I watched a tape of the DLH-Vargas fight after watching that football game last night. It really makes it sink in how other sports have pretty arbitrary rules that remove people from actually just going out and trying to bash another guy until he can't get up. It reminded me of why I like the fights so much. I'll take a good fight over a good football game anyday, and a big time championship fight over the superbowl.
That guy Max Kellerman on ESPN is fond of saying that the thing that is great about boxing is that it is as close to the literal imposition of one man's will over another man as any sport offers. It actually has the component that a person wants to get up and keep going but his will has been separated from his body and he simply can't do it.
Its a nice way to put it.
But even boxing has some pretty funny rules, gloves and rounds and judging, etc. It made me wonder of Ultimate Fighting will ever catch on. From what I understand, the only rule there is no eye gouging. Put two guys in a cage and let them go at it until one quits. No gloves, pads, balls, rounds, hoops, or anything.
Really, its probably not too far from where boxing was 100-150 years ago. Kind of an outlaw sport with a dedicated following. I've only watched it once. I enjoyed it, but I don't think the spectator aspect of it is as good as boxing. I'd like to hear comments from anyone that is into that sport about whether I have the rules right, and what is good/bad about it. Where's it going? Is it growing?
Anyway, I thought DLH-Vargas was a very good fight. Not great but very good. Vargas out power-punched him. DLH out boxed him. Classic match-up. I still thinking Vargas getting 2-1 was a decent bet. He had some chances early to do more damage, but DLH showed his class as the fight went on.
But that was just two tough mother-fvckers letting the fists fly. It was pretty clean for the most part, and for a long time, the outcome was unclear.
The woman judge HAD to be on the take. The most atrocious round was when she scored the 10th 10-10, ensuring that even if she gave the last two rounds to DLH her man would come out ahead. That was a fairly even round, then DLH just walloped Vargas at the end, easily giving the round to DLH and you couldnt' miss it from ANY angle. How she had him ahead by 3 going into that round is another story.
The 8th was just a beautiful boxing exhibition by DLH and showed why he's such a talent. Great movement, he's got a LONG jab but he's so quick he gets away with it. I think people that fight him don't realize how far away he can be and still jab you. It was also that round that he threw a right just above the belt, a left hook a little higher, a right to the ribs, then a left hook to the head. Right up the ladder. Just like working the heavy bag. Vargas was reacting to the first one when the hook to the head caught him.
Another thing, Foreman is a good fight analyst, and I don't care if you think other wise. Really pay attention to him next time you watch one of his fights. He picks up on technical things in their feet position, other tendencies, and points them out as they happen. By tendencies, I mean the "sweet science" stuff -- stuff like, "Guy A always drops his left after throwing a right. He's going to get hit with a big counter right." Next thing you know, the guy gets plugged with a counter after throwing his right. He knows WAY more about fighting than his partners. He may not know more than Manny Stewart but he's better at pointing things out.
Whoa. Thanks for reading this far. Any comments on DLH-V, UFC, or anything welcome.
TheShrimp
That guy Max Kellerman on ESPN is fond of saying that the thing that is great about boxing is that it is as close to the literal imposition of one man's will over another man as any sport offers. It actually has the component that a person wants to get up and keep going but his will has been separated from his body and he simply can't do it.
Its a nice way to put it.
But even boxing has some pretty funny rules, gloves and rounds and judging, etc. It made me wonder of Ultimate Fighting will ever catch on. From what I understand, the only rule there is no eye gouging. Put two guys in a cage and let them go at it until one quits. No gloves, pads, balls, rounds, hoops, or anything.
Really, its probably not too far from where boxing was 100-150 years ago. Kind of an outlaw sport with a dedicated following. I've only watched it once. I enjoyed it, but I don't think the spectator aspect of it is as good as boxing. I'd like to hear comments from anyone that is into that sport about whether I have the rules right, and what is good/bad about it. Where's it going? Is it growing?
Anyway, I thought DLH-Vargas was a very good fight. Not great but very good. Vargas out power-punched him. DLH out boxed him. Classic match-up. I still thinking Vargas getting 2-1 was a decent bet. He had some chances early to do more damage, but DLH showed his class as the fight went on.
But that was just two tough mother-fvckers letting the fists fly. It was pretty clean for the most part, and for a long time, the outcome was unclear.
The woman judge HAD to be on the take. The most atrocious round was when she scored the 10th 10-10, ensuring that even if she gave the last two rounds to DLH her man would come out ahead. That was a fairly even round, then DLH just walloped Vargas at the end, easily giving the round to DLH and you couldnt' miss it from ANY angle. How she had him ahead by 3 going into that round is another story.
The 8th was just a beautiful boxing exhibition by DLH and showed why he's such a talent. Great movement, he's got a LONG jab but he's so quick he gets away with it. I think people that fight him don't realize how far away he can be and still jab you. It was also that round that he threw a right just above the belt, a left hook a little higher, a right to the ribs, then a left hook to the head. Right up the ladder. Just like working the heavy bag. Vargas was reacting to the first one when the hook to the head caught him.
Another thing, Foreman is a good fight analyst, and I don't care if you think other wise. Really pay attention to him next time you watch one of his fights. He picks up on technical things in their feet position, other tendencies, and points them out as they happen. By tendencies, I mean the "sweet science" stuff -- stuff like, "Guy A always drops his left after throwing a right. He's going to get hit with a big counter right." Next thing you know, the guy gets plugged with a counter after throwing his right. He knows WAY more about fighting than his partners. He may not know more than Manny Stewart but he's better at pointing things out.
Whoa. Thanks for reading this far. Any comments on DLH-V, UFC, or anything welcome.
TheShrimp
