Tonight kicks off what is an exciting few weeks of boxing betting.  For MMA, Bellator is the only real televised action for the next month and the betting action is light on most sports books.   However, there still is plenty of fight betting available in the square ring.  

This weekend’s two big fights are Kell Brook vs. Mathew Hatton and Sergio Martinez vs. Mathew Macklin.

Kell Brook vs. Matthew Hatton

Matthew "Magic" Hatton comes into this bout a huge underdog and with good reason.  While he has a decent record of (42-5-2, 16 KOs) his light punching problems have been well documented.  Last time he was on HBO Saul Alvarez seemed to walk right through anything he could dish out.  

Kell Brook seems to have the advantage here in the most important aspects, speed and power.  His unblemished record of (26-0, 18 KOs) is courtesy of his immense talent.  He has stopped 10 of his past 11 opponents.  Most expect Brook to win easily here.  Really, there is no reason to think otherwise.  In order for the featherfisted Hatton to win, Brook must have an off night or an off training camp.  With Brook so close to seeing big world title bouts I cannot see a lack of motivation becoming a factor.  

BetUS currently has Kell Brook -1200 and Matthew Hatton +650.  

An interesting line is the over under set at 9.5 rounds.  The Over is -220 and the Under is +175.  Remember, Hatton has a great chin, as evidenced by his Alvarez fight.  There may be a bit of an advantage to be gained in the over/under department considering betting on Hatton here is almost negligent to the wallet.

Sergio Martinez vs. Matthew Macklin

The consensus 3rd best P4P fighter puts his belt on the line against Matthew Macklin in New York on the night telecast.  Macklin is coming off of his controversial loss to Felix Strum last year.  Sergio Martinez impressively wiped out Serhiy Dzinziruk and Darren Barker in his last two fights.  

BetUS has the identical money line for this fight.

Sergio Martinez -1200 

Matthew Macklin +650

If I had to choose, Macklin is the better bet than Hatton.  He is tough, has good skills, and has the tools to break down Martinez if he has an off night.  

The over under is also set at 9.5 rounds with the over a favorite at -150 and the under +120.  The over play here seems relatively soft.  Martinez owns a devastating KO over Paul Williams in their second fight that resonates in people's minds.  However, people forget that this is the same Martinez that couldn't stop Kermit Cintron, Paul Williams, and a damaged Kelly Pavlik before that devastating KO.

Once again, the over seems like the best bet here.

FK

This past weekend featured some of the best and the worst of boxing. Juan Manuel Lopez and Orlando Salido put on one hell of a spectacle over the 9 plus rounds that the fight lasted. The beginning of the fight set the tempo, with only the first round serving as a feeling out. After that Salido came out like a man on a mission. Then in the 5^th, out of nowhere, “Juanma” dropped him with a phantom punch type right hook. The sixth and the seventh saw Orlando proving that the previous knockdown was an aberration by beating up the boxer puncher impressionist from Puerto Rico. After realizing that he needed to gain the respect of his Mexican dance partner, Lopez decided to disregard any semblance of a plan and go all out. The 8^th round saw the proud Puerto Rican fighter decide to fight forward for the first time in the fight to improved results. Then came the ninth where both fighters seemed to quietly agree that college was not for everyone as both fighters threw everything they had at one another over the 3 minute stanza to produce a violent whirlwind of a fistic masterpiece. By the end of the ninth, after Juanma stumbled back to his corner, I knew he would not last the rest of the fight. Sure enough, a beautiful combo from “Siri” in the beginning of the 10^th ended what has been the most exciting fight so far in 2012.

Now I have just summarized this previous weekend’s great fight. The best of boxing was clearly on display as 2 clear warriors emptied their six shooters for the sake of the fans, their future, and their pride as fighters. The worst in boxing came in the form of the scorecards. I’m born and bred in Puerto Rico. I freely admit to being a homer for any Puerto Rican fighter (as long as their last name is not Camacho). Even I had the fight 86-83 in favor for Orlando Salido. It is clearly possible that the loud and boisterous crowd may have influenced the scoring of the 3 judges who were in Hato Rey that evening. Maybe they were sloshed from too many rum and cokes handed out by the event promoter. All I know is that those scorecards were smellier than Steve-O catapulted in the air while sitting in a porta potty. The most memorable part of the fight? To me it was clearly the post fight interview.

During the post fight interview with Jim Gray, “Juanma” decided to express his thoughts with regards to the referee, whom in most people’s eyes, stopped the fight at the right time. Instead of being a sportsman and accepting defeat in any semblance of a classy manner, he decided to let the public know that he was in control of the fight the entire fight and that the referee of the fight was a “gambler” (whether degenerate, occupational, or only when he drinks could not be confirmed) and because of this vice, the referee (and his son whom had officiated the first fight) were both out to get Lopez in order to collect some extra cash. Juanma went further and also proclaimed that he had informed the Puerto Rico boxing commission of these facts and that he had requested another referee to preside over the fight (apparently we can assume that that request was denied).

The sad truth is that several days after the fight, I can really only think of the absurdity of those statements. Let’s just, for shits and giggles, assume the referee was indeed out to make some cold hard cash from betting against Juanma (whom the night of the fight was a 2 to 1 favorite to win). Wouldn’t he have intervened before by maybe calling him on the low blows or the holding behind the head? Had the referee gone out of his way to slow down the action, take points away from the Puerto Rican fighter in his home turf or stopped the action in other moments when he was buzzed, then maybe I would understand his argument. Instead, I am reminded of a hilariously bizarre post fight interview with the losing fighter. It makes me wonder of other recent great moments in post-fight antics.

9/17/2011 Floyd Mayweather vs Victor Ortiz – After somewhat sucker punching and KO’ing his opponent, Floyd Mayweather approached his post fight interview with his signature bravado and arrogance. It took a turn for the strange and surreal when Floyd laid into Larry Merchant and proclaimed that HBO retire him for essentially not respecting Mayweather and not being good at what he does. It got one step better when Merchant proclaimed that “If I were 50 years younger, I’d kick your ass”. This substandard fight was only enhanced and made memorable by this Shakespearean exchange.

7/23/2011 Amir Khan vs Zab Judah – Fight prognosticators gave Zab Judah a real chance to win this fight. Too bad that after they stepped into the square circle, Zab decided to focus on defense and forgot that to win a fight means you have to throw a punch. In the fifth round, Amir Khan clearly hit Judah with a clean body punch that seemed to have had a crippling effect on the Brooklyn native. Zab decided to stay on the ground during the 10 count and after he was counted out, he had the looked of someone who had received an unsuspecting enema in front of a room full of strangers upon understanding that he had just lost the fight. When it came time to give the post fight interview, Judah exclaimed that that was a clear low blow and he would be appealing the decision immediately. When he saw the replay of the knockout on the monitor, which once again clearly showed that the punch did not stray low, he still continued to cry foul. Blatant denial is a very powerful mistress.

7/7/2007 Nonito Donaire vs Vic Darchinyan – After getting KTKO in round 5 by a devastating left hook that Vic clearly did not see, Mr. Darchinyan decided to proclaim to Jim Gray and anyone whom would listen that he was not hurt, did not know what had happened, and could have continued. WHAT?! Some people may be turned off by Vic’s arrogance when he wins and his complete denial when he loses, but it is always fun to watch this train wreck.

Bernard Hopkins vs everyone – Bernard’s post fight interviews have been the most exciting part of his fights for the better part of the last decade. He is either disrespected by the world, the grand master of the art of boxing, fighting for bribed judges, or even subjected to racism against him. These antics “clearly” make up for the 36 minutes of sleep inducing boredom I experience each and every time he fights.

There are clearly more examples of fantastic post interviews (and we have not even touched on the press conferences after the fight) but these are clearly examples of the fin that exists after the fight is over . Heck sometimes, like in the cases of Lopez-Salido and Mayweather-Ortiz, the post fight antics are almost more memorable that the actual fight. Never a dull moment inside or outside the ring.

Shaun’s Thoughts on boxing and everything else

-          So Rios-Gamboa is no more? I love it when fighters whom do not draw fans to a fight (Cuban fighters, I am looking directly at all of you) make ridiculous demands and expect that this is a good idea. I hope that Top Rank and HBO make an example of Gamboa so that all these other diva types have a second thought before they decide to be assholes. 

-          Juan Manuel Lopez should really take his time coming back. He has been hit a tad too much in his career and I am starting to feel that we have already seen the best of him. As for Orlando Salido, he is a card carrying bad ass. I would love to see him move up to 130 lbs and fight Rocky Martinez (another Puerto Rican fighter).  

-          Sad to say I am watching American Idol for the first time in years because my wife is fascinated with it again. Even sadder is that I am finding myself playing a couch judge and critiquing their performances.  

-          I’ve said it before and I will say it again, it is in the mid 70’s today in the middle of March in Chicago. The inconvenient truth is conveniently great.

Just in case you aren't a James Kirkland fan yet...

HBO has put together a short feature on him titled 2 Days.  It begins two days before his fight with Ishida and ends after his fight with Alfredo Angulo.  It's a great watch.  

I personally dearly miss the Legendary Nights series that HBO had a few years ago.  Still, they are churning out good content in the form of this Portrait of Fighter series.  

James Kirkland (30-1, 27 KO) will be fighting Carlos Molina (19-4-2, 6 KO) March 24th in Houston on the HBO undercard of Erik Morales vs. Danny Garcia.  

Brandon Rios saw it coming.  After Yuriorkis Gamboa repeatedly skipped news conferences in Miami and Los Angeles the fight was canceled yesterday.  The two were suppose to fight on April 14th on HBO but Gamboa had some type of contract dispute with Top Rank.

Lee Samuels, a Top Rank spokesman, insists that there will still be a fight on April 14th featuring Brandon Rios.  However, it will likely not be televised on HBO.  HBO had originally paid over $2 million for the fight.

Also, Top Rank filed a breach of contract suit against Gamboa for breach of contract.  What is interesting is the verbage within the contract speaks to "John Does 1 through 10".  There have been rumors of Floyd Mayweather and his backers meeting with Gamboa and causing this ruckus.  In the lawsuit Top Rank alleges that "one or more rival boxing promotion companies and unknown individuals associated with them are at the root of Gamboa's wrongful conduct."

Brandon Rios will likely fight Richard Abril (17-2-1, 8 KOs).  Abril is a interim lightweight belt holder and was at the Miami news conference.  Rios and Abril got into a heated argument and ended with a scuffle.  Video below.

It's too bad too.  This fight was one that all boxing fans were looking forward to.  Top fighters who have an offensive arsenal like these two would have been a pleasure to watch.  Hopefully they will fight in the future.

One thing that sucked about 2012?  Kelly Hutcherson not being part of Strikeforce anymore.  She recently got a job with a mortgage company, damn them whoever they are, and is no longer a with the company.  It doesn't mean that she is not still in our hearts =).

She was voted Strikeforce Ring Girl of 2011.  She is from California and has modeled for Metal Mulisha, Muscle Milk and Transworld Motorcross.

Here's a video of her Maxim photoshoot in case you like moving pictures.

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We are proud to present our first edition of the Boxing Minute podcast.  Enjoy!  The Boxing Minute will cover topics that tickle us the right or the wrong way.  So turn up the speakers, and let the fists fly and the egos fall!

This week: Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Orlando Salido II

BoxMinFinal - 3-12-12

Transcript:

Last weekend the first of what I hope to be many fight of the year candidates.  Orlando Salido and Juan Manuel Lopez once again engaged in toe to toe battle ending with the same result, Salido knocking out Juan Manuel Lopez, albeit this time in the 10th round.  There are many things that need to be said about Juan Manuel Lopez and his defense, or lack theoref.  He stands up too straight and simply cannot dodge looping hooks shots coming from an opponent with his head down, which happens to be Salido’s specialty.  

Just last April, Juan Manuel Lopez was the next best thing.  Now, he has two losses to a tough but unremarkable 11 loss fighter in Orlando Salido.  As much as this is a legitimizing win for Orlando Salido, this is a unlegitimizing loss for Lopez.  He will now have to prove to Top Rank, boxing fans, and opponents that he deserves to be in the ring with the likes of Gamboa and Rios instead of actually fighting them.  Old veterans beating upcoming fighters is always an interesting story.  However, that wasn’t the only storyline that was on display.  Really the storyline that is flying under the radar and will likely not garner much attention is the horrendous scoring at ringside.  In case you were wondering, Chuck Giampa and we here at FightKnightsBlog.com had it scored 88-83.

No one watching the fight could score it even.  Yet judge Danny Nelson had the fight 85-85 going into the 10th round.  What’s worse?  Judges Micheal Pernick and Cesar Ramos had Lopez ahead 86-84.  Thankfully Salido finished Lopez or may have been a victim of a nasty decision.  Just weeks ago, Gabriel Campillo lost in disgusting fashion to Tavoris Cloud and was denied a rematch.  

Unfortunately, this scoring problem is and always will be a recurring event in boxing.  Sometimes, it feels as though you can see it coming as a boxing fan.  A young, promising fighter is having a tough time against a sly tough veteran.  The judges are going to rob him, you  just know it. It’s like watching a car crash in slow motion.  It’s refreshing to see one get finally averted.

SW

Editor's note: Video scouting gives you a chance to take a look back bouts that have significance to upcoming matchups.  Look out for of our video scouting of upcoming big events!

Eleven months ago Juan Manuel Lopez's rise to stardom was abruptly stopped by a 11-loss Orlando Salido in a stunning 8 round TKO.  This weekend they will be fighting in a rematch that is a must win situation for Juan Manuel Lopez.  If he doesn't avenge his loss, he will be just another prospect that never fufilled his potential.  Here's a look back at some of the bouts n these two fighter's histories.  

Let's start with this.  The first fight.  

Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Orlando Salido 

It's still suprising to me that Salido was able to walk through all of Lopez's shots.  I was under the impression from JMM's other bouts that his power was very good.  Here is an example in his fight with Bernabe Concepcion.  

What is interesting in this bout is JMM's inability to hit and get out of the way.  It is one of the reasons fight fans were salivating over the prospect of him fighting Yuriorkis Gamboa who also has his defensive deficiencies.  These defensive weaknesses was exploited by Salido in their first fight and spelled doom for JMM.

Juan Manuel Lopez vs Bernabe Concepcion

We have to keep in mind that Salido does have 11 losses.  However, when he does win, he wears you down while coming forward and landing that right hand.  Here is an example of one of those wins.  

Orlando Salido vs. Kenichi Yamaguchi

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Dana White's tweeted that a rematch of Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar will take place.  The exact time and place is still unknown but will likely take place this summer.  The UFC lightweight division is stacked and has plenty of intriguing matchups.  However, White and the UFC matchmakers apparently think that the rematch will be the best for name recognition and PPV buys.

Also on the outside looking in is Anthony Pettis, who owns a victory over the current UFC champ Henderson, Nate Diaz and Jim Miller, who have a fight coming up.

Interestingly, this will mark the 3rd straight opponent that Frankie Edgar has rematched in consecutive bouts.  First was BJ Penn, followed by the second and third installment of the Gray Maynard trilogy and now Henderson vs. Edgar II.

What is clear is that this fight will help clear out the stacked division and make way for all of the intriguing matchups to come.

I already feel bad about this one.  Jennifer Dooley, the lovely wife of now retired boxer Ricky Hatton is famous for her crying uncontrollably as her hubby got knocked out in his two losses against Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.  She may not get as much screen time as another Brit boxer WAG Rachel Cordingly but she is definitely a step up for a bloke like Ricky.  

Watching someone you love get beat up isn't something that I would wish upon anyone.  I remember how my mother used to be in absolute panic mode when she watched me or my brother back in our fighting days.  Out of respect for that, no crying pictures of Mrs. Hatton, just smiling ones.

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In today’s boxing game, Jr. Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Jr. Middleweight, and Super Middleweight seem to get the most love from critics and fans alike and rightfully so. Many a big money/big visibility fight are being made at those weight classes whether it be Mayweather vs Cotto, Rios vs Gamboa, anyone vs Lucian Bute, or Berto vs Ortiz.

But as many of you may (or not) know, there are 13 weight divisions, many of which are the darlings of a niche sport while others are the rickety and abandoned old house in your neighborhood which screams to passersby, “Between the hours of 4 pm and 4 am, Meth is cooked here 5 days a week. Please ignore and by all means, do not call law enforcement”. With that, let’s go over these divisions and see who deserves respect and who does not. Please note these are my thoughts and if you do not agree, then go ahead and retort.

Strawweight/Jr Flyweight: Outside of my boy Ivan Calderon (Remember folks, I am and will always be a Boricua homer) I, nor anyone who is even the most serious of boxing supporters, pays attention to this division. The days of Michael Carbajal are long gone. Verdict: No Respect given that these are borderline “little people”.

Flyweight: Even though these fighters are not much bigger than their Strawweight brethren, There is some major talent in this division. Brian Viloria is usually a fun watch who seems to be fighting again with a purpose. Giovani Segura recently lost to the aforementioned Hawaiian Punch still should have some tread in the tires and is always exciting to watch. And let’s not forget the Pongsaklek Wonjongkam, who has been a champion in this division since the Liberty Bell acquired its famous crack. Verdict: Some Respect.

Jr. Bantamweight: The only name I have to utter is Omar Narvaez. That is the same joker that decided to go up to NYC and not put up a fight against Nonito Donaire. And I thought Argentinian fighters reeked of machismo? Que boludo. Verdict: No respect; much like Mayweather’s fight offer to Pacquiao.

Bantamweight: There is a lot of decent global talent sprinkled nicely across the division. Abner Mares seems to be able to win without the help of a referee or low blows, Agbeko is still a pretty entertaining figher, Vic Darchinyan is still hanging around even though he is getting a little long in the tooth, and Koki Kameda is highly skilled but doesn’t like venturing outside of Japan. Plus, this division has been given a little TV love because these boys like to mix it up. Verdict: Respect

Jr. Featherweight: Lots of good fights should be made here shortly. Nonito Donaire, who thought his pit stop in this division would be short found out that Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. was no walk in the park and his face showed. Add in the fine wine that is Jorge Arce, champion Toshiaki Nishioka, and the old in the tooth but still dangerous Rafa Marquez, this is a division with some firepower. Verdict: Props to the little guys.

Featherweight: Now Yuriorkis Gamboa is moving up to 135 to face Brandon Rios. Even with his departure, this is a very deep division. Juanma Lopez and Orlando Salido are facing off 3/10, Daniel Ponce de Leon, Johnny Gonzalez, and Celestino Caballero have all performed at the world class level, and Mikey Garcia is adding new blood in an already deep bullpen. And let’s not forget Chris John, the Indonesian champion who is allergic to visiting the US after fighting the subpar Rocky Juarez twice. Verdict: Respect

Jr. Lightweight: Adrien Broner is showing that he belongs near the top of the division. But outside of him, Takashi Uchiyama, and Rocky Martinez, most of the top talent in this division is moving up to greener pastures. Verdict: No respect for the pit stop of boxing divisions.

Lightweight: Love me some lightweight boxing. Juan Manuel Marquez may not be fighting here anymore as the bigger money fights are further north, but Brandon Rios, Miguel Vazquez, Antonio Demarco, and Jorge Linares all mix it up. The English surprise Ricky Burns recently moved up in weight and the Australian war horse Michael Katsidis can still make for fun fights. If only Mr. No signature wins Robert Guerrero would quit thinking that he is such a big shot, this division would be even funner than it already is. I mean, what is not to love? Verdict: Mad Props

Jr. Welterweight: Not as deep as the Lightweights, but still entertaining. Amir Khan and Lamont Peterson are mixing it up again, one of my all time favorites Erik Morales owns a fictitious belt here, and Marcos Maidana, Lucas Matthysse, and Humberto Soto can all bang. Great late night eatery to visit in order to soak up the impending hangover from a long night of drinking. Verdict: Respect

Welterweight: This division gets a lot of love due to the top of the house with Mayweather, Pacquiao, Berto, and Ortiz (Sprinkle in Bradley for good measure). Outside of that, there is really no depth in this division. Verdict: Some respect bordering on even less respect.

Jr. Middleweight: Miguel Cotto, James Kirkland, Canelo Alvarez, and Paul Williams all fighting in the same division? Add in dark horses Austin Trout, Sergei Dzinziruk, Erislandy Lara, and Carlos Molina to the mix and there are great 50-50 fights to be made everywhere in this division. Good Times. Verdict: Respect

Middleweight: When Kelly Pavlik was champion, it seemed like there was no one for him to fight. Now, Sergio Martinez is king, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has shown he can fight when he is not driving with an open container in his lap, and there is a fresh batch of European fighters that can all bang and make it hard for the champs. Plus, Kelly Pavlik has decided to leave the boxing mecca and cultural melting pot that is Youngstown, Ohio for the California boxing scene. If he quits beating up his brother, being a drunk, attracting staph infections, and making ridiculous salary demands, he should definitely be back in the mix soon. Verdict: More respect than I originally thought to give them.

Super Middleweight: Still a talent laden division near the top, with Lucian Bute, Andre Ward, Mikkel Kessler, and Carl Froch, the bottom of the division is not as rich as it used to be. Unless some of the top Middleweight prospects start moving up, the talent in this division as drying up really fast. Verdict: Little respect.

Light Heavyweight: This division is a pleasant surprise. Hopkins needs to retire after his rematch with Dawson to allow for youth to prevail. Cloud and Campillo are both fun to watch. Beibut Shumenov, Nathan Cleverly, and Jean Pascal are good fighters that can make for exciting fights. What can I say? Light Heavyweight has some potential. Verdict: Some Respect

Cruiserweight: There are some good fighters in this division. Marco Huck, Yoan Pablo Hernandez, and Steve Cunningham are the class of the division. However, as always, all Cruiserweights want to fight in Heavyweight in order to grab more coin. Huck will abandon this division soon after his first successful heavyweight fight. Do you blame him? Verdict: No respect to the red headed step-child of boxing. 

Heavyweight: Look, the Klitschko’s are top 10 to 15 all time heavyweights. No one is beating them until they retire. Once they retire, there are smaller heavyweights that can make for fun fights. Until then, there is little reason to pay attention to the “big money division”. Verdict: No respect outside of post fight brawls.

Shaun’s thoughts on boxing and everything else:

-  Steve Smoger is one of my favorite referees because he does not get in the way of a good fight and allows guys to recuperate. But, his officiating in the Alexander-Maidana fight was downright disgraceful. No low blows, elbows, rabbit punches, hits behind the head or on the crown calls? Come on Steve. Once thing is to be consistent. Another is to act blatantly neglectful.

-  Maidana did not look good. Need to see how he fights next before I start calling him shot. He also seemed unhappy with having fought at 147. Problems with Golden Boy?

-  I can not wait for the Salido-Juanma fight next weekend.

-  I love me some global warming. 60 degrees in Chicago? In February? Love it. I am going to leave my car outside running all night just for good measure.

-   Eastbound and Down is the most awkwardly funny show I have ever watched. Carrying a 1 year old infant in a backpack with holes so that “he can breathe” is both hysterical and downright frightening to a father of 3 small children.