It’s not 1993 anymore, the year that Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. fought for the first time in what seemed like little more than a stepping stone for RJJ at the time (Jones won by decision).  It’s not 2003, a decade later, when Jones stepped up to Heavyweight and dominated John Ruiz. Nor is it even 2006 when Hopkins made his resurgence by beating Light heavyweight champ Antonio Tarver.  We are in the year 2010, and finally, 17 years later the rematch has been signed.  Problem is, does anybody care at this point?

Hopkins vs. Jones Rematch Preview

Roy Jones Jr. (54-6) is currently 41 years old and he is, age wise, the fresher fighter of the two with Hopkins (50-5), just turning 45 years young.  The public has been clamoring for this fight for far longer than a decade and this is why buzz ran rampant when it was announced in late 2009 that the two would finally fight each other.  Normally a fight between two fighters this age would be scoffed at but Hopkins was coming off an epic victory over young lion Kelly Pavlik and Roy Jones appeared to find new life when he dominated former world champ Jeff Lacy.  All the two fighters had to do was win a “tune-up” fight in to get themselves ready for a clash in early 2010.  Well, Hopkins did his part.

Bernard Hopkins woke up the morning of 12/02, the day he was scheduled to take on his “tune-up” opponent Enrique Ornelas to find out that the man he’s been seeking revenge against for years had gotten knocked out, in the very 1^st round no less to Australian contender Danny Green, in which was supposed to be an easy win for Jones.

Hopkins went on to beat Ornelas that night and to everyone’s surprise, Hopkins did not dismiss Jones but rather, said that the ref stopped the fight too soon (I disagree) and that he was still interested in the fight.  When he said that, I knew this fight was still going to happen, solely because Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. wanted it to.  It didn’t matter what the public wanted.  This fight still meant something to Hopkins, for better or for worse.

So here we are, 2010, and the fight is on but now boxing has another problem.  This fight between two future Hall Of Famers will be a PPV but does the public have any interest in this fight anymore?  Boxing fans, being as loyal as they are, will still tune in to see this fight but I can’t help but think that if this fight isn’t a thriller, which is unlikely, it’s certainly going to leave a sour taste in their mouths

There are some big-time opponents out there that most boxing fans would far rather see Hopkins face than a shot Roy Jones Jr.  For one, undefeated light heavyweight champ Chad Dawson has been calling out Hopkins for some time now.  Sadly, Dawson is not a major draw and Hopkins has made it no secret that he’s not getting any younger and he’s looking to capture a final payday.  Understandable maybe, but not a good thing if you’re interested in seeing the best fight the best which almost all of the public is.

Hopkins vs. Jones II Prediction

Since this fight appears destined to take place whether I like it or not, I’ll take a stab at what I think will take place.  Before Jones Jr. embarrassed himself that night in Australia I would have given Jones a decent shot to upset the favored Hopkins because fighters with quick hands have given Hopkins trouble in the past (Taylor and Calzaghe to name a couple). After seeing Roy get pummeled by Green though I can’t help but think that Roy is a completely shot fighter and Hopkins, who still has some life left as far as his boxing career goes will win a fairly uneventful decision.

Bernard Hopkins vs Roy Jones Jr Boxing Tickets April 3 2010 Buy Bernard Hopkins vs Roy Jones Jr Boxing Tickets at Mandalay Bay Resort Event Center in Las Vegas NV on April 3

We’re fast approaching the one year anniversary of when Antonio Margarito was found with an illegal gauze pad laced with a mystery substance buried in his hand wraps.  This means that Margarito’s one year suspension from the sport of boxing is also coming to and end.  To nobody’s surprise, there are many varying opinions on this hot topic. Did Antonio know the gauze was in his wraps? Was it truly an honest mistake as Margarito’s trainer claims? Was a one year ban enough of a punishment?

Those questions will always be up for debate and I’ve got my opinions but that’s not what this article is about.  Margarito is most likely going to be reinstated into the sport of boxing shortly and he’s going to be looking for fights.  Where does he go? What are his options?

Margarito, while being relatively quiet over the past year, has been quoted as saying that he wants to move right back into the title fold at welterweight.  This will prove to be more difficult than he is anticipating and not just because fighters will be hesitant to fight a man who has been recently caught committing one of if not the most heinous crimes in the sport.  Let’s review the options:

Shane Mosley is currently the #1 rated welterweight in the world (no, it’s not Manny Pacquiao).  Mosley attained this status by destroying Margarito directly after the handwraps were found.  Whether Margarito was distracted by getting his hand caught in the cookie jar or Mosley was just the better man, a rematch just isn’t in the cards.  What’s in it for Shane? Mosley already put one of the most one sided whoopings in the calendar year onto “The Tijuana Tornado”.  Combine that with the fact that Shane is already slated to fight undefeated star Andre Berto on Jan. 30 and a rematch just isn’t feasible at this point.  For this reason I will also consider Berto out as a possible option for Margarito.

A Miguel Cotto fight makes a lot of sense in a lot of ways after the brutal (and now controversial) beating Cotto took at the hands of Margarito, the fight directly proceeding the Mosley fight where Margo got busted.  Problem is that Cotto just took another beating at the hands of Manny Pacquiao and I don’t think Cotto is looking for another big time fight with another big time puncher at this time.  That, and the fact that Cotto has stated multiple times that he will “not allow Antonio Margarito to make any more money off of my name”.  Right on Miguel.

Manny Pacquiao and/or Floyd Mayweather? I’ll lump these two in together because I firmly believe that if this mega fight doesn’t get made for March, neither of these two fighters will take a fight where they could potentially lose and ruin the shot at 40-50 million dollars down the line when/if the two sides can reach a deal.  Margarito would be a threat to beat both fighters so neither guy is going to chase Margarito down as a fallback opponent assuming Mayweather/Pacquiao doesn’t get made.

Paul Williams. I’m assuming at this point Margarito would love to avenge his close decision loss to Williams but at this point Williams has moved on to 154 and 160.  Williams has stated that he’d be willing to come back to 147 for a top fight but I doubt that would include an opponent that he’s already beaten. Williams has not only moved on from 147 but I’m fairly certain he’s moved on from Antonio Margarito as well.

If Margarito is set on staying at 147, Joshua Clottey may be his best option.  Margarito already beat Clottey a few years back but Clottey was winning the fight until he injured his hand and fell off in the later rounds.  Margarito probably won’t be thrilled with giving a man a rematch that he’s already beaten but Clottey is a world class opponent, coming of a razor thin loss to Miguel Cotto, a fight that many thought that Clottey won.  A win against Clottey may give title holders a reason to give Margarito a shot but will Margarito accept a fight against a top fighter that he’s already beat?

Assuming that Margarito isn’t able to snag himself a title short right off the bat, Margarito has 3 more feasible options.  He can wait until one of these champions frees up and wants to fight him, he can swallow his pride and fight a second tier guy at 147 and work his way back up to title contention or, what I think he may do, choose to move up in weight class.

154, unlike 147, is an unheralded class at the moment and the champions within it are more likely to be looking to add a big name to their resume.  Sergey Dzinziruk, the WBO champ is undefeated but unknown outside of Europe is always proclaiming that he wants to fight the best but for some reason he can’t seem to get the fights.

Margarito would easily be the biggest name that Sergey has fought to date.  A win would be a huge step towards stardom.  Yuri Foreman, the newest titleholder, appears willing to fight anyone as rumors are swirling that he could be on top of the list for a fallback opponent for Manny Pacquiao.  Foreman has given no indication that he doesn’t welcome the challenge.  If Foreman/Pacquaio doesn’t happen, Foreman/Margarito seems to make sense for both parties.

Whatever path Margarito chooses, it’s going to be very interesting to see what type of reception Margarito receives from boxing fans and it will be even more interesting to see what type of response he receives from his fellow boxers.  Before the loaded wraps fiasco Margarito was one of the biggest stars and the biggest draws in the sport.  It’s going to be a tough climb back to the top and it starts shortly so get your popcorn ready because it’s going to be very entertaining watching Antonio Margarito’s comeback unfold.

Every year in boxing is full of great moments, great drama and great disappointments.  2009 was no different.  We got great fights in Margarito/Mosley, Pacquiao/Cotto and Marquez/Diaz.  We also enjoyed great drama with the return of Floyd Mayweather and Pacquiao’s emergence as an all time great.  Of course, with the good we must also accept the bad.

Boxing as a whole suffered a major disappointment when one of it’s top stars, Antonio Margarito, was given a one year suspension after being caught with illegal substances in his wraps.  Through it all, 2009 was a fine year in boxing and I’m hoping that the FOTY candidate between Paul Williams and Sergio Martinez along with the rest of the 2009 schedule can carry us into a great 2010.  What can we expect?  Here’s what I’d like to see…..

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao

Why bother starting anywhere else but here?  This is the fight that every boxing fan wants to see.  This fight could potentially break records.  It wouldn’t surprise me if Pacquiao vs. Mayweather eclipsed the record 2.4 million PPV buys that Mayweather vs. DeLaHoya brought in.  Now we just need to get the sides to come together and make it happen.  These are the two biggest stars in the sport and while there are stories popping up daily that the fight is getting closer to being made, I’ll believe it when I see the press conference with my own eyes.

Rumors that Mayweather wants to fight in the summer and Pacquiao wants to run for office in the Philippines in the summer seem to have people on edge that this fight may not get made.  Boxing needs this fight and they need it badly.  Let’s just hope it becomes one of boxing’s great moments in 2010 and not one of boxing’s greatest disappointments.

Pavlik vs. Williams

I want to see Middleweight “Champion” have to defend his titles against a real threat for the first time in his reign of over two years.  Gary Lockett, Marco Antonio Rubio and Miguel Espino just doesn’t cut it.  We want our champions to be warriors, defending their titles against the best that boxing has to offer.  In my mind, the best boxing has to offer at 160 is Paul Williams.

While Pavlik cancelled their proposed fight 3 times due to injury in 2009, Pavlik has stated that he still wants to fight Williams in 2010 and Williams’ paper thin victory over Sergio Martinez this month where Williams looked vulnerable could embolden Pavlik to step up to the plate.  This fight would be a thriller, something Pavlik hasn’t been a part of since he’s held the straps unless you want to include the 12 round drubbing he received at the hands of Bernard Hopkins.  This is another fight that needs to be made in 2010.

Blackballing of Margarito

The only thing worse than a cheater is a cheater who ends up putting another man’s life in danger as a result of his disingenuous actions.  Antonio Margarito’s ban is almost up and he has already stated that he’s looking for a title shot.  I hope nobody gives him one.  Margarito also wants a rematch with Cotto and Cotto has replied numerous times that “Margarito will not be making any more money off of me”.  Good for him.  I hope nobody of worth fights the guy, and if someone does, I hope he knocks Margarito into next week.

There’s no place in boxing for loaded gloves.  Any of you out there who honestly believe that Margarito didn’t know that the illegal gauze was in his hand wraps needs to take a step back and realize that every person in boxing that was asked the question “could something be put in your wraps without you knowing about it” responded with an emphatic “NO”.  The guy is a cheat, plain and simple and I hope he never gets paid the big money again.

A Great Super Six Tournament

So far so good depending on who you were rooting for.  If you’re an unbiased spectator like myself, I’m sure you’ve enjoyed the tournament thus far and I hope we get even better fights in 2010.  Kessler vs. Froch is going to be a heck of a fight and an all out war.  That fight isn’t going to go the distance. On top of that, Dirrell finds himself in a must-win situation against an Arthur Abraham who is coming off a dramatic 12^th round KO of Jermain Taylor.

Speaking of, it will be interesting to see what happens with Jermain Taylor as well.  Will he continue or will he retire and let someone step in for someone?  And who would that someone be? Green?  Bika? Bute??  Personally, I hope Taylor continues on.  He is slated to face Andre Ward next.  Since Ward is not a big puncher and after Ward’s beating of Kessler, there will be a title on the line.  Don’t be surprised if Taylor gives it one last shot.

Better Undercards

The biggest fight of the year between Pacquaio and Cotto had one of the worst undercards on a PPV that I’ve seen in awhile.  Julio Caesar Chavez Jr. shouldn’t be allowed to fight on the same week as those two let alone 30 minutes beforehand.  Boxing is littered with pitiful undercards with fighters that people don’t care about and shouldn’t care about because many of the fighters will never amount to anything.

PPV undercards should have major titles on the line, should have fights between serious contenders and have fights displaying some of the brightest prospects in boxing.  For the most part, they just don’t. Boxing fans are paying big money to watch these PPV events and support their sport.  For the 50 odd dollars that it costs to buy the event on TV, we deserve to see more than one watchable fight. Fix it in 2010.

Less Boxing Deaths

Originally I had written “No Boxing Deaths” and then sadly realized that it just wasn’t realistic.  Because of the nature of the sport, untimely deaths will always be a part of boxing. Boxing's emergence as a sport with a worldwide following took major blows in 1962, when Emile Griffith permanently knocked out Benny "Kid" Paret, and 20 years later in 1982, when Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini put Duk-Koo Kim down and out, for good.  More recently,  Benjamin Flores, 24, died May 5^th from head injuries he sustained in a but the previous week.  Just two days later, Andras Nagy, 23, died after succumbing to his head injuries just to name a few.

There are some happy endings, Z Gorres who left the ring in a coma a couple months back is now regaining movement little by little.  While removing death from boxing isn’t a possibility, what we can hope for is more knowledgeable physicians that can make split second decisions for these fighters when their lives are on the line. And none of this even mentions the tragic out of the ring deaths of ring legends Alexis Arguello, Vernon Forrest and Arturo Gatti.

Before the end of the year, keep checking in with ProBoxing-Fans.com for the 2009 Fighter of the Year, 2009 Fight of the Year, 2009 Knockout of the Year and more awards and columns.

Well, a couple months back, a young undefeated American Heavyweight by the name of Chris Arreola tested his will against Heavyweight Champion Vitali Klitschko.  As Vitali has done many times in the past, his opponent left the ring bruised, bloodied and in this case, with the first loss on his record.  Kevin Johnson is the next undefeated American Heavyweight looking to shock the world.

Klitschko vs. Johnson Preview & Hype:

The last time we saw Vitali Klitschko (38-2) in the ring, his hand was raised and he had shattered the dreams of another Heavyweight hopeful.  His opponent was given a brutal beating for 10 rounds before the fight was stopped, leaving the previously undefeated Chris Arreola balling throughout his post fight interview.  Vitali can do that to a guy, illustrated by his incredible 37 knockouts in his 38 wins while never being even knocked down himself… In steps Kevin Johnson, “The Kingpin”.

Johnson is the latest American hopeful looking to dethrone one of the Klitschko brothers and if trash talk meant anything, he’d have a real good shot to do so.  Johnson (22-0) has yet to take a breath, he’s too busy throwing insults and trying to prop himself up as the greatest thing since Sugar Ray Robinson. “I'll shock the whole world in nine rounds,” Johnson said at Monday's press conference. “The only people who could have beat me are Muhammad Ali or Larry Holmes."  Klitschko fired back with “Johnson should give me ten percent of his purse so I can pay his medical bills for him.”  It didn’t end there. “I won't comment on that,” Johnson responded. “I'll wait until I have the title in my gym bag before I respond to that.”  If this fight can live up to the trash talk prior, boxing fans will be in business.

Resume:

This category isn’t really fair.  One man is a potential Hall of Famer with as many wins as years on this earth (38) and the other is man is 30 years old but in the relatively early stages of a 22 win career. That won’t stop me from breaking it down anyway. Vitali has almost twice as many knockouts as Kevin Johnson does wins.  Vitali has been in the ring with the likes of Lennox Lewis, Kirk Johnson, Corrie Sanders, Chris Byrd, Samuel Peter and Chris Arreola, just to name a few.  Kevin Johnson has been in the ring with, well, Bruce Seldon, whose last fight was a KO loss to Fres Oquendo.  This isn’t to say that Kevin Johnson, with a win against Vitali, couldn’t begin to build a terrific resume but at this point in time, Vitali’s resume is very impressive and Johnson’s is “green” to put it nicely.

Advantage: KLITSCHKO

Power:

Another category that couldn’t be more of a mismatch.  Vitali has one of the most jaw dropping (or jaw shattering) KO ratio’s in boxing history (92.5%).  When Vitali steps in the ring, fans can be pretty much certain that it’s not going to go 12 as Vitali’s only two losses were stopped before the final bell (a 6^th round TKO loss to Lewis on cuts and a 9^th round loss to Chris Byrd where Vitali retired on his stool).  In contrast, Kevin Johnson is a fighter who relies on speed to get the job done.  His KO ratio of 39.13% (9 of 22) is far below the average for a contending heavyweight.  Makes you wonder about Johnson’s claims that he will stop Vitali in nine rounds doesn’t it?  To Johnson’s credit, his last 3 wins have come by TKO inside of 6 rounds.  Either way, Vitali rules this category as well.

Advantage: KLITSCHKO

Speed:

Finally we get down to a phase of the fight where Johnson can actually compete and win.  Johnson has quick hands for a heavyweight and enjoys throwing combinations.  In order for him to have a shot in this fight he’s going to have to be quicker than ever.  Vitali has quicker hands and better footwork than you would expect from a guy that is 6 foot 8 (Johnson stands "just" 6’3") but this is clearly the attribute that Johnson must prove to be far superior than Vitali in.  If he can do that in combination with fighting smart, he can potentially finds flaws in Vitali’s game plan.

Advantage: JOHNSON

Toughness:

Many people questioned Vitali’s toughness after he quit on his stool against Chris Byrd back in 2000.  This stigma followed him until 2003 when he battled through a horrendous cut against Lennox Lewis, being up on the cards before they eventually stopped the fight to Vitali’s dismay.  Vitali also retired from boxing in 2004 due to nagging injuries for 4 years but returned in 2008 and in his first fight back dominated Samuel Peter for the WBC title.  Vitali has an iron chin and has never been knocked down.  Johnson’s toughness is untested.  He has yet to take a major risk in his career until now.  Until I see this fight I can not comment on Johnson’s toughness but just getting in the ring against Vitali scores you some toughness points.

Advantage: KLITSCHKO

Klitschko vs. Johnson Prediction:

Take a look at the end result of Vitali’s last 5 fights. TKO8, TKO8, RTD8, TKO9, RTD10.  What does this tell you?  Coincidence?  I don’t think so.  It tells me that Vitali is a master of systematically breaking down his opponent to the point where they can not continue into the “championship rounds”.  I don’t see Kevin Johnson breaking that trend. I see the fight breaking down similar to the way that Vitali’s fight with Juan Carlos Gomez did in 2009.

Johnson will come out aggressive, try and use his speed to get inside and land quality shots.  When Johnson figures out that this isn’t near as easy as he thought it would be (as JCG found out), it will just be a matter of time before Johnson’s will is broken.  Once the fight hits the middle rounds, Vitali will be cruising.  He’ll be teeing off on Johnson and viewers will start wondering when the fight should be stopped.  Kevin Johnson predicted this fight would end in nine rounds.  I’m going to agree with him.  Johnson will not answer the bell for the 10^th.

KLITSCHKO RTD 9

Image Credit: Mike Boehm / ProBoxing-Fans.com

Rematches are always fun, especially when the two fighters involved love to mix it up and neither one minds getting hit.  Pascal/Diaconu I was a very good fight and I’d expect nothing less from the rematch.

Pascal vs. Diaconu Rematch Preview & Hype:

Who wouldn’t want to see 12 more rounds from these two?  In their first fight, most of the rounds were spent trading power shots highlighted by Pascal knocking Diaconu down with a huge left hook in the 5th round followed by Diaconu stunning Pascal with a looping right hand that forced Pascal to clinch and grab to survive the round. Pascal appeared to be a class above Diaconu in the early rounds and Pascal is much harder to hit while he’s fresh.

As the fight went into the 3^rd round Pascal appeared to tire a bit from throwing so many punches.  The previously undefeated Diaconu took advantage of Pascal’s lack of movement and landed some hard shots, getting him back into the fight.  Pascal found his 2^nd wind and won the majority of the middle rounds, getting back to his quick and flashy style that frustrated his opponent.  Diaconu had his moments in the later rounds but in the end Pascal’s superior speed and mobility was the difference. While Diaconu was essentially an unmoving target throughout the fight, Pascal used head movement in the early and later portions of the fight to avoid many of Diaconu’s power shots.

Resume:

Unfortunately the biggest fight on Pascal’s resume is also his only loss.  I’m sure everyone remembers Pascal’s brutal battle with 168 pound champion Carl Froch, a potential fight of the year winner where Pascal came up just short but showed true grit and even with the loss, put himself on the boxing map.  A win over Rico Hoye of contender fame as well as handing Chris Henry his first loss are the brightest spots of Diaconu’s solid but underwhelming resume.  All things aside, these two fighters share similar resumes in terms of best wins and overall competition with one small side note; Pascal beat Diaconu already.  How can this category be decided any other way?

Advantage: PASCAL

Power:

Neither guy has great power but both throw big time shots which more than makes up for it.  When you’re throwing as hard as they do, knockdowns and/or knockouts are going to happen at some point.  Both guys can give out and take huge amounts of punishment as we’ve seen throughout their recent careers. Both men were hurt in their first fight and I can see both men getting hurt in the rematch as well so I think this one is too close to call.  Perhaps we’ll know when the final bell rings.

Advantage: PUSH

Speed:

Speed… probably the key to the fight.  It sure was in their first battle.  Pascal owns that department.  He has tremendous speed and agility for a light-heavyweight and Diaconu is average at best.  Speed won Pascal a bunch of rounds in the first fight and it won him some rounds in the Froch fight as well.  If Diaconu can’t find a better way to counter Pascal’s speed it could be a long night for him.

Advantage: PASCAL

Toughness:

Both guys have been through wars.  From everything I’ve seen from the two, they’re both tough as nails and aren’t afraid to take a couple punches to deliver a big one of their own.  This factor plays a major role in why people will tune in and enjoy this rematch.  Just as Pascal never gave up in a losing effort to Carl Froch, Diaconu did the same against Pascal.  Don’t expect either one of these guys to quit on their stools, ever.

Advantage:  PUSH

Pascal vs. Diaconu II Prediction:

I find it hard to believe that at this point in these guys’ careers that either one can reinvent themselves.  They are who they are.  And what they are two guys who love to trade, love to throw and love to give the fans a good fight.  I look for much of the same in the rematch as we saw in the prequel.  I think the two fighters will probably split the first 6 rounds or so but as both guys get tired, Pascal will be able to revert to moving around the ring to catch his breath while Diaconu will become an even more stationary target.

I think Diaconu may get desperate towards the end of the fight knowing he has to KO Pascal.  Because of this, he may leave himself open for a big shot and get KO’d himself.  I think it’ll be an action packed fight no matter what.

PASCAL KO12

Diaz vs. Malignaggi II is a fight that needs to happen.  A little less than three months ago these two squared off in a fight that contained much controversy both before and after the bout.  Houston has become well known over the years in the sport of boxing as a city that is not afraid to give their fighters “hometown decisions” and they didn’t disappoint on August 22^nd, when hometown hero Juan Diaz took the stage.  The sad part is that Malignaggi saw it coming from a mile away.

Malignaggi expressed his concern with judges Gale Van Hoy as well as the other two judges, the Texas Athletic Commission, and referee Laurence Cole before he showed up in Texas. Juan Diaz was about the only guy that Malignaggi didn’t malign prior to the showdown.  That wouldn’t change as Paulie’s nightmare came to fruition that night, being handed a lopsided unanimous decision loss that many felt he won. The scores were 115-113, 116-112 and an embarrassing 118-110 from Van Hoy, the judge Malignaggi fought the hardest to get off the ballot.

From my vantage point, Malignaggi won a clear decision based on the fact that “The Magic Man” kept Diaz at bay almost the entire fight with his superior speed and crafty defense.  Diaz, a tremendous pressure fighter was unable to close the distance long enough at any point in the fight to deserve the decision.  Diaz will need to be able to do that if he wants to have a shot in the rematch because this fight will have a new set of judges and most certainly will not be held in Houston (Editor's Note: Diaz vs. Malignaggi II is set to be held in Chicago on December 12.)

Let’s compare the two fighters heading into the rematch.

Resume:

Juan “The Baby Bull” Diaz's last four fights have been very tough and his record (2-2 including the Malignaggi robbery) in those fights illustrates that.  After beginning his career at 33-0 he stepped up in class to fight Nate Campbell.  Campbell opened up a cut on Diaz’ eye in the early rounds which visibly through Diaz off.  Diaz fought valiantly but wasn’t the same fighter, losing a close decision.  He then fought fellow young up and comer Michael Katsidis.  Diaz’s superior speed and boxing ability gave the brawler Katsidis fits, ending in a SD for Diaz.

Diaz, always looking to fight the best, then fought future HOF’er Juan Manuel Marquez.  Marquez is a well known slow starter and Diaz took advantage of that, hurting Marquez in the first round.  Diaz continued to put on the pressure through the middle rounds but it became clear as the fight wore on that Marquez was the superior fighter with the more accurate punches and the heavier hands.  Marquez started picking off the aggressive Diaz on the way in and eventually was able to give the baby bull his first KO loss in round 9.  This led up to the Malignaggi fight that most thought he lost.  A tough 4 fight series to say the least.

Malignaggi has fought three world class opponents and left the ring the loser in each one.  Miguel Cotto in 2006, Ricky Hatton in 2008 and Diaz in 2009 all got the best of Paulie (at least on the judges' scorecards) and are the most notable fights in Malignaggi’s career.  In addition, the loss to Hatton looks particularly bad considering what happened when Hatton got into the ring with Manny Pacquaio in May of ‘09.  Wins over Lovermore N’Dou (X2), Herman Ngoudjo and Edner Cherry give Maliganggi a solid resume but a resume without a signature win. A win over Diaz in the rematch would give Malignaggi the signature win he needs.

Advantage: DIAZ

Power:

It’s no secret that neither fighter has much in the way of power.  However, while Malignaggi seems all together incapable of scoring a knockout (5 knockouts in his 26 wins), Diaz has the potential to wear down his opponents with his pressure and the sheer volume of punches he throws, often resulting in a late stoppage.  By most standards, Diaz’s 17 KO’s in his 35 wins would be considered feather fisted but when you’re going up against a guy in Malignaggi who hasn’t scored a KO or TKO since 2003, you end up looking like Mike Tyson by comparison.  That being said, don’t look for a knockout from either fighter in this one.

Advantage: DIAZ

Speed:

Malignaggi’s speed is arguably his best asset.  It was the key to his success (“loss”) against Diaz in the first fight.  Malignaggi is a relatively tall (5’9") fighter for the 140 pound weight division who uses his lightning quick jab and quick feet to move around the ring pot shotting his opponents, trying to avoid battling on the inside. Diaz who stands just 5’6" wants to do the exact opposite.  Diaz has quick hands as well but his punches are not as accurate as Malignaggi’s because he’s usually chasing down his opponent.  If Malignaggi can pick off Diaz coming in like Marquez did and like he was able to do at times in their first fight, he’ll be in a very good spot.

Advantage: MALIGNAGGI

Toughness:

Many question Diaz’s toughness.  In his last three fights where he received cuts (Campbell, Marquez, Malignaggi) he struggled mightily.  He faded against both Campbell and Marquez after the cuts opened up and while Diaz thought he proved in the Malignaggi fight that he could fight with a cut, most everyone agrees that Diaz didn’t look good in that fight either.

Malignaggi, for all his fast talking, wild hairdos and flamboyant style is a much tougher guy than people give him credit for.  In his battle with Cotto in 2006 Malignaggi was battered for 12 rounds but he kept fighting and in the end came up short but gave Cotto all he could handle.  Malignaggi, way behind on the scorecards against Ricky Hatton was overwhelmed with emotion and disappointment when his corner threw in the towel.  While you might be able to question the kid from Brooklyn’s fashion choices, you can’t question the guy's heart and determination.

Advantage: MALIGNAGGI

Diaz vs. Malignaggi II Prediction:

This fight is a tough one to pick.  I thought Diaz was going to beat Malignaggi down for 12 rounds on his way to an easy decision in the first fight.  While Diaz won a wide decision, most of the punishment given out came from Malignaggi.  I had never seen Diaz as ineffective as I did in the fight with Paulie and I’m wondering if that was just an aberration or if Diaz’ struggles will prove to be a pattern come December 12^th.

Did Marquez take something out of the “The Baby Bull” that night that he was brutally KO’d?  Only time will tell but for now I’m going assume that Diaz just had an off night and he will come into the rematch better prepared for what Malignaggi brings to the table.  Diaz looked completely flummoxed as to how to get inside on the taller, longer man.  I look for Diaz to find alternate ways to get in close, starting by using better head movement.  He also needs to use his feet to cut the ring off more effectively than he did in the first encounter.  If Diaz can do this, and I think he will, I see him getting the decision.  This time he’ll deserve it though.

DIAZ UD 115-113

Full Dawson vs. Johnson and Angulo vs. Yorgey Event Analysis

ProBoxing-Fans.com was on hand to take in the Dawson vs. Johnson event live. Here's how everything looked from ringside. For the full round by round scoring of Dawson vs. Johnson, you can take a look at our Dawson vs. Johnson results page.

Dawson vs. Johnson Full Event Recap

No surprises here.  Yorgey got outgunned by a man with heavier artillery and Dawson countered his way to an uninspiring UD.  Coming into the fights most people’s money would have bet on these exact outcomes and they would’ve been correct.  I was there Live.  Here’s what I saw.

Angulo vs. Yorgey Recap from Ringside

In the opening round it appeared that Yorgey, normally a brawler type would try and box Angulo, realizing that you don’t want to slug with a slugger and Angulo is one of the best in the business in that department.  Yorgey worked his jab and was able to keep Angulo off him for the most part.  In the second round the saying “you are who you are” became reality.  Angulo was able to land a major shot which wobbled Yorgey, and the brawl was on.  Yorgey, feeling the heat started throwing back, trying to land some type of power shot that could back Angulo up.  He was unsuccessful as Angulo’s power shots proved more accurate.

Yorgey went down in the second from a big shot, he was able to get up but spent the rest of the round on very shaky legs.   Either the referee or Yorgey’s corner could have reasonably stopped the fight.  Entering the 3^rd round, Angulo can smell blood in the water.  It is clear as day that Yorgey is still reeling from the beating he took in the last round and Yorgey’s desperation would lead to his downfall.  Much the same as in the 2^nd round, Yorgey is only looking for a big shot, not worrying about defending himself.  This gives Angulo the opening that he needs to land a monster right hand that knocks Yorgey out cold.

The difference between the fighters is clear.  While both guys like to slug, one man’s punches not only have power but they’re very accurate.  A predictable ending?  Yes.  Any less thrilling of a fight because of that?  Not at all.

Dawson vs. Johnson Recap from Ringside

First off, it would be generous of me to say that the XL Center in Hartford Connecticut,  Dawson’s home state, was half full.  It says a lot about Dawson’s drawing power when you can’t even sell out the loge seating in your backyard, on national television.  It also says a lot about Dawson’s fighting style.  Boxing fans would prove intelligent on this night.

The opening round set the table for what would be 12 vanilla rounds of boxing.  It was evident early that Johnson would be the aggressor on this night, constantly chasing Dawson around trying to land his jab.  Dawson meanwhile spent the early part of the fight on his heels, countering when he felt necessary and winning rounds by closing strong in the last 30 seconds.  While Johnson was the fighter trying to press the action, he was landing nothing in the way of meaningful shots.  Dawson on the other hand would put together one or two 4-punch combinations which would send Johnson back on his heels and receive “oohs” and “aahs” from the crowd.  I gave 5 of the first 6 rounds to Dawson for this reason.

Heading into the second half of the fight, the crowd began to grow weary of the lack of activity from both fighters. Chants of “Daw-son! Daw-son!” would arise from the crowd once in awhile, trying to get their hometown fighter to let his hands go. But once it became apparent that this was not Dawson’s plan and you got the feeling that the crowd would not have been against Johnson landing a big shot either.  They just wanted to see some action.  They’re prayers would not be answered on this night.

Dawson was content to spend the second half of the fight doing much of the same as he did in the first half, countering when necessary and throwing a combination or two when the crowd started to boo.  Johnson would prove more effective in the second half of the fight, his jab started to land more frequently with Dawson seeming to tire late.  I gave the 11^th and 12^th rounds to Johnson as he was the fresher fighter of the two.  Dawson seemed content to coast to the finish line.  My final was score was 115-113 Dawson which would match two of the judges' scorecards. The third, a wide margin of 117-112, was also in favor of the hometown kid.

Photo Credit: Richard A. Esposito

It was over 16 years ago when Bernard Hopkins got his first title shot.  It came on May 22, 1993 in Washington D.C. and it was against Roy Jones Jr..  It was a highly strategic fight eventually resulting in a unanimous decision for the undefeated champion RJJ.  At the time it was seen as little more than a small step toward the coronation of the next great American superstar.  Sixteen years later, with a rematch finally on the horizon it means a whole lot more than that.

In the decade and a half since Jones/Hopkins, Jones went on to rule the sport of boxing, being seen by most as the P4P King for almost a decade, winning titles in 4 weight divisions on the way.  Hopkins cemented his own legacy by winning the middleweight title, unifying it and making a record 20 consecutive successful defenses before losing a highly controversial decision to Jermain Taylor.

Hopkins, who many believed to be winding down his career at that point surprised many by moving up in weight and winning the light-heavyweight championship in very impressive fashion.  Through the years, talks from both Hopkins and Jones about a potential rematch came and went more times than I’d like to remember.  Negotiations seemed to always fall apart for one reason or another, mostly from an inability for the two to agree on who would get the lion’s share of the purse.

Hopkins vs. Jones – Road to the Rematch

February 2002: Jones told the television cameras: “And still the undisputed, 60-40 and pound-for-pound champion....Bernard Hopkins, get up here, you'll be sorry.” The reference to 60-40 was what he was demanding as the purse split for a rematch with Hopkins ("60-40 and I beat yo ass!"), whom he beat in 1993 for a vacant middleweight title. Hopkins is arguing 50-50, because the victory over the previously unbeaten Trinidad makes him the “hot” fighter”. "Roy Jones has been eating dog food, with all the pit bulls he has,” said Hopkins. “It's gone to his brain.”

June 2005: ''A Roy Jones Jr.-Bernard Hopkins fight for the grand finale,'' Hopkins said. ''It's the 12-year anniversary since 1993 that we've been in the ring together. ''Let Roy rest up,'' Hopkins said. ''We'll do it at 175 pounds. Roy doesn't have to kill himself to come down. ''It's the only fight out there that makes sense,'' Hopkins said of a rematch with Jones. ''I think it makes more sense than me and Winky Wright.''

October 2008:  "I don't care what people say, I'm not fighting him," Jones said. "They can ask all they want. I'm through with him. "After that I told him we were through," Jones said. "I told him that I wasn't going to ever fight him. I don't see how it's ever going to work out."

Both men have now left their 40^th birthdays in the rear view mirror and they have finally come to a compromise.  Under the terms of the agreement, Jones (54-5, 40 KOs) and Hopkins (49-5-1, 32 KOs) will split the revenue 50-50.  However, if there is a knockout or a TKO, the winner of the fight will get 60 percent and the loser 40 percent.

This deal is contingent on both fighters winning their “tune up” fights as well. Roy Jones will face off against Australian cruiserweight Danny Green on December 2^nd and Hopkins will take a hometown fight against Enrique Ornelas on that same night.  Jones had this to say about the rematch finally coming to fruition: "I don't like that at all.  I love it. I absolutely love it. Love it. That is all I can say. I'm definitely looking forward to this fight. The fans have wanted to see it for a long time. For the longest time, he wouldn't take it. Now he's taking it. I'm ecstatic. I can't wait."

Hopkins vs. Jones Rematch - What Does it Mean?

While Hopkins was a big dog in their first fight in 1993, “The Executioner will no doubt come into this fight as a solid favorite.  He has fought the far tougher competition in recent years (Tarver, Calzaghe, Pavlik vs. Trinidad, Sheika, Lacy) and looked better doing so.  Joe Calzaghe fought both men back to back in 2008 and while Hopkins lost a controversial split decision, Jones was outclassed and embarrassed by the “Pride of Wales”.   After that fight many believed RJJ to be a shot fighter but he has revived his career with an early TKO over Omar Shieka and an impressive schooling of former champion Jeff Lacy.

Many detractors openly state that this fight should have happened over 10 years ago and that at this stage of the two men’s careers it’s essentially an “old geezer” match between two fading HOF’ers looking for one last payday. It's true that Hopkins - Jones II will not mean as much as if it had happened in the early part of this decade.  But the public has been clamoring for a rematch since 1993 and I can honestly say, I’m still highly interested in this fight. You know what they say; “better late than never”.

Valuev vs. Haye Preview & Hype:

Nicolay Valuev (50-1) is a sight to see.  The man towers over his opposition.  At 7 feet tall, not even the Klitschko’s can look at him eye to eye.  There is always hype surrounding this man’s fights but not because he’s an exceptionally great fighter, because of his giant stature.  The fact that Valuev also owns the only legitimate title belt not owned by a Klitschko doesn’t hurt either.

The challenger, David Haye (22-1) is also a sight to see but for a completely different reason.  He’s an exciting fighter inside the ring but most notably he has one of, if not the loudest mouth in the entire sport.  The man is never at a loss for words and the words he chooses are always colorful and many times cause controversy.  Haye has already thrown the insults “ugly”, “hairy” and “disgusting” Valuev’s way and that’s just to name a couple.  While Haye has his fans this also turns many people off to him.  Either way, everyone wants to see him fight because of it.

This will be Haye’s first title shot at Heavyweight after being a Cruiserweight Champion.  Cruiserweights fight at a maximum of 200 pounds; Valuev clocks in at 300+ lbs... just a fun tidbit.

Let’s break down the key factors in the Valuev vs. Haye fight and see who has the advantage in each.

Resume:

Both guys have very impressive records and both guys have done it against limited competition.  David Haye can claim victories over Giacobbe Fragomeni, Jean Marc Mormeck and Enzo Maccarinelli at cruiserweight.  David Haye also beat former contender turned punching bag Monte Barrett in Haye’s only bout as a heavyweight leading up to the Valuev fight.

Valuev boasts victories over John Ruiz (X2) and Evander Holyfield.  While Holyfield is a big name, Evander is in his 40’s and anyone who watched that fight knows that Holyfield was the victim of some biased judging; Valuev should have lost that fight.  While Haye may have the better competition on his resume, his also came at a division other than Heavyweight.  Neither guy is setting the world on fire here.

Advantage: PUSH

Power:

What are the chances that a man who is almost a foot shorter and almost 100 pounds lighter than his opponent actually has the power advantage? Well, in this case, it happens to be true.  Haye has 21KO’s in his 22 wins and is known for his knockout punch.  Valuev on the other hand is not a power puncher despite his size.  He is more comfortable working his jab, controlling tempo and keeping his opponent at a distance,.  It sounds crazy.  I had to see it for myself to believe it.

Advantage: HAYE

Speed:

What are the chances that a man who is almost a foot shorter and almost 100 pounds lighter than his opponent isn’t the faster fighter?  No chance.  While Valuev actually has quicker hands than you would think, that’s not saying much.  Haye has all the speed in this matchup.  In my opinion speed is the key to the fight for Haye.  He has a tremendous size disadvantage so the only way he’s going to get inside and score is to use his quickness and his above average footwork.

Advantage: HAYE

Toughness:

I’m not sold on either guy’s toughness.  One guy is a giant who fights like a lightweight and the other has been on the canvas more than once, against competition that should not have put him there.  These two fighters, for all their differences, also have something in common.  They’ve both been ducking the Klitschko’s.  Both have claimed to want a fight with them but for some reason neither has been able to actually step it in the ring with one.

Valuev has never seemingly even been close despite saying numerous times that he wants to and Haye recently pulled out of his fight with Wlad citing an injury, after a tremendous amount of trash talk had already taken place.  He then backed off a fight with big brother Vitali to make this bout instead. Maybe after this fight we’ll know which guy is tougher.

Advantage:  PUSH

Valuev vs. Haye Prediction:

Haye comes into this fight as a solid betting favorite and I’m going to roll with Vegas on this one.  I thought Valuev lost convincingly to a shot Evander Holyfield in his last time out which tells you a lot about where Valuev stands.  As far as I’m concerned Valuev is a paper champion and it’s just a matter of time before he loses his belt and fades off into the sunset.  This will be the fight where that happens.

While I still think Haye would get crushed by either Klitschko, Valuev is not a Klitschko despite the size similarities.  Not even close.  Valuev will not be able to keep Haye off of him with his mediocre jab.  Haye will spend the entire fight using his speed to get inside and rip combinations to the body and head of Valuev.  Haye will either win a convincing decision or if Valuev gets careless, a late round KO is possible as well for The HayeMaker.

HAYE UD

Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward rounds out stage 1 of the Super Six tournament.  This fight puts two very skilled fighters with excellent boxing technique in the ring opposite one another. Below I’ll preview the main aspects of this potential fight of the year and let you know who is going to win the Kessler vs. Ward match and why.

Kessler vs. Ward Hype

Andre Ward, the young unbeaten American (20-0) will come into the fight as the challenger against the once beaten Dane, Mikkel Kessler, for Kessler’s WBA Super-Middleweight title.  Kessler, although the betting favorite coming into the tournament will face potentially his stiffest challenge of the round-robin as he will have to travel to Oakland for this fight, Ward’s hometown.  Team Kessler agrees as Kessler’s trainer Richard Olsen has discussed openly that he believes Ward will show the most resistance against Kessler’s path to the tournament championship.  It’s not easy to win a decision in an opponent's backyard so Kessler may be feeling the heat to finish this fight before the final bell.

While Kessler may be feeling additional pressure as the tournament favorite and visiting fighter, Ward has to deal with some ulterior pressure as well.  The underlying rivalry between Europe and America in this tournament has seen the European fighters win both Stage 1 matchups thus far.  Abraham received three points for his KO of Jermain Taylor and Carl Froch received two points for his decision win over Andre Dirrell.  Many people around boxing felt that the two young Americans (Dirrell and Ward) may be in too deep and with Dirrell coming up short in his fight, Ward will be the last hope to put America on the board before Stage 2 begins.

Kessler vs. Ward Preview

How do the two fighters stack up with one another?

Resume:

As mentioned above, Kessler does have a blemish on his very impressive 42-1 record.  It came at the hands of the future first ballot HOF’er Joe Calzaghe.  While Calzaghe was able to win a close but clear decision, it’s important to note that Kessler was very competitive in this fight and even though the end result was not what Kessler wanted, his stock went up in many people’s eyes because of the valiant performance he put forth against what many believe to be an all time great.  Kessler’s most impressive win was a schooling of previously undefeated Librado Andrade where Kessler won every round on all three judge’s scorecards.  On that night, Kessler proved to be a special fighter.

Andre Ward comes into this fight 5 years younger than Kessler (25 vs. 30) and his overall resume shows this.  Ward spent his first few years beating up fighters far below his level.  Ward’s breakout performance came in May of 2009 against title contender Edison Miranda.  Miranda is a very tough fighter whose only losses have come against champions Arthur Abraham and Kelly Pavlik.  Fellow title contender and Super-Six alternate Allan Green’s only loss came at the hands of Miranda.  On that night Ward used his superior technique and counter punching ability to beat Miranda to the punch, earning himself a wide unanimous decision and showing the world that Andre Ward was ready to contend for a title.  While Kessler hadn’t beaten anyone near Miranda’s stature at the age of 25, Kessler’s overall resume is still more impressive at this point.

Advantage: KESSLER

Power:

Ward is not a big puncher.  That’s just not where he excels.  Miranda was able to withstand a lot of punishment form Ward whereas if it has been Kessler throwing those punches, Miranda would have been on the canvas.  Kessler has an impressive 32 KO’s in his 42 victory whereas Ward has only managed 13 KO’s in his 20 fights.  Ward has only finished one of his last three opponents inside the distance while Kessler is a perfect 3/3 in terms of KO’s since his loss to Calzaghe.  For Ward to be successful he’s going to need to muster up enough power to keep Kessler off him.  Either way, Kessler takes this category running away.

Advantage: KESSLER

Speed:

Both fighters have quick hands and hold the distinction as top tacticians of the sport.  However, the fight with Calzaghe showed that a slick fighter can beat Kessler to the punch if he’s accurate enough with his combinations.  Ward is not only a very accurate counterpuncher but he can do it from both sides.  Ward is equally effective in both the orthodox and the southpaw position and that makes him very hard to deal with.  Look for Ward’s excellent speed and his dual-positioned fighting to be the key for him in this fight.  If Kessler is able to neutralize Ward’s speed, it could be a long night for Ward.  Ward edges Kessler in this one.

Advantage: WARD

Toughness:

Both guys are tough.  No doubt about it.  Kessler has been through 43 fights and fought hard in every one of them.  However, since his defeat at the hands of Calzaghe in 2007 Kessler has only fought 3 times, none of which were against opponents anywhere close to that of Calzaghe, or even Ward for that matter.  Even in his most recent win against Gusmyr Perdomo Kessler looked unimpressive.  Has he lost some of that edge he had before he fought “The Pride of Wales”?  Part of the problem was Kessler’s issues with his promotion company but I think everyone in the boxing world expected more from Kessler in the last year. It’s something to consider at the very least.

Before the Miranda fight many people questioned Ward’s toughness and his ability to fight under adversity or with a cut.  Well, a head butt in the early partition of the fight courtesy of Miranda put that speculation to the test.  Ward passed with flying colors.  He never stepped away from his gameplan and the cut, which Ward’s team had to work on the entire match, never seemed to be a factor or influence Ward whatsoever.  He also mentioned it in the post game reference “I think I answered some of those questions tonight”.  He certainly did.

Advantage:  WARD

Kessler vs. Ward Prediction

Kessler comes into this fight as a strong betting favorite.  This mainly stems from Kessler’s experience advantage.  Ward, like Dirrell, has never fought on a stage where the lights will be as bright as they will be on November 21^st.  However, I think location plays a major role in determining a winner.  If this fight was in Denmark, I would pick Kessler by wide decision but just as Dirrell was handed a controversial decision loss in Froch’s native Nottingham, it will be very difficult for Kessler to leave Oakland with a win if it goes the full 12 and I don’t see Ward getting KO’d in this fight.

This fight is a virtual toss up in my mind, one fighter is going to leave with a split decision win and many will feel that the other man should have won.  I look for there to be a lot of exchanging in this fight where both combatants have their moments.  Look for both men to get wobbled at least once and perhaps one of them hits the canvas.  Neither guy is going to back down for one moment so expect a great fight.  I’m going to make three predictions:

2. The winner of this fight wins the Super-Six tournament.
3. Kessler by SD.

KESSLER SD

Super Six World Boxing Classic: Mikkel Kessler vs Andre Ward Boxing Tickets November 21 2009 Buy Super Six World Boxing Classic: Mikkel Kessler vs Andre Ward Boxing Tickets at Oracle Arena in Oakland CA on November 21

Photo Credit: SE / Goossen Tutor Promotions

Check back in after the fight to see how the Kessler vs. Ward preview and prediction held up, and to see full results of the fight.