Lopez Wins; And Gamboa Is A New Star!

So I am back to blogging boxing. It’s Gamboa Vs Mtagwa. And, man, I want to tell you, I’ve now a new favorite boxer in Yuriorkis Gamboa, a very talented, fast, and powerful Cuban pugilist. You should admire him the first time you see him showing his skills of sweet-science in the ring. I am all admiration, no, awed, he’s simply awesome the first round of his defense fight against the veteran and tough Tanzanian. From now on, I’ll be looking forward for all his future fights.

The first round. Yuriorkis Gamboa seems to want to enjoy the sweetness of his handiwork as power punches hammered Mtagwa, but the Cuban apparently don’t want the fight to end first round too early.

The second round is one sweetest moment in boxing. It was a massacre! But one should credit Mtagwa for his toughness as he tried to handle the blowing bombs landing on his chin and body. Here comes Yuriorkis Gamboa (17-0, 15 KOs) - a new star of boxing!

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The main event features Steven Luevano against Juan Manuel Lopez. I’d once said before that Luevano will not be a champion for a long time. He’s almost outclassed by a pinoy fighter, Bernabe Conception, who was disqualified for knocking out Luevano at the wrong time, split seconds after the bell. Now, here’s Luevano again fighting JM Lopez, an undefeated star of Puerto Rico.

The first round up to the fifth round is a typical semi-exciting fight when a boring technical boxer (Luevano) fights semi-exciting boxer (Lopez). The latter, of course, is widely ahead of my unofficial scorecard.

Sixth round, as expected, Luevano is backpedaling and try to avoid the punches of the other slugger. The said slugger, having tested the power, or lack of it, of Luevano’s puches, gains much confidence and bereft of respect of the champion attack him with relentless hooks, uppercuts, straights, and body shot. It will not be long now when we finally see the end of this fight.

Seconds into the seventh round, a nice right uppercut put the champion into senselessness.

A showdown between Juan Manuel Lopez (28-0, 25 KOs) and Yuriorkis Gamboa will be an exciting fight to look forward to in the coming months. Arum should make that fight happen!

Boxing Delights with Miguel Cotto Tuning Up Against Joshua Clottey

I slept very late. People simply don’t just get it. And it robbed me a good night’s rest, waking up with anger still breathing inside me. I went back to bed refusing a habit’s dictate to file some work in the morning. The girlfriend called up. Moments later I fixed a black-no-sugar coffee, read some pages of Jonathan Franzen’s The Correction without understanding anything, and went out for a walk.

When I get back I put on the TV and the Cotto fight is on. He’ll fight against Joshua Clottey. Clottey comes in first dancing his Ghana war dance.



And so comes Miguel Cotto.

The first round immediately tells us that Clottey is not Margarito. And before the round ends Clottey realizes why Cotto should have won that fight against the Chin Myth Margarito, who is now by the way serving his time outside from the boxing world for cheating in his fight against Shane Mosley. But that’s another story.

Second round, Clottey has landed some decent jabs and upper-cuts, telling us why he earns a fight against Cotto.

Third round, Clottey decides on a naughty move cutting Cotto with a mischievous head-butt.
Cotto is bleeding and looks fiercer, ready to eat a good serving of Ghana’s lions and other wildcats.

The fourth round is a real skirmish – the most interesting so far in the fight. The camera focuses on the Cotto’s cut after the bell and it was deeper cut than I expected. I could put a whole finger in it and there’s still room for a Mongol pencil.

The fifth round. Cotto also shows that he is capable of badasstry better than Clottey. And that capability has left Clottey on the floor acting like a baby crying for all the miseries in the world, especially his own miseries in his world.

Sixth round is a combination of badass moves and smartness of both fighters. I started to have some respect on Clottey’s toughness too. Cotto hammers him with punches that could normally send anyone to a long dreamless sleep. Yet Clottey perseveres. Cotto adds some more combinations, stopping only to wipe the blood from his face.

The seventh round is Clottey’s. And so is the eighth round. Cotto is banking on time.

In the Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, and the last round, nothing special is happening. The fight ends in a split decision with Cotto still retains his World Championship belt.

What else can I say, Cotto should fight Pacquiao. And Joshua Clottey too deserves a rematch.

Not Cotto..'

Real Filipino Master Boxing Tactician

[Published originally on 4/26/09]

Right. The Philippines almost has it all. We’ve several worldly acknowledged most corrupt and greediest political leaders in the world. We’ve awesomely invented the Halo-Halo (top that Chip Chewrping Tsao). Manny Pacquiao is the world’s number one pound for pound for 281 weeks now. And then there’s our ole man, the real master tactician in the country, no, the entire planet earth, the universe! on par only with Shane Mosley, Bernard Hopkins, and Juan Manuel Marquez – Jerry’s fellow boxing specialists, that any sane sluggers in boxing are trying to avoid, maybe for some more years when credible reports are heard that the master has finally succumbed to old age, Alzheimer’s disease or something.

Look at your master and weep!

First round. Both boxers took their time to measure each other up. But each one sensed an inevitable feeling of danger that any second may end the brawl.

Second round. It was said that, as part of his training and diet, Penalosa snacks on leather. I mean that innocent usually red vicious fist shaped leathers. That’s for immunity and strength. This round Penalosa has his tasting of Puerto Rican leather. He didn’t like it.

I am Glove, c'mon and taste me. I am fun!

Third and fourth rounds. Lopez tried to show his genius as a promising sweetscience swinger, landing several decent crosses, jobs and straights. The shouting Puerto Rico crowd was urging him. The Penalosa drilled him.

Fifth round. They were having a phone booth discussion – an exchange of body shots, upper-cut, one-two combinations. Lopez heaved after unleashing what he knew of this kind of communication. The Penalosa provided respectful replies.

Sixth and seventh rounds. Lopez started to realize what he’s got into. When the bell rung, he shook his head in utter disbelief and a feeling of drowsiness has started to creep in his entire boxed being.

Eight round. Lopez tried another unleashing.

Ninth round. And another unleashing.

Supposedly the tenth round. But Roach stopped the fight. I was repelled. With a boundless passion. Of course, the Roach knows something unlike others. But there’s also that kind of knowing he may possibly missed to comprehend.

My opinion of the Philippines’ master tactician remains untainted. I certainly would like to take my hat off for Jerry Penalosa if only I could find that damn hat.