Articles of 2010
Hopkins Could Lose More Than Bout Versus Jones
Bernard Hopkins is one of the most unique great fighters in the history of the modern era of the sweet science. Hopkins knows the business of boxing better than any fighter who has ever held a world title. Fighters like Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali knew they were the draw and should get the lions share of the money. Floyd Mayweather understands the risk-reward factor and worked that angle to perfection throughout his career. But Hopkins' knowledge of how boxing is run and where the money comes from and how it's distributed surpasses any other fighter who has come along.
Bernard never had the boxing establishment behind him like the the fighters mentioned above, along with many others. Late in Robinson's career the establishment turned on him because he tried to bully them and hold them up for more money whenever he felt he had the leverage to do it. Towards the end of his career they did try and get Robinson knocked off and managed to hose him out of a few decisions while he was in his late thirties, (the third Fullmer fight is one example). Which is something Hopkins has had to contend with and battle since he became a serious contender for the middleweight title. And that's because he was outspoken about the misdeeds that many mangers, promoters and television networks tried to pull over on a lot of professional fighters who weren't well represented.
Through it all Bernard Hopkins at age 45 has managed to make boxing work for him like few other fighters in history. He could take care of business at the highest level inside and out of the ring. And despite him not being a once in a generation physical talent or a life taking puncher, he held the middleweight title longer and made more defenses of it than any other fighter who's ever held it. And if he wasn't robbed in his first fight versus Jermain Taylor in 2005, Hopkins would still be the middleweight champ today and almost into the 15th year of his title tenure. The only two middleweight who would've presented him a challenge were Arthur Abraham and Kelly Pavlik. Hopkins dismantled Pavlik in 2008, and it had nothing to do with the weight they fought at, and I couldn't pick Abraham to beat Hopkins circa 2006-2010.
Obviously Hopkins hasn't made all the right decisions since his pro-debut and would admit so himself. But he's made a lot more right decisions than wrong ones – especially during the twilight of his career. And picking against Hopkins and questioning his decisions has shown to be a risky proposition. That said, his choice to fight Roy Jones 17 years after losing a unanimous decision to him doesn't seem to be one of his better decisions. But unlike anyone else, Hopkins has total control of his destiny as to how this one unfolds.
Hopkins and Jones are two of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters to come along during the last 20 years. Ten years ago Roy probably held the upper hand legacy wise because he was the more accomplished fighter and did win their only head to head confrontation. Then Roy began to get knocked out as Hopkins continued to progress while making successful defenses of the middleweight title. Once Roy could no longer count on his talent and physical brilliance to get by, he became more hittable and suffered a few devastating knockout defeats. Whereas Hopkins was blessed with a first tier chin, never has endured a terrible beating and learned how to pick his spots and protect himself once his skills began to erode fighting the best boxing had to offer well into his forties.
When Bernard and Roy met in 1993 their style clash didn't provide for a very compelling fight. Most observers acknowledged that Roy was further along and was the more developed fighter than Bernard at that stage of their careers. However, over the years Hopkins has shown that he's actually the greater and more technically sound and scientific fighter.
Since Jones defeated John Ruiz to capture a piece of the heavyweight title in 2003, he's gone 6-5 and has been stopped in three of his five losses. Hopkins has gone 9-3 over that same span of time. With the difference being Bernard hasn't been beat up or punched around in any of his three defeats. And in some circles he's viewed as having won at least two of the three decisions that went against him. He's also scored three of the more high profile and signature wins of his career since 2003 in beating Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Tarver and Kelly Pavlik.
Roy Jones is a tough match up for Hopkins stylistically, always has been and always will be. Hopkins is vulnerable to quick handed fighters who force him to push the fight and initiate the action. Jones isn't as fast as he once was but he's still faster than Hopkins. At age 41 Jones is vulnerable to aggressive and take charge fighters who can punch. Hopkins isn't aggressive nor is he a big one punch banger. So in order for him to trouble Jones he'll have to come out of his role as the counter-puncher and fight as the aggressor. When is the last time Hopkins fought like that?
Then there's another issue Hopkins has to overcome – and that is Roy believes he has Bernard's number. And despite him not being able to cope with Danny Green in his last fight, he believes that he can't lose to Hopkins. Some fighters just have it in their head that a particular fighter can't beat them. Which is how Roy looks at Bernard. Like Evander Holyfield always knew that he could and would beat Mike Tyson if they ever fought, and Muhammad Ali just knew he could beat George Foreman, Jones believes implicitly that he can't lose to Bernard regardless of how far he's regressed as a fighter. Plus, he's already defeated Hopkins and the fight is a godsend to him at this time knowing at worst he'll retire having gone 1-1 versus Bernard.
For Hopkins, a loss to Jones at this point when Roy has looked so diminished and shot as a world class fighter would probably push him behind Jones as far as who'll be regarded as the greater fighter in the eyes of history. On top of that Bernard doesn't stand to make a lot of money since the fight is going to be a dog at the box office. Also, it's not out of the question that Hopkins can possibly finagle a fight with WBA heavyweight title holder David Haye in his final career bout if Haye beats John Ruiz on the same night Hopkins fights Jones. That'll be off the table if he loses to Jones on April 3rd.
It's become apparent that Hopkins needs to even the score with Jones before he leaves the ring for good. And Jones is more than willing to fight him again to solidify that he always was and still is the greater fighter between them. The fight makes all the sense in the world for Roy Jones. And beating Hopkins after his humiliating first round defeat at the hands of Danny Green will help restore some of the glow that was attached to his overall career accomplishments which have been dulled over the last five to seven years.
On the other hand Hopkins is almost in a no win situation. If he wins but struggles, he loses, if he blows Roy out in the first round, he's accomplished the same thing Danny Green did fighting Jones four months ago. And if he loses it'll be harder to rank him above Roy in the pantheon of all-time greats when it was he who was considered the fresher fighter with more left when they met at the end of their hall of fame careers.
If Hopkins were making a ton of money the risk in this fight and all there is to lose would be worth it, but that's not the case in regards to his upcoming rematch with Roy Jones. As a risk/reward fight it's stupid. If someone paid him $10,000.000, it'd make sense.
Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com
Articles of 2010
Judah To Fight Mbuza March 5 In NJ
Totowa, NJ – Kathy Duva, Main Events CEO, announced their promotional firm won the purse bid held at IBF headquarters in East Orange, NJ, Thursday. The bid was for the right to hold the IBF's junior welterweight title fight between Zab Judah of Brooklyn, NY and Las Vegas, and South Africa's Kaizer Mabuza.
IBF Championships Chairman, Lindsay Tucker explained, “It is a 50-50 split of the earnings between the two fighters. Kaizer is ranked No. 1 by the IBF, and Judah is No. 2. Where the fight will be held is up to the winning bidder.”
Judah (39-6, 26 KOs) is promoted by Main Events and his own firm Super Judah Promotions, and Branco Milenkovic, of South Africa, promotes Mabuza (23-6-3, 14 KOs).
Kathy Duva confirmed the fight will take place at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, late February or early March this year as part of Main Events' Brick City Boxing Series. (Saturday Update: the fight is March 5th, in NJ at the Pru Center. The bout will be part of a PPV card.)
“We are very happy that Zab has the opportunity to fight for the IBF Junior Welterweight title right here in New Jersey. Winning this fight will put Zab right in the mix with the winner of Bradley-Alexander and Amir Khan.” Duva elaborated, ” Zab will work very hard to win this fight so that he will be one step closer to his ultimate goal of unifying all of the Junior Welterweight titles by the end of 2011!”
Articles of 2010
UFC 125 Preview: Frankie Edgar Vs. Gray Maynard
Few predicted Frankie Edgar would grab the UFC lightweight championship last year but he did. Most felt he would eventually win it but Edgar not only took the title, he beat one of the best mixed martial artists in history to do it.
Edgar (13-1) has emerged from the milieu of nondescript MMA fighters to become one of the more brilliant performers for Ultimate Fighting Championship. Next comes a rematch with Gray “The Bully” Maynard (11-0) tomorrow at the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas. UFC 125 will be televised on pay-per-view.
All it took was not one, but two victories over BJ Penn.
If you’re not familiar with Penn, he’s one of the most versatile fighters in MMA history and had been nearly unbeatable in the 155-pound lightweight division. That is until he clashed with Edgar. Until he met New Jersey’s Edgar, the Hawaiian fighter chopped down lightweight opponents with ease. It was only the heavier welterweights he had problems against. Namely: Canada’s Georges St. Pierre.
Edgar showed poise, speed and grit in defeating Penn in back-to-back fights. The world took notice.
“You know, if I keep winning fights, the respect will come eventually,” said Edgar during a conference call.
Now Edgar will find out if he can avenge the only loss on his record.
“I just think I grew as a fighter. You know, mentally, you know, physically I, you know, possess differently skills, increased – you know, I think I boxed and got better, my Jiu-Jitsu got better and, you know, just have much more experience now,” Edgar says.
Maynard seeks to find out if Edgar has added any more fighting tools to his repertoire. Back in April 2008, the artillery shelled out was not enough to beat the Las Vegas fighter.
“It’s a perfect time. He had the chance and, you know, he took it and the time is now for me and I’m prepared,” said Maynard (11-0). “Any time you’re going up against the top in the world, you evolve and change and so I’m prepared for a new fight, so it will be good. I’m pumped for it.”
Though Maynard’s record indicates he is unbeaten that’s not entirely true. He did suffer a defeat to Nate Diaz during The Ultimate Fighter series and subsequently avenged that loss last January.
The UFC lightweight title is in Maynard’s bull’s eye.
“Looking to take the belt for sure,” said Maynard. “We’ll see on January 1.”
Edgar versus Maynard should be a good one.
Other bouts:
Nate Diaz (13-5) faces Dong Hyun Kim (13-0-1) in another welterweight tussle. Diaz is the only fighter with a win over Maynard. Anyone watching TUF remembers Maynard tapping out from a Diaz guillotine choke. The Modesto fighter has a tough fight against South Korea’s Kim.
Chris Leben (21-6) fights Brian Stann (9-3) in a middleweight fight. Leben is a veteran of MMA and if an opponent is not ready for a rough and tumble fight, well, that fighter is not going to win. Stann dropped down from light heavyweight and we’ll see if the cut in weight benefits the Marine.
Brandon Vera (11-5) meets Thiago Silva (14-2) in a light heavyweight match up. Vera is trying to rally back to the promising fighter he was tabbed several years back. Silva is a very tough customer and eager to crash the elite. A victory by either fighter could mean a ticket to the big time.
Clay Guida (27-8) versus Takanori Gomi (32-6) in a lightweight bout. Guida has become one of the most feared fighters without a title. No one has an easy time with the long-haired fighter. Gomi lost to Kenny Florian but knocked out Tyson Griffin. Can he survive Guida?
Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis (22-8) clashes with Jeremy Stephens (18-6) in another lightweight fight. Davis is a go-for-broke kind of fighter and is looking to get back in the win column after a tumultuous battle with Nate Diaz last August. Stephens needs a win too. In his last bout he lost to Melvin Guillard.
Articles of 2010
Borges Looks Back, And Forward With Hope
As the end of another year approaches, there’s no need to invoke Charles Dickens to describe what went on in boxing. It was neither the best of times nor the worst of times. It was just too much time spent on The Fight That Never Took Place.
For the second straight year the sport could not deliver The Fight, the only one fans universally wanted and even casual fans craved – the mix between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao. No one has to be singled out for blame for that failure because this time there’s plenty to go around on both sides. The larger issue is what does it say about a sport when it cannot deliver its top event?
What would the NFL be without the Super Bowl? Where would major league baseball be without the World Series? Golf without the Masters? College basketball without March Madness?
They would all be less than they could be and so it was with boxing this year. Having said that, the sport was not without its signature moments. It was not bereft of nights that left those of us with an abiding (and often unrequited) love for prize fighting with good reason to hope for the future.
Three times promoter Bob Arum took the sport into massive stadium venues just like the good (very) old days and each time boxing drew a far larger crowd than its many critics expected. Twice those fights involved the sport’s leading ambassador, Pacquiao, who brought in crowds of 40,000 to 50,000 fans into Cowboys Stadium against inferior opponents Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito. Imagine what he might have done had Mayweather been in the opposite corner?
While both fights were, as expected, lopsided affairs, they showcased the one boxer who has transcended his sport’s confining walls to become a cultural icon and world celebrity. Pacquiao alone put boxing (or at least one boxer) on the cover of TIME and into the pages of such varied publications as Esquire, GQ, The Wall Street Journal, the American Airlines in-flight magazine and even Atlantic Monthly.
As history has proven time and again, that is what happens when boxing has a compelling personality to sell it and Pacquiao is that. Mayweather is such a person as well, but for different reasons.
The one night he appeared in a boxing ring, he set the year’s pay-per-view standard against Shane Mosley while also leaving a first hint of dark mystery when he was staggered by two stinging right hands in the second round.
Mayweather was momentarily in trouble for the first time in his career but the moment passed quickly and Mosley never had another. By the end he had been made to look old and futile, a faded athlete who’d had his chance and was unable to do anything with it. So it goes in this harsh sport when the sands are running out of the hour glass.
As always there were some surprising upsets, most notably Jason Litzau’s domination of an uninterested and out of shape Celestino Caballero and Sergio Martinez’s one-punch demolishment of Paul Williams. The latter was not so much an upset as it was a stunning reminder that when someone makes a mistake against a highly skilled opponent in this sport they don’t end up embarrassed. They end up unconscious.
SHOWTIME did all it could to further the future of the sport, offering up a continuation of its interminably long but still bold Super Six super middleweight tournament as well as the launching of a short form bantamweight tournament which already gave fans to two stirring and surprising finishes with Joseph Agbeko decisioning Jhonny Perez and Abner Mares upsetting Victor Darchinyan in a battle of contusions.
While the Super Six has had its problems – including several of the original six pulling out – it also lifted the profile of former Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward from nearly unknown to the cusp of universal recognized as the best super middleweight in the world this side of Lucian Bute. If Ward continues winning he’ll get to Bute soon enough because that’s why SHOWTIME signed a TV deal with the Canadian and America may get its next boxing star if Ward proves to be what I think he is – which is still underrated and underappreciated.
HBO and HBO pay-per-view put on 23 shows, few of them compelling and many of them paying big money to the wrong people while doing little or nothing to grow the sport that has helped make their network rich. But they did have the knockout of the year – Martinez’s second round destruction of Williams – and some fights in the lower weight classes that were left you wanting more.
Two new names popped up who are causing the kind of fan reaction that also gives us hope for 2011 – American Brandon Rios and Mexican Saul Alvarez. They are two of the sport’s brightest young prospects because each comes to the arena the old-fashioned way – carrying nothing but bad intentions.
Aggression and knockouts still sell boxing faster than anything else and each exhibited plenty of both this year and left fans wanting to see more. Alvarez is already a star in Mexico without having yet won a world title and Rios is the definition of “promise.’’ Whether the star will continue to shine and promise will be fulfilled may be answered next year and so we wait anxiously to find out.
Backed by Golden Boy Promotions, there is no reason 2011 shouldn’t be Alvarez’s year and if it is people will notice and remember him because he has a crowd-pleasing style that is all about what sells most.
That is what boxing needs more of – fresh faces and new stars… so as fans we should root for guys like Alvarez, Ward, Rios and young Brit Amir Khan, who is a star in England but still a question mark with a questionable chin but a fighter’s heart here in the U.S.
Those guys and others not yet as well known are the future of boxing, a sport that for too long has been recycling the likes of Mosley (as it will again in May for one last beating against Pacquiao in a fight that's a joke), Bernard Hopkins (who can still fight although it is unclear why he bothers or where it’s all headed), Roy Jones and, sadly, even 48-year-old Evander Holyfield, who continues to delude himself but not many other people into believing he will soon unify the heavyweight title again.
If fighters like Ward, Alvarez, Rios, Khan, WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto and middleweight king Sergio Martinez continue their rise they could be the antidote for the art of the retread that Arum and Golden Boy have been forcing fans to buy the past few years at the expense of what boxing needs most – fresh faces.
The heavyweight division, which many believe determines the relevancy of boxing to the larger world, remains a vast desert of disinterest here in the US. The Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir, hold 75 per cent of the title belts but few peoples’ imaginations in the US, although to be fair they are European superstars and don’t really need U.S. cable TV money to thrive economically.
Each defended their titles twice this year, Vitali against lame competition (Albert Sosnowski and Shannon Briggs) and Wladimir against better fighters (Sam Peter and Eddie Chambers) but not competitive ones. Sadly, there is no American on the horizon to challenge them, a comment on the division and on our country, where the athletes who used to be Joe Louis or Muhammad Ali now opt for the easier and frankly safer road of the NFL or the NBA. Who can blame them considering all the nonsense a fighter has to go through to just make a living these days?
The one heavyweight match that would be compelling and might lift the sport up for at least a night would be either of the Klitschkos facing lippy WBA champion David Haye. The fast-talking Brit claims to not be ducking them but he’s had more maladies befall him after shouting from the rooftops how much he wants to challenge them that you have to wonder if Haye is simply a case of big hat no cattle syndrome.
For the sake of the sport, we should all be lighting candles each night in hopes our prayers will be answered and Haye will finally agree to meet one of them. It may not prove to be much of a fight but at least it will give us something to talk about for a few months.
Whatever Haye and the Klitschkos decide the fighter with the most upside at the moment however seems to be Sergio Martinez. He has matinee idol looks, a big enough punch to put Paul Williams to sleep with one shot and a work ethic second to none. The Argentine fighter had a year for himself, starting with a drubbing of Kelly Pavlik followed by his demolishment of Williams. Those kinds of victories, coupled with his Oscar De La Hoya-like looks, are the type of things that if HBO or SHOWTIME would get behind him could allow Martinez to capture the attention of both fight fans and more casual ones.
In general, Hispanics fighters continued to dominate much of the sport’s front pages with Juan Manuel Marquez’s two victories in lightweight title fights leading that storyline. His war with Michael Katsidis is a strong candidate for Fight of the Year and his technical skill and calm demeanor make him the uncrowned challenger to Pacquiao. The two have unfinished business that should be settled this year if Arum stops standing in the way.
Two other fighters who gave us moments to remember in 2010 were Juan Manuel Lopez, who knocked out three solid opponents including highly respected Mexican warrior Rafael Marquez, and Giovani Segura, who won four times (that’s three years work for Mayweather) in 2010, all by knockout. Along the way, Segura defeated one of the great minimum weight fighters in history, slick Ivan Calderon, to win the belt on Aug. 28.
Lastly, boxing gave us another magical cinematic moment as well with the release of “The Fighter,’’ a film based on the life and hard times of junior welterweight scrapper Micky Ward. The film has won rave reviews and many awards and seems likely to have several of its actors nominated for Academy Awards, most notable Christian Bale for his sadly humorous portrayal of Ward’s troubled half brother, former fighter Dickie Ecklund.
Boxing has a long history of providing the framework for memorable movies and it did it again with “The Fighter,’’ a film that did more for boxing than any promoter did all year.
All in all, it wasn’t the best of years for boxing but it was a good year that picked up speed in the final months and, like that great golf shot you finally hit out of the rough on the 18th, left us with reasons to hope for a better year in 2011. If somehow it gives us Mayweather-Pacquiao, the emergence of Alvarez and Rios, the ascension of Martinez and Haye vs. the best available Klitschko in addition to the kind of solid performances that always come along, it could be a year to remember.
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