I take pride in the sport that I love. It’s more than an event and boxing is so much
deeper than entertainment. For me it’s a
part of life.
Last year was an
extraordinary time for boxing… and to follow up such an excellent year may seem
improbable, but with such a strong lineup of fighters on the precipice of
stardom… what seems far-fetched may become reality.
Through the first quarter of the year, we’ve seen some great
theater. Journey with me throughout my
mind as I break down the beginning of 2014:
THEATER
JEAN PASCAL BEATS LUCIAN BUTE – What was once a promising
fighter has now been reduced to a shell of his former self. Lucian Bute left his aspirations to be great
in the ring against Carl Froch. He’s not
the same fighter and Jean Pascal reinvented himself at just the right
time. Pascal may have fought himself
into a career defining match against Sergey Kovalev.
MIKEY GARCIA WINS A UNANIMOUS DECISION OVER JUAN CARLOS
BURGOS – What started as a beautiful display of technical boxing quickly turned
in the 3rd round. After being
rocked himself, Mikey Garcia dropped Burgos in the 3rd and easily
outboxed him the rest of the way. It was
supposed to be a lead up fight to a match-up with Yuriorkus Gamboa, but that
has since fizzled out.
LAMONT PETERSON REBOUNDS AND BEATS A GAME DIERRY JEAN –
Lamont Peterson had a lot to prove in this fight and Dierry Jean was trying to
make a name for himself. Peterson proved
that he still has the goods and can be a factor in the jr. welterweight
division.
LUIS COLLAZO ENDS VICTOR ORTIZ BY 2ND ROUND KO –
The return of “Vicious” Victor Ortiz was short-lived as the actor/boxer continuously
left himself wide open for Collazo’s well-timed counter shots. A beautiful right hook send Ortiz to his
knees and it was evident that Victor wanted no more.
GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN DESTROYS OSUMANU ADAMA BY 7TH
ROUND TKO – In somewhat of a disgrace, GGG’s bout was not televised in the
United States. The undefeated star in
the making traveled to Monaco and took apart Osumanu Adama, knocking him down
several times before the referee called a halt to the bout.
JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR. DOMINATES BRIAN VERA – It’s exciting
to think about what Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. could be if he matured and took this
whole boxing thing serious. A well trained
and focused Chavez punished Brian Vera for twelve rounds, landing crushing
shots at a high rate. A bout with GGG is
imminent and leaves this writer salivating.
SAUL “CANELO” ALVAREZ GIVES ALFREDO ANGULO A BEATING – The first
PPV of the year saw Canelo Alvarez looking to regain his way against a tough
Alfredo Angulo. It had all the makings
of a war! Unfortunately, Angulo didn’t
get the memo. A sluggish and slow Angulo
was obliterated by Alvarez for nine rounds until the referee stopped the fight at
the beginning of the tenth. Erislandy Lara called Canelo out after the fight…
and they will be fighting on July 12th. Watch what you ask for.
DANNY GARCIA ESCAPES WITH A MAJORITY DECISION WIN OVER MAURICIO
HERRERA – Golden Boy has been building Danny Garcia to be the next
superstar. He’s undefeated and was
showcased on Floyd’s undercard as a possible future opponent. I always said that you can tell a lot about a
fighter by how they perform after a defining win. Danny Garcia is lucky to have left Puerto
Rico with his undefeated record intact.
Mauricio Herrera controlled the fight and Danny ‘Swift” did not
adjust. Superstar he is not.
SERGEY KOVALEV WALKS THROUGH CEDRIC AGNEW – Following the
announcement that Adonis Stevenson would be taking his talents to Showtime and
pretty much crushing any hopes of a Stevenson-Kovalev mega fight, Sergey
Kovalev went out and did what he does best… knock someone out. His left to the body broke one of Agnew’s
ribs. Sergey is a beast… and according
to him in his post-fight interview, “Adonis Stevenson is a piece of s#$t”.
MANNY PACQUIAO EARNS VINDICATION WITH AN IMPRESSIVE
UNANIMOUS DECISION VICTORY OVER TIMOTHY BRADLEY – The build-up was intriguing… the
atmosphere was amazing… and the fight was the icing on the cake. Manny proved to the world that he’s still an
elite fighter. Bradley showed the heart
and determination we’ve all grown to love, but also proved that he’s not on
Manny’s level.
LET'S DIG DEEP!
Manny Pacquiao may not be the non-stop
wrecking ball he used to be… but he’s still an incredible fighter. At 35, being an aggressive yet cautious
fighter may be a good thing. It helps cover-up
a fighter’s #1 detriment… age. There’s
no doubt he’s lost a step… but by picking his spots, it enables him to continue
to dominate.
Danny Garcia is not what you want him to be. The undefeated fighter is a skilled boxer and
does a lot well... but he does nothing exceptional. He had good speed, decent power, pretty good
footwork and an average chin. His corner
is top notch and he’s a good technician in the ring. This all equates to a really good fighter
that will have a long-winning career.
The man is not special… and will never dominate.
Al Haymon is ruining boxing… yes, boxing has always been a
business, but it’s a business that was built on pride, heart and
determination. That’s where the passion
comes from… and passion breeds fandom.
If Al Haymon has his way, all his boxers will be fighting showcase
matches for years to come. He has no
interest in the preservation of the sport… he’s only interested in the
preservation of his fighters. The longer
they last, the more money he makes.
QUICK JABS
- It may be time for Bob Arum to step down… too stubborn for his own good. Undercards do matter and the cold war needs to cease.
- Golden Boy is not taking advantage of its obvious edge in depth from 140-154… I said earlier in the year that they need to strike while the iron’s hot and we’ve seen nothing but showcase fights. Thanks Al.
- I don’t buy the Erislandy Lara hype… don’t see it… and Canelo will expose him.
- GGG vs. JCCjr will be fight of the year… mark it. I’m seein’ Hagler-Hearns.
- Maidana will land a very significant shot against Mayweather early… and then lose 11 of 12 rounds.
- Pacquiao vs. Alvarado could be exciting… Pacquiao vs. Marquez V could be epic.
- Someone needs to piss Mikey Garcia off… or instill him with a mean streak.
- Felix Verdejo is a superstar in the making… hopefully the kid has a chin.
- Adonis Stevenson really disappointed me… it’s not like he’s young.. he’s 36. Why not make the biggest fight of your career and cash out? Thanks Al.
- Canelo came up at the wrong time… not much going on at 154… and not sure he can be dominant at 160+. Time will tell and the kid is young.
- Mauro Ranallo does not fit the Showtime broadcast… very knowledgeable, but his voice is more suited for MMA…clashes with Bernstein and Malignaggi.
- HBO needs to move on from Roy… he’s constantly bickering with Max Kellerman. If you want a fighter to do color commentary… it doesn’t have to be a legend.
- Timothy Bradley is the 3rd best welterweight in the world… and Manny made him look average… twice.
R.L.’S TOP TEN
POUND-4-POUND
- Floyd Mayweather
- Wladimir Klitschko
- Manny Pacquiao
- Andre Ward
- Sergio Martinez
- Roman Gonzalez
- Gennady Golovkin
- Timothy Bradley
- Juan Manuel Marquez
- Mikey Garcia
On the undercard – Canelo Alvarez, Danny Garcia, Guillermo
Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire
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