Boxing

Posted by Bill Scherer

Alex Suarez dropped me off at my house a little before 1:00 am this past Sunday. Alex and I had just been to the Pala Community Center (Pala Indian Reservation, CA), along with Joe and Tony Salazar, where Travis Samuel (18), Felix Soria (7), and Justin Salazar (Joe's grandson) had their first organized amateur bouts.

As noted in a previous blog, these boys have just recently begun training in earnest at the Lincoln Boxing Club (Riverside, CA), and all of us who watched them perform, including Felix's father, Ray, couldn't be more proud.

I'll post a more in-depth account of the evening on FightTube.tv, where I'm working on a series of stories about Travis and his foray into the world of boxing, but I'll give you a snippet here.

Felix's fight was with a more experienced kid with a frustrating style, i.e., constant lateral movement and quick counters when Felix got close. To his credit, Felix pressed the kid for three rounds and delivered punishment on the inside. One could tell that Ali Jr. wanted no part of our boy in close quarters.

Travis' opponent had, like Travis, no amateur experience, so they were on fairly equal terms, technically. Although Travis' better jab and solid uppercut, coupled with superior power, made for a short fight as the referee stopped the contest half way through the first round.

We were a little surprised at the stoppage, but, frankly, the outcome would've been the same no matter how long it went. Travis was just too strong for him.

Nine-year-old Justin (Joe's grandson) started a little rough, but had his man walking into a stiff left jab by round three.

Posted by Bill Scherer

If you want to know how something works, and how you can improve it, take it apart. That includes boxers as well as machines.

On May 1, the conclusion of a mandatory 10 day waiting period, I'll pick up a 1942 Mosin Nagant M91/30 Russian surplus rifle. Once home with it, I'll completely disassemble it, painstakingly clean it, reassemble it, and take it to the rifle range. I'm giddy.

It seems that everything I acquire gets stripped to it's bones and rebuilt. My wife says that's because I buy junk that needs fixing, but there's more to it than that, though I'd be lying if I said she was completely wrong.

Among the things I've torn apart and managed to piece back together: several 1970's era Japanese motorcycles, including the 1978 XS750 I currently have; a few tube-driven guitar amps; at least a dozen electric guitars; a handful of electric basses; and an el cheapo upright bass that I bought new for $400.00 then stripped and refinished to look, and play, more like a European antique. I'm proud of that one.

Taking these things apart uncovers any inherent flaws, reveals how they work, and presents opportunities for improvement.

Good trainers do the same thing with boxers. These trainers watch everything: hands, head, eyes, feet, legs, shoulders, hips, etc., looking for strengths and weaknesses. Then the trainer becomes an engineer and devises the best way to reassemble his fighter so that his strengths are maximized, weaknesses minimized, and proper amendments given to best suit the young man.

Not every boxer will look, or work, the same as others once reassembled. My two Fender Stratocasters don't sound or play alike either. That's the point.

Posted by Bill Scherer

If, after the Antonio Margarito vs. Carlos Cintron welterweight fight, boxing writers and fans everywhere are complaining that this turned out to be a dull affair, then Cintron did his job and probably won. Exciting, action-packed fights are fun to watch and are undoubtedly good for boxing, but they aren't always what's best for the fighters.

In their first fight, Cintron stood in front of the heavy handed Margarito and got blitzed. This time around, I expect Cintron's trainer, Manny Steward, to have him using his jab and lateral movement as Tommy Hearns did so successfully against Sugar Ray Leonard in the middle rounds of their first fight. Of course, Leonard eventually caught up to Hearns and knocked him out. There's a good chance Margarito could do the same thing in this fight.

Margarito is the typical old-school Mexican fighter--tough, well conditioned and strong with good in-fighting skills, but lateral movement can give him problems. Expect Cintron to win a nervous first half of the fight by boxing on the outside. Late in the fight Margarito, well behind on the cards, lets it all hang out and catches Cintron with a left hook counter when Cintron leaves his chin on a tee after throwing a long right. Once Cintron is hurt, Margarito will swarm him until there is nothing left but bones.

Margarito by late TKO.

Posted by Bill Scherer

Alfonso Gomez is going to beat Miguel Cotto. There, I said it. I know my boxing writer brethren are going to think I'm nuts, but I just can't shake the idea that Gomez is going to pull off an upset. There is some substance to my prediction too.

Gomez is a natural welterweight, where Cotto moved up to 147; he is well grounded, technically; and he is mentally tough and won't allow Cotto to own the ring. It's the mental toughness that will make the most difference.

When Cotto fought Shane Mosley, it was Cotto who ended up giving ground as the fighters marched into the last rounds. Gomez noticed. I'm sure the entire welterweight division noticed. From that point forward, Cotto's future in the division got a lot tougher, as potential opponents caught a glimpse of weakness.

That's a little unfair, I know. After all, it was Shane Mosley standing across from Cotto, and Shane flat brings it. But the image of Cotto as an immovable force, which no man is capable of maintaining, has been broken.

To Gomez, Cotto is just another man.

Yes, other writers will think I'm nuts, until Cotto and Gomez face each other in the ring for pre-fight instructions, then they will size the fighters up and begin to doubt.

Gomez by TKO in the championship rounds.

Posted by Bill Scherer

After a good, hard rain this morning, a gentle northern breeze has moved the heavy, leaden clouds to the south, leaving mostly clear skies and a kind of hyper-oxygenated energy to the air. It's a Missouri Spring.

I traveled out here for the Cory Spinks vs. Verno Phillips fight in St. Louis, but scheduled a two week stay with family down the Mississippi river in Ste. Genevieve. OK, my wife, Shelly, arranged for me to stay with family. She seemed rather adamant about it too.

Whatever, I'm enjoying the slower pace and post card scenery of country life while I'm here. The boxing world has moved at such a torrid pace lately, it's been difficult to track the reprecussions of it beyond simple fight reporting. The current lull in the actions gives me a chance to mull over Hopkins vs. Calzaghe on April 19, and Miguel Cotto vs. Alfonso Gomez on April 12.

Frankly, Hopkins/Calzaghe doesn't interest me much. Cazaghe, while talented and busy enough in the ring, is a bit of a slapper, and Hopkins is so good at controlling the pace of his fights the become a bit dull, even for a boxing junkie like me. Oh, and the undercard is a liitle thin too. I'll just catch the free replay on HBO the following week.

Cotto/Gomez, however, will be a good fight. Anyone who thinks Gomez is going to lay down for Cotto is very much mistaken. Gomez is strong at 147 and, more importantly, is technically sound and mentally tough. Cotto has been given too much credit for a virtual draw with a faded Shane Mosley.

Forget spending 50 bucks on the 19th, and instead, enjoy beer, pizza, and a good fight with your buddies on the 12th.

Posted by Bill Scherer

After Alex Suarez approached me at the Lincoln Boxing Club in Riverside, CA, we talked about his training philosophy. We talked about his fighters. And we talked about his brother, Mark Suarez. Yes, that Mark Suarez.

Mark is a former top ten ranked welterweight whose last fight was a sixth round TKO loss to Kermit Cintron in 2006, for the vacant IBF welterweight title. Alex insists that the death of their trainer/father, Andy, prevented Mark from victory in that fight. "He came out in the third round looking around for dad, and I knew the fight was over," admitted Alex. "But he has what it takes to be a champion."

But not at 147. "I'll train him when he gets out (Mark is currently serving a jail sentence for breaking and entering a vehicle), but at 160. He's tall enough (5'11) and can carry the weight, no problem. I just need to get him to use his jab."

It's obvious when talking to Alex, that he places as much confidence in his training abilities as he does in his brother.

"I learned so much from my Dad," he said. "He was a great trainer and he taught me everything he knew. Most of all he taught me how to study fighters, how to pick apart (fight) film.

His enthusiasm is infectious and it's fun to watch as he trains an 18-year-old welterweight named Travis and a seven-year-old named Felix Soria. The little guy attacked a heavy bag like it was a grade school bully who stole his lunch money.

"I think he's a natural," said Alex. Trainers can be naturals too, I thought.

Riverside area residents interested in Alex's services may contact him at bigal_64@sbcglobal.net

Posted by Bill Scherer

I had just finished my workout at the Lincoln Boxing Club in Riverside, CA, and leaned against an unused training table to watch everyone else get their work in. At 43-years-old I'm still fascinated by the sport and its practitioners.

Watching various trainers teach, in their own peculiar yet familiar ways, and watching how each fighter responds to instruction, can keep me mesmerized for hours, like Rain Man with a phonebook.

Although I'm a boxing writer (you may have picked up on that), I don't go to the Lincoln Gym to find stories or do interviews. It's good to have a place to work out and not have the fighters around me wondering if I'm going to ask for an interview. On the other hand, sometimes interviews come looking for me.

As I watched and listened to a gym full of young men and women learn to walk the tightrope of "hit and not get hit" that is boxing, a man walked over to me and asked, "So what's your story?"

Not wanting to bore the poor guy into a coma with the truth, I tried to formulate some fantastic tale of heroism and daring-do that had somehow led me to the gym. Couldn't do it. "I'm just here to work out," I said.

"What do you do?" Now, I thought, the cat is about to exit the bag and thrash the furniture.

"I'm a writer," I said. "A boxing writer."

At which point he didn't run, roll his eyes and go silent, or ask me if I wanted to spar with the biggest baddest dude in the gym. What he did was engage me in an enjoyable and highly informative conversation. In the next blog, I'll share it with you.

Posted by Bill Scherer

Sometimes we get more than we expect. Yesterday afternoon, the South El Monte Community Center was overrun by a horde of boxing journalists. We all waited outside the doors of the boxing gym waiting for Rafael Marquez and Israel Vazquez to show up, bounce around the ring for a few photo ops, and take some questions. Nobody said there would be food. Great food.

These publicity gatherings often have a spread of some sort, often dry sandwiches and soda. But this one had a darling little Mexican lady grilling up fresh carne asada, the smell of which wafted over the parking lot and diverted nearly everyone's focus from the job.

Poor Vazquez and Marquez, who have to make weight for this weekend's fight at The Home Depot Center, had to walk through the intoxicating smoke to get into the gym. Sometimes life isn't fair.

Once inside, it was time for business. I asked Vazquez what he thought about the probability of his long, accomplished career being defined by his trilogy with Marquez.

"Yes, even though I fought Jhonny Gonzalez and Oscar Larios and many other fighters. But this is the reason that this trilogy is so important to me, because I understand that it will define my career," said Vazquez

When I asked Marquez if he planned to slow the pace of the fight in order to use his boxing skills to beat Vazquez, he would have none of it.

"No. I'm not that type of fighter. I don't know how to do a boring fight. I'm fighting for the title and I know in order to win the fight I need to throw punches. Obviously I'll fight smart and I know how to box, but it won't be boring, because I'm not that type of fighter," said Marquez

Posted by Bill Scherer

The Kelly Pavlik vs. Jermain Taylor rematch was close; most of the boxing writers I talked to in the press room afterwards had scored it a one or two round fight. We were all basically split as far as who we thought won, but no one was willing to be dogmatic about their opinion.

As I saw the fight from press row, Taylor seemed to control the first half of the fight with his handspeed and effective counters. According to my notes, the tide began to turn in round six as Taylor's punch output waned and Pavlik kept chugging along. The "crowd noise" shots were still coming from Taylor, but with lesser frequency. Eventually, Taylor seemed content to attempt stealing rounds with a hard combination after he heard the ten second warning.

I'd love to say more but my memory is poor and I lost my notes somewhere in Las Vegas. Fortunately, I managed to peck out most of my fight report on my laptop from my notes in between rounds. I don't type well enough to use only the laptop. I scribble what I see in the ring into my little notebook, then use that precious 60 seconds between rounds to get it on the hard drive.

Someday, maybe, I'll risk using only the laptop at ringside, but not any time soon. Until then, I'll go get me another cheap spiral bound notebook. I'd rather have the old one back, since it has notes from several fights and interviews in it. If anyone reading this happens to have found some nearly illegible scratching on a small spiral notebook, please email me. Next time I'm in Vegas I'll buy you a beer.

Posted by Bill Scherer

This Friday night Shelly and I are dumping the kids at Grandma's, then early Saturday morning we'll be heading north on Interstate 15 to Las Vegas. Romantic getaway? Not so much. I'll be sitting ringside to cover the Kelly Pavlik vs. Jermain Taylor rematch for Suite 101 while wifey lives it up on the strip.

At 9:00 a.m. I'll be in line to get my press credential and photo ID. Hopefully that won't take too long so Shelly and I can live it up for a few hours before I have to be back at the MGM at 4:30 p.m.. We've been saving change in our couch cushion fund for months, so it's hard to predict which will run out first, time or money.