WBA Boxing

Joseph Parker has claimed professional win No. 12, connecting with a strong right cross en route to a fourth-round knockout over Irineu Beato Costa Jr.

It was the last of a series of clean combinations, which in this instance saw Costa expose his chin after defending a Parker jab. Taking his chance, Parker pounced, flooring his opponent with a fast and powerful right hand.

There is no question Parker is a talent of tremendous promise. Of his 12 wins thus far, the only moment he has really looked in danger of losing was after sustaining a deep head cut against Afa Tatupu.

It was a scary moment for Parker fans. But after being given a round to finish Tatupu off, Parker did just that.

Aside from that moment, Parker has gone unchallenged. Ten of his wins have been in convincing knockouts, while in his two points-decisions, only one judge has not awarded him the victory in every round.

He has not been fighting complete mugs either. While hardly world-beaters, the likes of Sherman Williams, Frans Botha and Costa are reasonable opponents for a young, relatively inexperienced professional.

So is it time for him to move to the next level?

The World Boxing Association ranks him No. 10 in the world, although the level of competition he is surrounded with is higher than anything he has come up against.

At just 22, Parker has plenty of years ahead of him, and it would seem sensible to err on the side of caution and ease him into fighting the world's best. While he is winning his current fights fairly convincingly, it is clear he is learning plenty from them and comes out more polished every time.

His most impressive quality is undoubtedly his hand speed and his ability to put together clean, fast two- and three-punch combinations.

However, he is becoming increasingly intelligent with how he uses these combinations, as was seen against Costa where he recognized the opening and pouncing. It was ultimately the speed at which Parker executed the classic one-two that undid his opponent.

He possesses a fairly solid punch, too—not perhaps at the level of New Zealand's last heavyweight title contender, David Tua, but solid enough nonetheless. His chin has yet to be truly tested, although he has not yet looked bothered by what has been thrown at him.

As you go up a level though, these qualities all have to be much more refined. The time to recognize the opening is smaller and the opposition is better technically and capable of firing a few shots back.

Whether he is ready to go up to this level right now is questionable.

While he is still improving, it seems it would be better to continue to fight at his current level or only slightly above it. That way, he can ensure he continues to become more polished.

Perhaps in another year's time he could begin to look at taking on a big-name fighter. But there is no need to rush.

At 22 years old and with 12 wins under his belt, Parker has an exciting future and represents New Zealand's best chance at a world title in over a decade.

“Eddie Hearn built it and they came in droves. More of the same, please.” These are the words of BBC boxing journalist Ben Dirs in the aftermath of Carl Froch’s eighth-round knockout of George Groves at Wembley in May.

Dirs most-likely penned those words from his privileged seat in the press area on the Wembley pitch, failing to acknowledge the considerably inferior sight endured by the paying members of the general public behind him.

pic.twitter.com/VHkl9ZyaVL

— Ben Dirs (@bendirs1) May 31, 2014

Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has since hinted at another possible British megafight, this time between welterweights Kell Brook and Amir Khan, at the same stadium next year. In fact, he can barely contain his excitement at the notion of another enormous pay-day.

He took to Twitter on Monday to reveal more positive talks have been held with Wembley officials over “another big show” on the back of the financial success of Froch-Groves II earlier this year.

Great meeting with @wembleystadium working towards another big show in 2015 #80k

— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) September 22, 2014

With over 80,000 in attendance that night, it was the largest UK boxing crowd since the Second World War, and there’s no doubt demand is high enough for the stadium to be filled for another world title fight. On one glove, this is great for the sport of boxing, but on the other, it’s a considerable turn-off.

Who knows what possessed fight fans to turn out in such huge numbers before 1939, because without the aid of giant screens in 2014, every punch thrown (aside from Froch’s knockout blow) on May 31 appeared speculative to the naked eye.

Maybe not for those at ringside, but certainly for those in the stands who weren’t able to afford or obtain a ticket directly in line with the ring. In any case, most of these were reserved for familiar names and faces in the sports media industry, such as Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft.

My view for the next few hours. Atmosphere bubbling up nicely here in the stadium #frochgroves2 excited beyond belief pic.twitter.com/DPYbpYhpkT

— David Croft (@CroftyF1) May 31, 2014

Newly crowned IBF welterweight champion Brook has been sounding out Khan for a number of years, and now that he brings a title to the table, Virgil Hunter’s fighter is finally thought to be interested. It’s a huge fight and one thing Hearn is genuinely good for is making the most sought-after bouts happen.

If this one doesn't come off, for whatever reason, Hearn is likely to continue his Wembley obsession with one of his other fighters. But Froch has ruled out a third bout with Groves and hopes his next defence will be stateside, while the highly anticipated unification fight between super-bantamweights Scott Quigg (WBA) and Carl Frampton (IBF) is likely to take place in a much smaller venue in either Manchester or Belfast.

Alas, it barely even matters what the main event will be. You’ve heard the phrase “styles make fights”, but so too can venues, and Wembley Stadium plus boxing simply doesn't add up. Even 18-stone Anthony Joshua’s enormous right-hand uppercut, which wiped out Matt Legg in the opening round of the night, was hard to spot in broad daylight on the Froch-Groves II undercard.

And it wasn’t just the poor view from the stands that spoiled the customers’ experience—anti-social behaviour was widespread inside and out of the ground. There are 34 bars inside the stadium alone. With the doors officially having opened at 5:30 p.m., and the headline show scheduled for after 10 p.m., this was always going to be a recipe for disaster.

But that was only a side issue; the real problem was the distance between the ring and the stands. To put things into perspective, here’s a few facts taken from the official Wembley Stadium website, confirming the magnitude of the second largest stadium in Europe.

• The stadium has a circumference of 1 km
• The rows of seating, if placed end to end, would stretch 54 kilometres
• It encloses 4,000,000 m³ inside its walls and under its roof. This is the equivalent of 25,000 double-decker buses or seven billion pints of milk
• There are 2,618 toilets, 47 retail units, 164 turnstiles, 26 lifts and 30 escalators

On top of this, the pitch size is 105 by 68 metres. Now, the official dimensions of the ring on the night of Froch-Groves II were not disclosed but much was made of how small it appeared, and how that favoured "The Cobra's" style.

According to International Boxing Association rules, it can’t have been smaller than 4.9 by 4.9 meters. By those measurements, there would have been room for 273 rings on the field that night.

Ahead of his successful title shot at Shawn Porter last month, Brook weighed in at 146½ pounds. Do the above stats suggest this venue is suited to watching two 10-and-a-half stone men trade blows?

All reasonable logic suggests not. Wembley is perfect for FA Cup finals, the odd NFL fixture and perhaps a Bruce Springsteen concert or two. But Boxing? In the words of the great Roberto Duran, “No Mas.”

Follow @skyjamiecasey

Scott Quigg quickly dispatched Stephane Jamoye as expected on Saturday night in Manchester, England, retaining his WBA super-bantamweight title with a brutal body blow in the third round.

The main event fight on Saturday night's card was lopsided going in with the champion Quigg pegged up against Jamoye, who replaced Paulus Ambunda as the 25-year-old's opponent in the fight. He's a former European bantamweight titleholder, but it became apparent seconds into Round 1 that he was no match for Quigg.

Dangerous body shots came early and often in Saturday's fight, much to the demise of Jamoye. The heavy favorite pummeled him with timely blows and easily shrugged off every attempt from Jamoye to desperately claw back into the fight.

With the easy victory, Quigg improves to 29-0-2, while Jamoye loses his sixth career fight. 

Sky Sports Boxing summed up the winning punch:

Devastating body shot from @scottquigg stops Stepane Jamoye in the 3rd round! #skyboxing

— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) September 13, 2014

According to Adam Abramowitz of Saturday Night Boxing, Jamoye attempted to keep fighting but was unable to:

Right hand to the body destroys Jamoye in the third. Jamoye hits the deck. he got up but looked awful. Ref stopped it.

— adam abramowitz (@snboxing) September 13, 2014

From the onset of Saturday's fight, Quigg established the tone. He wasn't going to get out of his comfort zone, even if Jamoye decided to go for broke and pull out all the stops early.

The Belgian came out guns ablazing, trying to overpower Quigg with more energy. But it quickly backfired, as Jamoye's aggression left him susceptible to his opponent's elite body striking.

What's more, Jamoye spent too much of his energy attacking and had little left to defend himself. That allowed for Quigg to add on flurries of jabs that constantly left Jamoye woozy, as ByTheMin Boxing noted:

https://twitter.com/ByTheMinBoxing/status/510904835798228993

The jabs were very effective, but it was ultimately the plethora of body shots that did Jamoye in, as Alex Morris noted:

Great bodyshots by Quigg throughout, just demolished Jamoye

— Alex Morris (@KTCboxing) September 13, 2014

It took no time for the storylines to shift from Saturday's fight into a peek at the future. In fact, it started before the fight even took place. 

Up next for Quigg is more than likely a highly anticipated showdown with Carl "The Jackal" Frampton, the undefeated Northern Irishman who has never had a chance to fight for a WBA title. It was so anticipated that Quigg had the following to say before Saturday's fight, per BBC Sport: "We have been open to that fight for a long time. I will be ready once I have dealt with Jamoye. I will beat Carl Frampton, and that will be the defining night of my career. It is not about world titles. It is about me and him getting in that ring."

Quigg's confidence is encouraging, considering a vast majority of those in this Sky Sports Boxing poll believe he'll come up short against Frampton:

So 78% of the public think Frampton beats Quigg! Is it that wide? Have your say? #skyboxingquigg or #skyboxingframpton

— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) September 13, 2014

At the very least, a potential matchup between Frampton and Quigg would offer contrasting styles, per Abramowitz:

What's great about a Frampton-Quigg fight is that the two fighters have such different strengths and weaknesses. Fantastic style matchup.

— adam abramowitz (@snboxing) September 13, 2014

It will still take some hashing out between the two sides, and Leo Santa Cruz and Guillermo Rigondeaux are also possible opponents. But if the early rumblings are any indication, Quigg vs. Frampton would not only be a hit but probably the best overall fight.

Quigg would have to step up his game even more to hang with the undefeated Frampton. The challenge he would face in that fight makes Saturday night's encounter look like nothing more than a tune-up.

And if that's what it was, at least Quigg handled it accordingly and put Jamoye away early with a resounding victory. 

George Groves gets his shot at redemption against current WBA and IBF super middleweight champion Carl "The Cobra" Froch on Saturday night inside Wembley Stadium. 

Groves (19-1, 15 KO) gave the title holder all he could handle and then some back in November 2013 after knocking Froch down in the opening round, but the veteran responded and was able to force a ninth-round technical knockout. However, controversy surrounding the referee prematurely stopping the fight has sparked even more storylines heading into the second affair.

The loss to Froch (32-2, 23 KO) was the first of Groves' career, and the young challenger will be hungry to take the title for himself after getting awfully close during stretches of last year's fight. 

Let's take a look at everything you need to know about Froch vs. Groves II. 

Froch vs. Groves 2: Viewing Info

Where: Wembley Stadium; London, England

When: Saturday, May 31 at 4 p.m. EDT (9 p.m. BST)

Watch: HBO (U.S.) and Sky Sports Box Office (U.K.)

Fight Preview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKUtBaVqJRQ

The first time these two met, the fight was so good that neither camp could wait to put on the rematch. 

It was the 36-year-old Froch, the title holder who hasn't lost since 2011, against up-and-comer Groves—undefeated as of that point. The youngster jumped on The Cobra in Round 1 by knocking him down, but the champ didn't stay down long, bouncing back en route to a ninth-round TKO. 

After the first loss of his career, Groves was set on getting a rematch booked and it's now happening.

Now, he's boldly predicting how it's going to go down in his redemption bout, per The Guardian:

It’ll be the left hook that finishes Carl Froch on Saturday night. Anyone who has watched the media workouts will know we’ve been working on left hooks and the left hook will work. I’m going to go out and perform on Saturday night and become world champion and do it on the big stage looking very good doing it.

In response to Groves' pre-fight jawing, Froch wasn't showing much concern.

"I’m convinced this fight won’t go the distance and that George Groves won’t hear the final bell," Froch said, per The Guardian. "Because I know what I have to do and how I’m going to do it."

Simply considering the late-2013 fight that these two participated in, there was already no doubting the rematch would be full of anticipation. The chatter has only manifested more excitement heading into Saturday.

Anyone who watched Froch-Groves I knows just how great of a fight it was. Froch, the dominant world champion, was hurt throughout the early rounds as he was never the same after a first-round hook left Froch woozy. Groves was getting closer and closer to doing something the likes of Glen Johnson and Jean Pascal couldn't get near—beating the champ. 

But in a championship effort, Froch battled back, landing solid punches on Groves and eventually wearing him down. He was slower but more powerful and tactical, and that allowed him to pull it out in Round 9 as the referee called it in a controversial decision.

Froch has to be worried heading into a rematch. November 2013 was the first time in a while that Froch had been bullied around the ring like that, and it took everything in him—and some good fortune from the ref—to save his title belt. 

With six months to digest the fight that nearly left Froch nursing a crushing defeat and the loss of both his title belts, the 36-year-old has certainly been working on adjustments to counter Groves' style. 

Of course, Groves has had just as long to replay the fight in his mind and point out moments where he was over-aggressive and left himself susceptible to the referee's discretion. With the experience of his first career loss, he'll be looking to not even put himself in the position again where it's up to the ref whether to call it. 

At the very least, it should go the distance with both boxers fighting for a crucial win at this stage of their respective careers. 

Carl Froch's clash with George Groves is currently the best reason to watch British Boxing. This is a genuinely intense rivalry between two solid fighters at different ends of the age and stylistic spectrum.

The two super-middleweights are separated by 10 years in age. The 26-year-old Groves is the young upstart compared to Froch, a grizzled veteran.

While Groves is considered the more cerebral, cagey fighter, Froch is a true mauler. He is defined by his appetite for a scrap as well as his ability to absorb the big shots and dish some out in return.

When the pair met back in November, the tensions were obvious and controversy was inevitable. It ensued once referee Howard Foster halted proceedings, feeling Groves had taken too much punishment.

Froch retained his WBA amd IBF World titles, but it was not a popular decision. But any questions about the first fight can be answered at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 31.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k04cQbsBph0

Here are three predictions for how this grudge match will play out.

Froch Will Score an Early Knockdown

Whether he wants to admit it or not, Froch certainly took Groves lightly in their first meeting. The experienced champion will be determined to put that right during the early stages at Wembley.

Froch will steam into Groves early, attempting to trap the quicker challenger on one side of the ring. Once there, Froch will begin working the body, the way he did so effectively in Manchester.

With Groves rattled by the early onslaught, Froch will land a trademark left hook in one of the opening three rounds. The punch will be strong and precise enough to drop Groves, serving as the highlight of Froch's initial flourish.

Both Fighters Will Incur Penalties

It's no secret these two fighters simply don't like each other. Froch considers the cocksure Groves disrespectful.

Groves, for his part, has hardly challenged that view. He has repeatedly goaded the older champion, per Kevin Mitchell of The Observer:

He will have to come up with something new, something that's relevant. If he says something that contradicts what he's said before, I'm going to pull it apart. That's what activates him the most. I will verbally bully him, with Eddie sitting next to him, trying to talk for him.

Meanwhile, Froch has consistently doubted Groves' toughness. In an interview with Mitchell for The Observer, Froch made it clear what he thinks about Groves' chances of going the distance in London:

"A fool can never be made to question his own wisdom. And George Groves is very foolish. He believes his own nonsense. He cannot stay with me for 12 rounds. He’s not tough enough."

The testy relationship between the two will boil over beyond the rules at Wembley. Both fighters pushed the boundaries of legality to the breaking point during their first encounter.

Froch was fortunate to escape a penalty for a flurry of late shots after Foster had stepped in and called for a break late in the eighth round. For his part, Groves wasn't shy about throwing a shot after the bell.

This time, referee Charlie Fitch won't be so liberal with the rules. Expect both fighters to fall foul of the referee and lose at least a point apiece for dubious practice. 

Groves' Speed Will Make the Difference

Groves can win this fight if he trusts his agility and quicker feet and hands to outmaneuver the rather plodding Froch. Groves proved in the first fight that he can set a pace Froch struggles to cope with.

Writing for The Observer, former WBO cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson highlights speed as Groves' best weapon:

The key to victory for George Groves is to set the pace and tempo. That’s what he did for six rounds of the first fight until he got involved in a tear-up. He needs to use his speed – he is much faster than Carl Froch – and his boxing brain.

Of course, Froch has always had success relying on a methodical, wear-down approach. But if he can't get near to Groves often enough to land punishing blows, Froch will begin to struggle.

It's also worth noting that Groves proved in the first contest that he can put together swift combinations. He surprised Froch more than once with a left hook after a familiar overhand right.

The speed of both Groves' feet and hands will be the decisive factor the longer this fight goes.

Predicted Winner: George Groves

The Hammersmith-born super-middleweight will be buoyed by a London fight. He'll also be too quick and a little more cagey for Froch this time.

They'll be no boyishly leading with his head to prove a point. This time, Groves will keep Froch moving and pick him off with several telling flurries of shots.

Expect a points win for the younger boxer.

Carl Froch vs. George Groves II airs Saturday, May 31 live on HBO from Wembley Stadium in London. The telecast begins at 4:00 p.m. ET/PT

When Adonis Stevenson left HBO for Showtime, many questioned his intentions. Rumors started circulating that it was because he didn’t want any part of the hard-hitting Sergey Kovalev. The move was just the latest in a missed opportunity between a pair of fighters, who are on a tear. Chances are slim that we will see that fight anytime soon, but one matchup is still on the table, and it could be against the veteran Bernard Hopkins.

Stevenson will need to impress fans like he has in recent fights. A new audience will be tuning in to watch the emerging 36-year-old star. Unfortunately, his opponent hasn’t had much exposure to the boxing community and, in turn, brings less interest to viewers. Andrzej Fonfara’s most notable victory comes against Gabriel Campillo, where he scored a ninth-round knockout. 

This will be the first of many fights to come on Showtime for Stevenson, but a dominant performance on his part will confirm he is one of the best in the division. He should easily be able to overwhelm his opponent with his awkward angles, natural power and quick hand speed.

If he is able to take care of business against Fonfara, then that could set up the potential matchup with a boxing great—Hopkins. The 49-year-old from Philadelphia has been able to maintain his reputation as one of the best in the sport.

Hopkins is coming off a dominant performance against Beibut Shumenov in April, where he used his tactical approach to win the fight. Despite his age, Hopkins showed that he still has some power left, as he dropped Shumenov in the 11^th round of their fight.

Fans are still disappointed that a Kovalev fight is a long shot right now, but a Hopkins fight still provides great intrigue. In fact, Stevenson fighting the 49-year-old could potentially bring in more money and viewers because of Hopkins' longevity and name recognition. Hopkins, who is one of the best defensive fighters of his era, will have to try to ward off the wrecking ball that Stevenson is.

Hopkins is looking to unify the title in the light heavyweight division; he currently holds the IBF and the WBA titles. Stevenson has the WBC belt, and Hopkins wants it before he’s 50. After his fight with Shumenov, Hopkins told Showtime's Jim Gray that he wants the 36-year-old boxer next.

"Stevenson, I'm coming to Canada. I'm getting my papers together," he said.

But it wouldn’t be boxing if there weren’t obstacles preventing the fight. The IBF is ordering Hopkins to fight the winner of Anatoliy Dudchenko and Nadjib Mohammedi, who fight on June 21. Both are relatively unknown to the boxing world. However, it appears that IBF President Daryl Peoples will allow an attempt at a unification bout to triumph a mandatory title defense.

According to Lem Satterfield of Ring Magazine, Peoples had this to say about the situation:

"As soon as their fight is over, he'll be ordered to begin negotiations. But he can ask to unify the titles and that would take precedence over his mandatory."

If Stevenson beats Fonfara like he is supposed to, then we might just see a fight worth watching. The question is, can Hopkins still win at his age?

He has shown he can still beat some of the better names in the light heavyweight division. But will Stevenson be too much for him? Or will Hopkins be able to impress the mass public and pull off yet another amazing win at the age of 49. Let’s hope we get to find out the answer to that this fall.

Follow Evan on Twitter @Emoneyball22. 

As controversy marred Carl Froch's victory over George Groves in November, calls of a rematch have been rife in the months following the bout at Manchester Arena.

That rematch, which is set to take place on May 31 at Wembley Stadium, affords Froch the chance to retain his WBA and IBF super middleweight titles against Groves for a second time, per Sky Sports.

Dubbed as the biggest night in British boxing history by many, the fight will take on huge significance. England's football home will be redressed for boxing purposes, and there's no love lost between the two fighters.

BT Sport reporter Darren Fletcher also tweeted about the importance of the fight—and the venue:

Froch, who agreed to the fight after fierce negotiations, has everything to lose. Meanwhile, Groves looks for revenge after defeat in the first bout, which was marred by a stoppage-time controversy.

But Froch is not letting the fight get to him just yet, reveling in the magnitude of the match ahead, which could see the highest ever attendance in British boxing.

Per BBC Sport's Ben Dirs, the biggest post-World War II attendance to date was Ricky Hatton vs. Juan Lazcano at the City of Manchester Stadium in 2008, which raked in 55,000 fans.

This fight, though, could see a capacity crowd at the national stadium, which excites the Nottingham-born boxer. In an interview with Sky Sports News (h/t The Independent's Jack De Menezes), Froch said:

For me to be involved in an event like this is a very proud moment. With it being in the capital city as well, it just makes the whole history of the event phenomenal. It's fantastic because Wembley Stadium's massive.

What's it going to hold, potentially 70,000, 80? If we did sell that, that would be phenomenal. Talk about making history, to go to a stadium like Wembley for such a big boxing match. Everybody's interested and it needs to be held at a big stadium really.

The 36-year-old then took to Twitter to express his excitement of the second bout with Groves:

But Groves, steely as ever, was quick to point out his lack of nerves as the fight, and chance to redeem himself, was unveiled. He told The Guardian's Kevin Mitchell:

I don't think anything affects my nerves. If I'm confident in my ability to do something, I never get nervous about it. If I was to get up and try to sing in front of 50,000 people, I'd fall to pieces.

But boxing, I find it really comfortable. Any fight, if you prepare correctly and you're ready for it, you should be just there to enjoy it. And I really do enjoy it. I wasn't nervous at all for the last fight.

Some times when you're fighting, the best nights are at York Hall, because the fans are right on top of you and they sound just as loud as at the MEN [now the Phones 4U Arena in Manchester, where they last fought]. Obviously, if we can sell out Wembley, it's going to great. I'm not going to be one bit nervous. I don't know about Carl.

If Froch is to reign supreme once again, he will have to start the fight in much better style than the first bout, where he was floored by Groves in the first round.

Momentum is everything in boxing, and a bad start, in front of a bumper Wembley crowd, could be enough to derail either fighter's chances of winning.

That exact momentum saw Froch turn things around in Manchester. He will be hoping that the referee sees the bout through to the finish this time around in order to avoid any further controversy.

Froch has twice lost his WBC super middleweight title, with defeats against Denmark's Mikkel Kessler and United States' Andre Ward.

But he won't want to lose it again—especially not against the man who has built a formidable rivalry with him over the past 12 months.

In the buildup to last night's fight, Jean Pascal was accused of being a ninety-second fighter. The man who accused him of fighting just ninety seconds of each round was his opponent, Lucian Bute. Yet throughout the fight, Lucian Bute did little to fluster the Canadian. He simply sat back and let Pascal pile up the points with his heavier, flashier punches.

The fight didn't do anything for the reputation of boxing, and I'm sure there weren't many people calling up their friends and saying "Man, you gotta watch this fight," but even the most pedestrian fights give insight into the subtleties of the sweet science.

For a start, this fight was doomed to be slow-paced from the start, because it was a southpaw versus orthodox (what I term "open guard") engagement. In these matchups, the lead hands clash, the fighters are angled away from each other and their lead feet get in the way of each other, forcing the fight to take place at a greater distance.

Much has been made of Jean Pascal bringing in one of his heroes, Roy Jones Jr., to train him. Many are pointing to some similarities between the overall style of Jean Pascal's performance and some of Jones' memorable ones. These tend to be vague generalizations, so I'll try and go a little into the nitty gritty of Pascal's and Jones' tactics.

Firstly, there is the stepping off right lead, which Pascal showed repeatedly and which Bute had no answer to. When in an open-guard engagement, you are essentially fighting a man who is on a line. The stuff which is right in front of you is the lead hand, shoulder and hip, not much good stuff to hit. To land a good blow, one must break the line.

The most common way to do this is to get the lead foot outside of the opponent's. By 'straddling' the lead leg, one lines up one's rear shoulder with the opponent's centre line. This means a fighter can land his rear straight to the head, sometimes to the body, or a rear hook to the body. He is safe from the opponent's rear hand and can pivot off immediately afterwards.

Unfortunately, most fighters know this and deny all opportunities to get outside of the lead foot. So the second option is to get both feet inside of the opponent's lead foot. This is normally accomplished by circling and leaping in as the opponent pivots to face you.

A textbook example of this method is Willie Pep. Though he was an orthodox fighter, almost all of Pep's offence came from switching to southpaw, circling to his left and leaping in with a southpaw left straight as his opponent chased. Here's a little video I made about that strategy.

Roy Jones Jr. enjoyed utilizing a variation on the second method. Rather than circling and getting both feet inside of the opponent's lead foot, however, his lead leg would stay stationary and he would throw his right hand as he stepped his right foot up level to his left foot. In effect, he was punching while his right foot was in the air. This placed him in the angle between the opponent's legs, presenting him all of the good targets, while his opponent was forced to turn to face him.

Roy Jones Jr.'s bout with Richard Harris is a brilliant example of this stepping-right-hand-in action. He was constantly stepping with his right foot and connecting with his right hand, not trying to get away from Harris' power hand but to move around inside of it.

Throughout the Pascal-Bute bout, Pascal was able to perform this right-hand lead with impunity but with none of Jones' trademark accuracy. Time and again, he moved towards Bute's dangerous left hand, but in such a swift manner, combined with his right hand, that Bute was forced onto the defensive.

What most commentators remarked on, in terms of similarities between Jones and Pascal, however, was Pascal's stance. The lead hand low against a southpaw is something Jones utilized a lot in hopes of drawing the jab. When he drew the jab, Jones would rock back, then throw the right straight down the pipe. Manny Pacquiao did this nicely against Brandon Rios the other day, and Pascal was able to accomplish it last night.

What really showed the difference between the ability of Jones and the ability of Pascal, however, was Pascal's attempts to counter left hook. Jones would hold his lead hand low against southpaws and then throw the left hook over the top of their jab, or even use his rear hand to parry it (near suicidal) and land the left hook.

Whenever Pascal attempted a counter left hook, all he did was hammer his forearm into Bute's lead shoulder. Jones' methods are sound and will improve a boxer tremendously, but accuracy is a skill that cannot be changed with strategy.

A final Jones method was the backhanded jab against the southpaw. When a southpaw's lead hand is high, it makes it hard to sneak a straight jab through. What Jones would do, and what Pascal did last night, was to get his lead foot inside of the opponent's and then throw the jab as almost a backhand. 

One of the downsides of this method is that it leaves a fighter very off-balance. This was illustrated nicely by Pascal almost tripping over Bute's lead leg several times, and then by Pascal himself forcing Bute to the floor in a similar tripping manner. 

Anytime an orthodox fighter and a southpaw fighter decide to fight the entire bout with mainly jabs, all you're going to see is a lot of backhanding, a lot of dropping the lead hand, feinting, then picking it up again, and a lot of unhappy spectators. That being said, if anyone can make Pascal into an entertaining fighter, it's Roy Jones.

Pick up Jack's eBooks, Advanced Striking and Elementary Striking, from his blog, Fights Gone By. Jack can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Live from the Sports City Gym in San Jose, Costa Rica, Bryan Vasquez defeated Rene Gonzalez in five rounds to win the interim WBA Super Featherweight Championship. It was a controversial and confusing ending that saw the fight go to the cards after just five rounds.

The match was even for the duration of the fight, but Vasquez and Gonzalez missed on punches and collided with an inadvertent headbutt. This rattled both men enough for the referee to call the fight and send the decision to the scorecards.

From there, it was Vasquez who saw a narrow edge with the judges and thus won via unanimous decision.

It was a physical fight between the two in-ring warriors, as they traded blows and swapped control of momentum throughout. Vasquez appeared to be the more aggressive of the two fighters, which ultimately led to his victory.

Just five rounds in, it's difficult to honor strategy when the sample size is so small.

Due to the premature ending of the fight, it's unclear if this was a part of Gonzalez's strategy. He was playing strong defense, specifically with his head fakes and glove work, but a small sample size results in uncertainty when it comes to how his approach would've played out.

In the end, his inability to take full control early led to a unanimous-decision victory in Vasquez's favor.

Vasquez is now the interim WBA Super Featherweight champion. Takashi Uchiyama was originally the champion, but the WBA opted to create an interim bout.

On a night in which crazy endings dominated the sports world, Vasquez may have earned the wildest one of all.

Before Saul Alvarez and Floyd Mayweather face one another in the evening's highly anticipated bout, fans will be treated to another intriguing fight when Danny Garcia meets Lucas Matthysse in Las Vegas. 

In Garcia, the veteran Matthysse will be getting a worthy challenger, as the 25-year-old Philadelphia native is entering the bout at 26-0. However, at least on paper, this figures to be an even fight. 

Heading into what should be a very entertaining bout, here's a look at what each fighter needs to do in order to emerge victorious at the MGM Grand. 

Danny Garcia

Enduring and outlasting the opposition.

As the much younger of the two fighters, Garcia should hypothetically have time on his side, but Matthysse's ability to stay standing for the long haul is perhaps one of his greatest strengths. 

That being said, while the Argentinian hard-hitter has the power to end virtually any match at a moment's notice, Garcia has more than enough strength to deliver a knockout punch of his own when the opportunity presents itself, as the reigning WBC Light Welterweight champion has shown in recent showings. 

During his last bout, Zab Judah lasted all 12 rounds, but in Garcia's prior two fights, "Swift" landed a pair of fourth-round knockouts over Erik Morales and Amir Khan, which is worth keeping in mind, even if both were over aging veterans. 

However, Matthysse and his undeniable power may be too much for Garcia if he's too aggressive early on. So against such a quality opponent, the American should try to do what he's done in three of his last five fights, which is taking things at least to the 10th round. 

Lucas Matthysse

Battering Garcia early.

In order to seize the belt from Garcia, Matthysse will likely have to put a beating on his younger opponent during the early stages of the fight, because as noted above, Garcia's proven that he can withstand a battering over 12 rounds. 

But Matthysse has a penchant for ending fights relatively early, as five of his last six fights have ended in knockouts before the seventh round. 

In addition, the Argentine's last two losses have both come during the 10th round or later, so the earlier the match ends, the better for Matthysse. 

No, it won't be easy to deliver a decisive blow to Garcia, but with the power that the 34-2 Matthysse has in his arsenal, he's more than capable of putting an end to the fight early.