2014 Fight of the Year (to date)

Facebook Podcast

Post by R.L. Malpica.

ROC NATION SPORTS: Boxing's Next Powerhouse?

 

Looking back in boxing history, there’s been some significant links to the music industry.  From Don King parlaying his concert promoting to the fight game to Al Haymon utilizing his music managerial experience with big stars, music and boxing have been intertwined throughout the years. 

Digging deep into both worlds, they share some obvious similarities.  Record labels are parallel to boxing promotional entities.  Sony/BMG is Top Rank.  Universal is Golden Boy.  EMI and Warner coincide with Gary Shaw and Goosen-Tutor.  Rounding out the rest of the industry are the other smaller promoters like Dibella, K2 and others which equate to Independent labels in music.  Record labels control their artists in the same manner boxing promoters control their fighters. 

The inclusion of Roc Nation Sports in the fight game could be the foreshadowing of a monumental moment in boxing history.  Their bidding victory of the upcoming WBO Middleweight Championship featuring Champion Peter “Chocolate” Quillin (31-0, 22 KOs) vs. Matt Korobov (24-0, 14 KOs) shocked the boxing world.  While Roc Nation has quickly made its presence felt in other sports by signing the likes of NBA superstar Kevin Durant, NFL’s Geno Smith and MLB’s CC Sabathia, no one truly foresaw them engaging in a bidding war against promotional powerhouses Top Rank and Golden Boy.  It was a simple gesture with a defining message; Roc Nation means business. 

Corner II Corner Podcast: Fact or Fiction - Boxing's Hottest Topics

Mayhem Undercard -- Quick Quotes

Here’s some quotes from today’s conference call showcasing the fighters on the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Marcos Maidana rematch entitled “Mayhem”.  The co-main event features fan favorite Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz (27-0-1, 15 KOs)  vs. Manuel “Suavecito” Roman (17-2-3, 6 KOs).  Also on the card, Miguel “Titere” Vazquez (34-3, 13 KOs) defends his IBF Lightweight Championship against Mickey “The Spirit” Bey (20-1-1, 10 KOs) and Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo (22-4, 18 KOs) moves up to middleweight to take on James De La Rosa (22-2, 13 KOs). 

 

BKB: The Future of Boxing?

 

Evolution is defined as the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form… Big Knockout Boxing, better known as BKB, is the antithesis of this… Traditional boxing as we know it today offers a level of complexity that not many sports rival.  It is competition in its purest form… two athletes using their God given abilities to out-dual the other in combat.  No team.  No equipment besides gloves.  No objects.  Yet the strategy involved in a prize fight takes the purest form of competition and turns it into a rare piece of theater…

This past weekend, the Mandalay Bay Events Center played host to BKB’s first pay-per-view fight card in the United States.  The main event featured battle tested veterans Gabriel Rosado and Brian Vera.  On the surface, this matchup equates to a pretty good scrap in traditional boxing… but when offered with the added elements of BKB boxing, it’s much more enticing. 

BKB features a pit instead of a traditional boxing ring with a diameter of 17 feet.  Bouts are seven rounds and only two minutes long.  What BKB offers can only be truly appreciated by the eye.  After watching Rosado KO Brian Vera with a crushing counter right hand in the sixth round, I walked away wondering if this was the future of the sport. 

The action was heavy, as there’s really nowhere to hide in the claustrophobic pit.  It reminded me of a video game, where both fighters are in one spot slipping and trading punches with the slightest of lateral movement.  BKB was intense and I have to admit… I like it. 

But let’s not get carried away fight fans… it will never replace traditional boxing.  I see it more as an added element to the fight game… An entity that can take C+ fighters like Gabe Rosado and Brian Vera and put on a good show.  It’s a tremendous avenue for one-dimensional fighters who may have lost their way in the traditional game. 

See… we as people tend to overreact at the newest and brightest objects of entertainment.  The public consensus across America is that boxing is dying… when in actuality it couldn’t be further from the truth.  Is it where it once was? Definitely not.  But there’s two aspects of traditional boxing that will continue to carry the sport… its history… and its diversity.  BKB offers neither. 

Everyone loves a war… two guys slugging it out until one succumbs to defeat.  It’s a part of sports that’s unparalleled.  But remember, too much of one thing is never a good thing.  It’s human nature.  We need balance.  Traditional boxing offers balance.  For every Castillo-Corrales I… there’s a De La Hoya-Mosley I.  Two completely different types of fights, but equally entertaining.  There’s a beauty in being able to use the ring to your advantage.  The best fights have a blend of it all… great boxing, movement and exchanges.  BKB won’t be able to offer that. 

The biggest proponent of BKB is its name… Big Knockouts.  The idea is that people want to see more knockouts.  People need to once again see the deeper picture… it’s never the knockout, it’s who’s getting knocked out or who’s doing the knocking out.  There’s a psychological aspect that the majority of sports fans fail to realize.  We don’t wanna just see knockouts, we wanna see the best fighters in the world score knockouts.  Traditional boxing makes us appreciate the knockout! When Manny Pacquiao got put to sleep by that violent right hand counter from Juan Manuel Marquez, the sporting world was shocked! In awe of such a moment!  It’s balance… and it’s needed. 

It’s also why I feel BKB is the perfect added element to traditional boxing.  Not an evolution of the sport, but more of a component to garner new fans to the sweet science.  It’s also a perfectly constructed bridging of the gap for MMA fans with a slight curiosity in boxing.  I’m all for it!

I really hope Big Knockout Boxing is successful and branches out to other cable providers and networks for the simple fact that in its infancy, BKB has no choice but to offer exciting drama-filled matchups.  It’s got a big hill to climb, but the interest is there.  They have a choice to make… are they competing with traditional boxing or simply offering an alternative?  For their sake, I hope it’s the latter. 

 

Follow me on Twitter: @RLMalpica

Brook defeats Porter Reaction - Podcast

12 Rounds of Thought - Kell Brook upsets Shawn Porter

My intitial thoughts on a great night of boxing! Kell Brook (33-0, 22 Kos) defeats Shawn Porter (24-1-1, 15 KOs) and becomes the IBF Welterweight Champion of the world.  Also, Wilder, Figueroa and Anthony Dirrell come away victorious. 

Round 1 – Finally… the judges got it right and boxing wins!!

Round 2 – That was a quality card Showtime… that’s all we ask… three fights that MEAN something!

Round 3 – Omar Figueroa vs. Daniel Estrada was some really good theater! Estrada couldn’t hurt him… so Figueroa kept coming.  His aggression is eye candy… so fun to watch.

Round 4 – That was a beautiful counter right hand that dropped Estrada in the 9^th round… Pure poetry in motion. 

Round 5 – Figueroa said after the fight he wants to move up to 140… gonna be rough… but I like it! Imagine a Figueroa-Matthysse matchup?!

Round 6 – Deontay Wilder…. Ya, nothing much else to say about that. 

Round 7 – Anthony Dirrell did what he had to do against an ugly fighter… no one looks good against Bika.  Another great story in boxing.  Very happy for Dirrell. 

Round 8 – Shawn Porter was catapulted into the next superstar in the welterweight division… and we were wrong.  I eat a lot of crow, because I was a believer that his style would give anyone fits. 

Round 9 – By no means am I saying Shawn Porter isn’t a good fighter and can’t one day be great… but he was really exposed by Brook.  His energy and relentlessness is second to none… but if you can withstand it and show composure… you’ll have a good shot against Porter.  Most were looking past Brook to a showdown with Keith Thurman… the question loomed, who was the next star? Props to Shawn Porter for fighting the best… but I think Thurman would destroy him.

Round 10 – Kell Brook impressed me… in the biggest fight of his career against a young hungry relentless undefeated champion, he was able stay calm and believe in his abilities.  Not to mention he was in the champion’s country and not given much a chance to be victorious.  His skills are real… he’s a very talented fighter and his right hand is legit. 

Round 11 – It was great to see the judges get it right tonight… 2014’s been such a controversial year and this fight had all the makings of another debacle.  Porter’s been touted as the future of the division and one of Showtime’s up-n-coming stars.  I said before that boxing needed to shut the window of doubt regarding shady decisions… this definitely helped the cause. 

Round 12 – I wrote earlier this week that Shawn Porter’s style was reminiscent of a young Mike Tyson with a shade of Joe Frazier… and quickly followed up by saying that by no means was I comparing him as a fighter to the two legends.  While Porter’s side-to-side movement mirrors Iron Mike and his leaping left hook is very Frazier-esque.. he lacks the one thing that made those fighters elite; lethal punching power.  Shawn Porter has decent power… enough to be a successful fighter.  He really reminds me of Ricky Hatton.  An energetic fighter that can overwhelm a number of boxers, but won’t be able to beat the elite.  Is Kell Brook elite? I wouldn’t go that far… but I think we’re on the precipice of finding out.  I’d guess a showdown with Amir Khan may be next. 

Follow me on Twitter: @RLMalpica

Mind of Malpica -- Soliman ducking Golovkin

It's becoming somewhat of a trend... Golovkin obliterates an opponent and the rest of the division's best run for cover.  This time it happens to be newly crowned Sam Soliman (44-11, 18 KOs) who most recently dethroned Felix Sturm.  Instead of taking on Golovkin this year to unify the middleweight belts, he's decided to take on the once formidable Jermain Taylor (32-4-1, 20 KOs) who probably should have retired after the first Pavlik fight... and definitely should have stayed retired after the Froch KO. 

Regardless, for someone who's been vocal about the "over-hyping" of Golovkin, you'd think that Soliman would back his claims up as soon as possible.  Instead he wants to fight on HIS terms...

“I have a fight date later this year in the USA but will be free in March or April next year if Gennady wants to get it on,” Soliman said to Fightnews.com.

Soliman knows what he's doing... he wants to hold onto that belt as long as possible knowing Golovkin will most likely not be available next spring.  The aura of Golovkin continues to haunt the middleweight divisions.  One of these "so-called" champions need to show some courage and fight boxing's boogeyman...

Follow me on Twitter: @RLMalpica

Shawn Porter: On the Brink

When it was announced that “Showtime” Shawn Porter (24-0-1, 15 KOs) was to take on crafty veteran Paulie Malignaggi (33-6, 7 Kos), my initial reaction was one of concern for the young champion out of Akron, Ohio.  Paulie’s been in the ring with some of the best fighters in the world including the likes of Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton and most recently Adrien Broner.  For the most part, he held his own, only to succumb to the better fighter.

What made Malignaggi such a formidable opponent and test for the young Porter, is his intelligence in the ring.  He’s a savvy vet whose mental prowess in the ring has overcome a lack of punching power.  Paulie’s overachieved in the fight game with pure intellect and will.  He was supposed to give Porter fits….

Fortunately for fight fans across the globe, the welterweight division has another star on its hands. 

Corner II Corner Podcast: Shawn Porter vs. Kell Brook Preview Show

What's On My Mind? - Danny Garcia

There’s a consensus floating around that Danny Garcia’s resume was so strong he could afford and maybe even deserved to take on an easy opponent.  Let’s not get it confused, I don’t fault this past Saturday’s card on the fighters… I blame promotion.  The Al Haymons.  The Stephen Espinozas. 

Danny’s never ducked anyone… the 2012 & 2013 portion of his resume is incredibly strong! Khan, Judah, Matthysse… that’s what put him in a position for a possible Floyd fight! And that’s my point! His buzz was at the boiling point… only to watch it dissipate. 

Look Herrera’s no bum.. he’s a quality fighter.  But that was the wrong match-up.. and instead of following a questionable performance by solidifying his position as one of the best fighters in the world by taking on a game fighter, they put him in against a tomato can. 

In the end, he generated a small buzz with his devastating highlight KO of Rod Salka…   but what did it really prove? What did he gain? Almost a year removed from his career defining victory over Lucas Matthysse… and he finds himself in a lesser position.  More questions surround him. 

Will he fight at 140 or move up to 147? Can his power carry to 147? Is a Mayweather bout even feasible anymore? Garcia has is good at everything… but is he great at anything? With fighters like Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter on the come up in the welterweight division… if Garcia doesn’t start capitalizing on his opportunities, he’ll soon be an afterthought.

 

Follow me on Twitter: @RLMalpica

Corner II Corner Podcast - Rios vs. Chaves Debacle

Adonis "Superman" Stevenson: The Odd Man Out

Once a boxer hits a certain level… he’s confronted with a choice of direction that can severely alter his career.  It’s a decision that provides all you need to know about a fighter’s intentions in the fight game.  Motive is often questioned.  The questions are spawned from a simple conflict that continues to hover over boxing… Is money more important than legacy?

Adonis “Superman” Stevenson (24-1, 20 KOs) found himself staring this decision in the face earlier this year.  The light heavyweight southpaw with tremendous punching power worked himself into the conversation as one of the best fighters in the world, coming off three straight brutalizing performances against the likes of Chad Dawson, Tavoris Cloud and Tony Bellew. 

The path seemed set… a low risk bout versus Andrzej Fonfara and then a light heavyweight showdown with equally impressive and destructive Sergey Kovalev (25-0, 23 KOs).  A bout that was highly touted and discussed as the most anticipated fight this side of Pacquiao-Mayweather.  Two devastating punchers in the ring fighting to unify in what has become this generation’s version of the heavyweight division. 

When Adonis chose to sign with Al Haymon in February of this year, the direction of the Haitian born fighter became apparent…

"Now, I have so many more options," said Stevenson. "It is great to know that I have a great advisor representing my future." – per Lem Satterfield of The Ring.

12 Rounds of Thought -- A Bad Night for Boxing

My initial thoughts on another bad night for boxing.  Jessie Vargas defeats Anton Novikov by unanimous,  but controversial decision… Sergey Kovalev dismantles Blake Caparello… and Brandon Rios escapes with a disqualification win over Diego Chaves. 

Round 1:  Another night of fights… Another loss for boxing. 

Round 2:  So I basically wasted an hour of my life… an hour I will never get back… by taking the time to watch the bout between Jesse Vargas and Anton Novikov.  What was the point? A close and good scrap reduced to pointless by the result. 

Round 3: 118-111, 118-111 and 117-111 for Vargas… Thank you Anton Novikov for your participation in Saturday night’s bout… you’ll receive a consolation prize… you never had a chance.  

Round 4:  The pattern of bad judging has already opened the window for the perception of “pre-conceived judging”… and results like Vargas-Novikov are going to make it even more difficult to shut. 

Round 5:  Sergey Kovalev is an absolute monster in the ring.  He’s right behind Gennady “GGG” Golovkin for me as most exciting fighters to watch.  Fascinating personality as well. 

Round 6:  Kovalev has such a naïve confidence in his power… he has zero regard for what’s coming back at him.  It’s remarkable and so exciting to watch. 

Round 7:  Pre-mature stoppage = yes… Result inevitable = yes… Am I bitter because I didn’t get to see more of “Krusher” Kovalev = yes. 

Round 8:  I loved the post-fight interview with Bernard Hopkins.  That’s how you build intrigue for a fight! We need to see more of this!

Round 9: I’m worried about Hopkins… Sergey is a different monster.  I would actually favor Hopkins over Adonis Stevenson… but Kovalev is another story.  Hopkins picked Felix Trinidad apart, but Hopkins was the bigger and stronger man.  Pavlik was bigger but didn’t have the ferocity that Kovalev possesses.  Sergey Kovalev is too big, too strong and too powerful for Hopkins… it’s gonna be a rough night in November for the Alien. 

Round 10: Brandon Rios – Diego Chaves… another wasted hour of my life.  Thank you Vic Drakulich.  Guess you and Harvey Dock (ref for Jennings-Perez) are auditioning for Mayweather-Maidana 2…

Round 11: This fight was rough… ugly… gritty… basically everything I expected it to be.  Rios got the better of it inside and Chaves controlled it from a distance.  This was a very close fight… and a pretty good one as well.  Referee Vic Drakulich severely overreacted to the ruggedness of the fight… and in turn, didn’t allow the fighters to handle it like two warriors inside the ring. 

Round 12: The first point deduction on Chaves was pre-mature and more importantly, created a snow-ball effect.  The first point deduction on Rios was a make-up call.  The fight was ugly, no doubt… but this isn’t Paulie Malignaggi vs. Mauricio Herrera… these are two rough and rugged brawlers. Let them fight!!

Chaves was ahead on the scorecards at the time of the disqualification.  What’s most disappointing to me was the behavior of Brandon Rios.  You’re “Bam Bam”… Mr. Tough Guy… and you’re crying to the ref countless times about being fouled? Complaining about holding when you’re putting your head in his face? Then when he does the same, you’re complaining even more?

I think Rios was frustrated with the way Chaves adapted… In the 3^rd round, Chaves knew he couldn’t win on the inside… he used distance to land some heavy shots and control the fight from the outside.  Rios knew it was close… and used Vic Drakulich to his advantage.  For Vic to allow Brandon Rios to influence him into disqualifying Chaves at a moment where Chaves did absolutely nothing wrong is preposterous.   Brandon Rios has entered the Robert Guerrero class of “out of sight, out of mind” for me.  I look forward to seeing Diego Chaves fight again… A bad night for boxing.

Follow me on Twitter: @RLMalpica