Nothing like a nice bout to set up a sporting weekend. So I thought I'd feature a "barn burner" every Friday. A nice one to kick it off with is a bout that took place in May of 2002 when Massachusetts' Micky Ward was coming to the end of his career. His last three fights would all be against the former three time world champion Arturo Gatti. This was the first of them. It's a classic.
Every time we pick up a paper or log onto a boxing site, all manner of articles allude to the huge money to be made when a world title goes up for grabs. According to both camps, the Mayweather - Pacquiao bout brought in five hundred million dollars, largely on the back of the four million, four hundred thousand households that subscribed to the fight. Of course that's a record. There are still others, and plenty of them, who earn millions per bout. But there are others who drink from an almost empty well. One such man is Jerwin Ancajas of the Philippines. Last night he stepped into the ring to challenge Puetro Rico's McJoe Arroyo, the holder of the IBF World Super Flyweight belt. And for his efforts, he received a paltry US$3,750. Ancajas found himself holding the short end of the stick when the two parties couldn't come to a financial agreement. The IBF had ordered this bout after Arroyo had failed to make a defence in better than a year, but as the camps couldn't shake hands on an agreement, the powers that be ordered that the fight would have to go to a purse bid. The champion's team had hoped that Al Haymon would support the fight, as he'd done when Arroyo took the title in Texas, but Al went missing. This left the door open to Samson Lewkowicz who just happened to be working for Manny Pacquiao Promotions. One unopposed US$25,000 bid was all it took. All of a sudden McJoe Arroyo found himself having to defend his title in the challenger's back yard. As the IBF purse bid sees an 85-15 split in favour of the title holder, the challenger wound up with just enough to buy everybody a can of Coke. He didn't give a rat's arse though. As far as he was concerned, he had what it took to win the fight and open the door to future prospects. His opinion of himself was vindicated in spades. He shaded the first five rounds, then stunned the champ in the sixth, before dropping him in the seventh. McJoe Arroyo tried to pull it out if the fire in the closing rounds, but Jerwin Ancajas worked the jab and clinched when needed, and walked away with a well deserved win. The judges scored it 118-109, 117-110 and 115-112. Once others take their cut of that US$3,750, the new champ's pay will look pretty shabby, but somehow I don't think Jerwin Ancajas will care all that much this morning. It'll be hard to wipe that smile from his face. Good on him, he's now the new IBF World Super Flyweight Champion.
One of the most exciting fighters in the world today goes around in Japan this evening. A man known as the Monster, Naoya Inoue puts his WBO Super Flyweight belt on the line for the third time. His victim this week is Karoon Jarupianlerd of Thailand. Betting sees Inoue at 1-100 and Jarupianlerd at 16-1. As far as I can see, the latter is not rated in the top 16 by the WBO, but comes in on the back of 15 straight wins. It should be a flogging though. From the get go, Inoue only wanted to fight class fighters. No fighting trees for this young man. At his debut, he fought the Philippino champion Chrison Omayao, and stopped him in four. At his second fight he knocked out Thai champion Ngaoprajan Chuwatana. Fight three saw him knock out Japan number three Yuki Sato. He then took the Japan Light Flyweight title from the now reigning WBA Light Flyweight Champion Ryochi Taguchi. After knocking out Jerson Mancio to win the OPBF Light Flyweight belt, he stepped into the ring against Adrian Hernandez to challenge for the WBC Title. Leading into this fight, Hernandez had fought eight times in three years for that title, winning seven of them. He is no mug. Inoue brutally beat him to a stand still. It lasted six rounds. Nobody in WBC history had ever won a World Title after just six fights. He defended the strap just once before dropping it and stepped up two divisions to challenge the brilliant Omar Andres Narvaez for the WBO Super Flyweight Title. This was fight number seven. As good as Hernandez was, Navaez was a whole other ball game. After winning the WBO Flightweight belt in his thirteenth bout, Narvaez would go undefeated sixteen more times before stepping up to the WBO Super Flightweight crown. There he had five unbeaten fights. To this point, Narvaez was unbeaten in twenty one World Title fights. He surrendered the belt and moved up to take on the one of the greats, Nonito Donaire for the WBC Bantamweight Title. Narvaez suffered his first Title loss. He went the distance but was out gunned by the hard punching champion. Narvaez dropped down to to Super Flyweight for his next bout and captured the WBO Title. He would defend that belt seven more times until he ran into the Monster. Narvaez took a record of twenty nine World Title wins from thirty bouts, into the clash with Naoya Inoue who was climbing through the ropes for just the eighth time. Narvaez took an hellacious beating. He was twice belted to the canvas in the first round. In the second round, Inoue chopped him twice more, before he was counted out on all fours. Inoue has since defended the WBO Super Flyweight on two ocassions. Karoon has been fighting well over the last two years, but it's hard to see him escaping a pounding.
TV and wireless were crap last night so I watched a few fights on youtube including the brutality of Hagler - Hearns. Light supper, cold shower then off to bed early!
Cannae remember where I first watched the Hagler - Hearns but the Leonard - Hearns fight you posted was first watched during a long weekend in Scarborough! Seemed the whole pub was supporting Hearns but I liked the 'pretty boy'. Rubbed it in a bit! Again had to leave a bar promptly with my 'company' (a work mate, his two very attractive twin sisters (?) and their friend). Don't know if the locals were happy or pleased to see me leave!
There's a discrepancy between BoxRec and reality. According to that site, Inoue was to fight Karoon Jarupianlerd last night, and this morning they had Inoue beating him. But the fight replay has him fighting Petchbangborn Kokietgym. BoxRec has Inoue beating Jarupianlerd, but the vid and other outlets has him beating Petchbangborn Kokietgym. Strange thing is that everyone has the losing fighter with the same fight record. I wonder if the man has two names? P.S. He is the same man.
True Smoke. I'm not sure that Inoue is ready for Gonzalez just yet. In last weekend's fight, he took a lot of blows to the head. He's certainly a serious puncher, but personally, I think Gonzalez is freakish. I have a personal, irrational fear for the great man though, how long can he keep this stuff up though? 45-0-0. (38 stoppages) And his bout this week sees him try his fourth weight division. The man he faces, Carlos Caudras is a fully fledged Super Flyweight who gone unbeaten in seven full title fights. He's had three Silvers as well, all at Super. 35-0-1. (27 stoppages) Both men are knockout merchants. It's going to be a one hell of a weekend on the fight scene Smokey. Betting. Gonzales 2-13. Caudras 13-2.
You bewdy, October 29 for the Fury - Klitschko fight. Let me be first to climb aboard the Fury bandwagon.
The WBA has released a statement saying that Lucas "Big Daddy" Browne has come up clean in it's opinion. “It's unlikely Browne intentionally or voluntarily ingested clenbuterol in a single dose in the days leading up to the bout as the amount would not have gained any advantage”. He is to be reinstated in the WBA top 5 and they've ordered a bout between Fres Oquendo and Browne for the vacant "Regular" Heavyweight Title. This fight is to take place within 120 days. Go the big daddy.
And Hughie Fury returns to the ring on the under card of the Fury - Klitschko fight. Hughie takes on the WBO number 3 rated Andy Ruiz Jr. The winner becomes the mandatory challenger to Tyson's WBO belt. If Tyson beats Klitschko and Hughie beats Ruiz, they will be ordered to face each other. As that's not likely to happen, Tyson will probably give up the WBO crown. Interesting times ahead.
So it's the big fight tonight and I can't ****ing wait I'm like a kid at Christmas! I'm such a massive fan of Brooks I'm struggling to look at this objectively and really hope he can show what he's all about and pull this off. If I'm being honest with myself and put my sensible head on then I'll say Golovkin wins in 9th or 10th but wouldn't be hugely surprised if Brook does win. Elsewhere on the card my predictions are wins for Paul and Callum Smith, a win for Kid Galahad, a win for Conor Benn. I think Lee Haskins will beat Stu Hall, Casemiro will beat Edwards and in the fight I'm most looking forward to away from the headliner I think Martin J Ward may just be a bit too slick for Andy Townend and take it by unanimous decision. It looks a cracking card so let's hope it doesn't disappoint and I just hope it's not a case of GGG throwing his first bomb and putting Brook to sleep!
I love Kell too. He looks an absolute specimen.But if im being honest , GGG has been hit by bigger shots than Kell will be able to muster and he hasnt even blinked. So while i think Kelll will do okay for 2 or 3 rounds as soon as Kell feels the power it will sadly be all over. Im going for a GGG stoppage in the 4th or 5th round.
