Dominguez tries to fire back with a right hand, but it's way short. Green is throwing the tighter shots. Dominguez is much wider with his. Green jabs to the body, and lands a nice hard jab upstairs that knocked Dominguez backwards. Green just missed with a right hand. He's patiently moving forward, as Dominguez is backing away to his left. Now Green hooks to the body with a left. Green with a jab. Dominguez hasn't opened up with anything this round. Just as I say that he comes forward with a flurry. All wide shots that Green copes with easily. Green just stings him with a right hand that seemed to wobble Dominguez a bit. Green could have really pressed there, but stays patient, and the round comes to a close. 10:35... Green comes out moving forward, firing the jab. Dominguez with the guard up, he fires a jab back and then tries to flurry to the body. Green with a nice heavy jab, and tries to follow up with a hook. Dominguez flicking out a few jabs here. He follows up with a wild left hand downstairs that misses. Green with a heavy right hand as they both fired rights at the same time. Now Dominguez lands a good right hand. Green comes back with his own. A nice little spurt of action. We've got 1:20 to go in the round. Green sticking int he jab, and follows up with a hook that is blocked. Dominguez comes forward and opens up with a flurry. He got a couple shots home there, but nothing of consequence. Green resumes pressing forward. Green with a nice head snapping jab. Dominguez now comes forward and fires off a hook. Dominguez with another hook that landed, and Green comes back with a hard right that lands flush, and the bell rings. Dominguez tries to fire back after the bell and almost catches the ref!! 10:39... Dominguez trying to flick out the jab, but he's doing so from a distance that isn't going to land. Green just landed a nice counter shot on the button. Tompkins points out that there's blood on the cheek of Dominguez, but he's not sure where it's coming from. He's got a little swelling on the right eye. Green with a jab upstairs, and then a jab to the body. Green accidentally elbows Dominguez and immediately apologizes. Green with a couple jabs, and follows up with an uppercut. Green hooks to the body. Dominguez is backing up and circling to his left, as Green steadily does the better work. Green with a right hand over the top that lands. Pretty much all Green this round. Dominguez tries to flurry as the round comes to a close. 10:43... Green on the attack to start the 5th. He's coming in nicely behind the jab. Eduoard comments on Dominguez' lack of a jab. He throws them occasionally, but nothing on them and always from too far back. Green lands a nice little uppercut on the inside. He jabs to the body. 2:00 to go here in the round. Green with a combo, and finishes it up with an uppercut. Green with a couple jabs. All Green here. He lands a hard hook that seemed to buckle Dominguez' knees. Green with a huge combo. Big right hand there. Now a jab. Dominguez is eating some hard shots here. Green is opening up a little more. Dominguez backs into the ropes. Green with a combo and down goes Dominguez. He's up quickly, but he can't take much more of this. Green presses forward, looking for the finish. Dominguez is on wobbly legs as he backs up. He's trying to hold on in close. Did Green just kiss Dominguez on the cheek in the clinch there!? The ref separates them. Dominguez still doesn't have his legs completely under him, but it looks like he's going to survive the round. No, he's not. Big combo and down goes Dominguez, and this one is over. 10:46... The first knock down was almost a half jab / half hook. Green finished Dominguez with a flurry along the ropes, punctuated by a right hand, left hook. Official time 2:53 seconds of round 5. 10:51... Jeff Lacy is having his hands wrapped at the moment, unless the clip we're seeing is from earlier in the evening. I'd guess with all the fights ending early so far, the main event might be some ways off from starting. 11:00... I'll post an update as soon as I find out when the fighters might be making their way in. Right now Tompkins and Edouard are chatting away, while a replay of Jones/Sheika plays. 11:05... According to Barry Tompkins, there's a delay in the locker room of Jeff Lacy. The state commission is there. Tompkins doesn't believe it will effect the fight, but it would be nice to know what the situation is. 11:13... Looks like things are moving again as it's time for the national anthem. 11:17... The issue appears to be glove related. The Mississippi state commission requires both fighters to wear the same kind of gloves. Jeff Lacy is not agreeing to that. 11:19... Barry Tompkins has just suggested that he and Daniel Edouard do a little tap dance to entertain the spectators during the delay. No, I'm not making that up. 11:22... We're getting a look inside Lacy's room. Lacy is bouncing up and down a little trying to stay warm. No gloves in sight at the moment. Roy is pacing around his room. He's got his gloves on. 11:26... Back to Lacy's room. Here's Lacy... "The commission want me to wear gloves that I can't even put my hand in... They want me to wear a glove that I've never wore in my life. Nothing against Grant, but I've never worn that in my life." 11:27... Supposedly there were no issues yesterday at the weigh-in, and Lacy was under the impression he'd be wearing Everlast gloves. 11:28... Over to Roy's room. Roy... "A glove is a glove, it's time to fight." 11:31... The gloves are coming on. Lacy bangs them together. Looks like we're finally going to get a fight. 11:36... Just Tompkins and Edouard chattering away here, with shots of the spectators patiently waiting for the fighters. 11:39... Jeff Lacy is on his way in. 11:40... Some scattered boos greet Lacy as he steps into the ring. 11:42... Here comes Roy. 11:43... Roy gets a big ovation as he steps through the ropes. He's got a big smile and looks like he's enjoying himself. 11:44... Michael Williams with the intros. 11:48... Final instructions have been given, and we're ready to go. 11:52... Action in the center ring to start. Lacy edging forward behind his jab, and now fires an overhand right that was partially blocked. Roy has his left hanging low. He lands a jab. Now he lands a hook. Lacy tries to fire back, but he's short with a right as Roy backs away. Roy jumps in with a clean right. He does it again. Lacy looked a little wobbly for a sec. Roy has both hands hanging by his sides. He catches Lacy with a jab on the way in. All Roy so far. 1:30 to go. Lacy with his gloves up edging forward, but with no luck. Roy ties him up as Lacy bulls Roy into the ropes. Lacy hooking to the body. He lands a right. Roy has the guard up, as he's catching most of these shots. Now Lacy backs up, before rushing in and Roy ties him up. Lacy with a big right, that almost got in there. Now Lacy bulls Roy into the corner and ties him up. Lacy opens up with a combo, with Roy's back to the ropes. Roy fires back, and then slips a Lacy right. 10 seconds to go. Lacy with the pressure on as Roy has his back to the ropes. Lacy banging away. Most of those were blocked. Roy had things all his way for the first 2 minutes, but Lacy came on strong in the last minute. He landed some effective body shots with Roy along the ropes. Entertaining first round. 11:53... Lacy's corner is telling him to put his head right on Roy's chest and go to work. 11:56... Lacy comes forward and digs to the body with a left. Now he pushes Roy into the corner and tries to bang away. Roy has him tied up though. Lacy is leaning in and banging away. Roy needs to get a bit of space to work and he's not getting it. Lacy banging away with both hands. Chopping rights, and hooks. He just fired an uppercut that just missed. All the action here now with Roy's back pushed into the ropes. Roy now catches Lacy with a nice 3 punch combo. Lacy tries to fire back, but Roy slips away, only for Lacy to catch up and press him up against the ropes on the other side of the ring. 1:10 to go. Lacy with his head down, banging away. Roy with a nice counter shot to the body, but Lacy fires back with a right. Roy another nice counter. Roy with a shot to the body. Roy with a bit of space firing off nice combos. He catches Lacy with a little hook in close, but Lacy just puts his head down and presses forward. Roy with a hard body shot that really got Lacy's attention, but Lacy just puts his head back down and presses Roy back into the ropes. Roy fires back with a body shot, and follows with a little shot upstairs. Lacy plowing forward, but Roy looks to be the one leaning the cleaner shots. There's the bell. Another good round. 11:57... Roy was under pressure that whole round, but he landed some real nice body shots. 12:00... Lacy immediately presses Roy into the ropes, and tries to dig downstairs. Lacy banging away, but Roy's got his elbows tucked and gloves up. He's also landing some quick counters when he can get a little space. Roy with a nice little uppercut. Roy with a couple lefts. Lacy head down banging away at Roy's rib cage. Roy with a nice combo that backs Lacy right off. Lacy looks like he's cut. Now Lacy tries to rush Roy again, and Roy ties him up. Lacy's cut looks bad. Roy catches him with a jab on the way in, but Lacy pushes Roy right into the corner and tries to fire to the body. Lacy with an uppercut that just misses. Lacy with a left that just misses. Lacy not getting through with much upstairs. Roy with a quick combo. Lacy just ate a hard body shot, and a nice uppercut. But he puts his head back down and again pushes Roy into the ropes. He's ate a lot of clean counters, but appears undaunted and keeps coming forward. Roy looks relaxed though. 10 seconds to go. Lacy with a chopping right, that Roy blocks. There's the bell. Very fast pace here. Interesting to see how long Lacy can keep it up, as he's the one expending way more energy. 12:01... Tompkins says the cut doesn't appear as serious as it first looked. 12:04... The cut looks like it might be below the eye according to Tompkins. Lacy hanging back a bit here to start the 4th. Now pressing Roy hard. Roy jabbing from long range. Lacy then rushes forward, but misses with a right hand and Roy ties him up. Roy catches Lacy on the way in. The action shifts to the center of the ring. Lacy not so eager to press right now. Roy with a jab. Roy with a hook. Roy with another hook. Lacy with a different approach this round, but not getting better results. Now he tries to come forward and press, only to eat an uppercut. Roy posing in the middle of the ring now. Lacy charges forward, but gets tied up. Lacy again charges, but can't get any good work done as Roy turns him around and opens up. Roy with a flurry that backs Lacy up. Roy with an uppercut. All Roy Jones here. Huge round for Roy. Lacy looking very tentative now. He's just standing there now, while Roy with his hands down is almost inviting him in. Now Lacy charges forward, but misses. 12:05... Not sure how much longer Lacy can take this. He's getting an absolute beating. 12:08... Round 5 is underway. Lacy edging forward. Roy sticks in the jab. Lacy misses a hook and misses a follow up right hand. He puts his head down and walks Roy into the corner and tries to maul Roy, but Roy slips out of trouble and lands a crisp uppercut. Action now shifts to the center of the ring. Lacy not showing the same kind of intensity now. 2:00 to go. Roy backs into the ropes to avoid a looping overhand right. Lacy trying to push Roy into the ropes and work, but Roy responds with a quick combo. 1:30. Lacy puts his head down and fires away, but misses. He tries to land an uppercut, but again misses. Roy pot shots him in return. Lacy with a right hand that misses. Lacy trying to dig to the body wtih Roy along the ropes, but Roy looking very comfortable there. Lacy with a hook that partially lands. Lacy with a combo into the gloves. Lacy looking a little fatigued, but pressing. Roy responds with a real nice combo. Roy with a another combo. Lacy tries to fight back, but can't land. There's the bell. Another very one sided round. 12:12... Action in the center of the ring to start the round. Lacy tries to jab his way in and bangs a right hand to Roy's body. Roy with a little uppercut in close. Lacy trying to maul Roy along the ropes. Too wide though. Roy landing some little shots in return, and then tying Lacy up. Lacy doesn't have nearly the same intensity that he did in the first couple of rounds. He's got his head down, pushing Roy back, but not letting his hands go much. Lacy with a chopping right. Roy responds with a hook to the body. 1:30 to go. Roy with a nice hook. Roy to the body. Lacy looked like a tired beaten fighter, but still plugging away. Roy mugging to the crowd as Lacy tries to work in close. Lacy misses with a hook. He's pushing his shots in close. Roy responds with a couple shots to the body. Lacy now backs off, and then comes back with a right hand that Roy handles. Lacy trying to flurry with Roy on the ropes... while Roy is talking to the crowd. There's the bell. 12:13... At some point Lacy's corner is going to need to think about stopping this. Their man doesn't have much left. 12:16... Roy immediately catches Lacy with a lead hook to start the round. Lacy edging forward tentatively. Lacy now pushes forward, but Roy ties him up. Lacy with his head in Roy's chest, throws a chopping right hand. Roy with his back along the ropes, but looking comfy. He lands a little uppercut. He's landing little shots here on the inside. Lacy leaning against Roy, but not letting his hands go. All he can do really is just lean forward. 1:30. Roy is the one working here. Little hooks, and shots to the body. Lacy head down, eating shots. Now Lacy bangs a combo to the body. A spurt of life shown there by Lacy. Roy responds though with a triple left hand. Roy with another left. Lacy's left eye is now cut as well. Lacy trying to lean on Roy, now Roy pushes Lacy back. Roy with an uppercut. Roy is now talking to Tompkins and Edouard. 15 seconds left in the round. Roy with a hook to the body. Lacy tries to respond, but he's just too slow. There's the bell. 12:17... We've had 7 very one sided rounds. Lacy's too tired to mount much of an attack, and he's taken some punishment. I know he doesn't want to call it a night, but it's getting the point where it's just not worth it. 12:17... A little delay in the start of round 8 due to a tape issue with Lacy's gloves. During the wait, Roy was walking around smiling at the crowd. 12:21... Lacy puts his head down, presses forward. Edouard comments that he's got no steam on his punches. He's still trying though. Now Roy opens up and fires off a combo. Roy with several unanswered shots. Lacy now backs away, but Roy retreats back to the ropes and Lacy follows. Roy leaning back against the ropes looking to counter. Lacy just pushing his shots. He's got nothing behind them. Roy with a hook to the body. Roy with another hook to the body. Lacy puts his head down and throws a couple hooks downstairs. Roy responds though once again. Roy is now milking the crowd. He backs up with his hands down as Lacy follows. Lacy is short with a right. 20 seconds to go in another one sided round. Lacy just launched a big right, but it missed. Roy fires a hook to the body. Roy almost puts Lacy down as the round comes to a close. Lacy's left eye is swollen badly. His right eye doesn't look good either. It's time for someone to call this one off. 12:22... Don't know if the doctor has checked Lacy in the corner or not, but he should. Lacy's face doesn't look good. He's got no chance to win. He's taken a beating. This has stopped being entertaining. 12:25... Lacy trying to press, but having no luck. He's pushing Roy back, but Roy very relaxed on the ropes. Not much going on for the first minute. Now Roy unloads with a combo that backs Lacy across the ring. Lacy is in full retreat now. Roy is going after him. Where is the ref!? Tompkins think it's time to stop it. Lacy now walks into another body shot. 1:00 to go in the round. Lacy no longer aggressive. Not pushing forward. He's now being pushed back by Roy. He's got nothing left. Tomkins again mentions that the ref should be taking a long look at Lacy. 30 seconds left in the round. Lacy trying to fight back. He pushes Roy into the ropes, but it's Roy landing with a counter. Now Roy with another quick shot on the inside. Roy unloads and backs Lacy off as the round ends. 12:25... Lacy's corner NEEDS to stop this. Or the ref. Or the doctor. Someone needs to stop it. Lacy doesn't want to quit. Someone needs to step in for him. 12:29... Round 10 about to start. Lacy is coming out. Lacy doesn't want his corner to stop it, but surely the doctor or the ref can? This is totally irresponsible. Lacy looked very tired. He can't even press now. Roy is showboating now. Banging Lacy with poper shots. Lacy holds on in close. Lacy's left eye is almost swollen shot. He eats a hard body shot. There's no quit at all in him, but he's got nothng left. He tries to push Roy back, and Roy is chatting away with the fans. Lacy with his head in Roy's chest desperately trying. 1:30 to go in the round. Lacy pushes Roy back. He's not throwing though. He's pushing against Roy, but not letting his hands go. Roy isn't really either at the moment. Now Roy fires off a hook. Roy catches Lacy and backs him up. Lacy holds on. Lacy almost falling into Roy, he's so tired. The ref doesn't appear to have any interest in stopping it. Tompkins again suggests the fight can be stopped. Lacy is so tired in there. He can barely see. He's still coming forward though. He eats a left hook that knocks him backward. Now a right. Lacy holding on. If Roy wanted, he could finish this. But he's taking his time, smiling, looking at the crowd. Not stepping on the gas. 12:29... Finally, this is over. Jeff Lacy's corner has stopped it. That's the second fight tonight where we've seen a referee let a fight go on WAY too long. 12:31... The ref holds Roy's hand up as his name is announced as the winner. The official call is that Lacy's corner stopped it. 12:34... Roy is saying a few words. He's looking forward to heading to Australia to meet with Danny Green. Green is in the ring, standing in the background while Roy is interviewed. 12:37... That's it for The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of tonight's show. Unfortunately we didn't get a single competitive fight, but I imagine Roy Jones fans are pleased. Please check back with us next week for our live blog of HBO's triple-header featuring Juan Diaz vs Paulie Malignaggi, Malcolm Klassen vs Robert Guerrero and Daniel Jacobs vs Ishe Smith.

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News & Notes: Roy Jones Reps Captain Hook, Nonito Donaire Reps Pinoy Power, and Chris Arreola Reps Free Willy

Michael Nelson takes a look at this Saturday night's PPV action featuring Nonito Donaire (pictured) and Roy Jones Jr. fighting on separate shows, while also offering a couple thoughts on big Chris Arreola.

Photo © Ray Kasprowicz

I'm not sure what to make of Roy dressing up as Peter Pan characters to promote fights. He can't use the usual 'my kids thought it would be fun' excuse, seeing how his kids are teenagers who probably wouldn't be seen in that outfit at a Halloween party.

Maybe he lost a bet of some sort. Or maybe Oscar De La Hoya was right in urging Roy to hang up the gloves. If not the gloves, at least the wig.

Regardless, Jones is the heavy favorite Saturday. He wants to show Jeff "Left Hook" Lacy who has the better hook (hence the silly pirate outfit), and judging from Lacy's last three fights, I don't think he'll have an issue proving his point. Neither fighter possesses the same hook they used to devastate opponents with in their prime. Difference is, Roy's hook has downgraded from all-time great to good, while Jeff's hook has gone from good to mediocre.

Lacy can hang his hat on the fact that Roy will undoubtedly spend a lot of time on the ropes. He may be able to loop his shots around Roy's guard and mix in some crushing uppercuts through the middle. If he lands something big that puts Roy out, I wouldn't be shocked at all. But the more likely scenario in my mind is Jones' quicker, straighter shots consistently finding their mark in between Lacy's wide punches. I'm not confident he has the killer instinct to knock Lacy out, but I'm sure Roy will daze his slower opponent more than once.

It's an OK scrap and I don't mind Roy continuing to fight if it's against this caliber of foe. But I'm about as interested in it as I was in the 2003 Peter Pan remake.

On the undercard, I think Verquan Kimbrough's a live dog against Jason Litzau, who's essentially moving up from featherweight to lightweight.

Pinoy Power

While I'll be skipping on the Captain Hook Pay-Per-View, I do have some interest in the competing Pinoy Power card. Nonito Donaire, going up against the tough, but limited Rafael Concepcion, is one of my favorite fighters. I suspect the fight will be one-sided, but entertaining as long as it lasts. As I write this, rumor is that Rafael is is trying to shed four pounds within a few hours, so it may not last very long. Should he win, hopefully Nonito makes up the momentum he's lost and fights a top tier opponent next.

The co-headlining bout between Steven Luevano and Bernabe Concepcion is an interesting one. The 21 year old Concepcion is a strong fighter and pretty vicious body puncher. His feet and hands may look like they're moving in bullet time compared to the speedy southpaw from Los Angeles though. Concepcion certainly has a puncher's chance, but Luevano showed how tough he is to finish in his war against Mario Santiago. I favor Steven to win a decision.

Free Willy

Fans on the web have had a good laugh at Chris Arreola's expense this week when a blurry cell phone picture of him at the Bradley-Campbell card on August 1st made its way around the message boards and blogs. Whether the picture was misleading or not, Arreola looked like Bam Bam Bigelow.

No problem. Reportedly, Chris found the pic hilarious himself.

Call me crazy, but I think Arreola is a live dog against Vitali Klitschko. A 6'4 heavyweight with power that consistently throws in combination is extremely rare. He'll be pounding a 38 year old, injury prone man to the rib cage, elbows, shoulders, etc. as long as he's standing upright. Mix in an underrated left hook and an uppercut on the inside, and we might have an upset in the making.

Yes, I know, the weight. I'm not foolish enough to think Arreola's eating and drinking habits will make for a long stay at the mountain top. But I like his chances of getting there if he enters the ring at or a few pounds near his target of 245.

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Kelly Pavlik vs Paul Williams is a Done Deal... Now Let's Look at the Match-up

by Lee Payton

Photo Credits: Pavlik vs Hopkins © Marty Rosengarten / Ringsidephotos.com,
Williams vs Wright © Ray Kasprowicz

Kelly Pavlik will defend the Middleweight Championship against Paul Williams, October 3, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The two camps were finally able to come to an agreement after weeks of grueling negotiations. At times it looked like they would never come together, but HBO made it worthwhile for those involved so we have ourselves a fight.

Now that it's a done deal we can start to seriously think about how it will look in the ring. Both are long, thin fighters who would rather use their stature to deliver pain than avoid it. One is a heavy right hand puncher, the other is a quick southpaw who just won't stop. The ingredients are there for a memorable evening worthy of the title on the line, which is why fight fans love it.

Questions will be answered. How is the champion going to deal with the challenger's effortless combination punching and fighting heart? Can Williams take Pavlik's "A" punch? Who is the best middleweight in the world?

I've given some thought to how these two men match up, so allow me to take a stab at determining the most significant factors on my way to picking a winner. The final result may surprise you, but that's boxing, isn't it?

Those who are backing the champ to successfully defend his title seem to be going all in on that idea that Williams will not be able to take Pavlik's punch. Given the fact that we've never seen him take a shot from a strong 160 pounder, I'd say that's fair. However, it hardly guarantees that Paul will fold when he gets tapped on the chin.

One of the biggest problems for Kelly is actually finding the homerun shot on a quicker, more athletic southpaw, who is sure to throw more punches. He may just be too busy defending himself to line up the bomb that changes everything. I'm also not convinced that his favourite shot is all that accurate (he whiffs on it quite often), nor am I sure that it's going to be there with any consistency against a tall left-hander, because it's really more of a right cross than a straight punch.

I have never seen The Ghost in there with a southpaw before, but I just have a hunch that his feet are going to be a little slow for this one.

Another strike against him is the fact that he rarely ever counters. When the opponent lets go with some offense, he responds by covering up. That's just not going to work against the whirlwind from Georgia. He loves it.

I've heard the argument that Antonio Margarito landed some good shots on Williams, so Pavlik should be able to as well because he's bigger and his punches aren't as wide. The problem with that theory is it leaves out too many details.

Margarito was never the sharpest hitter around, but he applies heavier pressure and is just plain tougher than Kelly. I think it's important to remember that Paul was in his first big fight, and has probably improved at least a little since then.

Pavlik will not go to the body or walk through punches like the gritty Mexican did. That's not his kind of fight anyway.

When all is said and done I believe we will have a brand new Middleweight Champion of the World. I think Paul Williams is going to dominate Kelly Pavlik. He has too much going for him in this particular match-up not to be considered the favourite going in.

Paul has nearly every physical advantage to go with his difficult style, but it's his fighting heart that will allow him to shake off whatever does land only to come back like an unforgiving storm.

The bottom line is that Kelly will struggle against the salvos that are headed his way. I'm going with Paul Williams to take the title with a violent late stoppage.

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Score it!... #7 - Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Jose Luis Castillo I

When Floyd Mayweather Jr. faces Juan Manuel Marquez on September 19, he'll be bringing an unblemished mark of 39-0 into the ring with him. That's what the official record states, however many that watched his first lightweight encounter with Jose Luis Castillo on April 20, 2002, believe the defensive whiz from Grand Rapids came out a decided second best.

Was the unanimous decision given to Floyd that night at the MGM Grand a just one?

Or was the rugged Mexican robbed of his rightful victory?

Let's go to the cards...

The Boxing Bulletin judges for this one are: Michael Nelson, Lee Payton, Andrew Fruman, Joseph R. Holzer and Matt Chudley. “Not many punches landing here. Castillo's jab finds its mark a few times, but Floyd gets in a nice hook early and a leaping right hand near the end to take the round. Castillo's nose is already bleeding.” – MN “Not too much action, but Floyd had his jab working and did the majority of the work.” – AF “First off, it cracks me up how sinister Michael Buffer sounds when he announces referee Vic Drakulich's name. The opening round begins with a bang as each fighter lands a hard left. As expected, Mayweather shows superb head movement in eluding most of Castillo's punches. Not much is landing clean for the Mexican. The challenger picked his shots and landed enough to take the round.” – JH In the corners... "He's doing the same thing that we told you he would. You don't have to go for him. All he wants to do is play around." - Romulo Quirarte "You going to get him anyways. Don't worry about it. Just slice him up. Keep fighting. Keep him in front of you. That's all you go to do. He can't out-think you." - Roger Mayweather "Mayweather made a comment in the corner about his left shoulder. We'll see if there's something wrong with it." - Larry Merchant "Massage my left shoulder, he said. That's not a good sign." - George Foreman “More of the same from Money. He must be shocked at how hard Castillo is to hit. JLC started to apply his smart pressure in this round, but didn't find the target quickly enough.” - LP “This was another relatively slow round. I thought Castillo just edged it based on some effective body work in the clinch.” – AF “Castillo doesn't want to chase Mayweather, but his aggressiveness is walking him into counters and clinches. Floyd is switching between orthodox and southpaw, frustrating Jose Luis but not doing himself any favors in terms of balance. Castillo is able to stalk with some effectiveness in the middle of the round, but Mayweather regains control and caps it off with some decent counters in the final half-minute. For the record: I think Mayweather stepped on Castillo's foot in what was ruled a slip.” -JH “You begin to see what makes both of these guys special in round 3. JLC makes Floyd miss without ever taking a backward step. His feints coming forward are the stuff of a real pro. Mayweather is being forced to use his legs more than he'd like, so I gave the close round to the champion.” - LP “Floyd is controlling the proceedings with a jab, both to the body and the head. Castillo managed to land a nice right hand in the last 30 seconds, but Floyd bagged the round for his more consistent work.” - MN “Castillo landed a solid right hand with about 30 seconds left but didn't do much up to that point. His inability to cut off the ring and avoid counter right hands cost him the round and will lose him his title if the same problems persist. Mayweather isn't doing much, but he's avoiding being hit.” - JH “Castillo is starting to impose himself and has Floyd on the retreat, but is still failing to really connect. I didn't think either man did enough to take it and scored it even.” - MC "I have the impression that this is much rougher going for Mayweather than he anticipated... Roger Mayweather said if you throw a beer bottle into the ring, it's going to hit Castillo somehow. He's not that open." - Larry Merchant “Each fighter landed a couple sweet shots in there. I simply cannot find an edge for either so I'm calling it an even 10-10. I do wish referee Drakulich would allow them to be close for more than 1 second at a time though. He is breaking up up every clinch immediately. That shouldn't be happening.” - LP “Close round, Castillo edged it with a nice uppercut in the last ten seconds. He's starting to cut the distance down. There really isn't much happening thus far in the fight though.” - MN “Floyd’s jab was the difference and he also landed a couple lead hooks. He’s managing to cope with Castillo’s pressure by using his legs and holding in close. Vic D’s quick breaks are definitely benefiting Floyd, as Castillo’s often banging him in the clinch with a free hand and isn’t being served as all by the constant breaks in the action.” - AF “Untidy work from both but JLC lands the best punch of the round with a left hook/uppercut.” - MC "Castillo more and more just wading in. Getting close at any cost so that he can try and bully Floyd. - Jim Lampley “Very interesting round. I started out thinking that Floyd is pulling out all of his tricks to win this round, and he was. We saw it all... foot work, switching angles, brilliant defense with the upper body, quick counters... and then in the last 5 seconds Castillo landed 5 clean, heavy blows that were certainly the hardest delivered by either man in the round. Could easily be called even, and I'm tempted, but I'll give it to Mayweather based on control, defense to go with his quality punching. He stood his ground enough to take it.” - LP “Mayweather lands a slicing left hand out of the southpaw stance and remains on his bicycle throughout the round. Castillo's best punch was a hard right hand to the body. Again, not many punches are being landed by either man. This was about as even of a round as you're going to get, so that's how I'm scoring it.” - MN “This was a close one. Castillo closed strongly and landed several nice body shots, but Floyd did the better work over the course of the round to just narrowly edge it.” - AF “Mayweather boxed beautifully for most of the round. His worry should be that he was victim to a few vicious blows from Castillo in the final minute. Floyd can't stand and trade with Jose Luis, as he did at the end. On the other hand, Castillo can't allow Mayweather -- who chronically throws one punch at a time -- to out-work him.” - JH “Castillo keeps pressing the fight and started to find some real success going to the body, especially late in the round.” - MC In the corners... "Listen. Keep the jab working. Keep fighting smart. Keep busting him up." - Roger Mayweather "You're trying to focus too much on hitting him in the chin. Hit him in the body!" - Romulo Quirarte "Mayweather is complaining of low blows." - Larry Merchant "Well he's got a lot to complain about as Castillo continues to turn this into a bar room brawl." - Jim Lampley "That's what you got to do if you want to beat Mayweather. Keep this thing a brawl. He's not going to win a boxing match against Mayweather." - George Foreman “Castillo is starting to land his jab, and places a straight right that snaps Floyd's head back along the ropes. Floyd is having trouble hitting JLC with his right hand. Clear Castillo round.” - MN “This was the best round of the fight from either fighter so far. Castillo landed a couple hard right hands, ripped the body in close and effectively pushed Floyd around for most of the 3 minutes.” - AF “Finally! Some semblance of cutting off the ring from Castillo. He let his hands go freely this round, not allowing Mayweather to tie him up when they were close and pummeling him on the ropes. Floyd landed a couple counters as he's been doing all fight, but momentum seems to be shifting in the champion's favor.” - JH “A hard left hook on the ropes for Castillo is the hardest punch in the first half. The second half sees Mayweather moving and missing with his pot shots, while JLC chips away. In the last :14 Floyd gets mugged.” - LP “This is a fairly close round that was emphasized with Castillo trapping Mayweather on the ropes and unleashing hell. Jose Luis is landing with regularity, and his demeanor is proof that he's also aware of it. His upper body appears more loose, shoulders dipping fluidly, head bobbing. I think he even waved Floyd in to meet him at one point. As his confidence grows Castillo is becoming more dangerous.” - JH “Dominant round from Castillo, closing off the ring and beginning to catch Floyd consistently upstairs now.” - MC Mayweather's corner... "How you feeling?" - Roger Mayweather "Good." - Floyd "Alright, show me something then!" - Roger “I didn't see a lot happening in that round. Castillo landed a few hard punches and pressed so I gave it to him, but it's an even 9-9 because of the point deduction from JLC for hitting on the break.” - LP “A nip and tuck round. Floyd landed several jabs, while Castillo's still targeting the body with right hands. Every young fighter should study how Castillo cuts the ring off, it's a work of art. Still, I think Floyd edged it with his jab, making it 10-8 with the point deduction.” - MN “I thought Castillo had a very slight edge on the strength of his body work, but the point deduction evened things out.” – AF “Mayweather is boxing as smart as he was in the first three rounds. He's not running anymore, instead countering and shifting, creating angles that make it difficult for Castillo to set and effectively punch (even if he's only jabbing). Jose Luis, as he has most of this fight, is waiting too long to open his offense. He can't give pivotal minutes away like that. I thought the point deduction was excessive considering how close the fight is.” - JH “Action wanes after a lively 7th, Castillo still the busier fighter but is deducted a point for hitting on the break.” - MC "Drakulich removes a point. Big moment. Big moment in a close fight." - Jim Lampley "That's what you want a referee to do." - George Foreman "I think this referee has been altogether too involved in the fight. Too officious." - Larry Merchant In Castilo's corner... "Don't worry about the point. We got to work fast and we got to work hard." - Romulo Quirarte "What do you mean calm it down!? It's a fight. The referee is telling two fighters that want to fight to calm it down. He should calm down! Nobody paid to see this referee!" - Larry Merchant “Larry Merchant is going nuts on Drakulich and I love it. Has this ref heard of in-fighting before? Castillo's pressure and body punches are the positive action in the round.” - LP “While Castillo was still pressing, his pace seemed to slow a little and Floyd managed to edge the round with the cleaner shots.” – AF “Where was Drakulich on that late punch by Mayweather? Jose Luis had the first part of the round; Floyd had the second. I'm leaning toward Castillo's harder blows and combination punching over Mayweather's counters and intermittent right hands.” - JH “Close round, but Castillo landed the more damaging shots. At one point Floyd is forced to retreat, then hold after a brutal left hook under the ribcage.” - MC "Three rounds of drama upcoming in Floyd's so far unbeaten and spectacular career." - Jim Lampley "4-4 and 1 even, I got it 85 to 85. I got it all even. You know for four rounds, 5, 6, 7 and 8 I was watching Floyd Mayweather fight a desperation fight. It wasn't ring generalship, he was running away." - Harold Lederman “I thought Mayweather both controlled and owned the first minutes of the round with some new found energy. The champion came on in the last third, but I thought Floyd's punches were of higher quality, so I made it 9-9 after the point deduction for elbowing off.” - LP “Drakulich takes a point from Mayweather for pushing off with his forearm. Mayweather had a dominant minute and a half before Castillo starting banging his body along the ropes. I feel Mayweather did the better work, making it a 9-9 round.” - MN “This was a tight one that I had to watch over a couple extra times. Castillo did some very nice work over the final minute to even up the edge Floyd had built to that point in the round. I’d have scored it 10-10, but the point deduction gives Castillo the 10-9 edge.” – AF “Well, I guess it's even now. Mayweather has a good round despite the point deduction (elbowing). Once again, Castillo is procrastinating and walking into counter rights, as Big George said. Floyd seems composed and ready for the championship rounds. By now each has settled into his respective approach. Now it's a matter of who can execute better in the championship rounds.” - JH “Perhaps over-eager to even things up after hastily taking a point from Castillo, Drakulich deducts one from Mayweather for use of the elbow. This was another close round. Castillo digging away at the body on the inside was the difference.” - MC "Roger Mayweather told his nephew that he now has to stand and punch and move out against Castillo which indicates that Roger thinks this is a very close fight and that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has to land some meaningful punches in these next two rounds." - Larry Merchant “Floyd finally stops running and elects to stay on the inside for much of the round. Castillo rakes his body throughout the first half, but Floyd came back in the second half with a left hook to the body that may have hurt Castillo a bit and some hard uppercuts. Castillo edges the round by being the far busier fighter.” - MN “This was a hard fought round – the best of the fight. Perhaps Floyd’s legs were a little tired, but whatever the reason, he didn’t give up ground easily. He landed the cleaner punches upstairs, and the flashier ones by either man, but Castillo’s steady persistent body work throughout the full 3 minutes was just a little bit more effective.” – AF “Despite fighting Castillo's fight, Mayweather nearly wins this round. Through the first minute it seemed Roger was trying to give his nephew his first loss. Jose Luis threw some wicked body shots and was too far ahead early for Floyd to take the round.” - JH “Competitive exchanges in close, the more eye catching work arguably coming from Floyd.” - MC "Tough round to score. Flurries by both fighters. Close fight hanging in the balance." - Jim Lampley "Castillo showing stamina and strength." - Jim Lampley "He is the champion, fighting like the challenger... Jose Luis Castillo took a major payday. The assumption was he was selling his title. He is here to show that he is here to keep his title" - Larry Merchant "He's earned it tonight. He's taken everything from Mayweather and given him some." - George Foreman “Close round. I gotta give it to Castillo for pressing as hard as he did. His body punches were the clean blows.” - LP “Floyd controls the first minute with his jab. Castillo bangs him to the body whenever he catches up to him along the ropes. A couple of good shots to the head landed by both near the end. Castillo takes the last round due to his body work.” - MN “Castillo just out-hustled Floyd and kept working downstairs, although some of his shots might have strayed a little low.” - AF “As Larry Merchant said, "The champion is fighting like the challenger." Castillo attacked Mayweather upstairs and downstairs, looking like the hungrier fighter. Floyd looked calm, but the appearance of composure doesn't win fights. ” - JH “Castillo proves to be the more determined fighter in the 12th, upping the pressure and finishing strong.” - MC "I thought Castillo retained his title." - Larry Merchant "It looked to me like he did enough in the 10th, 11th and 12th rounds. If the fight was hanging in the balance, Castillo remained the aggressor down the stretch." - Jim Lampley Final Scores Official Cards Anek Hongtongkam: 116-110 Mayweather John Keane: 115-111 Mayweather Jerry Roth: 115-111 Mayweather The Boxing Bulletin Cards Lee Patyon: 115-112 Castillo Michael Nelson: 114-113 Castillo Andrew Fruman: 114-113 Castillo Joseph R. Holzer: 114-112 Castillo Matt Chudley: 116-112 Castillo "115-112 for Jose Luis Castillo who took over in the 6th. Floyd won the 10th but it was turned into a 9-9. I didn't give Floyd a single 10 in any round past the 5th." - Lee Payton "Running theme was Floyd controlling the first half of rounds with his jab and Castillo outworking him in the last half of rounds with his body work." - Michael Nelson "I had Castillo coming on strong to win 114-113. Could I have scored it for Floyd? The 11th round which I gave to JLC was very close, so reversing that one does give Floyd the fight on my card. That said, I believe I gave Floyd the benefit of the doubt in more of the close ones - and when you need to give a fighter every benefit of the doubt, it's hard to say he was a worthy winner." "Before tallying my scorecard, I believed Jose Luis retained his championship by his work in the latter rounds. Once he figured out the Mayweather conundrum, Castillo pressed harder and was effectively aggressive whereas Mayweather relied on defense and counterpunching. I like the stronger guy and the one who lands more. Those scorecards were awful. I can see my score reversed, a draw or a wider margin in Castillo's favor. There were close rounds, but there were many more clear ones for the champion." - Joeseph R. Holzer "As is sometimes the case with contentious decisions, the judges seemed to have scored the fight as it was expected to play out or at least seem to have been influenced by their preconceptions. Castillo put forward the greater volume of work and seemed to hurt the hometown fighter on a couple of occasions. He was the clear winner on my card." - Matt Chudley The Boxing Bulletin Official Scorecard R1: Mayweather R2: Mayweather R3: Mayweather R4: Castillo R5: Even R6: Castillo R7: Castillo R8: Mayweather R9: Castillo R10: Even R11: Castillo R12: Castillo Overall, we scored it 6-4-2 for Castillo. Round 10, would have been a Floyd round except for the point deduction. Our average scores added up to 114.6-112.4 for Castillo. Castillo had the unanimous edge in 3 rounds on our cards - 6, 7 & 12 - along with a 4/5ths share of round 9. Mayweather only swept the 1st round, while also having a 4/5th's edge in the 2nd. There were 6 rounds where neither man had more than 60% majority, with the most contentious frame being the 5th where we split 2-2-1 on the winner. Did you think the judges had it right, or did you agree with our take? Give us yor thoughts on the fight and decision. Previous Editions of Score it! Score it!...#6 - Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Marquez II Score it!...#5 - Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Marquez I Score it!...#4 - Nigel Benn vs Chris Eubank II Score it!...#3 - Larry Holmes vs Tim Witherspoon Score it!...#2 - Erik Morales vs Marco Antonio Barrera I Score it!...#1 - Sugar Ray Leonard vs Marvin Hagler

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