the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

Anthony Yarde vs Artur Beterbiev

1 Beterbiev
2 Yarde
3 Beterbiev
4 Beterbiev
5 Yarde Round of The Year
6 Yarde
7 Beterbiev
8 Beterbiev wins by TKO

67-66 Beterbiev

I just watched this amazing fight one of the best Light Heavyweight fights of the modern era, with rounds 5 and 7 being candidates for round of the year. Yarde performed gallantly and gave Beterbiev some very tough moments, and at times looked like he might pull off the upset, but Beterbiev showing why he's one of the best in the sport would always comeback and halt Yarde's momentum.

Overall a fantastic fight both fighters should be very proud of their performances.

 

I agree with your assessment and your scoring. The fight kinda went how I expected with Yarde performing very well until the power of Beterbiev broke him down. AY is a better fighter than many give him credit for.

Yarde’s performance highlighted some vulnerabilities in Beterbiev, but he dug deep like the champion he is, and saw it through.

All in all, an excellent fight and as you say both fighters should be proud.

 

Michael Grant v Andrew Golota (12 round title eliminator)

Round 1: 10-7 Golota (scores 2 knockdowns)
Round 2: 10-9 Golota
Round 3: 10-9 Grant (scored it Even but Golota docked a point for a low blow)
Round 4: 10-8 Golota (Grant deducted a point for a low blow)
Round 5: 10-9 Grant
Round 6: 10-9 Grant
Round 7: 10-10 Even
Round 8: 10-9 Grant
Round 9: 10-9 Golota
Round 10: Grant drops Golota and then Golota quits

Total through 9 completed rounds: 86-83 Golota (actual scores: 85-83, 86-81 and 87-80 all for Golota)

Another implosion by Andrew Golota. Y'know, on my card Grant would have pulled this almost even if the fight continued and was still anybody's fight but Golota had that knack for bowing out in the most inglorious manner.

 

Mike Rossman v Mike Nixon II (Nevada's 5 point must system)

Round 1: 5-4 Rossman
Round 2: 5-4 Rossman
Round 3: 5-4 Rossman
Round 4: 5-4 Nixon
Round 5: 5-4 Nixon
Round 6: 5-4 Nixon
Round 7: Rossman KO's Nixon

Total through 6 completed rounds: 27-27 Even (actual scores not known)

Man, I remember this fight so well. I had been following Nixon for a couple of years and when I saw that he beat the undefeated hotshot that all of boxing was talking about, I was elated. Even moreso when Teddy Brenner started this televised series, which was actually pitting west coast fighters against east coast. Anyways, I remember having this fight even until Rossman dropped that right hand on Nixon in the 7th, and my scoring seemingly hasn't changed much. Once again I had it dead even but I don't know actual scores. When Nixon hung back, he was pot-shotted by the Rossman jab, but whenever he moved forward Rossman went on the back heel immediately allowing Nixon to throw some beautiful hard combos. It was decent while it lasted and really brought back memories.

 

Jorge Arce v Yo Sam Choi (Lt. flyweight title)

Round 1: 10-8 Arce (scores a knockdown)
Round 2: 10-9 Arce
Round 3: 10-9 Choi
Round 4: 10-9 Arce
Round 5: 10-9 Arce
Round 6: Referee stops contest in favor of Arce.

Total through 5 completed rounds: 49-45 Arce (actual scores: 49-45, 50-43 and for some reason no one has Ken Morita's official score)

What a terrific little slugfest! Don't know if anyone remembers this one, but man, did they go at it. Arce simply had too many guns for Choi, but that didn't deter the Asian Billy Idol (Just check it out and you'll see what I mean), who slugged and cut Arce only to be slowly chopped down bit by bit. Again, a terrific little contest.

 

Frans Botha v Axel Schulz (vacant IBF heavyweight title)

Round 1: 10-9 Botha
Round 2: 10-9 Botha
Round 3: 10-9 Botha
Round 4: 10-10 Even
Round 5: 10-9 Schulz
Round 6: 10-9 Schulz
Round 7: 10-9 Schulz
Round 8: 10-9 Schulz
Round 9: 10-10 Even
Round 10: 10-9 Schulz
Round 11: 10-9 Botha
Round 12: 10-10 Even

Total: 116-115 Schulz (actual scores: 115-113 Schulz and 2 scores of 116-112 and 118-111 both for Botha)*

*Botha DQ'd for testing positive for steroids, bout changed to a NC.

Neither of these fighters set the world alight with their efforts here. Botha threw a lot but they were just arm-punches throughout. Schulz, on the other hand, was throwing hard but just not enough. It came down to the wire and the latter stages of the bout was just a mauling affair. I would recommend you give this bout a wide pass.

 

MONTELL GRIFFIN v ROY JONES JR 1

A fight that I never watched in it’s entirety, only highlights. Until this morning.
And wow, seeing Jones being beaten to the punch in those first few rounds, basically being outboxed was a collectors item. I’d never seen prime Roy Jones in such a pickle. Not ever.

Jonesy started to get a foothold around Round 5…I gave the first 4 rounds to Griffin as he pushed Jones back constantly and hit him with some pretty good body shots. Jones seemed to have little answer to Griffin’s perpetual movement and perplexing style.

Jones started finding his range from Round 5, connecting with some good, quick shots that had Griffin off balance at times, and scoring a knockdown in Round 7. But he (Griffin) was still at it, and I gave him round 8. And then came the fateful 9th Round…

*Edit: May as well describe Round 9 a bit as it was the defining round.

Round Nine
Jones put Griffin under pressure as he looked to finish the fight. Griffin looked ready to go under Jones’ barrage of quick fire punches. RJJ chased MG around the ring in an attempt to finish the job, but undid all his good work in this round as he hit Griffin twice as he was down on one knee. Griffin fell forward, and the referee had little choice but to disqualify Jones. A poor end to what was an excellent fight.

Round One 10-9 Griffin
Round Two 10-9 Griffin
Round Three 10-9 Griffin
Round Four 10-9 Griffin
Round Five 10-9 Jones
Round Six 10-9 Jones
Round Seven 10-8 Jones
Round Eight 10-9 Griffin
Round Nine Jones disqualified!

Griffin 76 Jones 75

 

Vernon Forrest v Adrian Stone (vacant NABF title)

Round 1: 10-9 Forrest
Round 2: 10-9 Stone
Round 3: 10-10 Even
Round 4: 10-9 Forrest
Round 5: 10-7 Forrest (scores 2 knockdowns)
Round 6: 10-9 Forrest
Round 7: 10-10 Even
Round 8: 10-10 Even
Round 9: 10-9 Forrest
Round 10: 10-9 Forrest
Round 11: Forrest drops and stops Stone

Total through 10 completed rounds: 99-92 Forrest (actual scores not known)

Y'know, it takes 2 to make a fight and this bout ticked every box for me. Although Forrest had every physical dimension on Stone, Stone just tore inside after that first round in order to negate the Forrest jab and made a real fight out of it. I totally enjoyed this contest. Not slam-bang, but near enough with a scientific slant to it as well. Good fight.

 

Thanks for scoring this one… I liked Forrest as a fighter. I seem to recall he was unbeaten for a long time until he bumped into Ricky Mayorga one dark Winter’s night!
Stone was probably a level below but did well to almost take it to the judges.

 

Never understood his fights with Mayorga. But then again, Ali had his Norton, Barrera had his Junior Jones, Yoko Gushiken had his Pedro Flores. So many had their own unique kryptonite.

 

Yes that’s very true

 

Mayweather vs Alvarez

I threw Alvarez a bone with 3 rounds won and two drawn rounds mainly because Alvarez seemed the only one actually trying to make the event entertaining.

The commentating was so excruciating I felt embarrassed for whoever it was rambling on. Tired of them ogling the round card girl and comparing Floyd to a cross between Jesus and Martin Luther King I had to turn the sound off.

The highlight for me was Floyd's face when CJ Ross' drawn card was read out, I almost wanted a Chavez/Whitaker screwing to happen.

Mayweather is a master boxer but only he could happily make one of the most profitable and most watched sporting events of all time so tedious.

1- Mayweather 10 Alvarez 10

2- Mayweather 9 Alvarez 10

3 - Mayweather 10 Alvarez 9

4 - Mayweather 10 Alvarez 9

5 - Mayweather 10 Alvarez 10

6 - Mayweather 9 Alvarez 10

7 - Mayweather 10 Alvarez 9

8 - Mayweather 10 Alvarez 9

9 - Mayweather 10 Alvarez 9

10 - Mayweather 10 Alvarez 9

11 - Mayweather 10 Alvarez 9

12 - Mayweather 9 Alvarez 10

Mayweather 117 - Alvarez 113

 

Forrest was on a high after beating P4P number 1 Mosley, the Mayorga KO zapped his confidence. And he fought too cautiously in the rematch, and was out hustled similar to Barrera vs Jones 2.

 

Fres Oquendo v Clifford 'The Black Rhino' Etienne

Round 1: 10-6 Oquendo (scores 3 knockdowns)
Round 2: 10-8 Oquendo (scores a knockdown)
Round 3: 10-8 Oquendo (scores a knockdown)
Round 4: 10-9 Etienne
Round 5: 10-9 Etienne
Round 6: 10-9 Oquendo
Round 7: 10-9 Oquendo (scores a knockdown)*
Round 8: Oquendo drops Etienne and the ref stops the bout.

Total through 7 completed rounds: 68-60 Oquendo (actual scores not known)

I'm surprised I found no activity regarding this fight on this thread. But if you like drama, you'll love this. Man, Oquendo couldn't miss Etienne with that big overhand right. *Regarding the 7th round, I know I had it only 10-9 with a knockdown in the round, but Etienne would have got the round on my card. The only thing Oquendo did was land his big overhand right late in the round. And of course, he scored a knockdown. But I just couldn't give him a 10-8 for that. An amazing note when I look at the record of Etienne, he actually beat an undefeated Lamon Brewster on his way up. Amazing since he really lacked many fundamentals. But again, regarding the fight, if you like drama, tune in.

 

In 2002, an experiment was held to answer the age-old philosophical question: Who would win a fight between a Black Rhino and a White Buffalo when Etienne fought Frans Botha.

Turns out it was a trick question, the answer being ‘neither’ when they fought to a draw.

Etienne was a product of the Louisiana prison system boxing program. He served 10 years of a 40-year sentence for armed robbery, committed during his senior year of high school and derailing a path that would seemed to have been on track to land him a football scholarship to a major program like LSU, Nebraska or Oklahoma, which all reportedly recruited him.

He was released for good behavior with an alleged 30-0 prison boxing record during which he won the state prison heavyweight championship (these were amateur bouts, but I have a feeling they weren’t fighting strictly for points and style). So if his skills as a pro were rudimentary, consider his upbringing in the sport.

Alas, three months after he lost to Sugar Valuev in 2005 and with his career in decline, Clifford yearned to return to his roots … and was arrested and convicted for a Cocaine Bear type binge which unfortunately included holding up a check-writing business, carjacking a vehicle containing a woman and her child, and pulling a gun on a policeman. This ‘misunderstanding’ resulted in a 160-year sentence (without possibility of parole) which was later reduced to a more reasonable 105 years. He still serves today, and apparently has taken up art as his new hobby while also serving in the prison barbershop.