Val,
I'd love to know what it is.....
The heavyweight card looks tough to me. I'm making an average
play on Golota. He's melted several times, but it was always
against much better fighters. John Ruiz is a lot like Byrd, with lesser skills.
Though Golota/Byrd was ruled a draw, IMO Golota didn't get a fair decision.
Byrd's face looked like a pillow-top mattress after the fight. If Andrew lets
that beautiful left jab go, we could see the last of Ruiz. Word is Andrew is in great shape for this. Golota as a dog is a steal.
I think DK realizes Andrew has a lot more potential than Johnny. That will
keep Ruiz from getting a B.S. decision if it goes the distance.
If Vitaly wins in December, a Golota/Klitschko bout would be huge.
I'd love to know what it is.....
The heavyweight card looks tough to me. I'm making an average
play on Golota. He's melted several times, but it was always
against much better fighters. John Ruiz is a lot like Byrd, with lesser skills.
Though Golota/Byrd was ruled a draw, IMO Golota didn't get a fair decision.
Byrd's face looked like a pillow-top mattress after the fight. If Andrew lets
that beautiful left jab go, we could see the last of Ruiz. Word is Andrew is in great shape for this. Golota as a dog is a steal.
I think DK realizes Andrew has a lot more potential than Johnny. That will
keep Ruiz from getting a B.S. decision if it goes the distance.
If Vitaly wins in December, a Golota/Klitschko bout would be huge.
....
I don't like saying what I bet very much but I am on the opposite side of you. Goloa is more skilled than Ruiz but so are 90% of the other guys who fought Ruiz. Ruiz has a horribly frustrating style to fight against. I think you have to hit really hard (tua), or be a real quick boxer (Jones), to not at least struggle with Ruiz. Golota isn't really that fast and he hits fairly hard but not 1 punch power IMO. Also, Golota don't like getting hit hard. Who does? With Golota it is different though, he losses his head. If you look at Golota's quit jobs they were all against guys who could punch and who hurt him. Byrd couldn;t hit hard enough to hurt Golota but Ruiz has a real good right hand which is sneaky as hell and can hurt Golota. The final reason I like Ruiz is stamina. Ruiz likes to roughhouse and ****. Golota's stamina wasn't that good against Byrd and Byrd isn't even physical. I won't be surprised if golota wins the first half of the fight, then gets stopped late. In fact I depend on it.
I don't like saying what I bet very much but I am on the opposite side of you. Goloa is more skilled than Ruiz but so are 90% of the other guys who fought Ruiz. Ruiz has a horribly frustrating style to fight against. I think you have to hit really hard (tua), or be a real quick boxer (Jones), to not at least struggle with Ruiz. Golota isn't really that fast and he hits fairly hard but not 1 punch power IMO. Also, Golota don't like getting hit hard. Who does? With Golota it is different though, he losses his head. If you look at Golota's quit jobs they were all against guys who could punch and who hurt him. Byrd couldn;t hit hard enough to hurt Golota but Ruiz has a real good right hand which is sneaky as hell and can hurt Golota. The final reason I like Ruiz is stamina. Ruiz likes to roughhouse and ****. Golota's stamina wasn't that good against Byrd and Byrd isn't even physical. I won't be surprised if golota wins the first half of the fight, then gets stopped late. In fact I depend on it.
Thanks for your insight Val.
I saw that Ruiz took some really sharp money on Thursday. There was also a take back on Golota today. I really respect your thoughts on boxing. Sounds like you have a big play on Ruiz.
Golota cost me a nice 5 figure bet in his 2nd Bowe fight. I haven't played him since. After getting your view, I am going to cut my Golota play down to half a unit.
My top play on the card is Rahman (2.5 units). He looked great back at 232. He just turned 32 and has a great shot to win a title. Meehan is an absolute farce. His statements about "want to look good" tells me even he knows he can't win here.
I saw that Ruiz took some really sharp money on Thursday. There was also a take back on Golota today. I really respect your thoughts on boxing. Sounds like you have a big play on Ruiz.
Golota cost me a nice 5 figure bet in his 2nd Bowe fight. I haven't played him since. After getting your view, I am going to cut my Golota play down to half a unit.
My top play on the card is Rahman (2.5 units). He looked great back at 232. He just turned 32 and has a great shot to win a title. Meehan is an absolute farce. His statements about "want to look good" tells me even he knows he can't win here.
NEW YORK (AP) When John Ruiz gets in the ring, things usually get ugly. Put Andrew Golota in there with him, and things could get a lot uglier.
That's the possibility Saturday night when Ruiz defends his WBA heavyweight title against Golota as part of a heavyweight extravaganza at Madison Square Garden that features more than a ton of boxing's biggest fighters.
Ruiz owns a piece of the heavyweight title despite a clinching, hugging style that draws more boos than cheers from the fans he hasn't already put to sleep. Still, it has been effective enough for Ruiz to be able to claim that he is a two-time heavyweight champion.
''I'm not the prettiest fighter out there,'' Ruiz said. ''But I come to win and I make people quit. That's what they're afraid of.''
Golota, meanwhile, draws fear for a different reason. He got his nickname, the Foul Pole, for repeatedly hitting Riddick Bowe below the belt and being disqualified in fights he was winning, and even now there are questions about his mental stability in the ring.
Golota did nothing to put those questions to rest in the weeks leading up to the fight when he complained he was being forced into a fight he didn't want and would rather retire than continue his brief comeback anyway.
The two meet in a scheduled 12-round fight that tops a card which also includes a title defense by IBF champion Chris Byrd against his good friend, Jameel McCline, and appearances by former champions Evander Holyfield and Hasim Rahman.
''This card will be like reviving the heavyweight division and is the next step for me to unifying the titles,'' Ruiz said.
That's not likely, since promoter Don King controls all the fighters and won't risk losing a champion by pitting them against each other. And the heavyweight most consider the best of the three major champions, WBC champion Vitali Klitschko, isn't in any big hurry to risk his title against anyone who might beat him.
The card, though, gives a bunch of big fighters a chance to get some work, and offers the very real possibility of two of the titles changing hands.
It also offers the sad sight of the 42-year-old Holyfield fighting for the first time since taking a beating from James Toney a year ago, seemingly determined to continue with his improbable plan to become the undisputed heavyweight champion once again.
Holyfield, who has won only two of his last eight fights, meets light-hitting Larry Donald and Rahman faces Kali Meehan as part of the card, which will be televised by HBO pay-per-view ($44.95) beginning at 9 p.m. EST.
''I truly believe there's no fear in me, and that's why I do what I do,'' Holyfield said. ''I'm a smart fighter, and I realize what I've done and what I can still do in the ring.''
Ruiz (40-5-1, 28 knockouts) and Golota (38-4-1, 31 knockouts) is the final fight in the crowded lineup, but the most intriguing fight will be Byrd's defense against McCline.
Byrd is a crafty southpaw who thrills in making other fighters miss, though he stood and traded punches with Golota in April when the two fought to a draw. He doesn't plan to do the same thing against McCline, who at 270 pounds outweighs him by 56 pounds and will be looking to land the big punch.
''I'm the smallest guy of the eight heavyweights on this card, but I don't care because I can beat all of them,'' said Byrd, who won a silver medal as a 168-pounder in the 1992 Olympics.
Byrd has some experience against big guys he beat Klitschko when he quit with a shoulder injury a few years ago and they don't come much bigger than the 6-foot-7 McCline.
''You offend me when you hit me with a clean punch,'' Byrd said.
Adding to the flavor of the fight is the fact that Byrd (37-2-1, 20 knockouts) and McCline (31-3-3, 19 knockouts) are good friends who often visit each other's homes. Their wives are even closer, talking on the phone almost every day.
They haven't spoken since the fight was signed, though. Friendship is friendship, but business is business.
''I deserve to be here. I worked real hard to get a title shot,'' McCline said. ''I dig Chris and his family, but I want what he's got, so I'm tired of this friendship stuff. This is business. Once you step in there, there are no friends.''
</WIRE_BODY>
That's the possibility Saturday night when Ruiz defends his WBA heavyweight title against Golota as part of a heavyweight extravaganza at Madison Square Garden that features more than a ton of boxing's biggest fighters.
Ruiz owns a piece of the heavyweight title despite a clinching, hugging style that draws more boos than cheers from the fans he hasn't already put to sleep. Still, it has been effective enough for Ruiz to be able to claim that he is a two-time heavyweight champion.
''I'm not the prettiest fighter out there,'' Ruiz said. ''But I come to win and I make people quit. That's what they're afraid of.''
Golota, meanwhile, draws fear for a different reason. He got his nickname, the Foul Pole, for repeatedly hitting Riddick Bowe below the belt and being disqualified in fights he was winning, and even now there are questions about his mental stability in the ring.
Golota did nothing to put those questions to rest in the weeks leading up to the fight when he complained he was being forced into a fight he didn't want and would rather retire than continue his brief comeback anyway.
The two meet in a scheduled 12-round fight that tops a card which also includes a title defense by IBF champion Chris Byrd against his good friend, Jameel McCline, and appearances by former champions Evander Holyfield and Hasim Rahman.
''This card will be like reviving the heavyweight division and is the next step for me to unifying the titles,'' Ruiz said.
That's not likely, since promoter Don King controls all the fighters and won't risk losing a champion by pitting them against each other. And the heavyweight most consider the best of the three major champions, WBC champion Vitali Klitschko, isn't in any big hurry to risk his title against anyone who might beat him.
The card, though, gives a bunch of big fighters a chance to get some work, and offers the very real possibility of two of the titles changing hands.
It also offers the sad sight of the 42-year-old Holyfield fighting for the first time since taking a beating from James Toney a year ago, seemingly determined to continue with his improbable plan to become the undisputed heavyweight champion once again.
Holyfield, who has won only two of his last eight fights, meets light-hitting Larry Donald and Rahman faces Kali Meehan as part of the card, which will be televised by HBO pay-per-view ($44.95) beginning at 9 p.m. EST.
''I truly believe there's no fear in me, and that's why I do what I do,'' Holyfield said. ''I'm a smart fighter, and I realize what I've done and what I can still do in the ring.''
Ruiz (40-5-1, 28 knockouts) and Golota (38-4-1, 31 knockouts) is the final fight in the crowded lineup, but the most intriguing fight will be Byrd's defense against McCline.
Byrd is a crafty southpaw who thrills in making other fighters miss, though he stood and traded punches with Golota in April when the two fought to a draw. He doesn't plan to do the same thing against McCline, who at 270 pounds outweighs him by 56 pounds and will be looking to land the big punch.
''I'm the smallest guy of the eight heavyweights on this card, but I don't care because I can beat all of them,'' said Byrd, who won a silver medal as a 168-pounder in the 1992 Olympics.
Byrd has some experience against big guys he beat Klitschko when he quit with a shoulder injury a few years ago and they don't come much bigger than the 6-foot-7 McCline.
''You offend me when you hit me with a clean punch,'' Byrd said.
Adding to the flavor of the fight is the fact that Byrd (37-2-1, 20 knockouts) and McCline (31-3-3, 19 knockouts) are good friends who often visit each other's homes. Their wives are even closer, talking on the phone almost every day.
They haven't spoken since the fight was signed, though. Friendship is friendship, but business is business.
''I deserve to be here. I worked real hard to get a title shot,'' McCline said. ''I dig Chris and his family, but I want what he's got, so I'm tired of this friendship stuff. This is business. Once you step in there, there are no friends.''
</WIRE_BODY>
....
Rahman should win but that guy is scary to bet on. he can look pretty good sometimes and like complete garbage other times. You ae right about his weight though, he is at a better weight (232), if he got there in a natural fashion. he weighed low against Holyfield as well and looked like **** in that fight. I don;t know that I could ever lay those odds on Rahman but you are also right about meehan. He looked OK against Brewster but Brewster is crap. Meehan's only real chance against Rahman (IMO) is landing his right hand. he hurt Brewster with it badly, he could hurt Rahman with it as well. I think Rahman has the better all around skills easily though.
Thanks for the compliment. Golota is just a real scary guy to bet on in this position. Although the odds (at pinny +130), are a bit better now. I was rewatching his fight with byrd again today. Golota did well when he was able to outmuscle Byrd but Byrd was a ton smaller than Golota. I can see Golota winning but had to take Ruiz who is the proven winner at the close odds (back when they were close).CardFather said:
Rahman should win but that guy is scary to bet on. he can look pretty good sometimes and like complete garbage other times. You ae right about his weight though, he is at a better weight (232), if he got there in a natural fashion. he weighed low against Holyfield as well and looked like **** in that fight. I don;t know that I could ever lay those odds on Rahman but you are also right about meehan. He looked OK against Brewster but Brewster is crap. Meehan's only real chance against Rahman (IMO) is landing his right hand. he hurt Brewster with it badly, he could hurt Rahman with it as well. I think Rahman has the better all around skills easily though.
I usually get lots of fights, but these are so yucchh......
Holyfield, who i've made beacoup $$ on thru the years, i would've put something on, assuming he was really hurt in the last fight & basically fought one-armed; but the price is not so attractive... & is he really up for this fight / has he been promised a title shot if he wins it?
All the eight fighters involved can be so inconsistent(w/o even mentioning the possibility of any pre-arranged outcomes)-- not just win / loss, but even length of fight-- that a bet on all the four + prices is the way to go here.
Holyfield, who i've made beacoup $$ on thru the years, i would've put something on, assuming he was really hurt in the last fight & basically fought one-armed; but the price is not so attractive... & is he really up for this fight / has he been promised a title shot if he wins it?
All the eight fighters involved can be so inconsistent(w/o even mentioning the possibility of any pre-arranged outcomes)-- not just win / loss, but even length of fight-- that a bet on all the four + prices is the way to go here.
A funny thing happened after I posted yesterday, Lem came in on Meehan. I have the utmost respect for Lem but I think like in the Hopkins/DLH fight he has the wrong side here. I'm glad he bet Meehan though, I caught a better price for a good portion of my action. I got as low as -2.68 yesterday afternoon. Now back up.
Rahman has stated that he has rededicated himself to boxing. A lot of boxers and athletes make similar claims. You have to look at their actions to decide if they are serious. This will be Rahman's 6th fight in less than a year. He has stopped his last 3 opponents, all in the second round. He comes in for this fight in great shape. I like the action I see from Rahman, it jibes with his statements.
The loss to Holyfield doesn't concern me a lot. Evander was still a decent fighter back in 2002. Holyfield, unlike Meehan, was a good defender. Furthermore, it was Rahman's first fight off the KO loss to Lewis. Rahman will be able to hit Meehan, and Hasim has a better punch than Meehan has seen. Rahman KO'd Lennox Lewis in their first fight. I know Lennox wasn't in great shape, but Hasim has a helluva punch that KO'd one of boxing's best.
Back in June, Rahman fought and KO'd Rob Calloway (48-4-1 37KO's). Calloway is smaller than Meehan but was similar in that he had a decent punch, but got clocked when he tried to step up.
Hasim Rahman and Kali Meehan are in a different class. Rahman is arguably one of the top 10 current Heavyweights who beats up part time club fighters like Meehan.
Rahman has stated that he has rededicated himself to boxing. A lot of boxers and athletes make similar claims. You have to look at their actions to decide if they are serious. This will be Rahman's 6th fight in less than a year. He has stopped his last 3 opponents, all in the second round. He comes in for this fight in great shape. I like the action I see from Rahman, it jibes with his statements.
The loss to Holyfield doesn't concern me a lot. Evander was still a decent fighter back in 2002. Holyfield, unlike Meehan, was a good defender. Furthermore, it was Rahman's first fight off the KO loss to Lewis. Rahman will be able to hit Meehan, and Hasim has a better punch than Meehan has seen. Rahman KO'd Lennox Lewis in their first fight. I know Lennox wasn't in great shape, but Hasim has a helluva punch that KO'd one of boxing's best.
Back in June, Rahman fought and KO'd Rob Calloway (48-4-1 37KO's). Calloway is smaller than Meehan but was similar in that he had a decent punch, but got clocked when he tried to step up.
Hasim Rahman and Kali Meehan are in a different class. Rahman is arguably one of the top 10 current Heavyweights who beats up part time club fighters like Meehan.
