My Hopkins-Kovalev Weekend Part I

I leave Philadelphia for Atlantic City around 1:45 on Friday afternoon to catch the Hopkins-Kovalev weigh-in. I usually don't care much for weigh-ins and rarely attend them. Yes, they can be amusing displays of regalia and pomp, but ultimately, the crowd gathers, the fighters get on the scale, there's a forced staredown for marketing purposes and it ends. Weigh-ins are more often than not the definition of anticlimax. 

However, Bernard Hopkins isn't any ordinary fighter; one never knows what to expect from him. Plus, he has meant a ton to me over the years and really helped me appreciate boxing on a more cerebral level. Also, I'm a fan of his shtick. What can I say?

Walking into the weigh-in at Caesars, I'm surprised by how many people are there, not to mention the rows and rows of chairs filled up by media members. Atlantic City has had very few fights of real significance over the last decade but this one has piqued the curiosity of fans and media alike. People are actually excited to be there for a Bernard Hopkins fight, a rarity indeed!

Tattoo is on the microphone doing his thing, trying to amp up the crowd. For some reason, Golden Boy keeps trotting him out to their events; I wonder if he has dirty pictures of someone.

Besides Tattoo, the stage is empty. There's a large crowd of Russians in the audience. And while they have their native flags and Team Kovalev gear, they aren't as boisterous as say, the Polish fans are for Adamek or even Wladimir Klitschko's supporters. Overall, the crowd is lively but not necessarily rabid. Hopkins has his cheering section but he doesn't engender the passionate frenzy that other superstars do in the sport. People root for him, support him, respect him, but how many really live or die with him?

As 3 p.m. approaches, Michael Buffer makes his way to the stage. He's there to announce the weights for the HBO fights; Tattoo will handle the preliminary bouts. The lights go down and the Corona girls file in behind Buffer. The promoters (Oscar de la Hoya and Kathy Duva) and the state athletic officials come on stage. I'm glad to see that Larry Hazzard Sr. is back leading the state athletic commission. He was forced out years ago because of a silly political issue. For my money, Hazzard was the best boxing commissioner in the U.S.

Within moments, Hopkins and Kovalev are ready to weigh in – Hopkins, 173.5; Kovalev, 174.5.  Both fighters stand next to each other for the staredown, which for Hopkins seems to be his default setting. Will there be pushing? Punches thrown? Inappropriate gestures? Drama?

Not today. Everything is benign. And with that, pictures are taken and the fighters and their teams exit, not to be seen or heard from until tomorrow night. Like a graduation procession, the boxers from the various undercard bouts are announced to the stage. They undress, make weight and then leave so that the next two contestants can partake in the ritual. It's all very orderly.

The crowd starts to file out. ESPN is doing a live recap of the weigh-in and it's good to see that the network has deployed a number of reporters for the weekend. For their stand-up TV spot, Dan Rafael, Brian Campbell and Kieran Mulvaney are giving their thoughts on the fight and a number of fans are watching them. 

Harold Lederman, HBO's unofficial ringside judge, is in the back of the room watching the weigh-ins for the undercard fights. Not required to be there, Harold observes the action closely. Having met him a couple of times before, I go over to exchange pleasantries. In every conversation I've had with Harold, I come away with the same feeling: the man thoroughly and completely loves the sport. 

By now the room has emptied out and only a few stray media members and fans remain. I walk out to the hotel lobby where Abel Sanchez, Gennady Golovkin's trainer who's in town to work the corner for an undercard bout, is giving some interviews about Golovkin's next fight against Martin Murray. I also spot Joe Antonacci, a local ring announcer, in jeans and a jacket. I've probably seen Antonacci dozens of times over the years but always in a tux. It had never occurred to me that he actually wears anything else.

I then run into Mark Sarmiento, a friendly acquaintance whom I have known through Twitter. I met him for the first time last year at the Alvarado-Provodnikov fight weekend in Denver. Mark and his mom have flown in from Houston. It's her birthday and he wanted to take her to a big fight. Her first choice was to see Pacquiao but with Manny plying his trade in Macau these days, that wasn't a realistic possibility. I talk with her briefly and she's a charming lady. Mark and I make plans to connect after the fights on Saturday. 

  

Milling around waiting to meet up with my friends David Greisman and Tim Starks (who both happen to be excellent boxing writers – David for BoxingScene.com and Tim for his site The Queensberry Rules), I spot Kieran Mulvaney and go over to introduce myself to him. We've chatted many times over the years through Twitter but had never actually met in person. He's just as great as I expected him to be. 

***

Social media in boxing is a strange thing. I've been active on it since 2011 and to my surprise I've wound up liking probably 95% of everyone whom I've met in person. And I'm not one who necessarily likes a lot of people right off the bat (it's a character flaw; I'm working on it).

But thinking about it further, my warm feelings towards those in the boxing community shouldn't be so surprising. In America, boxing has turned out to be something like an irrepressible cult, a niche sport with absolutely fervent followers who won't let it die. And as a member of this group, I wind up sharing many characteristics with those whom I encounter. 

Members of the boxing community ostracize themselves from society at large. Fighters train for months at a time, often leaving home. The best in the sport are fanatical about their nutrition, what they put into their bodies, workout habits and fight preparation. For months of the year, the top boxers aren't interacting socially or living their lives like normal people; they are in semi-seclusion or a controlled environment (there are of course some colorful counterexamples). 

With the exception of the very top tier, boxers are far removed from mainstream appeal in America. Those who are even known by the general public are often looked at as curiosities, mere personalities and/or well-sculpted performers who pop up for a week here or there a couple times of year. The sixth-best welterweight in the world could very easily cruise down any street in America and be scarcely recognized. Even though boxers are among the best athletes of any sport, very few break out of the sport's ghetto and gain recognition from casual sports fan. 

In America, members of the boxing media are often looked down upon by other sportswriters. Whether the sport is viewed as irrelevant in today's media landscape, one that is promoted, executed and adored by savages, or considered a cesspool of corruption, major media outlets find many reasons not to cover boxing. Being a boxing writer isn't seen as some fast track to media stardom or riches. Those who wind up on the boxing beat for more than a few years stay there because they really love it. I'm sure that their colleagues look at them like strange zoo animals. "Look, touch the boxing writer. This guy actually loves covering such a sorry sport. Give him some peanuts." 

While others socialize on weekend nights, boxing fans stay at home. They constantly have to negotiate with loved ones or friends to carve out time to see the fights. They miss events or leave them early. Their social bonds have been weakened by spending too many Fridays and Saturdays on their couch. 

And they have to put up with so much political bullshit in the sport just for the mere possibility of entertainment. They turn on their TVs week after week hoping for a few moments of excellence and action. Just as often as not, their nights end in disappointment. But true boxing fans are a resilient bunch and they will be back next weekend. 

All of those involved with boxing continually have to defend their beloved sport. (Isn't it barbaric? How do you watch that? How can you still be a fan? Isn't boxing so corrupt? I stopped being a fan when such and such happened.) This defensiveness helps bind the boxing community together together. When in town for a boxing weekend, I don't care all that much what state a fan, a writer or a trainer is from or what his politics or religion are. We start off with a love of the sport and move on from there. Everyone gets a little bit of good will. 

Those in the boxing community share a little secret. We put up with the bullshit and lunacy because this secret is profound: we all know that when boxing is at its best, it's unbeatable. Those thrilling, unforgettable moments create a high stronger than any drug. The anticipation leading up to a big fight, the thrill of the crowd, the excitement and tension, is unmatched in professional sports. A big fight makes the Super Bowl seem like the opening round of a golf tournament. 

***

I meet up with Greisman and Starks and head over to The Claridge. In some combination, we have gone to fights together in Jersey, New York, Texas, Colorado, Pennsylvania and other spots. We catch up about what's new in our lives – I had last seen them during the Golovkin-Geale weekend in July – as well as our thoughts on the fight. We are all predicting Hopkins to win, but none of us really knows for sure. After a few minutes, Greisman starts to work on his articles from the weigh-in for BoxingScene; he’s constantly working during fight weekends. 

For dinner, we meet up with Brian Campbell from ESPN, another person whom I've interacted with for years online but am just meeting in person for the first time. As ESPN's boxing editor, he has quickly and quietly raised espn.com's presence in the sport. He has done a great job of introducing the Making the Rounds feature and has helped to expand ESPN's coverage of international fights. In person, he's enthusiastic, quick with a joke and has an endearingly goofball sensibility. Almost from the jump, he's trying to set up some karaoke for the night.

At dinner, we shoot the shit, gently josh each other, opine about the state of the sport and partake in some boxing gossip – what’s next for this fighter, this promoter or this network. A commonality that those in the boxing community share is the combination of angst/anticipation/gallows humor when talking about the sport. On record, Campbell is going with the Kovalev knockout. 

I step out from dinner for a moment and run into the biggest Hopkins fan that I know. His name is Dave but he goes by @Buflo_dolla on Twitter. As he nurses a beer, he's nervous about the fight tomorrow but feels that Hopkins will pull it out. He understands that it's a very dangerous matchup for Hopkins. He can deal with a loss but he just can't bear to see Legend, as he calls Hopkins, get knocked out. 

After dinner, Starks, Campbell and I walk down the windy boardwalk to the Tropicana where we meet up with Mulvaney for a drink. Slowly but surely, others from the boxing community start to trickle in for the weekend. Vic Salazar, from Tha Boxing Voice, is there enjoying a meal with his family. Peter Clarke, another writer from that website, is also around with his ever-present smile. We shake hands and hug, talk about the fights and head to the bar. Opinion seems equally split on Hopkins and Kovalev. Absolutely nobody thinks that Sadam Ali has a shot on the undercard. We ask Mulvaney's about his varied and unique writing career; very few are experts on both whaling and boxing. We then transition to the favorite parlor games of boxing fans/writers: what was the best live fight you've ever seen? What fight made you a fan of the sport, etc.

Another commonality you will see among boxing people is that they can't stop talking about boxing. Where does this fighter go next? Why did he sign with this guy? Do you think that this writer is any good? This particular fight needs to happen! 

I think that there is a simple explanation for this non-stop boxing talk: boxing fans don't have that many people to talk to in person about the sport. It isn't like going to the grocery store or the corner tavern where everyone has an opinion on the Cowboys or the Yankees. Some of us might have a friend or two who likes the sport and watches from time to time, but how often can we have live, engrossing boxing conversations? We have to take advantage of these opportunities.

***

In my opinion, Atlantic City is the best location in America for a fight weekend. In the large cities, people ride in for the fight or stay in any number of hotels. Afterwards, maybe some groups of people get together, but most find their way home or go back to where they are staying. In Vegas, there are tons of entertainment options during a fight weekend and also the hotels are so big. Even if everyone congregates at the MGM Grand (which doesn't happen), there are so many nooks and crannies in that vast hotelopolis.

But in Atlantic City, everyone's trapped. Coming from the large cities of New York, D.C. or Philadelphia, it's too far or too late to make it home after the fights. And there are only so many places to stay. With four casinos closing this year, the beleaguered shore town has faced tough times, but it's still an ideal place for a boxing gathering. Yes, there is gambling, and perhaps some dance clubs here and there, but there aren't nearly the distractions you find in other cities. Everything is close to each other and self-contained. The result is a strong sense of a boxing community, like boxing is taking over the town for a few days.  

During this fight weekend, Atlantic City doesn't resemble a town on life support. Caesars, the host hotel, is filled and rocking all weekend. The boardwalk is crowded. The restaurants, while not bustling, are pretty busy and there are even many well-dressed patrons among the diners (to put it mildly, A.C. is not necessarily known for its beautiful people).

Later on Friday night, Starks and I check out the Toga Bar at Caesars, easily the best gathering spot for fight fans. Here's how I described the Toga Bar in an article from last year:

Let me set the stage. Toga Bar is a bar/lounge at Caesars right off the casino floor. It has a big oval bar and to the left there is a dance floor and an area with couches. The following different groups congregate here during fight weekends: boxing personnel (fans/fighters/trainers/promoters/writers), local riff-raff, bachelorette parties, groups of middle-aged men, a few normal couples, prostitutes and old timers. On Saturday Nights, scantily clad women dance on elevated platforms by the bar as the DJ spins the dance hits du jour. 

I've seen some strange things at this place: projectile vomit that would make fans of The Exorcist squeamish, the best couch dance ever – by a woman who was waiting for her husband to get released from prison (no clothes were removed), Eddie Hearn owning the room dancing with a half-dozen ladies at a time, a 60-something guy wearing all black with Blues Brothers sunglasses dancing by himself for hours at a time, a girl being thrown out of the bar for exposing her breast…I could go on and on. With this eclectic mix of different ages, races, socioeconomic backgrounds and walks of life, I've never had the same night at the Toga Bar twice.

The boxing crew (Campbell, Starks, Greisman and others) stands at a table talking to Nicole Duva, the Vice President of Marketing for Main Events and the daughter of Kathy, who is the company's president. The 60-year-old Blues Brothers dancer is there as are the dancers on top of the bar. The vibes are good.

We joke around and talk about the #NicoleDuvaHeads hashtag on social media. Nicole, being a very attractive women, has amassed a number of admirers over the years. She's a very good sport about it; she's also whip smart. 

Everyone's talking about the big fight tomorrow night and I'll say this: we don't get cheated on our liquor. By now it's 2:30 a.m. on Saturday morning and it's time for me to turn in; there's a big day ahead of me for tomorrow. 

Click here for Part II

Adam Abramowitz is the head writer and founder of saturdaynightboxing.com.

He is also a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.

Contact Adam at saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

@snboxing on twitter
Follow Saturday Night Boxing on Facebook:
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Hopkins-Kovalev: Keys to the Fight

One of the most anticipated fights of 2014 takes place on Saturday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, the light heavyweight unification bout between Bernard Hopkins (55-6-2, 32 KOs) and Sergey Kovalev (25-0-1, 23 KOs). Three title belts will be on the line and both fighters enter the ring with a lot to prove. For Hopkins, Saturday's contest will be another opportunity to showcase how ring craft, intelligence and savvy can defeat power and youth. With a win, he will look to cap off an extraordinary career by attempting to become the undisputed light heavyweight champion; he was previously the undisputed middleweight king.

However, Kovalev isn't just a run-of-the-mill, heavy-handed fighter. He's the hardest hitter that Hopkins has faced in his career. Saturday's fight for Kovalev represents his first opportunity to defeat an elite-level opponent. With a decisive win over Hopkins, Kovalev will propel himself into the highest reaches of the sport. Overall, it's a fantastic matchup between the sport's preeminent technician and one of its most devastating destroyers. Read below for the keys to the fight. My prediction will be at the end of the article.

1. Can Hopkins take Kovalev's best punch?

All of Hopkins' experience, gamesmanship and ring generalship won't matter if he can't withstand Kovalev's power. Although Hopkins' chin has been one of his best attributes as a prizefighter, it can be dented. In 2010, Hopkins was dropped twice by Jean Pascal, a good fighter but one who is not necessarily feared for his power; Kovalev certainly hits much harder than Pascal does. In addition, Hopkins is 49 and at his advanced age it's conceivable that he could lose his reflexes and punch resistance at any time. Kovalev might be able to cause damage with the types of hard shots that Hopkins would have avoided only a few years ago.

Since Hopkins left middleweight in 2006, he has faced a variety of heavy-handed punchers, from Antonio Tarver to Kelly Pavlik to Roy Jones to Tavoris Cloud. In all of those fights, Hopkins' chin held up remarkably well. In particular, Hopkins absorbed some enormous blows against Cloud last year without any negative effects in the ring. Still, the memories of the first Pascal bout linger. And if Hopkins' chin or legs aren't what they used to be, he could have significant problems surviving against Kovalev.

2. Kovalev must jump on Hopkins early.

Hopkins can be a slow starter as he studies an opponent. In many of his competitive fights (for example Taylor I and II, Pascal I and Calzaghe), Hopkins trailed in the first half as he felt out his foes. During these bouts, Hopkins' early punch output was meager. Instead of throwing a lot of punches, he feinted, circled, clinched, grappled and fouled as a way of slowing down his opponents and looking for potential weaknesses to exploit in the later rounds. For these fighters, piling up early points was crucial to their success.

However, other foes get caught up in Hopkins' pace – such as Tarver and Pavlik – and quickly abandon their game plans. They refuse to move their hands and succumb to Hopkins' psychological warfare in the ring. Waiting on Hopkins is a death sentence for fighters and Kovalev must start the fight with a high activity level. He need not be overly concerned with missing punches and he can't let the stray Hopkins' counter disrupt his overall strategy.

Kovalev must establish his pace and power in the early rounds. This will force Hopkins into a more defensive mode and also test his older legs. Hopkins may not necessarily be concerned with winning the first part of the match but Kovalev must seize this portion of the fight. After four rounds, Kovalev needs to build up a working margin of rounds in the bank. Most likely, the vaunted second-half rally from Hopkins will come and if Kovalev isn't up by at least two points after four rounds, he may face real problems on the scorecards as the fight progresses.

3. Hopkins' lead right hand.

Perhaps Hopkins' signature punch is his arcing right hand that he throws from a distance. With an uncanny ability to change the trajectory of the shot during its flight, Hopkins seems to score with this punch at will. It usually lands with pinpoint accuracy and it surprises the opponent, who believes that he is comfortably out of range. As Hopkins throws this lead right, he falls in. After he connects with the first shot, he starts banging to the body with left hooks and right hands. These punch sequences are eye-catching to the judges and help to demoralize opponents, who start to question their defense and spacing in the ring, making them far less offensively oriented.

In order for Kovalev to avoid getting tagged too often by Hopkins' arcing right, he has to judge distance properly. He needs to get out of range when he is done his offensive sequences or be prepared to take a step back when not throwing, especially when Hopkins is against the ropes during a pause in the action. Hopkins has deceptive explosiveness and speed with this shot and Kovalev can't get caught in the pocket without properly preparing for this punch. Hopkins will only attempt this shot when there is a lull during a round; thus, Kovalev must keep his left hand in proper defensive position when he isn't throwing.

4. Make Kovalev a counterpuncher.

Kovalev is at his best when he is coming forward and initiating offense. Given space and room to operate, he is a deadly puncher who throws each shot in a sequence progressively harder; all the while, he retains his accuracy. I'm not sure that there is a fighter at light heavyweight who can withstand more than a handful of these combinations over 12 rounds.

But as a counterpuncher, Kovalev becomes more ordinary. He has a counter right hand and a left hook, but neither shot is as effective as when he punches in combinations. In addition, he's not nearly as accurate as a counterpuncher as he is when initiating offense at his preferred pace.

It's imperative for Hopkins to be first in this fight and make Kovalev beat him with timed counterpunches. Hopkins can use his lateral movement, large arsenal of punches and inside fighting skills to force Kovalev into defensive positions in the fight. I'm not sure that Hopkins should necessarily trade jabs with Kovalev, but initiating sequences with his left hook and right hand will immediately take away Kovalev's best offensive attributes. In addition, by forcing his way inside, Hopkins can work in the trenches and make Kovalev attempt to beat him while under duress; it's not clear if Kovalev has the skills or temperament to thrive in that setting.

5. Does Kovalev have a "Plan B?"

Kovalev has been past six rounds just three times. His last truly competitive fight occurred in 2010 against Darnell Boone (he subsequently knocked out Boone in 2012.) Kovalev's game plan throughout his career has been fairly basic but extremely effective – apply intelligent pressure early in bouts, win the battle of ring geography by forcing opponents back, establish the right hand and eventually work in combinations behind it.

However, almost all of Kovalev's success has come against overmatched opponents or ones who lacked the ring generalship expertise to take him out of his comfort zone. Agnew and Caparello almost immediately backed themselves into corners. Cleverly had hand and foot speed advantages but stood directly in front of Kovalev. Kovalev took away Campillo's legs almost instantaneously.

Now, Hopkins won't spend too much time admiring his work in the pocket or back straight up into countershots. And he uses the ropes strategically, not as a place to cover up for self-protection. Hopkins will move, frustrate and attempt to take away Kovalev's rhythm.

Facing a non-compliant opponent, how will Kovalev achieve victory? What happens if he can't land his power cleanly early in the fight? Can he chase Hopkins down if the veteran decides to be elusive in the ring? What can Kovalev accomplish in the trenches?

Ultimately, we don't know if Kovalev has a second gear as a fighter because he hasn't really been tested at the top level. Perhaps he has other facets of his game besides his knockout power that can neutralize Hopkins – Kovalev certainly might learn something from his trainer John David Jackson, who was a former opponent and co-trainer of Hopkins. Without being able to land a knockout blow, Kovalev will have to find a way to score points. What will his conditioning be over 12 rounds? Will he have enough left in the tank to remain a factor late in the fight?

Prediction:

I think that this fight will follow the pattern of many of Hopkins' bouts. I expect Kovalev to have a solid first four rounds, featuring the jab and right hand. I wouldn't be surprised if Kovalev scores an early knockdown. Hopkins will spend the fight's early portions searching for openings and finding ways to corral Kovalev's activity.

By the fifth or sixth round, the tide will turn. Hopkins' lead right hand, movement and inside fighting will start to frustrate Kovalev and gradually wear him down. By the end of the fight, Hopkins will be the fresher fighter and the one landing the scoring blows. The question will be if Hopkins started early enough offensively to get the decision – and I think that two of the judges will believe that he did.

Bernard Hopkins defeats Sergey Kovalev by split decision.

Adam Abramowitz is the head writer and founder of saturdaynightboxing.com.
He is also a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.

Contact Adam at saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

@snboxing on twitter
Follow Saturday Night Boxing on Facebook:
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100 Reasons Why I Love Boxing

On a number of levels, boxing in 2014 hasn't been particularly notable, especially in the United States. This year has been plagued by overly cautious matchmaking, blatant ducking of opponents, mismatches/showcases, an explosion of pay per views (many of which have had very weak undercards), fighters putting themselves on ice and promoters (or managers) who still won't work together. Sure, there have been some very good moments in the ring, but not enough for my liking. In the midst of a disappointing year, it's easy to get caught up in the negativity of the sport – I know that I can be guilty of this.

As a personal corrective, I wanted to list why boxing still brings me so much joy and highlight the aspects of the sport that keep me tuned in, week after week, even with the recent paucity of memorable fight action. Without further ado, here are 100 reasons why I love boxing:  

1.    Bernard Hopkins’ lead right hand from distance

2.    Floyd Mayweather making an opponent miss by an inch

3.    Juan Manuel Marquez’s left uppercut

4.    Wladimir Klitschko’s jab

5.    Nonito Donaire’s left hook

6.    Anytime Gennady Golovkin cocks his hand to throw a power punch

7.    Carl Froch somehow finding a way to win

8.    The Olympic gold medalist making his pro debut

9.    The prized prospect taking his first real step-up fight

10.  The “opponent” who wasn’t there to lose

11.  The underdog who upsets the grand plans of the powers that be

12.  The avoided fighter who finally gets a shot

13.  An overlooked or obscure fighter making his mark

14.  Boxers who overcome harrowing upbringings

15.  Fathers handing down the sport to their sons

16.  Roman Gonzalez’s inside fighting

17.  Brandon Rios’ fearlessness

18.  Vasyl Lomachenko’s desire to be great

19.  Keith Thurman’s promise

20.  Marcos Maidana’s will

21.  The buzz of the MGM Grand right before a Manny Pacquiao fight

22.  Checking out the glitzy crowd in Las Vegas

23.  Checking out the less-than-glitzy crowd in Atlantic City

24.  Michael Buffer with the microphone; a big event is happening

25.  Steve Smoger in the ring; a memorable fight seems more likely to happen

26.  Harold Lederman’s scorecard after three rounds

27.  Jim Watt saying “Lovely stuff” after a good combination

28.  Larry Merchant’s quips

29.  Paulie Malignaggi telling it like it is

30.  Arguing about a disputed fight until 5 a.m. on a Sunday morning

31.  The glow of a spectacular knockout or a huge upset

32.  The gallows humor on Twitter during a boring fight card, especially if it’s a pay per view

33.  Mocking inane press conferences and conference calls

34.  Having drinks after the fights with boxing fans and writers

35.  Taking a long weekend to see a live fight

36.  Meeting a boxing fan in person that you had only known on social media.

37.  The timeless boxing arguments

38.  The way the sport respects its history

39.  The recognition of past champions and famous fighters who are live at the fight card

40.  The memorial 10-count for our fallen heroes

41.  The Hall of Fame debates

42.  Watching old fights on You Tube

43.  Discovering a new, exciting fighter

44.  The passion of British, Mexican and Puerto Rican boxing fans

45.  The elegant string quartet that plays the national anthems on the Sauerland broadcasts

46.  Those marathon Saturdays, watching boxing all over the world

47.  An unexpected great fight

48.  That Friday in January when ESPN’s Friday Night Fights returns after its fall hiatus.

49.  Teddy Atlas’ unique brand of craziness

50.  Boardwalk Hall

51.  The StubHub Center

52.  The Bell Centre

53.  A boxing crowd in Manchester, England

54.  The energy of a fight at Madison Square Garden

55.  Miguel Cotto on Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend

56.  Toga Bar

57.  Listening to the great trainers in the corner

58.  The obscure trainer who finally gets his shot at the limelight

59.  The veteran trainer who might just have his last shot at a champion

60.  Fighters who always add to their repertoire

61.  A winning fighter getting mobbed back at the fight hotel

62.  Talking with boxing fans who travel all over for big fights

63.  Taking someone to his/her first live fight

64.  The crowd rising after a knockdown

65.  A fighter who somehow rises after a pulverizing knockdown

66.  The late-round rally

67.  The opening-round blitz

68.  The killer instinct

69.  The veteran spoiler

70.  The journeyman who travels the world taking fights on short notice, often for short money

71.  The gatekeeper who just might snuff out a victory over an unready prospect

72.  The entitled fighter who gets his comeuppance in the ring

73.  The lower-weight guys who throw 90 punches a round

74.  The pride of Japanese boxers

75.  A hardass Mexican pressure fighter

76.  A badass Argentine fighter

77.  The self-misery of boxing fans

78.  The protectionism of boxing fans when outsiders insult their sport

79.  Watching a fight after a long day of work

80.  The crazy-ass conspiracy theories rampant among boxing fans

81.  After many years, how the sting of your favorite fighter losing never goes away

82.  Watching excellence in the ring

83.  When two boxers embrace after a hard-fought match

84.  The way British networks interview both fighters side-by-side sitting ringside

85.  To hell with work, I’m having a good boxing discussion

86.  Making a new friend who shares your love of the sport

87.  Fighters who win their first title belt in their mid-30s

88.  A perfectly executed shoulder roll

89.  Merciless body punchers

90.  Pinpoint counterpunchers

91.  Unconventional punches

92.  Fighters trading knockdowns in the same round

93.  When judges score a close fight correctly

94.  Champions who take on all comers

95.  The quest for greatness

96.  Watching a fighter survive after a knockdown

97.  Watching an expert finisher

98.  Trainers who tell it like it is the corner

99.  The come-from-behind, final-round knockout

100.Counting down the hours until fight night

Adam Abramowitz is the head writer and founder of saturdaynightboxing.com.
He is also a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.

Contact Adam at saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

@snboxing on twitter
Follow Saturday Night Boxing on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/SaturdayNightBoxing

Pound-for-Pound Update 10-22-14

With a number of top fighters in action over the past month, there were some significant changes to the Saturday Night Boxing pound-for-pound list. Two boxers in the lower portion of my top-20 lost (Anselmo Moreno and Nonito Donaire) and I considered four fighters to fill the open slots: Sergey Kovalev, Terence Crawford, Nicholas Walters and Shinsuke Yamanaka. After reviewing their respective bodies of work, I favored Kovalev and Yamanaka for placement in the Rankings.

Also, a note on Andre Ward: As of November 16th, Ward will have gone a year without a fight. This dubious milestone is often when a boxer gets removed from a rankings system. For the SNB Top-20 Fighters list, I will not be dropping him at this time. I reacted similarly to Floyd Mayweather's last "break" of 16 months prior to his return against Victor Ortiz. Ward, embroiled in promotional problems, has not retired and plans to fight again. For now, he remains. I will revisit Ward's status in the future; obviously, he doesn't warrant a position in perpetuity.

For the following fighters, their current position will be in bold and their previous ranking will be in parenthesis (NR stands for "not ranked"):

Anselmo Moreno NR (16): The longtime bantamweight king dropped a technical decision to Juan Carlos Payano. The fight was stopped after six rounds because of a cut on Payano and Moreno trailed on all three scorecards. Moreno had a nice run at 118, defending his title 12 times. However, the loss to the unheralded Payano was a significant step back. He drops out of the Rankings.

Nonito Donaire NR (17): Donaire suffered the first knockout loss of his career against Nicholas Walters. Dropped in the third round and stopped in the sixth, Donaire couldn't withstand Walters' power. A few years ago, Donaire was one of the top talents in boxing, but in his last four fights he is only 2-2; even in those two wins he had failed to impress. He falls out of the SNB pound-for-pound list.

Shinsuke Yamanaka 18 (NR): Yamanaka, the undefeated bantamweight titlist from Japan (22-0-2, 16 KOs), returns to the Rankings after a three-month hiatus. Yamanaka defeated Thailand's Suriyan Sor Rungvisai this month, scoring three knockdowns to extend his title defense streak to seven. He has stopped five of his seven title challengers.

Sergey Kovalev 20 (NR): Amassing a 25-0-1 record with 23 stoppages, the Russian KO artist and light heavyweight titleholder has made a name for himself by dominating past champion Gabriel Campillo and then-titleholder Nathan Cleverly. Kovalev can shoot up the Rankings even further if he defeats Bernard Hopkins next month:

Here is the complete Saturday Night Boxing pound-for-pound list: 

1. Floyd Mayweather
2. Andre Ward
3. Roman Gonzalez
4. Wladimir Klitschko
5. Manny Pacquiao
6. Juan Manuel Marquez
7. Tim Bradley
8. Guillermo Rigondeaux
9. Carl Froch
10. Bernard Hopkins
11. Juan Estrada
12. Adonis Stevenson
13. Miguel Cotto
14. Danny Garcia
15. Gennady Golovkin
16. Saul Alvarez
17. Takashi Uchiyama
18. Shinsuke Yamanaka
19. Mikey Garcia
20. Sergey Kovalev

Adam Abramowitz is the head writer and founder of saturdaynightboxing.com.
He is also a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.

Contact Adam at saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

@snboxing on twitter
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Donaire-Walters: Keys to the Fight

One of the most intriguing fights of 2014 takes place on Saturday in Carson, California, the featherweight showdown between four-division champ Nonito Donaire (33-2, 21 KOs) and undefeated knockout artist Nicholas Walters (24-0, 20 KOs). The bout is the chief support to Golovkin-Rubio but it could be significantly more compelling than the main event. 

Prior to facing Guillermo Rigondeaux in April of 2013, Donaire was one of the top boxers in the sport. However, he had few answers for the Cuban whiz and was summarily outclassed. Since that defeat, Donaire has earned two victories but he failed to resemble his former pound-for-pound self in those outings. Over the last year, Donaire (originally from the Philippines but raised in the U.S.) has spoken about having lost his motivation for training and his hunger for the sport. On Saturday, he looks to erase the ghosts of his most recent performances and regain his foothold in the top echelon of boxing.

Walters, from Jamaica, was virtually unknown two years ago. Fighting mostly out of Panama, Walters' power caught the attention of Top Rank Promotions and he impressed earlier this year by knocking out Vic Darchinyan in the fifth round (Donaire has knocked out Darchinyan twice but struggled before stopping him in 2013). Walters enters Saturday's fight having stopped 10 of his last 11 opponents and has guaranteed a knockout victory.

In a loaded featherweight division, the winner of Saturday's fight will have a number of very attractive opportunities for 2014, including potential matchups against fellow titleholders Vasyl Lomachenko, Evgeny Gradovich and Jhonny Gonzalez, while the loser might face a long road back to the top of the featherweight division. Read below for the keys to the fight. My prediction will be at the end of the article.

1. Chins.

Walters, known as the Axe Man, sure hits hard. With three knockout weapons – right hand, left hook and right uppercut – he loads up ferociously on his power punches. Donaire's chin has been rock solid throughout his career but there are some caveats for Saturday's fight. He certainly was hurt in the final round against Rigondeaux, and that was at a smaller weight class. Although Donaire stayed on his feet, he was clearly affected by Rigondeaux's power. In addition, Donaire has yet to face a real puncher at featherweight. Darchinyan was probably most powerful at junior bantamweight (three divisions below featherweight) and Simpiwe Vetyeka was only a moderate puncher at 126 lbs. It will be fascinating to see if Donaire can take Walters' best punch. 

As a professional, Walters has been down twice according to boxrec.com. One time was against Alejandro Corrales (5-3-1) in 2008 and the other was while facing Carlos Manuel Reyes (12-0) in 2009. There are a number of observations that could be drawn from these facts but let's not jump to unnecessary conclusions. First, these fights aren't available online; I haven't seen them and I don't know anyone who has. Were the knockdowns legitimate? Were they flash knockdowns? Was Walters badly hurt?

On the flip side, Walters won both of those fights and dominated on the scorecards. That obviously shows perseverance and some recuperative powers. Yes, it troubles me when a fighter is knocked down by a 5-3-1 boxer, but that match was also six years ago. So much could have changed since then. Maybe Walters trains better and/or he has made improvements with nutrition. Perhaps he just walked into a stupid shot and he is now better prepared in the ring. So, let's acknowledge that he's been down twice many years ago but I don't know if this is ancient history; these knockdowns might have absolutely no bearing on Saturday's action.

Make no mistake: both fighters will get hit on Saturday. Donaire's defense has deteriorated over the years and he is more than willing to eat a shot or two in order to land his counter left hook. Walters isn't a defensive specialist either. He takes a lot of risks offensively and is open to counter shots. Whoever's chin is in better shape throughout Saturday will be in the driver's seat, because the power shots will be coming.

2. Donaire's motivation and conditioning.

Donaire's lack of focus, both inside and outside of the ring, has contributed to a number of lackluster performances over the past three years. Although even at his best he would occasionally abandon his boxing technique to go for spectacular knockouts, now, he just waits and waits, hoping to land his left hook, not really bothering to set it up with anything. His punch volume has become pedestrian. He has admitted to skimping on training in the past and before his previous fight he acknowledged his wavering commitment to the sport.

An unfocused Donaire could lead to a number of different outcomes on Saturday. Maybe he gets easily outpointed by a fighter who has a greater desire to win. Perhaps he walks carelessly into a shot. It's possible that he could get bored with trying to win rounds and instead he waits in vain for a knockout, letting the fight slip away.

Absent a spectacular one-punch shot, Donaire will need to be in good shape to beat Walters, who features a high punch output and can dazzle with eye-catching power shots. Although Donaire has the experience advantage over his opponent, if he's not prepared or focused for 12 rounds, he will struggle to win the fight on the cards.

3. Walters' defensive flaws.

If you were to draw up a fighter who would be susceptible to a counter left hook, Walters could very well be your guy. He stands very tall, he holds his hands far away from his body, he can get wildly out-of-position after firing his power shots and he is slow to return his hands to a defensively responsible position after throwing. In short, the opportunities for Donaire's number-one weapon will be there.

In addition, Walters separates his hands too far apart on defense, providing ample room for straight right hands and uppercuts. Although Donaire is known for his hook, his lead right has been a weapon in past fights, most recently against Toshiaki Nishioka in 2012. 

Walters is very athletic and he does avoid shots using his legs and upper body movement, but he can get hit during exchanges. If Walters hasn't tightened up some of his defensive shortcomings prior to Saturday, he will get tagged very hard by Donaire, leading to very bad dreams about left hooks.

4. Is Donaire anything more than a one-trick pony at this point?

Donaire was once a well-rounded boxer who had a jab and a fairly large arsenal of punches. At his best, he used his legs to get into position to land shots and also to avoid trouble. In recent outings, he has scarcely resembled that fighter, becoming stagnant, knockout-happy and predictable on offense.

It's clear that Donaire still has his left hook. That punch led to the Darchinyan stoppage last year and sent Vetyeka to the canvas in May. But is there anything else? He seems to move in cement these days and his other punchers are often thrown half-heartedly.

Walters will be coming into the fight fully cognizant of Donaire's left hook. There are ways to neutralize a fighter who loads up on one shot. If Walters is well-prepared on Saturday, he will force Donaire to beat him with another punch. He'll move to his left, pump the jab and fight in close – Donaire needs distance for his hook; it's not compact. Donaire must keep Walters honest throughout the fight. If Walters doesn't have anything else to worry about other than the left hook, he will innocuously circle to his left all night, away from Donaire's money punch. That will not be a formula for Donaire to win the fight.

5. Punch output.

Here may be the secret to winning the match. Both fighters are counting on knocking the other one out. Neither Donaire nor Walters is much of a jabber these days (although they possess solid ones) and both fighters will be spending a lot time looking for opportunities to land their thunder. The key to this bout may very well be who waits less. There will be dead stretches in the fight. The boxer who can capitalize on these lulls by throwing an extra five or ten punches a round may very well take the match, especially if both fighters' chins hold up.

In theory, a higher punch output favors Walters' ring style. He is aggressive, active and likes to throw multi-punch power combinations. However, there have been many fighters who have been spooked by Donaire's power; they feel a left hook and suddenly they are on retreat and/or too afraid to open up offensively.  

But if Donaire is just looking and posing while he waits to land his big left hook, it will be easy for judges to give rounds to Walters. The busier fighter may wind up stealing the fight on the scorecards.

Prediction:

I'm going with a slightly unconventional pick but let me walk you through my process. I'm not convinced that Donaire has enough power to knock out a full-fledged featherweight. Yes, he dropped Vetyeka but he seemed to recover decently enough from the shot in an abbreviated fight. However, I'm also not sold on the quality of Walters' opposition. His best win was Darchinyan, who had just been knocked out, was past his prime and above his optimal fighting weight. Walters has an impressive 80% KO percentage but has he ever faced anyone of the caliber of Donaire? Has he ever been able to drop someone who has a rock of a chin?

The more that I look at this fight, the more likely that I think that it goes to the cards. And if it does, I believe that Walters is best positioned to win the bout. I don't question his determination or conditioning coming into Saturday. He knows that this is his opportunity to make a big name for himself in the sport. Donaire may have had more talent than Walters will ever possess, but we are no longer witnessing the peak version of the fighter. The Donaire of recent vintage has been lethargic, not to mention extremely hittable. I'm also not convinced that he still has the will to pull out a grueling, 12-round fight. I predict that he will get his big knockdown on Saturday but that it won't be enough to win.

Nicholas Walters survives a knockdown to defeat Nonito Donaire 116-111.

Adam Abramowitz is the head writer and founder of saturdaynightboxing.com.
He is also a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.

Contact Adam at saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

@snboxing on twitter
Follow Saturday Night Boxing on Facebook:
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