May 2013
8 posts
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Lucas Matthysse Stops Lamont Peterson
Photo by Tom Casino for SHOWTIME
by Gautham Nagesh
Not every tale can have a Hollywood ending. Lamont Peterson found that out the hard way on Saturday night, losing by knockout in the third round to Lucas Matthysse in Atlantic City on Showtime.[[MORE]]
No one deserves a break more than Peterson, who has faced enough adversity in his 29 years for a small city. Saturday night’s main...
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Preview: Dusty Hernandez-Harrison vs Eddie Soto...
Photos by Gautham Nagesh for StiffJab.com
by Gautham Nagesh
If you read this blog at all, you know we’re extremely upbeat about the both the present and future of DMV boxing. The current kingpins of D.C. will be on display in Atlantic City this weekend, but the next generation of stars will be honing their craft this Saturday at a more local (and appropriate) venue: the University of...
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Opening Bell: Manny Pacquiao vs Brandon Rios Set...
by Gautham Nagesh
That video above of an old man busting loose at a Wizards game is exactly how most boxing fans feel after finding out that Manny Pacquiao will return from his two-loss winning stream against all-action warrior Brandon Rios in Macau on November 24th.
HBO Pay Per View will broadcast the fight in the U.S., while promoter Top Rank is reportedly teaming up with Major League...
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Local Boxers Chase Their Dreams In Queens
by Sarah Deming
JAMAICA, N.Y.—Fight fans in the outer boroughs have a lot to be thankful for. The Barclays Center has brought pugilistic prestige to Brooklyn, 2012 U.S. Olympian Marcus Browne is putting Staten Island on the map, and Queens is now home to some of the best local cards around, thanks to the mighty triumvirate of New Legend, Old World, and W.O.N. Promotions.
Saturday’s main...
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Floyd Mayweather Makes It Look Easy Against Robert...
Photo by Tom Casino for Showtime
by Gautham Nagesh
Welterweight Floyd “Money” Mayweather cemented his status as boxing’s pound-for-pound king by picking apart Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero on Showtime Pay Per View in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Floyd looked supremely comfortable against the overmatched Guerrero, who becomes the 44th notch on Mayweather’s...
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Opening Bell: Zab Judah Stands Tall In Defeat
by Gautham Nagesh
Apologies for the sparse posting this week, dear readers. Congress was kind enough to leave town the week before the first big Pay Per View boxing card of the year, and we were anticipating a full week of coverage. Unfortunately, the news cycle didn’t comply, so I’ve been forced to spend my week writing about Internet sales tax legislation, the new FCC chairman,...
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Preview: Floyd Mayweather vs Robert Guerrero
Photos by Tom Casino for Showtime
by Gautham Nagesh
Genius rarely takes an appealing form. But make no mistake, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a boxing genius, on par with any fighter that has laced up a pair of gloves.
History is littered with countless examples of great men whose personal failings were whitewashed in light of their achievements. Boxing is no different; Sonny Liston was a violent...
April 2013
39 posts
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Brooklyn Boxing: Danny Garcia & Peter Quillin Win,...
Fight photos by Tom Casino for Showtime
by Sarah Deming
BROOKLYN, N.Y.—On my way into the Barclays Center on Saturday night, I ran into Stiff Jab favorite Lamont Roach Jr., enjoying a strawberry frappuccino with a beautiful woman who turned out to be his mother. The amateur champ was picking top-ranked junior welterweight Danny Garcia by decision in the main event over Zab Judah, but...
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Doc Octagon Speaks: On Eyepokes
by Dr. Octagon, J.D.
People have been discussing what to do about accidental eyepokes in mixed martial arts for some time now. There is no way to fix the gloves so that eyepokes are impossible without fucking up the grappling game. There are two problems with the eyepoke: First, the refs almost never see them. Second, there is absolutely no detriment to the poker.
With regard to the first...
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UFC 159 Recap: Jon Jones Stops Chael Sonnen in...
by Dr. Octagon, J.D.
Strange night of fights. Here’s what went down:
Jon Jones, as expected, mauled Chael Sonnen in the first round. Jones managed to horrifically break his toe in the process; he looked like he was going to barf after the fight. If Chael was able to hang on another thirty seconds, he would have been the new UFC light heavyweight champion.
Alan Belcher did not seem to...
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Rustam Khabilov vs Yancy Medeiros
by Dr. Octagon, J.D.
Big Dan is in the ring. Finally a ref who’s not an assclown.
Round 1: Leg kick by Yancy Medeiros. Right by Yancy. Right by Rustam Khabilov, then another. Huge right by Yancy misses. Rustam catches a kick and jumps on the back. Yancy pops up, but Rustam takes a single. Yancy pops back up.
Big Dan stops the fight because Yancy has dislocated his thumb. Totally...
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Ovince St. Preux vs Gian Villante
by Dr. Octagon, J.D.
Lot off fighters sponsored by Salesforce.com tonight. I fucking hate Salesforce. Ovince St. Preaux vs Gian Villante up next, live updates after the jump:[[MORE]]
Round 1: Leg kick by Gian. High kick by Ovince. Villante catches a kick and grabs on to a single leg. Villante lets it go and shoves Ovince against the cage. Ovince lands a weak left uppercut as they disengage.
...
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Sheila Gaff vs Sara McMann
by Dr. Octagon, J.D.
Sara McMann is an Olympic wrestler. Sheila “The German Tank” Gaff is a vicious striker.
Oh Christ. What the fuck is ring announcer Bruce Buffer wearing? A red tux?
We went from UFC boss Dana White saying women’s MMA was never going to happen, to having a women’s fight on pretty much every card. Now that’s progress. It doesn’t hurt that...
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Brian Caraway vs Johnny Bedford
by Dr. Octagon, J.D.
Hopefully Miesha Tate doesn’t tell her husband Brian Caraway that he’s winning the fight against Johnny Bedford while he’s losing, like she did last time when he failed to push the action and lost a decision. Live updates after the jump:[[MORE]]
Round 1: Left by Caraway. Caraway shoots, but it’s stuffed. Eye poke. Bedford just keeps fighting. Caraway...
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UFC 159: Facebook Prelims Recap
by Dr. Octagon, J.D.
Steve Siler won a pretty clear unanimous 29-28 decision against Kurt Holobaugh, who made quite a puddle of blood in the octagon during the first round.
Cody McKenzie was all over Leonard Garcia in the first two rounds, and pretty much had a hold on Garcia’s neck the whole time. Garcia threw his trademark wild haymakers in the third round, but was too tired and arguably...
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Weekend Preview: Danny Garcia vs Zab Judah, Sergio...
Photo by Stephanie Trapp for Showtime
by Gautham Nagesh
Boxing has enjoyed an excellent run of late, and it should continue this weekend. Unfortunately the powers that be chose to counter-program each other as per usual, so we have two premium cable shows on Saturday but nothing on TV on Friday. Saturday night is also the regional championships of the Washington-area Golden Gloves...
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Tyson Fury Exposed Before Stopping Steve...
Photo by Rich Graessle for Main Events
by Sarah Deming
NEW YORK, N.Y.—Beware of British imports. Whether it’s an undefeated heavyweight or a jar of Marmite, if it comes across the Atlantic, it usually stinks. The latest suspect offering is Tyson Fury, a 6’9”, 254-pound heavyweight with the oily demeanor of a used car salesman.
Fury’s first American test came Saturday afternoon against...
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Canelo vs Austin Trout Marred By Open Scoring
Photos by Tom Casino for SHOWTIME
by Gautham Nagesh
On Saturday night, unbeaten junior middleweights Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Austin Trout fought for 12 close, thrilling rounds in San Antonio. Two young lions in their prime came together to unify their belts and determine the division’s top contender to challenge Floyd Mayweather. The fight started slowly, but steadily built...
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Benson Henderson vs Gilbert Melendez
by Dr. Octagon, J.D.
Round 1: Leg kick from Gilbert Melendez. Leg kick from Benson Henderson. Gilbert lands a right. Henderson lands a left on a Melendez leg kick. Gilbert catches a kick, pops Benson in the face and climbs into Benson’s guard. Benson is sitting up against the fence.
Henderson stands up and takes a knee to the face. Henderson throws a punch that goes over Gilbert’s...
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Daniel Cormier vs Frank Mir
by Dr. Octagon, J.D.
Daniel Cormier is actuallly older than Frank Mir. I always think of Mir as super old because he’s been in mixed martial arts for so long, but Cormier is a former Olympic wrestler, so he didn’t get into the sport until late. Can’t wait for this fight.
Announcer Joe Rogan keeps on talking about how good Mir’s conditioning is and how great he looks. He...
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Nate Diaz vs Josh Thompson
by Dr. Octagon, J.D.
Two of Cesar Gracie’s guys are fighting. Probably hard to find a corner man who isn’t completely baked. Nate Diaz is involved, so we’re obviously rooting for him. Josh Thompson is tough though, coming off a close decision loss against Gilbert Melendez that many thought that he won.
I’m thinking he won’t have trouble transitioning from a...
Matt Brown vs. Jordan Mein
Round 1- Nice elbow from Mein. Big right from Mein. Pair of punches from Brown. Brown chasing Mein around the ring. Swarming. Matt Brown is all about coming forward. Big head kick from Matt Brown. Mein retreating. Upppercut from Matt Brown. Matt Brown coming foward with punches. Pair of punces from Mein. Brown doesn’t clinch. Left hand from Brown knocks down Mein briefly. Stop...
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Chad Mendes vs Darren Elkins
by Dr. Octagon, J.D.
West coast teams are well-represented tonight. I think Darren Elkins has the longest odds on the card. Elkins is actually pretty good, but it would take some balls to bet on him. Chad Mendes is a monster.
Round 1: Mendes with a good leg kick. Leg kick fromm Mendes. A lunging right from Mendes staggers Elkins. Another right from Mendes and Elkins is hurt. Mendes lands one...
Francis Carmont vs. Lorenz "Leg Kicks" Larkin
Round 1- GSP in Francis Carmont’s corner. He’s a Canadian. We’re rooting for Team USA here. Lorenz Larkin. Carmont with a weak hook. Fighters trade kicks. Carmont lads punches. Larkin not really pushing the action so far other than some nice leg kicks. Carmont shoots for the double. Larkin switches to a single. Larkin goes down, but gets right back up. Lands some...
Myles Jury vs. Ramsey Nijem
Round 1- Jury lands a right. Left from Nijem. Body kick from Ramsey, but Myles takes him down and has his back and is going for an arm. Ramsey is able to get out of it and gets to his feet. Jury pushes him against the cage. Jury goes for a double leg. Puts Ramsey down and jumps on his back. Warned for striking the back of the head. No hooks in yet. Jury gets a body triangle, but Ramsey...
Joesph Benavidez vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Round 1- Benavidez swarms and Darren goes to the grand, but pops back up. Kick to to the body from Darrne, but he goes down. Benavidez falls into Darren’s guard, but gets back out. does some butt kicks. Kicks Darren in his wiener Herb Dean stops it. Kick to the body by Benavidez. Benavidez is knocking Darren all over the ring. Big head kicck from Benavidez puts Darren on his ass....
Jorge Masvidal vs Tim Means
Round 1- Always get a chuckle out of Mike Beltran’s Yosemite Sam beard pigtail whiskers. What a clown. Kick to the body from Tim Means. Means landing more punches early on. Nice left right to the chin. Masvidal lands a right. Masvidal kicks the body. Spinning back elbow from Means looks like it landed. Masvidal lands a punch, kicks the body. Fakes a shot and punches. Masvidal lands...
TJ Dillashaw vs. Hugo Viana
Round 1- Dillashaw comes in and gets hit with a jab. TJ comes in and gets hit with what looks like a huge left hook and pops right back up and grabs a single gets a takedown via a single leg, takes the back and looks for the Team Alpha Male classic rear naked choke, but Viana powers out of it and is back to his feet. Viana landsa a glancing elbow while TJ has him pushed against the cage. TJ has...
UFC on Fox: Facebook Undercard Results
Great card for free tonight on Fox. I’m really excited. Two fast ones on the undercard.
Yoel Romero landed a flying knee and followed up on the ground to defeat Clifford Starks in the first round.
Anthony Njokuani won in the second round when Roger Bowling walked straight into a left. No punches were needed on the ground as Bowling was clearly out.
And there you have it. The UFC has...
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Dusty Hernandez-Harrison Returns To D.C. May 18th
Photo by Juan Marshall of ProAmFightTalk
by Gautham Nagesh
Big news today from Stiff Jab’s 2012 Prospect of the Year: Dusty Hernandez-Harrison will headline a May 18th card at UDC Sports Complex.
The card will be promoted by All-In Entertainment, which was formed by Dusty’s advisor and local sports attorney Jeff Fried along with poker star Phil Ivey and NBA star Monta Ellis of...
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Late To The Party: The 2013 BWAA Awards Dinner
NEW YORK, N.Y.—There are only a handful of professional journalists left in the U.S. that cover boxing.
Most self-described boxing writers are really glorified fans, folks devoted to the Sweet Science and willing to trade favorable coverage for a seat on press row at the occasional TV show. Any talk of the sport’s fade from the mainstream must start with the depressing state of the...
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Anderson "The Spider" Silva →
Great painting of UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva by artist Joe Borelli. Check out more of his work here.
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Baha Mamadjonov KOs Angelo Santana, Amir Imam Goes...
Photos by Tom Casino for Showtime
by Gautham Nagesh
Uzbek lightweight Baha Mamadjonov (below) stopped unbeaten Cuban import Angelo Santana in the ninth round on a stellar edition of ShoBox from Treasure Island Casino in Las Vegas on Friday night.
When we last saw Santana on ShoBox, he was tearing the head off Stiff Jab favorite Johnny Garcia. Santana’s destruction of Garcia was so...
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Rustam Nugaev Shatters Jonathan Maicelo
by Gautham Nagesh
Russian veteran Rustam Nugaev wore down and flattened lightweight Jonathan Maicelo at Chumash Casino, handing the Peruvian his first loss via highlight-reel knockout on the most recent edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.
Maicelo looked every bit the slick boxer at the start, sharply moving his head to dodge punches while pot-shotting Nugaev from the outside. Maicelo...
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Malik Jackson, Gary Antonio Russell & Lamont Roach...
Michael Hilton & Leroy Davila photo by Sue Jaye Johnson
by Sarah Deming
SPOKANE, Wash.—The only problem with Fai’s Noodle House as a post-fight hang is that it doesn’t serve liquor. You have to buy cocktails one at a time at the Turf Bar and carry them back through the rows of slot machines.
While transporting my second Manhattan, I ran into some Gary Russells. Bantamweight Gary...
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Lamont Roach Jr. & Kareem Martin Top The Class At...
by Sarah Deming
SPOKANE, Wash.—Things are heating up at the Northern Quest as we sprint toward the finish. Yesterday the men’s elites fought their semifinal bouts and the new junior champions were crowned.
The two best junior bouts of the night were won by D.C. schoolmates. Lamont Roach’s (above right) upset of Genaro “El Conde” Gamez was grand cru amateur boxing. Both young...
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D.C. & New York Fighters Show Out At U.S. Boxing...
Genaro Gamez Photo by Sue Jaye Johnson
by Sarah Deming
SPOKANE, Wash.—On the fourth day of competition at the U.S. National Boxing Championships, all three rings were active with 83 semi- and quarterfinal bouts.
There was too much going on to take a break for lunch or dinner, but Raquel plied me with strawberries and at some point Sue materialized with hummus and rice crisps. Contrary...
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USA Boxing Nationals: Gary Antuanne Russell Goes...
Photo by Sue Jaye Johnson
by Sarah Deming
SPOKANE, Wash.—It was all women and junior men yesterday at the spacious, pizza-scented HUB Center in Spokane. Winners advanced to the semifinals today.
D.C. darling Gary Antaunne Russell was outgunned against rising star Genaro Gamez of San Diego. It’s up to big brother Gary Antonio Russell to keep the family name alive in the tourney. He will...
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Clone Wars: The Fighting Gary Russells Share More...
Gary Antuanne Russell photo by Bill Mackey
by Sarah Deming
SPOKANE, Wash.—The second day of action at the USA Boxing Nationals saw a domineering start from D.C.’s amateur boxing dynasty. Twenty-year-old bantamweight Gary Antonio Russell scored a unanimous decision over Joshua McShane of Hawaii, and his sixteen-year-old brother Gary Antuanne Russell eliminated the reigning Junior Olympic...
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ESPN Highlights Transnational Boxing Rankings... →
Those of us with a stake in boxing’s future won a small battle this weekend when ESPN aired a segment on the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board as part of last week’s Friday Night Fights.
From ESPN:
So far, TBRB’s rankings have been adopted by eight boxing-specific websites, but in terms of mainstream exposure, there has been little beyond a mention on The Wall Street...
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No Headgear Makes For Better Viewing At USA Boxing...
Photos by Raquel Ruiz
by Sarah Deming
SPOKANE, Wash.—Knuckles were white on press row as Marshall Sanchez and Abel Soriano traded punches in the first U.S. amateur bout since 1984 without headgear.
The young flyweights seemed nervous, darting in and out, while clashing heads repeatedly. By the third round, Soriano was cut over the right eyebrow, but he still finished on his feet.
“You...
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Opening Bell: Lamont Peterson Vindicated After...
Photo by Anna John for StiffJab.com
by Gautham Nagesh
Last week the Internet lit up with rumors of another failed drug test by Washington, D.C. junior welterweight contender Lamont Peterson (above).
The smoke turned into fire when Ring Magazine reported Peterson had tested positive for human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), a banned substance used to accelerate weight loss, after his recent...
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Live From USA Boxing Nationals In Spokane
Mikaela Mayer & Franchon Crews photo by Raquel Ruiz
(Editor’s note: Please welcome our newest contributor, author, trainer and boxing writer Sarah Deming, who will be covering the USA Boxing National Championships in Spokane, Washington for Stiff Jab all week long)
by Sarah Deming
SPOKANE, Wash.—We’re live here at Northern Quest Resort and Casino, among the 263 male and...
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Top Rank & Golden Boy Sign Multi-Fight Deal Around...
Photo by Ethan Miller for Getty Images
by Gautham Nagesh
A tumultuous month for boxing was punctuated late Sunday night, when promoters Bob Arum of Top Rank and Oscar de la Hoya of Golden Boy announced an end to years of hostilities.
The pair will collaborate on a series of cards in the coming months matching their top fighters in every division. The cards will take place at major stadiums...
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March 2013
25 posts
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David Grayton & Greg Newby Stay Undefeated In D.C.
David Grayton photo by Anna John for StiffJab.com
by Gautham Nagesh
Finding work is never easy when you’re a young boxer, but staying busy is crucial. So you take the fights whenever you can get them.
D.C. prospects David “Day Day” Grayton and Greg Newby both scored first-round knockouts Saturday night at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Washington on a card promoted by...
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Nik Stauskas Shoots Michigan Back Into The Final...
Daenerys the Frenchie photo by Anna John for StiffJab.com
by Gautham Nagesh
It was a long time coming, but Michigan is finally back in the Final Four.
The Wolverines beat Florida 79-59 in the Elite Eight of the NCAA College Basketball Tournament at Cowboys Stadium in Texas on Sunday afternoon. The Wolverines advance to the national semifinals in Atlanta next Friday, where they will play...
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Mike Alvarado Avenges Loss to Brandon Rios in...
Photo by Top Rank
by Gautham Nagesh
I love boxing.
That was the only thought I had while watching Denver’s Mike Alvarado reach to the sky in victory after surviving 12 rounds of brutal combat against his nemesis Brandon Rios at Mandalay Bay. Final scores were 115-113 (twice) and 114-113 for Alvarado.
In winning, Alvarado defied 4-1 odds and reversed the outcome of their previous match last...
