International Boxing Hall of Fame member and World Boxing Council Super Featherweight World Champion Alexis Arguello made the fifth defense of his title after stopping Rafael Limon at 1:40 of round 11 at the Felt Forum in New York City on July 8th, 1979. A cut over Limon’s right eye prompted referee in charge Tony Perez to call a halt to the bout. The 27 year old Arguello led on all three scorecards 7-1, 7-2, and 6-2. Arguello improved to 59-5, 49 KO’s while the 25 year old Limon dropped to 43-9-2, 32 KO’s.
This day in boxing history, July 8
Posted: July 8, 2018 in BoxingTags: Alexis Arguello, Boxing, Boxing history, Felt Forum, Rafael Limon, This day in boxing history
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This day in boxing history, July 7
Posted: July 7, 2018 in BoxingTags: Bloomington, Boxing, Heavyweight Champion, Larry Holmes, Metropolitan Sports Center, Scott LeDoux, This day in boxing history
World Heavyweight Champion Larry Holmes tied Joe Louis’ record with his seventh straight title win via stoppage after referee Davey Pearl rendered Scott LeDoux unable to continue due to a severe cut under his left eyelid at 2:05 of round seven at the Metropolitan Sports Center in Bloomington, Minnesota on July 7th, 1980. The 30 year old Holmes led 60-53 on all three scorecards at the time of the stoppage and improved to 35-0, 26 KO’s. LeDoux, 31, fell to 26-9-4, 17 KO’s.
The best set of defensive backs reside in Ann Arbor
Posted: July 6, 2018 in College footballTags: Casey Hughes, college football, David Long, Jim Harbaugh, Josh Metellus, Lavert Hill, Michigan Wolverines, Pass defense, Tyree Kinnel
Michigan cornerback Lavert Hill
When Jim Harbaugh was hired to take over the Michigan program beginning with the 2015 season, the offense was expected to improve, but it’s the defensive backfield that has taken the biggest jump.
Noted college football prognosticator Phil Steele has his own set of pass defense rankings that take into effect more than just the standard statistics that the NCAA uses. His rankings are adjusted based on the strength or weakness of each passing attack. For example, last year Georgia allowed just 158 passing yards per game on 55 percent completions with 13 touchdowns allowed and 10 interceptions. That would be good enough to rank No. 2 according to the NCAA. However, under Steele’s more accurate rankings, Georgia finished No. 25 due to facing numerous week passing attacks.
Michigan’s best pass defense ranking per Steele’s formula from 1998-2014 was No. 17 in 2006. The year before Harbaugh’s arrival the Wolverines ranked No. 62. Michigan improved all the way up to No. 3 in 2015! After another No. 3 finish in 2016, Michigan had to replace their top five defensive backs into 2017 including two NFL draft picks. An expected drop in the rankings was to be expected, however the Wolverines only fell to No. 6.
Cornerback David Long and free safety Tyree Kinnel started all 13 games last year, while CB Lavert Hill and strong safety Josh Metellus started 12. Hill earned second team All-Conference honors. All four starters return this year, as well as cornerback Brandon Watson and strong safety J’Marick Woods, who both started one game.
Hill (first team) and Kinnel (third team) were named 2018 pre-season All-Conference by Steele. Hill is very natural and instinctive with natural man-to-man coverage technique. As if the Wolverines didn’t already have enough depth, Casey Hughes was added as a graduate transfer after starting 11 games for a Utah team that finished No. 5 in Steele’s rankings!
A consistent group with everyone returning while also adding another starting cornerback from a premier defensive back gives the Wolverines the edge when ranking the top defensive back unit into the 2018 season.
This day in boxing history, July 6
Posted: July 6, 2018 in BoxingTags: Betulio Gonzalez, Boxing, Shoji Oguma, This day in boxing history, Tochigi Prefectural Gym, Utsunomiya
World Boxing Association Flyweight World Champion Betulio Gonzalez made the third defense of his title after stopping Shoji Oguma at 1:12 of round 12 at the Tochigi Prefectural Gym in Utsunomiya, Japan on July 6th, 1979. This was an immediate rematch after the pair fought to a 15 round draw in January. The 29 year old Gonzalez was up on the cards at the time of the stoppage with scores of 107-105 twice and 106-104. With the victory, Gonzalez improved his record to 65-7-3, 44 KO’s while the 27 year old Oguma fell to 31-8-1, 18 KO’s.
This day in boxing history, July 5
Posted: July 5, 2018 in BoxingTags: Alfredo Escalera, Boxing, Boxing history, Hitachinaka, Kasamatsu Athletic Park Gym, Kuniaki Shibata, World Boxing Council
Alfredo Escalera won the WBC Super Featherweight World Championship after stopping Kuniaki Shibata at 2:56 of round two at the Kasamatsu Athletic Park Gym in Hitachinaka, Japan on July 5th, 1975. The 28 year old Shibata was making his fourth defense of the title and entered with a record of 44-5-3, 25 KO’s. The 23 year old Escalera entered with a record of 29-7-1, 18 KO’s and this was his first World Championship bout. Escalera would go on to make 10 successful title defenses before losing to future International Boxing Hall of Fame member Alexis Arguello in 1978.
This day in boxing history, July 4
Posted: July 4, 2018 in BoxingTags: Aaron Pryor, Akio Kameda, Boxing, Boxing history, Cincinnati, fourth of july
International Boxing Hall of Fame member and Jr Lightweight Champion of the World Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor made the fifth defense of his title after stopping Akio Kameda at 1:44 of round six at the Riverfront Colosseum in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 4th, 1982. The 26 year old Pryor survived a first round knockdown to drop the 25 year old Kameda twice in round two and again in the third. Pryor improved to 31-0, 29 KO’s, while Kameda lost for the first time (17-1, 14 KO’s).
The best offensive line in the nation belongs to the Wisconsin Badgers
Posted: July 4, 2018 in College footballTags: Beau Benzschawel, college football, David Edwards, Michael Deiter, Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin Badgers
Right tackle David Edwards
The Wisconsin Badgers offensive line is often described as big and having a power rushing attack. Proving that the unit has been well stocked with superior talent, Wisconsin has had 11 offensive lineman drafted in the NFL since 2007 including five in the first round!
In head coach Paul Chryst’s first season in Madison (2015) the Badgers surprisingly averaged just 150 rushing yards per game, their fewest since 1995. Wisconsin has rebounded the last two years, improving their rushing yards per game average to 203 in 2016 and 223 last year.
Wisconsin was fortunate last year in that four of their five offensive line starters started all 14 games, with the lone exception being left guard Jon Dietzen, who still started 12. Purdue allowed just 133 rushing yards per game in 2017, but gave up a season high 295 versus the Badgers. Of their 14 games, Wisconsin was held to less rushing yards than what their opponents allowed on average just three times. Combined, Wisconsin’s opponents allowed 160 rushing yards per game, which shows that the Badgers 223 rushing yards per game average was even more impressive.
Four Badgers garnered post season honors following the 2017 season. Right tackle David Edwards (second team) and right guard Beau Benzschawel (third team) were named All-Americans, while left tackle Michael Deiter (first team) and center Tyler Biadasz (third team) were named All-Conference.
All six players that earned starts in 2017 return and the Badgers lead the country by far with 150 career starts by offensive lineman returning in 2018 (Boston College is second with 139).
Noted college football prognosticator Phil Steele named Edwards (first team), Benzschawel (first team), and Deiter (fourth team) pre-season All-American’s while Biadasz was named pre-season second team All-Conference.
Steele also projects Wisconsin to rush for 270 yards per game, the second most in the nation among non triple option teams. Based on the talent at hand along with the projected finish for 2018, it’s an easy call to name the Badgers as having the best offensive line in the nation.
This day in boxing history, July 3
Posted: July 3, 2018 in BoxingTags: Boxing, Boxing history, Carlos Gabriel Salazar, Sung Kil Moon
Lineal and WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Sung Kil Moon made the ninth defense of his title after beating Carlos Gabriel Salazar by 12 round split decision on July 3rd, 1993 at the Education Culture Center in Seoul, Korea. Two judges scored the bout for Moon, 116-111 and 116-112, with one judge favoring Salazar 115-114. This would be the final victory of Moons career, as he fought just once more. Salazar would go on to become a two-time World Champion, winning titles in both the Super Flyweight and Flyweight divisions.
Maryland’s Taivon Jacobs has large shoes to fill
Posted: July 2, 2018 in College footballTags: college football, DJ Moore, Maryland Terrapins, Taivon Jacobs
DJ Moore became the just the third player in Maryland history with 1,000 yards receiving in a season last year and went on to become the first wide receiver taken in the 2018 NFL draft (No. 24 overall).
The best option to take over Moore’s role will be 5’11” 170 pound sixth year Senior Taivon Jacobs.
Originally committed to Ohio State, Jacobs was a late flip for ex-head coach Randy Edsall in 2013. A knee injury forced him to redshirt his initial year, then after earning a starting job in 2014, another knee injury suffered in the opener ended his season. He came back in 2015 to play in all 12 games (four starts) and finished with 21 receptions for 254 yards. Jacobs looked like the Terrapins best wide receiver during the spring practices of 2016, but yet another knee injury forced him to miss the entire season. Last year Jacobs was a perfect compliment to Moore, starting all 12 games while finishing second on the team with 553 yards and 47 catches.
Jacobs is one of if not the fastest player for the Terrapins. He appeared to gain confidence as the season went along in 2017, showing improvement with each passing game.
While not expecting to take over as the Big Ten’s best receiver, Jacobs was still picked fourth team pre-season All-Conference by college football guru Phil Steele.
A lot of Jacobs success will depend on Maryland’s quarterback position that has been snake bitten by the injury bug. Four of the last six seasons including three straight has seen the Terrapins start at least three signal callers!
Steele projects Maryland to become bowl eligible, thus giving Jacobs an extra game to break the 1,000 yard barrier. The addition of offensive coordinator Matt Canada is a huge plus and the Terrapins should finish with their most yards thru the air under head coach DJ Durkin.
A healthy Jacobs will go a long way in Maryland achieving feats it hasn’t accomplished in recent years.
This day in boxing history, July 2
Posted: July 2, 2018 in BoxingTags: Boxing, Boxing history, Georges Carpentier, Jack Dempsey, Million dollar gate
In boxing’s first ever million dollar gate, World Heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey made the third defense of his title after stopping Light Heavyweight World Champion Georges Carpentier in the fourth round at Boyle’s Thirty Acres in Jersey City, New Jersey on July 2, 1921. The 26 year old Dempsey entered with a record of 54-4-11, 41 KO’s while the 27 year old Carpentier had a record of 84-10-5, 52 KO’s.
Castro's Kingdom 