Antonio Tarver vs. Glen Johnson

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I watched the replay for this earlier this morning. I missed the undercard fight of Quartey and Phillips, but the main event was a good time. Both men were very active, and I happily await the rubbermatch.

 

The battle of the guys that beat Roy Jones Jr. is exactly what the heavier weight divisions need right now, considering the two men are evenly physically matched, and have some history now.

 

Johnson was ballsy, and didn't buckle to a very consistent and punishing assault from Tarver, who got seriously roughed up from body shots the whole night. He was too aggressive and too well-conditioned tonight.

[Lei Tong 0]

Actually, I thought the fight wa spretty "meh." Tarver used his physical advanatges juste nough this time to keep Glen off of him for the majority of the fight. The amount of arm punches he threw was saddening, and makes me wonder what he could do if he actually bothered to commit more often. For as overrated as the whole series was, "Gatti/Ward" this wasn't.

 

The udnercard fight was much more exciting, as Phillips had Quartey on queer street a few times in the fight, and even nearly out in the 9th, but jsut couldn't put him away. The ref's decision to not call the 2nd knockdown will cause a bit controversy, but it was an entertaining fight nonetheless.

[Guest NaturalBornThriller4:20]

I thought this was a rough, physical match. Worth my viewing. BTW, who else is there in the Light Heavyweight division besides these two? I guess they are the only ones that matter.

 

BTW, did either one of you catch the Gatti/Mayweather interviews? Mayweather is quite the cocky bastard calling Gatti a "Paper Champion" and a "C+ fighter."

 

Mayweather is seriously taking Gatti too lightly and is only going to set himself up for embarrassment on Saturday night.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I had a prediction contest at my other board, and almost to a man everyone is picking Gatti. Maybe it is just me, but I think Mayweather is clearly the superior fighter. I'll be shocked if Gatti wins.

[Lei Tong 0]

Though Mayweather exagerated a bit in his disses of Gatti, he wasn't too far off. Gatti has fought some relatively weak competition at 140 since the Ward series (and even Mickey isn't that good in the first place), whereas Mayweather is easily the best techincal boxer in the game right now and near the top of the P4P heap. Mayweather SHOULD be heavily favored, though I imagine a majority will be rooting for Gatti and he does stand a chance of landing something huge and/or lucky on Floyd.

 

I think Mayweather will carve Gatti up, stopping him on cuts in about 8.

[snuffbox 0]

Its nice to see Ike Quartey back in the ring. He was really fun to watch in the late 90s and his break from boxing may have lengthened his career(hopefully).

 

Mayweather-Gatti has the potential to be very entertaining. Gatti is a 5-time Fight of the Year participant and Mayweather is the most talented boxer on the planet. Mayweather is playing a great Ali-esque heel and Gatti is hugely popular. This is Mayweather's biggest and most important fight yet. Gatti is still world-class and always brings Everything. This fight has serious potential to be a classic.

 

Im not sure if its my final pick yet...but right now Im thinking Mayweather wins a war and Gatti retires a hero afterwards. This prediction will change by tomorrow though.

[Guest Big_Jay101]

who won?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Tarver won via unanimous decision.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Mayweather will probably rough him up badly. Gatti's prone to bleeding, and anything that makes it easier for Mayweather to be sharp and accurate, be it cuts, swelling, or fatigue ends his opponents. Floyd stops him in the ninth.

[Guest NaturalBornThriller4:20]

I still put my money on Gatti, he's slowly becoming a complete fighter.

 

Gatti can brawl, so if Floyd tries to man up and go toe to toe with him, he'll get knocked the hell out. Mayweather has never been tested by a power puncher like Gatti. Also, since the Ward trilogy, Gatti has become a better boxer (Yet still not better than Floyd).

[Lei Tong 0]

Gatti is far from a complete fighter. As I said, he's shown off his improved boxing skills vs a massively undersized Leonard Dorin & a small, past his prime Jesse James Leija. Looking good boxing those two guys is VERY far from trying outbox Mayweather.

 

In regards to brawling, I don't think Mayweather will brawl with Gatti in the sense of recklessly throwing punches and forgetting his defense, but rather actively engaging Gatti, cutting him up with quick combinations before avoiding Gatti's return fire. It's arguable that Mayweather hasn't faced anyone with with power comparable to Gatti's, though if Gatti does land clean, it will definitely be the hardest Foyd's ever been hit.

[snuffbox 0]

Gatti is the best bodypuncher since Julio Cesar Chavez...this could pose a huge problem for PBF.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

No way. That guy's conditioning is immaculate. You could beat his abs all day with a board.

[snuffbox 0]

Conditioning will only protect his ribs if he can keep his elbows against them. Gatti's bodywork can hurt anybody...Floyd included. Mayweather his never been in the ring with anyone with the punch (maybe a distracted Corrales) or the experience of an Arturo Gatti, its his toughest test yet...and remember, Mayweather really struggled with Castillio (a much different animal than Gatti, of course).

 

I doubt Gatti can win...but its definitly not a mismatch. Its probably about as much of a mismatch as the Tszyu-Hatton, Golota-Brewster, Johnson-JonesJr, etc fights that 'boxing experts' have been embarrassed with lately.

[snuffbox 0]

Quick artice on Gatti-Floyd at Fightnews.com -

 

http://www.fightnews.com/richardson150.htm

[Lei Tong 0]

Conditioning will only protect his ribs if he can keep his elbows against them. Gatti's bodywork can hurt anybody...Floyd included. Mayweather his never been in the ring with anyone with the punch (maybe a distracted Corrales) or the experience of an Arturo Gatti, its his toughest test yet...and remember, Mayweather really struggled with Castillio (a much different animal than Gatti, of course).

 

I doubt Gatti can win...but its definitly not a mismatch. Its probably about as much of a mismatch as the Tszyu-Hatton, Golota-Brewster, Johnson-JonesJr, etc fights that 'boxing experts' have been embarrassed with lately.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

A couple of things:

 

- Jose Luis Castillo is even more experienced fighter than gatti, hits hard and is known for good bodywork. He also put on quite possibly the best, most disciplined performance of hi career against Diego Corrales, so I'd say Floyd has something of a point of reference to Gatti, if not at 140lbs.

 

- I'd say only Tszyu/Hatton was the big upset. Golota is a nutcase liable to fold at the drop of the dime who fought a hard puncher, and no one was sure what RJJ had left in him after having looked like shit post-HW title. The way each won, however, was suprising.

[snuffbox 0]

- Jose Luis Castillo is even more experienced fighter than gatti, hits hard and is known for good bodywork. He also put on quite possibly the best, most disciplined performance of hi career against Diego Corrales, so I'd say Floyd has something of a point of reference to Gatti, if not at 140lbs.

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I definitly disagree...Castillo has more fights, but Gatti has been at the world-class level for years longer.

[Jericholic82 0]

It was a pretty good fight. But Tarver got on my nerves in the last round by holding onto Johnson anf trying to not get knocked out. Johnson came on strong in the 11th and looked like he could put Tarver down but the bell came too sound.

 

Sure it was a smart strategy by Tarver, but it made the fight end on a non-dramatic note after 11 rounds of good boxing.

 

 

I aint paying that price for PPV but I hope Gatti wins. Despte him being Italian (and a french-canadian as well which is really weird) lol I am always entertained by his ring antics and lately he has seemed more serious in the ring. Smart money would pick Mayweather but who knows.

 

Hopefully HBO will show the replay next week.

[Lei Tong 0]

 

- Jose Luis Castillo is even more experienced fighter than gatti, hits hard and is known for good bodywork. He also put on quite possibly the best, most disciplined performance of hi career against Diego Corrales, so I'd say Floyd has something of a point of reference to Gatti, if not at 140lbs.

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I definitly disagree...Castillo has more fights, but Gatti has been at the world-class level for years longer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Gatti has been fighting on the level for a few years longer, but since around 2000, Castillo's list of opponents blows away Gatti's, IMO. Johnston x2, Mayweather Jr. x2, Corrales, Casamayor, Diaz & Lazcano match up to just about anyone on Gatti's resume throughout his career.

 

My main point is that Gatti isn't quite special as people make him outt o be. Aside from his high profile losses, he's most well-known for going to war 3 times with a glorified club fighter & retiring a small, shot & chinless Joey Gamache.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

To the guy who wondered how he could be Italian and French Canadian, lots of Italians live in Montreal. I remember hearing that the shiek or iron shiek or one of them was an italian guy from montreal. Don't know if that's true though.