By Jake Donovan
Photo © Natasha Chornesky/FightWireImages.com
Never underestimate the heart of a warrior.
Red-hot prospect Delvin Rodriguez made this mistake when he faced Jesse Feliciano last March. So too did Tournament of Contenders nearly a year prior, heading into the rubber match between Feliciano and their fighter Alfonso Gomez.
You'd think by that point, Kermit Cintron and his handlers would have recognized an optional defense against Feliciano as little more than a stay busy fight before a planned unification match with Paul Williams.
The three bouts producing three very different results, but all featured the same after-school lesson: sleeping on Jesse Feliciano can cost you.
Rodriguez' 10-fight winning streak was brought to a screeching halt after he was flattened in eight rounds after being up early.
Gomez wound up 1-1-1 in his three fight series after being held to an eight-round draw. The difference in this fight was that Feliciano was 2-4-1 heading in.
While Cintron emerged victorious, he struggled far more in his November 2007 bout than in any other victory, suffering a crucial injury in escaping with a stoppage win that many felt ended too soon.
Perhaps fringe junior middleweight contender Andrey Tsurkan knows the score by now, as he prepares to face Feliciano in tonight's ESPN2-televised main event. All Jesse knows is that he's ready for the best available version of his opponent, something he expects to be the case from here on out.
"The word is out, my opponents know they can't underestimate me any more," says Feliciano. "I always train for the fight of my life; I don't worry about what the other guy thinks. There's a lot at stake in this fight. This fight will be an early Thanksgiving; I want white meat tonight."
If there's any reason to overlook Feliciano's chances, it would be that the bout is taking place at junior middleweight, one division beyond the Vegas native's comfort zone. If nothing else, he's proven without a doubt that welterweight is where he lives, a lesson he was taught after staying far too long at junior welterweight, where five of his six losses have occurred.
Four of the five losses came in a six-fight span from 2004-'05, leading many to believe Feliciano was nothing more than a well-known pushover. An 8-round draw against then-unbeaten Al Gonzalez was respectable on its own, only it became the first of four straight fights where Feliciano failed to register a win.
The following three bouts were far more damaging to his reputation: an 8th round stoppage loss to Mohammad Abdullaev; a quickie knockout loss against Mike Arnaoutis on ShoBox; and a disappointing decision loss to Oscar Diaz on ESPN2.
A stoppage loss to Demetrius late in 2005 left Feliciano sitting at 13-5-2, and with little hope of a career revival.
Then came 2006.
The turnaround began in March 2006 with what was then viewed as an upset win over former titlist Vince Phillips. The bout took place just above the welterweight limit, where Feliciano no longer had to starve himself to make weight. It proved to be all the difference in the world. the lone loss over his past four fights was the Cintron fight, which turned out to generate far more praise than any victory.
"I couldn't believe how many people reached out to me after the fight," admits Feliciano. "Everyone saying they were so proud of me, and that the ref stopped the fight too soon. It was weird – it took a loss for everyone to truly believe in me.
A loss that didn't have to be had plans not changed so dramatically.
"I was ready, I mean READY for Cintron when the fight was scheduled for September 8. It's when the card got postponed that everything went wrong for me. Training camp was tight, but it fell apart after that. I couldn't retain my original sparring partners, had a hard time finding new ones. My son passed away, and I began thinking that I was taking the fight too early.
"Hopefully I showed enough in that fight to earn a rematch. Cintron has to come back after losing again (to Antonio Margarito earlier this month); I'd love nothing more than to face him again, get a chance to avenge my loss."
While a Cintron rematch is high on his wish list, another money-making opportunity has presented itself. Talks of a possible summer clash with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. have surfaced, a bout Feliciano believes will take his career to the next level.
"After this fight (versus Tsurkan) was put together, I was promised a fight with Chavez Jr was up next. If I had my way, I'd fight Chavez Jr right now. He's a big deal right now, but I know for a fact that I can beat him. A win over him - I wouldn't have to settle for fights like this."
Not that he dismisses Tsurkan, but more so the circumstances which surround the fight. With nothing else made available, Feliciano felt compelled to grab the first opportunity to present itself rather than growing stale on the sidelines.
The catch is that he has to move up in weight to take on a natural junior middleweight. He doesn't like it, but accepts it as part of the business.
"I was forced to take this fight, I really didn't have much of a choice. That's just the way (promoter) Star Boxing does business. I had to give up my USBA welterweight title to take this fight, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
"As long as they stick to their word and get me Chavez Jr next, I won't worry about it. I'll just have to do my part and win tonight."
A win can't be guaranteed in any capacity, but one fact Feliciano insists is an absolute is his chances of remaining a junior middleweight – slim to none.
"Even if I knock him out in the first round, I don't plan on sticking around at 154. The opportunity was there, so I grabbed it, but I will definitely move back down to welterweight after this fight."
But before then, all he can guarantee for the present is that the fans once again get their money's worth, while he hopes to use this fight as a springboard for better things to come.
"Even with the fight at 154, this is still a good opportunity for me. Tsurkan is energetic and has good stamina, which forces me to prepare for a long, tough night. But he's starting to look a little old, whereas I am in the prime of my career.
"Tonight will come down to who really wants it the most. By now, everyone knows how badly I want to win every time I step into the ring."
It'll be Tsurkan's loss – as well as the oddsmakers – if it's not a lesson learned by now.
Jake Donovan is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Tennessee Boxing Advisory Board. Jake can be reached for comments at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com
