By Cliff Rold

Stories of old, in fistic terms anyways, fighters winning big fights against younger men have always been a reliable source of feel good vibes.  In the cases of men like Archie Moore coming back to defeat Yvonne Durelle, or Larry Holmes undressing an undefeated Ray Mercer, age in triumph provided special validations of even more special talents. 

In homage to “The Incredibles,” and by proxy Ayn Rand, too much special isn’t special at all after a while.

In a most unscientific of analyses, this decade feels like a little too much of what should be a good thing.  The order of things in athletics has typically been replacement, new blood flowing into the veins of the game for thriving futures.  Just in the last year, we’ve instead seen results like Vitali Klitschko over Sam Peter, Bernard Hopkins over Kelly Pavlik, and Juan Manuel Marquez over Juan Diaz. 

These weren’t fights where the age difference was a year or two; the victors stood tall with solid decades between them and their foes.  There’s nothing wrong with losing to the men noted; two of them are shoo-in first ballot Hall of Famers.  However, when age isn’t giving way…

…a relative of mine put it most succinctly.  In deflecting an attempt to explain why a much younger fighter assumed to be among the world’s best losing to a much older man wasn’t a bad thing, he stated, “If 37 beat 27, 27 just ain’t that good.”

It’s not fair.

It’s not circumstantially true.

But it would be unsurprising if it felt true to many.

It’s why any fan of the business had to at least be quietly satisfied with the results of other recent fare like the first bout between Chad Dawson and Antonio Tarver or the Paul Williams win over Winky Wright a couple of weeks ago.  In each, the younger man (Dawson and Williams in those cases) triumphed, passing an important hurdle between being a future star and a promising talent. 

They did what the instincts of time say they were supposed to do if they will truly be worth following.

This Saturday night, Puerto Rico’s 25-year old WBO 122 lb. titlist Juan Manuel Lopez (24-0, 22 KO) will be asked to do the same.

It would be surprising if it was easy.

36-year old Gerry Penalosa (54-6-2, 36 KO) may not rest in the public consciousness next to a Hopkins or Marquez, but the story of his career doesn’t leave him leaps and bounds behind.  From 1997 to 98, he was the lineal and WBC World champion at 115 lbs.  While he held the title for only three defenses, he would come close to reclaiming it in a 2002 second bout against the near-great Masamori Tokuyama.  Penalosa would lose a debatable call on the cards but in doing so he became the only man to force a split decision during a full distance bout during Tokuyama’s two title reigns. 

Out of the ring for all of 2003, the only man to defeat him since 2002, then WBO 122 lb. titlist Daniel Ponce de Leon, posted a decision just as debatable as Tokuyama if not more so.  In defeat the stage was set for Penalosa, who had fought only four times in the U.S. before 2006, to leave a lasting impression beyond the yellowing pages that make up the ratings of years gone by.  In his very next bout after De Leon, Penalosa secured a shot at WBO 118 lb. titlist Jhonny Gonzalez, some nine years his junior.  Through six rounds, he played the part of aging quality name, behind on two of three score cards.

Then he went to the body with authority in round seven and went home to the Philippines with his second major title a decade after he’d won his first.  At 36, he remains a quality and dangerous opponent for anyone.

Even Lopez?

The question mark is there for a reason.  Lopez has looked fantastic to date.  He went through the normal rounds of fellow prospects (Cuauhtemoc Vargas, RTD6) and faded veterans (Hugo Dianzo, TKO10) before securing his first major title shot.  The same De Leon who Penalosa went an argued twelve with was destroyed in s single round by Lopez in 2007.  Both title defenses since have also ended in the first with opponents who resembled the trembling Jell-O often across the ring from a prime Mike Tyson.

They know what’s coming.

Check please.

Lopez looks the part when the term ‘future star’ is thrown around.  122 has been a panacea for fans of action fights and fighters over the years.  In just 2007 and 08, Israel Vasquez and Rafael Marquez traded the lineal World title twice in three epic wars, the latter two of which were wide choices for Fight of their respective years.  So exacting was the toll of those battles that neither man has been back in a ring since March of last year.  We suppose they needed as much as wanted the rest. 

Lopez’s body has not been asked to pay those high prices yet and it bodes well for his future.  This is a division in search of a new leader and he’s got the freshness to provide it.  But, still, questions remain and Penalosa is the sort of man who can ask them.

If Lopez doesn’t let him, fans can grow more certain that he is what he looks like and that’s a good thing.

The Weekly Ledger

As always, there’s more:

Gamboa-Rojas Coverage: https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=19477   

Viloria-Calderon?: https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=19492     

Pacquiao Real History VII: https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=19516    

Picks of the Week: https://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=19502    

Cliff’s Notes…

For readers who have asked, the top 20 Jr. Flyweights piece should be coming this weekend.  Prepare to revel in lots of Asian and Mexican bad-assery…Dan Rafael at ESPN blogged that Floyd Mayweather and Don King could be headed towards a marriage.  Count this columnist as having his fingers crossed.  The combination of drama and havoc those two could cause together is just brilliant.  So is the thought of HBO having to produce a 24/7 show which King would have to be a part of...Speaking of 24/7, Hatton and Pacquiao for a half hour is just not that compelling but Michael Moorer is making the show worth watching.  Also, can someone please stop calling Manny Pacquiao the pound-for-pound champion?  It’s NOT a championship.  Except for the rarest of occasions, the designation can’t be won and lost from one to another.  On May 2, Pacquiao is a challenger for the World Jr. Welterweight title.  Period.  Why can’t that be enough?…Here’s a deal: I’ll watch Cory Spinks on Friday night so you don’t have to…My excitement for the new Star Trek movie is growing daily.  Captain Kirk, young again and back with the hot green ladies?  The world is righted.

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com