Joel B's Top 20 Fighters (Year End Special)

#20- Vitali Klitschko (JoelB's) - continues to rule his portion of the heavyweight title, defending it 3 times this year.

#19- Lucian Bute (waivers) - The IBF Super Middleweight Champion is undefeated and seems to have power as well as boxing skills.

#18- Kelly Pavlik (JoelB's) - The Middleweight Champion is 36-1, but that horribly one-sided loss to Bernard Hopkins still has me wondering about his chances against the best.

#17- Edwin Valero (waivers) - Venezuelan slugger has moved up to lightweight and remains undefeated, with 26 straight knockouts.

#16- Wladimir Klitschko (Andrew's) - Universally recognized as Heavyweight Champion after wins over Chris Byrd, Lamon Brewster and Ruslan Chagaev. Chin still questionable.

#15- Ivan Calderon (Mark's) - 108 pound phenom remains undefeated, but at 34 years old he's becoming more vulnerable.

#14- Vic Darchinyan (Mark's) - after losing in a bantamweight title fight, Darchinyan has returned to 115 lbs and is finding continued success.

#13- Sergio G. Martinez (waivers) - gave Paul Williams all he could handle in their December battle, has a good chance to win against anyone from 147-160.

#12- Chris John (Mark's) - still undefeated, with 43 wins. Needs a career-defining fight against someone like Israel Vazquez or Juan Manuel Lopez.

#11- Andre Ward (JoelM's) - the undefeated super middleweight champion established himself as one of the best in the sport by soundly defeating Mikkel Kessler.

#10- Arthur Abraham (BWhit's) - seems comfortable at Super Middleweight and just might win the Super Six Tournament. Still undefeated.

#9- Juan Manuel Marquez (JoelM's) - lost badly to Mayweather, but it may well have been a weight division issue. Still matches up well with anyone at lightweight or 140.

#8- Juan Manuel Lopez (JoelB's) - young Puerto Rican star is still undefeated but struggled against Rogers Mtagwa, temporarily slowing his meteoric rise.

#7- Miguel Cotto (waivers) - Cotto's face has been bloody lately, but give him credit for competing against the best in the sport (Mosley, Margarito, Clottey, Pacquiao).

#6- Shane Mosley (Andrew's) - Sugar Shane looked awesome against Margarito, but he hasn't been able to land a fight for a year. Finally is fighting Andre Berto in Jan.

#5- Paul Williams (BWhit's) - Struggled against Martinez, but still had a big win against Winky Wright. Williams' offense is constant and impressive.

#4- Bernard Hopkins (JoelM's) - The 44 yr old Hopkins is afraid of no man. His geezerfight with Roy Jones is now off, so I'd like to see him battle Chad Dawson.

#3- Chad Dawson (BWhit's) - The undefeated Light Heavyweight Champion has literally been cleaning out the division. Seems capable of outboxing everyone.

#2- Manny Pacquiao (JoelM's) - took out Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto this year and is making his case as the best in boxing. Speed, power and conditioning don't get any better.

#1- Floyd Mayweather (Andrew's) - beat Juan Manuel Marquez like he was a child. Floyd hasn't lost a step and if anything, he looked sharper in his last fight. Almost technically perfect.

Ready to Rumble adds 2 wins; Pavlik and Soto take care of business

Middleweight Champion Kelly Pavlik moved to 36-1 with a 5th round TKO over Miguel Espino. Pavlik and Espino traded bombs throughout the fight but it was Pavlik who did the damage, starting in the 4th when he scored 2 knockdowns. A final knockdown in round 5 ended matters. Joel's Ready to Rumble, who recently acquired Pavlik from waivers, moves to 7-1 with 5 KOs. Pavlik scored Option A: 2, Option B: 1.5 and Option C: 20

In another bout, Humberto Soto, also of Joel B's Ready to Rumble, won a unanimous decision over former lightweight champion Jesus Chavez. Soto scored one knockdown in the fight and earned Option A: 1, Option B: 1 and Option C: 16

Edwin Valero, one of the best waiver prospects in boxing, beat Hector Velazquez by 6th round TKO in defense of his WBC Lightweight Title. Valero is an impressive 26-0 with 26 KOs.

Sweet Chin Music picks up a W

WBC Bantamweight Champion Hozumi Hasegawa moved to 28-2 with a 4th round KO over challenger Alvaro Perez. Hasegawa dropped Perez in the 4th round for the count. Andrew's Sweet Chin Music picks up their 2nd win in only their 3rd fight of the league, moving to 2-0-1 with 1 KO. Hasegawa picks up Option A: 2, Option B: 1.5 and Option C: 18.

A Major Night for League Fighters

Vitali Klitschko successfully defended his WBC Heavyweight Title for the 3rd time with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Kevin "The Kingpin" Johnson. Klitschko was the aggressor at all times, landing straight punches to Johnson's head. Johnson showed a good jab and great defense but had little courage in an overly cautious performance. Klitschko missed hundreds of punches on the night but the occasional shots that got through were enough to prove his superiority. Klitschko moves to 39-2, while Johnson suffers his first loss, 22-1-1. Joel's Ready to Rumble picks up Option A: 1, Option B: 1 and Option C: 15.
All good things come to an end. In this case, the 16-month undefeated streak of BWhit's fighters finally ended as Juan Diaz lost a unanimous decision to Paulie Malignaggi, all 3 scores being 116-111. Malignaggi was credited with a knockdown of Diaz that was incorrectly ruled by the referee (Diaz was cuffed on the back of his head and knocked off balance). Nonetheless, Diaz was outclassed and moves to 35-3. BWhit's Death is Forming moves to 4-1.
BWhit sought to quickly move on from his first loss by sending Timothy Bradley into the ring against top undefeated contender Lamont Peterson. Bradley showed tremendous conditioning and skill over 12 rounds, clearly outlanding a game Peterson. Bradley's unanimous decision win moves him to 25-0 in his career. Peterson drops to 27-1. BWhit gets back to his winning ways and improves to 5-1 in the league.
Mark's undefeated streak remained intact as Vic Darchinyan bombed out Tomas Rojas in the 2nd round. A big left by Darchinyan halted the contest. Darchinyan earns Option A: 2, Option B: 3, and Option C: 18. Mark moves to the top of the league at 4-0.

STANDINGS:

1st...Mark---Sweet Scientist (4-0)

2nd...JoelB---Ready to Rumble (6-1)

3rd...BWhit---Death is Forming (5-1)

4th...Jay----Head Hunters (4-1)

5th...JoelM---Hurricane Candlebox (4-2)

6th...Andrew--Sweet Chin Music (1-0-1)

Andrew's squad does have some fights coming up, particularly Shane Mosley on Jan 30th.

Kevin Johnson challenges Vitali Klitschko

Tomorrow night in Switzerland, Vitali Klitschko defends his WBC Heavyweight Title for the 3rd time. Following dominant wins over Samuel Peter, Juan Carlos Gomez and Chris Arreola, Klitschko is the clear favorite to retain his title over a fighter who has no losses but also no quality wins. Kevin Johnson, for his part, is a talented boxer who stands 6'3" with a long reach. Johnson seems to believe that he can outbox Klitschko, presumably by decision, but how is that really possible? The only way it could happen is if Johnson prepares himself to be an extremely active fighter for 12 rounds. Klitschko's activity level has been unparalleled, and he'll be throwing straight shots at Johnson's head all night. I'll take Vitali to beat Johnson, but Johnson's skill level and size may enable him to last the distance.

Paul Williams escapes with a narrow win in a slugfest

At the end of the day, Death is Forming got the win, moving to 4-0, as Paul Williams defeated Sergio Martinez by majority decision in a non-title middleweight fight. The fight was surprisingly competitive, as Martinez seemed equal to the task of Williams' relentless style and volume punching. Martinez rocked Williams with power shots all night long, while Williams made his case with steady pressure and combinations. I scored the fight 116-115 for Williams, while the official judges had it 114-114, 115-113 Williams and 119-110 Williams (ridiculous). Williams' record moves to 38-1, and he earns Option A: 1, Option B: 1 and Option C: 15 for the league-leading BWhit.

Two Old Legends Fight Again

In Australia, 40-year-old Roy Jones battled the established veteran Danny Green in a Cruiserweight bout. After 2 minutes, Jones was helpless on the ropes, having already been on the canvas from a roundhouse right, TKO'd by an underdog opponent. It was a sad end (please let it be the end) to a great career, where a once-dominant fighter ruled the middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight weight classes for over 10 years. But as became evident in later years, Jones' ability to take a punch was strangely problematic. Something tells me that his brain was slightly damaged during one of his later fights, leaving him extremely vulnerable to any hard punch that really connected. Jones' record moves to 54-6 with 40 KOs. Unfortunately, the loss drops Hurricane CandleBox to 4-2.

In contrast, 44-year-old Bernard Hopkins continued his winning ways, outpointing journeyman Enrique Ornelas. Hopkins used his typical style of consistent defense and tactful offense to win a 12 round decision by wide margins. Hopkins moves to 50-5-1 and could be headed for a megafight with Chad Dawson. Hopkins remains a fantasy league free agent.

BWhit has Paul Williams fighting on Dec 5 against Sergio Martinez and JoelB takes Vitali Klitschko into the ring vs Kevin Johnson the following week.

Andre Ward wins one for the USA in the Super Six; Standings

In a huge Super Middleweight Title fight over the weekend, Andre Ward decisively beat Mikkel Kessler to capture the WBA Super Middleweight Title. Although Ward was a slight underdog against the 42-1 Kessler, he seemed to be the faster, smarter and stronger fighter. Kessler was outboxed early and then cut and roughed up late. The fight was stopped in round 11, when an unintentional headbutt cut Kessler's eye, impacting his vision. Complaints of headbutting from the Kessler camp injected a bit of controversy into the result, but anyone who saw the fight knows that Ward was winning with his boxing skills. Joel M's Hurricane CandleBox picks up a HUGE win, while Joel B's Ready to Rumble tastes their first defeat. Ward earns Option A: 1, Option B: 2, Option C: 16. The Super Six Super Middleweight Tournament now has resulted in wins for Arthur Abraham, Carl Froch and Andre Ward.

STANDINGS:

1st.....Death is Forming (3-0, 1 KO) Option B: 6, Option C: 51

2nd...Knuckle Sandwich (3-0, 1 KO) Option B: 4.5, Option C: 46

3rd...Ready to Rumble (5-1, 4 KO) Option B: 6, Option C: 88

4th...Hurricane Candlebox(4-1, 2 KO) Option B: 5, Option C: 70

5th....Head Hunters (4-1, 2 KO) Option B: 3.5, Option C: 68

6th...Sweet Chin Music (1-0-1, 0 KO) Option B: 1, Option C: 19

Another One Bites the Dust

With his usual assortment of fast, powerful punches, Manny Pacquiao gradually wore down a very game Miguel Cotto, winning by TKO in the 12th round. While Cotto scored well in the early going, the fight turned in the 3rd round when Pacquiao scored a flash knockdown with a short right hook. Cotto rallied in the 4th, only to be floored again by a crushing left uppercut from Pacquiao. By round 6, the fight had become rather one-sided and by round 8, Cotto's face was turning into a swollen, bloody mess. The ending was rather anti-climactic, as the viewing audience waited for several rounds to see exactly how the stoppage would occur. The Doctor? Cotto's corner? The referee? Finally, it was Referee Kenny Bayless who stopped the fight early in the 12th after a huge left from Pacquiao landed flush on Cotto's damaged face. Pacquiao makes his case as the game's greatest fighter with this impressive win and the stage has certainly been set for a potentially epic match-up between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. Most importantly, the win gives Joel M's Hurricane Candlebox Option A: 2, Option B: 3 and Option C: 20!

Pacquiao's Greatest Test

Although some might argue that Pacquiao's previous fights against the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton were his biggest tests, I have to disagree. Miguel Cotto, at 29 years old with record of 34-1, has been at or near the top of the welterweight division for 3 years. He has wins over 4 welterweight champions (Quintana, Judah, Mosley and Clottey) with his only loss coming to the heavy-handed Antonio Margarito. In hindsight, there is ample reason to believe that Margarito's hands that night were especially heavy, given his trainer's history of adding plaster to his gloves. Perhaps Cotto's only defeat would have been another victory if the fight had taken place on a level playing field.

Therefore, I believe that Miguel Cotto will greatly test Manny Pacquiao tonight. Pacquiao's other fights at or above 140 lbs were the De La Hoya and Hatton matches. One could arguably say that both fighters were past their prime and way too easily hit. Hatton looked completely outclassed within the first round. De La Hoya's greatest accomplishment was staying off of the canvas. Cotto is younger, faster and better than both Hatton and De La Hoya. What will this mean for the fight?

For weeks I have been thinking that Pacquiao is going to win by stoppage sometime around the 6th round. But as the fight draws closer, I'm starting to think that I've underestimated what Cotto is going to be throwing at the Pac man. Manny was able to tee off on Hatton because there wasn't very much coming back at him. Cotto will be throwing, and he'll be landing. Both fighters are capable of knocking each other down in my opinion. There exists the possibility that Cotto will simply be too strong and too comparable in speed for Pacquiao to win. Cotto's best chance for victory would seem to involve using a powerful body attack and sharp boxing skills. Is he capable of this? Yes.

At the end of the day, however, it's not just about Cotto and what he's capable of. Pacquiao will be bringing his best as well. So far, there has been no rival for Pacquiao's speed. There have really only been 3 fights where Pacquiao has been hit a lot - the 2 fights with Marquez and the first fight with Morales. Pacquiao is usually able to overwhelm opponents with fast combinations and great foot movement while avoiding punishment himself. I believe he will be able to do this again. The deciding factor in the fight, I believe, will be Cotto's defensive problems. Cotto has been hit a lot in several fights, including his last one against Joshua Clottey. I believe Pacquiao will hit Cotto even more tonight. For entertainment purposes, I hope Cotto can win some rounds, but I'm still picking Pacquiao, by 9th round stoppage.

The Giant gets outpointed; Bad Chad wins; STANDINGS

In a compelling heavyweight title matchup, former Cruiserweight (200 lb) champion David Haye bulked up to 218 lbs to face WBA Heavyweight Champion Nikolay Valuev. Although the 7-foot, 316 lb Valuev was occasionally successful with jabs, according to reports it was Haye who controlled the fight and even rocked Valuev in the final round. The fight was mostly non-combative and difficult to score. The judges' verdict read 114-114, 116-112 Haye and 116-112 Haye. Valuev, of Jay's Head Hunters, suffers a loss.

BWhit's Death is Forming sent Chad Dawson into the ring with Glen Johnson for a 2nd time last night. Johnson, at 40 years old, finally showed some slowness and timing problems as he ineffectively stalked Dawson for 12 rounds. Dawson's boxing performance was solid but unspectacular. Dawson earns: Option A: 1, Option B: 2 and Option C: 16 with the win.

STANDINGS

1. JoelB- Ready to Rumble (5-0, 4 KOs)

2. BWhit- Death is Forming (3-0, 1 KO)

3. Mark - Knuckle Sandwich (3-0, 1 KO)

4. Jay- Head Hunters (3-1, 2 KOs)

5. JoelM- Hurricane Candlebox (2-1, 1 KO)

6. Andrew-Sweet Chin Music (1-0-1, 0 KO)

The Head Hunters add a victory

In a somewhat unusual match-up, Undisputed Cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek (38-1) battled his Polish countryman Andrew Golota (41-7) in a heavyweight bout. According to reports, Adamek started strong, dropping Golota in the 1st. Golota rallied in the 3rd, but was floored again in the 5th with the fight stopped moments later. Jay's Head Hunters move to 3-0 with 2 KOs and Adamek gains Option A: 2, Option B: 1.5 and Option C: 19.

So far, the combined record of all fighters drafted in our fantasy boxing league is 16-1-1.

Arthur Abraham KOs Jermain Taylor; Joel visits Canastota

In weekend action, Arthur Abraham (of BWhit's Death is Forming stable) KO'd Jermain Taylor in the waning moments of the 12th round. Abraham earns Option A: 2, Option B: 3, and Option C: 19 with the victory. Death is Forming moves to 2-0.

In a battle of free agents, Carl Froch edged Andre Dirrell by split decision. Fans and pundits are divided on the results although most seemed to favor Dirrell. I have yet to see the fight so my opinion will wait. Froch moves to 26-0 and is a quality waiver wire option, as is Dirrell who moved to 18-1.

But the main story of the weekend was perhaps yours truly's unplanned visit to the boxing hall of fame in Canastota NY, where I struck an unthreatening southpaw pose and saw some cool stuff, including the actual ring from Madison Square Garden. Go boxing.

League Update; Standings and Schedule

In featherweight action last night, Yuriorkis Gamboa easily dispatched of Whyber Garcia in the 4th round. The lack of opponent quality hurts Joel's Ready to Rumble squad a bit in the scoring, but Gamboa picks up Option A: 2, Option B: 1.5 and Option C: 17.

In the evening's main event, Juan Manuel Lopez (27-0) of Puerto Rico had a difficult time with the rugged Rogers Mtagwa. Lopez prevailed by unanimous decision, but one judge had it 114-113. Lopez earns Option A: 1, Option B: 0.5 and Option C: 16

Current Standings:

1st.......Ready to Rumble (5-0, 4 KOs) Option A: 9, Option B: 8, Option C: 85

2nd......Sweet Scientist (3-0, 1 KO) Option A: 4, Option B: 4.5, Option C: 46

3rd.......Head Hunters (2-0, 1 KO) Option A: 3, Option B: 2.5, Option C: 32

4th....Hurricane Candlebox (2-1, 1 KO), Option A: 2, Option B: 0, Option C: 34

5th......Sweet Chin Music (1-0-1, 0 KO), Option A: 1, Option B: 1, Option C: 19

6th......Death is Forming (1-0, 0 KO) Option A: 1, Option B: 1, Option C: 16

*************UPCOMING FIGHTS**********************

Arthur Abraham vs Jermain Taylor........Oct 17 (BWhit looks for a win)

Carl Froch vs Andre Dirrell.....................Oct 17

Tomasz Adamek vs Andrew Golota........Oct 24 (Jay looking for a win)

Nikolay Valuev vs David Haye.................Nov 7 (Jay looking for a win)

Chad Dawson vs Glen Johnson.................Nov 7 (BWhit looks for a win)

Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto.........Nov 14 (Mesiti looks for a win)

Mikkel Kessler vs Andre Ward...............Nov 21 (JoelB vs Mesiti HIGH STAKES)

Roy Jones vs Danny Green.......................Dec 2

Bernard Hopkins vs Enrique Ornelas.......Dec 2

Paul Williams vs Kelly Pavlik...................Dec 5 (BWhit looking for a huge win)

December 5 - IT'S ON

No Match for Vitali

Vitali Klitschko easily defended his heavyweight title on Saturday night by defeating Chris Arreola by 10th round TKO. Klitschko was his usual tall, active and strategic self as he battered Arreola around the ring with a wide variety of punches. To his credit, Arreola showed a good chin in never going down and never really being on wobbly legs. The referee and Arreola's cornerman decided to stop the fight after round 10. In a punchcount, Klitschko outlanded Arreola 149 to 46. An angry Jim Lampley gave a speech at the end of the fight telling American heavyweights that if anyone wants to defeat a Klitschko, they're going to have to train 365 days a year. The win gives Joel B's Ready to Rumble Option A: 2, Option B: 3 and Option C: 17.

For the Heavyweight Title

Tomorrow night, "Dr. Ironfist" Vitali Klitschko (37-2) defends his WBC Heavyweight Championship against Chris "The Nightmare" Arreola (27-0) on HBO. With wins over fellow prospects Travis Walker and Chazz Witherspoon, as well as a 4th round TKO of Jameel McCline, Arreola has proven himself to some extent to be a legitimate challenger. He's a hard puncher with a decent activity level and a good chin. Meanwhile, Klitschko has just dominated all opponents of late. Vitali has looked so good against both Samuel Peter and Juan Carlos Gomez, one might never know he was out of the ring for 4 years. Both weighed in around 250, but the strength advantage has to go to Klitschko. In a fight where I expect some early bombs from Arreola, I'll take Vitali Klitschko to wear him down due to either cuts or stamina problems. Joel's Ready to Rumble squad is looking for a quality knockout, around the 7th round.

2 Fight Results and some thoughts on Floyd

With astonishing ease, Floyd "Money" Mayweather systematically smacked Juan Manuel Marquez over 12 one-sided rounds. A win for Andrew's Sweet Chin Music (Option A: 1, Option B: 2, Option C: 17) and a loss for Joel M's Hurricane Candlebox (Option A: -1, Option B: -2, Option C: 2) Mayweather knocked Marquez down in the 2nd round with a sharp left hook and was the faster, more accurate fighter all night long. Although Marquez showed determination and heart, he never really had Floyd in trouble. Mayweather's return was shockingly good, albeit against a smaller, older opponent.

In the co-feature, Chris John of Mark's Sweet Scientist scored a unanimous decision win in his rematch with Rocky Juarez, defending his Featherweight Title and running his record to 43-0-2. John was the faster and more accurate fighter all night long, although Juarez rattled his cage in the waning moments of the 12th round. Mark picks up Option A: 1, Option B: 2 and Option C: 15.

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So, some thoughts on Floyd....This guy is good. I mean, his speed is ridiculous. He was throwing punches and evading punches like no one I've ever seen, with the possible exception of a prime Roy Jones Jr. Mayweather has everything but the killer instinct. He even seems to have a good chin, which was tested on a handful of occasions by Marquez. Who can beat him? And who does he have to beat in order to make a serious case as being the greatest of all time? In my opinion, Floyd is just 4 victories away from a legitimate claim as the best to ever lace em up. The men he has to defeat are:

Miguel Cotto---especially if he defeats Pacquiao, Cotto is clearly the man to beat. But even if he doesn't win, Cotto is still a legitimate welterweight champion with proven skill. He has wins over Zab Judah, Joshua Clottey and Shane Mosley. Nuff said. Floyd would need to show that he could take Cotto's hard body attack and match and exceed his boxing skills. My prediction in this fight: W 12 Mayweather

Shane Mosley---Shane called Floyd out after the fight, and a scuffle almost broke out. Mosley said, "Let's get it on" and Floyd looked a little rattled. Mosley has the speed, size and experience to give Floyd all he can handle. I think the difference would be father time, as Mosley's age would undoubtedly leave him the slightly slower man who would be slightly easier to hit. In a close fight, I'd go: W 12 Mayweather

Manny Pacquiao---let's face it, he beat De La Hoya and Hatton in much more convincing fashion that Floyd did. Plus, he's clearly the most accomplished boxer of the last 2 or 3 years. Pac has the sick speed that could match Floyd and may even hit as hard. But Pacquiao was virtually even with Marquez and Juan had no odds against Floyd. Plus Pacquiao has had a bit of trouble with excellent boxers in general. As much as I like to think that the unique Pacquiao machine could be the one to topple Floyd, I once again have to say: W 12 Mayweather

Paul Williams----at 6'1", this is not a man that Floyd wants to face. Williams is a freak, long arms, southpaw and having a crazy work-rate. Williams would not be easy for Floyd to hit and would keep punches raining down for Floyd to think about. Williams would be the bigger man and possibly the more active man. I can't imagine Floyd hurting him and I think Williams would actually have a chance to put Floyd on the deck if big shots landed. My prediction in this fight: W 12 Williams. Another prediction? I don't think Floyd will ever sign to fight him.

So, for me, at the end of the day it won't be right to call Floyd the greatest ever. Because he'll dodge someone and that's not what a greatest does.

The Biggest Fight of 2009

Floyd Mayweather (39-0) vs Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1) pits together 2 of the top 3 fighters in the sport of boxing. For his part, Mayweather has been able to outbox every one of his previous opponents, including Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Diego Corrales, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. Mayweather relies on superior speed and defense, applying a consistent game plan of occasional straight shots while constantly protecting himself. Mayweather was last seen picking apart Ricky Hatton over 10 rounds in December of 2007. At 32 years of age, he can still be referred to as being "in his prime", particularly because he has taken so few damaging punches in his career. To my knowledge, he has never even been knocked down (although replay footage showed that his glove touched the canvas when he got clocked by Zab Judah).

For his part, Juan Manuel Marquez has boxed many of the top fighters of the past 4 or 5 years. He outboxed Marco Antonio Barrera and outslugged Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz. He lost a close decision to Chris John in 2006. Marquez also has a draw and a split decision loss in 2 fights with Pacquiao. He's proved himself to be on the absolute top level, but is he strong enough to outmuscle Floyd? It would seem necessary for Marquez to back Floyd up and to damage him to the body and control the pace of the fight if he is to win. Marquez last fought at 135 lbs, so the contracted weight of 144 lbs for this fight will surely be a challenge.

If Mayweather is rusty and missing punches, we could have an interesting fight. Marquez may get brave and test Mayweather's chin with his technically accurate shots. The best case scenario might actually be Marquez controlling the early part of the fight, this might force Floyd to throw with a vengeance and bring out the best of his skills. Even in this type of battle, I feel that Floyd is too fast and too strong, and would likely win by TKO around the 9th round. If the fight is more tactical and cautious, I think we'll see Floyd's heavier punches and better defense carrying him to a unanimous decision win. So my prediction: A win for Andrew's Sweet Chin Music and a loss for Joel M's Hurricane Candlebox.

Ready to Rumble adds a win; Standings

Humberto Soto of Joel B's Ready to Rumble squad scored a 2nd round KO in his fight with Aristides Perez. Soto scores Option A: 2 pts, Option B: 1.5 pts and Option C: 17

STANDINGS:

1st.....Ready to Rumble (2-0, 2 KOs)...Option A: 4, Option B: 3, Option C: 35

2nd...Head Hunters (2-0, 1 KO)....Option A: 3, Option B: 2.5, Option C: 32

3rd...Sweet Scientist (2-0, 1 KO)...Option A: 3, Option B: 2.5, Option C: 31

4th...Hurricane Candlebox (2-0, 1 KO) Option A: 3, Option B: 2, Option C: 32

5th...Death is Forming (1-0, 0 KO)..Option A: 1, Option B: 1, Option C: 16

6th...Sweet Chin Music (0-0-1, 0KO)..Option A: 0, Option B: -1, Option C: 2

The wins roll in, except for Andrew

In the night's most expected result, Andre Ward dominated Shelby Pudwill on his way to a 3rd round TKO. The faster, sharper Ward scored often with hard body shots and stinging hooks. Hurricane CandleBox moves to 2-0 and collects OPTION A: 2, OPTION B: 1.5, OPTION C: 17

WBA Super Middleweight Champion Mikkel Kessler moved to an impressive 42-1 with a 4th round TKO over Gusmyr Perdomo. Kessler will now face Andre Ward on Nov 21st. Kessler gives Joel B's Ready to Rumble their first win. Kessler earns Option A: 2, Option B: 1.5, Option C: 18

Jay's Head Hunters added a much-expected victory as well as Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. disposed of Jason LeHoullier in round one. Chavez scored a knockdown and moves his record to 40-0-1. Jay earns Option A: 2, Option B: 1.5, Option C: 17

WBO Light Flyweight Champion Ivan Calderon remained unbeaten with a disappointing split-technical decision in his rematch with Rodel Mayol. Calderon was once again cut, necessitating that the fight be stopped after 7 rounds. Calderon lead 68-65 on 2 cards, while Mayol lead by the same score on the 3rd card. Mark's Sweet Scientist adds a win and Option A: 1, Option B: 1, Option C: 14

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Also, Andrew's Sweet Chin Music got off to an unproductive start as Fernando Montiel fought to a technical draw with Alejandro Valdez. Montiel was cut badly and the fight was stopped before the 4th round began. Both fighters scored knockdowns in the fight. Montiel gets Option A: 0, Option B: -1 and Option C: 2

Huge Night for League Action

On tap tonight:

Mikkel Kessler (JoelB's team) vs Gusmyl Perdomo. This looks like a clear win for Kessler.

Andre Ward (JoelM's team) vs Shelby Pudwill. Ward is going to KO this scrub.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (Jay's team) vs Jason LeHoullier. Jason Le WHO?

Ivan Calderon (Mark's team) vs Rodel Mayol. Competitive title fight.

Fernando Montiel(Andrew's team) vs Valdez. Should be a win for Montiel.

4 Fights Down; 4 League Victories

With last night's results, Jay's Head Hunters and Mark's Sweet Scientist added wins to join Hurricane CandleBox and Death is Forming at the top of the standings.

In Hawaiian junior flyweight action, Brian Viloria defended his title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Jesus Iribe. Scores were wide for Viloria. Jay earns Option A: 1 pt, Option B: 1 pt and Option C: 15 pts.

Mark's lanky Panamanian, Celestino Caballero, scored an 8th round TKO over his opponent Francisco Leal. Caballero earns Option A: 2 pts, Option B: 1.5 pts, Option C: 17 pts. Reports have not indicated whether Caballero knocked Leal down. If he did, additional Option C points will be added.

CURRENT LEAGUE STANDINGS:

1st....Sweet Scientist(1-0) --------OPTION A: 2 OPTION B: 1.5 OPTION C: 17

2nd....Death is Forming(1-0)-----OPTION A: 1 OPTION B: 1 OPTION C: 16

3rd....Head Hunters(1-0)---------OPTION A: 1 OPTION B: 1 OPTION C: 15

4th....Hurricane CandleBox(1-0)--OPTION A: 1 OPTION B: 0.5 OPTION C: 15

UPCOMING FIGHTS IN OUR LEAGUE

This is what is on the schedule or in the news for each team's fighters:

ANDREW: (has 2 fights in the next month)

Wladimir Klitschko - underwent successful shoulder surgery. Won't fight until early 2010.

Floyd Mayweather - fighting Juan Manuel Marquez on September 19th.

Shane Mosley - nothing on tap. Rumors of a fight with Andre Berto.

Fernando Montiel - fighting Alejandro Valdez for Bantamweight Title on September 12th.

Hozumi Hasegawa - nothing on tap, just fought in July.

JOEL M: (has 2 fights in the next month)

Manny Pacquiao - fighting Miguel Cotto in Mega-Fight on November 14th.

Daniel Jacobs - just fought, but still likely to be active soon.

Roy Jones - scheduled to fight Danny Green on November 21st.

Juan Manuel Marquez - fighting Floyd Mayweather in superfight on September 19.

Andre Ward - fighting a scrub, Shelby Pudwill, on Sept 12.

BRIAN: (has no fights in the next month)

Arthur Abraham - scheduled to fight Jermain Taylor on October 17th.

Paul Williams - had a date of Oct 3 with Pavlik, new date unclear.

Chad Dawson - fighting rugged Glen Johnson on November 7th.

Timothy Bradley - just fought Nate Campbell, rematch is possible due to headbutt ending.

Juan Diaz - just beat Malignaggi in a close fight.

MARK: (has 3 fights in the next month)

Ivan Calderon - rematching Rodel Mayol on Sept 12th.

Nonito Donaire - just beat a guy a week before the league started.

Chris John - rematching Rocky Juarez on Sept 19.

Vic Darchinyan - nothing on tap after losing in July.

Celestino Caballero - fighting Francisco Leal on August 29th.

JAY: (has 2 fights in the next month)

Brian Viloria - fighting Jesus Iribe on August 29th.

Nikolay Valuev - defending title against David Haye on November 7th.

Rafael Marquez - nothing on the schedule.

Tomasz Adamek - fighting Andrew Golota on October 24th.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr - fighting Jason LeHoullier on sept 12.

JOEL: (has 3 fights in the next month)

Juan Manuel Lopez - fighting Rogers Mtagwa on October 10th.

Vitali Klitschko - defending title against Chris Arreola on sept 26th.

Yuriorkis Gamboa - fighting Whyber Garcia on October 10th.

Mikkel Kessler - fighting Gusmyl Perdomo on Sept 12th.

Humberto Soto - fighting Jonathan Dos Santos on Sept 15th.

Complete Team Rosters and ScoreChart

BOXING LEAGUE TEAMS	Aug 22, 2009	Aug 22, 2010
Sweet Chin Music
Manager: Andrew Marenghi
Current Record: 0-0-0, 0 Ko
	AVGs
Fighters:	UPCOMING	Option A	Option B	Option C
Wladimir Klitschko
Floyd Mayweather	vs J.Marquez
Shane Mosley
Fernando Montiel
Hozumi Hasegawa
	TOTALS:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hurricane CandleBox
Manager: Joel Mesiti
Current Record: 0-0-0, 0 Ko
	AVGS
Fighters:	UPCOMING	Option A	Option B	Option C
Manny Pacquiao	vs Cotto
Daniel Jacobs	vs Ishe Smith
Roy Jones Jr	vs D.Green
Juan Manuel Marquez	vs Mayweather
Andre Ward	vs scrub
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sweet Scientist
Manager: Mark Enns
Current Record: 0-0-0, 0 Ko
	AVGs
Fighters:	UPCOMING	Option A	Option B	Option C
Ivan Calderon	vs Mayol
Nonito Donaire
Chris John	vs Juarez
Vic Darchinyan
Celestino Caballero
	TOTALS:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Head Hunters
Manager: Jason Brunner
Current Record: 0-0-0, 0 KO
	AVGs
Fighters:	UPCOMING	Option A	Option B	Option C
Miguel Cotto	vs Pacquiao
Nikolay Valuev	vs Haye
Rafael Marquez
Tomasz Adamek
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr	vs scrub
	TOTALS:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Death is Forming
Manager: Brian Whitmore
Current Record: 0-0-0, 0 Kos
	AVGs
Fighters:	UPCOMING	Option A	Option B	Option C
Arthur Abraham	vs J.Taylor
Paul Williams	vs Pavlik
Chad Dawson	vs G.Johnson
Timothy Bradley
Juan Diaz	vs Malignaggi
	TOTALS:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ready to Rumble
Manager: Joel Brunner
Current Record: 0-0-0, 0 Kos
	AVGs
Fighters:	UPCOMING	Option A	Option B	Option C
Juan Manuel Lopez
Vitali Klitschko	vs Arreola
Yuriorkis Gamboa
Mikkel Kessler	vs scrub
Humberto Soto	vs scrub
	TOTALS: