IS IT JUST ME, OR...
...was Darchinyan vs. Mares more of a draw than Peterson vs. Ortiz? I had Vicious Victor winning that one by a few points. Now, he has a bizarre story to tell about virtually every blemish on his record. He seems to be getting better all the time, and is very young, so these hiccups are probably making him a better fighter. Maybe the all-Garden City brawl with Brandon Rios isn't so unattractive to him now.
...did Darchinyan have an extra bitter night? Now, not only did he lose a close one, but he also loses a chance for revenge after Agbeko regained his crown. Nobody is mentioning it, either, but Darchinyan's punch and chin are not the same at 118lbs. When Mares can outbrawl you, your intimidation factor is gone. He still has good boxing skills, but don't look for any more dominant performances at the highest level from him.
... was the HBO commentary team deliberately withholding credit to Amir Khan for standing up to Maidana's bombs? Sure, he fought in retreat the last few rounds, but he took several shots flush on the chin, and only was seriously wobbled once. He was also battling fatigue by that time. He even did all of this while barely knowing how to clinch, and if Maidana was less sloppy, that could have been a deadly mistake.
...did the draw between Ortiz and Peterson free up Amir Khan to look towards the winner of Bradley vs. Alexander? This is the only informal tournament that can yield an opponent for Marquez or Pacquiao... while Ortiz and Peterson can rematch for one of the WBC belts that will be free if Bradley wins. Way to hold a grudge, WBC! In the one division where people care about the fighters with the belts, they refuse to recognize Bradley, because he once gave up their belt.
...are you just as excited about Perez vs. Darchinyan, as you are Agbeko vs. Mares? Sure, the winner of the latter is the winner of the tournament, but it's not as if Bob Arum is gonna let the winner of Montiel vs. Donaire face them. Unless it makes "jillions" of dollars, Top Rank does it in house, or they don't do it. Just view these fights for the action, and they're even picks for excitement. They will have all faced each toher by the end off this tournament, and potential trilogies abound.
Chris Strait
www.convictedartist.com
Video Boxing Predictions
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