by Cliff Rold
Maybe Super Middleweight, with its “Super Six” and its Montreal mega-draw in Lucian Bute, could give them a run for their money.
Maybe.
It’s still probably not enough to do better than third. In the race for the distinction as the best weight class of boxing’s seventeen in 2010, the leaders are fairly clear. Showtime goes with the Bantamweights on Saturday night. HBO goes with the Jr. Welterweights.
Given the more proven veterans of the smaller class, Bantamweight probably holds the edge in terms of quality right now. In terms of depth, and youth, nothing quite trumps 140 lbs. right now.
Bantamweight has some of the best fighters in the world today. Jr. Welterweight, more than any other class, is the place to look for tomorrow’s potential pound-for-pound kings. In a year where it seems all of the best was saved for last, this weekend is a chance to satiate the hardcore base and show off the best of the sport in the ring to any casual passer by. With boxing’s two major U.S. networks both featuring doubleheaders, it’s no guarantee that fans will see four great fights.
It’s a better than average wager that says there could be at least one to go with a couple more that qualify as just ‘really good.’
Boxing doesn’t get much better than this.
Let’s go the report cards, starting first with the highly anticipated Showtime Bantamweight tournament.
The Ledgers
Yonnhy Perez
Age: 31
Title: IBF Bantamweight (2009-Present, 1 Defense)
Previous Titles: None
Height: 5’5½
Weight: 118 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 117.65 lbs.
Hails from: Santa Fe Springs, California (Born in Colombia)
Record: 20-0-1, 14 KO
BoxingScene Rank: #3 at Bantamweight
Record in Major Title Fights: 1-0-1
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 1 (Joseph Agbeko)
Vs.
Joseph Agbeko
Age: 30
Title: None
Previous Titles: IBF Bantamweight (2007-09, 2 Defenses)
Height: 5’5 ½
Weight: 117.5 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 117.65 lbs.
Hails from: Accra, Ghana
Record: 27-2, 22 KO
BoxingScene Rank: #6 at Bantamweight
Record in Major Title Fights: 3-2, 1 KO
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 2 (Luis Perez, Vic Darchinyan)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced in Defeat: 2 (Wladimir Sidorenko, Yohnny Perez)
&
Vic Darchinyan
Age: 34
Title: Lineal World Junior Bantamweight (2008-Present, 3 Defenses)
Previous Titles: IBF Flyweight (2004-07, 6 Defenses)
; IBF Jr. Bantamweight (2008-09, 2 Defenses); WBC/WBA Jr. Bantamweight (2008-10, 3 Defenses)
Height: 5’5 ½
Weight: 118 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 115.95 lbs.
Hails from: Sydney, Australia
Record: 35-2-1, 27 KO
BoxingScene Rank: #8 at Bantamweight
Record in MajorTitle Fights: 12-2, 10 KO
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 6 (Wandee Singwancha, Irene Pacheco, Victor Burgos, Dimitri Kirilov, Cristian Mijares, Jorge Arce)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced in Defeat: 2 (Nonito Donaire, Joseph Agbeko)
Vs.
Abner Mares
Age: 25
Title/Previous Titles: None
Height: 5’5
Weight: 117.5 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 118.6 lbs.
Hails from: Montebello, California (Born in Mexico)
Record: 20-0-1, 13 KO
BoxingScene Rank: #7 at Bantamweight
Record in Major Title Fights: 0-0-1
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated/Drawn: 1 (Isidro Garcia, Yohnny Perez)
Grades
Pre-Fight: Speed – Perez A-; Agbeko B+
Pre-Fight: Power – Perez B; Agbeko B
Pre-Fight: Defense – Perez B; Agbeko B
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Perez A; Agbeko A
Pre-Fight: Speed – Darchinyan B; Mares A
Pre-Fight: Power – Darchinyan A; Mares B
Pre-Fight: Defense – Darchinyan B-; Mares B+
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Darchinyan A; Mares A-
While Showtime’s Bantamweight tournament kicks off at 9 PM EST, HBO kicks off a half hour later with stiff competition.
And star power.
The show opens with a nice showdown of still proving top ten youngsters in Victor Ortiz and Lamont Peterson before turning to the man who would be Joe (or Ricky…or Naseem). He is the heir to the (British) Boxing throne with one little problem.
Marcos Maidana carries that problem in both hands.
Let’s go to the Report Card for HBO’s main event.
Amir Khan
Age: 24
Title: WBA Jr. Welterweight (2009-Present, 1 Defense)
Previous Titles: None
Height: 5’10
Weight: 140 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 137.65 lbs.
Hails from: Bolton, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Record : 23-1, 17 KO
BoxingScene Rank: #3 at Jr. Welterweight
Record in Major Title Fights: 3-0, 2 KO
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 4 (Gairy St. Clair, Marco Antonio Barrera, Andriy Kotelnik, Paulie Malignaggi)
Vs.
Marcos Maidana
Age: 25
Title/Previous Titles: None
Height: 5’9
Weight: 139 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 140.2 lbs.
Hails from: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Record: 29-1, 27 KO
BoxingScene Rank: #5 at Jr. Welterweight
Record in Major Title Fights: 0-1
(4-1, 3 KO including interim title fights)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 1 (DeMarcus Corley)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced in Defeat: 1 (Andriy Kotelnik)
Pre-Fight: Speed – Khan A; Maidana B-
Pre-Fight: Power – Khan B+; Maidana A
Pre-Fight: Defense – Khan B; Maidana C
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Khan B; Maidana A
The Picks
Beginning with the WBA 140 lb. stakes, it looked at one point like Team Khan would avoid this confrontation for much longer, if not entirely. It is to their credit that, instead, Maidana gets the belt opportunity he earned. Fans might, might, get to see if Khan’s rise up the scale has steadied what were tricky whiskers at Jr. Lightweight and Lightweight.
Since rising to 140, Khan has not been hurt but he hasn’t faced anyone who can hurt him either. Maidana can. This fight essentially comes down to a game of keep away…as in can Khan keep his chin away from Maidana long enough to win a decision or even score a stop of his own? Maidana is slower and his defense isn’t great but he’s got guts and serious pop. Victor Ortiz had many of the advantages in speed and athleticism of Khan last year and Maidana weathered to score the knockout. Twelve rounds is a long time and far too long to trust that Khan won’t get caught with anything. Maidana comes from way behind for a big knockout inside six, maybe even as heir to a different British milestone…Herol Graham-Julian Jackson?
At Bantamweight, Darchinyan-Mares is probably the tougher pick on paper. Mares is the younger man and a lot will depend on what he took away from a rousing draw against Perez earlier this year. In that fight, Mares started and finished strong but seemed unsure of himself in the middle rounds. If he is ready to make his move to the next level, to put together a complete championship class performance, he has the technique to outbox Darchinyan.
The aging power puncher has looked vulnerable recently, but he always does anyways. Darchinyan is never as wide open as he appears and the price for mistakes against him can be devastating. It may be, years from now, that Darchinyan will be looked back on as one of the most underrated fighters of this era. The pick here is that he will also be seen as the critical win on the road to Mares moving into rarified air at Bantamweight. Mares is the choice by decision.
Finally, it comes down to a rematch of one of the most underappreciated scraps of 2009. Perez-Agbeko was fantastic, fast paced stuff for twelve rounds. Fast is a key word too because the speed edge for Perez, combined with greater activity, ultimately told the tale. Agbeko has not fought since, a tragic continuation of the inactivity that has plagued an otherwise exciting career while Perez endured the grueling distance battle with Mares. Both men have a habit of being in action fights but the rest won’t help Agbeko as Perez again outworks him in an excellent, decision affair.
Then it’s on another rematch in the Bantamweight final.
Report Card Picks 2010: 37-14
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
