Super middleweight Carl Froch landed a whole lot of these right hands in his fight with Jermain Taylor Saturday, eventually knocking "Bad Intentions" out with only 15 seconds left. This week’s top-ranked thoughts from a WBC mandatory brain in-recess:
1. Carl tells Jermain Taylor to Froch off
When people ask us boxing aficionados why we are boxing fans, especially with numerous reports of its imminent demise, it can sometimes be difficult to put it exactly into words. Then again, sometimes a fight like the super middleweight tilt between England’s Carl Froch and Arkansas’ Jermain Taylor comes along and does the explaining for us. This fight had everything; two warriors with high skill, both fighters getting knocked down, a close, competitive fight with lots of action, and amazing high drama at the end. Taylor, who was trying to reestablish himself as a big-time player after two losses to Kelly Pavlik, was simply awesome in the first half of the fight, knocking down Froch in the third. He beat the Brit to the punch repeatedly, and took control of the fight on the scorecards. To his credit, Froch showed why he is incredibly tough to beat, taking control back in the latter half, spectacularly knocking out Taylor with only 15 seconds left in the fight. Taylor was hanging on for dear life by that time, and was out on his feet when referee Michael Ortega waved it off. Taylor would have won on the cards had he finished the round. Showtime’s Gus Johnson nearly needed a defibrillator by fight’s end.
Froch is definitely not as skilled as Taylor, but he knows his limitations and proved he knows how to win fights. If you don’t fight twelve full rounds against Froch, you will lose. The real story with this fight, though, was probably Taylor. Once again, he just couldn’t finish the deal, and he’s starting to get a rep for it. He was ahead in both Pavlik fights, losing much the same way (albeit the second time via decision). He’s had stamina issues in he past, and this fight won’t change that perception. But with the way he fought the first part of the fight, it’s easy to see how unstoppable he could become if he can somehow correct his late-rounds letdown. While we know what we’re getting from Froch, it will be interesting to see if Taylor can ever change that scenario. If so, a rematch just might go in the Razorback’s favor.
2. Jim Gray gains entrance in the D-bag & Stupid Question Hall Of Fame all at once
While HBO’s Real Sports show is one of the best on TV, there’s nothing that ruins one of its poignant stories more than uber-arrogant Bryant Gumbel and his post-story chat with the reporter on the piece. Nothing like bringing down the accomplishments of a mentally disabled marathoner by asking how his times would really stack up against non-disabled runners (jerk!). Showtime’s Jim Gray is the boxing equivalent of Gumbel. After watching an electric, drama-filled Froch-Taylor fight that was stopped absolutely at the right time, Gray had to start in with the, “What did you think of the stoppage?” line of questioning. Forget that no one was debating the stoppage at all, even Taylor’s camp and his fans. Inexplicably, he not only asked Froch that question, but also referee Ortega, and then Taylor. What, was Froch supposed to disagree with the stoppage or something? Ortega basically explained to Gray again what was perfectly obvious to everyone else, and Taylor, to his credit, took the high road and said he abided by Ortega’s decision. Gray said that Taylor’s was a classy answer, which is more than we can say for Gray. Way to make a controversy where there was none.
3. Juanma knocks out a Filipino slab of granite
Most boxing fans know that Puerto Rican jr. featherweight sensation Juan Manuel Lopez can hit hard and a lot. But no one expected just how much of that assault he would have to use on Filipino Gerry Penalosa during their fight in Bayamon, PR, Saturday. Penalosa, a two-time titleist who had never been knocked out, was blitzkrieged by Lopez with over – get this – 1,020 punches in nine rounds, with 444 of them landing. The sheer fact that that the Filipino made it that far, and was still punching back and hitting Lopez from time to time, makes his effort one of the toughest seen in recent boxing history. Most fighters can’t last two rounds with Juanma, and Penalosa moved up from 122 for the fight. Lopez didn’t say this, but I’m pretty sure he thought he was going to need the ring stool to get Penalosa out of there. Penalosa didn’t even stop it himself, his trainer Freddie Roach did. While Lopez has some great moments ahead of him, here’s thanking the 37-year old Penalosa for a great career, as this might be it for him. He’s one of those guys that always earned his paycheck.
4. The “Hawaiian Punch” finally does just that
Brian Viloria, like so many fighters, has always been an enigma. He’s always had the talent to be a factor at 108 pounds, but every time he’s stepped up to the world title stage, he’s just not brought his A-game. His losses to Edgar Sosa and Omar Nino (he lost a second, too, but Nino failed a drug test, and the result was changed to a no-contest) both seemed like fights he should have won. Well, that all changed ten days ago, when he finally let his hands go and starched the excellent Ulises Solis in the eleventh round of their fight on the Nonito Donaire – Raul Martinez undercard. For many who have followed Viloria’s career, this was the performance that he was thought to be capable of. He showed consistent workrate, superior power, and the ability to finish late, all against a guy that had not lost in five years, and had only lost once. It’s a rare thing to have a legitimate American (Viloria’s of Filipino descent) flyweight presence, and this could help him get some serious mainstream exposure in the States. If he keeps performing like this, it will be hard not to keep watching him.
5. A whole big mess of stupid
Way to go, James Kirkland & Kendall Holt. Nothing like derailing your careers with degrees from the Plaxico Burress School Of Career Advancement! Apparently, Kirkland would rather spend this Saturday in jail then fighting Michael Walker on the Ricky Hatton-Manny Pacquiao undercard (he was arrested on felony possession of a firearm). Although everyone in Kirkland’s camp is saying he’s a victim of circumstance, he’s still a felon (a 2003 armed robbery conviction), and can’t be near guns of any kind. Regardless what those circumstances are, it’s still going to be hell to clear his name and get his freedom back. Even worse, Holt, who has a wife and kids, admitted he was taking drug money and transporting it to his then-manager, Henry Cortes, who is going to the Big House soon at a jail near you. Luckily, it looks like Holt had nothing to do with the drugs themselves, just transported the money for no fee, so he can complete a court program and not go to the klink, too. Still, he needed to be smarter than that. It’s one thing to make bad decisions in the ring, it will only lose you a fight; do the dumb stuff outside of it, you can lose everything. I like both guys; I hope to never hear anything like this from them ever again.
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