Steve-
Man, Steve that was how they used to do it. I was sitting at home, couchside, writing furiously while watching the screen and trying to keep up. Usually I try and get in my notebook every significant exchange or punch but after awhile I just began to take the thing in and summarize in the minute between what I had just seen. Brutal stuff, man. It reminded me a bit of Castillo/Corrales 1 although it didn’t become the bloody war of attrition that that one did.
What reminded me of that fight was how “all in” the fighters were from the get go. Like you said, they stepped in a phone booth and closed the door behind them. The fight felt like one long combination that lasted longer than Buddy Rich solo (Ok so maybe only you will get that one).
When you decide to come out throwing at all costs like that, a fighter sets a path for himself that there is no turning back from. A torrid pace can be your undoing as much as your opponents. I was so impressed by both guys and there is no question we need to see that one again. The styles meshed so beautifully even with the head butts. I agree that one of the head butts late in the fight from Agbeko looked pretty intentional but I couldn’t be sure. If Agbeko employed more defensive tactics other than primarily slipping I would think so. But he drops his guard and swings his head around so much that it looks like he is wielding his head as weapon. I think his philosophy comes down to real estate or space as Evander Holyfield says. Essentially, “I’m going to put my head here. If you want to risk it, put yours there, too, and we’ll see who gets the better or worse of it.” It backfired on Agbeko late but thankfully the strange knockdown did not affect the fight too much in terms of scoring.
What can you say about Yohnny Perez except balls of steel, smart game plan, and resilient as Hell? I never thought he was hurt enough to get stopped but he was certainly looking gassed at a few points and still he kept coming back. Those guys were like a horror movie villain. Just when you though one had the other going a second wind would emerge and one of them came roaring back. I can’t wait to watch it again. I had it for Perez with two even rounds which I rarely if ever do. I’d like to clear those up but it will have to wait until my The Next Round prep.
I though Antonio DeMarco put on a clinic, man. Alfaro was an opponent that seemed a little tailor made to make DeMarco look great but at the same time, I’ve seen DeMarco make fights like that hard on himself. I was very impressed that he didn’t do that this time out. You could almost see him resisting the urge to just go off anytime he had Alfaro hurt. Like a seasoned pro he stayed within his game plan, worked that body mercilessly and stayed hidden behind his long jab and left hand. And again like a pro, when it was time to finish he did so intelligently and mainly from the same long range he had employed all night. Really good stuff from a young fighter who is only going to get better.
The way DeMarco fought gave me the sense that he trained with not just Alfaro in mind but Edwin Valero as well. It’s clear he and his team have had Valero in mind for a few fights now and have worked hard to prepare for him. DeMarco will be in the fight of his life with Valero should that come to fruition. He made very few mistakes if any against Alfaro and he is going to have to pitch another perfect game if DeMarco wants to get past Valero. With that one punch KO power of his, Valero appears to be a fighter who can make a few mistakes en route to a win while his opponents have to keep their beards hidden at all times or its lights out.
Coming into this bout, I rated DeMarco a little higher than maybe I should have on last week’s TNR. But after seeing this fight I feel much better about my ranking him somewhere in the top 5 of lightweights. Maybe that’s still putting him too high up based on accomplishment alone but in terms of skills and potential, I feel that is right on the money. Hopefully a marquee fight is right around the corner for the kid.
COTTO BY TKO?
Gabriel-
14 more days to go and I’m still going with Cotto by TKO (Freddy throwing in the towel).
Cotto’s team will let him take a beating and be bloodied (still don’t know why they didn’t opt for the NC with Clottey) BUT Pac is too big in his country and too close to Roach for them to let him fight on if he gets hurt.
Is there any hope of Daniel Santos being aggressive and making the co-main event into a fight rather then a time to line up for beer and hotdogs?
Stickwood
Whatsup Stick-
When the first bell sounds, I think Freddie Roach ceases to care how big a star Manny is or how the Philippines would feel if he stopped the fight due to excessive damage being done to his fighter. Granted the crazy three ring circus that follows this superstar fighter is a bit new territory for Freddie, he is as experienced as they come in the fight game. He won’t hesitate to let his fighter know he is thinking of stopping the action before he does or to pull the plug should it become appropriate.
The fight is 12 days away and I am still leaning towards Cotto but am on the fence. I’m scheduled to go see Miguel here in L.A. later this week and I am very curious to see how he looks in the gym. I don’t think sparring is on the menu so it will be hard to gauge against Pacquiao’s which I have seen. But then again, I’ve never read too much in to Manny’s sparring. Well, that’s half true. The first camp or so (I’ve covered four camps of Pacquiao’s and have been ringside for his fights dating back to the third Morales fight. But he was on my radar looong before that) I didn’t think much of Manny in sparring. He was fast, sure. Looked like he hit hard, too. But he also got hit a lot and seemed to play a bit much for my taste. Where was the intensity, I wondered. Where was the dynamic Pinoy I had seen take out so many fighters? Well, I got my answer when the bell to the fight rang and Manny went to work. He and Freddie work so specifically that it’s hard to tell what exactly the plan is. You see glimpse here and there. When the fight happens it becomes readily apparent. Never more to me than in the Hatton fight because I had seen that move that finished Hatton practiced time and again in the gym.
I have time to decide. I like Manny’s speed plus power. I like Cotto’s versatility. It took a larger welterweight with a cast-iron chin (and maybe hands) to get Cotto out of there. I wonder if Manny can do what Margarito did? Can he walk through fire to break Cotto’s considerable will? I don’t know. Many in the press and some fans have said Cotto doesn’t look the same since his lone loss. That he is skittish or gunshy. I don’t see that. He worked through a brutal cut against Clottey and while I didn’t think he won that fight he certainly proved he can still give and take intelligently and not even think of quitting.
Pacquiao has also shown in the past he can fight through cuts and knockdowns. But he is venturing into unknown territory against a prime (or very close to prime) welterweight who is as experienced as anyone he faced. I really can’t wait to see how the intangibles play out here. More than anything this fight comes down to the two corners. Roach will be adjusting and gaming throughout. I wonder if the same can be said about Cotto’s younger corner. As I said in the Friday bag, it will be Cotto’s versatility and willingness to change tactics vs. Roach’s adjustments round to round.
I can’t wait.
And to answer your last question, I think with two fighters such as Santos and Foreman we will get a snoozer. One guy is southpaw counter puncher and the other guy is Yuri Foreman. I don’t see how this can be the fight where you don’t go out and get more chips, salsa, and beer.
Doubting Dawson
Whatsup Gabe?
What do you think of Chad Dawson’s chances to pull it out against Glen Johnson? I thought he lost the first fight. If he does win the rematch, do you think he can get in the Super Six?
Dustin in L.A.
Welcome to the bag, Dustin. I think Dawson is as solid a fighter to replace Jermain Taylor in the Super Six as any we can think of. While the tourney has guys that switch hit in Ward and Dirrell, it does not have a true southpaw. Adding Dawson would give it that extra spice of a current champion with a difficult style. I’ve been waiting for Dawson to make a move in the sport and while beating Tarver twice and now rematching Johnson are great on a resume, he has yet to capture the imagination of hardcore and casual fans. A Super Six-type affair could do that for him. Lord knows the Light Heavies are pretty barren right now. I’d love to see Yusaf Mack or eventually Nathan Cleverly get a shot at Dawson but those are not huge fights yet.
I thought Dawson-Johnson I was a draw upon further review. If I had to give the win to someone it wouldn’t be Dawson, though. Johnson is a freak. He doesn’t age and he doesn’t stop coming forward or throwing leather. I’d hate to fight him. I think Dawson can learn from that first fight, though. For one, he has to get it out of his head that he can knockout Johnson. A stoppage isn’t going to happen on anything other than maybe a cut. Dawson must pace himself well, step out to the side and around Johnson rather than backing into the ropes and corners which is Johnson’s best chance for success. Dawson has the tools and the talent. I just wonder if he has the stamina and the smarts to fight the correct fight and tame the savage Johnson.
I’m going with Dawson in this one. I thought Glen fought as well as he could in the first fight. Dawson is young enough that there is room to grow and improve. I feel he will.
As for him getting into the Super Six, well, let’s wait and see what happens this weekend. I’ve always thought he should jump down in weight anyways. Now he has several good reasons to do so.
MONTOYA’S WEEKEND FIGHT PICKS
At The Don Haskins Convention Center, El Paso, TX
(PPV) Hector Camacho Jr. (49-3-1) vs. Luis "Yori Boy" Campas (92-14-1): Camacho Jr, by SD
Actual result: Camacho, Jr UD 10
(PPV) Antonio Escalante (21-2) vs. Carlos Fulgencio (11-3-1): Escalante by TKO
Actual result: Escalante TKO 2
(PPV) David Medina (20-2) vs. Miguel Hernandez (20-9): Medina by KO
Actual result: Medina UD 8
At Treasure Island Casino, Las Vegas, NV
(Showtime) Joseph Agbeko (27-1) vs. Yonnhy Perez (19-0): Agbeko by UD
Actual Result: Perez by UD 12
(Showtime) Antonio DeMarco (22-1-1) vs. Jose Alfaro (23-4): DeMarco by TKO
Actual result: DeMarco TKO 10
DaVarryl Williamson (26-5) vs. Ray Austin (27-4-4): Austin MD
Actual result: Austin TKO 4
THE RUNNING TOTAL
RIGHT: 92
WRONG: 31
Questions/Comments:
