By Tom Donelson

( Member of Boxing Writers Assc. )

The big event in New York was Miguel Cotto seeking revenge against Antonio Margarito but before the big event there were three undercard fights to whet the fans appetite.  Michael Jones began the early rounds against Sebastian Lujan by easily out boxing his opponent.  Over the first three rounds, Lujan had a hard time connecting as Jones connected on some sweet combinations.

In the fifth, Lujan managed to connect on a few more shots but after the sixth round, Jones returned to controlling bout with his boxing skills as he simply started to wear Lujan down with his blistering combinations.   Each round started to look same as Mike Jones simply used Lujan as a punching bag and this fight started look like a sparring session as he won an easy unanimous decision.

The second bout was a rematch for one of the best fights of 2011 as Pawel Wolek challenged Delvin Rodriguez.  The first three rounds appeared to leave off from their last fight as they pounded each other. Rodriguez used left upper cuts and right hand to score big whereas Wolek connected on right hands which scored on Rodriguez’s head.

Delvin Rodriguez opened up on Wolak in the fourth round as he bloodied Wolak nose while stunning him with left hooks and uppercuts.  In the sixth and seventh round, Wolak landed the harder punches as Rodriguez slowed down but after appeared to be hurt in the seventh round, Rodriguez recovered enough to throw quick combinations and Wolak eyes were bleeding at the end of the round.

The ninth round saw two tied fighters who continued to grind it out. Rodriguez used his hand speed to throw in combinations as Wolak right hand landed to the temple of Rodriguez but in the tenth, Rodriguez had Wolak in trouble as Rodriguez landed combinations to Wolak head.  Wolak struggled to stay on his feet over the last minute as Rodriguez tried for the knock out his opponent by throwing punches in bunches but had to be satisfied with a decision victory.   In a round in which many rounds were competitive; Rodriguez quick combinations gave him the edge as he won the easy decision on the scorecard. Continue reading Cotto gets his Revenge! →

By Tom Donelson

(Member of Boxing Writers Assc.)

Peter Manfredo, Jr. has never been one of the elite fighters but since his days on The Contenders, he has maintained his popularity and this has allowed him shots at big money fights and even championship bouts.  In the prefight interview, Manfredo, Jr. noted that he was a blue collar fighter who loves to mix it up as he prepared to fight  another money making machine, Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. whose linage has allowed him to be a feature fighter in his own right.   Chavez is the son of the great hall of fame fighter, Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr. and while he is a bigger fighter than his dad, he has yet shown that he is a great fighter in his own right. He is a good fighter with a good career going so far but with the Chavez name, being just a good fighter is not an option.

Manfredo came into the fight as the underdog and knew that he had to win or essentially his career was over. Chavez entered the ring just behind his dad, the living legend loved by many of his Mexican countrymen.  Chavez Jr. had the cross of living up to his father reputation as he defended his version of the Middleweight championship.   This promised to be a fight of two bangers and Manfredo came out jabbing as he advanced behind those jabs as Chavez boxed to avoid the charges while he counter with those classic Chavez left hooks.   Chavez spent the first round feeling out Mandredo as he wanted to absorb Manfredo’s punches, checking out Manfredo’s power. Continue reading Chavez Defends His Title →

By Tom Donelson

( Member of Boxing Writers Assc.)

The Road Warrior Glen Johnson was once again traveling to another fighter’s hometown, this fight being in Quebec City, and in the home country of Canadian hero, Lucian Bute.  The first fight featured undefeated Pier Olivier Cote challenging Jorge Luis Teron in a junior welterweight bout.    Cote decided that he wanted a short night as Cote unleashed quick punches, including a super-fast right hand that left Teron looking for the exit. Cote launched into a series of combinations but in the middle of the exchanges, Teron nailed Cote with a right that staggered Cote.  The second round continued the explosion as Cote exploded a left jab followed by a right hand that sent Teron down.  Teron got back up only to be hit with a left hook that opened up blood from Teron nose as Teron went down on his back to the canvas. Teron sat on the rope for three or four seconds before crawling away from the ropes but he couldn’t get up.  Cote won with a spectacular knockout.

In the main event, Johnson and Bute fought tentatively as both fighters felt each other in the opening minutes of the first round.  The round ended with Bute trapping Johnson in the corner with quick combinations as Johnson tried to figure out how to counter a younger and faster fighter.

Bute quickness seemed to have paralyzed Johnson into inaction as Bute maintained the distance between the two fighters.  Bute seemed to have upper hand as he looked comfortable whereas Johnson looked confused with his occasional right hand landed short of his target.  Going into the fourth round, Johnson grappled for answer as Bute started connecting to the body.

Johnson finally connected with a right hand but it appeared to have little impact and over the last thirty seconds of the fifth round, Bute picked up the pace as he unleashed body shots and straight lefts to win the round and maintain his lead on the scorecard.

Johnson started to get into the fight as he landed with solid rights followed by jabs but Johnson had not followed up with a left hook whereas Bute showed more variety in his attack. As the second half of the fight began, the only round that could have been called even or in favor of Johnson was the first as round second through the sixth round was all Bute. Continue reading Bute and Kirkland Shine! →