October 15 2009, by Niall Hickman, Daily Express
THEY put up the Christmas lights in Nottingham’s handsome Town Hall yesterday and Carl Froch promised to bring two early festive presents for Andre Dirrell on Saturday.
“They are my left fist and my right fist,” said Froch. “And they are going to break Dirrell’s heart and possibly his jaw.” READ MORE
Thursday, 15 October 2009
Andre Dirrell vows to beat 'easy as pie' Carl Froch in WBC super-middleweight title bout
By Sportsmail Reporter, 15th October 2009
Unbeaten American Andre Dirrell believes he can go all the way in the Super Six World Boxing Classic - but insists he is focusing solely on Carl Froch's WBC super-middleweight title.
The pair begin the tournament by squaring off at the Trent FM Arena in Froch's home city of Nottingham on Saturday night with Froch's prestigious belt at stake, before going through at least two more bouts in a bid to reach the Super Six semi-finals. READ MORE
![]()
Unbeaten American Andre Dirrell believes he can go all the way in the Super Six World Boxing Classic - but insists he is focusing solely on Carl Froch's WBC super-middleweight title.
The pair begin the tournament by squaring off at the Trent FM Arena in Froch's home city of Nottingham on Saturday night with Froch's prestigious belt at stake, before going through at least two more bouts in a bid to reach the Super Six semi-finals. READ MORE
Andre Dirrell
Carl Froch looks to establish himself among the boxing elite
hackneygazette.sport@archant.co.uk 15 October 2009
Carl Froch is aiming to establish himself as one of the world's best pound-for-pound fighters ahead of his WBC super-middleweight title defence against Andre Dirrell on Saturday night. READ MORE
![]()
Carl Froch is aiming to establish himself as one of the world's best pound-for-pound fighters ahead of his WBC super-middleweight title defence against Andre Dirrell on Saturday night. READ MORE
Carl Froch
After heavy training, Cotto predicts victory
By NICK GIONGCO, October 15, 2009, Manila Bulletin
Saying it is the best training camp ever, Miguel Cotto told the Puerto Rican press after an open workout in Tampa, Florida, that his preparation is almost perfect and that victory on November 14 is within reach. READ MORE
![]()
Saying it is the best training camp ever, Miguel Cotto told the Puerto Rican press after an open workout in Tampa, Florida, that his preparation is almost perfect and that victory on November 14 is within reach. READ MORE
Miguel Cotto
Abraham – Taylor: Just too many disadvantages for Jermain
By BoxingNewsWorld.blogspot.com
I will agree this time with many boxing experts on who will between Abraham and Taylor. I am also going to pick Arthur Abraham to win this fight.
I like Jermain Taylor but I just think that there are just too many factors against him in this fight. He just hasn’t look that good lately. He lost three of his last four fights, two by knock out. Kelly Pavlik knocked him out in the 7th round and Carl Froch put him out in 12.
Now, he is going to fight an aggressive fighter in his own turf, who has a staggering 80% knock-out percentage, and who is coming off from an impressive 10th round TKO win over Mahir Oral. Before that, Abraham devastatingly knocked out tough guy Edison Miranda in the 4th round. I just think that Abraham will be too much for him to handle.
I expect Abraham to be much stronger at 168 pounds. Moving up in weight is going to help him because he had trouble to make the middleweight limit in his last couple of fights.
Jermain Taylor’s only hope in this fight is to use his advantages in height and reach and stay away from Abraham’s striking distance by constantly moving and by utilizing his crisp jabs. The question is will he be able to stay away from Abraham’s power bombs for twelve long rounds. That I don’t know but his last few fights showed that he has a tendency to fade in the later rounds. If that will be case and if he opts to stay in the inside, then I think Abraham will break him down and knock him out.
If I have to say a prediction, I would say Abraham by knock out probably in the 7th or 8th round.
Marshall N. B.
Boxing Fan
I will agree this time with many boxing experts on who will between Abraham and Taylor. I am also going to pick Arthur Abraham to win this fight.
I like Jermain Taylor but I just think that there are just too many factors against him in this fight. He just hasn’t look that good lately. He lost three of his last four fights, two by knock out. Kelly Pavlik knocked him out in the 7th round and Carl Froch put him out in 12.
Now, he is going to fight an aggressive fighter in his own turf, who has a staggering 80% knock-out percentage, and who is coming off from an impressive 10th round TKO win over Mahir Oral. Before that, Abraham devastatingly knocked out tough guy Edison Miranda in the 4th round. I just think that Abraham will be too much for him to handle.
I expect Abraham to be much stronger at 168 pounds. Moving up in weight is going to help him because he had trouble to make the middleweight limit in his last couple of fights.
Jermain Taylor’s only hope in this fight is to use his advantages in height and reach and stay away from Abraham’s striking distance by constantly moving and by utilizing his crisp jabs. The question is will he be able to stay away from Abraham’s power bombs for twelve long rounds. That I don’t know but his last few fights showed that he has a tendency to fade in the later rounds. If that will be case and if he opts to stay in the inside, then I think Abraham will break him down and knock him out.
If I have to say a prediction, I would say Abraham by knock out probably in the 7th or 8th round.
Marshall N. B.
Boxing Fan
Boxing historian and author Adam Pollack shares his thoughts on Froch vs Dirrell
By BoxingNewsWorld.blogspot.com
Highly respected boxing historian and author of boxing books Adam Pollack has always been very generous to me in sharing his thoughts about boxing.
Here are his thoughts on the upcoming Carl Froch – Andre Dirrell’s fight.
(Quote) “Although Froch is one of the biggest, strongest super middles, I see Dirrell outboxing him to a decision. Dirrell is blazing fast with feet and hands. Still, Dirrell may have a questionable chin, and if he can't keep it up for 12 rounds, Froch will get him like he did with Taylor. However, I think Dirrell will finish the job that Jermain started. Other than how well he handles Froch's power, Dirrell had better not run too much against the hometown boxer, because if he stinks it out, he might lose a decision. But speed is a huge advantage, and Dirrell is a young rocket compared to Froch's turtle.” (Unquote)
Froch and Dirrell will square off at the Trent FM Arena in Froch's home city of Nottingham this Saturday with Froch's WBC super-middleweight belt at stake. The pair is part of the unique Super Six Tournament where six of the top super-middleweights slug it out (in a round-robin format) over the course of two years to determine the identity of the best 168-pounder in the game.
Marshall N. B.
Boxing Fan
***
Adam Pollack is a prolific boxing historian and author. He is also a practicing criminal defense attorney in Iowa City, IA. He is a staff writer for Cyberboxingzone.com, chair of USA Boxing's Rules and Regulations Committtee, chair of USA Boxing's Judicial Committee and a member of its Women's Task Force. He is also a boxing coach for the ICOR (Iowa City/Coralville) Boxing Club and attorney living in Iowa City, Iowa.
To date, Adam has published four books, John L. Sullivan: The Career of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion, In the Ring With James J. Corbett, In The Ring With Bob Fitzsimmons, and his latest publication, In the Ring With James J. Jeffries.
Highly respected boxing historian and author of boxing books Adam Pollack has always been very generous to me in sharing his thoughts about boxing.
Here are his thoughts on the upcoming Carl Froch – Andre Dirrell’s fight.
(Quote) “Although Froch is one of the biggest, strongest super middles, I see Dirrell outboxing him to a decision. Dirrell is blazing fast with feet and hands. Still, Dirrell may have a questionable chin, and if he can't keep it up for 12 rounds, Froch will get him like he did with Taylor. However, I think Dirrell will finish the job that Jermain started. Other than how well he handles Froch's power, Dirrell had better not run too much against the hometown boxer, because if he stinks it out, he might lose a decision. But speed is a huge advantage, and Dirrell is a young rocket compared to Froch's turtle.” (Unquote)
Froch and Dirrell will square off at the Trent FM Arena in Froch's home city of Nottingham this Saturday with Froch's WBC super-middleweight belt at stake. The pair is part of the unique Super Six Tournament where six of the top super-middleweights slug it out (in a round-robin format) over the course of two years to determine the identity of the best 168-pounder in the game.
Marshall N. B.
Boxing Fan
***
Adam Pollack is a prolific boxing historian and author. He is also a practicing criminal defense attorney in Iowa City, IA. He is a staff writer for Cyberboxingzone.com, chair of USA Boxing's Rules and Regulations Committtee, chair of USA Boxing's Judicial Committee and a member of its Women's Task Force. He is also a boxing coach for the ICOR (Iowa City/Coralville) Boxing Club and attorney living in Iowa City, Iowa.
To date, Adam has published four books, John L. Sullivan: The Career of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion, In the Ring With James J. Corbett, In The Ring With Bob Fitzsimmons, and his latest publication, In the Ring With James J. Jeffries.
Cotto Looks 'Strong' in Sparring Sessions
Oct 14, 2009, By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
TAMPA, Fla. -- A banner high on a distant wall of The Fight Factory Gym depicts Miguel Cotto throwing a jab just above the head of Manny Pacquiao, a bull's-eye over his face.
"On Nov. 14, the world will witness who will be the new king of the ring," read the words on the large poster, beneath which the live version of Cotto is involved in a spirited sparring session with talented southpaw Fred Tukes of Atlanta, with trainer Joe Santiago also in the ring. READ MORE
![]()
TAMPA, Fla. -- A banner high on a distant wall of The Fight Factory Gym depicts Miguel Cotto throwing a jab just above the head of Manny Pacquiao, a bull's-eye over his face.
"On Nov. 14, the world will witness who will be the new king of the ring," read the words on the large poster, beneath which the live version of Cotto is involved in a spirited sparring session with talented southpaw Fred Tukes of Atlanta, with trainer Joe Santiago also in the ring. READ MORE
Manny Pacquiao - Miguel Cotto
Floyd Mayweather on WBBL: Miguel Cotto or Manny Pacquiao? Next opponent not determined
By The Grand Rapids Press, October 14, 2009
Undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather joined Bret Bakita and Michael Grey on "The Starting Lineup" on WBBL in Grand Rapids to talk about what he's been up to since defeating Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 19 and what's next on the horizon. LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW
![]()
Undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather joined Bret Bakita and Michael Grey on "The Starting Lineup" on WBBL in Grand Rapids to talk about what he's been up to since defeating Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 19 and what's next on the horizon. LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Abraham – Taylor: Vast majority of boxing experts predict a victory for King Arthur (Part 2)
By BoxingNewsWorld.blogspot.com
David Tyler – Doghouse Boxing
“King Arthur Abraham is the P4P champ, regardless of what Oscar thinks. Abraham by an easy Kayo in the middle rounds or earlier if Taylor starts throwing down too soon. Abraham should Kayo everyone in the Super Middleweight tournament. That includes Mikell Kessler.”
-----
Michel Joseph – Boxing Talk
“Abraham wins. Give me the fighter who finds a way to win - broken jaw and all (Abraham), versus a fighter who finds a way to lose (Taylor). Taylor was lucky to beat Hopkins - fading down the stretch in both fights, and he did the same against Froch, and by the way, Abraham is just as hard of a puncher as Pavlik, who dispatched Taylor in their first fight, and simply outfought him in the rematch.”
Zachary Levin - Fight Beat
“Abraham by late TKO.”
***
Zachary Levin is the Editorial Advisor at FightBeat.com. He has written boxing pieces for Boxing Digest, CyberBoxingZone, BoxingTalk, MaxBoxing, and The Sweet Science. You can find samples of his writing (on boxing and many other subjects) at ZacharyLevin.com and/or ZacharyLevin.net.
-----
Michael Rosenthal – Ring Magazine
“I think Abraham beats Taylor. Taylor can give Abraham some trouble with his boxing ability but Abraham is also a good boxer -- he has excellent defensive skills -- and is much tougher than Taylor. Abraham will wear down Taylor and win by late KO or decision.”
***
Michael Rosenthal is an associate editor of The Ring magazine and also covers boxing for Yahoo Sports. He used to write for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Frank Lotierzo – The Sweet Science
“Abraham.”
***
Frank Lotierzo has been considered by some boxing insiders to be one of the sport’s best fight analysts. His work has appeared in Fight Game, Boxing-Illustrated, and Uppercut magazine. Prior to his career as a writer, Mr. Lotierzo hosted Toe-To-Toe on ESPN Radio and trained at Joe Frazier's Gym in Philadelphia under the tutelage of the legendary George Benton. Between 1977-82, he had over 50 fights as an amateur and pro in the middleweight division.
-----
Don Stewart – Reading Eagle, Ring Magazine
“I like Abraham by late-rounds stoppage. Taylor is on the decline. I'm sure plenty of people will disagree with me on this, but I believe that Taylor needs to stay in close and turn this into a real rough, physical, possibly dirty fight, a la Edison Miranda in his first shot at Abraham. Taylor won't do that because that's not his game, so Abraham will break him down from a comfortable distance and take him out late.”
Bernard Fernandez – Philadelphia Daily News, The Sweet Science
“Arthur Abraham over Jermain Taylor. Taylor, I suspect, is mentally wrung-out by losing so much recently. That could spur him into a greater effort against Abraham, but in the back of his mind he might be thinking that another defeat forever removes him as a major factor either at 160 pounds or 168. The Europeans will fare very well in the Super Six tournament, mirroring their recent dominance at heavyweight.”
***
A native of New Orleans, Fernandez has been at the Philadelphia Daily News for the last 24 1/2 years, and covers boxing and Penn State football for the paper. His late father, Bernard "Jack" Fernandez Sr., was briefly a pro welterweight who fought twice on Archie Moore undercards in 1944. Fernandez’ stature among his peers is considerable. He served as president (five terms) of the Boxing Writers Association of America (succeeded recently by longtime BWAA vice president Jack Hirsch). The winner of 1998 BWAA Nat Fleischer Award for excellence in boxing journalism was inducted into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame in 2005, and was the first media person selected.
(Video by Eastside Boxing)
Tom Donelson – Black Athlete Sports Network
“Abraham will win over Taylor late.”
-----
Geoff Poundes – Ringside Report
“I think Taylor is probably in the last chance saloon and Abraham is a great middleweight. That said, Abraham is much the smaller man, so I think he might have some trouble with Taylor before seeing out a close-ish 12 round decision.”
-----
Lyle Fitzsimmons – The Sports Network
“This is a big one for Jermain. He's consistently failed to deliver on the promise he showed while an unbeaten champion at 160. But I think this is a good matchup for him. I see him using superior all-around skill and winning what amounts to a "last stand" fight. Taylor UD 12.”
***
Lyle Fitzsimmons is an award-winning 20-year sports journalist, a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America, Contributing Boxing Editor of The Sports Network, and a frequent contributor to Stone Cold Sports on the MVN Network (stonecoldsports.com) and several sports radio talk shows throughout the U.S.
(Video by Eastside Boxing)
Yero Moody – East Side Boxing
“Abraham v. Taylor will be a must win for Taylor. I see Taylor winning via TKO because he will be going all out and when he is really focused J.T. is a very dangerous puncher. Abraham's defense leaves a lot to be desired.”
-----
Adam Pollack – Cyber Boxing Zone, Author of ‘John L. Sullivan: The Career of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion’, ‘In the Ring With James J. Corbett’, and ‘In The Ring With Bob Fitzsimmons’
“I'm taking Taylor in an upset because I think Jermain's speed and experience will come through for him this time. Abraham's outside style is well suited for Jermain. He does not have the physically imposing heavy handed style that guys like Froch and Pavlik had, so I can see Jermain lasting it out rather than faltering at the end. But of course, tension and condition is the big X factor with Jermain, and you never know how a guy will react to coming off a KO loss. Could be close.”
***
Adam Pollack is a prolific boxing historian and author. He is also a practicing criminal defense attorney in Iowa City, IA. He is a staff writer for Cyberboxingzone.com, chair of USA Boxing's Rules and Regulations Committtee, chair of USA Boxing's Judicial Committee and a member of its Women's Task Force. He is also a boxing coach for the ICOR (Iowa City/Coralville) Boxing Club and attorney living in Iowa City, Iowa.
To date, Adam has published four books, John L. Sullivan: The Career of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion, In the Ring With James J. Corbett, In The Ring With Bob Fitzsimmons, and his latest publication, In the Ring With James J. Jeffries.
(Video by Eastside Boxing)
David Greisman - The Keene Sentinel, Boxing Scene
“Abraham by KO, though I give Taylor a small chance because his back is against the wall.”
***
David Greisman is an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
********************************
My sincere gratitude to all the above boxing writers who found time to share their thoughts generously despite their busy schedule.
Marshall N. B.
Boxing Fan
********************************
More predictions:
Ramon Aranda – 411mania
“An excellent fight that Abraham is able to dictate down the stretch before stopping Taylor.”
-----
Comments from readers:
Arthur Abraham is making a move up in weight to super middleweight for the Super Six Tournament. The first obstacle in his path is former undisputed middleweight world champion Jermain Taylor. Abraham is a strong, rugged boxer. He holds a tight guard, picks his spots when to throw, and when he does, unleashes lethal flurries of punches. In addition, he possesses inhumane stamina due to greuling conditioning camps. Taylor was once on top of the world but his world came crashing down after consecutive defeats to Kelly Pavlik an embarassing knockout in the closing seconds against Carl Froch. This is his last chance at redemption, and a desparate man is the most dangerous as they say. However, it is difficult to teach an old dog new tricks, and it's hard to see Taylor last the distance without tiring.
Vikram Birring - Doghouse Boxing
-----
David Tyler – Doghouse Boxing
“King Arthur Abraham is the P4P champ, regardless of what Oscar thinks. Abraham by an easy Kayo in the middle rounds or earlier if Taylor starts throwing down too soon. Abraham should Kayo everyone in the Super Middleweight tournament. That includes Mikell Kessler.”
-----
Michel Joseph – Boxing Talk
“Abraham wins. Give me the fighter who finds a way to win - broken jaw and all (Abraham), versus a fighter who finds a way to lose (Taylor). Taylor was lucky to beat Hopkins - fading down the stretch in both fights, and he did the same against Froch, and by the way, Abraham is just as hard of a puncher as Pavlik, who dispatched Taylor in their first fight, and simply outfought him in the rematch.”
Zachary Levin - Fight Beat
“Abraham by late TKO.”
***
Zachary Levin is the Editorial Advisor at FightBeat.com. He has written boxing pieces for Boxing Digest, CyberBoxingZone, BoxingTalk, MaxBoxing, and The Sweet Science. You can find samples of his writing (on boxing and many other subjects) at ZacharyLevin.com and/or ZacharyLevin.net.
-----
Michael Rosenthal – Ring Magazine
“I think Abraham beats Taylor. Taylor can give Abraham some trouble with his boxing ability but Abraham is also a good boxer -- he has excellent defensive skills -- and is much tougher than Taylor. Abraham will wear down Taylor and win by late KO or decision.”
***
Michael Rosenthal is an associate editor of The Ring magazine and also covers boxing for Yahoo Sports. He used to write for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Frank Lotierzo – The Sweet Science
“Abraham.”
***
Frank Lotierzo has been considered by some boxing insiders to be one of the sport’s best fight analysts. His work has appeared in Fight Game, Boxing-Illustrated, and Uppercut magazine. Prior to his career as a writer, Mr. Lotierzo hosted Toe-To-Toe on ESPN Radio and trained at Joe Frazier's Gym in Philadelphia under the tutelage of the legendary George Benton. Between 1977-82, he had over 50 fights as an amateur and pro in the middleweight division.
-----
Don Stewart – Reading Eagle, Ring Magazine
“I like Abraham by late-rounds stoppage. Taylor is on the decline. I'm sure plenty of people will disagree with me on this, but I believe that Taylor needs to stay in close and turn this into a real rough, physical, possibly dirty fight, a la Edison Miranda in his first shot at Abraham. Taylor won't do that because that's not his game, so Abraham will break him down from a comfortable distance and take him out late.”
Bernard Fernandez – Philadelphia Daily News, The Sweet Science
“Arthur Abraham over Jermain Taylor. Taylor, I suspect, is mentally wrung-out by losing so much recently. That could spur him into a greater effort against Abraham, but in the back of his mind he might be thinking that another defeat forever removes him as a major factor either at 160 pounds or 168. The Europeans will fare very well in the Super Six tournament, mirroring their recent dominance at heavyweight.”
***
A native of New Orleans, Fernandez has been at the Philadelphia Daily News for the last 24 1/2 years, and covers boxing and Penn State football for the paper. His late father, Bernard "Jack" Fernandez Sr., was briefly a pro welterweight who fought twice on Archie Moore undercards in 1944. Fernandez’ stature among his peers is considerable. He served as president (five terms) of the Boxing Writers Association of America (succeeded recently by longtime BWAA vice president Jack Hirsch). The winner of 1998 BWAA Nat Fleischer Award for excellence in boxing journalism was inducted into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame in 2005, and was the first media person selected.
(Video by Eastside Boxing)
Tom Donelson – Black Athlete Sports Network
“Abraham will win over Taylor late.”
-----
Geoff Poundes – Ringside Report
“I think Taylor is probably in the last chance saloon and Abraham is a great middleweight. That said, Abraham is much the smaller man, so I think he might have some trouble with Taylor before seeing out a close-ish 12 round decision.”
-----
Lyle Fitzsimmons – The Sports Network
“This is a big one for Jermain. He's consistently failed to deliver on the promise he showed while an unbeaten champion at 160. But I think this is a good matchup for him. I see him using superior all-around skill and winning what amounts to a "last stand" fight. Taylor UD 12.”
***
Lyle Fitzsimmons is an award-winning 20-year sports journalist, a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America, Contributing Boxing Editor of The Sports Network, and a frequent contributor to Stone Cold Sports on the MVN Network (stonecoldsports.com) and several sports radio talk shows throughout the U.S.
(Video by Eastside Boxing)
Yero Moody – East Side Boxing
“Abraham v. Taylor will be a must win for Taylor. I see Taylor winning via TKO because he will be going all out and when he is really focused J.T. is a very dangerous puncher. Abraham's defense leaves a lot to be desired.”
-----
Adam Pollack – Cyber Boxing Zone, Author of ‘John L. Sullivan: The Career of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion’, ‘In the Ring With James J. Corbett’, and ‘In The Ring With Bob Fitzsimmons’
“I'm taking Taylor in an upset because I think Jermain's speed and experience will come through for him this time. Abraham's outside style is well suited for Jermain. He does not have the physically imposing heavy handed style that guys like Froch and Pavlik had, so I can see Jermain lasting it out rather than faltering at the end. But of course, tension and condition is the big X factor with Jermain, and you never know how a guy will react to coming off a KO loss. Could be close.”
***
Adam Pollack is a prolific boxing historian and author. He is also a practicing criminal defense attorney in Iowa City, IA. He is a staff writer for Cyberboxingzone.com, chair of USA Boxing's Rules and Regulations Committtee, chair of USA Boxing's Judicial Committee and a member of its Women's Task Force. He is also a boxing coach for the ICOR (Iowa City/Coralville) Boxing Club and attorney living in Iowa City, Iowa.
To date, Adam has published four books, John L. Sullivan: The Career of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion, In the Ring With James J. Corbett, In The Ring With Bob Fitzsimmons, and his latest publication, In the Ring With James J. Jeffries.
(Video by Eastside Boxing)
David Greisman - The Keene Sentinel, Boxing Scene
“Abraham by KO, though I give Taylor a small chance because his back is against the wall.”
***
David Greisman is an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
********************************
My sincere gratitude to all the above boxing writers who found time to share their thoughts generously despite their busy schedule.
Marshall N. B.
Boxing Fan
********************************
More predictions:
Ramon Aranda – 411mania
“An excellent fight that Abraham is able to dictate down the stretch before stopping Taylor.”
-----
Comments from readers:
Arthur Abraham is making a move up in weight to super middleweight for the Super Six Tournament. The first obstacle in his path is former undisputed middleweight world champion Jermain Taylor. Abraham is a strong, rugged boxer. He holds a tight guard, picks his spots when to throw, and when he does, unleashes lethal flurries of punches. In addition, he possesses inhumane stamina due to greuling conditioning camps. Taylor was once on top of the world but his world came crashing down after consecutive defeats to Kelly Pavlik an embarassing knockout in the closing seconds against Carl Froch. This is his last chance at redemption, and a desparate man is the most dangerous as they say. However, it is difficult to teach an old dog new tricks, and it's hard to see Taylor last the distance without tiring.
Vikram Birring - Doghouse Boxing
-----
Abraham – Taylor: Vast majority of boxing experts predict a victory for King Arthur (Part 1)
By BoxingNewsWorld.blogspot.com
American Jermain Taylor and German Arthur Abraham will exchange blows later this week in Berlin, Germany to begin the much anticipated Super Six Tournament.
Jermain Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KOs) has lost three of his last four fights. He lost twice to Kelly Pavlik and was halted by Carl Froch in the final salvo of their fight. However, his unanimous decision win over Jeff Lacy prior to Froch fight was an impressive display of punching accuracy.
Arthur Abraham, on the other hand, is undefeated in 30 professional fights, 25 of which were inside the distance - an astonishing 80 percent knock-out percentage.
I was able to get the opinion of some highly esteemed boxing writers on who will win between the two former middleweight champions. Check this out:
Vivek Wallace – East Side Boxing, Examiner, 8-Count News
“Taylor knows this could be it for him. Despite the losses, he's still in the thick of things with a path to redemption. He had no answer for Pavlik, but there was one thing about the Pavlik fight that will be intriguing here. Pavlik had all the power in the world at the middleweight limit, but has yet to knock one man out (including Taylor) a single pound above it. The reason that's important here is because we have never seen Abraham above the middleweight limit before now, and to assume that he can do better than Pavlik, by bringing that awesome power up with him will be a very wrong assumption. Taylor takes a lot of slack for losing, but you have to realize that had the fight gone the distance, (another 15 sec or so), he would have defeated Froch because he was ahead on all scorecards, if I remember correctly. So, an extra bowl of Wheaties that morning, or a shot of Redbull in the locker-room could have easily had us talking about Taylor being the man on the rise and instead asking ourselves whether or not Abraham has a shot. Think about it. So, I can't call a winner here. Taylor has more of a shot than people think because he knows his days could be numbered. Abraham is the one with something to prove, because if his power doesn't translate, he'll need that great stamina of his to get the job done in the end. I'm going out on a limb and saying Taylor will shock us and win on points.
***
Vivek Wallace is a huge boxing fan born and raised in Miami, Florida. An avid student of the game, Vivek spends a countless amount of hours in the still of the night breaking down fight footage which thoroughly accounts for his ability to lay out visual words from an unseen perspective. Vivek has done past work in the world of boxing for various new sources, to include the Moffat County Newspaper, Most Valuable Network, the Examiner, 8 Count News, and most recently Eastside Boxing. Vivek is also in the midst of a 3 year run covering the NBA's Miami Heat. Aside from sports journalism, Vivek is a former U.S. Marine, and a Father of two.
Jake Donovan – Boxing Scene
“I'm going with Abraham, by late stoppage or clear decision. I don't buy into Taylor's excuse of being ill-prepared for the Froch fight. He looked like the same fighter as has been the case throughout his career - start strong, run out of gas late. Stamina and confidence are his greatest issues. I don't see a trip to the lion's den (fighting Abraham in Germany) curing either scenario. Not to mention I just believe Abraham to be the better all-around fighter.”
***
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
-----
Chris Parry – Vancouver Sun
“Taylor's a big time fighter on the downward slope while Arthur is a man on the rise who has KTFO'ed a string of non-big name opponents as IBF champ. I see this as Arthur's coming out party and though Taylor may dominate early, it'll only take one shot to announce Arthur as legit stateside.”
-----
Charles White – East Side Boxing
“Taylor hasn't been looking real great his last few fights out (congrats to him on the win over Lacy though) so I might lean towards Abraham. However, I hear that Taylor has been doing some George Foreman-like workouts down in Texas at Foreman's youth center, so we will have to see how that has helped prepare him for this match. Also, Abraham starts off pretty slow, which is a good thing for Taylor. Another tough fight to pick. As a Taylor fan, I will have to pull for him to upset Abraham and wipe out that perfect record.”
-----
Paul H. Burbridge – East Side Boxing
“Abraham all the way. Too much of everything going in to this match and I believe he will win by late round KO!”
-----
Chris Robinson – Examiner (Miami Boxing Examiner)
“I think Taylor will start fast and eventually fade, allowing Abraham to turn the tide of the fight and score a late stoppage.”
-----
Frank Gonzalez Jr. – East Side Boxing, Doghouse Boxing
“I like Taylor but his last few fights demonstrate that he's past his best days. Arthur Abraham is no dynamo of youthful athleticism but he's a very dangerous puncher with a huge chin, who will let opponents wear themselves thin trying to bang with him and then, suddenly, Abraham comes on with big power punches that put guys to sleep. Abraham is unbeaten and chock full of confidence. Taylor has lost three of his last four outings, losing twice to Pavlik, one by TKO in 7 and the other by UD. He also was kayoed by Froch, who Taylor was out pointing until late in the fight. Taylor has the heart but I don't know if he has the stamina or the will in the late rounds, where Abraham is a monster.”
-----
Ronan Keenan – The Sweet Science
“Arthur should out-point Taylor. His heavy jab and right hand will visibly hurt Taylor and catch the judge's eyes.”
-----
Vikram Birring – Doghouse Boxing
“The story on Jermain Taylor has not changed ever since his first fight with Bernard Hopkins. He dominated for eight rounds, then ran out of energy and was pummeled the remainder of the fight. It happened again in the second fight, in the second fight against Kelly Pavlik, and most recently against Carl Froch. People don't change, and the same scenario will probably happen against (Abraham).”
Ken Hissner – Doghouse Boxing, Fighters of Faith
“I do not know what the big deal about Arthur Abraham is after watching his defensive style against Lajuan Simon, but Taylor seems to have passed his peak. I would like to see Taylor rebound but Abraham finds a way to win and will win this one.”
-----
Doveed Linder – Boxing Talk
“This is a very tough fight to call. Jermain Taylor has faced the tougher opposition, he's a better athlete, and I think he has better technical skills. But I believe he runs out of gas because of anxiety issues and I don't think he has had time to re-adjust and learn to relax since his fight with Froch. For this reason, I pick Abraham to stop him late. But it wouldn't surprise me if Taylor won a decision or even stopped him somewhere along the way.”
-----
Tony Nobbs – East Side Boxing, The Fist
“I will go with the fresher guy over the distance in a pretty willing affair. The Pavlik fights and the Frock KO may have taken a bit too much out of Taylor.”
“ABRAHAM WIN POINTS 12 TAYLOR”
-----
Darren Nichols – Boxing Talk
“Luster is off Taylor, Arthur will shine. Arthur by late KO.”
-----
TO BE CONTINUED...
Marshall N. B.
Boxing Fan
American Jermain Taylor and German Arthur Abraham will exchange blows later this week in Berlin, Germany to begin the much anticipated Super Six Tournament.
Jermain Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KOs) has lost three of his last four fights. He lost twice to Kelly Pavlik and was halted by Carl Froch in the final salvo of their fight. However, his unanimous decision win over Jeff Lacy prior to Froch fight was an impressive display of punching accuracy.
Arthur Abraham, on the other hand, is undefeated in 30 professional fights, 25 of which were inside the distance - an astonishing 80 percent knock-out percentage.
I was able to get the opinion of some highly esteemed boxing writers on who will win between the two former middleweight champions. Check this out:
Custom Search
Vivek Wallace – East Side Boxing, Examiner, 8-Count News
“Taylor knows this could be it for him. Despite the losses, he's still in the thick of things with a path to redemption. He had no answer for Pavlik, but there was one thing about the Pavlik fight that will be intriguing here. Pavlik had all the power in the world at the middleweight limit, but has yet to knock one man out (including Taylor) a single pound above it. The reason that's important here is because we have never seen Abraham above the middleweight limit before now, and to assume that he can do better than Pavlik, by bringing that awesome power up with him will be a very wrong assumption. Taylor takes a lot of slack for losing, but you have to realize that had the fight gone the distance, (another 15 sec or so), he would have defeated Froch because he was ahead on all scorecards, if I remember correctly. So, an extra bowl of Wheaties that morning, or a shot of Redbull in the locker-room could have easily had us talking about Taylor being the man on the rise and instead asking ourselves whether or not Abraham has a shot. Think about it. So, I can't call a winner here. Taylor has more of a shot than people think because he knows his days could be numbered. Abraham is the one with something to prove, because if his power doesn't translate, he'll need that great stamina of his to get the job done in the end. I'm going out on a limb and saying Taylor will shock us and win on points.
***
Vivek Wallace is a huge boxing fan born and raised in Miami, Florida. An avid student of the game, Vivek spends a countless amount of hours in the still of the night breaking down fight footage which thoroughly accounts for his ability to lay out visual words from an unseen perspective. Vivek has done past work in the world of boxing for various new sources, to include the Moffat County Newspaper, Most Valuable Network, the Examiner, 8 Count News, and most recently Eastside Boxing. Vivek is also in the midst of a 3 year run covering the NBA's Miami Heat. Aside from sports journalism, Vivek is a former U.S. Marine, and a Father of two.
Jake Donovan – Boxing Scene
“I'm going with Abraham, by late stoppage or clear decision. I don't buy into Taylor's excuse of being ill-prepared for the Froch fight. He looked like the same fighter as has been the case throughout his career - start strong, run out of gas late. Stamina and confidence are his greatest issues. I don't see a trip to the lion's den (fighting Abraham in Germany) curing either scenario. Not to mention I just believe Abraham to be the better all-around fighter.”
***
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
-----
Chris Parry – Vancouver Sun
“Taylor's a big time fighter on the downward slope while Arthur is a man on the rise who has KTFO'ed a string of non-big name opponents as IBF champ. I see this as Arthur's coming out party and though Taylor may dominate early, it'll only take one shot to announce Arthur as legit stateside.”
-----
Charles White – East Side Boxing
“Taylor hasn't been looking real great his last few fights out (congrats to him on the win over Lacy though) so I might lean towards Abraham. However, I hear that Taylor has been doing some George Foreman-like workouts down in Texas at Foreman's youth center, so we will have to see how that has helped prepare him for this match. Also, Abraham starts off pretty slow, which is a good thing for Taylor. Another tough fight to pick. As a Taylor fan, I will have to pull for him to upset Abraham and wipe out that perfect record.”
-----
Paul H. Burbridge – East Side Boxing
“Abraham all the way. Too much of everything going in to this match and I believe he will win by late round KO!”
-----
Chris Robinson – Examiner (Miami Boxing Examiner)
“I think Taylor will start fast and eventually fade, allowing Abraham to turn the tide of the fight and score a late stoppage.”
-----
Frank Gonzalez Jr. – East Side Boxing, Doghouse Boxing
“I like Taylor but his last few fights demonstrate that he's past his best days. Arthur Abraham is no dynamo of youthful athleticism but he's a very dangerous puncher with a huge chin, who will let opponents wear themselves thin trying to bang with him and then, suddenly, Abraham comes on with big power punches that put guys to sleep. Abraham is unbeaten and chock full of confidence. Taylor has lost three of his last four outings, losing twice to Pavlik, one by TKO in 7 and the other by UD. He also was kayoed by Froch, who Taylor was out pointing until late in the fight. Taylor has the heart but I don't know if he has the stamina or the will in the late rounds, where Abraham is a monster.”
-----
Ronan Keenan – The Sweet Science
“Arthur should out-point Taylor. His heavy jab and right hand will visibly hurt Taylor and catch the judge's eyes.”
-----
Vikram Birring – Doghouse Boxing
“The story on Jermain Taylor has not changed ever since his first fight with Bernard Hopkins. He dominated for eight rounds, then ran out of energy and was pummeled the remainder of the fight. It happened again in the second fight, in the second fight against Kelly Pavlik, and most recently against Carl Froch. People don't change, and the same scenario will probably happen against (Abraham).”
Ken Hissner – Doghouse Boxing, Fighters of Faith
“I do not know what the big deal about Arthur Abraham is after watching his defensive style against Lajuan Simon, but Taylor seems to have passed his peak. I would like to see Taylor rebound but Abraham finds a way to win and will win this one.”
-----
Doveed Linder – Boxing Talk
“This is a very tough fight to call. Jermain Taylor has faced the tougher opposition, he's a better athlete, and I think he has better technical skills. But I believe he runs out of gas because of anxiety issues and I don't think he has had time to re-adjust and learn to relax since his fight with Froch. For this reason, I pick Abraham to stop him late. But it wouldn't surprise me if Taylor won a decision or even stopped him somewhere along the way.”
-----
Tony Nobbs – East Side Boxing, The Fist
“I will go with the fresher guy over the distance in a pretty willing affair. The Pavlik fights and the Frock KO may have taken a bit too much out of Taylor.”
“ABRAHAM WIN POINTS 12 TAYLOR”
-----
Darren Nichols – Boxing Talk
“Luster is off Taylor, Arthur will shine. Arthur by late KO.”
-----
TO BE CONTINUED...
Marshall N. B.
Boxing Fan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)