Cliff Rold
427 articles · Hard Core Boxing
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Juan Francisco Estrada Wins a Heabutt Marred Clash
By Cliff Rold
24-year old WBA and WBO Flyweight titlist Juan Francisco Estrada (31-2, 22 KO) of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, got more than he bargained for in a stay busy non-title affair on Saturday night…
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Terence Crawford-Ray Beltran: Post Report Card
By Cliff Rold
For the first time since Wallace Smith ended the third and final reign of Jimmy Carter in 1955, a ?Bud? is the Lightweight Champion of the World. That?s the capital letters version.…
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Mayweather or Who Cares?: Post-Pacquiao Report Card
By Cliff Rold
Being it?s closing in on the Christmas season, let?s pretend fight fans have been more nice than naughty. Twitter timelines may indicate otherwise, but like kids waiting for Santa, impatience can be…
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Manny Pacquiao-Chris Algieri: Pre-Fight Report Card
By Cliff Rold
It?s been awhile since a pay-per-view star has used the medium to face such an unfamiliar face. Maybe the last time was Oscar De La Hoya-Felix Sturm? It?s been awhile. Unlike Sturm,…
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Six Obstacles To a Roman (Gonzalez) Empire
By Cliff Rold
His knockout of Akira Yaegashi for the lineal (and WBC) flyweight honors in September confirmed for a broader audience what was apparent to hardcore fight followers for the past several years?R?man Gonzalez…
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Kovalev vs. Hopkins: Unification Post-Report Card
By Cliff Rold
The pre-fight report card began with a simple premise: A significantly younger fighter of the highest quality, in his prime, should never lose to a 49-year old man. Not even when that…
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Hopkins-Kovalev: Unification Pre-Fight Report Card
By Cliff Rold
A significantly younger fighter of the highest quality, in his prime, should never lose to a 49-year old man. Not even when that 49-year old is Bernard Hopkins. Sergey Kovalev is clearly…
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Martin Murray, Hekkie Budler Headed in Bigger Directions?
By Cliff Rold
It must have been horrible in the days before the internet. Hardcore fight fans for years read about fights overseas. They only saw bits of the action. Fighters like Roberto Duran and…
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Nicholas Walters-Nonito Donaire: Post-Report Card
By Cliff Rold
Say hello to the new guy. One fight after potentially ending the career of Vic Darchinyan, Jamaica?s Nicholas Walter may have ended Nonito Donaire?s time as an elite among the Featherweight and…
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The Featherweight Division, Revived With Talent
By Cliff Rold
It?s not the main event this Saturday night at the Stub Hub Center. On paper, it appears to be the real fight before we get there. Nonito Donaire-Nicholas Walters looks like the…
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Jhonny Gonzalez-Jorge Arce: Pre-Fight Report Card
By Cliff Rold
In terms of tickets and television eyes in Mexico, the fight will be too. Stars sell. When they have a penchant for nasty fights, they sell even better. Jorge Arce, attempting to…
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Mayweather-Maidana 2 and More: Report Cards
By Cliff Rold
There?s some spring left in that step even at 37. Using his legs earlier, and more, Floyd Mayweather left no doubt about the better man at the end of the rematch with…
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Mayweather-Maidana Rematch: Pre-Fight Report Card
By Cliff Rold
There have been fair times for criticism over the years about Floyd Mayweather and his opponent selection. This shouldn?t be one of them. For the second time in his career, he faced…
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Rodriguez Decisions Takayama To Unify IBF/WBO Belts
By Cliff Rold
There is often just a little something extra when two reigning titlists meet to unify their crowns. Saturday night at the Arena Monterey in Monterey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, over 9,000 fans in…
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Canelo-Lara Not a Bad Decision: Post Report Card
By Cliff Rold
Levi Martinez screwed Erislandy Lara on Saturday night by a score of 117-111. That didn?t cost Lara the fight. Lara cost Lara the fight. Even with one absurd score, it?s hard to…
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Lara vs. Canelo and the World Around Them
By Cliff Rold
It would be nice to think of it as just another night in the ring. The fight itself is well made. While not for any title, it features arguably the two best…
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Miguel Cotto, Champion: Post-Fight Report Card
By Cliff Rold
Miguel Cotto has won belts before. In purist terms, on Saturday night he became one of history?s genuine champions for the first time. If anyone had predicted when Cotto was struggling with…
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Sergio Martinez-Miguel Cotto: Pre-Fight Report Card
By Cliff Rold
They?ve built the event. Are we in for a fight?That?s the big question heading into a clash that has intrigue largely for one reason: there are many who suspect Middleweight Champion Sergio…
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BoxingScene.com’s Television Picks of The Week
By Cliff Rold
Fox Sports1 got the weekend off to an early start with a look at interesting new Heavyweight Danny Kelly and a mild upset as Tevin Farmer gave Emanuel Gonzalez his first pro…
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Juan Manuel Marquez-Mike Alvarado: Post-Report Card
By Cliff Rold
Greater mattered more. In the pre-fight prediction, the thinking was youth and size could overcome an otherwise better fighter. There was a moment in the ninth, Mike Alvarado dropping Juan Manuel Marquez…