A Night at the Fights

My wife Jeri and I at the Syubhub Center

Stubhub Center

Carson, California

April 16, 2015

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr vs Andrzej Fonfara

The less said about this fight the better. I mentioned yesterday that Chavez Sr looked preoccupied and sad. Now I know why. His spoiled brat of a son Julio Jr did not train for this fight. I'm not advocating physical punishment but I hope after the fight on the way back to the dressing room Papa Chavez gave Jr. a swift kick in the ass, followed by a good spanking with a thick leather belt.

I don't know what the fight looked like on television but live it was easy to see that this guy, Andrzej Fonfara, came to win. He was unintimidated, confident and he could fight. Chavez was in trouble. Later in the fight when Chavez was mugging and clowning my wife asked me, "Why is he doing that?" Because he's getting tired and buying time".

In Andrzej Fonfara, Julio met someone that refused to lose and he was unable to cope with it. It's tough enough when you are in shape but Chavez looked soft last night. The knockdown in the 9th round took the fight out of Junior, took away his will. He chose to sit on his stool and not come out for the 10th round.

When Junior was knocked down the crowd seemed to desert him and cheered Fonfara. They deserted Chavez. I can't say I blame them.

As soon as the fight was over, it was shades of the Olympic Auditorium as beer cans, cups, food and what ever began flying everywhere I said to my wife "Let's get out of here now". Most of the "normal" people left but I looked back and the beer was getting thick in the air. I felt for those that were sitting in the lower seats. there was no escaping it.

Abie Han vs Fernando Guerrero

I didn't take pen and paper and score the fight round by round. I wanted to just sit and enjoy the fight. It was a good entertaining fight too.Now let me say this first, my wife Jeri and I went there to see Abie Han fight, we like him, so I may be a little biased but I believe I can watch a fight objectively and give a fair opinion.

Han came out and immediately established the distance between him and Guerrero. he controlled the tempo of the fight and was jabbing well and positioning himself for the left hook to the body. Guerrero was quick and moved well and at times was able to get inside and land some shots to Han's body as well. Guerrero was knocked down by a left hook midway through the first round.

Guerrero is a southpaw and that always presents a certain problem but Han was able to land the right hand. He seemed comfortable and unbothered by Guerrero.

My own opinion? I thought Han won rounds 1 through 6. In the sixth round Guerrero seemed to be tiring and was backing up for much of the round with some spurts of quick combinations. In round 7 he seemed to find his wind and than the real battle begin. Rounds 7 through 10 were hard fought and tough to score. Guerrero had several good moments throughout the last few rounds and did land some solid right hooks. Somewhere along this point Han stopped using the jab, or at least not as consistently. The Stubhub Arena at this point was about a quarter filled but the crowd that was there seemed to be behind Han.

When the fight was over and Guerrero won the split decision the crowd really booed the decision. They were angry. Like me they thought Han deserved the win. It was a close fight but Guerrero did come on in the later rounds. I just don't think it was enough. I'm not going to go so far as to say it was a robbery, it was just a close fight and this is how the judges decided. I had to hold my my wife back to keep her from going after the judges. She is now a certified Abie Han fan.

To Abie Han I would say, A loss is yesterday's news. It's over with. Shake it off and move on. No fighter ever became a world champion by dwelling on a loss and the past.

You can find the results from all the fights from Saturday night here.

LAX Crowne Plaza: Weigh-in with Abie Han and Louie Burke

Yesterday Jeri and I drove down to the Stubhub Center (formerly the Home Depot Center) in Carson to pick up our tickets for tonight's fights.between J.C. Chavez Jr. and Andrzej Fonfara. It will be nice seeing Chavez Jr. fight but the real reason we're going is to see Abraham "Abie" Han vs Fernando Guerrero. Han is trained by my cousin Louie Burke, so this is family.

After getting the tickets we drove to the LAX Crowne Plaza for the weigh-in and to spend some time with Louie. We had a chance to meet Abie. What a great young man. What my old late trainer, Mel Epstein, would call - a deserving guy!. We'll be rooting for him tonight. He looks to be in great shape, and confident.

We had lunch, took a walk and then we left so they could get back to the business at hand. Best of luck to Abie Han tonight!

Never Stop Trying.......

Whether it is in the boxing ring or in life, the shame is never in losing. Everyone loses at one time or another. It's a part of life. The shame comes from not trying, not giving it your best shot, at whatever it is you do. Don't be afraid to lose and if you do lose, don't whine about it either. Don't make excuses. it's okay to say :"Yeah, I lost but I'll get him next time!" We never forget the ones that never stopped trying, we forget the ones that stop trying. If you have to dig deep, then dig!

Just so you know, about 99.99% of that is directed at me but feel free to take it to heart too. Sometimes we need to give ourselves a pep talk because if we don't who will.

An open Letter to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao

Dear Floyd and Manny

I hope you guys don't mind me addressing the two of you in one letter. I have a personal favor to ask of you, both of you. You see, it's been brought to my attention recently that the generation below me - that would be your generation – has never had a true honest to goodness “Superfight”. I'm not talking about a designated title thought up for promotional purposes. I'm talking about a “Superfight” that is immediately thrust into boxing lexicon and history with the ringing of the final bell. There is a difference.

What I'm asking guys, is that both of you, yes both of you and that means you too Floyd, reach down deep, take risks you've never taken before and give this younger generation the fight that young boxing fans have only read about, give them the fight they have been dreaming about, a fight that they will talk about thirty years from now.

I mean, c'mon, guys, you,  the promoters and everyone involved in this fight will be making an unprecedented amount of money. I can't fathom the amount. None of us can. The way I see it, you kinda owe everyone, yes, you too Manny, but more importantly you owe it to yourself, and you owe it to boxing, because I really believe if you guys don't live up to the hype, your legacies will suffer, big time.

If you don't give this generation the fight of their lives than as far as I'm concerned you will both have forfeited the right to be ranked with the Robinsons, the Louis', the Marcianos, the Alis, the Durans, the Leonards, (both Benny and Ray), the Haglers, the Hearns, the Arguellos, the Chavez' and Pryors and all the other boxing greats that have  graced our sport. Like it or not, this fight is the deal maker or the deal breaker, as far as your reputation and legacy is concerned. Give some serious thought to that.

Also, the boxing world, fans, writers, etc are looking for someone, anyone to put boxing back where it belongs, at the top of the fighting sports and on top of the sports world. I think you guys have it in you to do this but only you can make it happen. I truly believe too, that if the fight is a great one they won't give a rat's ass if you win or lose, they are going to remember the effort. I know what I'm talking about.

What I'm saying guys, is that it's time to put up or shut up, because, well, because frankly we're sick of the rhetoric and the disappointment. On top of that you've kept everyone waiting for years.  Now, I'm going to be honest, I do believe that there is one fighter that will enter the ring that night and give every fiber of his being in this fight. I also believe that there is one fighter that will most likely win, but in a less than satisfactory manner. You'll have to figure out who is who.

It comes down to this, money aside, how do you want to be remembered? The best of your generation, and nothing more, or do you want to stand shoulder to shoulder with the all time great ring immortals. You see, I'm one of those older guys that believe the fighters in my day were better , period! However, nothing would make me happier than to be proven wrong. Oh, and I'm not asking for me because I've already seen the best. The choice is yours fellas. You are either the real thing, or you are not.

Good luck to the both of you and may the best man win!

Sincerely
Randy De La O

Hagler vs Hearns: Parting Shots For the Day

The Aftermath of War

Marvin Hagler vs Tommy Hearns: Thirty Years Ago Today

"The War"

Marvelous Marvin Hagler vs Tommy "The Hitman" Hearns 

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada

April 15, 1985

By Randy De La O

It is inconceivable to me that it has been thirty years since Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns got it on at the outdoor arena at Caesars Palace. Thirty years is a long time in anybody's book. Seems like yesterday.

In a decade that produced so many great fighters and fights, the three round battle between Hagler and Hearns, stands as the defining moment for boxing in the 1980's. In a decade that produced battles between Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard, Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns, Alexis Arguello and Aaron Pryor, Frankie Duarte and Alberto Davila, Julio Cesar Chavez and Edwin Rosario, Mike Tyson vs anybody and so many more, this is the one that tells us more about the decade that was the 1980's than any other fight.
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Yet, this is also representative of what we had to look forward to when we called up family and friends to come on over and watch the fights. We took all this for granted but we enjoyed the hell out of it! Mayweather and Paquiao? Forget about it!! No, really, forget about it! The battle of the Century? Forget about it!

Going into the fight, the measuring stick between the two fighters was Roberto Duran. Duran had fought Hagler to a virtual standstill but lost the decision in a great tactical fight in November of 1983. Seven months later, Hearns would knock out Duran in the second round in devastating fashion. The natural conclusion by many was that Hearns was going to do the same to Hagler. It's been thirty years since the fight so I don't think I'm spoiling it for anyone when I say that Hagler would have none of that! This was not only the defining fight of the 1980's but it was the defining fight of Hagler's career. This fight cemented his legacy with the knockout in the third round of Hearns.

The fight itself was beyond outstanding. Both fighter's laid it all on the line that night in the battle for middleweight supremacy. Both Hagler and Hearns sustained damage that night but there would only be one man standing. Both fighters would have it no other way.

It was an unforgettable night at home. Everyone at the edge of their seats. Knowing, deep down that we were seeing something special. Today, thirty years later, it is still the standard by which I, and many of my generation, continue to judge fights.