Thanks for dragging out some bloodhounds to find track down The Cruelest Sport. There’s always blood shed on TCS so I’m sure it wasn’t hard for them to get the scent.

Charlie “White Lightning” Brown probably hasn’t got this much attention in years! I could be wrong, but I remember him fighting Harry Arroyo right after the Burke fight on CBS, too. Arroyo took him apart and that was the end of “White Lightning” as a contender. What I remember about Louie Burke is how Hector Camacho spanked him when the Macho Man was actually an amazing fighter in the 1980s.

I hear you on Molina, and I don’t necessarily want to rag on the guy, but he’s pretty limited and it’s a question of hype vs. reality. Making Honorio–who is a capable pro, no doubt–look like Sammy Mandell or Sugar Ray Robinson is a bad sign…not necessarily for his career, but for the fog blowing machines out there who think anybody who is knocking out tomato cans is a “future champion.” Even tomato cans sometimes knock out other tomato cans! Christ, the shit I was reading about Travis Kauffman, for example…

Funeka won that fight. Guzman showed more heart and appeared to be in better shape than say, Santos did/was against Foreman 2 weeks prior, but he still clearly lost.

I thought Molina looked to be in trouble when he came out in that purple smoking jacket/robe looking like a cross between Jon Stewart and Denny (or was it Danny?) Terrio. And unlike that old Sam Malone quote, Molina didn’t look smoking in any jacket. But, a loss at this stage isn’t the end of the world in his development. Emphasis on development.

I figured out how to bookmark your page CA on my browswer– so though MVN has done there darndest to make it impossible to find you, I wont get lost again. Sort of like an Internet GPS.

thanks for writing. I’m glad to see you haven’t abandoned ship yet.

The headbanger can fight, but there’s not much fun to be had watching him do it, although every where you turn you read about how “stunning” and “spectacular” he was. Ummm, no. Years ago, the “headbanger” and the “clinch machine” would be considered spoilers, runners, or junk artists. Today, they’re must-see TV.

The Funeka thing is just pathetic.

Wasn’t the Heaven’s Gate guy, Marshall Applewhite, a big boxing fan?

As for Molina, I am not trying to poop on the man, it’s not his fault he got so much hype…any fighter who steps in the ring gets props, but it’s silly when a guy with his record shows up on TV and can barely move his head or his feet. What are these “experts” talking about? It just makes them look completely dopey…When the headbanger drew 10,000 or so fans last week, one of these bozos said that was great considering the Bay Area never had a history of boxing as if San Francisco wasn’t the boxing capital of the world back in the day and as if Floyd Mayweather didn’t sell out the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in 2001.

Sorry, I’m like a mad dog tonight….

I feel bad for Funeka, he’s basically been jobbed twice now. But this one against Guzman takes the cake. As you say it’s subjective, but this was really too much. Stuff like this just hurts the credibility of the sport. Which sucks, because stripped of all the bullshit, boxing is the greatest sport by far (not subjective!). Sometimes, my fanatic interest in boxing makes me feel like I’m part of a cult or something….shit like this ain’t helpin’.

I also gotta agree with you on Molina. Lot’s of people were hyped up to start the night on Saturday…then quickly deflated. I suppose he’s kinda fun to watch, but not a very skilled guy and certainly not a “future champion.” I certainly didn’t predict an Honorio win, but wasn’t surprised in the end.

You kill me man. The Chacon/”White Lighting” Brown thing was hilarious.

Thanks for writing. You don’t need to be an analyst or even a dedicated boxing fan to realize that something sinister was going on in the Guzman-Funeka bout. It was no contest. Once again, a hardworking prizefighter leaves the ring with nothing but disappointment. I used to train in a New York City gym many years ago–nothing serious, I have a glass jaw–and I saw firsthand how tortuous it is to be a boxer. It is unbelievable what some of these athletes put themselves through. Then to have all their sacrifices sneered at by a couple of disinterested, or incompetent, or corrupt slobs at ringside is outrageous. To think that these judges get paid to ruin someone’s dreams is mind-bending.

As for Lucian Bute, I think he is a fine boxer and much more exciting than some of the spoilers and klutzes in the Super Six right now. A fight with Abraham would be fantastic. I have a feeling Abraham might find a stylish southpaw like Bute hard to handle. It’s possible that he doesn’t move his hands enough or apply enough pressure to disrupt Bute’s slick moves. But, like you said, we can dream.

By the way, The Cruelest Sport doesn’t have nearly as many typos and errors as some blogs do! Compare, compare!

typos happen….I am a pen and paper fellow myself, and looking at the tiny blog window leaves me cross-eyed after about an hour. If you read on, you will find my blog is more literate than most.