The Boxing Diary

Views and Opinions

Saturday, July 29, 2017

Adrien Broner faces Mikey Garcia at Barclay Center

While everything is Mayweather-McGregor on the internet let's not forget that we have a nice card tonight. Multi-division titlist Adrien "The Problem" Broner takes on undefeated Mikey Garcia in a 12-round jr. welterweight bout on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

On Friday night the fighters stepped on the scales for the official weigh-in. Both have no problem with their respective weights and came in below the 140-pound limit. Broner tipped the scales at 138.75 lbs. while Garcia weighed 139.5 lbs.

It was also Broner's 28th birthday on Friday's weigh-in. Leonard Ellerbe presented a birthday cake to Broner.

"I'll fu@k this nigger," says Broner when asked about his final thoughts on tomorrow's fight.

Well, I hope he does because I believed Mikey Garcia is not an easy nut to crack. He's a very calm fighter inside the savage ring. He's so methodical in his approach.

"I'm very calm. I don't let my emotions get the best out of me," says Garcia when asked about how different his style compare to Adrien.

"It's gonna be a hell of a fight and I'll come out victorious once again," said Garcia.

I'm sure it's gonna be a very entertaining fight tonight. Don't miss it, boxing people!

Thursday, July 27, 2017

TED-Ed: How concussions work



I would like to share to the reader of this blog the video embedded above from TED-Ed. The great guy there at TED-Ed tackled about how concussions work. He discussed about how concussions affects the brain and person.

In boxing, like many other combat and even sports like soccer, football etc... players suffered concussions. Some were detected early on, but some were develop through the years.

According to TED-Ed "each year in the United States players of sports and recreational activities received between 2.5 to 4 million concussions."

"How dangerous are all those concussions? The answer is complicated," according to TED-Ed.

The video showed also what happen to the brain after receiving a concussion and how it affect the person's behavior.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Sparrow vs Laviolette tops Sept. 8 at 2300 arena in Philly

Philadelphia, PA—Junior lightweight Avery Sparrow, who insists on “meaningful fights” to boost his resume, finds himself in with another toughie when he boxes former four-time Canadian national amateur champion Joey Laviolette in the scheduled eight-round main event Friday evening, Sept. 8, at the 2300 Arena.

The Sparrow-Laviolette contest tops a nine-bout card which begins at 7.30 pm.

 The 23-year-old Sparrow (right) is having a good year.  In his last fight June 27 at the Sands Casino Bethlehem (PA), Sparrow scored two knockdowns and was knocked down twice himself while earning a unanimous six-round decision over previously unbeaten (6-0) southpaw Isaelin Florian, of the Dominican Republic. Earlier in 2017 at the 2300 Arena, Sparrow scored the fight’s lone knockdown while scoring an eight-round split decision over cross-town rival Anthony Burgin.

A pro since 2014, Sparrow is 7-1, 3 K0s, having lost only by disqualification (repeated low blows) to Jerome Rodriguez, of Allentown, PA, late in 2015 at the 2300 Arena.

Laviolette, 29, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, is 6-0, 4 K0s, as a pro after a prolific amateur career in which he won 85 out of 111 bouts and was a member of the Canadian National Team from 2009 to 2011.

“It’s a big opportunity to showcase my skills against a good fighter,” Laviolette said.  “This will be my first professional fight outside of Canada, but going to somebody else’s hometown to fight never bothered me as an amateur and I don’t think it’ll bother me as a professional.”

“I feel I’m right where I need to be at 6-0 and this is a perfect point in my career to have a true test against Sparrow.”

A pro since 2012, Laviolette (below left) has boxed twice this year against a pair of Mexican featherweights.  He outpointed Juan Manuel Benitez over four rounds and stopped Emmanuel Villamar in six.  Both fights were in New Brunswick, Canada.

“I really don’t care how many amateur titles he (Laviolette) won,” Sparrow said.  “For all I care, he could have gone to the Olympics and won a Gold Medal.  But this in Philadelphia and I’m a Philadelphia fighter.”

The six-round junior middleweight semifinal features the return of Philly-KillerRoque Zapata, of Culpeper, VA.  In two previous trips to the 2300 Arena, Zapata (4-1-3) has beaten local standouts Isaiah Wise and Fred Jenkins, Jr.  This time he goes against Elijah Vines, of the Germantown section of the city, who is 4-0, 4 K0s.

Fighting unbeaten opponents in their hometowns are nothing new for the 21-year-old Zapata, who upset previously undefeated local hero Justin Steave (6-0) on June 24 in Pittsburgh, PA.

Vines represents the fifth undefeated fighter Zapata has faced, all on the road.  The 22-year-old Vines stopped Harry Tyrone Paige, of Batesville, AK, in his last fight June 10 in Atlantic City, NJ.  The fight with Zapata will be Vines’ first local appearance, having boxed twice in Atlantic City and twice in Bristol, PA.

Seven additional fights complete the Sept. 8 card.  Among those featured will be Wise, welterweight Marcel Rivers and junior welterweight Victor Padilla.

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Mauricio Herrera vs Jesus Soto Karass: Make or Break

INDIO, CA (July 21, 2017): As temperatures begin to swelter in Coachella Valley, so will the ring at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in a true crossroads fight between Mauricio "El Maestro" Herrera (23-7, 7 KOs) of Riverside, CA and Jesus "Renuente" Soto Karass (28-11-4, 18 KOs) of Los Mochis, Mexico. The two will face each other in a 10-round make-or-break welterweight war on the August 4th edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN, to air on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 9 P.M. EST/6 P.M. PST. Doors to the action at the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center will open at 4:00 p.m. PT.

Special guest and VIP of the night will be former three-time WBC World Super Bantamweight Champion Israel "Magnifico" Vazquez (44-5, 32 KOs) who is revered for his series of four legendary fights against fellow Mexican compatriot, Rafael Marquez. Vazquez was also a longtime holder of the IBF, Lineal and Ring Magazine titles twice from 2005 to 2008. Vazquez will be in attendance for the fights and will be on site to meet fans, sign autographs and take pictures inside the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center before the ESPN broadcast begins. The meet-and-greet is open to the public with the purchase of a ticket to the event.

As chief support, heavy-hitter Vyacheslav "Lionheart-Chingonskyy" Shabranskyy (18-1, 15 KOs) of Los Angeles will be up against rising Philly contender Todd "2 Gunz" Unthank-May (10-0-1, 4 KOs) for the vacant WBC USNBC Light Heavyweight Title. "Chingonskyy" will be on the lookout to take back the light heavyweight belt he lost to Sullivan Barrera this past December.

Hoping to make TV, undefeated Niko "Baby Face" Valdez (5-0, 5 KOs) will face Jaime "Zarco" Solorio (7-3-2, 5 KOs) of San Quintin, Mex. in a six-round super middleweight bout in hopes to continue his impressive knockout streak.

In a six-round super welterweight bout, LA's Marvin Cabrera (4-0, 4 KOs) will take a massive step up in competition with Esau Herrera (19-8-1, 10 KOs) of Tlaquepaque, Mex. Cabrera was last seen knocking out Quantavious Green at the prestigious 8th Annual "Big Fighters, Big Cause" charity boxing event hosted by legend Sugar Ray Leonard this past May.

Riverside, CA's Ricardo "El Niño" Sandoval (7-1, 7 KOs) will be fighting Durango, Mex.'s Antonio "Tony" Rodriguez (8-17-1, 5 KOs) in a six-round super flyweight match up. Known to bring the action, East L.A's Jonathan "Thunder" Navarro (10-0, 6 KOs) will participate in his first eight-round fight in a super lightweight bout against Durango, Mex.'s Angel Sarinana (7-6-2, 3 KOs). Opening up the night's festivities and representing Palmdale, CA, Cesar Diaz (5-0, 4 KOs) will go up against Angel "Terrible" Monrreal (10-9-1, 3 KOs) of Monterrey, Mex. in a six-round bantamweight affair.

Herrera vs. Soto Karass, a 10-round welterweight fight, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, Born BOLD and Hennessy "Never Stop, Never Settle." ESPN and ESPN Deportes will air the fights from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino at 9:00 p.m. ET/6: 00 p.m. PT. ESPN3 coverage of the undercard fights will begin at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET/ 4:30 p.m. PT.

Saturday, July 1, 2017

Manny Pacquiao, 146 lbs., Jeff Horn, 147 lbs.

The fight is on!

Despite some speculations as to how Jeff Horn would be able to get the 147-pound welterweight weight limit. It was answered at the weigh-in as Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs) registered just exactly at the limit.

Manny Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KOs), as usual, weighted below the welterweight limit at 146 pounds. So we have a fight on Sunday at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Below are the undercards official weights:

Co-Feature - IBF Super Flyweight World Championship (12 rounds)
Jerwin Ancajas(26-1-1, 17 KOs), Champion, Cavite City, Philippines 114 lbs.
Teiru Kinoshita (25-1-1, 8 KOs), Challenger, Kobe, Japan 115 lbs.

Middleweights (8 rounds)
Shane Mosley, Jr. (10-1, 7 KOs), Pomona, California. USA 160 lbs.
David Toussaint (10-0, 8 KOs), Canberra, Australia 160 lbs.

Featherweights (6 rounds)
Michael Conlan (2-0, 2 KOs), Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK 126 lbs.
Jarrett Owen (5-4-3, 2 KOs), Brisbane, Australia 126 lbs.