Didn’t get to see any of them big battles while fleeing from the wrath of a nasty dame named Jeanne … as in Hurricane Jeanne. Word was touchdown would be  Melbourne Beach and that was close enough - and with more clout than prior  storm three weeks earlier with the given name Frances.

So there we went … a repeat 170 miles westward journey across the Florida peninsula to the Gulf side … and luckily a spot that had a cancellation - but the tropical and hurricane force (category 1) wind and rain held us captive, and without access to any of the available TV fite cards.

Still, after hearing the respective results and reports on each fistic pairing, it did offer time to ponder some passing thoughts.

Bernard Hopkins-Oscar De La Hoya: had it pegged from day one … only Hoya fanatics would be foolish enuf to back their guy in public versus a Hopkins … a  comedy of a unified middleweight title contest that must have had the late carny man PT Barnum regretting his much too early DOB. For never before has there been so many suckers born to be taken than this century 21.

James Toney-Rydell Booker: Another one … Toney in a rout from start to finis.  Passing thoughts prior to fite time was how come this travesty was made in the first place. The grabber a WBC heavyweight title eliminator for first place honors and winner gets title shot against Vitali Klitschko. I mean, the respective jumbled heavyweight champions and top ten, twelve or whatever, to pick and choose is weak enough - but some masked man with 20 pro bouts on the unblemished resume` just doesn’t cut it. And he proved it.

Glen Johnson-Roy Jones Jr : Ok, include me with the rest that criticized this one … talk about still another hoax in the making. Expectations were Jones stops Johnson in convincing fashion and gets a piece of the L/heavyweight rock … and then another Tarver-Jones with all the trimmings. Passing thoughts at the moment is maybe time Roy Jones swap sobriquets - from "Superman" to "Stuporman."   

Not a single passing thought on the successful Riddick Bowe scalping of one Marcus Rhodes … just when we thought it cannot get any worse somebody sanctions a Bowe return. Whoever it be should immediately be returned to whatever loony bin he walked away from … and include the alleged Bowe brainless-trust with him.

On that note, good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, or Hurricane Lisa, currently lurking somewhere out in the Atlantic has a change of plans and begins slanting westward, I’ll be peeking in on a snazzy Showtime card this coming Saturday.

I see the  Ouma - Phillips jr. middleweight duel a competitive one … Phillips another leftover from the yesterday breed … battle tested and works from the text book … never big enough banger to reach mega buck level.  Pick here is Ouma, while also small arms in the clout department, is the busier over 12 action rounds in a play it again scenario. Going with youth and speed over experience … toss in the Ouma southpaw factor as a plus.

Another hot pairing is IBF super-middleweight title affair with Jeff "Left Hook’ Lacy facing veteran Syd Vanderpool … thoughts here is Lacy gets the job done over the European veteran in what is his biggest test to date.  

And ready or not … a bonus …it’s Wlad Klitschko and DaVarryl Williamson in something of a must win for both fighters. Expect an early nap for DaVarryl who went nitey-nite early on in a Joe Mesi meeting … not exactly a confidence booster … but then we all know Wlad baby’s chin went AWOL in that collapse with some guy named Lamon, for a strap I’ve already forgotten about. Best guess I got is it doesn’t go full route. You can flip the coin.

But wait, there’s more … same nite different channel and via PPV … Trinidad in comeback with Nicaraguan nut job with a chin and a punch, Ricardo Mayorga … and you can watch it and give me the gory details.

Tito however he chooses … the two years hiatus post-Hopkins was good for the body … and forget any "rust" factor … not an issue when the punching Puerto Rican goes to work. Would take a whole separate column to list the many Trinidad advantages.

A minimal entity on the card is Wayne Braithwaite (21-0 ) vs. Jean Marc Mormeck (30-2)  in a WBC-WBA Cruiserweight uni- tussle … only mention this one since a Jean is involved -  Jean baby over undefeated one.

Final passing thoughts:  some are still out there …Jones Jr., Sugarless Shane Mosley, Zabba-Dabba-Judah to name a few … résumés  no longer sparkle … let’s  say they ain’t what we were told when flying high in April, before being shot down in May, to paraphrase a yesterday Sinatra hit.

Regardless of what a Lamphead of HBO, or that past ESPN duo Maxie-Boy and  "Clueless" Kenny shout of one having his own planet, and getting warm describing "ripped" bodies and bulked muscles, and of today big guys better conditioned than ever before, all special and dominants have its era.

Fact is, from day one, there’s always been special ones … and that is as good as it gets … my time had its Louis, Robinson, Pep … and they were the talk of the town … all special … later eras saw similar distinction earned by others … too many to mention, the special ones.

Today it’s a Hopkins finally getting his due …  came off the big win over  Felix Trinidad. Some grab the eye more than others during a time frame and earn special recognition … is the way it is.

Post Scripts ~  think about it … next time you go the PPV route and hear shouts of a ripped body emanating from the magic lantern, it may be you they speak of …as in "ripped off" for buying into the shtick.

GEO