Judah survives with 7th Round TKO!

Judah Survives With 7th Round TKO!

 

Newark, N.J. - Zab Judah's career has been a career of difficulties, success and shame. But on a cold night at the Prudential Center, in Newark, N.J., Zab Judah became champion once again, scoring a 7th round TKO over Kaizer Mabuza.  Zab Judah won the IBF junior welterweight championship: a title he won more then ten years ago. With the title, Judah, now, has a bargaining chip that can get him in line for a big payday with the elite in the junior welterweight division, but this might be the only thing he receives from this victory. Judah’s performance, in the first six rounds, was very ineffective.  Just as in the Matthysse fight, Judah stayed in a tight shell and threw very little punches. With his lack of meaningful punches, Mabuza was able to be so aggressive that in round four, he knocked Judah down with a grazing right hand. Judah protests the knock down but he only has himself to blame.  Because of the constant back peddling, he found himself off balance and open for the shot. In round six, before the knock out, a straight right hand tagged Judah that buckled his knees. If it was not for Maduza’s tendency to fade in the late rounds and walk into that trademark Judah left cross, Judah might have lost his last chance to be on the big stage.  Nevertheless, like they say, “A win’s, a win, in boxing” and Judah is winning.  Still, if he has any prospect of winning against the elite, he’s got to go back to the Judah of old and throw more punches. Judah might not be able to accomplish that feat being 33 and if he can’t, he has to figure out a way to keep fighters off him and not just let them dictate the entire fight. After watching Judah’s last three performances, if he's not going to throw more meaningful punches, he has to throw a lot more effective jabs (not pawing jabs but jabs that hurt his opponent and keep them at bay). If he throws the jab with more authority, his two signature punches, the straight left and the left uppercut, would land much more, instead of just waiting for his opponent to make a mistake and leave an opening. What happens next in Zab Judah’s career remains to be seen, but if he intends to reach the top of the division that he once was the star of, he has to put more hurt on his opponents.  If  not, he'll just be another one of those old fighters, who strings off some wins against creditable opponents, but then gets embarrassed on the big stage, against a younger, stronger, and more active fighter. -The Boxing King-

A New Era In MMA!

A New Era In MMA!

 

Newark, NJ-- With a performance of the ages, 23 year old Jon Jones dominated, dismantled and easily finished MMA legend Mauricio Shogun Rua to become the new light heavyweight champion the youngest ever to accomplish this feat. However, this victory was more then just the crowning of new, young champion. What fans witnessed last night was a new breed of MMA. Throughout the history of the MMA, people have said: “These guys cannot fight, they’re nothing but street fighters and they are not real  athletes…”

Nevertheless, what Jones displayed was pure, fluid technique and athletic quickness like nothing ever seen, in the octagon. Jon Jones was able to hit Shogun at will, with flying kicks, spinning elbows, and front kicks to the face, embarrassing the former champion. This performance was so dominating that people are already talking Anderson Silva vs. Jon Jones, but believe me when I say, Anderson Silva is not talking Jon Jones.

What makes Jon Jones different from any MMA fighter before him is how natural his striking is. One weakness in the MMA is that the fighters only look good, when they can get a hold of their opponent. When fighters in the MMA have to stand, they tend to fling punches, they lead in with their chins, they have no timing and (since they are not used to being hit on a regular basis, in training) they have no chins. However, with Jon Jones we have a fighter who fights with muscle memory; almost every move he makes, he does not think, he just reacts. That is what separates him from other mixed martial artist: his attack is always measured, which makes him a more dangerous fighter.

After a performance such as this, you wonder who can beat a fighter with the qualities of Jon Jones. There are some good fighters in the light heavyweight division: you have Rashod Evans, his former training partner and next opponent and. You also have Rampage Jackson, Lyoto Machida, and Antonio Nogueira: all good fighters in their own right. Just looking at them, overall, there is not one, in this group, that can beat Jon Jones; they are just not on his level as far as reaction time and reflexes are concerned.  Jones is just one-step ahead of them.

Jon Jones’ future is in his own hands. Just like a young Mike Tyson, before him, who was the youngest heavyweight boxer to win the title, only he will determine how long his reign will last. Rest assured, you can expect many more outstanding performances from Mr. Jones.  Many fighters, in the UFC, will avoid him; it is just a risk not worth taking at this point for any fighter from 185 to 205. Can anyone say Jon Jones vs. Cain Velázquez? I can.

-The Boxing King-

Clash Of The Titans

Muhammad Ali vs. Mike Tyson: Who Wins?

I know this question has been asked and answered a billion times before, but this time the answer will be given by the “Boxing King” himself.  Now, I searched the web and read articles from all the different boxing websites whether it be Sherdog, ESPN or the Holy Ring Magazine but not one has broken down the match-up the way it will be broken down tonight.
Anytime you compare two fighters from different eras, you always have to determine the years when they were in their primes. When a fighter is in his prime it means he is at the height of his skills and abilities.  Muhammad Ali’s prime was, without question, the years from 1963 to 1967. I know that he was unfairly banned from boxing for three years but let’s not forget Mike Tyson was wrongfully imprisoned for three years of his career, as well. So let’s just stick to what they did in the ring and in training. Now from 1963 to 1967 Muhammad Ali was an absolute phenom.  Like Roy Jones after him, he was so gifted, athletically, that he was able to defy the laws of boxing. With his graceful footwork, agility and fast hands, fighters of that time were just not used to that style of fighting and were easily discouraged (i.e. Sonny Liston, Floyd Patterson, and Ernie Terrell).
Mike Tyson was a trailblazer who’s prime started very early, the first three years of his career to be exact.  From the time he turned pro in 1985 to 1988, Tyson was matched up against boxers, punchers, and fighters with twenty to thirty pound advantages, that fought well going back and was exposed to all different styles. With his fast hands and uncanny punching power, Tyson was able to win a title at the age of twenty.

Strengths, Weaknesses, and Habits

Strengths

When we talk Ali and what he does best, there are many talents, great footwork and combination punching among them. But his greatest asset was his mental gamesmanship; Ali was able to defeat a majority of his opponents before they even stepped into the ring. Whether it was his attack on his opponent’s manhood, their religion, or the occasional invading of the training camp, this part of his arsenal is what gave him the victory over opponents, who actually had the advantage over him in the ring.
I know what you are thinking: OK Mike’s strength is his punching power, everybody knows that Boxing King. SORRY WRONG ANSWER!!! Tyson speed and power helped him to reach the top of the game, but without question, his greatest strength was his aura of invincibility. Mike Tyson became a myth, in the heavyweight division, like a boogie man that was waiting in the ring to decapitate you. Most opponents were beat before they got in the ring not because they were mentally beat but because they were scared out of their minds. The fear factor is without a doubt the greatest strength in combat sports; if you can make a man fear you, than that is ultimate power.

Weaknesses and Habits   

For every strength, there is a weakness, so even these boxing icons, in their prime, had weaknesses as well as “habits”.  Now you may be asking yourself what is a habit in boxing? A habit in boxing is a fault in a fighter’s game that never got corrected or things they can not seem to help themselves from doing. In training them, they seem to get it right but when the fight starts they seem to forget it. A weakness in boxing is some skill or ability that a fighter lacks.
Now, old school boxing fans, I know that Mr. Ali is a god amongst men but I hate to burst everyone’s bubble, Ali did have flaws and, no, not just the pulling back of his head.

1. No fundamental defense. Ali relied a lot on his dexterity to move away from shots but he was caught clean with big shots, in his prime.

a. Open for left hooks. One punch that Ali could never get away from was the left hook. Henry Cooper floored him with a left hook that almost knocked him out.

2. Lack of body punching. Ali never threw body punches and that why some of his opponents where dangerous as long as the fight went on.

Last but not least, a habit that Ali possessed was his tendency to throw too many punches while laying against the ropes.
Mike Tyson's weaknesses are not the ones you've read throughout the years: you know he never fought top competition, he never really had heart, he never was that great. And probably the funniest criticism of them all was the belief that he didn’t have a good chin. LOL!!! The so called boxing analyst that wrote these conclusions didn’t really believe them. A majority of them just didn’t like Mike Tyson. Although none of the above statements are true, he did have weaknesses and habits.

1. Inability to fight while moving backwards. One thing Mike Tyson could not do was fight going back, he could move side to side but he always had to come forward. If you were able to back him up, you could have had success.

2. Mental focus. Tyson showed a tendency to loose focus in fights that didn’t go as planned. He would stop throwing combinations and allow himself to be clinched.

Last but not least, a habit that Tyson showed throughout his career was that sometimes he would be so overly aggressive and wanted to get inside so bad that he would stop moving his head and walk right in, exposing himself.  That would allow him to get caught with jabs and/or the occasional uppercut.

Now that the fighters have been dissected and all bases have been covered, its time to give my prediction on who would win between these two Titans.  To the fight:
In the tradition of the old school, the fight takes place in Yankee Stadium.  It is filled to the rafters and tension cuts through the air, as the fighters have just been announced. Referee Mills Lane gives his instructions. Tyson is not looking at Ali but once Ali says something to him, Tyson looks up into Ali's eyes.  The cold stare lets Ali know that this is going to be a fight.
The bell rings for round one and Ali runs to the middle of the ring to meet Tyson. As soon as Ali throws his first jab, Tyson slips and sticks his own stiff jab into Ali's chest. Ali feels the power of the jab and starts to dance and as he dances, Tyson tries to take a big step in but Ali throws three quick jabs at Tyson.  One hits him, but Tyson slips the other two.  He moves side to side and steps in to land a hard body shot. Once the body shot hits Ali, Ali throws a flurry of punches which Tyson ducks under and hits Ali with a left hook, on the chin, knocking him into the ropes. Tyson tries to go in for the early finish, landing three hard body shots. Ali grabs on and gets out the corner. Feeling he has Ali in trouble, Tyson leaps in with another left hook but gets tagged by a straight right lead. Off balance by the punch, Ali opens up with a combination. Tyson slips a few but just like a swarm of bees you’re gonna get stung a little. The bell rings with Mills Lane stepping in between the two fighters.  Ali yells at Tyson, pointing at him. Tyson stares Ali down, as he goes back to his corner.
In Tyson’s corner, Kevin Rooney tells Mike to keep up the pressure and work the body. In Ali’s corner, Angelo Dundee yells at Muhammad to keep moving and sticking and tie him up when he gets close. As the bell gets ready to start the second round, Ali pumps his fist in the air playing to the crowd while Mike Tyson puts both gloves up to his chin and roles his neck.  Round two begins.
This contest is one for the ages. The fights unfolds like a dramatic novel that ebbs and flows. Ali sticks the jab and moves constantly. Tyson stalks with hard stiff jabs to the chest and straight rights to the body with an occasional left hook clean to Ali’s chin. From rounds 2 through 4 this becomes the pattern of the fight: a highly intense chess match. Tyson has never seen a fighter as quick as Ali with such blazing combinations and fast feet but Tyson, himself, has tremendous foot speed and agility and is able to catch Ali more then “the greatest” is comfortable with.
Ali is trying to show his confidence but in between rounds you can see on his face that the flaws, in his game, that he was able to get away with because of his athleticism, are being exploited by a well schooled athlete in Tyson. In round five, it is plain to see that Ali is starting to slow down and fall into the corner which spells trouble. While in the corner Ali throws a combination and tries to move out of the corner but gets caught with a leaping left hook to the body that freezes him for a moment. He tries to tie Tyson up, but Mike with his short stature and great infighting better and stronger then Joe Frazier’s lands an excellent left to the body followed by a blistering left uppercut that snaps Ali's head back. Mills Lane steps in and breaks apart the two fighters.
Right after the break, Ali opens up with a fifteen punch flurry, forcing Tyson to back up. Mike tries to step back in and leans to the side.  At that moment, Ali lands an uppercut of his own that spins Tyson’s head to his left shoulder. Ali keeps throwing punches, as the bell rings. Mike tries to land some hooks but Mills Lane, Kevin Rooney , and Angelo Dundee run into the ring to break the fighters up. Ali looks into Tyson’s eyes to see if this is a turning point but to no avail. Mike Tyson is in this fight and not going away.
Round six begins, as Mike steps in to throw a hook, but Ali moves quickly.  With over- confidence, Mike starts to walk his man down and walks right into a straight right hand. The crowd, now, is at a feverish pitch. This has been one of the best heavyweight fights ever. Mike moves in with two jabs, instead of the occasional one, which leaves an opening for another right uppercut from Ali. Tyson backs up.  Ali comes forward and throws a jab. Then a straight right. Then comes with two left hooks: as he starts to throw the second, Tyson steps in with a beautiful left hook ala Henry Cooper ala Joe Frazier that puts Ali right on his back.
The crowd goes into a frenzy as they see Muhammad Ali, the greatest, on the canvas. But with plenty of time left on the clock, there will be no saved by the bell this time for Ali. Tyson is not a tired, worn down fighter (like Frazier) unable to finish him off, in the last round. Although the left hook that landed was clean with speed and power right on the chin, Ali gets up at the count of eight. Tyson is on top of him with rights and lefts to the body. Tyson comes upstairs with a left uppercut followed by a left to the chin that makes Ali cover up and forces Mills Lane to step in and stop the fight. The 50,000 fans at Yankee stadium erupt in cheers and boos; the screams ring so loud that they can be heard  across the Hudson.
Mike Tyson has knocked out Muhammad Ali in one of the greatest fights in heavyweight history. Tyson exposed Ali's flaws. Ali weaknesses where never exposed in his prime because there was just no one who was quick enough to catch him. But in Mike Tyson he would face a fighter who was quicker and more schooled than him. When Ali was not able to have the advantage with his agility and quickness he was just not able to adapt. The only way he was going to be able to beat Tyson was to go to war with him and that would only give Tyson more opportunities to catch him. So Ali would try to pick his moments to engage but the pressure of Mike Tyson would prove too much for Ali to deal with.
I know that some of the people reading this are thinking, “This kid knows nothing about boxing.”  But I promise you this, if someone comes with a strong argument, I will defend my opinion and believe me, once you read it you will believe. This is the Boxing King, saying keep your head up and your eyes open.

 

-The Boxing King-