MATCH: Andreas Kotelnik (31-2-1, 13 KOs) vs. Amir Khan (20-1-0, 15 KOs).
DATE: Saturday, July 18 2009.
WEIGHT CLASS: Light welterweight, 140 lbs.
TITLES: Kotelnik's WBA belt.
LOCATION: M.E.N. Arena, Manchester, UK
TV INFO: Not televised in the USA, SkySports in the UK.
UNDERCARD:
Enzo Maccarinelli vs. Denis Lebedev
James DeGale vs. Ciaran Healey
Kotelnik's Advantages:
Kotelnik simply outdoes Khan in every department pertaining to experience and ring awareness. The Ukrainian-native has boxed 244 rounds in his career, compared to Khan's 82. Kotelnik holds notable wins over Marcos Maidana (an impressive feat, looking back on the Argentinian's defeat of highly-touted Victor Ortiz), talented William Gonzalez and then-undefeated Gavin Rees. He has a good set of whiskers, having never been KO'd, or even knocked down, in his career.
Whilst not heavy-handed, Kotelnik is accustomed to fighting 12 rounds, having done so nine times in his career, and has consistent force from beginning to end - increasing the probability that Khan will get caught by something at some point.
Arguably the greatest advantage that the Hamburg-based fighter will invoke on Saturday was best describbed by Junior Witter - who holds a unanimous decision win over Kotelnik - in an interview with ringtv.com last week: "Kotelnik is a very decepive fighter. He's easy to underestimate because there's nothing flashy about what he does, but ... he's solid all the way through!"
The type of grit that the Ukrainian displays is a potent weapon against any young, talented but inexperienced boxer - and, having been angered by his "underdog" status and the Brit's forward-looking nature, Kotelnik has promised to punish Khan severely come Saturday night. In truth, it wouldn't be a major upset if he did!
Kotelnik's Disadvantages:
A more cynical, glass-half-empty approach to Kotelnik's style and career is that he is neither strong, nor fast, nor particularly difficult to deal with. As orthodox a boxer as ever there was, the Ukrainian can be labeled as predictable and repetitive. He fails to pull the proverbial bunny out of the hat, which is almost always required when fighting champions.
Although well-rounded as a fighter, Kotelnik does not excel in any one area of the sport and can hence hold no significant advantage over Khan in any single area. Oh - and somebody's gotta mention it - the champ postponed the fight for three weeks due to suffering from toothache. As anyone who has ever had trouble in that area knows, a decent punch will hurt waaaaaay more if there's still any lingering effects. Let's hope - for Kotelnik's sake - that he has recovered fully.
Khan's Advantages:
Nobody can doubt that Khan is extremely talented. I think that he is considerably more advanced than either Floyd Mayweather Jr or Zab Judah were at his age - and that's saying something! The speed and accuracy of Khan's punches is awe-inspiring, and it has been on display every single time he has stepped in the ring - making it a virtual certainty that we will see it again on Saturday!
Also a powerful puncher, the Brit can inflict heavy damage on his opponents and make them even more vulnerable to his quick hands. Khan will have an advantage in both height and reach - three inches - and be the more nimble on his feet. Additionally, Khan's straight-up style is excellent from a defensive standpoint - I see Kotelnik having a hard time catching Khan with anything.
Besides the boxing factors, the Olympic silver-medalist will also have a vocal crowd cheering him forth and the best trainer that money can buy - Freddie Roach, who transformed Khan from a gifted-but-vulnerable contender into a solid fighter who is now widely tipped to win his first world title at the M.E.N. tomorrow night.
Khan's Disadvantages:
Breidis Prescott, anyone? The Columbian contender knocked Khan out in 54-seconds a mere ten months ago. True, Prescott could wobble a horse just by feigning a right, but accusations of a glass jaw have been haunting the Brit for a while. And they won't go away either - despite the fact that he took a couple of healthy shots from a bloodied Marco Antonio Barrera in his last outing; despite the fact that he reinvented his defense; despite the fact that he now tucks his chin in. Truth is, if Khan is nailed properly during the twelve-rounder we are likely to experience, he will lose.
Being inexperienced (remember those 82 pro rounds?) means that the Bolton-native will have a hard time adjusting, should he run into any difficulty. Roach will help, no doubt, but a question mark remains over Khan's versatility and courage in the face of adversity.
Outcome Prediction:
Call me crazy, or intuitive, or prophetic (not to be confused with pathetic). I think this one will go the distance, and I think it may be fairly close. Khan's speed and power will diminish slightly as the fight goes on, whilst Kotelnik will be fairly consistent, as has always been the case. The styles indicate that it will be a reasonably cautious fight, but I'm predicting that, between his God-given talent and top-notch corner, Khan will squeeze out a close decision, somewhere around 115-113.
Undercard Analysis:
As is almost always the case with Brits, they put on interesting undercards - often featuring popular up-and-comers, or already-accomplished fighters. This one, fortunately, includes both: the former in the form of James DeGale, Olympic gold-medalist, who is fighting professionally for only the third time, and the latter being Enzo Maccarinelli, former cruiserweight world champion, who is looking to rebound from a shock loss to Ola Afolabi earlier this year.
Enzo Maccarinelli (29-3-0, 22 KOs) vs. Denis Lebedev (17-0-0, 12 KOs)
Macca has shifted a lot of personal factors around since losing to Afolabi - he parted ways with Enzo Calzaghe and instead hired Karl Ince as his trainer, switching up a few things in his training camps in order to be better prepared to last the distance (he was ahead against Afolabi but ran out of steam). He is a former world champ, and is more experienced than his Russian counterpart.
Lebedev is not well-known, but apparently packs a huge punch. He has defeated a string of low-level competitors with ease, and is deemed ready to move up the ranks.
It is noteworthy that a defeat would set both men back a considerable distance - Maccarinelli may never recover from a third loss in four bouts, whilst Lebedev may be demoted from the "contender" ranks indefinitely, should he fail to dispatch the Welshman. Therefore, we should have an interesting scrap on our hands. My prediction is that Maccarinelli will emerge victorious in an easy unanimous decision.
James DeGale (2-0-0, 1 KO) vs. Ciaran Healey (10-10-1, 2 KOs):
Okay people - let's face it. DeGale isn't in for a tough test. It's odds-on that Healey couldn't knock me out, much less the middleweight Olympic-gold-medalist! DeGale faces a man with an even record in his second outing and is hoping to further polish his skills in front of a live audience. Despite my quip, Healey is actually a worthy gatekeeper, having fought many undefeated prospects in his time. He just won't have the answer to DeGale's mix of speed, power, and ring-smarts. DeGale by KO in round 2.
Yep - this marks the end of my second ever fight preview. I will, of course, be back with a post-fight analysis. In the meantime, I suggest you begin to follow the blog, or check me out on Twitter!
Boxing banter is always welcome at: pureboxingpress@gmail.com
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Andre Ward - Emerging Superstar
In a tournament involving the likes of Froch, Kessler, Abraham and Taylor, it is easy to overlook soft-spoken, quietly confident Andre Ward, despite an extensive amateur background (that includes a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics) and a hugely promising start to his pro career.
Dismissing him, however, is a grave mistake.
Going by the self-styled nickname of “Son of God” – S.O.G. for short – Ward has moved through the ranks at a brisk pace, following his decision to try his hand at professional boxing after his Olympic triumph.
In fact, in his first 19 fights, the Oakland native has only ever faced one boxer who did not boast a winning record. In his last seven bouts, five of which he won by KO/TKO, his opponents had a collective record of 147-14 – an impressive resume for the 25-year-old.
Despite all of this, Ward’s greatest weapon against the elite pugilists he will face is his work ethic; a recurring theme in all of the interviews that S.O.G. gives is his propensity to prepare diligently and to scrutinize every part of himself before he steps into the ring. Ward is likely to talk about being in the correct state of mind, in perfect physical shape and of possessing good knowledge of his opponent’s ways. He always says that the most important aspect of camp is to achieve a high level of stability that will enable him to perform on fight night.
I will gently remind you that we live in a world in which Chris Arreola does not fulfill his potential because he cannot control his weight, and James Kirkland throws away his career after being found in (illegal, parole-violating) possession of a gun – again. Ward’s stability spiel is more than a front he puts up: it’s the primary reason he has managed to cope well with fame, and make no significant mistakes in doing so.
Of course, this does not mean Ward is lacking in the technical department. He is prodigiously skilled and utilizes a deadly combination of speed and power to find and exploit the weaknesses of his opponents. He has outstanding ring generalship and is highly efficient in employing both established boxing fundamentals and an improvised, awkward-to-deal-with-style, as he proved to the world time and again in winning the gold medal in the light heavyweight category in Athens in 2004. To do so, he had to get past a collection of highly decorated opponents: reigning amateur world champ Evgeny Makarenko, former world champ Utkirbek Haydarov and future heavyweight Olympic medalist Clemente Russo.
The only challenge that Ward now has ahead of him is that of delivering the goods when it matters most and taking the necessary risks in order to win. Truth be told, Ward has never faced a significant challenge, nor has he had to cope with being an underdog or unforeseen adjustments during a fight. His first bout in the Super Six World Boxing Classic will be against current WBA champ Mikkel Kessler – a perennial top-twenty pound-for-pound boxer. This calls for a versatility that Ward has not yet had a chance to exhibit, and may come to represent his first ever uphill battle. A win would give S.O.G. his first major belt and propel him to superstardom; a loss would not set him back considerably, but would provide a priceless learning experience.
The Oakland-native's promoter, Dan Goossen, head of Goossen-Tutor Promotions, insists that Andre Ward is the next big thing. We’ve seen he has the individual pieces needed to build himself into a dominating champ. Let’s see if he can put them together in his hour of need.
Dismissing him, however, is a grave mistake.
Going by the self-styled nickname of “Son of God” – S.O.G. for short – Ward has moved through the ranks at a brisk pace, following his decision to try his hand at professional boxing after his Olympic triumph.
In fact, in his first 19 fights, the Oakland native has only ever faced one boxer who did not boast a winning record. In his last seven bouts, five of which he won by KO/TKO, his opponents had a collective record of 147-14 – an impressive resume for the 25-year-old.
Despite all of this, Ward’s greatest weapon against the elite pugilists he will face is his work ethic; a recurring theme in all of the interviews that S.O.G. gives is his propensity to prepare diligently and to scrutinize every part of himself before he steps into the ring. Ward is likely to talk about being in the correct state of mind, in perfect physical shape and of possessing good knowledge of his opponent’s ways. He always says that the most important aspect of camp is to achieve a high level of stability that will enable him to perform on fight night.
I will gently remind you that we live in a world in which Chris Arreola does not fulfill his potential because he cannot control his weight, and James Kirkland throws away his career after being found in (illegal, parole-violating) possession of a gun – again. Ward’s stability spiel is more than a front he puts up: it’s the primary reason he has managed to cope well with fame, and make no significant mistakes in doing so.
Of course, this does not mean Ward is lacking in the technical department. He is prodigiously skilled and utilizes a deadly combination of speed and power to find and exploit the weaknesses of his opponents. He has outstanding ring generalship and is highly efficient in employing both established boxing fundamentals and an improvised, awkward-to-deal-with-style, as he proved to the world time and again in winning the gold medal in the light heavyweight category in Athens in 2004. To do so, he had to get past a collection of highly decorated opponents: reigning amateur world champ Evgeny Makarenko, former world champ Utkirbek Haydarov and future heavyweight Olympic medalist Clemente Russo.
The only challenge that Ward now has ahead of him is that of delivering the goods when it matters most and taking the necessary risks in order to win. Truth be told, Ward has never faced a significant challenge, nor has he had to cope with being an underdog or unforeseen adjustments during a fight. His first bout in the Super Six World Boxing Classic will be against current WBA champ Mikkel Kessler – a perennial top-twenty pound-for-pound boxer. This calls for a versatility that Ward has not yet had a chance to exhibit, and may come to represent his first ever uphill battle. A win would give S.O.G. his first major belt and propel him to superstardom; a loss would not set him back considerably, but would provide a priceless learning experience.
The Oakland-native's promoter, Dan Goossen, head of Goossen-Tutor Promotions, insists that Andre Ward is the next big thing. We’ve seen he has the individual pieces needed to build himself into a dominating champ. Let’s see if he can put them together in his hour of need.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
World Boxing Classic - Six Man Super Middleweight Tournament is Official!
Upon hearing the news, I took a lengthy walk and inspected the state of the world. No, there was no fire raining from the sky; nor were the seas running red with blood. Now that the initial shock is wearing off, I can assume that the six-man super middleweight tournament that Showtime has been harping on about is actually happening! But - it seems paradoxical, somehow:
Could it be that six elite boxers are actually signing on to fight ... each other?
Most fighters these days are too preoccupied with protecting their win-loss ratio and conservatively calculating the risk and reward associated with every bout. They are too busy trying to negotiate finances, or else choosing to make routine title defenses against alphabet-belt mandatory challengers.
Therefore, I suggest that all of us take off our proverbial hats to the six men who have agreed to compete in World Boxing Classic - a round-robin tournament organized by Showtime, with the express purpose of crowning a divisional champ among the 168 pounders. The pugilists involved (in alphabetical order) are:
Arthur Abraham (30-0-0, 24 KOs): fighting out of Germany, the Armenian warrior who goes by King Arthur has made ten successive defenses of his IBF middleweight belt. He is vacating it in order to move up to 168 and take part in the tournament.
Andre Dirrell (18-0-0, 13 KOs): the Flint, Michigan native won a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics and is ready to step up to elite opposition in a tournament which will give him the chance to showcase his considerable skills.
Carl Froch (25-0-0, 20 KOs): having finally emerged from the shadow of Joe Calzaghe as the top British super middleweight, Froch made his first defense of the WBC title by knocking out Jermain Taylor in the 12th round of a hotly contested fight. He is putting his WBC strap on the line to participate.
Mikkel Kessler (41-1-0, 31 KOs): former WBA and WBC super middleweight champion, his only loss is a decision to a prime Joe Calzaghe - which makes him very good, indeed! Currently WBA champ, he is scheduled to put his title on the line in order to compete.
Jermain Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KOs): one-time undisputed middleweight champ, he has recently suffered several setbacks, in the form of two losses to Kelly Pavlik, and one to Carl Froch. Taylor is looking to rebound by winning the tournament, dominating the super middleweight division and adding to his collection of belts.
Andre Ward (19-0-0, 12 KOs): the Olympic gold-medallist is looking to become recognized as the best 168-pounder out there. Superb boxing skills and an impressive string of victories make him a worthy challenger to the likes of Kessler and Froch.
Almost as if to prove to the world that the tourney is no hoax, Showtime gathered all six men, placed them on a podium for photographs, and announced the first-round of fights:
Arthur Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor
Carl Froch vs. Andre Dirrell
Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward
In case you're wondering by now, the format is as follows: there are three bouts scheduled for each fighter. At the end of it, the boxers ranked one through four, in terms of points, will face off in a semi-final, to decide who fights for the overall title. A worthy concept, if you ask me! Points are awarded thusly:
2 for a win (with a 1-point bonus for a KO/TKO)
1 for a draw
0 for a loss
So. If this tournament happens as per the schedule set forth by Showtime, we should have 12 extremely interesting fights over the next year-and-a-half - all involving prime contenders/champions!
Of course, there is a little something missing: namely, Lucian Bute, and another worthy candidate (Pavlik? Wright? Andrade? Balzsay?) that could have turned World Boxing Classic into an eight-man affair and put three or four belts on the line, thus producing a true undisputed champion. Showtime argued against this, citing an exaggerated time frame and logistical difficulties - both valid excuses. In any case, Bute is likely to be a stand-by for the tourney, in case of injury or contractual dispute amongst the other fighters, so we may yet see him in action. Regardless of this, I think all boxing fans should focus on the positive aspect of World Boxing Classic - namely, that it does the sweet science a world of good, and is the most ambitious and all-encompassing boxing endeavor of the decade. Bravo to Showtime and the six pugilists involved!
To celebrate this brave group, PureBoxingPress will be chronicling the careers of each of the fighters over the next couple of weeks (in reverse alphabetical order, just because). Therefore, please be sure to stay tuned for the piece on Andre Ward, which will be up over the next 36 hours.
I also encourage you to become a follower of the blog, or else follow me on Twitter!
Any questions, concerns or comments should be emailed to: pureboxingpress@gmail.com
Boxing banter is, of course, always welcome!
Could it be that six elite boxers are actually signing on to fight ... each other?
Most fighters these days are too preoccupied with protecting their win-loss ratio and conservatively calculating the risk and reward associated with every bout. They are too busy trying to negotiate finances, or else choosing to make routine title defenses against alphabet-belt mandatory challengers.
Therefore, I suggest that all of us take off our proverbial hats to the six men who have agreed to compete in World Boxing Classic - a round-robin tournament organized by Showtime, with the express purpose of crowning a divisional champ among the 168 pounders. The pugilists involved (in alphabetical order) are:
Arthur Abraham (30-0-0, 24 KOs): fighting out of Germany, the Armenian warrior who goes by King Arthur has made ten successive defenses of his IBF middleweight belt. He is vacating it in order to move up to 168 and take part in the tournament.
Andre Dirrell (18-0-0, 13 KOs): the Flint, Michigan native won a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics and is ready to step up to elite opposition in a tournament which will give him the chance to showcase his considerable skills.
Carl Froch (25-0-0, 20 KOs): having finally emerged from the shadow of Joe Calzaghe as the top British super middleweight, Froch made his first defense of the WBC title by knocking out Jermain Taylor in the 12th round of a hotly contested fight. He is putting his WBC strap on the line to participate.
Mikkel Kessler (41-1-0, 31 KOs): former WBA and WBC super middleweight champion, his only loss is a decision to a prime Joe Calzaghe - which makes him very good, indeed! Currently WBA champ, he is scheduled to put his title on the line in order to compete.
Jermain Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KOs): one-time undisputed middleweight champ, he has recently suffered several setbacks, in the form of two losses to Kelly Pavlik, and one to Carl Froch. Taylor is looking to rebound by winning the tournament, dominating the super middleweight division and adding to his collection of belts.
Andre Ward (19-0-0, 12 KOs): the Olympic gold-medallist is looking to become recognized as the best 168-pounder out there. Superb boxing skills and an impressive string of victories make him a worthy challenger to the likes of Kessler and Froch.
Almost as if to prove to the world that the tourney is no hoax, Showtime gathered all six men, placed them on a podium for photographs, and announced the first-round of fights:
Arthur Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor
Carl Froch vs. Andre Dirrell
Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward
In case you're wondering by now, the format is as follows: there are three bouts scheduled for each fighter. At the end of it, the boxers ranked one through four, in terms of points, will face off in a semi-final, to decide who fights for the overall title. A worthy concept, if you ask me! Points are awarded thusly:
2 for a win (with a 1-point bonus for a KO/TKO)
1 for a draw
0 for a loss
So. If this tournament happens as per the schedule set forth by Showtime, we should have 12 extremely interesting fights over the next year-and-a-half - all involving prime contenders/champions!
Of course, there is a little something missing: namely, Lucian Bute, and another worthy candidate (Pavlik? Wright? Andrade? Balzsay?) that could have turned World Boxing Classic into an eight-man affair and put three or four belts on the line, thus producing a true undisputed champion. Showtime argued against this, citing an exaggerated time frame and logistical difficulties - both valid excuses. In any case, Bute is likely to be a stand-by for the tourney, in case of injury or contractual dispute amongst the other fighters, so we may yet see him in action. Regardless of this, I think all boxing fans should focus on the positive aspect of World Boxing Classic - namely, that it does the sweet science a world of good, and is the most ambitious and all-encompassing boxing endeavor of the decade. Bravo to Showtime and the six pugilists involved!
To celebrate this brave group, PureBoxingPress will be chronicling the careers of each of the fighters over the next couple of weeks (in reverse alphabetical order, just because). Therefore, please be sure to stay tuned for the piece on Andre Ward, which will be up over the next 36 hours.
I also encourage you to become a follower of the blog, or else follow me on Twitter!
Any questions, concerns or comments should be emailed to: pureboxingpress@gmail.com
Boxing banter is, of course, always welcome!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
"Sugar" Shane Mosley and his Great Dilemma
The Staples Center was fuller than it had ever been. Hordes of boxing fans had descended upon the arena to see one of the most intriguing welterweight matchups of the decade. But "Sugar" Shane Mosley could not be bothered with that just now - he had a very important item of business to take care of, and could afford no distractions.
The bell sounds, indicating the start of the ninth round, with Mosley and Margarito tapping gloves as they come out of their respective corners. Sugar Shane stalks the Tijuana Tornado, landing combinations to the Mexican's granite chin with an otherworldly speed. Mosley has his opponent on the ropes continually and proceeds to up the ante forty seconds in. Margarito crumples under the barrage and referee Raul Caiz steps in to wave the fight off.
Calm as you like, Mosley turns his back to his bruised-and-battered opponent, raises his arms above his head, and proceeds to bow to each section of the crowd, as though nothing of note had just occurred.
But something big happened that night. Something so big, that Mosley has had to wait six full months in order to even contemplate his next move. What happened was that the 37-year-old version of Sugar outsmarted, outfought and outlasted a prime Antonio Margarito, who had been tagged as the best welterweight in the world.
In the course of one night, Mosley went from generally being regarded as "washed-up" to being WBA world champ in his division, and the RING's number one rated contender. Members of the press who had been howling about a mismatch, fearing for Mosley's safety in the face of "hell-in-short-pants" Margarito were left staring, mouth-agape, at a bizarre twist of the laws of time.
In this fairy-tale ending, however, the hero is not permitted to ride off into the sunset with the woman of his dreams (ironically, Mosley's wife filed for divorce a week before the Margarito match). This is the world of boxing, and our heroes must be back to entertain us until they slur their words or until the public has some new icon to look up to. Mosley, being a fighter at heart who has never attempted to avoid any boxer at all, was eager for a shot at pound-for-pound champ Manny Pacquiao, or the awkward-and-highly-regarded Paul Williams, or a unification against Andre Berto, or a rematch with the outstanding Miguel Cotto.
The problem is this - Mosley represents a tremendous risk in exchange for minimal reward. If he were beaten by any of the above, the public is liable to claim that Mosley is too old to be relevant. Pacquiao, Williams, Berto and Cotto know that Sugar Shane still presents a formidable challenge, even at an advanced age. As such, they would much rather take easier routes. The deal is this:
As of right now, Cotto is otherwise preoccupied. He has already beaten Mosley, in 2007, in a close decision. Junito has been in wars with the Mosley-dethroned Margarito (which he lost via TKO) and with Joshual Clottey (in which he won a narrow decision) and is currently negotiating with Pacquiao. After all the punishment Miguel Cotto has taken in two of his last three fights, the last thing he wants to do is rematch with a fierce Mosley, who would no doubt give him fits. He would much rather take the pound-for-pound fight against Pacman, which represents less of a risk, profesionally speaking, and more money.
Similarly, Pacquiao is looking to take the easy road in order to retain his mythical crown for just a bit longer. After sending Oscar de la Hoya and (hopefully) Ricky Hatton into retirement in his last two outings, the Filipino master will be looking to take on more big names from the 135-147 lbs bracket. However, he will only do so on his own terms, with regard to both the financial aspect and the catch-weight. Pacquiao vs. Mosley could have taken place somewhere above 140 and below 147, but Roach was reticent to get the fight made; truth be told, Mosley hasn't been under 147 lbs since 1999. I think that asking him to make 143 is an insult, especially when you consider the fact that Manny had no problem fighting Golden Boy at 147. When asked about this discrepancy, Roach replied:
"Yeah - but Mosley isn't Oscar."
Which is his way of saying: "I know Manny'll get beat at 147. We gotta drain Mosley a lil bit."
With that, Mosley danced around Pacman for a little, trying to persuade him to take the fight, and even agreeing to the catch-weight and whatever split of the purse the Filipino may have wanted. Truth is this: Manny will only fight Mosley if it's the last possible option. Hence the ongoing negotiations with Cotto, which, last I heard, weren't going too well, on account of Cotto grumbling about making anything below 145 lbs. As a countermeasure, Pacquiao has been whispering about Mosley agreeing to 143. That's option one.
Between options one and two, it is only correct that we talk about Paul Williams, who has had a Mosley-like difficulty in finding willing opponents (the infinitely admirable Winky Wright being the sole exception). Sugar has explicitly stated that he would not like to fight The Punisher, but I'm fairly sure that, in the right conditions, he would. To cement this view, the news broke a couple of days ago that Mosley was done chasing Pac, and wanted Berto, Williams, Cintron or Clottey. Any of these fights would be intriguing, but none more so than the Williams bout. The Punisher, who has an 82-inch reach (Mike Tyson had 71 by comparison), is highly skillful and would cause big, big problems even for the prodigiously-gifted Mosley.
Much like the Pac-Sugar connection, Sugar-Punisher will only be on in the most extenuating circumstances. Now, back to business:
Option two for Mosley is Andre Berto, with whom Golden Boy Promotions has begun to negotiate. First of all, this would present a unification of the WBA and WBC belts, which is always significant. Secondly, it would show the world what Berto, who is an undefeated former Olympian and amateur standout, is made of. Problem with Berto-Mosley is this: it wouldn't sell well. I mean, Mosley has a decent following in LA, but Berto's fought two of his last four bouts in Biloxi and Tennessee - indicative of a chronic disinterest on behalf of the public.
Oh, and of course, Berto might wind up being completely overmatched here. I mean, he barely got by Luis Collazo, in a fight which I scored a draw. Mosley damn near shut the man out a couple of years ago. It is also possible that Berto will break out of his shell and stun the world, commencing a reign of terror atop the talented welterweight ranks. But it's less likely than a Mosley win over Margarito looked about ten months ago. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
In any case, I sincerely hope that Pacquiao makes up his mind about who he wants to fight - and soon. Him and Cotto can go at it this November, around the time when Mosley and Berto would be facing off. The winners can be paired up, or enter the post-Marquez Mayweather sweepstakes. The possibilities are near-endless. And most of them are mouthwatering.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Arturo "Thunder" Gatti (1972-2009)
The world is saddened today by the passing of Arturo "Thunder" Gatti, a two-division world champion and boxing legend, who police confirm died of blunt trauma to the head in his rented condo at the upscale Porto de Galinhas beach.
Gatti, a popular warrior-boxer often credited with injecting life in the pugilistic scene of Atlantic City, is best remembered for his trilogy against Micky Ward and being involved in THE RING magazine's "Fight of the Year Award" a total of four times - for the years 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2003 - the latter two being for the first and third Ward encounters.
Thunder, an Italian-born Canadian who fought out of New Jersey, filled the legendary Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City a total of nine times and was considered to be a fighter's fighter - always battling on, even against astronomical odds. His rough-and-tumble style endeared him to a dedicated legion of fans, whose unwavering support carried Gatti through thick and thin.
At his apex, Gatti defeated Tracy Harris Patterson to claim the IBF super featherweight belt, which he held for two years, and also won the WBC light welterweight strap which he kept for a year and a half, until it was relinquished to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
But Gatti's interim career is the most indicative of his essence: three magnificent fights against "Irish" Micky Ward, two of which were won despite Thunder's broken right hand; a one-body-punch KO of gritty Leonard Dorin; a brave effort against a prime Oscar de la Hoya; a comeback KO win against Wilson Rodriguez; an attempted comeback at age 35 which ended in a loss - all of which demonstrate his excessive passion for his trade.
In defeat Gatti was, somehow paradoxically, at his most heroic: against Manfredy, he had a gash the size of a pencil on his eyebrow when the fight was stopped. Gatti protested this, and was informed by the ringside physician that he had been cut to the bone; to this, Thunder nonchalantly replied: "Good, that means it can't get any deeper, right? Lemme fight on!"
Gatti was not a supremely talented fighter. He did not possess exceptional speed, or power. He compensated for this by being the bravest boxer since Jake LaMotta, and adopting a brawling, crowd-pleasing style that did the sport a tremendous service. In life, he exemplified the qualities of a populist boxer: clean fighting, a good set of whiskers and a humble demeanor in both victory and defeat.
But, as the world slept on Saturday morning, his life was violently extinguished by a senseless and barbaric act. In death, Gatti leaves behind a sparkling legacy and an anthology of memorable fights that reminds every boxing enthusiast why our sport is so great.
Rest in peace, champ.
Agbeko defends title, befuddles Darchinyan
Joseph Agbeko pulled off a slight upset to score a close, but unanimous, decision against favored Vic Darchinyan, by scores of 114-113 (twice) and 116-111. Agbeko dominated the fight from the onset, scoring the straight right hand at will and using an impeccable head and body-movement technique to avoid most of Raging Bull's bombs. Agbeko showed a fantastic chin, never being seriously hurt by the Armenian's power.
The fight was, however, somewhat dirty, with both fighters being subject to headbutts, elbows and low-blows, despite the fact that no points were deducted by referee Tommy Kimmons.
Agbeko was down in a bizarre seventh round, which lasted a total of four minutes due to timekeeping errors. Replays show that Agbeko was, in fact, pushed to the ground by Darchinyan, but the ref gave the Ghanaian a standing eight count, supposedly awarding the round to Raging Bull by the standard score of 10-8.
Post fight, Agbeko promised his home country of Ghana a lengthy reign atop the bantamweight division, while Darchinyan vowed to learn from his mistakes and come back strong in the future.
On the undercard, Tony DeMarco defeated Anges Adjaho via ninth round KO in a controversial moment, with the Mexican apparently hitting Adjaho while he had his knee down. Replays showed that the fighter from Benin was not technically down when DeMarco delivered a blow to the back of his head, and so Adjaho was counted out by referee Telis Assimenios. Until the ninth, the fight had been well contested, with one judge scoring it an even bout, and the other two splitting the cards. DeMarco will go on to face Edwin Valero for his WBC lightweight belt.
Also on the undercard, Steve Cunningham won a unanimous decision over Wayne Braithwaite for a shot at the IBF cruiserweight belt.
The fight was, however, somewhat dirty, with both fighters being subject to headbutts, elbows and low-blows, despite the fact that no points were deducted by referee Tommy Kimmons.
Agbeko was down in a bizarre seventh round, which lasted a total of four minutes due to timekeeping errors. Replays show that Agbeko was, in fact, pushed to the ground by Darchinyan, but the ref gave the Ghanaian a standing eight count, supposedly awarding the round to Raging Bull by the standard score of 10-8.
Post fight, Agbeko promised his home country of Ghana a lengthy reign atop the bantamweight division, while Darchinyan vowed to learn from his mistakes and come back strong in the future.
On the undercard, Tony DeMarco defeated Anges Adjaho via ninth round KO in a controversial moment, with the Mexican apparently hitting Adjaho while he had his knee down. Replays showed that the fighter from Benin was not technically down when DeMarco delivered a blow to the back of his head, and so Adjaho was counted out by referee Telis Assimenios. Until the ninth, the fight had been well contested, with one judge scoring it an even bout, and the other two splitting the cards. DeMarco will go on to face Edwin Valero for his WBC lightweight belt.
Also on the undercard, Steve Cunningham won a unanimous decision over Wayne Braithwaite for a shot at the IBF cruiserweight belt.
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