Maybe somewhere somehow you’ve read something about Saturday’s Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito welterweight title fight. About how it’s the going to be the greatest fight of all time, about how if there’s one fight you should watch this year this should be it, about how this is the fight to bring casual fans in, about how the action will be scintillating and non-stop, about how if you can’t get excited about this fight then you’ll never be excited about any fight ever. Ever, ever, ever.

Am I excited? Yes. Do I think it’s going to be a great fight? Of course. Non-stop brawl. But the excessive hype from fight fans and scribes feels disingenuous, desperate, and based in the misconceived notion that boxing needs resuscitated. I don’t react well to guilt trips and spending $50 on this fight has become a “must do” for anyone who truly loves and appreciates boxing.

I’m going to buy the fight but I’m under no illusions that the welterweight competitors are equivalent to Leonard-Hearns, Leonard-Duran, or even Whitaker-De La Hoya. Margarito lost just one year ago to Paul Williams for heavens sake.

What fight would have been an equal to those transcendent bouts?

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Miguel Cotto. That’s really the fight everyone wanted to see at 147. It’s the elephant in the room, it’s the answer, it’s the “fight for the ages” that we all want so bad. It’s also the reason this event is being hyped up to levels not exactly commensurate to its historical value.

If Cotto can prove he’s a draw to the general public and a relevant sports figure then maybe, just maybe we’ll get a real fight for the ages. Maybe Floyd will un-retire like Leonard before him and save the day again.

Post from: EveryJoe

What the Cotto-Margarito Hype Is Really About

On June 20, 1980 Montreal 1976 Olympic gold medalist Sugar Ray Leonard faced the greatest lightweight of all time Roberto Duran thus kicking off the golden age of middleweights, an era chronicled by George Kimball in his forthcoming book Four Kings. Duran outlasted Leonard in the Brawl in Montreal winning a narrow 15-round decision. Leonard, who had turned pro immediately after Games, was now 27-1 and had just lost the WBC welterweight belt.

On June 20, 2008 Athens 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward faced the serviceable Dominican fighter Jerson Ravelo winning with an 8th round TKO. Ward, who had turned pro immediately after the Games, is now 16-0, has no title, and is unranked in Ring Magazine’s list of the top 10 super middleweights.

Andre Ward was the only United States boxing gold medalist in 2004 and with that comes expectations and comparisons. His career is currently moving on a glacial pace. Is it indicative of a lack of ambition, a different more babying era of sport, a lack of talent, or poor promotion? Maybe all of the above. Ward looked average, sloppy, and undisciplined in defeating Ravelo. He needs to increase the quality of competition, the frequency of his bouts, and his learning curve if he is to live up to his possibilities.

Maybe comparing the light heavyweight medal winning Ward to the light welterweight winning Leonard is unfair. OK. In 1976 Leon Spinks won the light heavyweight gold medal. Less than two years after his Montreal win Spinks faced Muhammed Ali for the heavyweight championship of the world. Spinks shockingly defeated the “greatest of all time” and became the undisputed champ in only his eighth pro fight.

Ward’s eighth fight was a six round 2006 unanimous decision win against Kendall Gould. From 2004-06 Gould was 2-8.

Below is a youtube video of Ward’s KO of Jerson Ravelo:

Photo Source: Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

Olympian Andre Ward Finally Takes a Small Step Up

The Showtime Network’s weekend of boxing began with junior middleweight Ronald Hearns (18-0) taking on Kansan Jose Luis Gonzalez (12-3-1) in the Caribbean splendor of the Grand Cayman Islands. Hearns is the son of the legendary Thomas Hearns.

It is hard not thinking about the father while watching the son.

The Motor City Cobra was in The Chosen One’s corner often taking the advice reins from his son’s trainer. After the fight Thomas had the endearing smile of a proud father. He might have been happier after this fight than he had been for any of his own. It was a touching scene.

Ronald’s lanky body, body shoulder blades, hard punch, easy gait, and facial similarities quickly remind you of Thomas. But sadly Ronald is not the elite level fighter that his father was. Not everyone can be. Ronald disposed of Gonzalez in the 7th when the Kansas fighter’s corner through in the towel after he took in a few rounds worth of pounding blows to the head.

A lot more was expected of Hearns if he was to prove worthy of a middleweight contender. At 29, Ronald isn’t young. When his father was 29 he was 45-2-0, had already beaten Wilfred Benitez and Roberto Duran. The losses, of course, were to Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler.

Is Ronald getting TV time because of his famous name? Maybe, but it doesn’t matter. He’s winning his fights, his offensive skills are entertaining, and the physical similarities he shares with his father elicit a fond nostalgia for a better age. We want to see more of Ronald, at least until his severely lacking defensive prowess is exposed by a more skilled fighter.

Photo Source: Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

Ronald Hearns Opens Showtime Weekend of Boxing

In the mail today I received an advanced copy of George Kimball’s forthcoming book Four Kings. The book profiles the four great middleweights of what the book’s subtitle refers to as “The Last Great Era of Boxing”: Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, and Duran. No first names are needed.

I’m usually the first person to dismiss and be angered by baby boomer claims that athletes were different then and that their era of sports was the best. The glorious eighties. Problem is that when I am confronted with their challenge of “well then, whose a great middleweight now?” I can only stammer back with Kelly Pavlik.

I’m not saying The Ghost isn’t as talented as those luminaries but what evidence do I have? I guess Jermain Taylor but his fight two Saturday’s ago against Gary Lockett was so appalling and such a mismatch that I didn’t blog about it. It wasn’t exactly news.

Pavlik’s biggest excuse is that he’s only 26 and still has time. What’s Joe Calzaghe’s excuse? He’s spent his whole career running from the top competition, sequestering himself in the Welsh countryside. Talks continue to fester about him fighting 39-year-old Roy Jones, Jr. and skipping out on Pavlik. “It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that (Pavlik and I) will face each other, but I think Jones is the right fight for me at the moment.” Calzaghe told reporters.

What he’s telling boxing and his fans is that he doesn’t and never has cared about them or the greater context of his sport.

And that’s his priority. It’s his body that he’s putting on the line and his career he has to look after. Is that fair to us as fans? Does it really matter?

All we can hope for is that another talented set of fighters come again and choose to fight each other in their primes. Is that such a crazy concept?

Photo Source: Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

When Will Another Four Kings Ever Return?

It wasn’t a good day for my possible long lost relative and former WBA bantamweight title holder Wladimir Sidorenko. Today in Düsseldorf he dropped at 116-113, 116-112, 116-112 decision to Panamanian Anselmo Moreno. Early reports suggest that the 5′4″ Sidorenko had trouble with the taller Moreno.

Moreno is now 21-1-1 while Sidorenko is now 21-1-2. On the bright side for my Ukrananian brother he is still flawless against fighters from every country except Panama; his loss and two draws both came at the hands of pugilists from that bi-oceanic country. Moreno is the 25th World Champion boxer to come from Panama, the most famous of whom was lightweight legend Roberto Durán.

On the undercard Russian cruiserweight Alexander Alexeev dropped Dominican Louis Azille in the second, Ukranian heavyweight Taras Bidenko scored a unanimous decision over Briton Michael Sprott and German heartthrob and female WBC featherweight champ Ina Menzer TKOd American Stacey Reile in the fourth.

More accurate picture to come later.

Photo Source: Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

Sidorenko Loses Decision and Bantamweight Title