Tomasz Adamek edges Steve Cunningham in 'controversial' split decision

Polish heavyweight Tomasz Adamek outpointed American Steve Cunningham in a split decision in their IBF title eliminator at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The win was Adamek's second split decision victory over Cunningham, as he also eked out an SD win four years earlier in New Jersey.

But Tomasz Adamek's victory came with a little controversy, courtesy of Judge Debra Barnes' bizarre score card. The fight was initially announced as a draw: David Greer scored the fight 116-112 for Adamek; Tim Miller had it 115-113 for Cunningham and Debra Barnes' initially had it at 115-115 even. But for whatever reason behind the snafu, whether it was failure at basic arithmetic or just a cruel twist of fate, Barnes' score was changed (or corrected) to 115-112 in favor of Tomasz Adamek (48-2, 29 KOs) that obviously bewildered a visibly dejected Steve Cunningham (25-5, 12 KOs).

"I really don't know what more I can do. What can I say? What can I do? Real men cry, real men shed tears. You can't knock everyone out. We did our thing in the ring. It saddens me. I can't be getting cheated like this. It's sad, man, it's sad. It's nonsense. What needs to be done in boxing for this not to happen again? This isn't a game. What else do I have to do?"

In 2008, Tomasz Adamek knocked Steve Cunningham down three times during the fight, but failed to sink him as he settled for a split decision verdict. It took four years for Tomasz Adamek and Steve Cunningham to meet again, and although both fighters are older and heavier this time around, both fighters came to fight...
And a game plan: Steve Cunningham, in an interview before the fight, said that he will exploit his reach advantage (82" vs.75") and utilize his jab, while Tomasz Adamek stated that he will use his quickness and power to gain an edge.

After the customary 'feeling out' process in the first round, true to form, both fighters began to implement their prepared fight script against each other. Steve Cunningham began to let his left jab go and dictate the tempo, while Tomasz Adamek attempted to pressure his opponent to land his power shots.
For the first four rounds, Steve Cunningham began holding court and was successful in fending off Tomasz Adamek's attacks by his constant movement, stiff jabs and hard rights.

But in the fifth, Tomasz Adamek began to press the issue as he finally penetrated Steve Cunningham's defenses and landed his shots. Although Cunningham would fire back, it was obvious on who between them had the more lethal firepower.

It became a see-saw battle, starting in the sixth up until the end of the fight. Just when you think one fighter will have the round under wraps, momentum would shift making it a very hard fight to score. Throughout the entire 12 rounds, the fight was close and could have gone either way as both fighters were doing everything they could to gain an advantage over one another.

Both fighters had their moments: Tomasz Adamek cutting the ring and landing hard rights to his opponent's face while pinning him in the corner, while Steve Cunningham would suddenly come alive and retaliate with his own hard punches to the jaw.

The give and take was intense -- both fighters would score and make their punches count when they mattered: Steve Cunningham with his accurate left jabs and jarring overhand rights; Tomasz Adamek with his double-fisted hard attacks. It was a battle between two determined gladiators right from the start. And the firefight did not let up until the bell tolled to end the 12th and final round of the bout.

Steve Cunningham had an edge over Tomasz Adamek in total punches landed, 209-169, and he also outjabbed the Pole, landing 129 of 349. But Tomasz Adamek connected more power punches than his American opponent, 120-80.

Roger Bloodworth, Adamek's trainer, put the fight in perspective --

"It all depends on what you were looking at. If you looked at effective punching, which is what the judges saw, they would have give this to Tomasz. If you liked running and being a stylist, then you wanted Cunningham. I think the more effective puncher won this fight, and that was Tomasz."

True, it was a close fight that was hard to score and this writer would have no problem if it ended up the way it was first announced -- a draw.

What do you think?

Note: This article was first published on Detroit Fight Sports Examiner

Nonito Donaire tames "The Menace" with his fists

photo credit: Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Nonito Donaire (31-1, 20 KOs), the WBO super bantamweight champion made short work of challenger Jorge Arce inside three rounds. The Filipino Flash blitzed El Travieso in the fight and into retirement with his fast and powerful hands. And as usual, Nonito Donaire made an emphatic statement with his fists on Saturday night at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

The total number of punches thrown by Nonito Donaire belies his dominance but confirms the power packed in his hands: landing 27 of 93 punches thrown for 30% clip against Jorge Arce's anemic 13 of 96 connection for a mediocre 14% rate.

Jorge Arce (61-7-2, 46 KOs), the Mexican veteran, was never in the fight. Aside from skills and talent, the Filipino fighter's edge in all departments are enormous: the punching power difference was obvious, the reach advantage was glaring, and the disparity in size was plain to see. Yes, Jorge Arce was tailor-made for Nonito Donaire to be massacred.

It was apparent to the casual ring observer that Jorge Arce was intimidated by his opponent's reputation inside the ring even before he climbed into it. Thus, we can say, like many that came before him, Jorge Arce already lost the battle inside his head and only needed a validation of some sort inside the ring to confirm what he feared or believed.

Nonito Donaire is boxing's version of "The Great Intimidator." Yes, folks, that's what Nonito Donaire does to his opponents. How many times have we seen fighters with glowing records who melted under Nonito Donaire's glare? How many times have we seen boxers with solid ring credentials who tripped when they entered the ring with Nonito Donaire? Now we can add Jorge Arce's name to that growing list of Nonito Donaire's 'famous' victims.

After a ho-hum first round, Nonito Donaire sent an omen of things to come to the very wary Jorge Arce, with a short right straight down the middle that led to the referee's mandatory eight count on the Mexican in the second round.

In the fateful third round, Jorge Arce abandoned his cautious approach in favor of his old reliable style and decided to mix it up with Nonito Donaire. Big mistake, as the Filipino Flash quickly put an end to his night: a combination of a powerful right and three successive lefts put Jorge Arce on his back with less than a second left in the round.

Yes Houston, Nonito Donaire had no problem at all in disposing Jorge Arce in his usual 'boring' fashion. Jorge Arce was easy pickings for Nonito Donaire and many boxing observers believed that we have not seen Nonito Donaire's best yet.

Maybe a fight with Abner Mares or Guillermo Rigondeaux, two of the best fighters in the division, will be the catalyst for the real Nonito Donaire to finally burst out of his shell?


Note: This article was first published on Detroit Fight Sports Examiner

Leo Santa Cruz retains title in boxing's return to CBS network

photo credit: Jeff Gross/Getty Images

International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz defended his title via unanimous decision (116-112, 118-110, 119-109) against challenger Alberto Guevara at the Los Angeles Sports Arena Saturday afternoon.

The championship fight heralded the return of boxing to CBS Sports, which has not shown the sweet science in more than 15 years. And by choosing Leo Santa Cruz (23-0-1, 13 KOs) to headline the event, the organizers have shown that they know their business well, since the Mexican fighter has a crowd-pleasing style and the reputation of being an all-action fighter.

Leo Santa Cruz is a volume puncher and a high-octane fighter who is always exciting to watch, and pitting him against Alberto Guevara (16-1, 6 KOs), the erstwhile undefeated challenger who made his U.S. debut in this fight, proved to be a boxing coup.

There was no feeling-out process as both fighters immediately went at each other right from the opening bell. Alberto Guevara took the fight to Leo Santa Cruz, surprising the crowd. Leo Santa Cruz ended the first round with a bloodied nose.

The next two rounds proved that Alberto Guevara came to fight as he engaged Leo Santa Cruz in a chess match; countering well, never staying too long in the pocket and moving out of harm's way. Leo Santa Cruz, who could only cover and counter, found himself being outpunched and outlanded by the very game challenger.

The same script was followed in rounds 3 and 4 as Alberto Guevara continued to move, circling and taking potshots at Leo Santa Cruz. The hit-and-run tactics were running smoothly for Alberto Guevara, until Leo Santa Cruz landed a left straight down the middle to halt his opponent's momentum. The action picked up thereafter as Leo Santa Cruz decided to push his attack to Alberto Guevara, obliging the champion in a tit-for-tat battle.

Leo Santa Cruz began to get the better of Alberto Guevara by landing the harder and cleaner punches during the furious exchanges. Leo Santa Cruz also began to put pressure on his opponent's defense, even though Alberto Guevara would continue to give him angles and proved elusive to hit with solid punches.

Still, Leo Santa Cruz persevered by constantly coming forward, firing on all cylinders as he waged battle against an equally determined opponent. Alberto Guevara was also quick to the draw and able to hold his fort against Leo Santa Cruz's determined assault.

The seventh round was highlighted by furious exchanges in the pocket: Santa Cruz landing his shots, hurting Guevara in the process. The power and volume of Leo Santa Cruz's punches overwhelmed the resistance being put up by the brave and durable Alberto Guevara.

In the 8th round, Leo Santa Cruz continued a double-fisted assault that began slowing down Alberto Guevara. Fatigue and wear-and-tear began to take their toll on the challenger as Leo Santa Cruz stepped up his onslaught, unloading his arsenal, and putting the hurt on Alberto Guevara who continuously took them.

Despite being outpunched, Alberto Guevara showed his big heart as he continued to return fire. But Alberto Guevara was wilting under constant pressure from Leo Santa Cruz's bombs, and the body shots that the champion had invested earlier were now taking their toll on his nemesis.

The 10th round saw Leo Santa Cruz turning to southpaw stance as he continued to impose his will on Alberto Guevara, who, although slowing down, was still fighting back and resisting Santa Cruz's advance.

The 11th round saw Leo Santa Cruz mount an spirited attack, but Alberto Guevara took everything that his opponent was giving him, while returning the favor at every chance and opportunity. But the difference in power and accuracy between the two protagonists was telling. Leo Santa Cruz was undeniably the harder puncher and dominant fighter between the two.

The last round was characterized by torrid back-and-forth action at the center of the ring. Both fighters gave the fight their all and then some.

Despite the constant pressure and being outgunned, Alberto Guevara never wavered in this fight. Alberto Guevara was game until the very end, but Leo Santa Cruz would not be denied in his third successful defense of the title that he took from South Africa's Vusi Malinga earlier this year.

Leo Santa Cruz outlanded Alberto Guevara in total punches 291/989 (29%) to 158/793 (20%). The champion also eclipsed the challenger in jabs (81/429 19% to 46/404 11%) as well as in power punches (210/560 38% to 112/389 29%).


Note: This article was previously posted on Detroit Fight Sports Examiner

Manny Pacquiao: "No Excuses"

“I want people who watch this fight to be satisfied. I don’t care about a belt and I don’t care about the money – I want to win in style.”- Manny Pacquiao

Juan Manuel Marquez better watch out. Manny Pacquiao is going to put the hurt tonight. But that will only happen if the Filipino boxing superstar is in top shape and true to his pronouncements.

We may say, Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez have fought for 36 rounds before, and the Filipino fighter managed to put the Mexican down four times but failed to finish him off; what else is new this time around?

For a change, the news that came out of his training camp was nothing but positive, encouraging and spectacular. They say that Manny Pacquiao is very focused and has worked very hard for this fight. Gone are the usual distractions: the booze, the gambling, the women and the late nights. They advertised that the fire in his belly is back and that he has knocked down several sparring partners this time around, a fact that has not been seen in his training camp since his preparation for the Miguel Cotto fight as proof.

Yet amid all these pronouncements and press releases, many of us remain skeptical since we all have heard this kind of news before, and we all have read this kind of script before, and we all have seen this kind of movie before.

Truth is, Manny Pacquiao has not been the same fighter inside the ring ever since he showed mercy on a bloodied Miguel Cotto in 2009. He then went out and had fun with Joshua Clottey and made mince-meat of Antonio Margarito a year later. And in 2011, instead of fighting, Manny Pacquiao engaged Shane Mosley in a 'touched-gloved' diplomacy and did not take Juan Manuel Marquez seriously in their trilogy.

And last June, Manny Pacquiao cruised and sleepwalked on Timothy Bradley, which he could have easily taken care of if he only cared enough to push for a stoppage. And so Manny Pacquiao paid the price for his lackluster performance by eventually losing the said fight albeit a controversial one.

Yes, Manny Pacquiao has been shamed and humbled by the Bradley debacle. And he is on a mission to bounce back and show the boxing world that he can still be a fireball inside the ring.

Yes, despite his age and the wear and tear, Manny Pacquiao wants to prove that he can still be the 'Typhoon from the Pacific' who can unleash a storm against his opponent. Yes, Manny Pacquiao wants to silence his critics and convince the skeptics and regain the stature that made him one of the most loved, if not the best fighter of his era.

Manny Pacquiao states that tonight, there will be "no doubts this time" when he hammers the final nail on the coffin on the Juan Manuel Marquez question.

However, all these talks about Manny Pacquiao's exploits in training camp would not matter if on fight night, Manny Pacquiao fails to deliver. All these press releases to be the 'old' Manny Pacquiao and knock out Juan Manuel Marquez will be for naught if he fails to pull the trigger.

So, if Manny Pacquiao hopes to 'win in style', then all he has to do is bear in mind that old famous Nike slogan, "Just Do It."

 Note: This article was previously posted on Detroit Fight Sports Examiner

Juan Manuel Marquez: In search of the holy "grain"

If we want to understand Juan Manuel Marquez's mentality as a fighter, we only need to look back in all the things that he did and the discipline that goes with them so that he can acquire "that little grain of difference" against his opponents.

And there is no other fighter that can make Juan Manuel Marquez shift into overdrive in preparation for a fight than Manny Pacquiao. He engaged the Filipino superstar in three brutal wars that could have gone either way, but he ended up on the losing end twice (2008, 2011) and managed to eke out a draw in one (2004).

And there is no other topic that can make Juan Manuel Marquez's blood curdle than the mention of his defeats to Manny Pacquiao. His setbacks to the Filipino fighter are what drive him to prepare harder and resort to unconventional methods just so he can have even the slightest edge over his nemesis.

Yes, in the mind of Juan Manuel Marquez, he believed that he has won all three of their fights, a belief that only adds fuel to his desire to finally get one over Manny Pacquiao. And tonight he will have his chance to finally end years of frustration, quiet all his detractors and unburden him of the weights on his shoulders.

Juan Manuel Marquez's desperation bordering to obssession to finally beat Manny Pacquiao is one for the books; because of his unconventional approach in his quest for boxing's holy grail, Juan Manuel Marquez at one time or another has become the butt of jokes among fans and fighters alike.

After all, nobody in the boxing world has the mental toughness and intestinal fortitude that Juan Manuel Marquez has exhibited in preparation for a fight. His burning desire to have that wee-bit of an advantage once led him to drinking his own urine to no avail.

Juan Manuel Marquez has never shied away from using both traditional and new technology to enhance his chances of winning a fight. He uses the hyperbaric chamber to breathe 100% pure oxygen and has also incorporated 'cupping therapy' in his regimen to relax his 39-year old body.

And that search for "that little grain of difference" found him hooking up with Angel "Memo" Heredia, a trainer with a dark and shady past who once bragged in a 2009 interview that modern day testing for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in sports is 'laughable' -- Juan Manuel Marquez has made what many boxing observers believed to be a pact with the devil.

So, Juan Manuel Marquez with Angel "Memo" Heredia overseeing his strength and conditioning training has transformed himself into a hulking, muscular, well-chiseled specimen. He professes that he feels good and is ready to engage Manny Pacquiao in a no-holds-barred fight. He proclaims that his hard work and his new-found strength and speed will make the big difference in the fight. And he also vows that he will go for a knockout against Manny Pacquiao this time around.

But whether Juan Manuel Marquez has really found 'that little grain of difference' with Memo Heredia in his corner for this fight remains to be seen. Juan Manuel Marquez will still need to go out there and prove his mettle against Manny Pacquiao to earn the nod of the boxing public.  Juan Manuel Marquez needs to commit and take the fight to Manny Pacquiao to show the judges who is in charge inside the ring.  As they usually say, a warrior does not waste his time waiting for the enemy to commit mistakes and good fortune always favors the brave.

Tonight, a victory by Juan Manuel Marquez will be a vindication of his long quest and the road that he has taken for that elusive W against Manny Pacquiao. But another defeat in the hands of his traditional nemesis will not only be devastating but a bitter pill to swallow for the fighter from Mexico.

So, what would Juan Manuel Marquez do?




Note: This article was previously posted on Detroit Fight Sports Examiner