***

Welterweight Semifinals

Carlos Banteaux (CUB) vs. Hanati Silamu (CHN)
Banteaux and Hanati are the top two ranked remaining competitors. I shudder to say fighters because the Chinese have done little fighting during this competition. This match could be 20-19 given the ease with which Cubans and Chinese have received points from the judges this tourney. I’m pulling for Banteaux because Hanati beat one of my favorites of the tourney: Bahama’s Toureano Johnson.

Bakhyt Sarsekbayev (KAZ) vs. Kim Jung-Joo (KOR)
For the love of boxing lets hope that the hug specialist that is Kim does not win. Kim beat terrific American prospect Demetrius Andrade with phantom-landing jabs and many embraces. Was his victory as egregious as the Korean’s win over Roy Jones, Jr. in 1988? Possibly. Go Sarsekbayev!

***

Light Heavyweight Semifinals

Tony Jeffries (GBR) vs. Kenneth Egan (IRL)
It’s a battle of British Isle brutes. Both waltzed through their quarterfinal matchup – Jeffries 10-2 Egan 8-0 – and have clinched a rare boxing medal for the Anglophone world. Jeffries isn’t the most graceful fighter but he throws far more jabs than your average Olympian, which is refreshing because it makes the sport seem more like actual boxing. But Egan is a tough, strong, physical fighter and he’s our pick because we don’t understand a word of what he says in his post-fight interviews.

Zhang Xiaoping (CHN) vs. Yerkebuian Shynaliyev (KAZ)
Shynaliyev won his fight against Djakhon Kurbanov after the Tajik bit him in the neck. He’ll be too bothered by Zhang’s rough and tumble clutching style. Either that or the biased pro-Chinese judges with give Zhang the win.

***

Super Heavyweight Semifinals

Vyacheslav Glazkov (UKR) vs. Zhang Zhilei (CHN)
Zhang is a ba-a-a-a-d man. Maybe you missed his destruction of Kazakh Ruslan Myrsatayev. I didn’t. Zhang doesn’t hold and grab as much as the other Chinese boxers and he’s my pick despite my Ukrainian blood.

Roberto Cammarelle (ITA) vs. David Price (GBR)
Price took out Russian Islam Timurziev in his first match and then lucked into a walkover against Jaroslav Jaksto in the quarters. Defending world champ Cammarelle has been less than impressive. I’m going for the upset.

Post from: EveryJoe

Olympic Boxing Semi-final Predictions: Second Session (Part Two)

Last night’s fight was fought at cruiserweight although both fighters came in well under that class’ 200-pound limit. But even at 181 pounds Henry showed some impressive power and dominating strength against Williams. Williams may be winless in his last four fight but he has faced impressive competition. His last two losses had been to super middleweight contenders Allan Green and Andre Ward.

Henry dominated him from the outset easily winning all five rounds before his sixth round TKO which you can view below:

Post from: EveryJoe

Chris Henry Dominates Rubin Williams on Wednesday Night Fights

Chris Byrd’s foray into the light heavyweight division did not go as planned. In a relatively shocking and ultimately sad bout Shaun George TKOd the former heavyweight champ late in the ninth round. Referee Jay Nady stopped the fight after George floored Byrd for the second time that round.

George’s demonstrative and dominating win, he was up 79-72 on all three cards, announced that he is yet another talented fighter in a division proving to be boxing’s finest. Byrd, on the other hand, did not prove that he belonged.

Byrd fought the smaller quicker George as if he were a plodding heavyweight and George did not oblige Byrd’s incorrect assumption. The 5/1 underdog dropped him in the first and pounded him throughout. He never slowed down his unceasing barrage, dancing around Byrd while peppering him with pinpoint punches and scoring numerous head shots. Byrd landed no punches of consequence and never threatened the 29-year-old Brooklyn native. This wasn’t the Byrd we thought we were going to see.

All our pre-fight thoughts regarding Byrd were wrong. His 37-pound weight loss and heavyweight experience did not help him one bit. Rather they proved to be severe hindrances. Byrd looked lost and unfamiliar with his new body, confused about the fight’s speed, too slow to present any kind of defense, and too weak to land any meaningful blows.

Byrd’s inability to be competitive is a sad indictment on the skill level chasm between the heavyweight class and light heavys below. Wlad Kiltschko need not appear on any pound-for-pound lists any time soon.

Chris Byrd really has no place to go from here. The light heavyweight division is full of great fighters and large purses but, last night’s fight showed, the 175-lb. Byrd cannot compete on their level without relearning how to fight as a smaller man would. And even then it’s uncertain that a powerful punch would ever materialize at that lighter weight.

George wasn’t the best choice for Byrd’s intro to a dramatically different style of boxing. He was too good and too focused. If Byrd is to return to the ring and make another attempt at this class then he’ll have to start much further down the competitive ladder. If he does then good luck. If he does not then last night was a farewell to a champion.

Photo Source: Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

Chris Byrd’s Debut As A Smaller Man Goes Wrong

Image details: Joe Calzaghe Media Interview served by picapp.com

If you call your opponent a “sore loser” doesn’t that necessarily indicate that you’re a sore winner? In Joe Calzaghe’s case it just means that he’s a classless boxer who doesn’t know when to shut up or give a great fighter credit.

What this all means is that Calzaghe is at it again, talking to BBC Two in a Sunday interview, view it here, spouting off about everything, professing his love for countryman Tom Jones and Al Pacino, insulting Bernard Hopkins‘ performance and attitude, harping about the referee and American judges, and pretending that fight fans don’t remember how he’s refused to fight against the best competition for years.

Continue reading for more quotes from the interview that haven’t made the press release transcripts. Believe me, there are dozens more that boil my blood.

He begins that he was proud to “finally get my big fight in Vegas.” Finally! That’s right no American ever wanted to fight Calzaghe for his titles during his decade-long monkish sequestering in the Welsh highlands. I forgot.

Offering an excuse for his amateur boxing-esque pitter pat style Calzaghe states, “Computer stats don’t lie. At the end of the day slaps, jabs, light punches – whatever you want to call them – I still landed the most punches against Hopkins.”

Does Joe think Hopkins a great fighter? “Hopkins is a fraud as far as I’m concerned.” Then Calzaghe commits a Freudian slip, “The guy’s lost four fights, er, five now.”

To Calzaghe’s credit his “He should get over it. He should watch the tape and accept that he lost.” quote that’s made the wire rounds was taken out of context and referred NOT to last Saturday’s fight but to Hopkins’ 2005 bout(s) against Jermain Taylor.

In regards to Hopkins’ infamous I’ll-never-lose-to-a-white-boy comment Calzaghe offers “he’s got no class” then continues, “I’m proud of myself not stooping to the same level.” He then continues to denigrate Hopkins in many classless ways.

Among them was the following insult of Hopkins fortitude: “I always lay it on the line. (Hopkins) doesn’t lay it on the line. He tried to steal the fight I tried to win the fight.” The notion that Hopkins has no heart is just jaw dropping.

Calzaghe then asserts, “He’s not the best fighter I’ve ever fought.” Those would be Kessler and Lacy. We wonder, would Calzaghe even make Hopkins’ Best 5 list of boxers faced? Possibly, but the name sure to top Hopkins’ Fave 5 is an in-form lightning quick 24-year-old Roy Jones, Jr. Who does Calzaghe want next? The 39-year-old version Roy Jones, Jr.

“I’ve fought the up-and-coming young fighters,” Calzaghe reasons, “why can’t I be the young guy in a fight?” I guess he’s earned the luxury of high profile, less challenging, bigger payday bouts but fight fans everywhere would surely enjoy something different.

Again, to see the interview for yourself on the BBC site click here.

Post from: EveryJoe

Calzaghe Thinks Jeff Lacy is Better Than Bernard Hopkins (and Other Gems from the Welshman)

Image details: Bernard Hopkins v Joe Calzaghe served by picapp.com

Joe Calzaghe is no Ricky Hatton. He doesn’t bring legions of Britons to Las Vegas, he’s not gracious to his opponent in post-match interviews, he doesn’t want to fight dangerous young fighters, but, most importantly, he’s able to find a way to win, however controversially, against his American opponent thus maintaining his undefeated record.

Calzaghe escaped the 43-year-old Bernard Hopkins’ technical, throwback counterpuncing style with a high volume of pitter-pat slaps and occasional rabbit punches scoring a close split decision victory and the linear light heavyweight title. Judges Ted Gizma (115-112) and Chuck Giampa (116-111) scored the bout for Calzaghe; Adalaide Byrd saw it 114-113 for Hopkins. I had it 114-113 for Calzaghe. The boxers’ sharply contrasting styles (high volume light aggression vs. pointed and defensive counterpunching) proved difficult to score; espn.com score it 114-113 for Hopkins while HBO’s Harold Lederman had it 116-111 for Calzaghe.

Unsurprisingly, Hopkins floored Calzaghe in the bout’s opening round with a good straight right. In the pre-match festivites Calzaghe had looked dazed and a bit starstruck – he planted a gushing hug on a increasingly unidentifiable Tom Jones – while Hopkins stalked the ring focused and ready.

As the fight went on, however, Calzaghe caught his stride maintaining a steady, if not pain-inflicting, barrage of punches during the fight’s middle-to-late rounds. After a protracted break for a grazing low blow in the 10th Hopkins seemed re-energized and ready to rally for the stretch run.

But Calzaghe didn’t back down earning a close advantage on my scorecard in the 11th and 12th. Post-fight Calzaghe was confident despite his cut nose and bruised face declaring himself a “legend killer” and stating that Hopkins’ clear first round knock down was instead a slip. The legend comment referred to Calzaghe’s priority desire to fight Roy Jones, Jr. next instead of Chad Dawson, Kelly Pavlik, Arthur Abraham, or anyone under the age of 40.

Joe Calzaghe is a terrific fighter, undoubtedly a top ten pound-for-pound, but his career-long proclivity towards avoiding top flight competition is disappointing for any fight fan and ultimately will prevent him from ranking among the all-time greats, including the vanquished Bernard Hopkins.

Post from: EveryJoe

Calzaghe Remains Undefeated With Split Decision Win Vs. Hopkins