Brandon Campbell

Hello Everyone, welcome to the latest edition of the Furious Five.

The boxing world is still buzzing after the brutal victory Manny Pacquaio scored against David Diaz last night, but there are also plenty of other noteworthy issues in the sport deserving attention. So let’s get started, shall we?

1) The boxing world crowned a new WBC lightweight champion last night, as Manny Pacquaio thoroughly dominated David Diaz before scoring a 9th round knockout. This was one of the most viscous beatings witnessed in recent memory, with Pacquaio utilizing his superior hand speed and punching power to brutalize Diaz throughout the entire nine rounds. When you consider just how badly Pacquaio outclassed the former U.S. Olympian and defending champion, can anyone still question those anointing Pacquaio as the best pound for pound fighter in the world?

2) That being said, I still think there are a few different fighters that can legitimately challenge Pacquaio for the title of the best pound for pound fighter in the world. You could make convincing arguments for fighters like Kelly Pavlik, Miguel Cotto, and Joe Calzaghe. However, what separates Pacquaio from these other fighters is his entertaining style and ability to dominate the sport across numerous different weight classes. When you consider his title win last night (at 135 pounds) was the fourth different weight class he has earned a belt in, you can’t help but be impressed by the slender Filipino who started his career at 106 pounds. Personally, I would rank Pacquaio as the best pound for pound fighter in the world right now. However, I can certainly understand how some people would disagree with this decision.

3) I would like to discuss the controversial 4th round disqualification of Humberto Sotto last night during his match against Francisco Lorenzo for the interim WBC junior lightweight title. The disqualification against Sotto was issued by referee Joe Cortez after Lorenzo had taken a knee and Sotto landed a glancing blow seconds later. We all know the rule Cortez cited was implemented to protect vulnerable fighters from further damage, and we have seen it cost fighters decisions before. However, Sotto dominated the fight from the opening bell and Cortez probably should have intervened earlier in the round to stop the fight. When you consider the short amount of time (half a second) between when Lorenzo took a knee and Sotto landed his glancing blow. how could Cortez conclude Sotto was intentionally trying to hurt his vulnerable opponent.  Thankfully, the WBC corrected the situation by immediately announcing a rematch will be held . Even still, this is just yet another controversy involving referee Joe Cortez and let’s all hope this is the last time he officiates a major fight.

4) With the fight almost official, can someone please tell me why Joe Calzaghe is fighting Roy Jones Jr? Let’s just hypothetically assume the rumors are true and Calzaghe will retire after fighting Jones, how does taking this fight add any credibility to his legacy? Roy Jones Jr. is a shadow of the fighter he once was, and can’t be considered a legitimate opponent for a fighter the caliber of Calzaghe. This fight serves no purpose besides being an easy pay day for both fighters, Calzaghe will earn one more large paycheck and Jones gets one last minute in the spotlight. There are very few fights I have absolutely no interest in watching, but this will definitely be one of them.

5) I figure I should try and end the article off on a positive note, so I’m pleased to discuss the upcoming match between Jermain Taylor and Carl Froch for the vacant WBC super-middleweight title. Although most casual North American boxing fans aren’t familiar with Carl Froch, he is an exciting undefeated fighter that has knocked out 19 of his 23 opponents. Although the unheralded Froch has never fought an opponent who possesses the raw athletic ability of Jermain Taylor, the size and punching power of Froch would make this an extremely intriguing match. However, there is still a slight possibility that this fight won’t proceed as there are rumors Jermain Taylor would prefer to fight Jeff Lacy instead. Albeit Lacy is a recognizable name amongst American boxing fans, he would be an easy opponent for Taylor and wouldn’t present the same challenge as Froch. The WBC has already ordered this match, but HBO controls the contract of Taylor and will play a large role in determining his next opponent. Let’s all hope Taylor makes the right decision and convinces HBO to let him fight Froch, it would be a highly entertaining fight.

That’s it for now, I hope everyone remains safe and enjoys the rest of their weekend.

Brandon Campbell

Wow, what can you say about a performance like that.

Tonight we witnessed one of the more dominant victories in recent memory, with Manny Pacquiao capturing the WBC lightweight title with a spectacular 9th round knockout of David Diaz. The entire fight was controlled by Pacquaio, who utilized his superior speed, power punching and foot work to completely dominate the defending champion. This is now the fourth different weight class that Pacquiao has won a title in, an extremely impressive and rare feat in modern day boxing. It’s all the more impressive when you consider the spectacular way he went about accomplishing it, dominating Diaz from the opening bell.

I think I should also acknowledge the effort of David Diaz, who took a lot of punishment during this fight and continued to come forward despite the onslaught. There is no question Diaz was completely outclassed tonight, but you can’t really fault his effort. He fought a superior opponent, one who arguably just solidified his position as the best pound for pound fighter in the world.

Overall, this was a highly entertaining fight and easily one of the best so far this year. If you missed the fight, I definitely recommend you try and catch the highlights. I will be posting a new edition of the Furious Five tomorrow, so be sure to check back for more post fight analysis and to see how this dominant performance could potentially impact the future plans of Pacquaio.

Brandon Campbell

Hello Everyone,

The 2008 European Championships began the quarterfinal stage today with arguably the most highly anticipated match of the tournament thus far, and the quality of action certainly didn’t disappoint. The match featured two perennial contenders in international soccer, with the always exciting Portuguese matching up against a stingy German squad. Although the game started off relatively even during the opening minutes, the fast pace favored a Portuguese side which was able to exploit openings in the back of the German formation and generate multiple chances. However, Portugal failed to capitalize on these early chances and would quickly regret it as Bastian Schweinsteiger finished off a beautiful German counter attack in the 22nd minute to give his squad the 1-0 lead. The early German goal seemed to shock the Portuguese side, who were caught flat footed on a set piece only four minutes later when Miroslav Klose was left unmarked and finished off a Schweinsteiger cross to make it 2-0 Germany.

The Portuguese squad regrouped immediately following the Klose goal, finding their pace and pressuring the German defenders with skillful runs down the side for the remaining minutes of the first half. The rejuvenated Portuguese would finally cut the German lead in half during the 40th minute of action, when Nuno Gomes finished off a rebound generated from a skillful sprint by Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese continued to carry the play during the start of the second half, pressing forward against a stingy German squad content to sit back and stifle the dangerous Portuguese attack. This theme would continue until the 61st minute of the match, when Michael Ballack headed in yet another Schweinsteiger cross off a set piece to make it 3-1 for the Germans. The concluding moments of the match were dominated by the Portuguese, who were once again pushing forward only to be continuously stifled by the German squad. Although Portugal would make it 3-2 with a Postiga header in the 87th minute, that was as close as the Portuguese would get as Germany secures the first berth in the semi-final stage.

Man of The Match

I don’t think there is much debate about this distinction, as Bastian Schweinsteiger was without question the best player on the pitch today. There were questions about if Schweinsteiger would even start today, having just served a one match suspension after being sent off against Croatia. However, the decision to start Schweinsteiger was proven correct early during the match, with the winger finishing off a counter attack with a beautiful sliding strike to give his team the 1-0 lead. The presence of Schweinsteiger was noticeable throughout the entire game, as his ball possession skills were superb and he set up both of the other German goals off set pieces with beautiful crosses into the box.

Highlight of The Match

This one is also an easy decision, as the first German goal of the game was produced by a skillful counter attack that was finished off by an excellent Schweinsteiger strike. This goal also set the pace for the rest of the match, allowing the Germans to focus their efforts on protecting their lead by stifling the dangerous Portuguese attack.

Goat of The Match

There are a couple of different players deserving of mention here, but none more so than Portuguese goaltender Ricardo. Although the first goal by Schweinsteiger was a beautiful strike, I thought a world class goalie could have still possibly made that save. The same can be said for the second German goal, which was without question a potential save. The third German goal was the result of horrible positioning by Ricardo, who seemed uncertain about whether he should remain in the net or charge the ball as it entered the box. This loss can’t be blamed exclusively on the Portuguese goaltender, but the questionable play of Ricardo was certainly a glaring weakness for the Portuguese today.

Controversy of The Match

The third German goal of the game was marred by controversy, as it appeared Ballack pushed off on Paulo Ferreira before heading the ball into the back of the net. Although it wasn’t a blatant shove, Ballack clearly used his forearm to create space in between him and Ferreira. For the record, I didn’t think the goal should have been allowed to stand. However, that’s not why they pay me the big bucks…..

Implications of The Match

The victory today secures a spot for Germany in the semi final round, against the winner of tomorrows match between Croatia and Turkey. This marks the first time Germany has advanced to the final four of the tournament since they won in 1996. Meanwhile, the defeat today ends an impressive streak from the Portuguese that had them advancing to the final four in the last three consecutive international tournaments.

Alright everyone, that’s all for now. Feel free to add your comments about the action today, as your participation is welcome.