FINALLY!!

How you doin’ Doug? Great fights this last few weekends (the Chocolatito-Cuadras was my favorite). I know you and a lot of fight fans had a blast. This is what boxing is all about.

Now, at last… the match-up I’ve been waiting for is finally coming. My man, Vasyl “The Ukrainian Sniper” (that’s what I like to call him) Lomachenko will go up against the hard hitting Jamaican Mauler Nicholas “The Axe-Man” Walters. I almost flipped out when I read about this news and had to visit boxing websites to confirm it. I’m just concerned about how Walters can fight Loma. I mean the dude had almost a year layoff (I’m starting to think that he is no longer relevant) and suddenly he’s going up against one of the best fighters in the world. I hope ring rust and stamina will not be a problem for him, otherwise we will not have a fun fight.

Who do you have on this? I still favor Loma by maybe close decision (given Walters is at 100%) with a couple of knockdowns on both ends. Walters is a great counter-puncher with a deadly hook and uppercut but Loma has the talent and skill set. Both are accurate punchers and have high Ring IQ. I can tell that this fight is a tossup (although many favor Loma to win). I will not be shocked if Walters will score a knockout given the power of the Axe-Man. But no matter what happens, win or lose, Loma will still be my favorite fighter of today.

November will be an early Christmas treat for us, Kovalev-Ward, Loma-Walters and yes, Pacquiao-Vargas (given that it will still be an entertaining fight and four world championships are at stake in that event. I have high hopes in its undercards – Bob sure is a legend in bringing hype and curiosity to his events).

That’s all Doug. I hope this one makes it. Love it or hate it, your column is always one to remember. And I freakin’ lovin’ it. Have a great weekend!

MM:

Alexis Arguello vs. Roberto Duran at lightweight

Pavlik (in his prime) vs. GGG at middleweight

-Neil from Philippines

Hey Neil. I’m doing fine. I’m at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California, where I’ll call the action to an interesting WBA lightweight title-elimination bout between Michael Perez and Petr Petrov with RingTV Live partners Beto Duran and Steve Kim tonight. (Shameless plug: you can watch the show live here at RingTV.com beginning at 5:15 p.m. PT.)

I think the styles of Perez and Petrov will mesh well and give us an entertaining scrap, and the same can be said about Lomachenko-Walters – only the junior lightweights are championship-level fighters.

HBO’s Nov. 26 offering pits an elite boxer against a world-class puncher but the boxer (Lomachenko) can also crack and the puncher (Walters) has excellent technique and ring savvy to go with his power, so I don’t see how this matchup won’t be compelling.

I’m just concerned about how Walters can fight Loma. Why? Are you training him?

I mean the dude had almost a year layoff and suddenly he’s going up against one of the best fighters in the world. True. And Walters’ inactivity is probably why many fans and media – myself included – favor Loma to win (that and the fact that The Axe-Man didn’t look like a world-beater in his last fight, the majority draw with Jason Sosa, although I thought he won handily).

I hope ring rust and stamina will not be a problem for him, otherwise we will not have a fun fight. If Walters isn’t at least 80% we could witness a one-sided beatdown.

Who do you have on this? I favor Loma by clear decision because of his speed, footwork/lateral movement and versatile offense, but I think Walters will make it a competitive fight (and I’m curious to see which fighter is able to impose his potent body attack on the other).

November will be an early Christmas treat for us, Kovalev-Ward, Loma-Walters and yes, Pacquiao-Vargas (given that it will still be an entertaining fight and four world championships are at stake in that event. I have high hopes for its undercard – Bob sure is a legend in bringing hype and curiosity to his events). That’s part of the reason Arum is in the hall of fame. If Golovkin-Jacobs and Salido-Miura are made for December, I don’t want to hear any so-called boxing fan complain about this year’s fight schedule. The last six months have been exemplary.

Your mythical matchups:

Alexis Arguello vs. Roberto Duran at lightweight – Duran by late stoppage

Pavlik (in his prime) vs. GGG at middleweight – Golovkin by late stoppage

TYSON FURY, JOSHUA VS. KLITSCHKO

Hi Doug,

Can I start by wishing Tyson Fury all the best? I was disappointed to see the negativity on the internet (but not surprised) towards somebody’s mental health issues. For me entering into a boxing ring if you are not mentally well is as dangerous as fighting with a broken leg. I understand that he criticised David Haye for pulling out of fights and to some this is no different. Hopefully Tyson is given the space he needs to recover and we see him in the ring again.

Frank Warren has called Eddie Hearn ‘opportunistic’ for trying to match Anthony Joshua with Wladimir Klitschko but I would have thought that would be in a promoter’s job description.

If AJ vs Klitschko does get made how do you see it going? I think Vlad always thought he’d pass the torch on to AJ after numerous sparring sessions and I can’t see him being quick enough to avoid AJ’s heavy hands all night. AJ win by late stoppage for me.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and take care. – Joel (UK)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Joel.

I’m probably in the minority with this opinion but I don’t think Joshua is ready for Klitschko yet. This doesn’t mean that I don’t think the unbeaten Olympic champ can beat Klitschko if they were to fight in the next three-to-four months. Joshua’s got the career momentum, physical tools, maturity/poise and technique to overwhelm a 40-year-old veteran that has close to 70 bouts in a 20-year pro career. Add Klitsckho’s inactivity and false starts since his loss to Fury last November, and AJ’s chances look pretty good.

However, the fact remains that the 26-year-old IBF beltholder has under 20 pro bouts, has yet to fight past seven rounds, and has never been in with an opponent anywhere CLOSE to Klitschko in terms of experience/ring savvy, skill, technique and punching power. If AJ were to fight Klitschko next and he failed to get the former champ out of there by Round 5 or 6, he could be in a world of s__t during the second half of the fight.

Frank Warren has called Eddie Hearn ‘opportunistic’ for trying to match Anthony Joshua with Wladimir Klitschko but I would have thought that would be in a promoter’s job description. I think you’re “spot on,” as you UK chaps sometimes say. Part of Hearn’s job is to take advantage of situations that could advance the careers of his fighters. “‘Nuff said,” as some of us older Yanks like to say.

Regarding Fury, I wish him well and hope he gets the help that he needs. I don’t know what’s going to happen with this two sanctioning organization belts (WBA and WBO), but he will remain THE RING heavyweight champ until 18 months of inactivity has gone by, per our championship policy (and he may get a grace period after that given his previous ankle injury and depending on the prognosis of his psychological state), or until he retires, voluntarily abdicates the title or is deemed medically unfit to box indefinitely.

I was also saddened to see the amount of negative feedback on the news of Fury’s mental issues in social media, but like you, this did not surprise me. For starters, a lot of cretins populate the Boxing Twitterverse, but the backlash is also due to Fury’s bombastic personality and controversial nature. He’s been known to talk a lot of s__t about his fellow heavyweights. He’s attracted a lot of attention to himself with his pre- and post-fight antics, PED allegations, and his reckless “religious” statements (some of which have been deemed anti-Semitic). Celebrities who do this generally get dumped on by a significant portion of fandom and the media when they fall on hard times. I’m not saying this is justified or that the celebs are fair game. I’m just sayin’ “it is what it is” (and I’m doing so in my best Steve Kim impersonation).

EXCITED ABOUT LOMA-WALTERS, JOSHUA

Sup Dougie,
Couldn’t help but write in to express how excited I am about the announcement of Lomachenko v Walters. What a fight!! I’ve spent all week trying to build the interest with my mates who are all casual fans to get them to watch the Axeman against (in my humble opinion) the most complete fighter active today.

What’s your take on the fight? I see Loma taking it by wide points or maybe even a late stoppage, but Walters does have the neutraliser with his power. Either way I cannot wait. Watching Lomachenko’s expert footwork, combinations and punch selection is a joy to behold and I have no doubt my boys will be equally entranced. I read so many negative letters in your mailbag about the state of boxing yet more and more people here are getting interested not only in the British fighters but also the higher profile international stars and great matchups such as Lomachenko/Walters, Frampton/Santa Cruz, Kovalev/Ward and Linares/Crolla are only enhancing that!

Big news over this side of the pond seems to be that if Fury has his belts stripped that Wlad will compete for at least one of them versus Anthony Joshua. Who do you have winning that?

Wlad has the experience (obviously) and can no doubt hurt AJ, but for my money he needs to be able to sit down on his punches to do that and I’m not sure he’ll manage that against the power, speed and athleticism of the young lion. Klitschko showed against Fury that if he can’t get his right hand working then he has little else. My boy AJ by 5th round KO for me – bold choice but you have to be bold to be brave as they say!!!

Hope to make the cut as would love to get your take on the two match ups. Here’s a MM for you:

Kovalev v Cruiser version of Haye at a 190 catchweight

Keep up the good work, great start and end to the week always starts with the Dougie mailbag and loving the 10 Counts! – Mike, Weymouth, England

Thanks for the kind words about the mailbag column and the 10 Count panel discussions I do on Ucnlive.com.

If your casual fan friends take the time to tune in to the Lomachenko-Walters fight, I think they’ll appreciate what they see. The Ukrainian southpaw may indeed be the most complete fighter in the game right now. And although he has the athletic talent and sublime skill set to make most fights easy while playing it safe, he’s got a chip on his shoulder. The little dude wants to fight! He’s got an aggressive, busy boxing style and he wants to make statements. That kind of style/mentality/attitude can either make for a great performance, a great fight or a great failure against a puncher as proud and well-schooled as Walters.

Big news over this side of the pond seems to be that if Fury has his belts stripped that Wlad will compete for at least one of them versus Anthony Joshua. Who do you have winning that? I gotta go with Wladdy. He may be past his prime but he’s still hungry and he’s still forgotten more than AJ has learned so far in his four-year pro career. And let’s face it, if Dillian Whyte can give Joshua the wobbles, Dr. Steel Hammer can take him out. I know Klitschko had trouble landing his money punch against Fury, but Tyson is a lot taller and rangier than AJ, and the Gypsy King is also more mobile (despite his rather unathletic-looking size). Don’t be fooled by his knockouts of second-tier American opponents (Charles Martin and Dominic Breazeale), Joshua is still a work in progress.

What’s your take on (Lomachenko-Walters)? I think it’s a very good matchup on paper and I believe that the two talented former featherweight titleholders will make for a compelling fight, but I strongly favor Loma.

I see Loma taking it by wide points or maybe even a late stoppage, but Walters does have the neutraliser with his power. I agree for the most part, but don’t count out Lomachenko’s punching power. I think he’s cracking a lot harder now that he’s weighing in at a more-natural 130 pounds.

Either way I cannot wait. Watching Lomachenko’s expert footwork, combinations and punch selection is a joy to behold and I have no doubt my boys will be equally entranced. They will be. Lomachenko’s got the kind of boxing ability and style that casual fans can appreciate because he’s so active, athletic, versatile and aggressive.

I read so many negative letters in your mailbag about the state of boxing yet more and more people here are getting interested not only in the British fighters but also the higher profile international stars and great matchups such as Lomachenko/Walters, Frampton/Santa Cruz, Kovalev/Ward and Linares/Crolla are only enhancing that! What can I say? British fans are real boxing fans. The so-called fans that are bitching and moaning about “the best not facing the best” while excellent matchups such as Vargas-Salido, Thurman-Porter, Frampton-Santa Cruz, Yamanaka-Moreno II, and Linares-Crolla have delivered sensational fights (with more top-class bouts, such as Kovalev-Ward, Loma-Walters and Salido-Miura, on tap) are just pitiful, spoiled whiners. We might also get Gennady Golovkin-Daniel Jacobs before the year is out. Anyone who can’t appreciate all this just needs to find another sport to follow.

Your mythical matchup:

Kovalev v Cruiser version of Haye at a 190 catchweight – I favor the speed, mobility and punching power (and ability to pot shot with authority while on the fly) of the Hayemaker over the steady heavy handed boxing and pressure from the Krusher. Haye scores a pair of knockdowns en route to a unanimous decision in a competitive fight.

SHOW ME THE MONEY, SLUGGERS

Sup Doug;
1) did u happen to see Tommy Morrison’s son on Showtime? Trey looks like a slugger, same as pop. Think he’s gna make it as far or suffer the same fate as other football players turned boxers?

2) A bout between Curtis Stevens & David Lemieux was scrapped mainly due to the budget woes of HBO. Could’ve been a great test for Canelo to face the victor. So…

(a) who would’ve been the winner? If you use GGG as a litmus test I gta go w Stevens. Hope Main Events can find him some opponents.

(b) Is the new brass at HBO more concerned with the Game of Thrones budget over it’s boxing programming? Even tho Mayweather/Pacquaio was a crap fight it made mucho dinero for the network.

All the best Doug to you & yr family. – Gerry K., League City

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and questions, Gerry.

Did you happen to see Tommy Morrison’s son on Showtime? I did, and I liked what I saw. I want to see more. I think he’s got potential despite his late start.

Trey looks like a slugger, same as pop. That’s a good thing, ‘cause the 27 year old has the power to back up that style/mentality. And, like his Daddy, he appears to have defensive holes that make him vulnerable and thus prone to drama.

Think he’s gonna make it as far or suffer the same fate as other football players turned boxers? It’s way too early to tell if he’s going to “make it” (if “make it” means winning a major world title or even developing into a legit contender). He’s got 12 fights under his belt and he’s never gone past four rounds. Ask me this questions again when Lippe-Morrison graduates to fighting eight- and 10-round bouts.

2) A bout between Curtis Stevens & David Lemieux was scrapped mainly due to the budget woes of HBO. Could’ve been a great test for Canelo to face the victor. So… what makes you think Canelo or any other notable middleweight wants any part of Stevens or Lemieux? It says here that both punchers, and southpaw stylist Willie Monroe Jr., will be avoided just as much as the unified titleholder that bested them.

who would’ve been the winner? I would have slightly favored Stevens.

Is the new brass at HBO more concerned with the Game of Thrones budget over its boxing programming? Probably. Can you blame them? Which programming do you think brings in better ratings and more subscribers?

Even tho Mayweather/Pacquaio was a crap fight it made mucho dinero for the network. I don’t care how much profit was made from that unholy abortion, it wasn’t worth it. But don’t fret, HBO obviously still has a vested interest in boxing as evidenced by the Lomachenko-Walters fight being made, the imminent announcement of Orlando Salido-Takashi Miura, and the support given to the making of GGG vs. Jacobs.

BYE-BYE AL

Yo Doug,

How’s it hanging? Hope the fam is all well too. I have to get something off my chest Doug, I am a recent fan, and what got me interested in Boxing was the promise of May 2nd, the fight turned out to be boring as s__t and my friends did not appreciate staying up only to fall asleep. Anyway long story short I read the mailbag and heard about GGG, Kovalev and Gonzalez and got hooked, so cheers Dougie.

Anyway, Dougie before I begin I have to say, stop answering the idiots that are obsessed with GGG-Canelo. Who gives a s__t man? It’s a fight whose outcome is preordained and will finish a young man’s career. Focus on the GGG-Jacobs fight, one that’s actually competitive, and one that might happen soon.

Small rant over, moving on to the bigger rant. As someone who doesn’t live in the States I have not had the pleasure of watching any PBC fights, I didn’t even know it was a thing until I read about it in the mailbag. I caught some of the big ones on YouTube like Thurman-Porter and Garcia-Guerrero, so in some sense I got PBC for FREEEEEEEEEEEEE. But what always annoyed me is the large division we had in boxing, nothing new from what I understand, but being a new fan it was super frustrating.

Now that the war chest is depleted I think more big PBC guys will start fighting across the abyss, Dominic Wade and Charles Martin did not count. You think any of the fighters will abandon ship and move to Top Rank or back to Golden Boy? What fights do you want to see made?

MM:

GGG vs Dmitry Pirog (the man that will beat Jacobs vs the man who already did it)

Cheers. – Abed Jordan

Thanks for the kind words and for sharing your thoughts, Abed.

I don’t think the PBC war chest is completely depleted but I do believe that the ship is rapidly sinking and many of Haymon’s second- and third-tier fighters will be getting released from their contracts soon (if it hasn’t already happened – here in Indio, I’ve heard from various promoters and matchmakers that managers and trainers that were doing business exclusively with Haymon for the past two years have suddenly begun calling them again to make fights).

I expect Haymon to hold onto his contracts with his first-tier talent – such as Deontay Wilder, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Errol Spence Jr., Carl Frampton, James DeGale, Gary Russell Jr., Leo Santa Cruz, Daniel Jacobs, Shawn Porter, Adrien Broner, Adonis Stevenson and Artur Beterbiev, as well as a few blue-chip up-and-comers – and continue to do business with Showtime after the Good Ship PBC finally sinks and most of the networks he’s been buying air time on swear off boxing (again).

So I don’t really have a wish list for fights between the Haymon-advised elite and the top dogs of other promotional entities. I don’t see those fights happening any time soon. But I would like to see Haymon match more of his best fighters, such as Thurman vs. Garcia or Spence, or Frampton vs. Russell. However, given the fact that he wasn’t even able to make Garcia vs. Berto (or John Molina!), I’m not going to hold my breath.

As someone who doesn’t live in the States I have not had the pleasure of watching any PBC fights, I didn’t even know it was a thing until I read about it in the mailbag. Frampton-Santa Cruz, Glowacki-Huck and Thurman-Porter were gems, but all in all, you haven’t missed much.

I caught some of the big ones on YouTube like Thurman-Porter and Garcia-Guerrero, so in some sense I got PBC for FREEEEEEEEEEEEE. You just made Kim’s day, you f__kin’ hater. LOL.

But what always annoyed me is the large division we had in boxing, nothing new from what I understand, but being a new fan it was super frustrating. It sucks and it’s gravely hurt a sport that was already hurting, but that’s what happens when one man tries to take over the entire U.S. boxing scene.

I have to say, stop answering the idiots that are obsessed with GGG-Canelo. Yeah, I gotcha. I’m back to ignoring them.

Who gives a s__t man? Lots of really whiny, bitchy MoFos, but to hell with them.

It’s a fight whose outcome is preordained and will finish a young man’s career. Maybe that’s what the whiners want to see.

Focus on the GGG-Jacobs fight, one that’s actually competitive, and one that might happen soon. Fingers crossed.

I have to get something off my chest Doug, I am a recent fan, and what got me interested in Boxing was the promise of May 2nd, the fight turned out to be boring as s__t and my friends did not appreciate staying up only to fall asleep. Anyway long story short I read the mailbag and heard about GGG, Kovalev and Gonzalez and got hooked, so cheers Dougie. Hey, I’m just doing my job.

Your mythical matchup:

GGG vs Dmitry Pirog – Golovkin by late TKO in a very good scrap.

FALL BRAWLBAG

Whats up Doug-E? Got room for a Fall Brawlbag?

1. Loved your Monday Bag. Especially the Glass Cannons discussion. Agreed with your list for the most part. But where was Felix Trinidad? We all remember the massive firepower that guy had. But he certainly didn’t have the greatest chin and even by welter standards he looked a little frail. Kind of like a 8 inch howitzer mounted onto a baby carrage.

2. Many fighters were indeed glass cannons like Trinidad, Julian Jackson, or Hitman Hearns. Or they were the exact opposite. Really tough chins but not much firepower. Tungsten carbide pop-guns you can call them. Guys like Bernard Hopkins, Robert Guerrero and Sweet-Pea Whitaker come to mind. But what about the top 5 fortress cannons of all time. Guy who can break bones but withstand the heaviest artillery you can imagine. For me the original JC Chavez comes to mind. That badass sure left a pile of broken bones and faces in his wake. But you couldn’t even dent the guy. Even if you were a huge puncher like Edwin Rosario. Steel-chinned power-punchers like Marvin Hagler, Robert Duran and Ike Ibeubuchi also make my list. What about your Top 5 Fortified Cannon List?

3. Did Lennox Lewis really had a glass jaw. If he was undertrained or unprepared then yes he did. Though he stood up to Vitali Klitchko’s heavy guns despite looking like a 260 pound dough-boy and being at the end of his career. But what if the ref and doctor said “F*** it. This is for the heavyweight title. Let them go”

Would Klitchko have battered down the big Brit or do you think his face would have fallen apart. And who do you think would have won the rematch if it happened in 2004 as planned. Vitali would have been my pick for that one.

4. OK more on GGG-Canelo. Actually no. I’m running out of time here. I’ll just wait until that latest “War To End All Wars” actually happens. Right now I’m more geared up for a hot November coming up. We already got Ward-Kovalev coming up. Right on my birthday no less. And now V. Lomachenko vs Axe-Man Walters. Hot-dog! Just the fights I want to see. Ward-Kov is 50-50 for me but I’m picking Loma to axe the Axe-Man by the middle or late rounds. Your thoughts Bro?

Later Guy! – Cap Ron

What up, Cap! Bring on that Brawlbag badness!

 1. Loved your Monday Bag. Especially the Glass Cannons discussion. I aim to please.

Agreed with your list for the most part. But where was Felix Trinidad? Hey, Tito went down but always got up. The only time he was stopped was in Round 12 of B-Hop’s classic boxing clinic when his father threw in the towel.

2. Many fighters were indeed glass cannons like Trinidad, Julian Jackson, or Hitman Hearns. Or they were the exact opposite. Really tough chins but not much firepower. Tungsten carbide pop-guns you can call them. Guys like Bernard Hopkins, Robert Guerrero and Sweet-Pea Whitaker come to mind. Before B-Hop earned a reputation for being one of the sports top technician/neutralizers, he was known for his big right hand. In fact, he has the middleweight record for the fastest KO in a title fight, his 24-second demolition of Steve Frank. His early title reign stoppages of Segundo Mercado (rematch), Joe Lipsey and Simon Brown are evidence of his power.

But what about the top 5 fortress cannons of all time. Guys who can break bones but withstand the heaviest artillery you can imagine. For me the original JC Chavez comes to mind. That badass sure left a pile of broken bones and faces in his wake. But you couldn’t even dent the guy. Even if you were a huge puncher like Edwin Rosario. Steel-chinned power-punchers like Marvin Hagler, Robert Duran and Ike Ibeubuchi also make my list. What about your Top 5 Fortified Cannon List? I’ll go with Sugar Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano, Chavez, Carmen Basilio (especially at welterweight) and Hagler.

3. Did Lennox Lewis really had a glass jaw. Um, yeah, it only took one clean shot from Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman to put him on Queer Street.

If he was undertrained or unprepared then yes he did. Oh, stop making excuses for him. He got caught by second-tier heavyweights with good but not great punching power.

Though he stood up to Vitali Klitchko’s heavy guns despite looking like a 260 pound dough-boy and being at the end of his career. Yes, he did. He faced a lot of punchers, including Tommy Morrison and David Tua, and when he was able to box in a manner that protected his chin, those heavy hitters were completely outclassed. Klitschko, on the other hand, was more than a puncher and gave him fits.

But what if the ref and doctor said “F*** it. This is for the heavyweight title. Let them go.” Would Klitchko have battered down the big Brit or do you think his face would have fallen apart. I think Vitali’s face would have fallen apart, but Lewis’s legs were going quickly.

And who do you think would have won the rematch if it happened in 2004 as planned. Vitali would have been my pick for that one. Mine too. Lewis got old in the first bout and was smart enough to realize it.

4. OK more on GGG-Canelo. Actually no. I’m running out of time here. I’ll just wait until that latest “War To End All Wars” actually happens. Right now I’m more geared up for a hot November coming up. We already got Ward-Kovalev coming up. Right on my birthday no less. I hope the fight delivers so you can enjoy it.

And now V. Lomachenko vs Axe-Man Walters. Hot-dog! Just the fights I want to see. Ward-Kov is 50-50 for me but I’m picking Loma to axe the Axe-Man by the middle or late rounds. Your thoughts Bro? I favor Eastern Bloc badasses by decision.

Email Fischer at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @dougiefischer