Throwback Thursday - Zack Padilla Braves Maelstrom, Takes Carlos Gonzalez's Belt

Zack Padilla before being inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011; Photo: San Gabriel Valley Examiner

Zack Padilla was already a local celebrity in his hometown of Azusa, Calif. By June 9, 1993. Having retired after a TKO loss to a journeyman named Dwayne Prim, Padilla was in the midst of a comeback that saw him headlining cards at the Irvine Marriott and fighting in co-featured bouts at the Great Western Forum and the Hollywood Palladium only a few fights in. 

We often hear from and about men who honestly declare that they were "born to fight." It's one of those phrases we've come to expect essentially every fighter to utter at some point, whether it's true or not. But fate has a peculiar way of correcting the mistakes of the stubborn and motivated. 

TQBR Radio 11/26: Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios Recap, Stevenson vs. Bellew Preview

Above, a "pre-enactment" of what Manny Pacquiao did to Brandon Rios in Macau; Source

Sometimes a fight fan invests in watching a fight card that, on paper, seems as though it should be high quality, and it falls short of expectations when all is said and punched. When that happens, nothing can be done. But other times, a card looks overpriced and underwhelming, and that's exactly how it ends up. 

For some, Manny Pacquiao's dominant win over Brandon Rios was a living legend regaining at least a portion of his standing as one of the best few fighters in the world, and for others, it was basically a showcase served up after an undercard of mismatches. Bad Left Hook's James Foley and TQBR's Patrick Connor will be happy to stammer through their takes on the event, in addition to a recap of Carl Froch vs. George Groves, and their preview of Adonis Stevenson vs. Tony Bellew and Sergey Kovalev vs. Ismayl Sillakh.

Click this link to tune in live at 12:30 p.m. Pacific/3:30 p.m. Eastern, or download the episode later via iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

TQBR Radio 11/19: Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios Preview, Andre Ward vs. Edwin Rodriguez Recap with Tim Starks

Manny Pacquiao, left, and Brandon Rios, probably mere moments from playing a game of Rochambeau to see who has to hold the antenna in order to listen to TQBR Radio in remote regions of China; photo: Chris Farina/Top Rank

From this weekend’s Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios bout forward -- or at least to the end of the calendar year, almost -- us boxing fans will be like helpless hoopties being conveyor-belted through carwash after carwash of pugilistic goodness, slowly purified by the thousands of punches. By 2014, we may all even reach Prius status.

This week on Queensberry Rules Radio, TQBR and Transnational Boxing Rankings Board founder, debutante and all around dapper fellow Tim Starks once again joins Bad Left Hook’s James Foley and TQBR’s beardstard son Patrick Connor in previewing Pacquiao-Rios and undercard, Carl Froch vs. George Groves, and recapping Andre Ward vs. Edwin Rodriguez.

Click this link to tune in live at a special time of 3:30 p.m. Pacific/6:30 p.m. Eastern, or download the episode later via iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

Throwback Thursday - Squinting James Toney Chops Up "Prince" Charles Williams

"Prince" Charles Williams, left, goes lateral courtesy of James Toney; Source

By 1994, the world had already known a few different versions of James Toney: the young prospect under crack-dealing manager Johnny Ace; the thoughtful lamb who would buy newer manager Jackie Kallen sweaters and diamond rings; the ultra-competitive lusus who would arbitrarily kick spectators and patrons alike out of the gym if someone looked at him cross-eyed.

L.A. Times writer Chris Dufresne said a few months after the Charles Williams bout, "So far... rage has paid Toney nice dividends. There is time later for therapy to purge his demons, to psychoanalyze how a man's father might come to shoot his mother six times while cradling a baby--James--in her arms."

TQBR Radio 11/12: Mikey Garcia vs. Rocky Martinez Recap, Andre Ward vs. Edwin Rodriguez Preview

Juan Manuel Marquez and his son, who is noticeably NOT Mikey Garcia; photo: Chris Farina/Top Rank

A little hyperbole never hurt anyone. Unless it was hyperbole like, "Yeah, just take that fight with Mikey Garcia. All he does is jab." Or, "All you have to do to beat Nonito Donaire is fight weird." That kind of hyperbole might hurt someone.

A little bit of baloney is what Queensberry Rules Radio does best, however. James Foley of Bad Left Hook and TQBR's Patrick Connor fully intend on talking about that time Mikey Garcia Juan Manuel Marquez'd his way through Rocky Martinez after suffering a knockdown. And that time Nonito Donaire wrapped Vic Darchinyan in a cocoon of horror, sparing his career a second setback in a row in the process. Demetrius Andrade vs. Vanes Martirosyan, Andre Ward vs. Edwin Rodriguez -- those types of things will probably be in there too.

Tune in. It'll put hair on your chest.

Click this link to tune in live at 12:30 p.m. Pacific/3:30 p.m. Eastern, or download the episode later via iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

TQBR Radio 11/5: Gennady Golovkin vs. Curtis Stevens Recap, Rocky Martinez vs. Mikey Garcia Preview, with Jimmy Tobin

Scientists don't know what happened to the above house, but they're 79 percent sure Gennady Golovkin happened to the above house; Source

 
Trash talk coffins can't contain him. Dynamite cannot destroy him. He picks Chuck Norris out of his teeth with a machete, and that's to make room for more 1980s action stars. Gennady Golovkin is just waiting to be given one of those Super Mario Brothers star power-ups and set loose upon the sport of boxing, divisions strawweight through heavyweight. And then when aliens are discovered and they invent new weight classes, he'll want in on those, too. And anytime something so catastrophic, so immeasurable and so galactic happens in the sport of boxing, you can bet that James Foley of Bad Left Hook and TQBR's Patrick Connor will be read to step in and make jokes at its expense. And joining the bastardly bloggers this week is Jimmy Tobin of The Cruelest Sport. Also on the agenda is this coming weekend's HBO tripleheader that includes Rocky Martinez vs. Mikey Garcia, Nonito Donaire vs. Vic Darchinyan II and Demetrius Andrade vs. Vanes Martirosyan. 

Click this link to tune in live at 12:30 p.m. Pacific/3:30 p.m. Eastern, or download the episode later via iTunes or Stitcher Radio.