IBR on The Cruelest Sport

There is still a constituency that crushes on Hopkins; those who slurp up the bombastic rhetoric, and act like misty-eyed Holy Rollers at the mention of the renegade who fought the system until he could profit from it. For such acolytes, Saturday night must have been a veritable Bacchanal. Hopkins dusted off the Tickle Trunk for the hapless Murat, supposedly because he fancies himself an entertainer. It might be more genuine to say the Murat was dusted off for that purpose.

Continue reading One For The Holy Rollers: Bernard Hopkins W12 Karo Murat on The Cruelest Sport.

IBR on The Cruelest Sport

“A longtime passenger on the HBO entitlement train, Berto, Winter Haven, Florida, cashed several hefty checks for facing a murderer’s row that included Miguel Angel Rodriguez and Freddy Hernandez. With his advisor, Al Haymon, turning the thumbscrews on HBO executives, Berto was the poster child for a business beholden not to consumers but to network programmers and their bedfellows.”

Read Long Nights Waiting: Jesus Soto Karass TKO12 Andre Berto on The Cruelest Sport.

IBR on The Cruelest Sport

“Prevailing wisdom said Austin Trout would be hard-pressed to win a decision over Miguel Cotto in the hostile confines of Madison Square Garden. Apotheosized by the devoted legion who churn turnstiles in support of Puerto Rico’s most recent fighting idol, Cotto could expect to complement his fistic repertoire with a legitimate home-field advantage. Trout accepted the challenge and the role of challenger (he was introduced first despite putting his WBA chewed leather cummerbund on the line), and with an impressive blend of brains and brawn, reduced a tall order to a simple task, winning a lopsided unanimous decision by scores of 119-109 and 117-111 (twice).”

Read Trophy Kill: Austin Trout W12 Miguel Cotto on The Cruelest Sport.