In truth, I limited my expectations beforehand going into last Friday nights bouts on SHOBOX. That’s not a knock against Showdown Promotions who in conjunction with Top Rank Inc. who put together a fun night of fights. That being said going into a fight card that had another “Cuban Fighter” and a Diego Magdaleno who I have always felt was the lesser of Magdaleno brothers let’s just say that this wasn’t going to be my cup of tea when it came to the fisticuffs we were about to encounter. On this night I am not sure if it was my ignorance got the very best of me I am glad it did and change my perceptions in many regards for that matter, maybe these promoters knew what they were doing all along.

The story begins with me in the ride picking up writers Ron Valderrama from Secondsout.com and Albert Alvarez from AZ Front Row Magazine. Hey if you are going to take the two hour trek down to Tucson what better way than spitting boxing talk with your peers right? We talked about the most recent news of El Terrible not making weight and went through our predictions over the coming weekend massive boxing line up. Switching the soundtrack of the drive from old drum and bass to some classic Reggie Noble got me psyched up for some good old’ fisticuffs.

We make it to the lavish Casino Del Sol resort and I got to say the place is beautiful. We grab are press passes and went to check out the seating arrangements and noticed I would be placed right next to Norm Frauenheim and to my left was Lee Samuels from Top Rank so I know much of night I would simply be a fly on a wall and for a boxing nerd such as myself it doesn’t get much better than this. Gerry Truax of Showdown Promotions looked excited for the fights to begin and he was pleased to tell us they sold the show out and that the Casino ended up opening up additional seating so all is well from this hidden fight town who knew?

It’s funny how this fight sold out and many weren’t sure it would while you know who did know, anyone who had paid attention to the Arizona boxing landscape that’s who. It’s a simple formula of supply and demand. While Local Shows in Phoenix without a “major” attraction (I say that respectably) are doing very well to point we are having calendar dates getting booked throughout the year. It would only make sense the fight town of Tucson where many fighters have traveled to over the years would be a viable market. The large crowd of fight fans got the atmosphere pumping.

As fate would have it we ran into 126lb contender Mikey Garcia where he stated he is ready for any champion at featherweight and hopefully by the end of the year he would have a strap. My spidey senses tell me his team will seek out the likes Celestino Caballero before they would of that of let’s say Orlando Salido.

Around this same time Albert ran into Javier “Pelos” Garcia who explained the misfortune that his dance partner for the night Jose Roman had gotten sick and his bout was cancelled. Being that I am high up on Jose Romans talents and that Javier is the nephew of trainer of the year Robert Garcia I was really hoping to see someone’s hand raised.

I missed the opening bout that Abie Han won in UD Fashion and was seated properly as Homero Fonseca vs. Andy Ruiz began these to large fighters cracked the night wide open. The overly pudgy Fonseca had the King Hippo stomach where I am pretty sure it could absorb even a left hook from Clubber Lang. Pick any cliché you want because within the first 30 seconds of the opening round Homero showed Andy that “just because you’re the A side with the lead promoter that there is a reason you are in the ring with me” Homero cracked Andy with a left hook that rocked the giant kid. Andy shook it off and rather than spatting back in an amateurish style he took his time regaining his composure and you could hear his corner lead by Miguel Diaz telling him to use the Jab.

The fight was a constant question of when will the hard shots of Ruiz is too much for the “Mexican Butter Bean”. Fonseca’s will and determination was of that hungry animal fighting on sheer instinct and was down on most rounds but he would get pounding shots off each round that just seems to really stun Andy and really test him. The crowd loved this fight and Norm said it best “this is a human version of two semi-trucks headed for a collision”.

If you were going to give Homero a round, then the fourth would have probably been it with a pair of “swinging for the fences” type left and right hooks landing upstairs Andy had to clinch and recover for a moment. Sitting at press row we were all impress at the damaging head shots both were receiving without the other giving any ground. The later rounds Homero’s nose looked to be definitely broken and you could tell he was having trouble breathing. In the end Andy Ruiz would receive a clean sweep unanimous decision and unfortunately afterwards I heard that Andy was sent to the Hospital to get his left hand looked at and that was the last I have heard let’s hope it’s nothing major.

Around this time I ran into David Benavidez the younger brother of Jose Benavidez Jr. and I wasn’t sure where the rest David was at because he looked dramatically thinner. You can tell he means business as he is going through his slim down. He did state he was hoping to get to possibly around 180lbs. for his upcoming amateur bout. We spoke briefly about his recent sparring opportunities and told him we have to get him and Jr. on the P”N”B Radio Show before his fight.

As the night began to hit a groove next up was Hanzel Martinez vs. Jose Tomayo lasted about half a round; all you need to know is Jose went in and gave Martinez a few solid hits to the chin and Hanzel returned the favor with a paralyzing uppercut it was good night for Tomayo to be put to sleep. Maybe I am Americanized a little and think it’s time for a 16-0 fighter to step it up in competition but regardless he is always fun to watch and to be fair he is a Tijuana fighter so in in comparison he can marinate a little longer if need be.

As for the opening bout for the SHOBOX telecast Yordenis Ugas vs. Juan Garcia: again Being that I wasn’t sold on everything I heard about Ugas and that Juan Garcia looked more shiny on paper at first glance, I thought we were headed to a dominating performance were we were more upset that Ugas let the fight go to the cards as oppose to closing the deal mid to late rounds taking the conservative Cuban approach if you will. The fact is bottom line is Juan Garcia had a style that refused to let Ugas fight in any manner he was 100% comfortable with and by the end of the night made Ugas look like he was hit with muscles relaxers because he refused to throw punches in the later rounds and that would be his demise. Garcia Started out fighting out with a nervousness built off of persistence and by the end of it was led through with confidence. I think Ugas is a tough nut to crack, his long arms allow him to shell up very nicely but Garcia’s body shots thrown out of frustration early on allowed for Garcia to look good in the later rounds when Ugas was doing his best interpretation of Joshua Clottey. Garcia was very effective by weaving into the inside and shooting off left hooks and wide rights to the body. I Know the fight ended in a semi shocking split decision personally I had it a draw because I scored the Ugas falling into the ropes as a knockdown from my vantage it appeared to be a legitimate case,  so a one point sway in any direction I am fine with. More importantly however that fight had the audience enthralled and not much more you could ask for at the end of the bout. “I felt good overall, this is a great feeling to come in here and beat a Top Rank Prospect in Ugas” Garcia would tell me after the bout.

With the fight fans ready for the main event Diego Magdaleno vs. Fernando Beltran Jr. the first three rounds were a clear dominant Diego Magdaleno getting off beautiful combinations and watching a fighter work the body as he was doing is an lost art in my opinion. I am not sure if it was Fernando spotting a hole in Diego’s game but in the fourth round he clipped Diego with a shot that sent Magdaleno to the floor. That being said you could easily score the round a 10-9 instead of the status quo 10-80 due to the work Diego did for the remainder of the round. “Fernando was my first lefty and it’s something I can learn from but I knew what was my mistake was, but I got back up and started to change my plan, a fighter can change in every round so you have to be a constant thinker in the ring and that’s what I did” Diego would tell me later after the fight was over. Both fighters would have their moments in round five but it was Diego that seem to get the best of Fernando. It was Round 7 seven when Diego finally started to lay the leather on Beltran that had many fans including myself angry at the ref for not stopping the fight on multiple times where Beltran looked like he needed a life raft. Hey I love a fight as much as the next man but Beltran didn’t look well from the first major blow of the round till the end when the Ref finally waived the fight off.  As the accolades ringside were prevalent talks of possible bout for Diego facing Juan Carlos Salgado were sounding off giving the Nevada fighter his first crack at a tittle. Not a bad fight but at one 130lbs. We all know who “The Problem” is. As Diego is setting his path at a title it is clear the kid has charisma and is only going to rise in popularity as time passes.

Much respect goes out to Carlos Alvarez of Team Benavidez, who helped translate for me in what ended up being my favorite moment of the entire night, talking to a bruised and worn Fernando Beltran Jr.  In a post-fight interview. First he would express to me “I am slow starter and adapt to the fight progressing as the fight goes, and felt that since Diego was throwing so many power punches that he was going to tire out and I would be able to come on strong” We talked about the stoppage “My father threw in the towel and but I felt I was going to get better regardless hopefully you guys like the fight. Fernando is a warrior who has stepped in the ring with many world class fighters so I had to asked about Diego’s power “He is a good fighter but his punches are quick and stuns you with speed but doesn’t hurt you like other fighters I have faced” Fernando went onto to explain that he normally faces at a smaller weight class and have faced harder punchers. Fernando took this fight on within a weeks noticed and it takes a certain type of fighter to step in the ring the way Berltran was supposed to be served up and he fought with much valor. Talking to him afterwards I felt that he really was disappointed in his father decision to throw in the towel. The humble conviction he would use in just his voice inflection made me feel for his case, even though I still hold my ground that the ref should of stop the fight earlier.

Onto the last bout of the evening was a cherry topper Trevor McCumby vs. Jose Rico it took less than two minutes for Trevor, a Cameron Dunkin fighter who has been looking to get in the ring for almost a year now gave the KO of the night crushing Rico to the floor and the crowd was pleased with the farewell bout. Afterwards I was happy to congratulate McCumby’s trainers Andy and Wayne Viers on their fighter and hope to see Trevor back in the ring very soon. No other way of putting it folks a good looking white kid with even a decent manager can travel well in this game. The eyes from the locals are staring only a matter of time before the casual fans began to hear the name Trevor McCumby.

I could go on and on but what you got take from this read is Boxing is sport not just about the main events, this wasn’t a PPV event I get that but this wasn’t Tim Coleman fighting in front of empty seats either. As we seen week after week of failures in the Texas Commission I see the trends in Arizona that are vibrant and lush for boxing.

The boxing fans here have been waiting for this renancaisse and yes its stretch and a slow cook I get that but credit these promoters for extended a branch to the Tucson fight seen it was huge payoff and Showdown Promotions is looking to do it again with a bigger venue and a bigger name on the marquee come this may with Antonio Margarito.

With that said I am out, you catch P”N”B radio show where we talk to the fans and talk the fight game Every Wednesday Night at 10PM PST, or you can catch the download as well.
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After the last Zutes Boxing Talk, MBG and I were extremely enthusiastic about the upcoming boxing weekend.  It was a weekend of promising young stars, legendary veterans, and some very enticing match ups on paper.  However, this is boxing, and once again we were blind sided.

My enthusiasm subdued a bit when it was reported that the legendary veteran, Erik Morales, did not make weight for his match with the promising young talent, Danny Garcia.

I have been following this sport too long to not suspect that this was just a sign of things to come.

The bad sign, the one I was blind sided on, was that the big HBO fight was taking place in Texas, hence the dreaded Texas athletic commission would be front and center in what was suppose to be a memorable boxing weekend.

So many things went wrong in Texas Saturday night, it doesn’t really matter what you might think was worse than the other.

Two things stuck out for me on Saturday.  One, any causal boxing fan, or maybe a disgruntled boxing fan trying to give the sport one last chance, would laugh at what took place in Texas and equate to what goes on in the WWE, and never bother with the sport again.

Second, when will the sport turns its back on Texas?  If the Texas Athletic Commission is everything we think it is, what does it say about the powers that be if they keep going back to them to host events?

Remember, it was also reported by HBO that James Kirkland failed to turn in a urine sample, yet was still allowed to step into the ring.  This is off the fact that Texas forgot to do drug testing in a fight not that long ago, even after the fight. Texas is a mess for boxing and has been for a long time.  Texas cannot exist as it is now for a home for boxing.  But well all know this will not happen.

The biggest winner in Texas for me was Ann Wolfe.  She was the most honest and straight up person in the arena… Bravo!

Main Events had a much better night in Brooklyn.  They hosted a solid card with a high octane main event. Zab Judah is a tough cookie to crack. Let us not dismiss his talent because he hasn’t been able to beat some of the most talented people in the sport.

Zab looked good, and will get, and deserve, another big fight on a big stage. That is all there is too it. If he didn’t deserve it, Vernon Paris would have backed up his big mouth with a big win. But he didn’t.

Instead he just keep circling into Zab’s power hand and keep hitting himself, and continued to talk, every time he did get tagged.

Bert Sugar was a rarity in Boxing, a household name.  Most of my friends could care less about boxing. But they all expressed their sorrows to me about the passing of Bert, as if he were same kind of relation to me or close friend.

If I did know Bert, I would tell him how I felt he was way off in his ranking of Marvelous Marvin Hagler in his top 100 rankings.

While I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, and have Marvin number one to ever lace em up, he is a no brainier to be in the top 15, at least.  The last time I checked out Bert’s ranking he had Hagler somewhere in the 70’s.  Come on man.

Regardless of that, Bert was a great boxing mind. He loved the game and was well known and brought legitimacy to the sport.  He crossed over. He also did not Sugar coat, pardon the pun, when boxing would have one of its many lapses.

Some people defend something they love without conviction, some hold things they love to higher standard, and speak out when that standard is not met. Thankfully, Bert Sugar was the latter.

A good ambassador for the sport is now gone, and will be missed.  However, Bert will be the first to tell you, if boxing does not straighten itself out and deal with the whole picture of what went on in Texas, and beyond (if it was all just Texas, I would be happy) there will be no main stream to ambassador boxing to.

I would like to start off by saying, as good as the Orlando Salido vs. Juan Manuel Lopez rematch was, as great as the 9th round was, if that was the fight of the year, we are in trouble.

For boxing to have a great 2012, we need at least three fights that are much better candidates than that fight.

I would like to thank Sergio Martinez for attempting to make boxing resemble the sport I first started following many years ago.

Back then, being a champion meant everything.  You had a belt and it was serious business.  Defending your title was all that matters. The top guys would usually defend their belts 2 to 3 times a year.

Great fighters like Michael Spinks, Aaron Pryor, Larry Holmes, Salvador Sanchez and Marvelous Marvin Hagler were among the best of that era to do this.

While a lot of the times, these champions were not believed to be threatened to lose, they were still doing the job, and were often surprised by the difficulty their opponents brought to the ring. You were more likely to experience tougher nights when you were fighting regularly as opposed to once a year, no matter how great you were.

It made sense to give a shot to another fighter who ranked high in your weight class. While not ever perfect, I think the system worked pretty well back then and gave us a lot more memorable fights and moments.

One of the pluses of those days was seeing the type of talent that might not have gotten any face time if they did not get a title shot, and therefore remain broke and unknown in the boxing world.

Fighters like Mike Weaver, Azumah Nelson, and Juan Roldan all lost their initial title shots against the great crop of champions already mentioned. However, they all won something you cannot buy, and something they did not have prior to these losses, notoriety and a great career of future titles/TV fights.

Guys like Weaver and Roldan would have never come to light if champions, who were clearly believed to be worlds better than them, did not give them a chance.

In all likelihood, Nelson would have found his own way down the tunnel, because he was that good, however, when thinking back on his career, most people do not remember any of his wins, the same way they remember the night he lost.  Azumah gave Salvador Sanchez the fight of his life, unfortunately it was his last.

This is a format that worked back then in boxing and even years before. Fighters like Joe Loius, Carlos Monzon and Roberto Duran all followed this pattern and defended their titles against all comers. Some of these fights were easier than others, but they were all appreciated.

Popular HOF fighters like Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Pernell Whitaker all lived by this code too. Evander did it as a cruiser, as well as a heavyweight. And yes, even the human sleeping pill, Bernard Hopkins, deserves credit for living by this code when he was middleweight king.

I firmly believe, in my humble opinion, that the absence of proudly defending your title against as many ranked fighters in his weight class, is a major reason why boxing no longer counts in the United States.

And sadly, the reality is it does not count. If boxing was banned tomorrow, over 80% of the United States would not blink. Not including those who make their coin in the sport.

Boxing, it seems, will never go back to this format.  The big names and the top prospects will continue to recycle the Shane Mosley and Winky Wright’s of the world, and disguise them as some type of step up, a legitimate fight if you will.

This is exactly why the major sports scene does not care about this once proud sport anymore. Only the most dedicated and loyal of fans continue to accept this, and the crowd is just not all that big anymore.

The biggest defenders of boxing like to point to the gaudy PPV numbers Floyd and Manny dish out once or twice a year, as evidence for it being healthy.  Oh yea, that’s a clear indication that boxing does not need fixing. Forgot the rest of the year when so many big events on television are fought in front of half empty crowds and the PPV numbers are so bad for the other boxing cards the numbers are never released to us.

The other strong argument I could make is Riddick Bowe. It was no accident that Bowe’s career went downhill when he decided to throw his belt in the trash can because he did not want to defend his title against Lennox Lewis, a man clearly deserving of a shot.

Had Bowe fought Lewis, win or lose, that fight would have brought something out of him that would have elevated his game, and his outlook on being a champion, that quite frankly never happened.

Bowe decided not to respect what being a champion is, and he, and the heavyweight division, suffered greatly.  In many ways, Bowe was really the last chance an American fighter had at dominating the heavyweight division.

The younger fans will not get this because it has not been done this way for a long time. There is no respect any more for the world champion, or do they have any respect for weight limits that were once sacred.

So I want to thank Sergio Martinez for being the only big name in boxing attempting to live by the standards of the great champions before him.  If only it was contagious.

When I got the nickname The Mad Boxing Genius, it was because of my knowledge and thoughts on this great sport we call boxing.  After yesterday’s “BIG ANNOUCNEMNT” by Oscar De La Hoya, The Mad Boxing Genius is just simply MAD!!!

I’ve always stated that Oscar De La Hoya is nothing more than a liar but this last Tuesday put the icing on the cake.  I can forgive Oscar when he says that he will never face Fernando Vargas and give him a chance to make money off of his name just to take him on in September of 2002.  I can forgive Oscar when he said that he “just has a feeling,” that Juan Manuel Marquez will defeat Floyd Mayweather Jr. even though he basically admitted on 24/7 Mayweather vs. Ortiz that he was too small to have a chance, but this?  No, not this time you lying, cross-dressing freak!

Oscar’s tweet read… “As I enjoy my 10 months of being sober today I come to realize without a cloud over my head that I will never ever fight again.” – Oscar De La Hoya

Nothing more followed that statement.

Where does this egotistical jackass of a person get off saying that he has big news that will shake up the boxing world only to give us he’s 10 months sober and will never fight again?

First of all, you’re 10 months sober and that’s great dude, but you said you had an announcement that would shake up “THE BOXING WORLD”.  Again, you’re 10 months sober and that’s great but in this world, the boxing world, it doesn’t mean a damn thing!  You’re sobriety doesn’t count as boxing news.

So the only thing that I can think of that remotely resembles big news in boxing is that you will never come out of retirement.  Brother… no one cares!  Even if you did announce your return I’d hardly call that earth shattering news.  Who are you to say that you coming back or not coming back matters?  Remember you said during 24/7 Mayweather vs. Ortiz that you were “done” before you fought Floyd Mayweather Jr.?  Why would we care about a washed-up has been liar competing again?  This is why Evander Holyfield and Roy Jones Jr. don’t headline major PPV’s anymore – their time is done and so is yours you punk-ass bitch!

And at the very least, these guys like Evander Holyfield and Roy Jones Jr. are honest with the public if not with themselves, so out of respect we may catch their fight online.

But what really irks me the most, the thing that makes me want to piss on an Oscar De La Hoya poster is that you made a statement about shaking-up the boxing world.  In this day and age where boxing is no where to be seen on mainstream TV., is currently flooded with either corrupt or incompetent judges and or referee’s, and where the biggest fight that can be made in any combat sport on earth isn’t getting done, the one that will bring hardcore, casual and new fans alike to focus once again on boxing, we needed some earth shattering news.  And you offer up your personal crap?

It’s a good thing that Richard Schaefer really runs GBP because you’re obviously too stupid or just too delusional to do it.  Here’s some boxing news for ya that might shake-up your world… YOU SUCK!!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, even with the limited boxing on TV or maybe lackluster fights if you will.  I hope you made it through and weren’t subjected to old reruns of prizefighter competitions on FUEL TV – let’s just get into it right away.  At least the gossip of the week is keeping the fight game interesting.

In my view the biggest fight of the weekend or most competitive turned out not to be that at all; Vicente Escobedo vs. Lonnie Smith took about as long a microwavable pizza.  With the former Olympian lighting up Smith now he will be on the Adrien Broner list of opponent’s and as the masses darling over “The Problem”.  Only very few will be picking Vicente in that match up if it ever pops off.  I said it before and probably say it again Escobedo’s may not be the coming of the next Pay-Per-View God but he is always fun to watch and I would suspect the same would go even if he ventured to “The Natti” for a Broner fight.

Truth is, wouldn’t a fight between Vicente Escobedo and Eloy Perez would be a huge in northern California?

Biggest upset of the week(end)  was Ponsaklek Wonjongkam brutally getting a pounding in the sixth round in a home country fight.  Sonny Boy Jaro, a native of the Philippines, was simply taking it to Wonjongkam.  Once Jaro saw the Thailand fighter was in trouble he went for the throat it was definitely unexpected and you can see how quickly the crowd went silent and were confused on what they just witnessed.  I suspect a rematch will ensure and you know what may the same outcome Pongsaklek has been fighting since the G funk era and sooner or later father time rears his head in the form of youth.

The last significant heavyweight fight in a minute went the way we all expected so not really much to say here folks.  Wlady did his thing and Mormeck was seen later cashing his check.  The “Klinch-ko” game plan was in effect in the first round so my eyelids began to drop.  But, the Ukrainians get his 50^th KO, good for him and the if you listen closely he K bro haters hate just a little bit more.

Much like others fans at one point I was high up on Joan Guzman, eh times change I feel like he may compete and beat many B fighters but enough said about him for now.

I am running short this week sorry folks but there is tons of boxing rumors floating from Oscar’s news coming at today or Gamboa bouncing from Top Rank.  And oh yeah I am jacked up with excitement for this weekend anytime I can get a Mexico vs. Puerto Rico fight its good news to me!

Real quick shout out to all the participants and everyone who showed up at the Arizona Golden Gloves last week.

And don’t forget fight fans Arizona is sparking up with some more fight cards lining up next up is Showdown Promotion in conjunction with Top rank are bringing a SHOBOX card March 23^rd called Firepower. Ticket info here http://tickets.solcasinos.com/ordertickets.asp?p=219&backurl=default.asp

Super-featherweight:  Diego Magdaleno Vs. Miguel Beltran Jr, lightweight: Jose Roman Vs. Rodolfo Armenta, welterweight:   Yordenis Ugas Vs. Juan Garcia, heavyweight: Andy Ruiz Jr. Vs. Homero Fonseca

Middleweight: Abraham Han Vs. Rahman Yusubov, super flyweight: Hanzel Martinez Vs. Alex Rangel, light middleweight: Juan Gonzales, light heavyweight Trevor McCumby, and Andrey Klimov will also be in separate bouts.

The wheels are turning in the sport we love so leave a comment below and lets chop it up. Other wise check out P”N”B Radio every Wednesday night at 10pm MST http://www.blogtalkradio.com/aleckohut/2012/03/08/punchesnbunches-i-edtion-round-1

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What can you say about a weekend where the best action was between two ladies in the world of MMA?  Well… Wladimir Klitschko took care of business against the incredibly outmatched Jean –Marc Mormeck in four rounds.  Now that he has made a statement by getting a guy out if there, will he get some American respect?  I doubt it.

I have come to the conclusion that the brothers’ Klitschko are just not important enough for the American boxing public… and never will be.

It is not so much that they do not have skills – I think most people recognize that.  It is not so much that they are not exciting, although both brothers have great KO percentages, yet are still perceived as very boring fighters across the United States.  It is just a simple fact is that these guys are not significant enough for America to care and there is not just one reason to pinpoint as to why.

Let us face it, the only time these fighters grabbed the boxing publics imagination was both in loses. When Wladimir got ambushed against Corrie Sanders on HBO way back when, it was water cooler news, more of the “I told you so variety”.  Yes we Americans love to use that phrase, but it was important nonetheless.  Wladimir has not been a story in The United States since then.

Vitali’s big breakthrough came when he substituted for Kirk Johnson to challenge for Lennox Lewis’ world titles.  Although Vitali lost, he gained more recognition and respect, in the United States, than any of his other wins combined.  The only way we will care about Vitali like that again is if there would be a Lennox rematch.  A hot idea a few years back, that has seemed to go by the boards.

While this can all be disputed, what cannot be disputed is the Klitschko Brothers have made a great boxing career for themselves overseas and probably do not care a bit that they are the two most insignificant heavyweight title holders in the history of the Unites States of America.

OTHER BOXING NEWS…

Joan Guzman managed to keep an O on the right side of his record. Of course the greatest accomplished any boxer can have.  Thirty three times a boxer has laced up the gloves in an effort to give Guzman an L, and the plan has failed every single time.  Oh, how great it must be to be great!

One of the more exciting fights of the year goes down this weekend when Orlando Salido grants Juan Manuel Lopez a rematch in Puerto Rico.  JuanMa has a chance to prove his first loss to Salido was a fluke.  Of course some folks already believe that to be the truth.  Saturday we find out if their worlds will be crushed or verified.

Lucian Bute’s first opponent of 2012 will be Carl Froch, not Andre Ward.  I would like to think this has more to do with Ward hurting his hand than anything else.  However, if Froch beats Bute, do we really want to see Ward-Froch 2?

One thing I do know is Froch will probably be more respected than any other Bute opponent lately, even though he is coming off of a loss.

It is funny how undefeated is only important in certain circles.

March 8 marks the 41st anniversary of the Fight of the Century.  This will be the first time this fight will celebrate its birthday without Joe Frazier, as well as Angelo Dundee – should make for a very different perspective.

Of course this was the night Muhammad Ali’s career was over because he suffered his first loss in a boxing ring.  Since we all know that an O is the signature mark of a fighter’s greatness, and there is no other measure of greatness of a boxer, the idea of Ali being called “The Greatest” is a total sham, he has five blemishes and is far from undefeated.

Joan Guzman, and all undefeated boxers, both active and retired, should stand up and rebel against this nonsense.

Floyd Mayweather is the best in the business today.  He is a singular talent, a star brighter than any other when it comes to doing business in the squared circle.  Now, he’ll sometimes tell you that he is the best in the business across the ages – the most talented person to ever lace on a pair of gloves.  I won’t go that far; I don’t think he’s pursued all foes with reckless abandon.  I also don’t believe he has searched far and wide for challengers who can aid him in sending a clear and potent message that, as far as practitioners of the sweet science go, none is better.  But, he is a superior talent and master craftsman to be sure.

It is with that in mind, that I ponder Mayweather’s legacy and how he will stack up when the historians mull over the question of an all-time top 25, or top 10, or top 5, or Number 1 in 10, 20, 50 years from now.

If Floyd wants to be regarded as the best and the brightest, bar none, it would be helpful if his accomplishments compare and contrast favourably with the man regarded by a lion’s share of experts as the second-best boxer for the ages, Henry Armstrong.  ”Homicide Hank” did his thing as a pro from 1931-1945 and finished his Hall of Fame career with a final mark of 150-21-10 with 101 KO’s.  He still holds the distinction of being the only fighter to simultaneously hold titles in three separate weight classes; featherweight (126), lightweight (135) and welterweight (147) – and doing this during a time when there were only eight weight classes in total.

In October of 1937, weighing 124 pounds, Armstrong knocked out Pete Sarron in round six to claim the featherweight crown.   In May of 1938, Armstrong challenged and beat welterweight champ Barney Ross by a lopsided unanimous decision.  The winner weighed 133 pounds to Ross’ 142 pounds.  But, Armstrong wasn’t done.  He knew Lou Ambers was holding the welterweight crown so in his very next bout, in August of 1938, he met Ambers at Madison Square Garden.  Armstrong weighed 134 pounds and Ambers, a half-pound heavier.  At the end of the night, Armstrong earned a hard fought split decision victory.

To boil this down, Armstrong hunted high and low for challenges.  He looked left, right, up and down for people to beat to prove his mettle.  One solid example of a modern-day warrior doing the same thing comes to mind, when Roy Jones Jr. jumped from light-heavyweight to heavyweight to take on John Ruiz. Jones was 174 pounds when he beat Clinton Woods in September of 2002 and weighed 193 pounds when he fought and beat Ruiz, then the WBA champion by an easy unanimous decision.  Ruiz was 226 pounds at the weigh-in, so he enjoyed roughly a 33 pound edge on fight night.

I happen to think Mayweather stacks up quite nicely among the all-time greats.  His genes contain matter that makes him a superior fighter, DNA that the rest of the world doesn’t have.  His defensive adeptness may not be equalled and although he doesn’t possess the sort of power to score highlight reel one-punch KO’s, he does have enough pop to bother anybody on a given night.  So what if Mayweather, later this year or sometime next year truly puts his money where his mouth is and challenges 168-pound champion Andre Ward to a scrap?

Ok, Ok, I’m hearing you… Mayweather has never weighed more than 150 pounds at a weigh-in, while Ward campaigns 18 pounds heavier.  That’s a huge weight differential.  But, recall that Roy Jones, who was then regarded as the pound for pound ace and who certainly is in the conversation of active fighters who might one day be considered for an all-time top 50 (or better), gave up nearly twice that pound advantage to Ruiz.

Relax, relax, I hear you, again… John Ruiz is John Ruiz… point taken (all due respect Johnny).  Andre Ward might well be the second-best boxer in the world today.  His ring generalship is in the neighbourhood of Mayweather’s and he too possesses some genes that the rest of the planet doesn’t. He’s a pugilist, as is Mayweather and Ruiz was a boxer, one who accomplished more on grit and stubbornness than he had any right to.

But if you want to be viewed as the best and brightest- better than Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard and Muhammad Ali, shouldn’t you seek out challenges that others might dismiss as bridges too far?  Shouldn’t you have an Evil Knievel-esque drive to jump more buses-way more buses- than the hoi polloi thinks possible?

Would the 25-0 Ward be too tall an order for Mayweather?  Let’s face the facts… the Oakland native doesn’t own one-punch power.  He has 13 KO’s to date so there wouldn’t be as much concern about Floyd getting battered by a bigger man.  Both are cerebral battlers so this fantasy matchup wouldn’t look like a Ward-Gatti style war.

I have Ward ranked number 2 on my personal pound for pound list.  Wouldn’t it be something to see these two ace pugilists, both of them truly scientists of their craft, go at it?  I think it would!  I think so highly of Mayweather that I give him a shot to give Ward a hell of a hard time.  But, maybe you don’t. Maybe you think Floyd should stick to the 147 or 154 pound weight division.  That after he defeats Miguel Cotto on May 5th, 2012, Mayweather should finally fight Manny Pacquiao (this will never happen) or give Mexican phenomenon Saul “Canelo” Alvarez a rumble?  Me, I think the 5-foot-8 Mayweather would be, yes, an und erdog against the six-footer Ward but I’d love to see him travel far out of his comfort zone.  It would be a treat to see him as the underdog and see how he reacts to that.

I suspect I will be dismissed as a loon, as being too-brave-by-proxy here.  However, I believe in the greatness of Floyd Mayweather.  Readers, feel free to leave your comments.

Until next time, the “BOXING PROPHET” has spoken!!!!!!!!

Alright Boxing peoples and Peepettes, it’s about that time for another edition of P”N”B and after 2 weeks and a ton of fight cards we have a little bit of a surplus of boxing talk to get to so we are moving quickly don’t turn around or may just get “glassed”.

 
Well let’s start by saying that as I have to own up to a few things and first and foremost Punches”N”Bunches was and always will be intended to be a weekly column.  The fact that the start of the year has been inconsistent is only a formality and I promise to the eight readers that I have, I will do better and my game has officially been stepped up.  My kiss and let’s make up gift is a double dose edition.  Truth be told I almost had my article done last week but got caught up with the inauguration episode of P”N”B Radio and put my colors away after that so last weeks unfinished master piece will be added to here.  Enough crying already let’s get into this past weekend’s fights.

Taking it from the top, Devon Alexander vs. Marcos Maidana:

While my opinion is only worth about 1/100 of a cent, Maidana’s weight transformation to 147lb. wasn’t as successful as I thought it would be… seems only fitting saying this wearing hindsight glasses I know.

Maybe The recipe to beat the Argentinian is laid out on “how to beat “El Chino” one part speed, one part movement and add a solid chin as needed you or you can substitute chin with an incompetent referee (see Khan vs. Maidana for a reference)

For being an advocate of Marcos Maidana it’s troublesome to see how long it takes for him to have to be ready to fire off shots and it got to the point that I was zeroing in on the fact that he has some sort three step process or checklist that is calculated before he even throws his punches.  In other words don’t expect him to fire off a barrage of punches off balance.  Am I selling all of my “Chino” stock?? No but I hate to say it though, power and pressure only gets you so far.  I love watching him fight and always will but now I think he will go back to “fun to watch status” until he can make a serious mark.  He had the opportunity this weekend and wasn’t able to own the moment.

As for Devon Alexander, he looked his best since the Juan Urango fight.  I will say that I was “hating” on his team for only taking this fight if it was a 10 rounder.  I understand the danger that Maidaina is since he’s the Jason Voorhees of boxing but even though the late rounds favored the kid from “the lute”, in this case it robbed him of gaining the recognition of stopping a killer in the ring in Maidana who was looking very shaky towards the end.  The Risk of the extra rounds was worth the reward.

I will also give Devon much respect for taking on such a brute force, keep that in mind when other fighters aren’t even willing to take on Paulie Malignaggi.  Devon tamed a beast in the ring and made him look normal.

As for the Eloy Perez vs. Adrian Broner fight: this one pulls at my heart a bit  because Eloy Perez, a classy fighter, got double clipped against the Bobby Brown microphone wearing Broner.  Look I am never doubted Broner’s skills and attributes as the champ has the goods.  I just hate when he has to know it.  It’s like the hot girl who knows she’s hot, makes her a little less hot in my opinion.  It’s odd because when in interviews at times he can sound humble and feels lucky to be where he is at and then a voice in his head tells him to flip the “Mayweather” switch and then he goes and says some heinous things for attention and I am completely turned off.

Eloy will go back to Salinas and regroup and I am sure he will be placed in a SHOBOX type card and will go back to climbing the mountain and quite frankly I am not sure how long Broner will stay in the wasteland division.  If he stays long he will simply stay the king of a no man’s land. Some people are chanting a fight with Yuriorkis Gamboa, though it’s a solid match up they are on different paths and unlikely to ever meet.  Gary Russell wouldn’t be a bad match up but he may be a little green and I am pretty sure they are homies; on top of that the Haymon connection is there, thus again unlikely.

Anyways any fans of flashy, slick, trash talking fighters who can back it up gain a new icon in Broner good for you guys, just a shame it came at the expense of a well-mannered kid in Perez.  Hey this is boxing the nice guys rarely win.  See Andre Ward as a clear exception to that rule however.

The Fight that had my blood pumping this weekend was The Alexander Povetkin vs. Marco Huck fight. Not to over shoot my enthusiasm but this was the best heavyweight fight in years… YEARS!  One more time for effect best heavyweight fight in years, I am not saying it was The Thrilla in Manila.  Simply supporting that this fight was awesome back and forth action a lot of punches thrown, great stuff.

Can’t believe I am going to do this but commentator Dan Rafael was correct banging on the referee for his constant involvement of breaking up the fighters.  Shame on the rumors that Povetkin will be taking Hasim Rahman next rather than granting Huck a rematch which he rightfully deserves if that fight comes to fruition the guys at “In the Corner Radio” I am sure will bring up the crazy stat on how Rahman continuously gets tittle shots even though he is  a hollowed fighter.

Marco Huck won that fight hands down.  Huck’s hammering right hand was landing all night and even had a stiff enough jabbed to stun Povetkin at times.  The Russian did well on the outside but his down fall was seemingly putting his head down time and time and when Huck timed it right he was able to inflict much damage on the WBA regular octane champion.

Alright so for last week’s fight let’s play a game of word association just for kicks;

Texas:  Home to the best commission in Boxing.
Lies:  See Example above.

Chris Arreola: Mistaking called Don King a Racist

Don King:  Doesn’t discriminate on who he steals and cheats out besides that’s the American way.  Truth be told if Don King did in anyway shape or form use a derogatory term against Mexicans, than screw Don King and the Latino Shrek had every reason to call him out, and hey anytime I can see Jim Grey squirm is a great day in my book.

Jim Grey: “No No No No we are not doing that” think he just did Jimbo (insert smiley face here)

Erik Molina: Gave it his best shot, to bad it woke up the Nightmare and he was the one put to sleep. (uhh probably worst use of puns ever)

Malik Scott:  Fighter who looked good I want to see again and has an underrated trainer.

Alfonso Lopez:  Forgot to cut or shoot in this case and biggest win probably ever for Justin Williams

SHOWTIME:  Thank you for showcasing undercard bouts on SHOWTIME EXTREME
HBO: Step your game up

Williams vs. Ishida:  Proof that 120 to 108 fight can be entertaining

Where does Ishida go from here:  Undercards of Canelo fights I guess, oh and back in the rumor mills of how bad he looks in the gym. Truth is I like watching him fight not sure why but I do.

Where does Williams go from here:  Well apparently the once most feared man in boxing has a fear of the one James Kirkland you know what I am saying.
PWilli: Is he back? Not a hundred percent more like 75% and that’s enough to make a sleuth of great fantasy fights that we won’t see.

Shawn Estrada:  So the SoCal fighter came in at cruiserweight when he fights at 168lbs. Big deal there is this guy who is the son of a legend who can tops that going from Middleweight to Cruiser weight in one night. (Disclaimer only in Texas)

Mike Dallas:  Rebound fight was good for him

EPIX:   The network of heavyweights, which I am very content with I love how they pick the Euro fights, good for them and good for fans. From what I hear about their streams bad for boxing heads that don’t subscribe to the channel.

Klitschko Ring Entrance – Makes American fighters jealous

Derek Chisora – Crazy bloke who can sell a fight, fight 12 rounds with a one arm giant and then have the stones to get glassed by the Hayemaker.

David Haye- Chisora is Hood, and David Haye is Hollywood (in the actor sense) who throw’s a bunch holding a bottle like that. A man who blames his biggest moment of careers on his effing toe that’s who

okay folks I am out the door here so you can reach me here https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1537481657

Also be sure to listen to the second edition of Punches”N”Bunches Radio every Wednesday Night live at 10pm MST or peep the download here http://www.blogtalkradio.com/aleckohut

Or you can find me on the corner of “Too Much Boxing to Talk About Avenue”

Pacquiao vs Mayweather

Yes they teased us once again.  After Manny Pacquiao edged out Juan Manuel Marquez last November, the carrot of the dream match up was once again dangled in front of the entire boxing world.

Manny vs. Floyd – the biggest fight to be made with the most money to be made… Ever!  A fight that would be so successful, a fight where everyone wins, a fight where once and for all we would know who the top P4P fight in the world is… a fight that is not going to happen.

This time it was supposed to be different.  Many people felt Manny did not deserve the victory over JMM.  Even those who want to defend the decision have to admit this was not Pacquiao at his best.

In three fights, 36 rounds, Manny could not dominate the rugged Mexican the way Floyd Mayweather Jr. did.  Those with blinders on can try to say that does not mean anything, but from an objective standpoint, it means everything.

The one person who does indeed know this is Pacquiao.  After the Marquez fight, he related that he wanted Mayweather.  He needed him.

Mayweather also seemed more eager than ever to get the fight done.  If there was any doubt he could handle Pacquaio before last November, it was all erased.

You could just read between the lines here; Floyd saw Manny as easy as ever and Manny felt his only way back to top status, by other than die hard Pacquiao fans, was to beat the undefeated Mayweather.

Combine these feelings, with all the money to be made and the unquestionable boost this fight would give boxing in the United States, and you have one of the biggest no brainers of all-time.

So why is this fight not happening?

Why are we accepting it?

It saddens me that boxing is not missing a beat covering the Mayweather-Cotto and Pacquiao-Bradley fights as if this is the best thing for boxing.

There is no disrespect meant towards Miguel Cotto or Timothy Bradley.  Both are fine fighters who deserve their chance and the payday that comes along with it.  In fact, the Mayweather vs. Cotto fight actually excites me, but it would have excited me even three years ago, I explained already as to why in a previous Zute for Thought.

However, if this fight is at the expense of the powers that be cheating us out of an all time fight, then it has to be questioned.

The public should not accept or address any other fight by Floyd or Manny until they fight each other.

It is time to take a stand.  Or is it?  Most boxing fans and writers have seemed to move on and take these upcoming fights at face value.

That is the easy thing to do.

That is not the thing to do if you want to prevent this from continuing to happen.

If we treat these two fights with legitimacy, we risk never seeing other dream match ups down the road.

Fans are never going to get to see Julio Ceasar Chavez Jr. fight Sergio Martinez if fight fans and reporters continue to accept this game that is being played by the powers that be.

As much as it might hurt, and cost, the boxing scribes and all of its fans, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao’s next fights have to be ignored.

If you choose not to listen, then you risk the chance of never seeing an all time fight ever again.

Boxing in the United States cannot survive that.

Well boxing heads I hope you have enjoyed the time away from P”N”B.  A little time off never hurt anyone except maybe boxers… the irony.  It’s been many moons since the last edition and rather than keeping everyone chomping at the bit lets unload what we have to fire off.  So put on your heads phones, lock your computers and step away from your desk and go find a spot in the break room to sit down and enjoy.

On a side note this article was fueled by some jet fuel coffee and some Black Keys as the soundtrack, now back to your normal P”N”B edition.

So we will work backwards rather than sticking to my normal format and we will begin by discussing the sexy topic at this current moment.

People are clamoring over the idea of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. “Sugar” Shane Mosley on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Miguel Cotto come May 5^th and though I know I am wrong, dead wrong to believe that they or you shouldn’t be so quick to judge.  The truth is any of your first instincts are spot on and mine are not.  Now that we have that out of the way, I disagree with all of you!  Not yelling from the bell towers but rather hanging on the sidewalk talking to myself. The truth is this fight or this type of fight happens every weekend in boxing I believe the phrase “old lion vs. young lion” will be thrown all over the commentary for this fight.  Look let’s be honest with ourselves for a moment it’s not like the fire headed youngster has been taking on primo competition to begin with and essentially this would also be another cliché of a “win or go home” bout for Shane Mosley.

I know Mosley has looked bad and I know he has fooled us three times in a row but wouldn’t that also imply that if ever he had one bullet left in the chamber this is where he needs to use it.  Fine maybe I am justifying the fight to much, but I believe it will be more entertaining than you probably think it will be.

We joked that the Pacquaio fight for Mosley was part of the Pacquaio pension plan.  Consider the fight with Canelo as being the “Golden Boy Parachute bonus”.

Also on the card is Peter Quillien vs. WInky Wright… I know right!  OMG the fight we have all been begging for!  The effort it takes to type about this fight isn’t worth doing so there I won’t.

Now my one fight that was being mentioned was a bout between Robert Guerreo vs. Paulie Malignaggi. You may remember Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero as the fighter who has in recent months done his best to do a mirrored interpretation of Vanes Martirosyan by calling out every fighter that BoxRec lists and then once a dance partner comes up Robert decided to sit this one out claiming Paulie isn’t worth it.

But this is exactly the type of fight that Robert needs if he wants to break into the welterweight division.  Besides, what happen to the Marcos Maidana fight?  Or hey by the way how’s the recovery from surgery?  All I am saying is you can’t sit there and talk a big game and then sit on the bench come game time.  Paulie is a legitimate and formidable opponent in this case and the fact that the ghost declined the fight just looks bad not even a pound for pound publicist can rationalize or spin the collateral damage.

What makes this even worse to say is that I like Robert and always wish nothing but good things for the man but he does deserve some heat for this one people.

Anyone hating on the Mayweather vs. Cotto or Manny Pacquiao vs. Tim Bradley then I think those fans have earned their right to feel that way but I encourage you to refrain from doing so.  Outside of Floyd fighting Manny these bouts are widely warranted and respected bouts.  Relax people.

A mini rant if you will: I am sick of hearing the case of “why”!  Why would they face other when they can fight lesser opposition for 25-30Million? That plan has the potential to eventually back fire and risk one of the PPV champs some serious ego blows.  Thus implying again Bradley or Cotto could derail the pretty little make-believe dream we all long for.  A two story house a picket fence 2.7 kids and Mayweather vs. Pacquiao shown on Saturday afternoon on ABC.

Walk it off and lets keeps moving

I will be writing an article for Undisputed Magazine and wanting to make sure I get enough votes on an article I am doing on what will be a better fight, the Mayweather vs. Cotto or Manny Pacquiao vs. Tim Bradley take the survey here  https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/questions/3168867990767/

Let’s move on.

Notice how there is no talk of last week’s Friday Night Fights???  Yeah that was intentional anyone see the riots at the Argentina boxing matches crazy stuff man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X38STSIlLTw

I know some of you guys are dying for me to talk about the Chavez Jr. fight and I am just spent on the topic for now maybe once P”N”B Radio is up and running.  You can call in and we will chop it up but for now I am simply trying to get the ring rust off.  Besides who wants to talk about cruiserweights? Uhg.

As for the next topic last week I attended a press conference in Tucson discussing the upcoming SHOBOX card with Showdown promotions in conjunction with Top Rank set for March 23rd.

Diego Magdaleno is the main event and in supporting cast of Hanzel Martinez and Juanito Gonzalez  will also be in separate bouts.

I spoke with Hanzels’ manager and brother in law who just so happens to be Antonio Margarito and coming off the heels of witnessing the Chavez Jr. fight I asked home why he thought he should be mentioned when discussions of the kid with the silver spoon fights again.  Through translation of the young light middleweight Juanito Gonzales I asked Margarito what makes him think he can beat a cruiserweight Chavez Jr. and respectively responded “he has never been in the ring with someone that can hit like me”.

Interesting note:  Credit to writer Norm Frauenheim who asked Margarito how he would like to be remember once he hangs up the gloves and I can only paraphrase since my recorder was off but Tony did respond stating he wanted to thank the fans who have followed him throughout his career and that he left everything in the ring and that he gave it his all every time he stepped in the ring.

Say what you want about Margarito but when he spoke at the presser for his fighter Hanzel Martinez all eyes were on him and his salesman ship was dead on.

We will feature more from this fight cad as time goes by

ARIZONA Boxing Beat:

Where oh where to begin?  Seems only fitting that in the desert that the boxing scene reflects similar weather patterns it’s been pretty slow since the closing out of 2011 in yawning fashion then you wake up and Bam we have a laundry list of things to go over.

First let’s start with Iron Boy Promotions Card this Friday at Celebrity Theatre that has such fighters on the card as:

Amateur fighter Luis Espinoza – who I am looking forward to witness live. I hear tons of good things about the kid, even my boy from Indio Jacob Najar is high up on the kid and I trust Najars Boxing eye ever since he warned about an upset that was brewing many moons ago.

Also amateur fighter Francisco C’De Vaca cousin of Alexis Santiago who also took the trip to get some work in over at Mayweather gym.

Chris Lopez- a fighter I know little about however trains only a hop skip and jump away from mi casa therefore I hope he becomes a world champion one day and reps Sonny’s Gym to the fullest so I can walk to a reporting gig on a weekly basis, (make it happen Chris!)

Abel Ramos- big strong kid who can crack need I say more?

Juan Garcia – what’s to be said about the young man who is a seasoned vet had a string of bad luck and losses and after regaining massive confidence in a upset win against Hector Serrano last year is looking for a homecoming bout to keep him busy. For a kid who cant catch a break I am glad to see him get some rounds in this Friday.

Emilio Colon Garcia- well let’s hear it from the MexiRican in a prepared statement:

“This training camp has been the best for me ever. I am in a good place and I feel great. I’m just being me and doing what I was supposed to do a year ago which is to treat boxing like a career and business not just a sport or a job. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to train with Chuck McGregor for this fight. We make a good team. My whole team really works hard together and we do it the right way and we have fun while we do it. I can’t wait for this fight. I am ready to show everybody that I haven’t been hiding but I’ve been focused. Chuck is from Chicago and he is old school and that is what I love most about training with him. He has taught me a lot of new things that are making me a better, stronger, and smarter fighter. It’s going to be a good show and I am very excited to fight on the same card as my cousin Juan Garcia.”

In the main event is Alexis Santiago who will be followed in the ring by his new trainer out of Las Vegas Roger Mayweather (ever heard of him?).

I spoke with Alexis “Beaver” Santiago at length last Sunday and I can tell you the young bantam weight is hungry “I am anxious to fight I have been training harder than I ever have with roger and just staying in the gym hours at a time”.

Knowing Beaver long enough and following his career I had to ask him since he sparred with Guillermo Rigondeaux and Nonito Donaire I asked him who he thinks who win between the two? “Rigo would win.  He is a better boxer and counter puncher”.

Personally I have interviewed Alexis many times before a fight and there is something different maybe it’s the expectations that comes along with his world class trainer I am not sure maybe I will see it come Friday night but this Beaver seems a little angrier more tenacious if you will than the kid in the past has shown. Maybe he is excited just to get back in the ring at this point.

I know he has been lined up for fights only for fight after fight card to fall apart or opponents drop out so I know he is hungry for some work.

You would think the AZ Boxing beat stops here but the beat goes on and the beats goes on

Phoenix fighter Jesus Ernesto Gonzales Jr. is fighting this weekend in a IBF inter galactic title against Adonis Stevenson.  All opinions aside this is a legitimate ESPN fight type of a fight that is not on ESPN. Thankfully we have boxing heads like Tony Gastelum.

Now I don’t have Fight Now TV but I do have a Laptop with an HDMI chord if you catch my drift now I just need an awesome fan to send me a……..link…… (ya I said it)

Jesus Gonzales Jr. has been dying for a break through fight to get his name in the mix and he is going into the north country to earn his stripes. I wish him nothing but the best because he is going to need it. This isn’t an easy test for “El Martillo” but that has never been his style to take the easy road either now has it. I hope you all have the sense to watch this fight by any means necessary I find it hard to believe you would be disappointed.

I will end with some news about Jose Benavidez Jr.  While in Tucson I spoke with a Top Rank associate who said Jose is recovery well from his injury and they were lucky to hear there was no tear in tendons or muscles no broken bones in his wrist it was a simple procedure to remove cartilage and hope to get him back in the ring my May sometime.

Hey 2,000 words in first time up to bat this year not bad huh.  Okay well I hope to see you at the fights

You can reach me hear https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1537481657&ref=tn_tnmn

or on the corner of “help support your local boxing events” avenue.

Oh and PS. Punches “N” Bunches Radio is slowly brewing but it is almost ready to be unveiled so be patient young grasshoppers.