#DORK 27: Creed / Rocky Franchise

Joe Frazier: 1944-2011

Former Heavyweight Champion Joe Frazier was one of the greatest boxers of all-time. Everyone knows his name, but do we all really know how good he was?

Smokin' Joe won the 1964 Olympic Gold Medal over in Japan, competing in the heavyweight division. In 3 years as an amateur (1962-64) he lost 1 bout.

He went on to amass a ridiculous 32-4-1 record as a professional. In fact he began his pro career 29-0 with wins over Buster Mathis, Oscar Bonavena (twice), and in "The Fight of the Century" in 1971 he defeated Muhammad Ali to cap off his 29-0 start. The fight was the first ever to feature two undefeated champions. Ali was 31-0 and coming off a 3 year suspension while Frazier was 28-0.

You wonder how many times these guys could have squared off if Ali was around in the late 1960s, although I'm not sure we really needed to see too many more rounds between these two all-time greats.

Frazier would finish his career 4-4-1 with two losses each to Ali and George Foreman. In all he went 41 rounds with Ali and another 7 with Foreman. The fact is he didn't match up well at all with Foreman (who did?) being 4 inches shorter.

Smokin Joe Frazier was born in South Carolina but became the pride of Philadelphia. He was one of the toughest athletes ever and will be remembered as one of the greatest boxing champions of all-time. If anyone was ever a badass it was him.

R.I.P. Joe Frazier.



-Keefe

What a knockout!!!

No idea who either of these guys are, but check out this monster KO. According to BoxRec, Amir Mansour is 12-0 with 9 KO's. Too bad he's going to be 39 this year. Might be a little late in the game for this guy, but it didn't stop him from providing us with a great, highlight-reel knockout. The camerawork, for the most part, sucks. But the angle gives us a great view of opponent, and victim, Alexis Mejias out on his feet; and you can see Mansour land another shot as Mejias slowly crumbles backward to the canvas. Check it out:



-Bess

Boxer can't get in or out of ring, but manages to win fight

I'm sure this guy felt like a complete asshole, especially when he hurt himself getting out of the ring. But what about the guy he beat? After seeing this guy struggle to get in and out of the ring, he must've felt like the bigger asshole for losing to this clown...



-Bess

Like Father, Like Son...maybe not

Hector Camacho Jr. fought last weekend, bringing his 52-3-1 (28 KO) record into a match with David Lemieux, who entered with an unblemished 23-0 tally. Lemieux left still unblemished, both in record and on face. He was quicker to the punch, much faster and simply more aggressive and better than the son of Hector Camacho. "Macho Camacho" ended his career with major titles across four weight classes and a 79-5-3 record. His son will never reach the heights the elder Camacho did in his career. See below...



Great knockout for Lemieux, and a fun treat for spectators. It's always fun to see a slowly crumble after taking a clean shot like Camacho did. Kind of reminds of this:



-Bess

Danny Green steamrolls Roy Jones Jr.

No, not that Danny Green. The guy from Australia, who knocked down RJJ with an overhand right, then absolutely blitzed him against the ropes and eventually forced the referee to step in and halt the assault. A potentially embarrassing end to what has otherwise been a legendary career. For an entire decade, RJJ was the face of boxing and one of the greatest pound for pound pugilists ever.

-Bess

The End of Jermain Taylor's Career?

Jermain Taylor is 28-4, the former undisputed middleweight champion and undoubtedly one of the top super middleweight fighters in the world. But we may have seen the end of his impressive, albeit short fighting career last night in Berlin. Fighting Arthur Abraham in the 1st round of the Super Six Super Middleweight Tournament - a terrific idea, by the way - the man known as "Bad Intentions" took a knockout blow that delivered bad intentions for the 3rd time in the last two years.

The first loss of his career came at the hands of Kelly Pavlik, a war that ended when a flurry in the corner put Taylor down and out in the 7th round to earn the win for Pavlik. After falling short in a competitive decision loss to Pavlik months later, Taylor moved up to 168, successfully defeating former super middleweight champion Jeff Lacy. The win earned him a match with undefeated WBC champion Carl Froch. And for the second time in his career, Taylor got knocked out, this time in the final seconds of the fight ahead on the judge's scorecards. It was bad, but not as bad as the blow delivered by Abraham last night, Taylor's first fight since the Froch debacle. Check it out below...



My question is what the hell was the referee looking at? It's obvious once he goes down that Taylor is out cold. Yet the referee looks like he counts all the way to 6 or 7. In fact you can see the ringside doctor starts easing his way in as soon as Taylor went down, and he's already at Taylor by the time the ref waves it off. Way to have a clue, pal. But what do you think...even though it was a competitive fight and Taylor is clearly still a factor in the division, that's three bad knockouts in 2 years. Should he look to hang em up?

-Bess

Funny KO

For anyone that has seen the Zab Judah dance during his fight against Kostya Tszyu, you'll enjoy this one. If you haven't, well, you'll enjoy it anyway.



He was on queer street so bad he almost fell into a split. I'm still in disbelief at the ref allowing him to try and continue. Thankfully he lived to tell about it, although I'm not sure I'd wanna tell anyone about this. Too bad it was televised.

Here's the Judah one I referenced:



And I couldn't go through this post without tossing a Tyson one at you...here's his KO of Trevor Berbick:



Which was did you enjoy the most or did you think was the best? Personally I think I'm going with Tyson over Berbick b/c Berbick just kept trying to get up and flopping all over the ring, but you can make an argument for all of them.

-Bess

Captain Hook vs. Left Hook

Roy Jones...er Captain Hook looks ready to take on Left Hook Lacy. What more can you say?

What are we buying: A boxing match or a used car?

I came across this commercial last night for the upcoming "boxing match" between Tim Sylvia and Ray Mercer. To give you some background on how hideous an idea this match is, it was actually declined sanctioning by the New Jersey State Athletic Commission. It was originally supposed to take place in Atlantic City, but they wanted no part of it, and for good reason. Check out the commercial, it's awful. I can't tell if they're selling a boxing match or a used car here. You gotta love watching Sylvia hitting the mitts and nearly whiffing on the last one, while "Merciless" pecks away at the heavy bag like a malnourished woodpecker. Not to mention their speaking parts, which really brought it all together. Sylvia might be the biggest geek on the planet, both literally and figuratively.



What's more awkward, Sylvia in this promo, or his appearance on Blind Date?



And tell me the voiceover doesn't sound like something out of a monster truck commercial. SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!!!



A free can of Natty Light. Mmmm. BE HERE OR BE QUEER!!!

-Bess

Calzaghe-Jones just six days away

If anyone's happened to tune into HBO last night for episode 2 of Calzaghe Jones 24/7, you would have heard Jones at one point exclaiming, "I'm baaaaack." While victories over Anthony Hanshaw and a washed-up Felix Trinidad are nothing more than confidence builders in my eyes, Jones has looked significantly better in those fights than he did during his horrific three-fight losing streak to Antonio Tarver (twice) and the brutal KO loss to Glen Johnson.

I've been a Jones, Jr. fan for almost 10 years. He was the pound for pound greatest when I first started sitting down to watch boxing matches, and with the likes of YouTube, I've had a chance to enjoy highlights and fights before my spectating began. He was the best in the world in five different weight classes, an entertainer and the most exciting fighter in the world. To see him plummet drastically, almost overnight, like he did against Tarver and Johnson was terrifying to me as a fan and boxing as a sport. Let's face it, Tarver is no where near the businessman, entertainer and fight mogul that Jones is. He can talk a fair game, but after his deflating performance in Rocky Balboa, he's been nothing but a disappointment in the light heavyweight division, particularly following losses to Bernard Hopkins and "Bad" Chad Dawson in his last fight. Couple that with uninspiring decision wins over Elvir Muriqi and Clinton Woods and you no longer have a major draw in the sport.

Glen Johnson, meanwhile, has a lot of John "Quietman" Ruiz in him. Well, actually, maybe it's more the nickname and nothing else. Johnson doesn't build up fights much, he lets his fists do the talking. And while he's probably legitimately lost no more than 3 fights in his career (he's gotten screwed in numerous decision losses), Johnson isn't much of a draw either. Which is why Joe Calzaghe chose Roy Jones, Jr. as his next opponent at Madison Square Garden this Saturday, Nov. 8. Regardless of whether Jones still has the speed, agility and ferocity in his fists that he possessed in the 90's and earlier this century, his aura and mystique along with his personality, confidence and gab are enough to crank out yet another blockbuster fight. I loved what Roy Jones, Sr. said last night:

"If Roy trained for this fight, Calzaghe can't beat him."

What is this guy Karo Parysian? I don't doubt that Jones, Jr. abstained from training for a good portion of his fights, particularly during the height of his career against bums like Antoine Byrd, Tony Thornton and Merqui Sosa. But it raises and interesting point. Calzaghe is the ultimate workhorse, a come at you type of fighter who is constantly busy and putting on the pressure. Ironically, he's a heavier version of Ricky Hatton. Jones, however, likes to circle and move, picking his spots and working in spurts, but exploding when he does and unleashing a fury that most have been able to endure. Who's that like? Floyd Mayweather.

Are Jones' skills declining? I don't doubt it. But can you argue that his brief, 3-fight losing streak could also be attributed to complacency and a declining work ethic? I don't doub that either. Personally, 24/7 may have been the best thing for him, because it gave him reason to establish a legitimate, hardcore training camp to prepare for this fight. And while he still thinks he's the best, no one else does. Perhaps he said it in the first episode:

"If I lose on the 8th, who cares? But if he lose, his streak has ENDED."

To me, nothing is more dangerous than a motivated Jones with nothing lose. I'll be tuning in on Saturday to watch the fight. One reason is because I'm still a tremendous Jones fan and still enjoy watching him compete at this level. To see him win the fight, the title, and thus a showdown (and re-match) with Bernard Hopkins could be the best possible scenario for the sport of boxing. Two of the boxing's best meeting over 10 years later to settle a score, and doing it at a different weight class which they both sat at the top of.

The other reason I'll be watching is because of the 24/7 series that HBO keeps pumping out. If you haven't been watching these, you should. The De la Hoya/Mayweather series set the standard, and Mayweather/Hatton was pretty tremendous, as well. This latest has met that standard and De la Hoya/Pacquiao will soon follow on the 16th. Below is episode 1 of Calzaghe/Jones. Check it out. I'll post episode 2 once it's available and you can catch episode 3 this Thursday night.



I'd love to hear your thoughts on this matchup, where you think Jones stands today as a fighter and how you think things will play out on the 8th and beyond.

-Bess

EliteXC, WEC provide banner weekend for MMA

Every year around the last weekend in May or first week in June, the annual St. Paul’s School alumni baseball game descends upon the hallowed grounds of Millville in rustic Concord, NH. And so tomorrow that’s where the Sports Brief, both halves of it, will be at 2pm. Rich and I look forward to this event for 364 days a year, essentially right after the last one wraps up. We get there early for a stretch and catch, throw down a nip or two and show these spoiled little trust fund babies that we can still play ball. For the record, no one affiliated with the Sports Brief is a TFB.

Normally, we try and turn this into a weekend extravaganza, incorporating other festivities that we enjoy onto the itinerary in hopes of making it worth our time. Last year was the 5th year reunion, which I missed because I was working an internship with the Boston Red Sox and the game was delayed for over an hour by rain and they were playing the Yankees, which meant the game was four hours by default. This year we decided that a round of golf on Saturday would be necessary as would the standard pilgrimage on Sunday morning to the Red Apple. Amidst our rough hangovers, we rise around noon, strap on our buffet shoes and dive into the best Chinese buffet line in the upper New England area.

But this year we’ve added two more events that will truly make this weekend worth remembering. First and foremost is the EliteXC card promoted by Gary Shaw, headlined by Kimbo Slice and being shown on CBS. A truly landmark event in that it’s the first time mixed martial arts is being shown on network television. I’m excited to see Kimbo continue his development from street brawler to MMA fighter against James Thompson, whose heavy hands shouldn’t be discounted despite his glass jaw. Yet it continues to bother me that people are clamoring over the fact that Slice is fighting “another tomato can.”

Let’s set the record straight: Kimbo has three fights under his belt and has only been training for a year and a half. The people that argue he’d be defeated by any top tier heavyweight or that he has no right to be headlining this card are the same people who have joined the millions of others in watching his videos on YouTube. You are all the reason this man has risen in popularity and folklore. With another four or five fights and continued training with Bas Rutten and Randy Katami, I think matchups against these top tier heavyweights will be in line. But again, it’s his popularity, the demand to see him compete, that is the reason for him headlining his card. It’s not because his talent, ability and overall record warrant it.

The undercard itself is pretty impressive, as well. Robby Lawler and Scott Smith will put on the type of standup battle that makes MMA so exciting. While Lawler’s tactical skill likens him to a boxer in the MMA game, he’s aggressive, has great power and never turns down an opportunity to engage. Smith, meanwhile, just comes to fight and he’s got great KO power as evidenced by his last win a few months ago over Kyle Noke. He’s a former union iron worker who goes by the moniker “Hands of Steel.” This should be riveting TV.

The female fight between Gina Carano and Kaitlyn Young should be interesting. Carano is much like Kimbo in that she’s fairly inexperienced but she’s shown great ability so far and her popularity comes from activities outside of being a sanctioned MMA competitor. Obviously I’m referring to her stellar work on NBC’s “American Gladiators.” Has anyone watched her on the joust? It’s incredible how dominant she is. But the best part of watching her on AG is on the pyramid. She’ll literally pull a woman off the pyramid, then either pull her into her guard or secure a mount and hold her there until time elapses. As an MMA fan, I can’t help but smile. But her opponent, Young, is no slouch either, and her experience will prove to be a good test for Carano.

Then there’s the enigmatic Phil Baroni, the self-proclaimed “New York Bad Ass” who once petitioned himself to be “The F*cking Best Eva” after his brutal KO of Dave Menne for the UFC middleweight title. He’s fighting Joey Villasenor, and while neither of these guys can claim to be in the upper echelon of mixed martial artists, they’re exciting and TV friendly, much in the same way that Chris Leben continues to be tapped for televised PPV fights despite a so-so UFC record.

And finally we’ll be treated to another heavyweight matchup that pits Brett Rogers, fresh off a KO of Thompson in their last fight, against Jon Murphy. You can question why a guy who got KTFO’d against Rogers would be Kimbo’s opponent as a headliner. The answer is simple: Kimbo’s the main draw here and Thompson is a better matchup for him in terms of continuing his development. Rogers is a more dangerous opponent, and if he’d lost to Thompson, he’d probably be fighting Kimbo in the headliner right now. Perhaps Kimbo, with a victory of course, can take on the winner of this fight in the Fall.

I’m slightly disappointed that Shaw didn’t put a couple judo or jiu-jitsu artists on the main card, because submissions, rolls, sweeps and throws are a very exciting part of MMA. I understand why a wrestler wouldn’t be televised, because lay-n-pray is never exciting to watch. But I would have appreciated Shaw giving the network audience a broader spectrum of the game, as well. Nonetheless, these standup battles should do well in terms of excitement, and ultimately, ratings.

But the best part of Saturday night’s fights, however, is that it probably won’t have the best fight of the weekend. That’s right, everyone seems to be forgetting that CBS isn’t the only fight card available for free on cable TV this weekend. So after the fights end and you’re left wanting more, remind yourself that Versus has another WEC event scheduled for Sunday. And headlining that card is a featherweight matchup between the current Champion and rising star Urijah Faber and the first ever UFC lightweight champ Jens Pulver. “Lil’ Evil” should prove to be a tremendous test for Faber and certainly a great measuring stick as to where he stands in this sport. Faber has been plowing through his competitors, rattling off 12 straight victories since his first and only loss to current UFC lightweight contender Tyson Griffin. The “California Kid” has his eyes set on a rematch with Griffin, but Pulver should be his only focus right now. The experience, heavy hands and tremendous heart possessed by the veteran could present problems, especially if Faber can’t get Pulver to the ground and control him there. With a win, Faber will truly have arrived as one of the sports’ elite. With a loss, it will only make the division more interesting with Pulver establishing himself as a force, and a champion, at that weight.

The rest of the card isn’t as deep or talented as the CBS card on Saturday, but it’s worth watching nonetheless. Miguel Torres defends his bantamweight title for the first time since defeating Chase Beebe. He takes on Yoshiro Maeda. To the casual fan, this may not mean anything to you. But in layman’s terms, we’re talking about two guys with a combined 55-5-2 record. That’s just plain filthy. And if you’ve ever watched a boxing match at this weight, you know these guys are in 5th gear for an entire fight. Torres displayed sick jiu-jitsu and ground skills in his win on Beebe, good enough in fact that I’m hoping he does it again. Whether you’re a hardcore fan or giving MMA a shot, watching a guy like Torres on the ground can give anyone an appreciation for the skill.

Meanwhile, “Razor” Rob McCullough returns from his devastating KO loss to Jamie Varner in which he also lost his lightweight belt. McCullough takes on the guy to hand him his first professional defeat, Kenneth Alexander. While this has Rampage-Eastman 2 written all over it, it still provides an interesting storyline, especially with McCullough coming off that loss to Varner.

It should be an exciting weekend for fights, and truly a banner moment for the sport of MMA. While the UFC has certainly helped the sport grow exponentially, it’s repeated PPV telecasts and recent string of poor ratings on Spike haven’t been the most productive and beneficial instances. This weekend should give serious exposure to the game and its fighters and provide a shot in the arm to MMA in general. And it will be a great way to cap off the weekend as Rich and I continue to hang onto the dream for one day out of the calendar year. This comes from a guy who tried to bunt for a base hit in the alumni game a few years back. You gotta do what you can to get on base and help the team. I’ll post my picks below:

CBS on Saturday night

Kimbo Slice by KO in the 1st round
Robbie Lawler by (T)KO due to strikes in the 2nd round
Joey Villasenor by submission in the 3rd round
Gina Carano by decision
Brett Rogers by KO in the 2nd round

WEC on Sunday night

Urijah Faber by submission (rear naked choke) in the 3rd round
Miguel Torres by submission in the 2nd round
Rob McCullough by KO in the 1st round
Chuck Grigsby by decision

-Besse