By Dr. Peter Edwards
Quite often these days, I come across a fight that has very little chance of going the distance. When Kermit “The Killer” Cintron (26-1, 24 KOs) and Mark “Poison” Suarez (25-2, 13 KOs) collide at the West Palm Beach Convention Center in Florida, one of them is going to leave the arena on their back.
The trash talking and chest thumping is over, only the fight remains. The winner not only goes home with another notch on his record, he also picks up the vacant IBF welterweight title.
Insiders expect an action packed brawl between two fighters who like to move forward and throw power punches. The abundance of machismo oozing in this fight could fill up plenty of empty buckets. Both of them want to win the title by knockout, neither man wants to a decision.
Cintron was a fast rising prospect that quickly piled up a 24-0 record on route to landing a WBO title shot against the man that none of the top welterweights are willing to fight, Antonio Margarito. The bout, which took place on April 23, 2005, and televised as the main event of ESPN’s first boxing pay-per-view, was one of the lowest periods in Cintron’s career. The more experienced Margarito picked Cintron apart for five rounds and punished him before the fight was stopped. The loss, mixed in with personal and promotional problems, left Cintron with enough stress to destroy the mindset of most fighters.
He returned five months later to stop Francisco Parra in three rounds, a bout that rebuilt his confidence and healed some mental wounds. Soon after Cintron began to rebuild his personal life and his career. He got married, has two children with his wife Maria and bought a home in Wyomissing. On the career end, he was not resigned with New Jersey-based promotional company Main Events and struck a deal with Florida promoter Bobby Bostick, president of Bobby Bostick Promotions. No longer with trainer Marshall Kaufman, Cintron brought on one of the best trainers in the business to help him rebuild – Emanuel Steward.
Steward knew that Cintron had limited amateur experience, but he didn’t make things any easier for the tough Puerto Rican. He brought Cintron to his famous Kronk gym in Detroit and put him through the same tough training camp that helped mold some of his past champions like Tommy Hearns and Lennox Lewis. Cintron quickly began to pick things up from some of the older and more experienced fighters that would frequent the gym on a daily basis.
“When I went to the (Kronk Gym), I didn't know what to expect, but at the end of the (first) workout, everybody came up to me and shook my hand,” Cintron said to the Reading Eagle. “I became friends with everybody in the gym. As soon as you open the door, you feel that history of world champions that have come out of that gym, so it was a pretty cool feeling.”
While learning, he dreamed of the chance to redeem himself to the boxing public. The time for redemption came on April 19 of this year, when he met David Estrada in the main event of an ESPN broadcast.
The fight with Estrada exceeded any and all expectations as both men fought at a fierce pace that saw the tide change numerous times until Cintron closed the show in tenth round by landing vicious power punches that left Estrada defenseless, and immediately prompted the referee to stop the fight. The bout was labeled an instant classic by ESPN, and replayed numerous times by the network. The win over Estrada gave Cintron the number two ranking slot for the IBF welterweight title. Once Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vacated the IBF strap he won from Zab Judah, also in April, it opened the door for Cintron to land a title shot.
“I’m well prepared for this fight, physically and mentally. I’m here to win this world title. The first time I let it slip and this time I won’t let it slip. There will be way more changes this time around. Emanuel has me ready for this fight,” Cintron said.
In Cintron’s path to capturing a title is Mark Suarez, a popular Southern California fighter who happens to be the number one contender to the IBF crown and a very tough guy inside the ring. Suarez’s career has had it’s own share of ups and down. He too was a rising prospect with an unblemished 17-0 record when he was upset by Javier Trujillo, by way of a close decision in 2000. Two fights later, he was dropped a majority decision to Ricky Quiles in a fight that Suarez feels the judges robbed him. He kept busy in 2000, fighting six times in all. Then Suarez ran into some legal trouble.
A gun was found in his vehicle, he was charged with concealing a weapon and spent two years in prison. He went to prison as a junior welterweight and came out as a monster junior middleweight. He would not step in the ring again until October 2003, three years after the loss to Quiles. He slowly built his tall frame down the welterweight limit of 147. This was not the same Suarez that was going the distance with opponents, he was a new and improved Suarez that was knocking opponents out. Suarez worked out his body for two years while incarcerated, and factors that as the cause of his newfound power. Since his return to the ring, Suarez has won seven fights in a row – all by knockout. The last two opponents he knocked out had a combined record of 39-0.
In March, Suarez’s father Andy, who was also his trainer and mentor, died from a hard battle with cancer. Suarez was so overcome with grief that he almost gave up boxing. Like Cintron, Suarez hired one of the top trainers in the business, former world champion John David Jackson. A title fight Suarez would have been his father Andy’s dream. Suarez has dedicated the Cintron fight to his father, and promised to fulfill his father’s dream by winning the title.
“It’s a done deal. It’s final. It’s over. The next IBF welterweight champion is Poison. Kermit is going to get knocked out, that’s what he’s going to get. The memory of my father is making me stronger. John David Jackson has done a lot for me, for my boxing. I’m in the best shape of my career. You will see on Saturday night. This fight will not go the distance,” Suarez said.
One world title and two big welterweights that have their mind set on inflicting damage in the ring. Forget the judges. Forget the referee. This fight will never see the final bell. Two chins will be tested, and one of them is bound to crack before twelve.
The fight can be seen live on pay-per-view for $9.95, click here to purchase.
