By Dave Sholler
After a brief lull, boxing action returns in full force this weekend with a bevy of exciting bouts. From Juan Manuel Marquez’s quest to upend Ring Magazine lightweight champion Joel Casamayor to Vernon Forrest’s goal to recapture the WBC 154-pound title from Sergio Mora, fans of the sweet science are surely in for a treat.
Many puzzles should be solved this weekend. In addition to the Marquez-Casamayor lightweight battle, triple champion Nate Campbell will defend his 135-pound titles against sparkplug Joan Guzman. The outcomes of these bouts will undoubtedly provide better clarity as to which fighters reign supreme in the very talented lightweight division.
In addition to sorting out a thick weight class, this weekend should show whether or not certain fighters have continued to progress. Newly crowned WBC junior welterweight belt holder Tim Bradley returns to make his first defense against Edner Cherry. We will see if the 140-pound champion is the real deal or if his win over Junior Witter in May was an anomaly. Likewise, we will learn whether junior welterweight prospect Victor Ortiz, slated to face Roberto Arrieta on the undercard of Casamayor-Marquez, has developed the maturity necessary to one day wear a world title.
All in all, this weekend should provide a ton of answers as we move toward the closing months of 2008. With that said, let’s take a look at five things we ought to learn after Saturday night’s jam-packed boxing cards.
5: Can Joel Casamayor dodge another bullet?
Last November, Casamayor dodged a bullet named Jose Armando Santa Cruz. According to many who sat ringside at Madison Square Garden on November 10, 2007, Santa Cruz had been robbed of a decision victory over Casamayor. Most believed the 37-year-old Cuban Casamayor was given a gift on two of the three judges’ scorecards. Nevertheless, he slid by and escaped with a victory.
In his first bout of 2008 in March, Casamayor found himself in another sticky situation, this time against the gritty Michael Katsidis. While Casamayor eventually scored a 10th round TKO win over the Austrailian, the Florida resident was nearly stopped in the sixth. Consider that another bullet ducked and dodged.
On Saturday, Casamayor may not be so lucky. Juan Manuel Marquez is a persistent, fearless warrior who possesses one of boxing’s biggest hearts. There may not be an opportunity for Joel to get up if he’s clipped by his Mexican opponent. Does Casamayor have nine lives?
4. Is Tim Bradley the real deal?
Yes, he is undefeated. And yes, he looked terrific against Junior Witter in May. But is 25-year-old Tim Bradley in the same class as Ricky Hatton and Paulie Malignaggi? Instinctually speaking, Bradley appears to have all of the tools needed to be a mainstay at 140-pounds. However, we have seen young champions suffer setbacks before.
In preparing for “Cherry Bomb,” Bradley will need to make sure that he is sharp. Although Cherry has not fared well in bouts against big names thus far (losses to Malignaggi and Santa Cruz), he is still just 26 years old. He’ll be ready to test Bradley come Saturday and take the champion’s place on the junior welterweight food chain.
3. Which is fiercer: Nate Campbell’s bark or bite?
Boy can Nate Campbell talk. And talk. And talk some more. In essence, he is a journalist’s dream. Ever stuck for quotes? Call Nate Campbell.
Nate will need to do more than just speak on Saturday night. The 36-year-old will be defending his WBA, WBO, and IBF lightweight titles against the unbeaten Joan Guzman. Despite lacking power, Guzman possesses a high work rate and likes to throw punches in bunches. The Dominican Republic native has also been impressive in his last outings, most notably in wins over Humberto Soto and Antonio Davis. With all of that being said, Guzman seems like the perfect challenger to knock Campbell off of his 135-pound throne.
On the flip side, Campbell looked impressive against youngster Juan Diaz in March. Can he follow up with an equally remarkable performance on Saturday? Only time will tell.
2. Sergio Mora: Distracted?
His name was mentioned in a potential bout with middleweight king Kelly Pavlik. He was considered for a bout with Oscar De La Hoya, too. Given that his name was mentioned in such lucrative bout discussions, has 154-pound champion Sergio Mora been able to keep his focus? Has the California native been able to keep a keen eye on his contractually mandated rematch with Vernon Forrest?
The answers to these questions will ultimately be provided in 24 hours. As we all know, distractions run rampant in the sweet science. Thanks to rich purses and profitable endorsement deals, athletes in the sport of boxing are best served to “think big.” Still, the process of getting big begins with keeping your eye on the prize. In an industry that creates hype machines, many boxers fail to take the required baby steps.
Sergio Mora has his first major world title. Will he be focused enough to defend it?
1. Does the boxing country have room for old men?
Joel Casamayor is 37. Vernon Forrest is 37. Nate Campbell is 36. Juan Manuel Marquez is 35. Regardless of the apparent abundance of youth in boxing, the aforementioned fighters all still possess world-class skills. Each is still worthy of being called a champion.
Questions regarding their respective hour glasses remain nonetheless. Will Casamayor’s streak of escaping tight bouts with victories finally end on Saturday? Has Marquez been in one too many wars to remain a force? Can Campbell continue his career revival? Has Vernon “The Viper” been reduced to snake skin?
There are plenty of questions. On Saturday, we will hopefully get some answers.
STIFF JABS: I’m curious to see Paul Williams jump up to 160 pounds to take on Andy Kolle later this month. Kolle may not be the biggest name at middleweight, but his presence should give us an idea of what “The Punisher” is capable of at the higher weight class. The days are winding down to Mayorga-Mosley. The question remains: does anybody care? I think Mosley still has plenty to offer, but this fight doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. I have no problem with Antonio Margarito taking the rest of the year off. After his battle with Cotto and the subsequent media storm that followed, “The Tijuana Tornado” has earned some time home with the family. So Winky Wright is planning on fighting Arthur Abraham in early 2009? We will believe it when we see it. So far my Philadelphia Eagles are off to a good start. Rookie DeSean Jackson is the Floyd Mayweather Jr. of football. He is quick, elusive, and knows how to land…in the end zone. Let’s just hope the Cowboys don’t rob Jackson on Monday night (sorry Floyd).
Dave Sholler is a featured analyst for sports radio stations across the country. He also writes columns for several newspapers across the country, including The Corpus Christi Caller-Times and The Citizen-News. Reach him at shollerholla4@hotmail.com.
