Broner manages to paint himself as victim

04/03/2016 Paul Strauss

Adrien “Problem” Broner (32-2, 24KO) stopped Ashley Theophane 39-7-1, 11KO) in nine at the D.C. Armory, Wash D.C. No big deal. Everyone expected him to win. It just took a little longer than he predicted. The real story was the current episode of the Problem Child’s soap opera life. Just as television series often do, fans (audiences) were initially left hanging.

Fans wondered about several “what ifs”. What if the Problem gets arrested and incarcerated due to criminal proceedings in Cincinnati, Ohio? Will the Wash. D. C. commission deny Broner a license? If so, will the entire card be scratched? Speaking of scratched, that’s what officials were contemplating when the Problem refused to take off another 4oz to make the junior welterweight limit of 140.

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Ward’s B-game won’t be good enough for Kovalev

03/28/2016 Paul Strauss

Andre SOG Ward (28-0-0 15KO) of the Saturday night fight at the Oracle, Oakland, CA will have a difficult time with Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (29-0-1 26KO). By his own admission, he graded his performance a B- grade. Most would agree, anyone coming up against the devastating power of the Krusher better bring his A game.

Ward was correct. He looked like a B grade movie, a low budget one that does not inspire the need for a sequel. Still, it was good enough for a unanimous decision over the Cuban Sullivan Barrera (17-0-0 12KO). Essentially, Ward outworked the undefeated defector, who now trains out of Miami, FL.

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Kovalev punishes Pascal as “Chickenson” watches

01/31/2016 Paul Strauss

Nothing unexpected, but still a feeling of mild astonishment when once again we witness the power and skill of Sergey “Kusher” Kovalev (29-0-1 17KO). He seems to excel at all aspects of the sweet science. His balance is good. He controls distance. He has a knockdown type jab and decent speed. He throws sizzling combinations, started with either hand. His punches are thrown with precise accuracy. His defense is good, and if he is hit with a counter punch, the effect is lessened by the fact that he sees them coming (focus), which makes him ready for the impact. Then of course there’s his power. Undoubtedly fans jammed into the Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada and viewers tuned into HBO’s telecast were wincing with the impact of each of Krusher’s destructive punches .

Jean Pascal (30-4-1 17KO) resembled a play-doe like recipient. He was being reshaped right before our eyes…….a dent here, a dimple there, and lot’s of lumps and bumps. Hard shots to the body were accompanied by gasps from the crowd.

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Rob “Bravo” Brant Wins Big but St. Paul Loses Out

01/24/201601/23/2016 Paul Strauss

Just when a fighter from St. Paul, MN experiences some success on TV, the audience is told he is from Dallas, TX (where he currently trains). Flyover land can’t win, but at least Rob can, and impressively. Going into the main event Friday night at the Casino Del Sol, Tucson, AZ, Rob was the favorite, but few expected him to win by a knockout.

Brant was described as more of a boxer with a good jab. He was favored because he had more experience. In the amateurs, he was a national champ (multiple x’s), and is undefeated as a pro (19-0-0 12KO), Still, Decarlo “3mendo” Perez (15-4-1 5KO) was expected to be one of Rob toughest tests, because he performed well against tougher competition.

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Figueroa wins, but at what price?

12/14/201512/13/2015 Paul Strauss

Dec 12, 2015, PBC on NBC, San Antonio

Omar Figueroa narrowly avoided an upset in his unanimous decision over Antonio Demarco in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC live from the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Figueroa did what was expected. He swarmed all over Demarco with a never ending whirlwind of punches. His incredible punch count just about doubled that of Demarco.

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If it wasn’t Jacobs’ luck, was it Quillin’s bad luck?

12/08/201512/07/2015 Paul Strauss

Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs (32-1-0 28KO) told Showtime’s Jim Grey it wasn’t a lucky punch that was responsible for his win over Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (32-1-1 23KO) at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY, saturday night. He explained there are no “lucky punches” in boxing. Every punch thrown comes from hours of training, monotonous, repetitive training that instills the muscles with a memory of their own. The hope is those muscles will react in a certain way when the opportunity presents itself. There is no thought process, only reaction, and the punch is sent on its way.

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Bradley and Lomachenko go to the core of the matter

11/10/2015 Paul Strauss

Timothy Bradley (33-1-1 13KO) was understandably jubilant with his ninth round TKO of Brandon Rios (33-3-1 24KO)at the Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV. Everything went according to plan, one that his new trainer Teddy Atlas laid out for him. For much of the fight, Bradley was just too fast for Rios. He ripped off multi-punch combinations so fast that Teddy had to caution him a bit between rounds, telling him that it was okay to once in a while just throw a two or three punch combo and then move. When he wasn’t firing off combo’s, he was moving, side to side, in and out or up and down. Rios just couldn’t time him enough to land a good shot.

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1+2+3 adds up to success for Shobox: The Next Generation

10/26/201510/24/2015 Paul Strauss

Rob “Bravo” Brant, 18-0-0 (11KO) from St. Paul, MN had a tough test at the Celebrity Theater, Phoenix, AZ with upset minded Louis “Unknown” Rose 13-3-1 (5KO) out of Lynwood, Calif. Physically, they matched up pretty close with Rose enjoying a slight edge in reach. Neither man is a big puncher, but Brant proved to be the crisper more snappy puncher. Rose consistently missed the target with his, which was something the judges noted. Many of the rounds in this ten round fight were very close, and arguably could have been scored either way. Brant came into the fight as the favorite, with the better pro record and amateur experience, but Rose fought the better competition. He pulled off wins over four undefeated fighters and planned to make it a fifth on Showbox.

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Gonzalez & Golovkin endowed with power and artistry

10/18/2015 Paul Strauss

A packed house at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY watched two of the best P4P fighters in the world demonstrate their greatness. Both fighters faced what many thought would be their biggest challenges to date. Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez 44-0-0 (38KO) seems to slice and dice his opponents. His punches are so accurate and sharp. His attack is relentless.

The way he cuts off the ring is a thing of beauty. He is like a mongoose darting this way and that way, in and out, leaving bite marks every time the distance allows. There is no let up and soon the prey (Viloria) starts “numbing up”. His legs start failing him. His reflexes slow, and leave him in harms way. He tries to step away and get a breath, but it’s as though his pursuer is attached to him.

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Rhonda, Now You’ve Gone Too Far

08/12/201508/11/2015 Paul Strauss

Rhonda Rousey has proven to be one of the most exciting personalities in sports. She has a sharp mind and proves to be a good person to interview. She never backs away from tough questions, and never backs done when challenged. So far she has been perfect in the sport of caged fighting. The most impressive part of her undefeated record is how quickly she dispatches her foes. Her opponents know she’s famous for a particular “arm bar” type submission hold. But, knowing that and preventing it from happening are two different things.

However, to believe she could actually beat someone like Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is amusing. The suggestion comes with the caveat that it be a no rules brawl. Rousey attempts to convince her fans and others that Floyd would be at a big disadvantage in such a contest. A “no rules” contest would lesson or eliminate Floyd’s superior boxing skills.

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