Archive for March, 2017

The Mail Pouch: McGarry’s Manchester Minute

Saturday, March 25th, 2017

By William Trillo

You must hand it to McGarry. His continued support and thoughts on upcoming fights are appreciated and welcome. Check out what he has to say about Linares vs. Crolla.

Dear Mr. Trillo,

Today, the biggest fight is in Manchester – WBA Lightweight champion puts his belt on the line against Anthony Crolla. This is a rematch of their fight in the same arena last September. In that fight, Linares won a close decision and went 12 rounds for the first time. The fact that the defending champion has agreed to go back to the same arena in Crolla’s home town for the rematch says a lot about the Venezuelan’s self-confidence. His Mancunian opponent has also made it clear he believes he can do better than in their first fight. His record in rematches suggests Crolla does improve the second time around. Crolla’s first world title shot Darly Perez – another Venezuelan – ended in a draw, and Perez was knocked out by vicious body shot in the rematch four months later.

The weigh in yesterday was like a reunion between two old friends. Both looked in peak condition, and there was genuine respect between the two fighters.

This time around, Linares goes into the fight knowing he can beat Crolla and can go the full 12 rounds if needed. Crolla knows he has to avoid big punches from this opponent, like the huge right hand he took in the sixth round of their first meeting that left him feeling dazed for several rounds, and he knows he has to start quickly and maintain the pressure for as long as the fight lasts.

My prediction: this will be a very entertaining fight and it will go the distance. While Linares deserves to be the slight favorite, I believe the sheer intensity of Crolla’s attack will just about edge a war of attrition. This could well be a fight of the year candidate, and the advantage could switch more than once before the final bell. Will this set up a trilogy between these two exciting lightweights?

McGarry,
I too look forward to this fight coming from across the pond. It’s going to be a nip & tuck battle worthy of watching.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

Jason Quigley St. Paddy’s Day Q & A

Wednesday, March 22nd, 2017

By William Trillo

With his fight coming up on Thursday, March 23, there was no way I was going to let St. Patrick’s Day slip by without having a chat Irish middleweight contender Jason “El Animal” Quigley (12-0, 10 KOs). On a big ESPN show promoted by Golden Boy Quigley will take on the rugged Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia (23-3, 15 KOs) in a 10-round main event battle for the vacant NABF middleweight title. This is the perfect platform for Quigley to spring himself into the spotlight. With a win over Tapia the fighter from Ireland could be well on his way to 160 stardom.

That being said, Tapia is no slouch. We spoke to Quigley about this moment and his opponent. As you will read, Quigley is ready for the task at hand.

Pound4Pound: Hey Jason, thanks for speaking with us today. How are you feeling less than a week out from your fight?

Jason Quigley: I’m all good, everything is good, I can’t complain. I have had a great training camp and just finished my session today. After a nap I might go out for a bit, just depends on how I am feeling.

P4P: Ah yes, this is St. Paddy’s day. Tell me…How does a real Irishman celebrate the holiday?

JQ: I can’t celebrate like a real Irishmen now because we are so close to the fight. But…a real Irishman would go out and hit the pubs, have a good drink and a good sing song and maybe a dance later in the night, like that. But for me right now, I must keep it all calm and relaxed and stay focused for my fight. Everything is all about sacrifice now. I got 4 full days until the weigh-in so I will be keeping an eye on everything that I am eating and putting into my body. Right now it’s all about staying 100% focused for fight night. That’s what it is all about. I can’t wait and I am looking forward to it.

P4P: This is a pretty special night you are fighting on as Golden Boy makes it’s return to ESPN. It must have come as a big honor to be chosen for the Main Event on this breakout televised c ard.

JQ: It’s a great opportunity for me. I am very blessed. It’s a privilege for me to be chosen to be the main event. Golden Boy put their faith and trust in me to put me on their show. It’s my responsibility to shine now. ESPN and boxing fans will be looking at this show to see what kind of young talent and prospects Golden Boy has. That is exactly what I plan on doing on March 23rd. I plan on getting out there and putting on a show and shining in front of those bright lights.

P4P: You are 12-0 now with 10 knockouts and you are rightly given this chance to show what you are made of. Regarding the timing of this fight, did it feel like a long time coming or does it seem to have come pretty quickly?

JQ: The timing is perfect. Everything seems to be falling into place nicely coming into this fight. I have had two big steps up in competition in my last two fights and I overcame them comfortably. I plan on doing the same on fight night. This is another step up for me against an opponent with a good record. I am sure he is going to come out there 110% and I am expecting the very best Glen Tapia come fight night. So, for me, I am looking for the best he has got. I have prepared well and I am going to give him one helluva fight. For that matter I know I am going to give any man in the middleweight division one helluva a night when we meet because I am always fully prepared, like I will be against Tapia.

P4P: You are considered to be the favorite here and on paper most experts agree Tapia is in too deep with a fighter of your skills. But, to me Tapia is like that injured bear in the forest right now and he is desperate, and that makes him very dangerous. The reason he is fighting in desperation is he has had a couple stumbles and now he needs a victory to stay relevant, no matter the cost. Is that how you see Tapia?

JQ: Yes, he has had a few stumbles. But…You have to look at who he stumbled against. These were top of the class fighters he had those stumbles against. People are not looking at me as a top class fighter yet because I haven’t had those kind of opponents, but those are the kind of fights I am looking to get now. I know Glen Tapia is going to be ready and I am looking to up against the best Tapia can give me. But I know it doesn’t matter how good he is that night, I am ready and I am going to shine come fight night. I am not going to let him get in the way of the dreams and goals I have set for myself.

P4P: So, with a big victory here you are sure to get a jumpstart into the spotlight. Have you had time to think about that and put it into perspective?

JQ: With me, what you see is what you get. I am a straight shooter. There is no BS with me. I get in there and I do what I gotta do. This is my career, this is what pays the bills for me, it can give me a good life. Coming from a small town like Donegal in Ireland I plan on making a great life for myself and my family. There is going to be no man out there who comes those ropes who can stop me. I never look over any opponent. People are asking me what’s next after Tapia but I do not think about what is after Tapia. He is my only focus right now. I do not care about what is after. I need to get over Tapia and I need to eliminate him and then we can talk about the future and what is next.

P4P: Great answer Jason. Before we wrap it up I got some good news for you. I don’t know if you know it or not but the day you fight is National Tamale Day. Now I know you can’t enjoy St. Patrick’s Day like you normally would but don’t fret. I am going to be bringing some of my World Famous Trillo Home Made Tamales to the fight for you and after the fight I will make sure you get them delivered to your locker room so you can enjoy that holiday. How does that sound?

JQ: That sounds Amazing! After my win, I am going to sit down with that victory and my belt and those Tamales and I am going to enjoy them all so much. Thank you.

Never let it be said that I am not looking out for these fighter’s best interest!

Quigley vs. Tapia is a 10-round battle for the vacant NABF Middleweight title presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate “Born BOLD.” Doors open at 4:00 p.m. PT and the first fight begins at 4:00 p.m. PT. The ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes transmission begins live from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. The ESPN3 and WatchESPN App livestream of event will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets priced starting at $25 are available for purchase at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.FantasySprings.com.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

MSG Fight Night Thoughts

Monday, March 20th, 2017

By William Trillo
Photos: Tom Hogan – K2 Promotions

I am not outraged by the decision in the Srisaket Sor Rungvisai vs. Roman Gonzalez title fight. It was a great scrap and the Thai fighter showed he is far from a no named fluke. Gonzalez was tough and had a good night but he seems to be a shell of his former self now that he has stepped up in weight. This was far from a robbery.

The difference in the GGG vs. Jacobs fight was the knockdown. The blown up Miracle Man put on his best performance but it didn’t appear GGG had any problems with the much bigger man. Showing he has what it takes to take it to the bigger man should lay to rest any notion that Ward would demolish GGG should the two ever meet. There was no controversy here. Golovkin was rightfully awarded the decision.

The lack of any visible presence by PBC in Jacobs corner is worthy of note.

Carlos Cuadras looked pedestrian in his victory.

All in all it was a good night of boxing at MSG this weekend.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

The Mail Pouch: McGarry Weighs In On GGG vs. Jacobs

Saturday, March 18th, 2017

By William Trillo

As always, we appreciate when our faithful reader David McGarry chimes in with his thoughts about the big fights, but on this one it’s hard to agree with his insight. Although his thoughts are concise it seems his prediction on the eventual outcome is way off.

Dear Mr. Trillo,

On March 18, there will be plenty of people in New York with sore heads because they celebrated St. Patrick’s Day a little too hard. Later that day, it’s the turn of the world’s two best middleweight boxers to inflict headaches on each other when they meet at Madison Square Gardens. Gennady Golovkin puts his titles on the line against mandatory challenger Daniel Jacobs. Both have won nearly all their fights by knockout, so it has been easy to sell this fight as a shootout along the lines of Hagler v Hearns.

The Kazakh champion starts as a fairly heavy favorite mainly because of the single blemish on his challenger’s record. In 2010, Jacobs was stopped in the fifth round by Dmitry Pirog when fighting for the vacant WBO middleweight title. A few months (and two routine wins against journeymen) later, Jacobs was diagnosed with bone cancer, and at one point it seemed unlikely he would ever walk again. Under the circumstances, a loss for a world title seems perfectly understandable – he was almost certainly suffering from that cancer at the time. He took over a year off to recover, and since then Jacobs has knocked out all of his opponents.

Jacobs has two knockout wins against the fairly light hitting Sergio Mora, but in their first meeting both fighters were knocked down in the first round. This led to renewed questions about Jacobs’ chin. No one disputes his punching power – it’s his capacity to absorb punishment that is in doubt.

Meanwhile, GGG has been out of the ring since last September, and his last outing – against IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook – left many observers wondering if he was just starting to decline. In that fight, Brook landed some impressive combinations that were not quite powerful enough to inflict lasting damage on the bigger man. The champion won a war of attrition, breaking Brook’s eye socket early on, and the injury seriously hampered his opponent’s vision.

That fight was the first time any opponent has made Golovkin look even slightly vulnerable. It was a brief moment, so how relevant will it be on March 18?

My prediction: this is the first time GGG has faced an opponent with similar power and superior hand speed. As usual, he has a huge advantage in experience and technical skills – when he can be bothered to use them. His other main advantage – the ability to intimidate an opponent into giving up before the first bell rings – won’t be a feature on the night. Any fighter who can overcome bone cancer is not going to be afraid of a smaller man throwing punches. It is likely Jacobs believes winning this fight, and the titles on offer, is his destiny. That makes him very dangerous.

Both fighters are likely to start off as quickly as possible, with very little feeling out. My guess is the challenger’s hand speed will be the crucial difference when they start to trade heavy shots. GGG may fight like a man much younger than his 25 years, but absorbing a few heavy punches from a world class middleweight might make him age before our eyes.

Both fighters will probably hurt each other in the early exchanges, but I think the (relative) youth and hunger will give Jacobs enough of an edge to prevail by knockout in four or five rounds.

McGarry,

As you state, Jacobs was crumbled in the first round by Sergio Mora. The last time I checked Mora has a hard time crumbling Blue Cheese onto his salad.
That in and of itself tells me everything I need to know.

I don’t see Jacobs lasting more than 9 minutes tonight against GGG.

Look for Golvokin to end the big drama show in round 3.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

The Mail Pouch: McGarry Breaks Down Haye vs. Bellew & Thurman vs. Garcia

Saturday, March 4th, 2017

It’s a big weekend from sea to shining sea this weekend, From the big boys to the Mid-sized we should have some good action. Let’s take a look at what our faithful reader David McGarry has to say:


Dear Mr. Trillo,

This is a big weekend for boxing, and I thought I’d share my thoughts on the fights for March 4.

At the weigh in yesterday, David Haye looked like a guy who had done some weightlifting and cut a lot of corners in training. He really did look like someone who had trained on a yacht and enjoyed a few cocktails in the jacuzzi after each training session. I doubt he did much roadwork – if any – in preparation. The fact that his trainer, Shane McGuigan, has been quoted in the past as not believing running is much use to a boxer also makes it likely David Haye is relying on weight training and pad work to get the job done.

I suspect Haye’s visit to Germany a couple of days ago was part of a plan to find a way around drugs detection when his blood and urine are tested post fight. Haye’s behaviour – his mood swings and constantly scratching himself during interviews – are clear signs something is not right.

Bellew looked pretty much the same as for his previous two world title fights at cruiserweight. In other words, his physique is nothing to write home about

As for the fight itself, I think Bellew will look to jab and run and hope Haye tires himself out after a couple of rounds. Haye will stalk his opponent and will throw an looping overhand right at every opportunity. If Haye is able to connect cleanly in the first three rounds, he will win by knockout. If Bellew is able to avoid his punches and make Haye work then he will start to wear the heavier man down. That could lead to a stoppage around the 7th or 8th round. Either way, I predict Haye will fail a drug test and receive a lengthy ban. If that does happen, perhaps McGauigan will also get punished in some way. If Haye won the fight then he’ll get sued by everyone.

If he has any ambition to fight at world level, O’Hara Davies should make short work of Derry Matthews. Matthews was brutally knocked out by Like Campbell in his previous outing, and stepping up to light welterweight means he will be facing an opponent who punches even harder.

Sam Eggington should beat Paulie Malignaggi convincingly if he wants to progress to the next level in the welterweight division. The American might teach Eggington a few things in the process.

Heavyweight Dave Allen will earn some more beer money. but otherwise prove nothing. Luis Ortiz was much too good an opponent for Allen late last year, but fighting “a poor man’s David Price” (Allen’s words) in David Howe is going too far in the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, in America, Keith Thurman faces Danny Garcia in a welterweight unification fight. Thurman is naturally the bigger man with the higher knockout ratio, but he hasn’t won a fight by knockout for a long time. He should start as the favourite in a fight that is expected to go the distance. Garcia is also used to winning title fights on points, so a knockout seems unlikely. Danny Garcia has enjoyed a lot of luck in his boxing career and maybe his streak will continue. This is contest between two very fit and evenly matched boxers in their prime. Hopefully, the winner will face the victor in the Brook – Spence fight and we will finally see who is the world’s best welterweight.

On the undercard, Andrzej Fonfara will probably beat a faded Chad Dawson. His work rate will probably be too much for the former champion. I predict either a wide points win or late knockout. A decisive loss could persuade Dawson it’s time to find another career.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.