By Dave Sholler
If you are a fitness enthusiast, you may have realized that the cardio deck at your local gym has become a little clustered over the past few days. Looking to gallop a few miles on the treadmill? Forget about it. Planning on grinding out some resistance work on the stationary bike? Yeah right.
You see, we all know that as soon as Christmas is in the books, countless men and women flock to local gyms with pipe dreams for the New Year of six-pack abs and bulging biceps. Meanwhile, dedicated souls like yourself who work out year round must compete for valuable cardio real estate with those who will surely let their memberships expire within thirty days. I mean, come on, will these folks actually renew their memberships once the gift cards they received for Christmas expire?
As angering as it may be to watch a poor, sweaty, fly-by-night novice cling to the handrails on a treadmill, let’s at least admire his/her attempt at a New Year’s Resolution. After all, good things come to those that are patient and work hard. With that said, it’s time to conjure up 2008 resolutions for our friends in the sport of boxing. From the flamboyant types like Don King and Paul Malignaggi to the calm and collected players like Sultan Ibragimov and Kelly Pavlik, it seems as if almost everyone in boxing can make some sort of pledge toward improvement in 2008. Here are some suggestions for boxing’s biggest names:
Ricky Hatton, Shamone Alvarez, and Zab Judah: Cut Weight
Hatton’s futile attempt to steal the undisputed welterweight crown from Floyd Mayweather Jr. exposed his true weaknesses. Struggling to string together combinations and sustain an attack, the former 140-pound king admitted that fighting at the welterweight limit was probably not ideal. Standing just over 5’6, Hatton is better suited for a return to the junior welterweight division. The British sensation should be applauded for his welterweight efforts, but the bottom line is that he is just too small for a division that features bigger, stronger competitors.
Like Hatton, Alvarez was one of boxing’s feel good stories of 2007, racking up win after win en route to an overall record of 19-0. However, in his Dec. 20 bout with Joshua Clottey, Alvarez also proved to be unfit for welterweight. Over the course of the 12 round IBF eliminator bout, Clottey bullied around a lean Alvarez, landing continual, hefty bombs. While we can admire Alvarez for staying on his feet, he too seems equipped for a future in the junior welterweight division. Considering he weighed 145 pounds in his last bout, it seems likely that Alvarez can easily make the 140-pound limit.
Of the three in this category, Judah has had the most success at welterweight. Still, after racking up losses to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Miguel Cotto at 147, it may be best for Judah to consider a return to 140. His quickness would be a great asset at junior welterweight and his experience would put him in the mix for a title shot. While the proposed bout with Margarito sounds intriguing, it would be fun to see “Super” Zab string together some serious wins. In today’s game, he can do so in almost any other division except for welterweight.
Paul Williams and Chad Dawson: Hit the Weight Room
A monster in the welterweight division, the 6’1 Williams can fight at almost any higher weight class should he put in the necessary weight room time. Since no one in the welterweight division aside from Carlos Quintana is thrilled with the idea of fighting the menacing southpaw, a move up seems likely. As scary as it sounds, the weight room could produce a stronger, more punishing Paul Williams in 2008.
Whether he decides to move down to super middleweight or remain at the light heavyweight mark, Dawson is on record as saying he’d like to get stronger. Having already committed to a stricter weight room schedule in 2008, Dawson could be poised for an unreal New Year. “Bad” Chad has as much upside in the sport as anyone, so a few extra squats and dumbbell presses can’t hurt if it means a more effective boxer.
Juan Diaz, Kelly Pavlik, and Paul Malignaggi: Keep on Keeping on.
All three fighters had a break out year in 2007. For Diaz, success came thanks to a great work ethic and improved ring generalship. For Pavlik, championships came in large part to a deep-rooted, blue collar, Youngstown, OH attitude and a sick straight right hand. For Malignaggi, triumph was a result of a continued mastery of the sweet science and a fearless mindset.
In 2008, all three fighters should continue the development process and hone the art of boxing. Each has the opportunity to be among the decade’s best and it’s all thanks to the trio’s ever-present desire to excel.
Sultan Ibragimov and Vernon Forrest: Prove You’re For Real
Despite their success stories in 2007, critics still find ways to question whether Ibragimov and Forrest are for real. In Ibragimov’s case, cynics want to see if he can defeat an opponent who is not on the downside of his career. While wins over sluggish Shannon Briggs and senior Evander Holyfield were decisive, Ibragimov’s true test will come when he battles Wladimir Klitschko in February.
Similar to Ibragimov, critics wonder if 2007 was a real definition of the fighter Forrest has become. After severe shoulder injuries derailed his career, Forrest pieced himself back together and captured the vacant WBC 154-pound crown in July. While we can never deny Forrest’s victories over the Shane Mosleys of the world, we can ask how much bite the 36-year-old “Viper” has left. Since he is one of the sport’s true good guys, here’s to hoping he continues his excellent comeback.
Jermain Taylor, Winky Wright, Bernard Hopkins, and Joe Calzaghe: Put Up or Shut Up
No one fell from grace in 2007 quite like Jermain Taylor. As he crumpled in the corner of the Boardwalk Hall ring on that fateful September night, Taylor truly hit rock bottom. However, after dumping Manny Steward and signing a non-title rematch against Pavlik, Taylor has the opportunity for redemption. Never has a Taylor training camp been so important.
For Winky, Bernard, and Joe, now is the time to sign fight contracts. We all want to see Hopkins-Calzaghe and we all surely want to see Wright fight again. In the case of Hopkins-Calzaghe, the time to iron out contractual wrinkles is now. Boxing needs this fight.
Similarly, Ronald Wright must understand that the one thing boxing fans hate most is inactivity. Even though he deserves the right to earn a fair purse in any fight, Wright must stop pricing himself out if he wants to remain in the sport. While it’s hard to put a price tag on taking a punch to the face, Wright did choose to pursue professional boxing and all the baggage that comes with it.
Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto, and Oscar De La Hoya: Sign on the right dotted lines
This series of New Year’s Resolutions is quite possibly the easiest to execute. Even though it may hurt his ego, “Money” Mayweather must avoid any ring that is enclosed by a cage. There is no doubt that he is athletic enough to compete in MMA, but the odds that “The Artist Formerly Known As Pretty Boy” could master jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai kickboxing in a short period of time are not favorable. In the end, the right business move for Floyd is to take a nice vacation and enjoy the time off before taking a Cotto fight in late 2008.
Comparable to the almighty Mayweather, Cotto and De La Hoya have control of their respective futures. With that said, Cotto and De La Hoya should see the rewards of fighting one another in early 2008. For Cotto, a win means a potential showdown with Mayweather. For De La Hoya, the fight means simply another historic, legacy-cementing war and another outstanding payday.
All of the abovementioned personalities contributed to a tremendous 2007 for the world’s greatest sport. Should they stick to their New Year’s Resolutions, there is no doubt that 2008 will be no different.
Dave Sholler covers Boxing and MMA for ESPN and Fox Radio affiliates across the country. His column runs weekly on BoxingScene.com. Reach Sholler at shollerholla4@hotmail.com.
