Cliff Rold
427 articles · Hard Core Boxing
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Miguel Cotto: A Place on The Island
By Cliff Rold
Miguel Cotto has never risen to the same level of popularity achieved by Felix Trinidad. He?s never shown the artistry of Carlos Ortiz or Wilfred Benitez. The sheer carnage left in the…
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Mares Demands, Deserves, Donaire After Moreno Win
By Cliff Rold
26-year old 2004 Mexican Olympian and reigning WBC Super Bantamweight champion Abner Mares (24-0-1, 13 KO) of Montebello, California, won a unanimous decision Saturday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles…
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Cristian Mijares: 11 Is The Only One That Counts
By Cliff Rold
Talented fighters don?t, sometimes can?t, always go for it when it?s their chance. It?s not always hard to understand why. Every talent doesn?t sell. Every champion doesn?t draw. Given the tight economics,…
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The Next for Donaire, Rios: Review and Ratings Update
By Cliff Rold
Nonito Donaire is the World Champion at 122 lbs. A knockout of Toshiaki Nishioka, the most accomplished fighter in the division, sealed that spot. If Donaire stays in class, what matters now…
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Donaire, Rios Secure High Impact Wins at Home Depot
By Cliff Rold
In a steady, workmanlike performance, 29-year old WBO Super Bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire (30-1, 19 KO) of San Leandro, California scored two knockdowns en route to a ninth-round stoppage of defensive minded…
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Nishioka-Donaire/Alvarado-Rios: Pre-B.A.D. Report Card
By Cliff Rold
Barring a draw in the main event, on Sunday morning boxing fans will have a universally recognized new champion at 122 lbs. for the first time since Israel Vazquez and, hopefully, lots…
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Beyond Bloodletting: The Stakes in Alvarado vs. Rios
By Cliff Rold
It might be one of those nights. One of those Chacon-Boza, Gatti-Ward, Saad-Lopez nights. It was assumed as such as soon as it was announced. Now here we are, just days from…
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Fuentes-Calderon/Porpramook-Hernandez: Report Card
By Cliff Rold
While the clock ticks and October 13 gets closer, Rios-Alvarado and Nishioka-Donaire get closer, fight fans of the ardent persuasion need not feel impatient. Off the beaten path, significant battles at 105…
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On Survivors and Sacrifices: Review and Ratings Update
By Cliff Rold
The year is, let?s say, 2062. The family of Sergio Martinez is celebrating what would be 87 years on the earthly plane as they gather for a reading of his will. There…
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Martinez-Chavez Leads The Way: Weekend Report Card
By Cliff Rold
For all the people who scream Armageddon about counter-programming in boxing, consider this: Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Saul Alvarez-Josesito Lopez will combine on Saturday night for over 30,000 full seats…
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Andre Ward-Chad Dawson: The Pre-Fight Report Card
By Cliff Rold
They are two of the sport?s rare, real world champions. Both are in their prime. Both are considered among the very best in the world regardless of weight class. On Saturday night…
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Chad Dawson, Come on Down (The Scale That Is)
By Cliff Rold
There are plenty of guys with belts in boxing. There are only a handful of fighters who stand out as the legitimate World Champions of their class. Two of them, World Super…
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What is The Best Use of HBO’s 24/7 Series?
By Cliff Rold
For its many missteps in recent years, HBO Boxing has introduced one vehicle that would be hard to recognize as anything other than successful: 24/7. The multi-part infomercial disguised as documentary television…
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Team USA: Failure Before Success?
By Cliff Rold
When the final bell rang, when Welterweight Errol Spence saw his second chance end the same as his first, the U.S. Men?s Olympic boxing team had nothing left but the stamps in…
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“The Ghost” Crashes The Welterweight Mix With Big Win
By Cliff Rold
Returning from a lengthy layoff due to a shoulder injury, 29-year old former Featherweight and Jr. Lightweight titlist Robert Guerrero (30-1-1, 18 KO) f Gilroy, California, stepped up two classes from his…
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Selcuk Aydin-Robert Guerrero: Enjoy the Simple Choice
By Cliff Rold
Make sure the DVRs are ready. Make sure a DVR is in the house. This Saturday night, Showtime goes live with a Welterweight main event featuring undefeated Selcuk Aydin and former Featherweight…
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Adrien Broner-Vicente Escobedo and The ?Law? of Threes
By Cliff Rold
All have heard some derivative on ?threes,? or more succinctly, that things happen in threes. It is often brought up when old time Hollywood stars pass from being. The first falls and…
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Sonny Boy Jaro vs. Igarashi: The Pre-Fight Report Card
By Cliff Rold
Lost in all the earned Stateside hoopla in recent weeks about the upset results in Lopez-Ortiz and Garcia-Khan is a simple truth: Shocking though those fights were, they ain?t got a thing…
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Danny Garcia Talks The Talk, And Walks The Walk
By Cliff Rold
Forced into yet another excellent action fight, 25-year old 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist and WBA 140 lb. titlist Amir Khan (26-3, 18 KO) was dropped three times en route to a fourth…
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Donaire Passes a Test, But More Remain: Ratings Review
By Cliff Rold
There will be some disappointed in Nonito Donaire?s inability to overwhelm Jeffrey Mathebula last Saturday. With pound-for-pound accolades come hollow expectations (something the always excellent David Greisman explored in his Monday column…