ICNZ11

*Note: The original can be found at http://www.nzfighters.com/homenews.php?id=1

June 27, 2010

From The Auckland Boxing Association

The A.B.A was packed full of MMA enthusiasts for ICNZ11. The first ICNZ card was held at the Auckland Boxing Association in November 2007 and, due to the surging popularity of mixed martial arts, they have always been a rousing success. The latest instalment would prove no different as the A.B.A was bursting at the seams!

The patrons would be delivered 12 high class mixed martial arts bouts which included 7 ‘B Class’ bouts, 4 ‘A Class’ bouts (all 3*3 minute rounds) and then the ICNZ Featherweight title contest between Doug “Dynamite” Higgins and Adam “Soldier” Calver which would be contested over 5*3 minute rounds.

B CLASS FIGHTS SPONSORED BY MMAGEAR

Lightweight:

Daman Saini (Carnage MMA) v. Tristan Watson (Maai Hyoshi)

Round 1

Saini comes out pawing with the jab but looks jittery. Watson fires a leg kick and shoots for the clinch. They both wrestle but Watson manages to take him down. From there he shows great jiu-jitsu as he manages to transition into the mount. Saini tries to tie up Watson’s arms but his grappling is proving to be ineffective. Saini rolls over, to his detriment, as Watson now has back control. A couple of softening blows later and Watson has a rear naked choke. Saini taps out with 1:47 left in the opening round.

Lightweight:

Daniel Pritchard (Integrated Fighting) v. Richard Wong (Fury MMA)

Round 1

The match starts furiously and Wong manages a take down, he works himself into a mount. He escapes Pritchard’s guillotine but finds himself back in guard. He works back into the mount but Pritchard bucks and they end up in the ropes where the referee has to stand them up, narrowly escaping a rear naked choke. Wong immediately goes for the clinch and lands a right hand as they break. Pritchard rallies with strikes as Wong appears to tire. Wong attempts another takedown and gets into his opponents half-guard before the round ends.

Round 2

Wong lands a right hand and takes Pritchard down right off the bat. He is, by far, the superior grappler and he works back into half-guard. The referee stands them back up as they move into the ropes and a huge Pritchard right hand buckles Wong. They clinch and Wong attempts to deliver some knees. Pritchard shows the power in his hands and is hurting Wong, who responds by shooting for the legs and eventually takes Pritchard down. The referee gets them back on their feet where Pritchard drops another right hand. Wong achieves a take down but Pritchard sweeps from the guard and the bell saves Wong from Pritchard, who has mounted him and winging shots.

Round 3

Round 3 starts and Pritchard’s hands are on fire. A one-two makes Wong aware of the striking disparity. Pritchard drops Wong with strikes and Wong’s resolve is starting to look thin. Wong gets another takedown but is lacking in energy to do anything offensive. He tries for the back and Pritchard is slippery in escape. The bout ends and Wong wins a majority decision with his superior grappling and successful takedowns.

Middleweight:

Geoff Speedy (Journey MMA) v. Danny Wairasi (Faith MMA)

Round 1

Wairasi comes out with fire in his belly and loads up a right hand. Wairasi’s hands are wrecking balls and another right has Speedy dazed. Even though Speedy is responding, Wairasi is just throwing everything with bad intentions. Another dynamite right hand drops Speedy and the referee has seen enough. An impressive Wairasi wins by big KO in 33 seconds of the opening stanza.

Lightweight:

Brayden Goldring (Team Submission) v. Gareth Carter (AMMA)

Round 1

Goldring lands kicks to the legs and mid and eludes a takedown attempt. They clinch and Carter pushes them to the ropes where he works for a takedown, Goldring’s resistance is strong but eventually succumbs to the attempts. Carter transitions from side control to north-south and works for an arm bar. This is stifled, and Goldring gets back onto his feet. Carter clinches and is going for another take down. From his back, Golding attempts an arm bar but Carter escapes and finishes the round in his half guard.

Round 2

Golding gets home with a jab but Carter responds with a right hand lead. They clinch and both look for a takedown. Goldring rolls onto his stomach with Carter on top. Carter works back into Goldring’s guard, postures and starts raining down blows as the round ends, he is clearly the dominant fighter on the ground at this point.

Round 3

Carter starts the third by going for the takedown but can’t get it. They clinch and Carter takes him off his feet and slams him to the mat where he is in side control. He transitions into north-south and attempts another arm bar. Golding escapes and goes after an arm bar of his own with everything. He extends Carters arm but is lifted and slammed. Now in Golding’s guard, Carter works his ground’n’pound game but can’t seem to progress into anything more dominant. He postures and is throwing the kitchen sink as the round ends.

The judges’ scorecards read a majority draw, meaning a deciding round will be fought much to the delight of the appreciative audience.

Round 4

Carter shoots but is caught in a standing guillotine. A huge Carter slams and the crowd erupts. Carter goes back to his ground’n’pound then transitions, first into half guard and then north-south where he tries for another arm bar. Golding escapes and returns the attempt before the round ends.

In a hugely crowd pleasing performance, Carter wins a majority decision.

Super Middleweight:

Paora Smith (Integrated Fighting) v. Dean Gray (Fightclub Taranaki)

Round 1

Gray shoots early but is caught in a guillotine figure-four. Smith must be a mechanic as he is just wrenching Gray’s neck. Gray drops Smith on his back but can’t escape the python like grip. The referee steps in and Gray is completely out. Paora Smith wins as the referee stops the fight with 2:13 left in the first round.

Super Welterweight:

Bash Tahu (Independent) v. Toby Fitzpatrick (Ground Control, Hamilton Hawks)

Round 1

Wasting no time, Fitzpatrick shoots and lands a takedown. Tahu has no answer for Fitzpatrick’s grappling and, in blink, he is subjected to side-control, north-south and then is tapped out with an arm bar. Fitzpatrick shows his awesome jiu-jitsu skills in making Tahu tap out in 36 seconds.

Lightweight:

Eddie Davis (East Coast BJJ) v. Ev Ting (AMMA)

Round 1

Ting immediately takes Davis down and mounts. He hurriedly attempts an arm bar but Davis gets back to his feet. Davis shows good hands as they both exchange. They clinch where Ting lands a couple of knees, he has Davis in the corner and Davis is attempting a guillotine. Ting lands a kick to the leg but is missing the fancier kicks in his arsenal. Ting slips a punch and lands punches to the body and head. Davis takes him to the deck and is working for his back but Ting sweeps into side-control.

Round 2

Both land punches at the beginning of the second and they clinch in close. Ting takes Davis down, is in his half-guard and working his ground and pound. Davis escapes and rolls into side control. The referee stands them up but they immediately clinch. The both fall onto the matt where Davis ends up in Ting’s guard. Ting attempts a triangle choke but Davis works free and they both stand up. Ting whips another leg kick and gets a take down.

Round 3

They both clinch straight away and Ting bulls him against the ropes and lands in side control as it goes to ground. Ting gets caught in Davis half-guard but transitions to side-control and postures up. Davis escapes, they both stand up where Ting lands another stinging leg kick. They again go to ground after a clinch where Davis attempts an armbar. He is still trying to free Ting’s arm as the bout comes to an end.

The referee’s cards all read a draw and a fourth round is called.

Round 4

They exchange hands immediately and Ting lands a right of note. From a clinch, they tumble to the deck where Davis mounts Ting. Ting is very aware of Davis attempts to get his back and manages to sweep into guard. Davis attempts a triangle choke, where he is lifted and slammed. Ting just can’t loosen Davis’ grip and pushes Ting’s head onto the matt. The referee deducts a point which may prove to be vital in such a close contests. Ting tries to make up for it by landing a right hand and taking Davis down from a clinch but it is simply not enough as Davis comes away with a unanimous decision.

A CLASS FIGHTS SPONSORED BY SUPPLEMENTS.CO.NZ

Welterweight:

Simon Mence (Huntly Kickboxing) v. Andrew Craven (GroundControl)

Round 1

Mence comes out furiously winging shots and looks like he is simply trying to overpower Craven. It goes to the deck, with Mence in Craven’s guard but the latter, a purple belt, seems comfortable on his back. Mence is attempting to posture and drop punches but not much is landing. Craven gets back to his feet but Mence, the far better striker, catches him and sits him back down. On the deck, Craven gets in Mence’s guard and then transitions to mount where he starts dropping punches. Unfortunately, there is not much heat in Craven’s hands. Mence gives up his back and Craven attempts a rear naked choke. Mence escapes, and manages to get to his feet where he takes Craven down. He backs off Craven and implores him to stand and trade with him as the round ends.

Round 2

Mence starts the second showing all the fire he has in his fists. Craven ties him up, tosses him to the mat and attains mount but Mense is hanging onto his neck which prevents him posturing up. Mense uses his hips to sweep and ends up in Craven’s guard, who himself sweeps and ends up in side-control. Mense rolls over exposing his back whilst Craven has worked himself onto his back and is trying to soften Mense up with punches so that he can apply a rear naked choke. He just can’t extend Mense enough. They both get to their feet however Craven knows that he is outgunned. Mense is back to winging heavy shots but nothing of note lands as Craven covers up and sneaks in a lazy right counter. Mense responds with a leg kick and left hand upstairs. Craven connects with another right hand but, due to his obvious lack of power, it is of little effect. Mense shoots and Craven takes him to ground, who ends the round in side-control.

Round 3

Mense begins the third by landing a right hand after missing a jab. He lands some more wild punches which has Craven covering. Craven does the wise thing and takes Mense to the ground where he is in his opponents guard and can drop punches. Mense’s defence means that Craven can attain mount however his follow up barrage of punches have little on them.

All three judges scorecard read a draw, so a fourth and deciding round will be contested.

Round 4

Craven shoots for a takedown but is met with knees. The fight goes to the ground with Mense on top. Mense gets back to his feet and Craven has a hold of one leg, looking to take it back to the deck whilst Mense punishes him with punches. Craven finally brings Mense down where he gets on his back and starts throwing punches. You really wish Craven’s punches had a little more heat, he would have surely have ended the fight as he was always in great position. Mense is trying to work out of the mount but is eating shots for his efforts. Craven wins unanimous decision on the back of his dominant grappling position in the fourth round.

Super Middleweight:

Nassah Steed (East Coast BJJ) v. Phillip Lindsay (Gracie Oceania Dunedin)

Round 1

Steed wastes no time in dishing out a huge right hand which has Lindsay in trouble. Lindsay shoots for the takedown and is caught in a guillotine but he breaks free and ends up on his back in the guard position. They both make it to their feet briefly before the fight returns to the mat. Steed is in Linday’s half-guard until Lindsay sweeps himself into his opponents guard. Steed positions himself for an arm bar and Lindsay postures out of it. Lindsay now has side-control which he transitions into mount, then back-control and attempts a rear naked choke. Steed manages to turn himself around but he is mounted and takes a couple of shots. Steed can’t escape the mount and gives up his back as the round ends.

Round 2

Both go to the ground where Lindsay goes from side-control to north-south. Steed gives up his back where Lindsay attempts sink in a choke. He spends some time on Steeds back finding openings to land punches. Lindsay is able to isolate an arm, applies an arm bar and Steed taps out with 46 seconds left in the round.

Super Lightweight:

Simo Postings (Team Submission) v. Mark Andrew (Fightclub Takanini)

Round 1

Both trade hands early and Andrew has the straighter shots that utilize his advantage in height and reach. “Slammin’ Simo” shoots for a takedown, picks Andrew up and slams him to the mat. Postings is in Andrew’s half guard where Andrew unsuccessfully tries to sweep. Postings is back on his feet and drops a big right on Andrew before getting back in his guard. He wings looping shots from on top to end the round.

Round 2

The both clinch early and Postings throws wild punches on the break before shooting, picking Andrew up and slamming him. Postings is attempting to posture up for much of the round however the defensively minded Andrew is hanging onto his neck. He manages to posture briefly but Andrew is covering and hangs onto Postings when he gets near.

Round 3

Andrew gets home with straight shots before then clinch and he is on top when it goes to the ground. Postings attempts to stand up but Andrew is hanging on and clinching. They bounce off the ropes and when they land on the mat Postings is in Andrew’s half-guard where they remain. It’s difficult for Postings to progress with any offense as Andrew is only playing defence. So defensive, in fact, that it’s difficult to score any of the rounds for him as he is just not being proactive in engaging. Postings lands some knees to the body on the ground before ending up back in Andrew’s half-guard. Postings postures up and gets home a big right hand at the bell. Even with Andrew’s defence stifling most of the action, Postings gets a unanimous decision due to his takedowns and proactivity.

Note: Postings did not make weight and was deducted a point as a result

Super Middleweight:

Kingi Williams (East Coast BJJ) v. Nick Daly (Southern Tribes)

Round 1

Daly loads a right hand to say hello and he is the stronger fighter in the early exchanges. He uses his extensive wrestling (as a former New Zealand rep) to control Williams early. Williams wriggles free and is back on his feet but brought back down to the deck courtesy of a great double-arm overhead suplex. Daly ends up in Williams’ guard and lands right hands to the body and head however this is caught by his opponent and Williams attempts an arm bar. Daly has some novel escapes and uses his knees from side-control.

Round 2

The both clinch at the start of the second and Daly tags him with a right when they break. Daly’s wrestling is really keeping him dominant and he transitions from half-guard to north-south. From any position Daly looks comfortable and dangerous and he attempts to mount Williams who catches him in a Kimura. Daly resists and wriggles free however now Williams has mounted him and raining shots down. For the first time in the bout, Daly looks without an answer.

Round 3

The both clinch and Daly attempts a hip toss. He wrestles Williams to the ground and is on his back. Williams’ jiu-jitsu comes through as he rolls out of it but takes punches in the process and is now in Daly’s half-guard. Daly attempts to roll but Williams gets his back. Daly sweeps himself into his opponents guard then, in a flash, Williams swings his leg over Daly’s shoulder isolating an arm and applies an arm bar. He extends himself, and Daly’s arm, which is too much pressure and Daly taps out with only 8 seconds left in the bout.

PRO CLASS TITLE FIGHT SPONSORED BY NZMMA.TV

Featherweight:

Adam Calver (Fightshop) v. Doug Higgins (SMAC)

Round 1

Former New Zealand kickboxing champ Higgins tries to assert his pedigree early with stinging kicks to Calver’s legs and mid. They exchange punches and Higgins looks the far sharper striker. They clinch however Higgins hip tosses Calver and ends up in his guard. Calver tries for a triangle choke but can’t sink it in as Higgins lifts him clear off the matt and slams him until he lets go. On their feet, Higgins showcases the power in his hands before taking down Carver hard. Higgins is back on his feet and lands a big right hand on a downed Higgins. Both stand where Higgins, once again, lets the dynamite in his knuckles do the talking. The disparity in class is more than apparent at the end of the round.

Round 2

Carver starts the second by whipping a pair of leg kicks. He eats a right hand for his trouble. Higgins replies with his own leg kick before returning to his fists. Why Carver continues to strike with this man is beyond me, if anything, you can’t say that he is not game. Higgins gets home with a left that staggers Carver back to the ropes, Higgins leaps in with a flying knee which hurts Carver and has him buckling against the ropes. The follow up assault politely relieves Carver of his senses and the referee steps in. With a powerful performance, “Dynamite” Doug Higgins wins the ICNZ Featherweight title with a second round knockout. Official time was 52 seconds.

Another quality event at the A.B.A! All fights provided the patrons with excitement and there wasn’t a dull moment. Danny Wairasi was particularly impressive on debut and has the kind of hand power to be very successful. One can only feel sorry for the future opponents that face him when he has had some experience in the ring. Phillip Lindsay hung tough against some heavy fire and managed to submit his opponent in showcasing some great jiu-jitsu and Doug Higgins looked near unstoppable in destroying Adam Calver. Higgins looked the most rounded fighter of the night and will undoubtedly be savouring his time as champion. Congratulations.

Steel-ing The Show: A Night At ‘Fists of Steel’

*Note: The original can be found at http://www.nzfighters.com/news.php?id=174

18/06/10

At the Auckland Boxing Association

The Auckland Boxing Association was near packed, the “Vegas” lights were rigged up and a couple of New Zealand’s finest ring girls were brought in for the AKOS Boxing promoted Fists of Steel. We were to be treated to fourteen quality 3*2 minute bouts. As the stadium filled, DJ Cue kept the crowd feeling nice with his blend of mixes.

Before the festivities were due to begin, R’n’B heavyweights Adeaze provided their own brand of sweet, soulful flavour and the crowd were now adequately prepared for the night of pugilistic brilliance before them.

Bout One:

Super Middleweight

Steven Walsh v. Keiran Stongman

The bout begins with Strongman utilizing his reach by employing the jab and he manages to catch Walsh with a lead hook. Steven comes back with a left hand of his own but gets tagged with a couple of overhand rights that bloodies his nose. Walsh has some success late in the first round with his body attack but his punches are a little wild. The second round begins and Strongman ducks a Walsh blow and lands a left hand, Kerian’s movement and sharper punching is allowing him to take control of the bout. Walsh manages to get a right hand through but Strongman is generally winning the exchanges by getting off first. Walsh’s face is fairly bloodied at the end of the round. The start of the third sees Strongman landing with far more authority and he manages to slip blows and counter effectively with both hands. He traps Walsh on the ropes, flurries and the referee issues a standing 8 count. They both exchange hard right hands to end the fight. Strongman comes away with a split decision win.

Bout Two:

Cruiserweight

James Anthony v. Craig Thomson

Anthony starts the bout fast and lands a left hook. He is hurriedly pushing the pace while Thomson seems calm and willing to weather the early storm. Thomson begins stalking and manages to get Anthony on the ropes but he is able to dance away. James traps him on the ropes and unloads several punches but most of them are being blocked. He lands an overhand right before the round ends. Anthony again comes out fast in the second but his efforts are caught on Thomson’s guard. Craig rips him to the body and uses his jab to corner Anthony. Anthony seems to be tiring and Thomson lands a counter right hand. This drop in work rate allows Thomson to find his distance and rhythm. Thomson lands a counter left at the start of the third that hurts Anthony. Seeing this, Craig comes on hard and he is able to land at will, including a great right hand rip to the body. Everything Thomson is throwing is meaningful and effective and Anthony looks gassed as the bout ends. Thomson wins with a majority decision.

Bout Three:

Heavyweight

Stefan Paladin v. PJ Leuii

Leuii’s starts the bout bouncing on his feet and he moves very well, even better when you consider the significant height and weight advantage he has on Paladin. He lands a great 1-2 and it appears that he also has the better hands, particularly his lead. Paladin lands a right hand near the end of the round. Paladin starts the second with a big right hook and Leuii returns the favour with his left. Stefan is gritty in attempting to come forward but he has to eat shots on the way inside where he lands a right hand. He manages to back Leuii up and unload but to little effect. Leuii is able to hold his hands low, and jab effectively, but Paladin lands a right hand and he reverts to using his reach and distance. The third round begins and PJ lands a hard jab, Paladin is able to duck the next but Leuii is using it to great effect. Leuii finds himself on the ropes where Paladin attacks and gets Leuii’s attention but PJ engages and backs him up. The bout finishes and Leuii comes away with a hard fought unanimous decision.

Bout Four:

Light Heavyweight

Shance Duff v. Joe Bryant

Southpaw Duff lands two jabs to start the bout. Bryant seems composed as he works out the switch-hitting style in front of him and gets a right hand through. Duff is backed on the ropes and eats a left hand. Bryant starts the second stalking and trying to set up Duff with his jab. Shance is getting a little wild with his shots and his chin is in the air. Joe sees this and drops a huge right hand that sits Duff down. He is able to continue after the 8 count however the round ending saves him from a follow up assault. Joe lands another big right hand at the start of the third as well as a left. Duff is breathing very hard and, with Bryant coming on, he is issued with another 8 count. Bryant lands a left hook but Shance scores with a right to end the bout. Bryant’s dominant display earns him a unanimous decision.

Bout Five:

Super Middleweight

Josh White v. Telu Gafa

Gafa lands an early left hook and he has the faster hands, even with White firing first. He lands a big right as White uses his movement to give him angles. Gafa’s parries well and is able to counter. The second round begins with Gafa parrying and countering anything White throws. As game as White is, it must be frustrating to have to your aggression turned against you like that. Gafa once again parries, flurries, and a right hand gets through. Gafa lands another right after parrying and he is landing effective blows at every exchange. The third round once again sees Gafa’s defensive parrying and he lands right hands and 1-2’s. Josh just can’t work him out but get points for being proactive in engaging. He lands a right hand near the end of the round but it is not enough as Gafa gets the unanimous nod.

Bout Six:

Light Heavyweight

Andrew Holland v. Vinnie Pavlovich

Southpaw Pavlovich starts aggressively, landing left hand leads. His awkward style puzzles Holland, which allows him more time to land straight left hands. Pavlovich does a great job of controlling the distance with straight shots and he lands another hard left on the back of a combination. Holland eats another huge left hand as the round ends. Pavlovich clearly knows a good thing when he is onto it and continues to drop left hands. He lands a 1-2 and then a 2-1 but the tough Holland isn’t discouraged even though he is being overwhelmed. A 2-1-2 has Holland in trouble and he receives a standing 8 from the referee. The start of round three once again sees Pavolovich having major success with left-hand leads. Holland hooks to the body but Vinnie is still landing hard shots. Pavlovich continues to land at will and the ref step in the save a bloodied Holland from further punishment. Pavlovich gets the TKO victory.

There is a break in the action and two spectators are brought to the ring. Both seem merry from the festivities and they are fitted with oversized gloves. We are told that they will engage in a one-minute bout with the winner receiving a pair of boxing gloves signed by New Zealand boxing legend Sean Sullivan. The action begins and our nameless combatants waste no time. The blue corner manages to land a right hand straight off the bat but the red corner is coming forward firing a salvo of straight punches. The size of the gloves make both dodging and co-ordination impossible. The red corner is far busier and they start to tire as the “courage” starts to wear off. The bout ends and the crowd’s applause makes the red corner the goodwill victor.

Adeaze provides us with a jazzy interlude before the action is ready to resume.

Bout Seven:

Light Bantamweight (Youth)

Vanvan Cagney v. Jonny Curle

The much larger Cagney comes forward at the beginning of the bout however Curle uses good movement and angles to offset the size differential. Vanvan is throwing punches but not using his reach effectively as Curle lands a 1-2-1 combo. Jonny is able evade punches and Cagney reverts to using his jab and utilizing his height advantage. Vanvan is clearly the stronger fighter and his punches are getting through. Curle starts the second using his movement and he does a great job of closing the distance as he ducks a punch and lands a four punch combo. He again gets inside and lands a left hook. Cagney starts the third throwing the jab, backs Jonny up and lands a couple but Curle dances his way out of danger. Cagney is using distance well and he is able to back Curle onto the ropes and unload and Curle ties him up to end the bout. In a greatly entertaining bout, Vanvan Cagney comes away with a close decision.

Bout Eight:

Light Middleweight

Te Rau Cagney v. Ian Stead

Stead walks into an early right hand but manages to back Cagney up and rip two right hooks to the body. Stead continues to punish Cagney’s mid and has the harder punches, as he is able to hurt Cagney. Ian starts the second with a 1-2 and Cagney is just getting beaten to the punch. Cagney lands a combination that starts low and ends high and covers up when Stead punches. Stead lands a right hand then goes back to the body and Cagney gets home with a left. The action is all Stead however but Cagney is gutsy in wanting to exchange. Te Rau lands a double jab and cross but Stead replies with a right hand. Cagney is aggressive at the beginning of the third and lands a pair of right hands but he is backed up and takes more punishment to the body that forces the referee to step in with an 8 count. Sensing victory, Stead comes on strong and Cagney lands a right hand but he is simply being overwhelmed. The bout ends and Stead gets the unanimous decision.

Bout Nine:

Light Heavyweight

Ropata Awheto v. Darrell Suasua

Both start cautiously until Suasua fires to the body and head. He ducks the reply and lands a right hook. Awheto looks to establish the jab but eats a right. He lands a hard jab and right hand with Suasua coming forward. Suasua gets right down to business in the second, landing a right lead. This spurs on Awheto, who is only happy to engage and drops a right of his own. Suasua lands four solid hooks, the first of which buckles Awheto and he has to move away from danger. Darrell keeps bringing the hooks as two lefts get through. Awheto, although taking hard hooks, manages to return fire even through Suasua is the stronger puncher. The third begins and a left-then-right hook floors the off balance Awheto. Suasua brings an unstoppable barrage of deadly hooks and implores Ropata to engage, Awheto obliges and, several hooks later, he is forced to take a standing 8 count. The crowd is amazed at Awheto’s resiliency, even when he is outgunned he just doesn’t know how to give up. Suasua goes home with a unanimous decision.

Bout Ten:

Light Middleweight

Sam O’Loughlin v. Adrian Bentley

The first round begins and both measure with their jab. O’Loughlin lands a lead hook and appears the sharper puncher. Bentley flurries to the body but O’Loughlin backs away and lands a leaping left hook. Adrian comes back with a right hand but O’Loughlin’s schooled left hook is finding its mark. O’Loughlin starts the second fast and lands a right hand a triple jab. He lands another right but Bentley backs drives him across the ring and returns the favour. O’Loughlin with a 1-2 and his left hand, in general, is impressive. Adrian is throwing but his opponent covers well. O’Loughlin’s touches him with the left hook again as the round closes. Both come out fast for the final stanza and O’Loughlin gets home an overhand right. Bentley brings hooks to the head and body, which are diffused by another lead hook. Adrian goes back to the body but is forced to eat another couple lead hooks and a hard right. Still game, Bentley continues his assault to the body but he can’t do enough. O’Loughlin wins a unanimous decision.

Bout Eleven:

Cruiserweight

Darragh “The Bulldog” Burke v. Sene Leaitua

The bell rings and both combatants collide like runaway locomotives. Burke is throwing the kitchen sink at Leaitua however a left hook catches him. He calms and begins moving around the ring but takes another left hook. “The Bulldog” throws a wild right but he still can’t dodge the hook. Leaitua continues his hook assault on the retreating Burke to close the round. Burke opens the second with a 1-2-1, then moves around and jabs to set the distance. Leaitua is like a dog with a bone and continues, and lands, with the hook. Burke’s jabs just can’t disrupt Leaitua’s offense and they exchange right hands. Wild action has the crowd on their feet, as this is exactly the type of spectacle they came to see. A huge Leaitua right hook puts Burke on the deck but he gets up before the round finishes. Wild action continues in the third as both resort to wide shots. Leaitua is exerting his will, in the form of hooks, on Burke who responds with a jab and a clubbing right. In an instant, Burke lands a hook of his own, then another, which has Leaitua stumbling. The bout ends before Burke can capitalize and Leaitua comes away with a wildly entertaining unanimous decision.

Bout Twelve:

Light Heavyweight

Alex Rawiri v. William Pui

Rawiri opens the bout with an overhand right and Pui digs to the body. This display shows their intentions early as Rawiri looks for more overhands whilst Pui wants to bang his mid. A Pui right hand closes the opening stanza. Pui starts the second with a right and then a hook to the body, Rawiri is looking a little weary and he wears a Pui right hand then a lead hook. Another Pui right hand is followed soon after by a left hook however Rawiri responds with a right of his own. Alex lands another overhand right but Pui flurries and hurts him with a right. The third begins and Rawiri gets home with a left hook. Pui comes back with a right and then digs to the body. Rawiri goes with another overhand and eats a right. Pui ups the aggression, corners Rawiri and fires to the body. He finishes the fight by unloading hooks onto a covering Rawiri. Pui wins by unanimous decision.

Bout Thirteen:

Light Middleweight

Michael Tuasaga v. Hayden Bentley

Tuasaga begins by showing off his hands in landing jabs, crosses and parrying Bentley’s shots. He loads up a hook but Bentley covers as Tuasaga puts everything behind every shot. Bentley lands a right hand in the second and Tuasaga throws wild hooks. Both slug and Tuasaga lands a pair of powerful right hands. Bentley lands his own right as Tuasaga appears to tire, he is still wild but his punches have lost most of their steam. He lands an overhand right to no effect. Bentley lands another right and both swing until the bell. Tuasaga hasn’t recovered in the third and continues to unleash untamed punches. He lands a few looping shots, but his energy is completely spent. Seeing his opponent breathing heavily, Bentley ups his work-rate which forces Tuasaga to take an 8 count. Bentley continues to pour it on, wobbles Tuasaga and the referee steps in for another standing count before the round ends. The two knockdowns give Bentley a unanimous decision.

Bout Fourteen:

Middleweight Exhibition

Ryan Tauaika v. Jamie Waru

Tauaika opens with a right to the body and left to the head and Waru tries to flurry but is caught by a right hand. Waru reverts to the jab as Tauaika seems physically stronger is winning the exchanges in close. Both combatants go after each other at the start of the second and Waru’s punches are starting to get Tauaika’s attention. Waru is wobbled slightly by a right hook, but it is only temporary. Waru is upping the ante with his aggression and it is being met by Tauaika. Tauaika is off balance and takes a punch as he slips but it is ruled a knockdown. Waru gets home another right hand and starts to stick and moves. Tauaika lands a right hand near the end of the round but it is not enough as Waru earns a split decision.

AKOS Boxing and their sponsors, Russell Bricklayers Ltd & Aotea Paving, should be congratulated for putting on a great event. All the bouts were competitive, eventful affairs and the crowd was not left wanting. One on One Pro Ring Lighting also did a fantastic job of adding a “Las Vegas” atmosphere and I had not seen a better-lit event at any similar sized promotions. The flow of the event and segues between bouts were all fluid and none of the patrons were left to their own devices. Also a big shout out to DJ Cue and Adeaze as the music was handled marvelously and it all fit in perfectly in the scope of the event.

Although all the combatants deserve respect for the sacrifices and training they went through in order to give the patrons a show, I was particularly impressed with Telu Gafa. His defensive nous and parrying is far beyond his years and I only hope to see him on future promotions. Vinnie Pavlovich’s style, also, would prove to be a nightmare for anybody and he carries genuine power in his left mitt. Although young, Jonny Curle showed great movement and heart, even though in a losing effort. Keep at it pal.

The fight of the night had to go to Darragh “The Bulldog” Burke and Sene Leaitua. Both just went at it from the opening bell and never let up. Even after he was in serious trouble, Burke’s rugged determination allowed him to come back land serious punches of his own. I think most of the crowd would have liked to see one more round!

Last Man Standing Post-Script

Firstly, Lurkers Entertainment and D.C. Entertainment need to be recognized for putting on such a quality event. The venue was well set out, packed, with great lighting and the card provided entertaining fights. To go from only 200 patrons at their first event only a year ago, the Last Man Standing tournament was a blistering success. All combatants conducted themselves admirably which only added to the slick air of professionalism that the event exuded.

Congratulations to the winner, Zane “The Civilized Animal” Coppins. Going three bouts in a night is fairly tough going and he never looked severely pressed. He brought great pressure to stop Troy Wright after a round, dominated Anton Balsom with overhand rights and counters, and was slick in controlling B.K. It seemed like each time Coppins was challenged, he had another gear and his defensive parrying all but stifled most of his opponent’s offense. Zane sure proved to be more civilized than animal.

Losing in the final did no disservice to B.K. Talk was that it was his first contest, and if that is true, then he performed outstandingly. Buoyed on by a large section of the audience, B.K. used a stiff jab to control Phil Donahue and showed that he was versatile in being able to bang with, and almost stop, Aaron Coville. Even when he was down in the fight against Coppins, B.K. proved himself a warrior eager to give all those who came to support him a good show.

Also of note was Anton Balsom. Anton threw some nice combinations, parried well and was unlucky to meet Coppins in the semis. Balsom against B.K surely would have been great.

Josh Edwards, New Zealand’s Got Talent finalist and the countries #1 beat boxer, provided patrons with the intermission’s entertainment. Edwards showed his serious talent in producing seamless versions of Drop It Like It’s Hot, Billy Jean and even Ginuwine’s Pony. I can never think of the Rocky theme the same after what Edwards did to it.

All in all, it was a slick event that will only be a catalyst for further patronage. Only six promotions in, Lurkers Entertainment is set to be a force to be reckoned with on the scene should it follow the same meteoric rise it has experienced in only it’s first year of operation.

Last Man Standing Report

May 1

From the ASB Stadium, Waitakere

The ASB stadium was packed out for the Last Man Standing tournament by Lurkers Entertainment and D.C. Entertainment. Only one year earlier, the first Lurkers event only drew a couple of hundred spectators, which must seem like a distant memory considering the stark contrast of the surroundings. Auckland’s best and most beautiful fight fans enjoyed drinks and the sounds of DJ Karn Hall (George FM).

The event begins with each of the eight Last Man Standing fighters coming to the ring. A large $2,000 cheque hangs above the ring as a reminder of the prize these pugilists competing for. Former heavyweight contender Shane Cameron is then introduced and is given the duty of pulling names out of a hat to establish a draw. Being a single elimination contest to be contested over three two-minute rounds, opponents and order are all the more important. The draw will proceed as follows;

Fight One:

Aaron “Cool Hand” Coville v. Olenny Faimasasa

36, 6’0’’, 83kg 19, 85kg

Fight Two:

B.K v. Paul “The Don” Donahue

38, 6’0’’, 85kg 40, 5’9’’, 84kg

Fight Three:

Anton Balsom v. Logan Black

23, 6’0’’, 81kg 26, 6’0’’, 81kg

Fight Four:

Zane “The Civilized Animal” Coppins v. Troy “Triple S” Wright

28, 6’0’’, 83kg 32, 5’11’’. 84kg

Before the Last Man Standing tournament is due to commence, we are treated to a kickboxing bout featuring Ev Ting and Victor Mechkov.

Kickboxing:

Ev Ting v. Victor Mechkov

The action begins with Ting knocking Mechkov down with a kick to the torso. Both fighters spend the opening stanza being aggressive and looking to land kicks. Ting is able to get inside Mechkov’s reach without too much trouble and Mechkov is best served learning to use his height. Mechkov is looking to overpower but, so far, Ting stands up well. The second round sees Mechkov set the distance better and he is able to catch Ting on the way in. Ting tries to rush inside but is eating knees every time they clinch. Mechkov’s experience is starting to show and he is able to touch Ting at will and he is starting to back off. Ting lands with a lunging right hand at the bell. Round three starts like the second with Mechkov setting distance and unleashing hellish knees in close. Mechkov then drives Ting to the ropes where he again dusts off his knees. Ting is starting to look discouraged as the constant barrage of knees is taking their toll. The fight is over and, barring a competitive first round, the fight is all Mechkov and the judges award him a unanimous decision.

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Last Man Standing Tournament

Fight One:

Aaron “Cool Hand” Coville v. Olenny Faimasasa

Southpaw Coville starts the fight by establishing the jab where Faimasasa seems quite keen to turn it into a war. Coville is doing well in setting the distance and Faimasasa seems a tad awkward with the southpaw he is presented with. Faimasasa manages to get Coville into a corner where he flurries. Coville starts the second round trying to box the hard swinging Faimasasa. “Cool Hand” is moving well and only occasionally gets stuck on the ropes and Faimasasa’s nose is bleeding from the steady diet of jabs and left hands. All Faimasasa’s offence is being eaten up by Coville’s defense and he does a great job covering up. Faimasasa does well to duck a straight left hand. The fight devolves some at the beginning of the third with both fighters starting to lose their composure. Coville goes back to moving his feet and he is able to get away from what Faimasasa is giving him. Coville lands another straight left. Faimasasa is able to bull Coville around the ring but just can’t land. Coville gets the judge’s nod with a majority decision.

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Fight Two:

B.K v. Paul “The Don” Donahue

Donohue looks strong as the fight starts but B.K is set on exploiting his advantage in height and reach. A Donohue right hands gets B.K.’s attention and he soon responds with his own right. “The Don” is caught by a right hand on the ropes and seems standoffish whilst B.K. gestures for more action. B.K. comes out brawling at the beginning of the second but soon reverts to boxing behind that long jab. B.K is using it to great effect and he is winning all the exchanges. Donohue looks frustrated at his inability to close the distance. He is able to land a right hand during an early skirmish in the third but B.K strikes back in kind. B.K. is doing a great job of fighting tall and Donohue starts to become wild. The end of the fight sees Donohue load up a right to no effect. B.K looks good in controlling a squat, aggressive opponent. The crowd is certainly happy as B.K wins a unanimous decision.

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Fight Three:

Anton Balsom v. Logan Black

The pinpoint accuracy of Balsom is evident from the opening bell and he looks loose and composed. He lands a great right hand and Black attempts to up the tempo. Balsom’s punches crisply and, while Black is coming forward strong, they are taking effect. Balsom lands a hard jab to end the round. Black comes out hard for the second and touches Balsom with his right. Anton returns the favour and just seems a skill set above the game Black. Balsom loads up a right hand late in the round. Balsom shows great parrying to handle the early aggression of Black. Credit to Logan Black, as he just won’t stop trying, but he is clearly out of his depth. An uppercut finally gets through for Black but there is no follow up pressure. A bloodied Black lunges into hook but is countered with a right. Balsom displayed great all-round hands and out-skills Black to win a unanimous decision.

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Fight Four:

Zane “The Civilized Animal” Coppins v. Troy “Triple S” Wright

“Triple S” comes out hard in the first round but is losing the initial exchanges. Coppins lands a couple of left hooks and looks sharp. Wright is then backed into the ropes as Coppins brings the pressure. He lands with almost everything. A big right hand spins Wright around. Clearly stunned, “The Civilized Animal” lands a couple more rights before just wrecking him to the body. You can stick a fork in Wright, as he is just about done, and his resolve seems to be broken as the round ends. The bout is stopped before the second round as Wright can not continue.

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Semi-final One:

Aaron “Cool Hand” Coville v. B.K

B.K. forces the pace with his jab and throw is often. Coville is stalking but B.K. is once again doing a great job of staying outside. Both fighters surge during the second and B.K. lands a good right during a flurry. B.K. is again forcing the fight and drives Coville to ropes as the crowd goes crazy. He lands another right before the round ends. Coville comes out jabbing at the beginning of the third. B.K. pushes him back with body shots and lands a fantastic uppercut that shakes Coville. Seizing the opportunity, B.K. looks for an early night. The sound is deafening and the momentum is all B.K. but Coville manages to counter him coming in. The fight is all B.K and he wins a unanimous decision.

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Semi-final two:

Zane “The Civilized Animal” Coppins v. Anton Balsom

Balsom eats a big overhand right early and Coppins lands to the body and head. Another Coppins overhand sees Balsom smartly tighten up his defense. Coppins brings a lot of pressure, can’t miss with the overhand and counters anything Balsom can throw. Coppins lands a combination to start the second as Balsom looks to jab from behind his guard. Anton tries to bull him into the corner but he can’t get his head away from Coppins punches. “The Civilized Animal” is landing at will, throwing combinations and has clearly taken control of the round. He goes further in the third, dominating all the exchanges and landing the overhand right. Coppins has clearly kicked the fight up a gear and Balsom doesn’t have an answer as he eats a hard jab and a two-piece. A Balsom miss sees him on the end of another one-two. Coppins wins a unanimous decision in heavily outclassing a game Balsom.

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Boxing Exhibition:

Adam “AT” Thompson v. Jake “Young Gun” Ratcliffe

Thompson begins by pressing the action and lands a good one-two. Ratcliffe begins to stick with the jab however “AT” is starting to come forward and loading his shots. Ratcliffe looks the sharper fighter in the early goings but Thompson manages to get him in the corner and unload with hooks. Thompson starts the second aggressively by landing a hard overhand right. Ratcliffe comes back with a right hand of his own and Thompson goes to the body. Ratcliffe is caught by a hard right hand that partially spins his headgear around. Both exchange wild right hands. Thompson again manages to position Ratcliffe in a corner and is swinging for the fences where he lands strong shots to close the round. “AT” begins winging hooks at the start of the third and final and Ratcliffe is not utilizing his height at all. The hooks for Thompson begin to land, as does an uppercut that gets Ratcliffe’s attention. Thompson unleashes a big right hook with Ratcliffe’s back to the ropes then lands another right hand. Both fighters look spent when the bell sounds. Overall, Thompson was the far more active fighter who pushed the action and deserved the unanimous decision.

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Boxing Exhibition:

Craig Thompson v. Dom Tepu

In a heavyweight grudge match, Craig Thompson duked it out with Dom Tepu. Tepu starts hard and rips Thompson to the body and then lands an overhand right. Tepu is the far bigger puncher out of the two and looks like he could do some real damage. He displays uncanny hand speed for most of the first round. An overhand right at the start of the second rocks Thompson. So far, Dom Tepu has caused all the action. Thompson then lands a double jab and a right hand to the body but is backed into the corner where Tepu lands a murderous overhand right. Thompson recovers well and lands another double-jab/right-hand-to-the-body. Thompson starts the third landing the same combination but Tepu comes back with a hook to the body. Thompson seems to be aware of Tepu’s strength and it is keeping him honest. Another overhand right has Thompson in trouble but, although Tepu pours it on, he escapes and manages to finish the round. Tepu wins the decision.

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Last Man Standing Final:

Zane “The Civilized Animal” Coppins v. B.K

B.K. looks fast in the opening however he is caught by a right hand and driven to the ropes. Coppins accuracy starts to take over as lands strong jabs, right hands. Coppins lands a hard uppercut before the round is over. The start of the second sees Coppins control the center of the ring and use those skilled hands. He catches B.K. wading in, lands hard jabs and is, overall, winning all the exchanges. B.K. is having difficulty working out “The Civilized Animal” and seems without a plan. The crowd comes to life and Coppins has B.K. on the ropes but B.K. escapes as the round ends. Coppins comes out bouncing in the third and is still throwing tight, straight shots. Coppins experience is starting to show and he is in total control. Coppins ducks a punch and lands a right hand to close the fight. The entire crowd is on its feet and applauding the effort given by both combatants. Coppins hand is raised as winner of the Last Man Standing tournament as he wins a unanimous decision.

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Winner of Last Man Standing:

~Zane “The Civilized Animal” Coppins~

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Opinion: Mayweather - Mosley

May 2 sees pound for pound kings and certain hall of famers Floyd “Money” Mayweather and “Sugar” Shane Mosley collide at the MGM Grand. This fight has been brewing since Mosley was lightweight champ and Mayweather ruled 130 over a decade ago. All in all Mayweather has collected six titles in five division whilst Mosley has amassed five in three. Although undefeated, Mayweather has never faced anybody of the calibre of Mosley, has ducked most of the tough welterweights and, in reality, cherry picked smaller opponents. With Mosley at $4.20 at the TAB, I don’t think people are really embracing how much of a close contest this will be. This sentiment was echoed by hall of fame trainer Emanuel Steward and was bound to rub flomos and gayweathers the wrong way.

Mayweather last fought in September ’09, when he straight outclassed Juan Manuel Marquez. Although dominating technically, Money May was the far larger fighter and refused to come in under the weight limit. The bout marked the return of Mayweather since he retired at the end of 2007 and he certainly made a statement to the boxing community. A massive underdog, Mosley jacked Antonio Margarito for his title on the way to a 9th round stoppage in January ’09, sending a shockwave through the division. At 38 years old, time is fast running out for Mosley and there are questions on whether he can still pull the trigger for his biggest bout to date.


FLOYD “MONEY” MAYWEATHER (40-0, 25 KOs)

STRENGTHS
If boxing is to be defined as a system of self defence or martial art, then Floyd “Money” Mayweather is the square root of that. The best defensive fighter since Pernell Whitakker, Mayweather has the speed, movement and timing to turn defence into offence. He has only touched down once (unofficially against Judah) and his speed, especially, is blistering. Although guys like Judah and De La Hoya have done well, Mayweather is simply quicker than anyone he has ever faced.

In December ‘07, Mayweather came up against undefeated junior-welterweight champ Ricky Hatton. Although this was fought at 147, Mayweather made Hatton look crude before depositing him on the canvas with a sweet check hook. With this timing and defensive acumen, Mayweather’s awkward style has been too much for everyone he has faced. Mosley doesn’t always cope well with guys who can move and Money has more moves than a bowl of jello.

What ties this all together is his psychological warfare. Mayweather talks so much smack before a fight that he steps across the line. Habitually. He’s a habitual line stepper. By the time the bout rolls around, his opponents are usually so eager to shut him up that they wade into any of the great counters that he has used the bout to set up.


WEAKNESSES
For an undefeated fighter who is ranked, by some, as the best pound for pound fighter in the world, Floyd Mayweather sure hasn’t fought many good welterweights. Of his six fights at 147:

Sharmbra Mitchell - Moved up from 140 and no really notable wins.
Zab Judah - Was a great win against a legitimate welterweight, not a great welterweight.
Carlos Baldomir - Already had nine losses (and six draws) when he fought Mayweather.
De La Hoya - Was actually at 154, however Mayweather only won a split decision against a guy more thoroughly dominated by Mosley.
Hatton - Although unbeaten, was a blown up 140 pounder with a suspect chin.
Marquez’s best weight is easily 130 and he was forced to fight at 144. Mayweather came in two pounds over despite only have to drop three.

So Mayweather only has a single win against a naturally larger foe and has generally avoided the toughest fighters until they are deemed “safe enough” for him to face. De La Hoya (who is 5’11’’) utilised his jab and gave Mayweather all he could handle. Mosley comes with a far better arsenal than De La Hoya and is in far better condition than Oscar was when he fought Floyd. Judah won a good portion of the first few rounds using speed and a good jab. Sugar Shane has mo’ speed than a stripper and jabs well when he chooses to shift into boxer mode.


“SUGAR” SHANE MOSLEY (49-5, 39 KOs)

STRENGTHS
A power-boxer, Mosley combines equal parts speed and power with silky skills. Whether it be stopping the iron-chinned Antonio Margarito or just straight shutting a guy out, as he almost did to Luis Collazo, Sugar Shane has the goods. He can punch in combinations smoothly one second and separate you from your senses with precision like accuracy the next. This unique skill set has allowed him the advantage of being able to transition between being a boxer or a puncher, as he showed in the two De La Hoya bouts.

Sugar Shane is a warrior. Period. He fights everyone. When no one would go near the Vernon Forrest, who did? Mosley. Forget that he lost (twice), he was the welterweight champ and was out to fight the toughest opposition out there. Ditto Winky Wright at junior-middleweight. Of Mosley’s five losses, four have come against these two naturally larger foe. His other loss, against Cotto, was when Sugar Shane was on the eve of a divorce. Don’t get me wrong, Cotto fought a great fight, but even with those negative external factors Cotto only won by 115-113 on two of the cards. After Margarito straight beat Cotto up and generally put fear into the division, who was the first guy to put his name on the dotted line – Sugar Shane. That’s right, bitch. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Mosley has fought the best guys at welterweight since he first beat De La Hoya in 2000.

Mosley also has that innate ability all greats have in being able to step up a gear when it is needed. Sugar Shane can often surge during the later rounds as he did in the bouts with De La Hoya, in stopping Mayorga and Cotto was only just able to hold him off. I once heard that big players made big plays in big games, and this is certainly true of Mosley. In fact, the tougher the challenge, the more he rises. How else can you explain him having a difficult time with guys like Mayorga and Vargas and dominating Collazo, Margarito and DLH?


WEAKNESSES
Although a great boxer at 135, age and a rise in weight has seen Mosley becoming more of a puncher. Sometimes unneccessarily. For a period of time, Sugar Shane’s jab all but disappeared from his arsenal as he looked to land left hooks and overhand rights. He can’t afford to be sloppy at all against Mayweather, who will make you pay for every mistake. He also needs the jab to be in full effect.

At 38 years of age, there also must be some questions about how many more big fights Mosley has in him. True, he totally decimated Margarito, but he didn’t look great in stopping Mayorga and had been decisioned by Cotto the fight before that. The Margarito bout was 15 months ago and, although Shane is always in shape, he can’t afford to let ring rust (a factor that could be compouned by age) affect him.

Sugar Shane can also have problems with boxers who move and have a great jab or have awkward styles. Forrest used that big strong jab and strength on the inside to bully Mosley, whilst Wright’s defence gave Sugar Shane fits. Hell, he was only just up on the scorecards at the time of the Mayorga stoppage. Mayweather has far better defence than Winky Wright and is far more awkward than Mayorga.



PREDICTION
Money is one of the best fighters of this generation, his outstanding skills coupled with a great mind has meant that he has been able to be triumphant over every foe he has ever faced professionally. The big variable here is the fact that he just hasn’t fought anyone of quality his own size or larger. Sugar Shane, on the other hand, and although he has losses, has faced some of the best competition in the world at welter for the last decade. This is about as close as it is going to get and I wouldn’t be all that surprised at a draw but……


….Sugar Shane ftw (decision).

Opinion: Pavlik - Martinez

It’s about time. The first quarter of 2010 has been a relative grindfest as far as competitive fights go. In fact, the super six tournament aside, there has hardly been any pure contests. Thank L Ron. for Pavlik-Martinez.

This Sunday we see the middleweight king Kelly Pavlik, square off against the #1 ranked junior-middleweight Sergio Martinez. Fought at 160, this will be Pavlik’s fourth defence of his lineal World Middleweight crown.

The last we saw Pavlik was in crushing overmatched Miguel Angel Espino and this bout would be his first real contest since he was battered from post to post by Bernard Hopkins in a catchweight bout in October 2008. “The Ghost” recently had a ten month layoff to recover from a staph infection in his knuckle which threatened his career and “forced” him to pull out of two proposed bouts with Paul Williams. Strangely enough, the man who replaced Pavlik in the second proposed Williams bout will be the man facing him Sunday. In December, Martinez was unfortunate to receive narrow majority decision loss to Paul Williams in a ‘fight of the year’ candidate. This loss did nothing to drop Martinez’s stock however, as he gave as good as he got and managed to drop Williams hard in the first round.

Pavlik, who is 6-foot-2, is the naturally bigger and stronger fighter compared to the 5-11 Martinez, 34, who is a southpaw and faster. This bout sees a classic style matchup with puncher-boxer Pavlik and boxer-puncher Martinez.


KELLY PAVLIK (36-1, 32 KO)

STRENGTHS
At 6’2’’, Pavlik is a tall middleweight. He utilises his height and massive 75-inch reach well and throws mostly straight shots. He has a clear 3-inch height advantage over Martinez and should look to keep him on the end of that rattling jab.

You better pack a lunch, cause Pavlik will drop the one-two all day. Although mechanical, his right is an authentic show-stopper. By being adept at the most basic fundamentals of the sweet scientce he was able to pulverise the then undefeated Jermain Taylor to relieve him of his title and forced the corner of, the normally undentable, Marco Antonio Rubio to throw in the towel after 9. He also blasted the dangerous and exciting Edison Miranda in 7, barely losing a round. Pavlik has world class power at 160 and it will be interesting to see how Martinez will react.


WEAKNESSES
Pavlik only really comes at you one way, he stands right in front of you and throws straight shots to the dome. For all of Pavlik’s power, it must be noted that his punches can be seen by smoke signal. This lack of hand speed may hurt him against the quicker Martinez. I think it is also safe to say that Pavlik won’t be making a cameo on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ as he has genuine “white people feet” and can be plodding. I mean, really, how many (straight) white dudes can dance?

The Hopkins fight also showed us that it is possible for Pavlik to be bullied. Hopkins continually had Pavlik on the back foot where “The Ghost” could not uncork the one-two. By continually giving Pavlik angles and moving to his right, Hopkins also took away the right hand. Martinez certainly has the movement to give Pavlik all kinds of trouble but whether he can back him remains to be seen.


Sergio Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KO)

STRENGTHS
Martinez is a terrifically skilled guy who is fast and tough. He proved against Williams that he could compete against the most avoided fighter in the sport and was terribly unlucky in losing the decision. Martinez’s main strength is his speed, footwork and southpaw style. If he is able to frustrate Pavlik early and take the fight to him, then he may be able to unsettle him.

Although not a heavy puncher, Martinez sat down on his punches during the Williams fight and seriously hurt him in the first round. That is quite a feat from such a seemingly feather-fisted guy. Remember, Jermain Taylor had Pavlik down.


WEAKNESSES
There must be concerns regarding Martinez’s chin. He was stopped by Margarito at 147 and put down by Williams at 160. Although they are both big punchers, both are naturally larger welters who, because of their size, are able to jump up classes with relative ease. Martinez has never caught wreck from a naturally larger fighter and Pavlik has the boom to keep him down.

Keeping with the issue of size, Martinez does not have the strength to be able to push Pavlik back. His fight with “The Punisher” was also at 160 however, as previously stated, P-Will is a natural welter. Pavlik is a full sized middleweight at 6’2’’ whilst Martinez is a fairly average 154-pounder at 5’11’’.

Coupled with this natural disadvantage is the fact that Martinez is all of 35 years old. This is very much a “do or die” fight against his 28 year old opponent. Pavlik also, has seen criticisms over his last couple of performances and will be hungry to put on a dominant performance.



PREDICTION
Although Williams-Martinez was a terrific stoush, the style match up with Pavlik just seems too difficult. He is coming in against a larger, younger, more powerful opponent and I just don’t think Martinez will be able to back him up. He should frustrate Pavlik with his movement but I think “The Ghost” needs this more. Even when he was losing with Hopkins, Pavlik never stopped trying and he is bound to catch Martinez.

Pavlik KO10

Opinion: Tua - Ahunanya

Tonight, former heavyweight title challenger and the #3 ranked heavyweight by the WBO, David “The Tuamanator” Tua faces former challenger, and also Shane Cameron head-splitter, Friday “The 13th” Ahunanya. This is the first fight for Tua since he dismantled Shane Cameron in just over a round last October and a continuation of what must be his last shot at heavyweight glory. The bout, at the Waitakere Trusts Stadium (chur!), is surely a ‘must win’ for both and a loss would signal an affective end to their professional careers.

Boxing, is not a sport of logic. For instance, if A beats B and B beats C then surely A must beat C? Not so. Take the welterweight division. Miguel Cotto decisioned Sugar Shane Mosley, Cotto was then stopped by Antonio Margarito. Margarito was, of course, then heavily favored over Mosley. The result? Sugar Shane ftw. Illogical. So, after Ahunanya TKO’d Cameron in the last round in what was a “fairly even” contest then Tua beat Cameron like he stole something, then it must go that Tua would wax Ahunanya. Relativity. However, let’s take a closer look….


DAVID TUA 50-3-1 (43 KOs)

STRENGTHS
The only way to begin to talk about Tua’s strengths is in highlighting the left hand. Tua’s left hook has closed the show on many credible heavyweights including the 19 second dicknailing of John Ruiz. That’s right. Bitch. Despite fighting most of the best heavyweights over the past decade (and being a two time titleholder) this remains the only stoppage loss on Ruiz’s ledger. This weapon ranked Tua as the 48th greatest puncher of all-time (all-time!!) according to Ring Magazine.

Tua’s chin has also been the divisions best for a long time. The last time Tua was off his feet officially in a contest was when he was stopped by Cuban legend, and three time Olympic gold medallist, Felix Sevon at the 1991 World Amateur Champs. He has weathered punchers such as Ike Ibeabuchi, Lennox Lewis and Hasim Rahman all whilst never taking a backwards step.

Tua also has the edge in competition faced over his career with a bevy of former, future and one present champs faced. His only losses have come at the hands of Ike Ibeabuchi, Lennox Lewis (for the title) and Chris Byrd (a titlist). He drew in the return Rahman (also a titlist) fight but had stopped him in the first.


WEAKNESSES
Tua’s major problem has been his inactivity, whether it takes him a couple of years to comeback and face a standing corpse or whether he stands in the ring not throwing anything. His laziness is well documented and his physical condition can be suspect at best. He first turned pro weighing 200 pounds however he has come in as high as 253 and shaped like a bag of water. He officially weighed in at 240 but looks a lot harder than he did in his last bout against Cameron where he weighed 237. 240 is heavy for Tua, how effective that 240 is remains to be seen.

Even though he possesses one of the best left hands ever, Tua is one-dimensional and can be easily out-boxed. As previously noted, because of the condition he comes into fights in, he can also have problems catching opponents that can move around the ring (although he does carry his power late).

Currently, Tua is ranked 3rd in the world by the WBO, it must be noted that the WBO isn’t all that credible. I could be ranked by the WBO, if I wanted to. It’s just that I don’t wanna.


FRIDAY AHUNANYA 24-5-3 (13 KOs)

STRENGTHS
Outstanding defence seems to be the calling card of fighters from Africa and it is no different in Ahunanya. A great chin (never knocked out), from a guy who holds his hands high and has some decent head movement, is always going to be a tough cookie to crack. Even when he appeared to be wobbled by Cameron, Friday just wouldn’t sit down. Apparently Tua and Ahunanya have sparred before and Tua was only able to floor him once and never hurt him. If Saturday night is just all right for fighting then Friday must have been born to take a punch.

Although he is defensively weighted, Ahunanya possesses a strong jab and is an effective counter puncher. Even though he appeared overmatched against Cameron, he countered him silly before turning out the lights.

Friday’s training camp also seems like it was better than Tua’s. For instance, Tua sparred with second tier heavy Israel Garcia whilst Ahunanya sparred with former champs Sam Peter and Hasim Rahman. Compounding that, even though he hasn’t fought in nearly two years, is the fact that Friday has a far better recent resume of opponents. Never mind the fact that he lost to everyone that mattered. His last two bouts were wins against undefeated opponents (Alonzo Butler and Cameron).

The quality of Ahunanya’s RECENT opponents trumps Tua’s, by a long shot. Tua’s last bout against good opposition was a 2003 draw against Hasim Rahman. Since 2003, Friday has faced names which include Dominick Guinn, Sultan Ibragimov and Alexander Povetkin. However, it must be noted that he hasn’t won against a top-tier decent opponent. Neither Cameron nor Butler are world class and his best result was the 2005 draw with Guinn.


WEAKNESSES
Ahunanya can be a little defensive for his own good. He likes to counter punch out of the guard and can look unwieldy when aggressive. Against Tua, he can not afford to be sloppy or overly defensive. A fraction of a second is all it takes to put your fuse out.

Despite being a physical strong guy Ahunanya’s power is not intimdating. His stoppage of Cameron aside, he has never stretched out anyone of note. Friday is more likely to be the end of your week than the end of your night.



PREDICTION
By fighting in Tua’s hometown, and considering the state of boxing judging in New Zealand, it would be hard to imagine Ahunanya winning a decision. Despite countering Cameron for a good portion of the fight, he was still behind on the cards. Unlike the cars I drove when I was a teenager, you just not gonna be able to dent either Tua nor Ahunya. No matter how recklessly you drive. Which “logically” means this fight will go to the cards.

Tua decision.