| Contact THE EIGHT COUNT info@theeightcount.com RADIO ARCHIVE Boxing Fan Radio is produced and hosted by the Eight Count Crew. Episode 41 (12-5-07) Episode 40 (11-15-07) Episode 37 (10-1-07) Episode 36 (9-19-07) Episode 35 (8-28-07) Episode 34 (8-13-07) Episode 33 (6-21-07) Episode 32 (5-3-07) Episode 31 (4-15-07) Episode 30 (4-1-07) Episode 29 (3-5-07) Episode 28 (2-19-07) Episode 27 (2-4-07) Episode 26 (1-21-07) Episode 25 (12-31-06) The Year 2006 in Review Episode 24 (12-3-06) Episode 23 (11-22-06) Episode 22 (11-5-06) Episode 21 (10-29-06) Episode 20 (10-15-06) Episode 19 (10-10-06) Episode 18 (10-1-06) Episode 17 (9-19-06) Episode 16 (9-10-06) Episode 15 (9-3-06) Episode 14 (8-20-06) Episode 13 (8-13-06) Episode 12 (8-6-06) Episode 11 (7-30-06 Episode 10 (7-23-06) Episode 9 (7-16-06) Episode 8 (7-9-06) Episode 7 (7-2-06) Episode 6 (6-25-06) Episode 5 (6-22-06) Episode 4 (6-15-06) Episode 3 (6-7-06) Episode 2 (5-31-06) Episode 1 (5-25-06) ___________________ All columns, articles and content by The Eight Count Crew. Site Editor: Papa Cabello Head Writer: Greg M. THE EIGHT COUNT is boxing coverage for fans by fans following in the tradition of the original Boxing Fan Contact THE EIGHT COUNT info@theeightcount.com |
| _______________________________________________________ The Year in Review - 2007 Boxing Fan Radio - Episode 42 12-28-07 New show! The guys discuss the Fighter of the Year, Fight of the Year and Knockout of the Year as well as look forward to 2008! CLICK HERE TO LISTEN _______________________________________________________ Why Won’t Taylor Fight Middleweights? By Greg M. 5-17-07 Jermain Taylor, once thought of by some, including the esteemed Larry Merchant, as the heir apparent to the middleweight throne, continues his masquerade as a champion this Saturday night in Memphis. While many believe that Taylor still has the makings of a great, long reigning champ, what is frustrating to me and many others is the direction his promoter Lou Di Bella seems to be taking in guiding the 28 year old Taylor’s career. Early in his career Taylor showed great promise. Although not the most technically sound fighter, Taylor had a great will to win which overcame such problems as bad balance and improper spacing in the ring. Taking a closer look at his pre-title shot opponents gives a glimpse of what Di Bella was trying to accomplish. The first real “name” fighters on Taylor’s resume, Alex Bunema and Raul Marquez were blown up junior middleweights. Neither of them were great punchers either. That was followed up by a completely worn William Joppy and Daniel Eduard. When a promoter wants a fighter to appear superior, the most sure fire approach is to place opponents in front of said fighter who will play the role of opponent. These four men fit that role as well as could be expected. Many are probably saying to themselves: “Yeah but what about what happened next? He did beat Bernard and Winky.” In my honest evaluation, Taylor may be one of the luckiest fighters in recent memory to have escaped without a loss in those three fights. A strong argument can be made for him being 1-2 or even 0-3 in those affairs. He did however show an ability to hang with two very cagey veterans, and he does deserve credit for the poise he showed under tactical fire. The experience must have been invaluable. What has transpired since then is what is so disheartening. Taylor would defend his title against you guessed it, another junior middleweight. While Kassim Ouma is a very talented fighter, he could probably squeeze down to welterweight if he wanted. Taylor predictably dominated his smaller opponent en route to an easy decision. His promoter told the world Jermain deserved a soft touch after three fights with the aging Hopkins and Wright. I was willing to forgive Di Bella and Taylor and give them a pass. When it was announced that Taylor’s next victim would be IBF junior middleweight champ Cory Spinks I lost all faith in this guy. Jermain, you are the middleweight champ! Fight middleweights! Not former welterweights like Spinks. Who’s next? Zab Judah? Ricky Hatton? Di Bella will tell you that Spinks is a legit threat. But the feeling here is that perhaps Di Bella knows that his one ticket seller is not as good as he once thought. Fighting the Spinks’ and Ouma’s of the world will satisfy HBO because of the name recognition these fighters bring. I, for one, will not be satisfied by the charade. Taylor is not the real middleweight champ. Not yet anyway. He is making a strong case for being the unified junior middleweight champ though. If you want to see a real middleweight fight Saturday night be sure to tune in early as Edison Miranda and Kelly Pavlik, two real legit threats to Taylor’s crown will battle each other on the under card. In a perfect world, that fight would be the headliner. Time will tell if those two get their shot against the heir apparent. _______________________________________________________ Diego Corrales, one of the great warriors in the history of the fight game, died at the age of 29 in a motorcycle accident in Las Vegas, Monday night. We at The Eight Count would like to express our condolences to Diego’s family and friends. We would also like to thank Diego, the man, for giving us fans of the sport some incredible memories. Diego was the true embodiment of a warrior in the ring, and I for one will forever have etched in my memory his classic fights with Roberto Garcia, Joel Casamayor, Jose Luis Castillo and many others. In an age when fighters want to protect their unbeaten record, or avoid challenges, Corrales ran right to those challenges, taking on everyone who was deemed a threat. For that, we are eternally indebted to Mr. Corrales. Rest In Peace Champ, you will not be forgotten. _______________________________________________________ Mayweather - De la Hoya: The Aftermath by Greg M. 5-8-07 The fight to end all fights has come and gone. What transpired in those 36 minutes of boxing probably left most of the people assembled in front of televisions across the globe confused. Expecting to see the big bad Floyd Mayweather of the 24/7 “reality” series, the man who professed that this fight would be a massacre, the casual and non boxing fan was instead treated to the Pretty Boy us hardcore fans have come to know and begrudgingly respect over the last ten years: a safety first boxer at heart. Mayweather would throw one shot at a time en route to a split decision over an Oscar de la Hoya who surprised many fans by giving a spirited effort, and probably legitimately winning at least five rounds, possibly even six or seven depending on which pair of eyes were viewing the bout. READ THE REST HERE _______________________________________________________ The Parallel Universe of Juan Manuel Marquez by Papa Cabello 3-15-07 The boxing story of Juan Manuel Marquez reads like the chapters of the lives of many of us: Some incredible drama, a few mistakes, comebacks, boring times, lots of hard work and a long struggle for recognition. All this said, the most significant characteristic to define Marquez’s boxing career so far has been his apparent unwillingness to take the risks necessary both in and out of the ring to achieve long term top status. READ THE REST HERE _______________________________________________________ Vasquez and Marquez Make Big Promises by Papa Cabello 3-1-07 Boxing fans are by nature very excitable. We can get excited about a fight months before it is scheduled to take place. Can the same be said for the fans of any other sport? And because of our excitable nature we’re sometimes willing to accept just about anything on the promise of an exciting boxing match. “I will give my life if necessary to win this fight,” said Rafael Marquez (36-3) in reference to his scheduled March 3 bout with Israel Vasquez. “This is going to be the fight of the year,” Vasquez (41-3) added in the press conference to promote the bout. READ THE REST HERE _______________________________________________________ Pound for Pound Top 5 To End 2006 by Greg M. 12-31-06 It is a debate as old as boxing. At any given moment in history, men would gather at bars and barbershops and around television sets across the globe and debate just who is the best fighter in the world at that moment. Each guy surely had their own criteria, but the debate in the end came down to who would beat who if the guys lived in a magical world and all of them weighed the same. Other factors such as quality of opposition, and punching power are certainly weighed into the equation. Some times, as was the case with Pernell Whitaker and Julio Cesar Chavez, fight fans were lucky enough to see two pound for pound greats battle it out to decide it for the public. Other times, as was the case with the great Roy Jones, a fighter never had another great or even very good fighter to engage them in their prime. What is this all leading to? The debate rages today in message boards across the web. Who is the best at this moment? It depends on who you ask. Do you like the pure fury of Manny Pacquiao or the styling’s of Floyd Mayweather. Read on for this one anonymous man’s opinion on the great P4P debate, circa December 31, 2006. READ THE POUND FOR POUND LIST HERE _______________________________________________________ Miguel Cotto: The Man At 147? by Greg M. 12-3-06 Saturday night found me in front of the boob tube once again, pizza in hand and the phone off the hook. While HBO put on an interesting card featuring two long time friends engaging in a little gentlemen’s scrap, Showtime really had the goods with two of the best fights on paper paired together in a broadcast in recent memory. READ THE REST HERE _______________________________________________________ Body Shots Vol. XX by Greg M. 10-9-06 I had high hopes for this past weekend in boxing. Number one on the list was of course the third installment of the Diego Corrales-Joel Casamayor trilogy. What could have been great, instead ended up more like Rocky III, as the ball was deflated before the fighters ever entered the ring. Corrales, who has always handled himself well when it comes to his boxing life, (personal issues aside), weighed in five pounds over the lightweight limit. READ THE REST HERE _______________________________________________________ Corrales - Casamayor III by Greg M. 10-6-06 Quite a bit has changed since March 2004 in the careers of Diego Corrales and Joel Casamayor. The boxing world was given the gift of the epic Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo clash and the ensuing fallout of their second fight, and aborted third fight. Corrales also knocked out Acelino Freitas in brutal fashion in that time. Casamayor meanwhile is 3-1-1 since March ‘04, with a loss to the aforementioned Castillo and a draw with Kid Diamond in a strange fight. Three wins over fringe contenders round out Casamayor’s resume in that time. READ THE REST HERE _______________________________________________________ Fights This Week by Papa Cabello 10-4-06 Friday, 10/6 (Showtime) Jean Paul Mendy (22-0) vs. Henry Buchanan (14-0) This fight is part of Round 2 of the Shobox 168-pound tournament. Mendy is a 168-pounder who knocked out Dallas Vargas in one round in his last fight. Buchanan has also never been bested as a pro and has 11 KO wins. READ THE REST HERE _______________________________________________________ Notable Fights This Week by Papa Cabello 9-21-06 Telefutura Friday, September 22 2006 Raul Marquez (37-3, 26KO) vs. Elco Garcia (18-5, 8KO) Middleweights. Marquez continues his 2006 comeback here with his third fight this year. In his last outing he stopped Sergio Rios in 5. The former 154-pound belt holder has been in there with the likes of Fernando Vargas, Yory Boy Campas and Jermain Taylor (all losses) and has a No Contest with Shane Mosley. Garcia, for his part, is coming off 2 knockout losses to Vernon Forrest and Eric Regan, respectively. READ THE REST HERE _______________________________________________________ Barrera Beats Juarez In The Rematch by Papa Cabello 9-17-06 Marco Antonio Barrera (63-4, 42KO) was a man possessed as he completely out-smarted and out- classed a once again hesitant Rocky Juarez (25-3, 18KO) in their rematch bout Saturday night in Las Vegas. Barrera entered the arena with his sometimes trademark scowl and cleverly boxed and punched his was to an easy decision win, mixing jabs and power shots along with sporadic machismo as he frequently laughed off Rocky’s power attempts. Barrera’s critics and doubters were once again silenced (myself included), as he looked as sharp as ever in beating Juarez nearly every round. Juarez never really went for it and his respect for Barrera was once again shown throughout the fight. But truth be told, Barrera is just the better fighter. No real shock there. READ THE REST HERE _______________________________________________________ Notable Fights This Week 9-12-06 Golden Boy delivers 3 title fights for 50 bucks to highlight a slow month. Saturday, September 16 2006 PPV Marco Antonio Barrera (62-4, 42KO) vs. Rocky Juarez (25-2, 18KO) (WBC Super Featherweight Championship) Barrera is one of the premier fighters in the game over the last 10 years. He’s a world champ in 3 weight divisions. Big career defining wins over Erik Morales, Naseem Hamed, Rocky Juarez, Paulie Ayala, Kevin Kelley, Johnny Tapia, Robbie Peden, Jesus Salud, Kennedy McKinney, Agapito Sanchez and others. He’s also lost some major fights (Erik Morales, Junior Jones twice and Manny Pacquaio). Juarez lost a razor thin split decision to Barrera in May. He also lost a decision to Humberto Sota in 2005. Wins over Guty Espadas, Zahir Raheem, Frankie Archuleta. Juarez is still the fighter with the bigger upside and may pull off the upset here. READ THE REST HERE _______________________________________________________ Rocky VI Trailer 9-10-06 VIEW THE TRAILER HERE _______________________________________________________ Body Shots Vol. XIX 9-3-06 It’s been a slow few weeks in the boxing world, both in the ring and outside of it. Nothing of significance has shaken the boxing world, and this fan enough to really merit recognition. Couple that with the fact I have been working crazy hours on a crazy shift on a project, and you have no “Body Shots” for the past few weeks. I know the faithful have been waiting in full anticipation for another installment, so here goes. Castillo given the shaft by the boxing world Former lightweight champ, and the only man to unofficially defeat Floyd Mayweather Jr., Jose Luis Castillo was fined a whopping $250,000, and suspended by the State of Nevada for failing to make the contracted 135 pound weight limit for his third bout with Diego Corrales. To the general public who sees these athletes making major bank, 250 grand probably does not seem like that much. Trust, 250K is a major amount of money for a man like Castillo, who is not exactly in the Oscar de la Hoya or Roy Jones tax bracket. Critics, and the good folks on the Nevada commission will tell you that Castillo damaged the integrity of the sport by failing to make the weight for a second consecutive time. Not only that, but the State of Nevada took a major hit when a major fight went down the toilet. Their argument is not without merit. Castillo did damage the sport by costing it a major fight. He also cost some investors, casinos and others some major dollars. But the fine and suspension almost have the feel of pay back. The Nevada commission almost looks like it is fining Castillo this large amount, the most allowable under the law, in a bit of a gangster move. READ THE REST HERE _______________________________________________________ |
