MG Sports Talk

Here’s the latest from the world of boxing…

 

WRIGHT-WILLIAMS review:

On April 18th, Ronald “Winky” Wright came back to the ring for the first time since dropping a decision to Bernard Hopkins back in 2007. His choice of comeback opponent was none other than the self-proclaimed most feared man in all of boxing, Paul “The Punisher” Williams. Williams put on a good display and won most, if not all of the rounds in a unanimous decision victory. One has to question why Wright would choose such a risky opponent after the long layoff. Perhaps his motivation was less about a glorified return to the squared circle and more about a paycheck. We may never know. The future remains bright for Williams who has fluctuated between the welterweight and middleweight divisions over the past couple of years in an effort to secure willing, able, and lucrative opponents. Wright, on the other hand, has a lot of questions on his plate. I’m sure he can still contend with most guys out there, but I have to believe the days of being considered anywhere near the pound-for-pound top ten are long gone.

 

TAYLOR-FROCH review:

On April 25, Englishman and WBC Super Middleweight champion Carl Froch traveled to the MGM Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut to take on long-time contender and former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor in a clash for Froch’s WBC belt. Jermain dominated most of the fight. I personally had him winning 8 of 11 rounds heading into the 12th. Taylor popped a crisp, clean jab all night that kept Froch at bay and ensured most of the scoring would be in favor of Taylor. In the third round, Jermain connected with Froch using a overhand right, sending the undefeated champion to the canvas for the first time in his career. Then in the tenth, Jermain began to show signs that he was running out of gas. The WBC champion trailed 106-102 on two of the judges’ scorecards entering the final round, but he knocked Taylor down with less than a minute remaining. Froch then battered Taylor against the ropes until referee Michael Ortega stopped the fight with just 14 seconds remaining. Taylor, who was unable to defend himself, didn’t dispute the decision to stop the fight.

 

HATTON-PACQUIAO preview:

This Saturday, boxing fans are treated to the first “Super Fight” of the year, pitting current pound-for-pound king Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao against Ricky “Hitman” Hatton. Hatton, who is the odds-on favorite to be knocked out this Saturday night, has improved his defense and tamed his sometimes-uncontrollable aggression during his last two fights under new trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. Manny is Manny … plain and simple. He is the better fighter and is expected to win. But don’t expect Hatton to go out easy. I expect Hatton to keep the fight close by clenching when necessary and using his size to back Manny down. Most people thought Oscar DeLaHoya would fight Pacquiao in much the same way, but the Golden Boy was visibly drained and is easily well past his prime. Hatton, on the other hand, may be entering a new prime under the tutelage of Mayweather Sr. I expect a good, exciting fight that lives up to the hype of the event.

 

Cov’s prediction:

Manny def. Hatton in 12 round unanimous decision (8 rounds to 4)

LEAVE YOUR PREDICTIONS HERE

 

 

Tags: Bernard Hopkins, Carl Froch, Floyd Mayweather Sr., Jermain Taylor, Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya, Paul Williams, Ricky Hatton, Winky Wright | This entry was posted on Thursday, April 30th, 2009 at 4:44 pm and is filed under Boxing, Cov's Corner. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.