Showing posts with label Welterweight champion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Welterweight champion. Show all posts

Thursday, 21 June 2012

Randall Bailey calls out Floyd Mayweather!


The current IBF welterweight world champion Randall Bailey, who is now 37-years old, is making the most of his time at the top. And he is starting by calling out the pound-for-pound king Floyd 'Money' Mayweather.

Bailey primarily called out Mayweather but he also claimed that he would fight any deserving world title contender at 147lb (welterweight). But, only if the price is right.

"I've been avoided forever," Bailey said, "but now I'm coming off a world title fight win that ended with a punch people are going to be talking about for a long time. If I had a choice, I'd fight Mayweather next. I like the way Floyd's fighting. He's not running around so much to try to win on points. He's giving guys an opportunity to hit him and that's my type of fight."


"I told him (Jones) that I was going to knock him out. In my mind, that was the only way I'd win the fight. I watched a few of his fights that were close, like the (Jesus Soto) Karrass fight, and I was concerned about winning a decision. I knew when I grazed him in the first round that he'd take off like a thief in the night. The kid ran from me a lot and I caught a lot of his punches with my gloves. I waited for him to sit down for a second. I didn't have that much on my punch (straight right) in the 10th round (Jones was decked for the first time as an amateur or pro) because my leg was twisted. In the 11th, he was laying in under his jab so I couldn't hit him with my overhand right. I decided to back up and as we got closer, he kept his chin down to keep away from my overhand right. It was just natural for me to come with my uppercut like I did. That was my best punch ever. It had so much on it that it looked like my fist was in his face. I hit his nose and it felt like meat coming out."


"That punch was similar to the punches he knocked out (Jackson Osei) Bonsu and (Frankie) Figueroa with," Bailey's manager Si Stern noted, "but this was the best punch I've ever seen Randall land. I'm so proud of Randall. He's at the top of his game and a three-time world champion. His one punch produced the 'Knockout of the Year', if not the 'Knockout of the Decade'. We have the world title belt and won't fight on the cheap. We already have a half-million dollar offer to fight overseas, so why would we take a cheap fight? Once Mayweather gets out of jail, he won't find a better opponent to fight than Randall Bailey, who is one of the most dangerous fighters in the world. Mayweather-Bailey has the potential to be a classic fight."


"We'll listen to any offers - Malignaggi, Alexander, Berto, Ortiz, even Pacquiao or Bradley - if the price is right. Randall has been avoided like the plague; they've been scared to death because of his one-punch power. We'll only have one or two opportunities for a big fight before his mandatory is due. It would be crazy for him to fight now for short money."


It's unlikely that Bailey will even enter negotiations with Mayweather, but if it does get that far, I'm sure that Mayweather would offer the 37-year old way more less than what Bailey would ask for. To be totally honest with you, I don't think that any of the top fighters at the weight would give Bailey the chance that he actually does deserve. He's just not popular enough to participate in a PPV fight and he isn't on the same level as the likes of Pacquiao, Mayweather, Bradley, Ortiz or Berto.


The most likely big pay-days for him would be with either Paulie Malignaggi or Devon Alexander. In my opinion, both of these guys still need to prove themselves and a victory against one of the hardest punchers in the sport would be very good for their careers and reputation.

Sunday, 10 June 2012

Bradley shocks the world!

Timothy Bradley with the WBO welterweight title.
Timothy 'Dessert Storm' Bradley has shocked the world and become the new WBO welterweight champion of the world. He done this by beating the man that many believe is the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in the world today, Manny Pacquiao.

There was controversy right from the off. When the fight was scheduled to start, Bradley was bin his changing room, gloved up and ready to go. However, Pacquiao was nowhere to be found. After a quick search, he was found "stretching his calves" on a treadmill with trainer Freddie Roach. Many people believed that there could have been foul play involved but Pacquiao and Roach claim that he genuinely had to relieve some tension from his legs.

So... The ring walk began 15 minutes late and then we finally got to see the fight that we had all been waiting for. The question on everybody's mind was 'Can Bradley walk the walk as well as talk the talk?'

The first round was close and it looked as though both fighters were momentarily stunned at some points. However, from that round till around the seventh, Pacquiao dominated and Bradley looked very tired. But somehow, the man who prides himself on his 'fight to the death' boxing style brought himself back into the fight and clearly won some of the later rounds.

Seeing as the fight had gone to the scorecards, everybody fought that even if it was close, Pacquiao would be given the decision as he is the bigger star and worth a lot more money. How wrong were we?
Bradley was given the result by a split decision with two judges giving it to him by two rounds. We were witnessing the dethroning of the "P4P King" Manny Pacquiao.

A lot of people were shocked the result as they believed that Pacquiao did enough to win the fight. Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach was really shocked at the decision.

"I thought we won the fight," said Roach. "I thought that was one of the best fights he fought since Cotto. I thought we clearly, clearly won the fight. I think [the judges] had their eyes closed... I didn't see that many close rounds. I like knockouts and when he gave the eleventh round away, I said, "Manny go out there and finish this guy.".. I had it 10 rounds to 2."

Now, it wasn't as wide as the always animated Freddie Roach made out but the fight could have easily been awarded to Manny Pacquiao. But, you cannot take anything away from Mr Timothy Bradley. He fought the right fight and dominated the action towards the end.

Bradley's manager Cameron Dunkin believed that his man deserved to win the fight and he apparently scored it 115-113 to Bradley.

It is very likely now that we will see a rematch between these two men. It was announced before the fight, that if Bradley won then there will be an immediate rematch in November, and both men are more than willing to do it all again. Bradley said that he is fine with the rematch and he will come back even stronger for the next fight. Pacquiao claims that he feels that he "100% won the fight" and he has happy to have a rematch.

Could this be the end of Manny Pacquiao? In the post-fight interview, he looked calm and content. Maybe he is happy with what he has done in his career? Maybe he doesn't feel that he doesn't need to prove himself anymore?

The boxing world has been turned on it's head after this fight. Mayweather-Pacquiao is no longer the most valuable fight out there. Manny Pacquiao can no longer be acclaimed as the 'P4P King.' Timothy Bradley is one of the most valuable fighters in the world from this point on and Mayweather's career has received a boost as many people will now go from seeing Pacquiao as the best fighter in the world and see 'Money' as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.