Posted by Robert Visnick on 9th February 2011
Pictured: Buakaw (right) shoots a push kick at Masato in a K-1 Max bout. Robert Visnick describes this technique as underutilized in MMA.
Though mixed martial arts has been around for a while now, the sport and the fighters’ technique are still evolving. Still, there are some basics that a lot of fighters can and should add to their arsenal. Fighters can still pull and learn to better utilize some basic techniques from boxing, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
First, boxing…
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Posted in Boxing, MMA, Muay Thai, Robert Visnick, Training | 1 Comment »
Posted by David Bateman on 29th April 2010
Pictured: Shane Mosley & Floyd Mayweather shake hands during promotional efforts for their bout this weekend.
(Editor’s Note: David Bateman is a freelance journalist based out of the UK. We’re happy to have him contribute to Total-MMA this week. For more of his writing, go to DavidBatemanJournalist.com. If you’re interested in writing for us, let us know! As always, thanks for reading. — Tommy)
Anytime Floyd Mayweather chooses to grace a boxing ring with his presence, there is always a lot of interest.
His status as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters of his generation assures great enthusiasm and excitement anytime he chooses to defend his 40-fight undefeated streak.
This Saturday should be no different. His opponent, ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley, is more than formidable. He has beaten impressive names like Oscar De La Hoya, and Antonio Margarito in his latest bout. His power and punching veracity ensures he is a very credible threat to Mayweather’s unblemished record.
Yet, despite the anticipation and intrigue we are feeling, something doesn’t quite feel right…
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Posted in Boxing | 4 Comments »
Posted by Tommy Hackett on 14th March 2010
March 13 should have been the night that we crowned a true pound-for-pound champion in boxing. We should have seen a joint effort from the sport’s two biggest promoters in Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, finally setting aside their differences to bring the fans the one bout that everyone wanted to see. Top Rank’s Manny Pacquiao vs. Golden Boy Promotion’s Floyd Mayweather Jr. would promise a unification bout at welter for boxing’s biggest ever purse, pay per view audience, and all the glory that comes with it.
But when negotiations broke down, we found ourselves watching Top Rank’s next best welter in Joshua Clottey in what felt like a subpar sparring session against Pacquiao.
So, what went wrong with this show?
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Posted in Boxing, Tommy Hackett | No Comments »
Posted by Tommy Hackett on 10th January 2010
Pictured: Manny Pacquiao carries the flag of the Philippines at the 2008 Olympic Games.
It’s tough to look at the above picture: Manny Pacquiao leading a group of athletes, who unlike himself, were willing to submit to Olympic-style drug testing.
Last week, talks finally appeared to break down for good for Manny Pacquiao’s proposed bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr., with the “sticking point” of Olympic-style blood testing finally leaving the two parties unable to reach an agreement. It’s a bad blow for the sport, which seemed to finally accumulating momentum for the first time in ages, to lose the climactic bout which we had been leading up towards.
It’s particularly a blow to a guy like me.
I’m really gutted — because as much as I’m not fan of Floyd Jr, his classless interviews and unprofessional antics — I have to sadly place blame at the feet of Manny Pacquiao for this “bloody mess.” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Boxing, Tommy Hackett | No Comments »
Posted by Tommy Hackett on 15th November 2009
Congratulations to Manny Pacquiao and his supporters for another dominant win last night. As predicted, within a few rounds we learned whether or not Miguel Cotto could counter Pacquiao’s vaunted speed advantage. Unfortunately, I didn’t predict the correct answer. That advantage would prove key, and eventually lead to a 12th round T/KO stoppage.
So I was wrong, but I’m not interested in finding a Filipino preparation for crow right now (crow adobo?). Call it damage control if you want, but in attempting to handicap the bout, I maintained that no outcome would surprise me much — as it was a pairing of two guys who had never seen anything like the other. It won’t surprise anyone that I still feel that way. But here’s something Total-MMA readers may find surprising:
Right now, I couldn’t be prouder of Miguel Cotto.
(Well, other than the use of Kanye West for his ringwalk…)
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Posted in Boxing, Tommy Hackett | No Comments »
Posted by Tommy Hackett on 14th November 2009
Miguel Angel Cotto is hours away from entering a Las Vegas ring an almost three-to-one underdog against Manny Pacquiao in their catch-weight bout at 145 lbs. To the Puerto Rican’s chagrin, it seems many find it a foregone conclusion that the night will end with Pacquiao earning a knockout victory at his expense. In fact, Pacquiao himself is reportedly so confident that he has scheduled a concert performance directly after the bout, where he will sing material from his own two record albums at Mandalay Bay.
Unfortunately for the Filipino’s supporters, I think Pacquaio will be singing the blues instead of his beloved ballads, as heard here (painfully) on Jimmy Kimmell Live…
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Posted in Boxing, Tommy Hackett | 6 Comments »
Posted by Tommy Hackett on 10th October 2009
Anyone excited about next month’s fight between Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao got a treat yesterday as Pacquiao vs. Cotto: Face Off, a fantastic interview segment between the two conducted by Max Kellerman, popped up online. In fact, it’s a treat for anyone who just enjoys a bit of class and respect being shared between two proud sons of their native countries. (Yes, Puerto Rico is really a commonwealth of the US, but you know what I mean.)
If you’re anything like me and find yourself forgotting what sportsmanship looks like sometimes, please enjoy…
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Posted in Boxing, Tommy Hackett | No Comments »
Posted by Dave Walsh on 20th September 2009
Oh the irony of it all. Last night saw UFC counter-program the return of boxing’s Pretty Boy; Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Floyd, the oft-controversial performer came back after a two-year retirement after seeing Manny Pacquiao take his place on the top of the food chain in the media’s fickle eyes after destroying Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. Floyd saw this and saw dollar signs, while UFC saw this as their chance to take another jab at the sport they and their rabid fans see as a dying art and proclaim dominance that they could do well against boxing’s biggest star.
The numbers aren’t out yet, but the results are in, and they can be weighed against each other. UFC saw no real surprises on their main card; Cro Cop is washed up, Hermes Franca isn’t very good, Martin Kampmann was overrated and Vitor Belfort when he trains for a fight can beat a gatekeeper handily (with illegal blows to the back of the head). The undercard was just rather dull and the card featured some of the worst preliminaries UFC has offered on a PPV. The card was easily the least entertaining since UFC 55; Andrei Arlovski vs. Paul Buentello.
Mayweather vs. Marquez on the other hand saw a lively undercard as Chris John took Rocky Juarez all twelve rounds for a decision, Michael Katsidis overwhelmed a scrappy Vincente Escebedo and Cornelius Lock devastated Orlando Cruz with a left hook. All three of these bouts were incredibly exciting and put on this card to prove that they can not only compete with UFC quality-wise, but put on a better overall show.
A lot of talk right now from UFC fans is that the Mayweather fight was a “multi-million dollar sham” of a fight; Mayweather was fighting a lighter fighter who stood no chance against him. The truth of the matter is, after coming back from a two year layoff, taking on a fighter like Manny Pacquiao would be a giant risk, as would a fight with Shane Mosley. Plus, from a business perspective, a multi-million dollar warm-up fight before the big fight makes perfect sense. Instead of people asking the question “does Floyd still have it?” there will be no doubt that he still has it when he goes into his next fight against whomever it is.
Posted in Boxing, Dave Walsh, UFC | 8 Comments »
Posted by Tommy Hackett on 19th September 2009
Again, fight fans are faced with a choice between offerings from the biggest players in MMA and boxing tonight, as UFC goes head to head with HBO PPV. Hey, it’s not the worst problem to have; and in fact I think we’ve got a pretty clear decision here.
I can already hear the arguments against it, and I’ll admit UFC 103 will probably be enjoyable enough. I’ll even concede that the welterweight bout between Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr and Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez may have lost a bit of luster with Mayweather’s issues at the scale. (See this ESPN report if you haven’t already.) But Mayweather and Marquez still offer a great pairing of two pound-for-pound entrants, and the bout’s winner will be primed for an even bigger night against Manny Pacquiao or Miguel Cotto next year. Let’s be honest: Vitor Belfort and Rich Franklin are very good and their catch weight bout that will likely be entertaining, but win or lose it will really do little for either guy’s standing. Plus, it’s a weak undercard, while HBO PPV is (uncharactaristically) offering several excellent bouts in support of the Mayweather/Marquez main.
So, as in June, when Miguel Cotto vs. Joshua Clottey outshone UFC 99, score the round for the Marquis of Queensbury. Here’s my take at what fight fans should be watching tonight:
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Posted in Boxing, Tommy Hackett | 2 Comments »
Posted by Tommy Hackett on 22nd August 2009
More than a month has passed since his death in Brazil, but sadly, we still don’t know what really happened to Arturo “Thunder” Gatti. It remains uncertain as of this writing if he died of suicide, as Brazilian authorities ruled, or if a full autopsy which has begun by Canadian officials will reveal he was murdered by his wife, as was first suspected.
What is clear is that he will be missed in many circles, one of which includes the opponent Gatti was most associated with, “Irish” Micky Ward. Last year, Ward was the subject of a book from longtime Boston sportscaster Bob Holloran, Irish Thunder. It offers a strong if not quite perfect portrait of its strong but never perfect subject, and particularly of the trilogy with Gatti which defined Ward’s career.
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Posted in Book Reviews, Boxing, Tommy Hackett | No Comments »
