Let's Talk Boxing

The Fight The Made Oscar De La Hoya Great

admin — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Oscar De La Hoya became famous after defeating Miguel Gonzalez. The fight took place on Jan. 18th, 1997, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Retaining the WBC Super Lightweight Title proved he was a great fighter. On Dec. 6, 2008, Oscar De La Hoya fought Manny Pacquiao and retired from boxing months later. Oscar De La Hoya is one of the boxing’s all-time greats.

Professional Boxing Record
39 – 6, 30 Knockouts

Amateur Record
223 – 5 , 163 Knockouts

The Earlier Fights
12/12/1992 – VS Cliff Hicks, KO 1
11/23/1992 – VS Lamar Williams, KO 1
1/3/1993 – VS Paris Alexander, TKO 2
2/6/1993 – VS Curtis Strong, TKO 4
3/13/1993 – VS Jeff Mayweather, TKO 4
4/6/1993 – VS Mike Grable, W 8
5/8/1993 – VS Frank Avelar, TKO 4
6/7/1993 – VS Troy Dorsey, TKO 1
8/14/1993 – VS Renaldo Carter, KO 6
8/27/1993 – VS Angelo Nunez, TKO 4
10/30/1993 – VS Narcisco Valenzuela, KO 1

Professional Fights
1/18/1997 – VS Miguel Angel Gonzalez, W 12
4/12/1997 – VS Pernell Whitaker, W 12
6/14/1997 – VS David Kamau, KO 2
9/13/1997 – VS Hector Camacho, W 12
12/6/1997 – VS Wilfredo Rivera, TKO 8
6/13/1998 – VS Patrick Charpentier, TKO 3
9/18/1998 – VS Julio Cesar Chavez, TKO 8
2/13/1999 – VS Ike Quartey, W 12
5/22/1999 – VS Oba Carr, TKO 11
9/18/1999 – VS Felix Trinidad, L 12 (Lost WBC Welterweight Title)
6/17/2000 – VS Shane Mosley, L 12
6/23/2001 – VS Javier Castillejo, W 12

Fights To Remember
5/5/2007 – VS Floyd Mayweather Jr. L 12
12/6/2008 – VS Manny Pacquiao, TKO By 8What’s 1 more click? Your boss isn’t watching… Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao: Must They Be Sacrificed to Save Boxing?

Epics Battles: Arturo Gatti vs. Micky Ward

admin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Gatti vs. Ward trilogy is composed of monumental battles in the history of the sweet science. Gatti and Ward were similar welterweights and gave 2 consecutive fights of the year because of their boxing prowess and explosive momentum-changing fights. With Ward hailing from Massachusetts and Gatti from Canada the fighters would meet three times in which they would exchange ferocious blow after blow. The fight was so fierce that the fighters would both go to the hospital to nurse the wounds that they suffer. Despite numerous knockdowns and even low blows, both fighters fought to the end because of their unwillingness to go down.
The first fight was awarded to Ward in a very close decision. Despite Gatti’s more efficient(yet aggressive) boxing style Ward was able to close with his brawling style. A notable moment was despite Gatti’s trainer trying to call off the fight after the 9th round, Gatti pressed on to endure a tenth. The second fight between Gatti and Ward was awarded to Gatti through dominating boxing. Yet despite Gatti’s domination Ward showed heart and strength by pressing onward despite Gatti’s hard blows. Finally in the third fight Gatti took an early lead but broke his hand in the fourth. Despite the handicap Gatti still went on to win and was too much for Micky Ward.Want to know more? Go ahead: Boxing Round of the Day: Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward in “Round of the Cenury”

Bernard Hopkins, Proving That Age can Still Win Out

admin — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Bernard Hopkins recently proved age is just a number when he became the oldest champion in the history of the sport. The amazing thing is the fact that he looks like he still have a few championship level years in him. Bernard Hopkins is 46-year-old champion whose name still strikes fear in the hearts of opponents.

Bernard Hopkins has come a long way since serving five years in prison in the 1980s. He lost his first professional bout in 1988 and hasn’t looked back since. He has been as dominant in his 40′s as any fighter would hope to be in their 20′s. He has beat some of the best names in boxing Joe Calzaghe, Antonio Tarver and Winky Wright. Bernard Hopkins also beat an undefeated Kelly Pavlik. Kelly Pavlik was a heavy favorite to win that fight.

Time and time again Bernard Hopkins has proven his critics wrong. They say he doesn’t have anything left and should retire and he comes through time and time again. How long can he keep this up? Bernard says he isn’t ready to retire and will continue to fight. That isn’t good news to any of his potential opponents. He doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.

Our Favorite Boxing Movies

admin — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Maybe you’re not cut out for life in the gym or you can’t really live in the offseason when your favorite fights aren’t airing – we’ve got you covered! Here’s a quick list of our very favorite boxing movies – keep an eye on your directstartv.com satellite channels to see if they’re coming on in your area!
Million Dollar Baby: One of Hillary Swanks first feature films is also one of her best. It’s not exactly a feel good film but it’s got heart and it’s really great at showing the nitty gritty behind the ropes. If you’ve ever been interested in women’s boxing, this is it.
Rocky: How can you make a boxing movies list without Rocky? Sly Stalone’s best film ever showcases the trails behind the sport as well as some pretty unorthodox training methods.
The Fighter: The most recent boxing movie to hit it big, Christian Bale plays a pretty convincing former boxer and coach. It’s a great drama that happens to focus on boxing and it’s got all the elements we need to consider it a really good flim.

If Floyd Mayweather The Greatest Boxer Of This Generations

admin — Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Many people have been wondering if Floyd Mayweather is the greatest boxer of this generation. This is a very tough question, but until recently many people would say he is. Mayweather has beaten many of the greatest fighters and his ring accolades are unmatched.

For example, Floyd Mayweather Jr has won nine different titles in five different weight classes. Fighting and winning at so many different weights shows he has an incredible balance of strength, speed, and stamina. His record is unblemished at 41-0 with 25 of those fights being finished by knockout. He has beaten the best fighters of this day including Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Rickey Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, Zeb Judah, and Arturo Gatti.

Why is there any debate about who is the best fighter than? It is very simple; people want to see him fight Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao is the last great fighter Mayweather has not beaten. With the inability to get a fight deal done, many people have blamed the Mayweather camp. If he won this fight, he would cement his legacy as the best fighter of this generation, but if he never fights Pacquiao the doubt will remain, and most fans will Mayweather for that.

The Life And Times Of Rocky Marciano

admin — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The only world heavyweight champion to retire undefeated, with 43 knockouts in his 49 fight career, Rocky Marciano was undoubtedly one of the greatest boxers of all time. Born and raised in Brockton, MA., Marciano held boxing’s pre-eminent title from 1952 to his retirement in 1956 and was knocked down only twice in his career, once by Jersey Joe Walcott and once by Archie Moore. In his first title fight versus Walcott, Marciano was knocked to the canvas in the first round but recovered and knocked Walcott unconscious in the 13th round. The title bout against Moore was Marciano’s last fight, and after being knocked down in Round 2, Rocky again recovered and won by knockout in Round 9.

Following retirement, Marciano agreed to return to the ring and fight Ingemar Johansson, but after training for a month, reconsidered and remained retired and undefeated. A successful businessman after his exit from the ring, Marciano also dabbled in acting and television.

One day before his 46th birthday, in 1969, Rocky Marciano was tragically killed in the crash of a private plane near Newton, Iowa. Bad weather and an inexperienced pilot were listed as factors. Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990, Marciano remains a legend in boxing circles. His KO of Walcott in 1952 was selected by an ESPN poll as the “greatest knockout” ever.

How Did Muhammad Ali Change Boxing

admin — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. (then subsequently converting to Muslim, thus changing his name), Muhammad Ali is considered by many to be the greatest boxer of all time. His legend began, www.ali.com as a 12 year old, when he proclamed to a police officer that he would “whup” whoever stole his bike. The cop in turn told him he “had better learn how to box”.
While possessing adequate power and phenomenal speed, Ali’s greatest attribute could very well have been his ability to psychologically dismantle his opponent even before they stepped into the ring. In an era when brashness and trash talking weren’t the norm, Ali stepped forward.
According to “www.espn.com”, Ali’s pulse rate at the weigh in before his first title fight against Sonny Liston was “nearly 120 – over double his norm of 54″. Liston understood this to be nerves, but soon found out that wasn’t the case – Ali was just worked up over readying himself for a chance at the heavyweight championship. After his TKO of Liston in the seventh round, Ali became the youngest champion at 22 (that record has since been bested – Tyson won his title at age 20).
In spite of his accomplishments inside the ring, Ali’s influence was felt far outside of it as well. In a time when blacks were facing heavy oppression, Ali stood by his belief’s in not registering for the military. For this, the boxing commission stripped him of his title and decertified him as a professional boxer. In addition to the boxing penalties, he was arrested for draft evasion. After four years and a supreme court hearing, Ali was recertified and allowed to professionally box again.
Throughout his career, Ali faced every top notch opponent there was – in the golden era of the sport. Today, marquee matchups are practically non-existant – partly due to the inability to agree on money and/or logistics, but mostly due to the diluted state of the sport. Ali was surely one of a kind, the type we’re not likely to see again for a long, long time.

Knowing When to Hang It Up

www.letstalkboxing.com — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson, even the legendary Muhammad Ali, great boxers aren’t always great decision makers when it comes to closing out their career. Enter the 46-year old Evander Holyfield, past the point of wondering whether his best days are behind him, yet still taking shots to the head even at an advanced age. Yes, Holyfield’s head is notoriously hard, just ask the aforementioned Tyson, who was so frustrated by headbutts he turned The Real Deal’s right ear into a real meal. However, in his advanced age, perhaps even more prevailing is Holyfield’s hardheadedness in regards to calling it quits and leaving the ring in graceful manner.Already owning the Heavyweight title a record 4 times, not only is a 5^th unlikely, but unnecessary. Holyfield has nothing left to prove. The man who has gone toe to toe and gotten the better of the likes of George Foreman, Larry Holmes and Riddick Bowe, quite simply has no business slumming around with fighters like Sherman “Tank” Williams well into his 4^th decade, much less looking overmatched.While Holyfield’s resilient spirit and sheer longevity is certainly impressive, his cumulative record suddenly looks more ordinary with 10 losses (would be 11 were the Williams fight continued), looming large in the left column. In fact, since his trilogy of fights against John Ruiz from 2000 to 2001 and subsequent victory over Hasim Rahman, Holyfield has compiled a remarkably average record of 5 Wins and 5 Losses in his last 10 Decisions. After three consecutive losses, concluding with a 2004 defeat to Larry McDonald, the New York State Athletic Commission went so far as to ban Holyfield from competition in the state, citing “diminishing skills,” which the fighter attributed to a shoulder injury rather than diminishing skills.Though Holyfield would take some time off before stringing together 4 straight wins and earn a WBO title shot against Sultan Imbragimov, an unsuccessful bid, now almost a full 10 years since his last relevance, the only question remaining is, “Why?”Look no further than Ali to see the physical toll taking punch after punch can have on the body. Holyfield will go down as a great fighter, just as he would have had he hung up his gloves after his 1999 loss to Lennox Lewis. Only now, a generation of onlookers will know Holyfield as a washed up has-been not The Warrior fans remember from his prime.

New Year New Hype

www.letstalkboxing.com — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 18:39:15 +0000

Seeing Manny Pacquaio have his way with Antonio Margarito, not to take away from the fight, ultimately will spell the effective end of the 2010 boxing “season” in terms of big time hubbub surrounding the biggest names in the sport. Despite a solid effort my Margarito, it seems the yeah is ending with something less than a spectacle. Finally getting used to the idea that Mayweather vs. Pacquaio is forever off the table, only an entire 8 months after the supposed fight was tentatively scheduled, it’s time to finally bury this horse, beaten to death by pundits, including yours truly, and move on to the year 2011 and the exciting big picture ticket in store.January looks to start the year off with a powerful shot to the temple, immediately making up for much of the disappointment seen by fight fans this year. Though both fighters have flown somewhat under the radar as compared to outspoken Mayweather and national hero Pacquaio, the early year matchup (1/29/11) between Timothy Bradley and Devon Alexander is an fight worthy of the world’s attention. At 27 years old, with 26 wins in 27 fights and 1 no contest, Bradley is currently the WBO World Light Welterweight Champion. Alexander on the other hand, just 23, brings a clean sheet of his own, winning 21 of 21 fights in which he’s appeared. Alexander the Great as he is known across the sport, reigns as the WBC Light Welterweight Champion. Both belts are at stake in this epic matchup, pitting two fighters who could very well challenge, if not beat, either Pacquaio or Mayweather.So as Thanksgiving approaches, let’s quit griping about what we haven’t seen. Rather, let’s look forward to and be thankful for a brand new year of boxing. A year in which two up and coming fighters are setting a precedent by giving the crowd what it wants and putting their record on the line for a shot at greatness.

Strangest Storylines in Today’s Boxing

www.letstalkboxing.com — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 21:27:50 +0000

Mayweather and Pacquiao may never meet It’s remarkable to think that in a time when boxing needs a revival more than ever, the two most prolific winners in modern boxing refuse to meet in the ring. The media tends to pick stides but when it comes down to it its equal stubbornness. Though they may be matched blow for blow in that virtue, we will never know how an in the ring contest of wits might go.
The relative anonymity of the Klitchsko brothers Yes boxing fans know who they are, but can you rattle of both of their first names? Vitaly and Wladimir for those playing at home. The two extremely intelligent extremely talent Ukranian brothers have dominated the heavyweight division for some time now, but receive relatively little mainstream attention, especially strange considering the storied history of heavyweights in the limelight. Are most fans simply not drawn to intelligent athletes anymore? No story could be more newsworthy, they have Ph. D’s for crying outloud and Wladimir is dating Hayden Panattiere, for those who prefer soft news.
Surprising success of older fighters You would think in a sport like boxing a constant pounding to the head would limit a fighters longevity. While it’s true many fighters stay around far too long past their prime suffering irreparable damage, fighters today seem to be sticking around at heightened levels of performance. There’s a reason it seems as if Shane Mosley, Bernard Hopkins, and host of others seem as if they’ve been around forever. It’s because they have.