AND STILL THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD......

Wladimir Klitschko TKO 12 Eddie Chambers TIME: 2:55

Wladimir Klitschko dominated from start to finish to finish off challenger Eddie Chambers. He won every single round behind his jab and effective aggressiveness. Eddie felt his power early and decided it wasn't worth it to open up until the last round. He reminded me of Joshua Clottey the way he was covering up and not bringing the fight to the champ. When Chambers thought it was safe to open up a little in the last round he got caught with a very hard left hook that ended the fight. Chambers went down in a slump, like a sack of potatoes and stayed there for over 2 minutes. Every challenger that steps before Wladimir says it is going to be different with them. It ends Every time with same result the challenger looking bad and Wladimir victorious. Even though he fought in front of a staggering 51,000 people in Germany he still is not loved in America. I don't get it are Americans attentions spans that short that they can't recognize a dominant champion? The American public needs to stop hating on the Ukrainian giant and give him the respect he deserves. He has destroyed every American challenger he has faced and still he gets no love. He wins and when he wins he wins every round in dominating fashion. I enjoy watching him fight and have no problem shelling out money and sitting in from of my computer all night. He may look robotic and have a dull style to the casual boxing fan, but that is who he is. Since he has employed the services of Emanuel Steward he has been molded into a totally different fighter. He now fights like a big man, using his height, and fighting behind his jab. This style has been sort of a crutch for the dominant champion. It allows him to be less aggressive and fuels his cautious nature. Mnnay gets frustrated with his heavyweight student because he wants him to get the credit his so well deserves for being such a dominate champion. Even tonight he scolded Wladimir for not being more aggressive and being too content just to win. Manny said "We don't need another bullshit decision". It worked tonight, but until he can have a string of highlight reel knockouts he will never be loved by the demanding American public.

REVENGE, AND REDEMPTION: SECHEW POWELL WINS

Sechew Powell W 12 Deandre Latimore SCORES: 117-111, 114-114, 116-112

This fight had a different outcome then their first encounter, it went the distance and Powell got the win. It seemed like St. Louis's Deandre Latimore was content with looking for that one big shot that could get him the win. He did that all night and it cost him the fight and a shot at the IBF Jr. Middleweight title. He was out boxed brilliantly by the man who he knocked out once before. Latimore used his aggressive style to get into range, but once he was there he didn't work hard enough and allowed himself to get tied up. He didn't come in behind his jab so Sechew Powell was able to pick him off as he came in with counter-punches, and then move to a different angle. Latimore had some success but Powell was more determined, and followed his game plan all night. It was a fun fight to watch and a very competitive fight, I scored it 115-113 for Sechew Powell. I scored the first 2 rounds for Latimore because of clean effective punching, and effective aggressiveness. However after that it became the Sechew Powell as he took control of the fight in the third. He used his boxing ability to keep Latimore on the outside, and didn't really let him land any real power. He won all of the middle rounds by controlling the pace, and distance of the fight with great ring generalship. He opened a cut over his right eye that he targeted with punches for the rest of the fight. Latimore's eye began to close rapidly and was closed by the end of the fight. I don't think his cut-man did a good enough job with the cut and for sure the swelling. Having said that I don't think he would have been able to beat Powell if the cut-man did a better job. Now Sechew Powell has put himself in a coveted position with this win against Deandre Latimore. He will for sure be watching the winner of the Spinks vs, Bundrage fight. Who ever wins that one will have to fight Sechew Powell, and you better believe he will be ready for either one. This fight shows how determined Powell was to avenge his loss to Latimore, and how hungry he is for a title shot.

Nick Thomas

Jim Lampley: BANG BANG BANG!

If there is one thing you cannot say about Jim Lampley its that he doesn't have passion for his job.  He is consistently providing some entertainment in the form of commentary. From bursting into tears after a fight, to totally disrespecting mixed martial arts, to his latest outburst of sound effects on Saturday. Lampley provided "Bang" sound effects to Manny Pacquiao punches during his fight with Joshua Clottey. Since the original video has been deleted from youtube by HBO, here is a little remix Lampley did with Ricky Martin to illustrate the hilarity.

TALE OF THE TAPE: KLITSCHKO VS. CHAMBERS

Wladimir Klitschko VS. Eddie Chambers

Wladimir Klitschko

BIRTH DATE: 03/25/1976
HEIGHT: 6'6.5" / 199 CM
REACH: 81" / 206 CM
WEIGHT CLASS: Heavyweight above 200lbs
BELTS: RING, WBO, IBF, IBO
WHERE: Esprit Arena, Dusseldorf, Germany
PRO RECORD: (53-3, 47 KO)
AMATEUR RECORD: 134-6
TRAINER: Emanuel Steward
NICK NAMES: Dr. Steelhammer
COUNTRY: Kiev, Ukraine
NATIONALITY: Ukraine
AGE: Wladimir, 33
BOXING STANCE:Orthodox
WINS: 53
KO: 47
LOSSES: 3
CURRENT WIN STREAK: 11
NOTABLE WINS: Sam Peter, Chris Byrd, Lamon Brewster, Ruslan Chagaev
RING MAGAZINE RANKING: CHAMPION
COMMON OPPONENTS: Sam Peter( W 12), Calvin Brock( TKO 7), Ross Puritty (TKOBY 11)

Eddie Chambers

BIRTH DATE: 03/29/1982
HEIGHT: 6'1" / 185 cm
REACH: 75" / 191cm
WEIGHT CLASS: Heavyweight above 200lbs
BELTS: USBA
WHERE: Esprit Arena, Dusseldorf, Germany
PRO RECORD: (35-1, 18 KO)
TRAINER: Rob Murray Sr.
NICK NAMES: Fast
COUNTRY: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
NATIONALITY: USA
AGE: 27
BOXING STANCE:Orthodox
WINS: 35
LOSSES: 1
KO: 18
CURRENT WIN STREAK: 5
NOTABLE WINS: Alexander Dimitrenko, Sam Peter, Calvin Brock
RING MAGAZINE RANKING: 3
COMMON OPPONENTS: Sam Peter (W 10), Calvin Brock (W12), Ross Puritty (W 10)

PICK: Wladimir Klitschko TKO 10 Eddie Chambers

"Rampage" and Rashad Finally Make it Official

The UFC today announced that they will indeed have Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans face off at UFC 114 on May 9th in Las Vegas. The heated rivalry will headline the card that is also rumoured to have another Light-heavyweight showdown between Forrest Griffin and  Antonio Rogerio Nogeuira. Jackson and Evans, as you all know, have had a healthy disrespect and hatred for one another ever since there meeting after Rampage's win over teammate Keith Jardine.

FIGHT SONG OF THE WEEK: OVER THE TOP

This song is from the movie Over The Top, one of the best movies ever made as side from maybe Road House. This was an inspirational song to Lincoln Hawk's son, and it brought them back together. They truly don't make em like Kenny Loggins anymore. When was the last time you saw some even closely resembling Kenny on American Idol, or TV period? Remember what Lincoln to his son, "The world meets nobody half way", "If you want it Mike you gotta take it".

Jon "Bones" Jones: The Prospect That Vera Once Was

The excitement surrounding Jon Jones ,the hottest prospect in the 205lb division today, seems all too familiar to fans who witnessed the rise of Brandon Vera. Jones is wowing audiences with his exciting Greco-Roman wrestling prowess and unorthodox striking while working his way up the ladder in the UFC's stacked light-heavyweight division. Vera, who also has a Greco-Roman background, stormed through the heavyweights with an exciting style that had fans wanting to see more. Unfortunately for us, and Vera, he had a contract dispute with his management and the UFC that kept him out of the ring for an extended period of time and the Vera of old hasn't been seen since he returned.

TYSON STILL FLYING HIGH

Mike Tyson's affinity for pigeons is no secret, and Mike likes to show them off. Now he will have his own show on Animal Planet featuring his high flying friends, called Tanking On Tyson. He owns many pigeons and has been fling them since he was a kid. He even got in his first fight over a pigeon, that an older boy killed. Every one has a way that they escape and for Mike it has been his pigeons. When asked about his feelings on the show he responded by saying, "I'm honored to be a part of this monumental show on Animal Planet,". He also commented on why he wanted to be apart of this program, "I feel great pride acting as an official representative for all the pigeon fancier's out there. I want people to see why we love these birds. It feels good returning to the rooftops of the city where it all started for me, New York." Taking On Tyson will debut in early 2011 on Animal Planet. Like every thing that Mike is in involved in there is some controversy. The Crazy PETA organization is worried that there will show cruelty of pigeons and people will profit off of it. I think there organization is a total joke and there is more important things to worry about in the world. I know it will be a success not just because Mike Tyson is on the show but because he is so passionate for the birds he loves.

PACQUIAO DOMINATES IN DALLAS

Manny Pacquiao W 12 Joshua Clottey SCORES: 119-109, 119-109, 120-108

Manny Pacquio dominated legit welterweight Joshua Clottey in front of a crowd of 51, 000 at Dallas Cowboy Stadium. From the 1st round you could see the speed, and power difference was in Manny's favor. Manny could not get much passed Clottey's guard in the first half of the fight, so he peppered his body. Manny out worked his bigger foe in every round to get the unanimous decision. He couldn't land his power or hurt Clottey because of his turtle shell style defense. So the champion did the next best thing, he upped his output and punches per round to bank every round. What amazed me was the patience he exhibited when he couldn't get passed Clottey's guard early. Clottey looked scared of Manny's power and wouldn't open up and take the chances he needed to win. Clottey had some early success when he countered Manny, as evident in the mouse he produced under Manny's eye. Those moments of Clottey throwing punches, let alone being effective were few and far between. It looked like Clottey was afraid and went into survival mode for the majority of the fight, so he wouldn't get caught and get hurt.Even Joshua's trainer couldn't will him to throw more punches. He tried to and was begging his fighter to engage his opponent. Trainer Lenny DeJesus said to his fighter "Your losing every damn round". It was to no avail though because Clottey want no part of the Philippine machine. Every round was the same Manny on the attack throwing punches, and Joshua covering up for his life. The only round you could have given the challenger was probably the 12Th. In the final round Joshua threw more punches then he had in previous rounds and landed a good upper cut that stumbled the champion, but that only lasted for a second. Every time Clottey looked like he wanted to engage and landed some punches, Manny fought back even harder to take the rounds. Even though Manny was awesome and was totally dominant, it looked like he had trouble with defensive styles like Clottey's. If he were in there against a quicker, more accurate, counter-puncher that wasn't afraid to throw back, he may have some trouble. If someone used his aggressiveness against him, and had more courage maybe we could see a good, or even competitive fight. Manny Pacquiao is a natural born star, and that was evident by the shear number of fans that showed up to watch him fight. They were chanting Manny's name before, during and after the fight. Every time they showed him on the giant 60 yard screen before he came out they erupted cheers. Both men respected and liked each other, after each round the touched gloves and hugged before the last round. I personally think fighters should be business like during the fight and only touch gloves before the 1st bell. As far as hugging they should save it for after the fight because this is the hurt business. Clottey had this to say of his superior opponent after the fight,
" He has speed". He also offered up an explanation for not throwing as many punches as he should of, "He was waiting for me to open to counter me. I realized that I couldn't land my power punches on him, because he was so fast. In the sport of boxing you don't just win a title you have to earn it by taking it from your opponent. We know styles make fights and Joshua Clottey was made to order for Pac-Man. You have to be busy and take advantage of Manny's aggressiveness if you want any shot at winning, and Joshua obviously did not do that. HBO commentator Max Kellermen asked the question that everyone wants to know, " Do you want to fight Floyd Mayweather if he wins his may fight against Shane Mosley?". The answer came quick from the pound-for-pound king. "I want the fight, because the people want to see the fight. But it's up to Floyd if he wants to fight me. It's not a problem for me to fight him; we're ready to fight at any time. But I don't think he's ready to fight. Someday we'll be ready to fight. Mayweather should win against Mosley but if not, maybe Mosley and I will fight." That wont be an easy task because Mosley is a great fighter and could beat anyone in the world as well. The reason people are in love with Manny is because he fights not only for himself but also for the people. His aggressive style is very fun to watch and he always brings the fight to his opponent. He dedicated the fight to the fans that came to watch him, and to those who were watching him on TV, truly making him the people's champion.


Nick Thomas

THE NIGERIAN IS STILL A NIGHTMARE

Samuel Peter TKO 2 Nagy Aguilera TIME: 2:24

The trouble started for Aguilera when he signed to fight this Nigerian beast, and that was evident from the bell. Peter landed a nice crisp right hand that sent Aguilera down in a heap in the second round. The end came only when Referee Laurence Cole Stepped in to stop any further damage from Peter. Peter swarmed the hurt fighter as to not let him off the hook, remember this is the hurt business. The end came quickly after the knock down when Referee Laurence Cole Stepped in to stop any further damage from Peter. I'm sure he didn't know what happened to him because he looked real dazed, and tipsy, when it was over. I'm sure the people at Top Rank were ecstatic after Peters dominant win. Since loosing 2 consecutive fights to Vitali Klitschko, and Eddie Chambers, Sam Peter has won 4 straight fights by knockout. Yes, they have been against inferior competition but he has kept busy, and that is important. It only took Peter a combined 11 rounds to dispatch, the 4 men he faced. Peter has limited boxing ability, and the further he climbs up the heavyweight ladder he will continue to have problems. The one true gift he has is raw knockout power, and that is great to have as a heavyweight. When I first saw the Nigerian, he kind of reminded me of a rawer version of Ike Ibeabuchi. Ibeabuchi would have for sure been the heavyweight champion if he wouldn't have went to prison. There is nothing worse then wasted talent, I guess that is what makes me sick with Sam Peter. This is a sport you can't start late in and unfortunately it is probably a little too late for the Nigerian. I think that Peter should have gotten a better trainer in his corner, that could have truly taught him how to box a little better. He should have got with a trainer that has a track record of making fighters better, and taking heavyweights to the top. Power can only take you so far in the sport of boxing, he has to truly learn the "sweet science" in order to reign as a true champion. Last nights fight with Nagy Aguilera was an IBF Title Eliminator bout. The man who owns that title is Wladimir Klitschko, who has already beat Peter before. On top of that Klitschko's boxing calender is filled up for the foreseeable future with, Eddie Chambers, Alexander Povetkin, and possibly David Haye. Peter will be 3RD or possibly 4TH in line after the fighters mentioned before. He has said "Povetkin or Klitschko, I'm ready," Peter said. "Povetkin has been the mandatory forever. He and Klitschko need to fight or he needs to get out of my way." If Peter wants a rematch, and title shot against the man who beat him he must stay busy. If he can keep winning he will take care of his end of the business, and make himself a mandatory challenger. Right now he is not even ranked in the Ring's heavyweight top 10, but with a little work he can be. I wouldn't even pick him to beat any of the champions other then Haye, but I would give him a punchers chance. He definitely has a hell of a puncher's chance, probably more so then anyone in the heavyweight division.