Rafael Marquez, Glen Johnson, and the Ratings Update
by Cliff Rold
After waiting through the soft spot that was the early part of the fall, boxing kicked into gear in a big way last weekend. Showtime got the higher marks with one of the better televised shows of 2010, but HBO didn’t lack for compelling action.
Zab Judah, a former Jr. Welterweight titlist and Unidisputed Welterweight champion, took another step towards contention in his return to the lighter of the two domains. Lucas Matthyse probably felt like he did enough to get by Judah, but it was close enough for both men to come out looking fine. On the Judah undercard, Robert Guerrero, a former beltholder at 126 and 130 lbs., is clearly a Lightweight contender and continued to win with a lopsided decision over 2004 U.S. Olympian Vicente Escobedo.
That was HBO.
Showtime? It produced two knockout outings. Friday’s pre-fight report card picks of Glen Johnson, at Super Middleweight, and Juan Manuel Lopez, at Featherweight came to pass. Of the two, Lopez had the longer night.
The 41-year old Johnson continues to roll and must be considered live to win the “Super Six” tournament now that he’s earned a semi-finals slot with his stoppage of Allan Green. Lopez, the WBO featherweight titlist, had to endure some shaky moments, and lethal hooks, from future Hall of Famer Rafael Marquez.
The grades are in on both affairs:
Pre-Fight: Speed – Johnson B; Green B/Post: B; B+
Pre-Fight: Power – Johnson B+; Green B+/Post: B+; B+
Pre-Fight: Defense – Johnson B+; Green C-/Post: B+; C-
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Johnson A; Green C-/Post: A; B
Pre-Fight: Speed – Lopez B; Marquez B/Post: Same
Pre-Fight: Power – Lopez A; Marquez A/Post: Same
Pre-Fight: Defense – Lopez B; Marquez B-/Post: C+ for Both
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Lopez A; Marquez A/Post: Same
Green gets a bump in terms of intangibles despite a knockout loss to Johnson. Why? With his non-effort earlier this ever against Andre Ward still hovering, Green endured some rocky moments and kept to his game plan, kept trying to win the fight, before Johnson took it out of his hands. Green was much improved and had a real foe in front of him for it to matter.
Lopez is a thrilling viewing experience but the flaws he displays are going to get him whacked out sooner than later. Lopez took some bombs, and kept coming, but he abandons the pretense of defense too easily. Lopez’s lack of elite speed, in contrast to rival unified titlist Yuriorkis Gamboa, could make their budding rivalry less than compelling in the ring. Time will tell.
The impact of those results, as well as a shocking upset loss for WBC 108 lb. titlist Omar Nino can be found by clicking on the latest BoxingScene ratings. (the first, overdue, update since September).
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