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Psssssssssssst, it’s me, your
boy, and I’m back with that swagger like Mick Jagger! I
promised ya’ll I’d come with some sharp work on the pads to
get you into the new year of boxing. Now it’s time for part 2
to get ya’ll ready for Andre Berto’s little step up against
Luis Collazo on Saturday.
I’ll also let you know how I
really feel about the Heavyweights and where I think the
division’s two young guns belong. I’ll probably put my self in
danger with Jin Mosley with my analysis of Mosley vs.
Margarito but I believe all objective boxing writers should
have some Chris Rock in them. What’s Chris Rock? The ability
to laugh, look in the camera and say “that’s right, I said
it.” So enough of the small talk, are ya’ll taped and laced
up? Good, then let’s hustle.
Heavyweight shuffle
Word is Chris Arreola and David
Haye are both jockeying to get in the ring with either one of
the “Brothers Champion” Vladimir and Vitali Klitschko. Why the
hurry? In my opinion I believe they should fight one another
to establish a clear consensus challenger to the throne. I
understand it’s a promoter’s job to maximize earnings while
minimizing punishment, but if you step a kid up too soon, (see
David Reid), you stand the chance of damaging him. After both
brothers had setbacks, we (in the US) seemed to endorse this
myth that it is so easy to repeat the trick. We are now in our
4th year since both brothers were so called “exposed” and
they’re still here. All of the fighters that exposed them
were bludgeoned by the other brother. Ask David Tua and
Michael Grant how that “just catch Lennox with a good shot”
theory worked out for them. A victory over one another
(Arreola or Haye) would create massive buzz along with an
infusion of confidence that can only be given by competitive
battle. Timing is everything when it comes to making sure a
bout is greeted with the proper response by fans. I just don’t
think beating Monte Barrett (Haye) and coming weighing in at
254 (Arreola) is a recipe for success.
And speaking of 250 lbs
At this point I would pick
David Haye to beat Chris Arreola on conditioning alone. Is
anybody alarmed by this? Or is the sight of an out of shape
heavyweight something we’ve learned to tolerate- like the lack
of mid range game in the NBA. The funny thing is a lot of guys
love to use the Klitschko brothers as an excuse to start
packing on the pounds. Like fat is an absorbent useful in
offsetting the Klitschko attack. I’m not a fan of big
heavyweights ( Lennox was the first to dominate) and I believe
it will take a conditioned fast twitch guy like David Haye to
beat either brother. David Haye, “chinny” and all is probably
best suited to put a “Jack Dempsey” on the heavy-handed PhD’s.
Both guys are gifted specimens (baby brother’s short left hook
is “nasty”) so a plodding heavy guy won’t have the goods to
make them fight. After tasting the “jab 2.0” both Klitschkos
possess, out of shape fighters like Samuel Peter and Hasim
Rahman were content to save necks and cash checks. How can a
254 lb pound version of Chris Arreola do any better? Trust me
on this one he can’t and he won't.
That’s right I said it.
A public service
Heavyweight Champion of the
world used to hold an air of distinction similar to that of
elected office. I believe Vitali and Vlad can go a long way in
gaining approval ratings if they served as a sanitation
specialist. What happened between Evander Holyfield and
Nikolai Valuev was wrong and I believe it’s the responsibility
of the Heavyweight champs to rid us of this garbage. Don’t
wait for bogus mandatory ranking fellas, get your Obama on and
take the initiative to clean this nonsense up now. Because
this monumental waste of time was considered “disputed” these
two men will probably step in the ring together again.
I propose a twin card whereby the Brothers Klitschko face
Holyfield and Valuev to eliminate the delusional duo from
discussion. Obviously Valuev was too inept to put an end to
the beloved (I loves me some Holyfield) saga so it’s up to the
real champions. Country strong and Georgia Proud, my boy
Evander will not leave the stage by way of a slap or noodle
jab- somebody (sadly) is going to have to beat the breaks off
his ass. Mississippi style. Valuev (a sweet, intelligent guy)
on the other hand can move on with his life; seriously how do
we know Don King isn’t holding him hostage somewhere.
Yeah, I said it.
Pacquiao wants Margarito!
Just as soon as I write it,
Freddy Roach shoots it down. Damn you, Freddy Roach! Apparently
the Filipino icon would not shy away from a fight with the
Tijuana Tornado. What? No, who’s he? No, if it doesn’t make $ it
doesn’t make sense? Man, I don’t know if I can get used to this
pound for pound fighter wanting to challenge himself and
define his legacy stuff. It’s too much for one year; couldn’t
he have waited until after January 20th to let a
brotha get his bearings?
Berto faced with a stern test
Luis Collazo has an opportunity
to remove poison from career snakebite with a mild upset win
over ultra talented WBC welter boss Andre Berto. Kudos to the
Berto camp for allowing this fight to go down, it’s a great
match up with upside for both fighters. Collazo had the unfortunate
fate of learning first hand just how badly HBO needed
Ricky Hatton to be a star in Boston a few years back. Then,
Shane Mosley went all Benjamin Buttons on the New Yorker and
legitimately “outquicked” the southpaw in February 2007. If
Collazo is to be more than gatekeeper/trial horse he has to
pull off the upset. A good showing will keep the New Yorker in
good dough-but it won’t be long dough. Berto needs to show
some pop and gain confidence, so we start to view him as a
legit champ instead of sushi waiting on the bigger fish to
swim upstream to 154.
FNF and the Cuban invasion?
I was surprised to see Bernard
Hopkins on “First and Ten” amending his past criticisms of
Donavan McNabb. Like the typical cynical Philadelphian he is,
Bernard trashed the accomplishments of an already great QB.
Maybe that was Hopkins Donovan called on the sidelines during
Sunday's upset victory in New York. I figured B-Hop was just
doing the usual round of Bristol and he would be a “guest” on
Friday Night Fights. I was pleasantly surprised to hear he was
going to be a regular on the show this season. He seemed out
of his element but don’t worry boxing fans he’ll loosen up and
once he does you’ll be screaming at your set. After watching sorta young gun (age 27) Yourkis Gamboa dust himself off
(again) and win another scrap by stoppage I have this to say.
He’s not a mini-Tyson; the younger version of “Iron Mike” had
underrated defense and attacked responsibly behind a stiff
jab. By 27 Mike had already maximized his gifts and was on the
slide, Gamboa on the other hand is in sore need of
intervention from the Catskills. Gamboa seems to be so
kinetically gifted that his body won't allow him a jab; jabs
seem to morph into hooks before they reach target. The fact
that he’s getting timed and caught coming in does not bode
well for the Cuban in my opinion. Modern featherweights and
super featherweights are running taller nowadays; a guy like
Jorge Linares with excellent technique would put on a clinic
against Gamboa.
Oliander Solis is “exhibit A”
to my gripe about modern heavyweights coming in out of shape.
It’s like these young men have no grasp of the physical arch
of a man's body. They jump right to middle age and never bother
with the lean (and) hungry years. To say a heavyweight matures
in their 30’s is a harmful blanket generalization that
produces more victims of (complacency) than contenders.
Margaritoville... No place for
old men
There are fighters in boxing
you just don’t want to fight past a certain age unless you’re
being cashed out, or crazy. Antonio Margarito is one of them.
Don’t get me wrong I’m excited by the site, the pricing and
how well fans are responding but I don’t see it as a
competitive fight. Out of sentiment I was tempted to float the
Mosley by upset prediction but I can’t see it. Two things
concern me about Mosley, his pitter patter of a jab and the
myth of his ring generalship. News flash boxing fans, Shane
Mosley is a fighter with a boxer’s athleticism and
nickname- that’s it. What kept him in with Cotto will get him
killed against Margarito. Add to that Shane’s jab is not very
stiff; it’s a range finder that allows him to open up his
power shots. Unlike fellow athletic boxers Shane is also
ineffective going backwards, they didn’t call him the black
Mexican for nothing. Another thing that Shane can’t do is
throw punches with the intent of utilizing escape routes.
Mayweather would beat Margarito by squaring up (getting low)
and jabbing to the body with the intent on getting out of
trouble and forcing Margarito to restart his pursuit. Mosley
is too tough for this, and I can see him staying too long in
exchanges with a guy that can fight all day. Nazim Richardson
was a shrewd move, the guy is a cool, concise between round
strategists who can convey clear instruction. The pairing
would have been amazing together had it occurred in 2004. But
that was then, and Richardson won’t make a difference on
January 24th. For all of his gifts Shane Mosley,
unlike a Leonard or Mayweather, is not a guy revered for “on
the fly” adjustments that alter big fights. He’s better known
for guts and heart, two qualities that play right into
Margarito’s hands. At this very moment Shane is probably
mixing it up with light heavies and giving no quarter, which
strategically is at the root of his problems.
Margarito by late stoppage.
Trends I’d like to see end in
2009
Fans who talk like managers... I
know it’s a cyber tool utilized to defend “your guy” but
there’s something lame about looking after another man's money.
I mean seriously, what do you care about a fighter maximizing his
earning potential? There are fighters we feel deserve to get
paid but when they do, don’t flip it and use it as an excuse
to defend the silk sheets. Yeah, I know that offering a
dissenting view to blackberry zombies will easily be dismissed
with the proverbial “stop hatin” but it’s my microphone to
which I spit. Hopefully those who do this can calm down and
accept that the fighter has management to take care of
his value, so “man up” and count your own paper.
Announcers who ask fighters who
they want next….minutes after a fight! - Uhhhm, I would
imagine 12 rounds (of being hit) is a traumatic experience and
I probably can’t be depended on to make any career decisions
after that. Some announcers even try to split the fighter and
promoter by ignoring the promoter when directed to ask him the
question. Fat chance that trend will end; we all know that the
network asking the questions may have an idea who they want
the fighter to fight, because they too promote.
Fighters are human, and I’m sure being caught in the middle of
this dynamic is like having your parents include you in an
argument. You’re bound to piss somebody off.
Catch weight Money Grabs - The
only catch weight option I want to see in 2009 is in EA Sports
Fight Night Round 4 (Ali vs. Robinson at 180 lbs., hell yeah!).
In real life fans are usually jilted into poneying up to see a
diminished version of a name fighter attempting to get PAID.
Sluggish versions of Winky Wright and Felix Trinidad are not
my cup of tea, nor do I want to see a shriveled version of the
Golden Boy. The sad part of this trend is the under cards are
even more putrid than the legitimate big money fights. We
can’t even debate the outcomes because of the handicapped
state of one or both fighters. There’s always this awkward,
what the hell did we just see? moment after the 12th
round. There’s usually no pound for pound significance,
as most catch weight fights are designed with hostility toward
sanctioning bodies. They never offer any real clarification,
which compromises an integrity mainstream sports fans already
believe we lack. Now we have to endorse Kelly Pavlik “finding
religion” and cleaning out his weight class with visions of
him getting beat down at 170 lbs. (by Hopkins) dancing in our
heads. We also have to listen to Joe Calzaghe talk like he’s
top 5 all time after beating up a Roy Jones who beat Felix
Trinidad (at 170) to get to him!
Trends I’d like to see take off
in 2009
Rebirth of the Fight town - I
am not a promoter but I would guess the Networks or any other entity
doesn’t appreciate being bound
by Vegas
when it comes
to getting the job done. I understand the viability of Vegas
and I’m sure my readers can make the connection between “high
rollers” and big money. But, this game was built on the
average guy and for years now the average guy is being shut
out from quality live boxing. Part of MMA’s strength is they
really take it on the road much like professional wrestling. I
love being in downtown Minneapolis (a vanilla market) when the
UFC circus comes to town. Vegas High Rollers are not the core
audience for boxing, they just happen to have the means to be
in Vegas a lot. They don’t LOVE boxing, you do; that’s why a
lot of shows in cities like Biloxi (MS) have louder crowds.
The year for whatever reason is starting out in the right
direction with promotions that make sense. Mosley and
Margarito are in LA where they belong and Diaz/Marquez are
dueling in Houston. Kelly Pavlik will do his thing in
Youngstown and Cotto will seek revenge in front of New Youricans if he can get by Jennings. Now if we can get Tomasz
Adamek (vs. Wlodarczyk) in front of Polish fans in Chicago
with Tom Zbikowski on the under card.
Cruiserweight Madness - After
what Tomasz Adamek and Steve Cunningham did on the VS network
in December I would hope we finally get it. The “big”
heavyweight is not the end all, be all in Boxing. Here in the
US, we are so obsessed with size that we’d rather watch two
big guys do nothing than two smaller guys do something. Lennox
Lewis and the Klitschkos are the exceptions, not the rule.
When we evaluate Heavyweights we have to stop allowing Manny
Steward to influence our perception. The Heavyweights that
mattered (Louis, Marciano and Frazier) who fought action
packed legendary fights, are still among us; we just gave them a
silly name. Cruiserweights. Make it your business to check out
fighters like Guillermo Jones and stop giving them a reason to
become mediocre punching bags (with love handles) for much
larger men just to make a buck. Remember when Magic Johnson
came along and everyone predicted that point guards (on
average) would be scaling 6’9" by the year 2000? A lot of those
same “experts” are sitting by the tube watching Steve Nash and
Chris Paul do their thing. There will always be room for the 6
foot point guard, just as there will always be room for the
Classic Heavyweight.
Ring Magazine apparel
As if Oscar De La Hoya needed more money than he already has.
When GBP swallowed up Ring Magazine and went into joint
ventures with affliction clothing the writing was on the wall.
I love Affliction T-shirts as do a lot of boxing's greatest
fighters. Pure MMA fans (that don’t watch boxing) would be
surprised to see their “signature” apparel practically
everywhere around the ring before and after big fights. I own
the Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, and Hopkins shirts as well as
MMA stars. Having said that when I wear my Affliction shirt it
usually will spark a conversation about MMA to which my
appreciation is secondary. When watching the 24/7 series, the
Golden Boy and team were blazing with hot Ring apparel that
blew up boxing message boards. Brand
identification/affiliation are not just marketing essentials,
fans are emotionally connected to certain brands as well. Fans
of MMA wear Affliction shirts to make more than the general
“this shirt is hot” statement. They wear the shirt because
they want to be identified within a certain niche- they want
you to know “I am a fan of MMA.” As I sit here rocking a hot
Ring Magazine Ike Williams t-shirt I’m letting you know where
I stand... I am a fan of boxing.
Affordable, Jam-packed PPV cards with streaming under card
bouts online- No genius required. Promoters can provide low
priced cards loaded with great matches, once purchased through
subscribers fans receive a key/ login # to the promotion
company website. Once on the site fans can watch streaming
video of the complete off TV under card bouts. Fans receive
value, and learn more about products promoters want to market
to us much later in much bigger fights.
My Moment of 2008: Bernard “The stare”
As he stood there glaring, lip quivering with his hands on his
hips I totally “got” where Hard Nard was coming from. You
don’t have to be a fighter in the ring to understand that
look; it was a look that all of us at some point in life have
to make. I am sure many of you have survived several “no you
can’t” moments and you understand what it feels like to say
“yes I can.” At that moment Bernard embodied a spirit we’re
all going to need in the tough year ahead. So allow me to be
the first to say-stand up and shine and get on your grind in
2009.
Questions? Comments? Write
Martin Wade
1-16--2009
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