The carnival barkers at HBO will be in full force
Saturday evening. HBO and some members of the boxing establishment have
something they want to sell you. What are they selling? They are
selling Ronald “Winky” Wright. They want you to buy into Winky being the
next best thing. The new pound for pound boxing champion, the heir
apparent to Jermain Taylor.
The coronation for Winky has already begun. The train is on the track and
there is no stopping it. The title of Middleweight Champion has already
been bestowed upon him by his admirers and benefactors. They want you to
disregard the fact, Winky first has to fight and defeat Jermain Taylor. To
his admirers and benefactors the latter is a forgone conclusion.
I’ll buy into Winky being the mythical best pound for pound at the present
time. The term is meaningless to me, it is thrown around way too much. It
has lost it’s significance through the years. It’s like one of the water
downed title belts.
I’m not willing to buy into or ordain Winky as the heir apparent to
Jermain Taylor. What has Winky accomplished to merit this distinction?
He was defeated by Fernando Vargas. The same Fernando Vargas who was later
knocked out by Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad.
The biggest wins of his career are against Mosley and Trinidad. He
defeated Shane Mosley twice, first by unanimous decision and then by
majority decision. Before he beat Shane, Shane was beaten twice by
Vernon Forrest and was given a gift decision over Oscar De La Hoya.
Mosley was beaten by the same Vernon Forrest who, then immediately turned
around and handed his fifteen minutes of fame to Ricardo Mayorga.
His next great conquest was defeating Felix Trinidad. Now beating Trinidad
is no small feat but let's put this in perspective. Trinidad was knocked
out and retired by Bernard Hopkins. Then after a year and a half of
retirement, Felix decided to fight the human piñata called Mayorga, a
fighter tailor made for Trinidad’s heavy hands.
Felix could punch holes through most fighters. You stand in front of
Trinidad, you get knocked out or take a beating. Felix never had trouble
with stationary targets, he had trouble with fighters that provided
movement, Camacho, Whitaker, De La Hoya and Hopkins. When a fighter
provided movement against Felix, his feet looked as if they were stuck in
quicksand.
The blueprint for beating Trinidad was put forth by De La Hoya . Hopkins
then used De La Hoya’s blueprint and administered the beating and
execution. Winky had all the ingredients a fighter needed to give the 32
year old Trinidad fits. As they say, styles make fights and this version
of Trinidad was Winky’s for the taking.
As I see it, Mosley and Trinidad may have been dead on arrival or used
goods when Winky fought them. At the very least their best days were
behind them, the bloom was off their rose and other fighters had been
there and done that.
I’m willing to give Winky his due. Winky is a very good fighter. He is
the best Jr. Middleweight today. I’m not ready to hand him the
Middleweight Crown just yet. Jermain Taylor is a natural
middleweight/light heavyweight. He is big, strong, has fast hands and does
not have to fear Winky’s power. Unlike Trinidad, Taylor can move. Like
Trinidad, Taylor can punch.
Saturday HBO will have Jim ‘The Shill For The House Fighter’ Lampley
selling Winky Wright. I’m just not ready to buy!
