The Boxing Diary

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Sunday, April 29, 2012

Derrick Rose torn ACL – out of the season for Chicago Bulls NBA Playoffs






Photo via everyjoe.com


What is ACL? According to Wikipedia ACL or the Anterior Cruciate Ligament is a cruciateligament, which is one of the four major ligamentsof the humanknee. In the quadrupedstifle(analogous to the knee), based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.





Image via Wikipedia

This part of Derrick Rose knee torn after an attempt to drive the ball during a play against Philadelphia Sixers in their first game of the NBA Playoffs.



Derrick Rose injury came at about 1:20 minutes remaining in the last quarter after he came back from the bench when their lead was cut down to 12 points.



While the game resume, Derrick Rose was accompanied to the locker room. I finished watching the rest of the game as Chicago won Game 1 of the best-of-seven series.



My question after the game was why the coach let Rose back into the game with over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, while the remaining starting line-up was still sitting on the bench with 12-point advantage.

But I contend myself after hearing Tom Thibodeau said that "I do not work backward like you guys. The score was going the other way. He's got to play. Derrick has to work on finishing, on closing. Our team did not handle that part great. That's what I was thinking."



I realized that it was just unfortunate for the Bulls who aim for the championship who had Rose injured early in the playoff rounds. Rose will probably unable also to participate in the London Olympics.



We will just hope and pray that Derrick Rose can recover immediately and comeback to the game being the very same D-Rose that we love to watch playing.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Pacquiao vs. Mayweather: The battle for PPV supremacy – leverage for future negotiation






Photo via google images


Instead of signing the most valuable contract in boxing history, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao fight different opponents at the same venue – MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, but on different dates. Manny Pacquiao against Timothy Bradley on June 9, 2012 and Floyd Mayweather Jr. against Miguel Cotto on May 5, 2012 (cinco de mayo).




Negotiations for Floyd and Manny to fight failed in all occasions. Issues on drug testing, purse split and venue has been the major factors. These negotiations end-up both man fighting different opponents that disappointed fight fans.



Pacman and Floyd undertake critical but calculated decisions after every failed negotiation in order to gain leverage for any of their future negotiation.



Floyd I think chose the take on Cotto at 154, not at 147 and or catch weight, to surpassed Pacquaio’s win against Cotto. I consider Pacman’s win against Cotto as his best performance. Cotto was perceived to be the stronger, bigger and powerful fighter at that time. When Pacman won, some blamed that Cotto was drained to fight Manny at 145 and branding Pacman as catch weight king.



Before Pacman announce Bradley as his next opponent, Cotto was an option but he (Cotto) clearly stated that “I would not sacrifice my body for Pacquiao…”  Cotto has been campaigning at Junior Middleweight after his defeat with the pacific storm.



In the recent negotiation, Pacquiao vs. Mayweather failed because of purse-split issue. Floyd offered Pacquiao 40 million dollar guaranteed purse. Pacman counter offered a 50-50 split, a 50 million dollar guarantee and even a 40-40 split and the victor will take the remaining 20 percent. All options failed – Mayweather believed that he deserved the larger share for he is the major draw.



Now, both men take on different opponents, in just one month apart. Floyd and his promoter would try to do everything to prove in figures that Money is the cash cow. Under-cards would be equally exciting.



The same goes for Pacman and his promoter.  They have one month to figure out how to surpass Floyd’s numbers.



For me, this is good for boxing; promoters on both sides will try to their best to put on the best and equally exciting under-cards. I observe in the past, without this kind of race in PPV sales, promoters will only line up crap under-cards. Sometimes, it only showcases the other boxer so as to improve his popularity, resulting to mismatches.



I expect there will be last-minute addition to fight cards just to boost promotions.



For Kuwait, here is the link for TFC PPV subscriptions rates click here 

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Brandon Rios vs Richard Abril and the top boxing match-up comin-up this April, May and June 2012





Photo via Google Images


Its been a while that I am not able to post anything about boxing, although we have a lot of exciting and major boxing match-up coming up. I become more busy trying to figure out if I will subscribe online complete boxing workout, because I'm getting fat nowadays,

Check this link (click here) or this one (here) that might help you go down in weight and at the same time learn how to box; not only reading the sport we love.


Before I will drag you more about losing weight let us go back to the exciting math-ups that we have.

First, we have Brandon Rios taking on Richard Abril instead of Yuriorkis Gamboa aside from, Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Sergey Fedchenko. If both Marquez and Rios get past against each respective opponents then they are destined to fight against each other as planned.

We have also coming-up as the major match-up on May, Mayweather against Cotto. Ive been into blogs and sites for this match-up predictions and leaving my comments. Most of them sided Money to win easily in this fight although they do not discount Cotto's skill and heart as a fighter. This could be a very exciting fight, I anticipate a lot of mind games in this fight. The fighter that would think fast and adjust quickly would possibly have the edge.




Photo via Google Images


Meanwhile, the battle also of PPV sales will continue when eight division champion Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley clashes on June.

The result of Mayweather vs Cotto and Pacman vs Bradley revenue will matter in the negotiation if Manny vs Money will go on. Who will be the real cash cow? that has the leverage to dictate the terms of purse split. Who deserves the lions share?

Before I will drag more on this purse issue between Pacman and Money let me take some points of the fight between Pacquaio and Bradley. I think this fight would be Pacman's test in terms of his skill level now. In this fight we can determine weather Manny is still at the peak or beginning to go downhill of the statistics bell curve.




Photo via badlefthook.com


I think the pressure is so much in Pacquiao now. First he needs to prove that he deserve at least 50-50 split if he ever face Money May. He should prove it in the PPV sales. Second, he should win convincingly at least if he can not knock-out Bradley. But Bradley is no easy opponent. He is a young aggressive champion and hungry for the win and recognition.

So guys, in my next post Ill try to write about the results of Marquez and Rios bout, then Ill lay my prediction on Pacman vs Bradley and of course Mayweather vs Cotto. Stay tuned.

Update 1: Rios wins via SD against Abril in a disappointing manner, wherein Abril clearly got fans approval but not on the judges scorecards. Many boxing critics comment that it is Arum's magic that works with Rios win.

Marquez wins convincingly against Sergey. No doubt.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Top Three Undefeated Boxers – an “O” that might go in 2012



Nowadays in boxing, sanctioning bodies are no longer relevant to fighters. What they cared for is their unblemished records to tell their legacy in boxing. However, being active fighters, someone’s “O” has got-to-go in a matter of time inside the ring.




Without further ado, here are the top three undefeated boxers under my list that put their untouched records into different dangerous foes that might take that precious zero and replace it with heart-breaking number 1 – first loss.







Image via buricuaboxing.com

Number 3 

Yuriorkis Gamboa (21-0, KO 16) – Earlier, he was scheduled to fight against another undefeated boxer from Mexico – Brandon Rios (29-01, KO 30) but did not showed up during the press tour. Gamboa pointed out during an interview that Top Rank did not offer any contract. A lot of speculation going on as to-what-really-is the real reason Gamboa screwed the match-up. Maybe that “O” is simply at risk?

Richard Abril (17-2-1, KO 8) picked as the replacement against Rios on the scheduled fight on 14th April 2012 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada.






Photo via pacquiaovideo.com

Number 2
Timothy Bradley (28-0, KO 12) – He is scheduled to fight against Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, KO 38)the number one pound-for-pound boxer and eight division champion on 9th June 2012 at the famous MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada.  Bradley has been longing for this fight – to get a Pacman sweepstake. But be careful what you wish boy.

I haven’t laid yet my prediction about this sizzling fight but considering the odds it seems Bradley is, destine to lose that “O” in his record.






Photo via badlefthook.com

Number 1
Floyd Mayweather Jr. (42-0, KO 26) – Though earlier I already posted my not-so-fast prediction between him and Miguel Cotto (37-2, KO 30) but still I cannot discount Cotto to finally erase that “O” upon Floyds perfect record.

Cotto is a fighter that had a lion’s heart, decent power and boxing skills that can score the biggest upset in boxing. It is in the Junior Welterweight division that these two elite fighters need to collide. But it seems Floyd is ducking him – that is why Cotto chose to fight Margarito.

However on 5th May 2012 Mayweather and Cotto agreed to lock-horn in the Light Middleweight division at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas Nevada.