November 2016 -

Kovalev-Ward Recap

While I got the prediction right on paper regarding last week’s light heavyweight title showdown between Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward, I don’t believe I got it right in reality.

Ward scored a razor-thin unanimous decision victory to lift 3 of the 4 alphabet titles from the champ (114-113 on all three scorecards). But Ward looked as surprised as myself and the room full of friends I had over watching as the decision was announced.

Kovalev came out aggressive and dropped the American in the second round with a short right that may have ended the night had the Russian gotten full extension on the punch. He later had Ward’s equilibrium slightly off with a couple hard shots that landed flush on the ear.

The most impressive thing I saw early was Kovalev’s ability to ragdoll the challenger around the ring with a heavy and accurate jab. The first half of the fight clearly belonged to the champ.

To his credit, Ward really showed his championship medal. He got off the deck, withstood real punishment, and kept at it. He got himself back into the fight.

At times, he was able to do so with some dirty tactics; that is not a knock. Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather, and even Evander Holyfield made a living the same way.

Ward won a couple of rounds clearly in the second half of the fight. But most rounds in the second half were close as opposed to the early rounds that Kovalev clearly won.

I did not score the fight. I will during the replay, but the fight had the feeling that the early rounds and knockdown that Kovalev had in the bank created a scenario where Ward had to win every round to even be in the fight, and needed something spectacular to win.

The only spectacular things Ward showed me were his courage, will, and ring IQ. He slowed the Russian’s attack with body work, and landed clearly at times. But he never had him badly hurt.

I am also not sure how you can give every close round to Ward, which the judges obviously did. There were some nip and tuck rounds; traditionally those rounds go to the champion. The punch stats aside from the knockdown were also in Kovalev’s favor.

Hardcore boxing fans (yes, there are still many despite what the sports media would have you believe) often talk about the dangers American fighters face going over to Europe and getting robbed.

Robbery is a term too loosely applied in the fight game for my taste. It applied to Pacquiao-Bradley I. This one became a competitive fight.

Some of that is Kovalev’s fault. His foot came off the gas a bit. Had he doubled up on his jab and continued walking the challenger down with it, he keeps his belts. However, he got a tad lazy with it as the fight wore on. He lunged with his jab and began pot shooting rather than walking forward with it.

So, this may not have been a blatant robbery, but it was a bad decision at first glance. The Russian and his fans have every right to feel they were the victim of some home cooking here in the States.

They will most likely do it again, but we should be celebrating Kovalev’s victory and Ward’s guile. Instead, we are talking about a controversial decision.

Had the judges gotten it right, a rematch could still be justified due to Ward making adjustments as the fight went on. Aside from some sloppy moments created my the mesh of their styles, it was plain to see that we were watching two of the very best at their craft.

I may very well pick Ward again in a rematch based on what I saw in this fight. However, Kovalev should be up 1-0 in the series in my opinion. Talk soon.

-Marksman

PS: The last thing I want is to turn this into a betting blog, but piggybacking on Saturday night (HBO) with the replay of last week’s fight will be a showdown of the two best 130 lb fighters in the world as Vasyl Lomachenko takes on Nicholas Walters.

Lomachenko is the rightful favorite, but if your Thanksgiving football bets are not going your way, Walters punches like a bastard and is a LIVE underdog!

Kovalev-Ward Preview and Prediction

Boxing has taken a deserved wrap lately for it’s inability to deliver fights matching the best against the best. Truthfully, boxing has had a dreadful year. It has done nothing to quell the casual fan’s hangover from their disappointment in the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight.

Tonight we get two undefeated gladiators, both of whom rank in the top 5 pound-for-pound squaring off for the unified light heavyweight championship of the world as Andre Ward challenges champion Sergey Kovalev on HBO pay-per-view.

This fight is for the unified title as opposed to the undisputed title due to WBC strap holder Adonis Stevenson running to Showtime/PBC to avoid Kovalev.

I don’t expect a huge PPV number because HBO has gone on the cheap with it’s boxing programing. It has done little to promote potential stars in the post Mayweather-Pacquiao era.

The 24/7 series made household names of those guys along with their trainers and family members. But lately HBO has been doing cookie-cutter lead-up shows that don’t give the casual fan intimate knowledge of the fighters the way 24/7 did.

Andre Ward (30-0, 15 KO) is America’s 2004 and last Olympic boxing gold medalist. I can’t think of an American Olympic champion in my lifetime (in any sport) who has gone more unnoticed.

Some of this is due to Ward’s inactivity a few years ago which was a result of injuries and promotional disputes. In all fairness, Ward could have remained active during his litigation with his former promoter.

But hardcore boxing fans know Ward to be a near-flawless technician with extreme physical strength, fantastic defense, unrelenting self-belief and underrated punching power. Ward cleaned out the super middleweight division, and has moved up in weight over the last year or so with the goal of taking over light heavyweight.

The champion, Sergey Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KO) is a devastating puncher with power in both hands. He has a Duran-like sadistic aura where not only does he hurt opponents, he seems to enjoy it. This guy is as cold and hard as the steal they produce in the mills of his home town in Russia.

But don’t think for a second that Kovalev is a one dimensional brawler just looking to throw one big punch. This guy has real boxing skills. He is fundamentally sound, and controls distance well with his jab.

So, who wins? I honestly would not be shocked by either combatant winning this fight, but readers don’t want to hear that s**t so I will make a prediction.

Kovalev’s power gives him the ability to end a fight at any time. Combine that with his underrated skills, and you realize Ward is fighting an opponent superior to any he has faced.

Ward has been in with big punchers like Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler, and still has that “0” in the loss column. Kovalev is a different breed of puncher, but my feeling is that Ward has the whiskers to withstand the champ’s power which I believe he will taste tonight.

Kovalev is the bigger guy, but not necessarily the physically stronger of the two. Ward can fight on the inside and has shown the ability to tie up opponents and wear them down with his strength.

Ward also has sneaky power, and I have seen Kovalev hurt before. Not badly hurt, but hurt.

I don’t see Ward getting knocked out here, and I am always alert to how a puncher like Kovalev reacts when he is in there with a guy who can not only stand up to his power, but can also frustrate that puncher, and dish out punishment of his own.

Teddy Atlas often talks about “behaving like a fighter” when talking about how they handle themselves in tough situations. I think both men are very tough mentally.

But, I just have a feeling that Ward is just a tad tougher mentally. Combine that with his edge in speed and athleticism, and I have to go with Ward to win a competitive decision.

I believe both guys will have their moments, and this fight may even be close enough to justify a rematch down the road, but in the end the American gets his hand raised. Talk soon.

-Marksman

PS: I have to take accountability for my last fight prediction. Though I had the outcome right, Manny Pacquiao failed once again to close inside the distance against a solid, but not great Jessie Vargas. The Pac-Man can still fight at an elite level, but Father Time is clearly breathing down his neck.

Will America Now be Great Again?

That is the $1,000,000 question. Let me start by thanking our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for sparing America from an evil regime who’s campaign was run by a man with apparent ties to occultists (Wikileaks).

I urge everyone who prayed for a Trump victory to spend equal time thanking God for this miraculous event.

The truth is always stronger than the lie. Like his style and delivery or not, Trump delivered truth; the lies of the government media complex could not penetrate the plain talk that the everyman heard.

Now, to answer that $1,000,000 question: it’s up to us! Election Day was a major battle victory in the culture war; the secular progressive left is shaken. We must capitalize on this victory.

I don’t believe Trump ran for president to parade around the White House, or use Air Force 1 for his personal ego tour. His ego is huge, but he was plenty successful at stroking it before he ran.

I believe he went after this to get things done for this country. His ego will be stroked by being a doer instead of a sayer. He will take great satisfaction in thumbing his nose at Washington with his private sector efficiency.

I believe he will embarrass Washington at times much the way he did NY Mayor Ed Koch in the 1980s, when he rebuilt Wollman Rink quickly and under budget after the city spent years and loads of tax-payer dollars fumbling the project.

Will he be able to do everything he promised? Doubt it! He will be up against it, even from his own party. But, you can bet he will expose both houses for the buffoons they are when they stand in his way.

We have elected Trump to lead us, but don’t forget he still works for us. America seems to have forgotten that because it’s been under a soft dictatorship for the last 8 years.

Michael Savage points out in his latest NY Times Bestseller (I highly recommend this book), “Scorched Earth” that from 1968-2008, the Republicans had the White House for 28 of those 40 years.

But in that time, while the Republicans were simply chasing 270 electoral votes, the Democrats were slowly poisoning society with Marxist ideology. They infiltrated the media, television, Hollywood, the education system, and even my beloved Catholic Church in America. Everything has been liberalized and feminized.

I spoke in my first article of being frustrated with what society now finds acceptable. The left took their time in the race like the tortoise to the hare.

While the Republicans were fixated on 270 and immediate power, the left created a permissive drugged up society. Which society is easier to control: permissive drug addict pansies, or a sober masculine one with a code of ethics?

So, what do we do to turn this tide? I don’t have all the answers, but it starts with the individual, and then the family. It’s done in small ways day-to-day.

If you have children, get on the school boards. Go to meetings and don’t swallow the horses**t they sell. Let them know you don’t want your second grader exposed to the lie that wanting to change your gender is normal.

Encourage your boys to play games like cops and robbers. It gives them a sense of good and bad, right and wrong. Buy them toy guns for Christmas. I’m not saying everyone needs to raise a soldier, but encourage their respect for the military and how heroic soldiers and cops are. Cultivate your sons’ masculinity rather than putting them on behavioral meds, and making them ashamed of it.

Buy your girls baby dolls and encourage them to be nurturing and feminine. Show them that there is strength in that, not weakness. Explain that cheerleading, ballet, and softball are for girls; wrestling is for boys.

Allow your kids to fail, deal with the consequences, and rebuild. This means siding with teachers, coaches and cops unless they want to put your kid on drugs and train a junkie.

I spoke in a prior article about how the Republicans did not use the “power of the purse” to oppose Obama. But, do we use the power of the purse?

Do we boycott these treasonist actors like Sean Penn, Tom Hanks, and many others? Do we withhold our cash from studios who constantly make films demonizing traditional America or do we shell out $50 to make our wife or girlfriend happy for two hours?

Do we boycott Bruce Springsteen for his leftwing BS, or do we pay $200 to sit in the last row of a huge stadium bobbing our heads to some song about the working man whom he actually detests?

Do we shut off the Super Bowl when some floozie is gyrating around in a hooker outfit insulting cops, or do we cooperate and let our daughters watch?

Do we boycott television shows depicting fathers as pathetic punch lines or do we just go along with it like sheep? Do we stop watching sports leagues that offend us by allowing thug behavior and disrespect to our flag and the cops protecting them during the game, or do we put on our jerseys and beer mug hats while we check our fantasy stats every 10 minutes?

We control all of this with our wallets. Stop buying tickets and tuning into these trash bags, and watch how the entertainment we are offered changes.

Another thing we can do is stand up and right small wrongs. When you see trash disrespecting innocent people or cutting lines, speak the f**k up! When you see someone with the testicular fortitude to speak up, have his back. Don’t leave people like that on an island.

Too many people in this country look the other way when they see an opportunity to right wrongs. It’s a scary first step, but once you start standing up it gets easier.

Basically, it boils down to men asserting masculinity. There is a reason that Trump and guys like Bobby Knight resinate even with their flaws. Society is thirsting for men to act like men again. Even feminists, if you gave them truth serum would tell you they crave masculinity.

The greatest generation, both male and female sacrificed comfort to defeat evil and prosper. They are all gone or on the express train out. Time for us to sacrifice a little comfort for what’s right.

Last, but not least, the most important thing we can do is practice our faith. Joe Louis said we would win WWII because we were “on God’s side”. Let’s get back on it. Talk soon.

-Marksman

PS: I encourage you to thank and pray for our veterans today. Thanks to all of you for winning and defending our freedom. God Bless.

Pacquiao-Vargas Preview & Prediction

Tonight, the legendary Manny Pacquiao ends a very brief retirement to take on Jessie Vargas for the WBO welterweight strap. The fight has been dumped on by the media, and will probably do a poor pay-per-view number.

Even HBO declined to cary the PPV. This is partially because of the upcoming light heavyweight championship PPV in two weeks between Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev, and partially because of Bob Arum’s choice of opponent.

I believe the other reason, is because the ultra-liberal network has their panties in a bunch over Pacquiao having the courage to speak his Christian beliefs. Nobody mentions this, but if you think Jim Lampley would criticize a Muslim fighter for speaking his beliefs (IE left wing hero Muhammad Ali) the way he did Pacquiao on an episode of The Fight Game, think again.

Truth be told, I don’t love Arum/Pacquiao’s choice of opponent either. I would have much preferred to see the Filipino legend ride off into the sunset off a dominating performance in his last fight against the highly underrated Timothy Bradley.

But fighters have a hard time shaking that bug to continue, especially off a performance like he just put in last April.

Understanding this, the best scenarios from a Pacquiao/boxing fan’s point-of-view would have been one of three things:

1-A rematch with Floyd Mayweather. Pacquiao has been the media’s whipping boy since the 5/2/15 “Super Fight” which did not live up to casual fans’ expectations. This is historically common in boxing.

For every Ali-Frazier or Hagler-Hearns, there have been plenty of Holyfield-Lewis, or De La Hoya-Trinidads which left the fans disappointed that it did not turn out to be the real life version of Creed-Balboa.

Pacquiao has been criticized for fighting injured and staying competitive with the best pound-for-pound fighter of his era. Can you imagine the backlash had he pulled out of the fight a few weeks prior with a shoulder injury?

Personally, though I would still favor Mayweather , I would be more than interested in a rematch with both fighters at 100%. But, Mayweather is sticking to his retirement for now.

2-A fifth fight with Pacquiao’s greatest rival, Juan Manuel Marquez. We have a draw improperly scored to Marquez’ benefit, a close split decision victory for Pacquiao, and a closer majority decision for Pacquiao leading up to an all-time classic knockout victory for Marquez.

Marquez has never admitted losing a close fight in his life, and believes he won all four fights. The punch stats in fights two and three favored Pacquiao, but they were so close that whoever came out on the short end of those decisions really couldn’t cry robbery.

But remember, Pacquiao was fighting Marquez better in the fourth fight than he had since round two of their first contest. After getting off the deck, he looked to be on his way to stopping the Mexican warrior.

Then, he lunged into a perfectly timed Marquez right hand and went to sleep. The punch was not lucky, because Marquez trained to do just that; time the southpaw coming in with right hand counters, especially off Pacquiao’s faint.

But, the punch was miraculous. Even though Pacquiao gave Marquez two rematches he didn’t have to, I believe Marquez has no interest in returning the favor. Marquez saw the writing on the wall leading up to the shot heard around the Philippines.

I don’t believe Marquez thinks he can pull another miracle, and his skills are more aged at this point than Pacquiao’s. But these two are perfect dance partners for each other, and I would tune in to see them fight at any age!

3-The final choice would have been for Pacquiao to take on a young upcoming stud like Terrance Crawford or one of Al Haymon’s prime welterweight lions. A victory would further cement his legacy. A loss would pass the torch the way De La Hoya passed it to Pacquiao.

But make no mistake, Jessie Vargas is a hungry, prime and legitimate top 10 welterweight with nothing to lose. He has heart and underrated power which he showed in his only loss, nearly pulling off a last round KO of Timothy Bradley.

Combine that with Pacquiao’s age and subsided killer instinct, and Vargas has a legit shot.

So, what is my prediction? Father time is and always will be undefeated. If Pacquiao fights too long, he will meet him along the way right next to the young buck ready to take him out just like so many past greats.

But barring the Pac-Man walking into the ring and suddenly getting old which can happen at his age, I just don’t think Vargas has the tools in the box to do the job. I am predicting a mid-to-late rounds stoppage for the Filipino icon ending his streak of fights without a victory inside the distance for which he has been so criticized.

Manny Pacquiao as a true lightweight is still one of the best welterweights in the world. There are a select few I may pick to beat him head-to-head, but with Mr. Money Man still on the shelf, Pacquiao is arguably the best in boxing’s deepest division until further notice.

If you don’t agree he is at least in the conversation, you’re just a hater. Talk soon.

-Marksman