Mayweather-Hatton.. The Grades Are In.

This is my first installment of the grades are in. After each big fight I will break down and grade the fighter's performances in regards to conditioning, strength, speed, and power.

Albeit it's a bit late, here's how I graded Mayweather-Hatton

Conditioning

Mayweather-A+
Hatton-C

Mayweather's conditioning was superb as usual. He was able to out maneuver Hatton and throw combos late in the fight with ease. This allowed him to close the show with dramatic fashion.

To really gauge Floyd's conditioning, we need to see him in there with a strong pressure fighter that will push him. Cotto or Margarito anybody?

Hatton's conditioning faded badly after six rounds. Lack of big fight experience does this to a fighter. Ricky wasted a lot of energy early and it cost him late in the fight. Experience will remedy this. Ricky trains hard we know. Did he leave too much in the gym? Dropping excessive amounts of weight, 35+ before a big fight doesn't bold to well for expectations of an elite performance.

He needs to get this under control and stop abusing his body that's letting him down, when he needs his best performance the most. This fat camp scenario is robbing him of vitality.

Strength

Mayweather-B+
Hatton-C-

Mayweather was by far the stronger fighter in the fight no doubt. Fighting a fighter coming up from 140 should make this obviously apparent though. His strength will need to improve drastically if he fights Cotto or Magaritto.

Playing with the machines won't get this done for Floyd. He needs me now more than ever if he's to get in the ring with the ultra strong Cotto and Margarito.

Well, all that hype about Ricky 1/4 pressing 1000lbs. on a leg press really didn't do shit did it?! Rightfully so, that was a bunch of hype bullshit that those of us in the know knew wouldn't carry over into the fight.

Ricky needs to get stronger fast. He needs to be put on a real program in between fights to strengthen him and keep his body weight down. Ricky just isn't getting what he needs. His blatant weaknesses are not being addressed and it shows up where he needs these improvements the most.. Fight night!

Ricky's people can go ahead and send me my ticket to the UK next week. This will be plenty of time for me to clear my schedule and go over there to get shit right and actually build a fighter who can perform on an elite level.

Speed
Mayweather A
Hatton B-

Mayweather was born with speed. The question with Floyd will never be speed. Can he improve upon it?... Yes! How you may be asking? By getting stronger I say!

Talent only stays with you for so long. There comes a time when you have to build speed. If Mayweather wants to keep fighting and actually fight some REAL 147lb. fighters, he needs to start picking up some weights and put those toys back in the toy box.

Ricky showed good hand speed early. Just like everything else though, it faded.
The problem isn't with Ricky. It's what he's doing to his body to prepare for big fights. Ricky has talent. He lacks strength and it showed in his other appearance at 147 against Collazo. If he's not strong, he's not going to be fast.

If Ricky wants to prolong his career with big wins, he needs to be put on a strength program that can actually strengthen his ever so telling weaknesses. He needs to build a solid strength base that real speed, speed he would think he never would have, is born from.

Power
Mayweather- C+
Hatton- D

With Floyd's fast hands, you would think he would develop real power behind them. Floyd is not a powerful puncher we know. He could be though if he trained for it. I will tell you this, if Floyd has the balls to fight Cotto or Margarito he will need to stop the bullshit he's doing now and really get proper training that gives him the power he will need to be able to F*** with those boys.

Hatton needs to improve his power drastically too. I hear a fight with Oscar De La Hoya has been proposed. Ricky must start to train in a way that will give him the power he needs to make those heavy fighters respect him. The power training, or really lack there of will cause Ricky to be overcome by the offensive onslaught fighters will dish to him, do to his own lack of power that will make fighters think twice about coming right in.

As you can see, work needs to be with to both fighters. I have no problem with giving them what they truly need either.

My Prediction For Mayweather vs. Hatton

Finally the fight is here! I'm drinking to know that the HBO Mayweather-Hatton 24/7 bullshit is over too!

Enough with the hype, Lets Get It On!! Plenty of guinness will be flowing tonight in Vegas.

Don't buy the hype of Ricky being too aggressive for Floyd and having the ability to make Floyd fight uncomfortable. Damn, all these dip shit writers seem to think that Floyd has forgot to box or something!

I really think Ricky will make Floyd fight, but floyd has seen Ricky's style SO MANY times that it's nothing new.

Ricky studied Floyd before the fight taking note of Floyd's flaws, well tonight he's going to find out that it's a different story to capitalize on those flaws!

The deciding factor in this fight will be Floyd's footwork and speed. Floyd will get in and out countering Ricky. Ricky will make Floyd fight hard by his constant pressure though.

I think Ricky will become frustrated in the middle to late rounds by
Floyd's speed, footwork and reflexes and start to lose his discipline while fighting over aggressively making mistakes.

Of course look for Floyd to clown like the ass he is in the ring when his opposition becomes frustrated.

Speed kills in boxing. Floyd has that and big fight experience.

I also think that Ricky will be surprised by Floyd's strength and power in this fight. Floyd is no little boy in their. Keep an eye on that.

Ricky fights Floyd hard till the end but it won't be enough...Floyd by not so easy UD.

Enjoy the fight!

Finishing The Year Strong.

Here's a great story I took from maxboxing.com talking about how boxing has been making a big comeback as it finishes the year strong.

http://www.maxboxing.com/Kim/Kim112907.asp

2008 looks to be even bigger. This was all made possible by the big fights that have been made. The best thing that happened to boxing this year in my opinion is the rekindled relationship between Bob Arum(Top Rank) and Golden Boy Promotions.

I think Bob Arum is one of the best promoters ever. Really he could still go down as THEE best.

Hell, Two of the hottest fighters in boxing, Pavlik and Cotto are promoted by Arum. Both of these fighters have bright futures ahead of them and so does boxing with Arum doing what he does best.

Q/A What Boxing Sparring Should Be About.

Here's a question that was asked to me about sparring. I wanted to repost it here because sparring is SO misunderstood by many trainers and even fighters today.

Read on for my take on the evolution of a fighter.


Rob. I have been boxing now for about 2 months and when I started I thoght i knew a little about boxing from watching fights. Well i found ou that I didn't know shit especially when I sparred for the first time. I learned more that day then all the other days on the floor. My question is about sparring. I have sparred with my trainer twice and with another ametuer fighter once. The gym I train at is very serious and competitive and the guys who spar are fighters and even when they say they'l go light its still pretty hard for me. I dont want be a fighter now that I know all the blood sweat and tears that go along with it but I want to learn to box. I have tremendous respect for those that step in the ring.My trainer left the gym and he was good to spar with but now I don't know what to do. I know to get better you need to get in there and take a few ass woopings, get used to getting hit learn from mistakes and then eventually you will give out some ass woopings. The thing is I'm older and I dont know if I want to deal with all that. Any advice?


Hey Paul,Thanks for writing in with this good question. Hold on, this is going to be a long reply...

My thoughts.. To get better you need to be taught how to fight first.. It's not about taking ass whoopings..especially if your a beginner at ANY age.

Be careful on what gym you train at. Because that's some stupid shit that allot of moronic trainers do, and allow their fighters to do.. Throw their fighters to the wolves, or allow their good fighters to take advantage of an underdeveloped fighter.

Many fighters fail to hold back though too, so it's not always the trainers fault.. it's the fighters ego wanting to light you up and look good.

To go in and spar against experienced fighters you have to show you are ready for that. Believe me, I have seen this my whole fighting life and of course now coaching.

Dude. You need to be taught the fundamentals of how to fight, offensive, and defensively, ( how to block, roll, weave, parry, slip etc) with another fighter, and show proficiency THEN you spar.

Paul, I believe beginners, (and this is really fucking common sense) should be weaned off of pre sparring, light sparring, and built into more intense sparring.

I question, Are some of these trainers building fighters, or prematurely ruing them? Hell, you say you thought you knew a little about boxing watching fights.

Where do you think many of these trainers come from? From a bar stool watching fights at the local bar, or just a casual fan, to bang now working fighters corners.

To say this isn't true is BULLSHIT as I have been to many coaching clinics in NY,and Fl, and just observing at fight shows/tourneys over the years to see what's coming in as coaches to say this.

Paul, if you want to do this, Pain is part of it..So is self doubt.. Stick with it because you can become almost super human in dealing/overcoming pain, weakness, self-doubt and fears,

Stick with it, and you will learn allot about your self, and grow like never before.

This IS the biggest benefit of the training alone.Forever changed for the better! I know what it's like Paul to get in there and have your ass handed to you in sparring do to more experience. Shit do I.

Many trainers just focus on teaching their fighters to throw punches, and less on defense,and all around skill.. and push their fighters to spar to quickly cause they like watching it, or think it's just necessary.

This is why I think former fighters, ( who can teach, and communicate) make the best trainers. They know what it's like to be in the ring and have gone through the same shit you have, and will coach/train you through it better.

I feel they have a better eye for what your feeling. They intuitively know how to match you in sparring, and handle sparring sessions.

As for me, I can see immediately what my fighter is thinking in sparring. If I feel they are over matched, I will give a signal to the opposing fighter( without my fighter seeing me do this)to tone it down.

In ending of this long post,Find a good teacher Paul. A trainer who really understands boxing AND knows how to DEVELOP fighters and looks out for THEM.

That's the best advice I can give. Remember, once your taught the proper skills, and can display them. Tough sparring is good( No gym wars though)+required, Look at it as your report card. That's where you really get graded on your progress.

Yes you do learn allot in sparring, (more about yourself) different styles, looks, how to fight/fight back. Not the over all skill.

What you didn't do well in sparring, you then fix with more training and drills etc..and go back to getting graded again. This is part of the evolution of a fighter Paul, if you want to fight, this is what to expect and look for. If your trainer left, find another that can do this for you.

CLICK HERE To Learn World Class Boxing Technique.

Click Here For To Learn How To Throw Advanced Combos On The Heavy Bag.

Cotto Has Broadened His Boxing Skills Effectively Well.

Miguel Cotto won the biggest fight of his life this past weekend. In doing so he impressed many with his speed and ability to out box Mosley at times.

Mosley also deserves much praise with the way he fought. At 36 and still coming at Cotto the way he did in the closing rounds, shows what kind of fighter Mosley is, and always was.

Mosley loves that shit, he loves to fight, ya he loves to make the mega bucks, but the actually fighting is what Shane really digs.

To bad more fighters aren't like that.

Cotto is not known for his boxing ability. His relentless, rugged aggression, and fierce body attack are what make him the dominant fighter he is.

With his shown ability to box with a fighter that has great speed, it makes it hard to pick against Miguel in future fights.

There's a lot of basic things Miguel did great in the fight too.. Working his jab the way he did being one of them.

Proof again, what just a great jab and solid boxing basics can do for a fighter in big fights.

You can't help but give Cotto big props for expanding his skills and adding to his style. His work ethic is amazing and has allowed him to do this with seemingly ease.

Cotto is like Mosley, they both like to fight. They both take the sport very seriously. Both of them are willing to put in the work, and still learn and add what ever is necessary to win.

Money just isn't everything to them, legacy is. That's why Cotto and Mosley will fight anybody.

For years to come Mosley's name will be reverend, if Cotto can keep up his work ethic, his name will be too.

That's what fighting is about. True fighters understand that money goes, legacy lives.

BIG Fight Tonight Along With A BIG Undercard

Tonight's fight between Cotto-Mosley guarantees lots of action. Both like to fight and welcome a brawl with smiles of their faces.

Even more action will be featured on the under card with fighters like Antonio Magarito, Joel Casamayor and viscous up and comer Victor Ortiz all lacing them up.

It's rare that the above World Class Fighters all appear on the same card.

Don't expect this to happen often, like it did in the 90's with Don King promoted boxing cards.

Shit, former champ Magarito and current Lightweight Champ Casamayor often headline anticipated fight cards.

Keep your eye on the ultra talented 19-1-1 14 kos welterweight Victor Ortiz, this dude is well on his way to being the next must see fighter in boxing.

Margarito is seeking another big fight, so look for him to be spectacular tonight. Word is, if Margarito and Cotto both win they could be pitted against each other next.

Casamayor, who is considered to be the true lightweight champ, has a tough fight against Santa Cruz who has sparred with Joel before.

Props must be given out to the ageless and sage promoter Bob Arum and Golden Boy Promotions for putting this card together and staging it at Madison Square Garden. This fight has LONG been sold out, and earlier this week they brought in an extra 3,000 seats to fill demand!

This reflects great promotion along with the ever increasing drawing power of Cotto. Yes, Cotto fighting future hall of famer Mosley has a lot to do with the Garden selling out too.

Enjoy the fights tonight!

Oh ya, your probably wondering who I'm picking to win tonight. I gotta tell you guys that I'm driving myself NUTS playing out so many different scenarios in my head, that the drinking is starting early today!

Both these guys are so good and do a lot of things great, it makes it so hard to pick.

Shane has the speed, but Cotto has had a taste of speed in his last fight with Judah. Cotto has that punishing body attack, and relentless style that Shane hasn't faced in awhile.

I really think though that the biggest factor tonight will be Cotto's fresh youth and will. I see Mosley having many moments in the fight, but with the crowd on Cotto's side, and along with his super human drive, I think that will allow Cotto to take over in the later half of the fight.

Either way, it's going to be a great night of boxing!

The Secret To Boxing? Developing Solid Fundamentals In Your Boxing Training.

I listened to an interview with Colt's Coach Tony Dungy today on ESPN. Dungy commented on how well coached the Patriots are, and how well the fundamentals are ingrained in their play.

Dungy stated, Their so fundamentally sound, you can't make mistakes, and they're so good fundamentally, they cause you to make mistakes.

It's the same in boxing. I remember meeting and talking with renowned boxing trainer Teddy Atlas about fundamentals.

Teddy trains his fighters to be flawless in technique. The basics are covered over and over again. Atlas has his new fighters work on foot work and ring movement for up to four weeks before teaching them to punch!

Teddy told me on how impatient some of his fighters can get. They want to learn it all.. NOW.. Teddy knows that you can't get ahead of yourself when training fighters. Boxing training is meant to teach skill. To ingrain flawless and ass kicking technique. If you can't do the basics well, why move on? This seems to be missing a lot nowadays.

I apply the same philosophy in training my fighters. We develop sound fundamentals. We don't make stupid mistakes. When old school trainers come up to me and comment on how good my fighters technique looks in their fights, I take that to heart and know I'm doing my job.

So coaches and fighters, don't underestimate the basics. Solid basics alone can win you fights.

Don't get ahead of yourselves and do a lot of things good. Develop the fundamentals so can build an intimidating foundation, and do many things great!

CLICK HERE To Learn How To Develop Flawless Fundamentals