By Cliff Rold
After a strong 2009 campaign, this is it…
…for HBO anyways.
There are still a few more dots to be connected in the sport before the year comes to a close but boxing’s flagship network in the U.S. is drawing the curtain for a solid month. They haven’t closed with a weak selection.
It’s a rare tripleheader with a pair of interesting fights and a showcase with a storyline which might turn out to be interesting as well. It’s the least interesting contest in the ring, but the question of whether Jr. Welterweight Victor Ortiz (24-2-1, 19 KO) can be the star many see in him is worth finding the answer to. Whether veteran Antonio Diaz (46-5-1, 29 KO) has enough in the tank truly ask is doubtful, but their contest should be a decent appetizer to much more fulfilling fare in the evening’s other two contests.
The real main event, even if it is tape delayed, features arguably boxing’s best Heavyweight in his third title defense of the year.
The Ledgers
Vitali Klitschko
Age: 38
Titles: WBC Heavyweight (2008-Present, 2 Defenses)
Previous Titles: WBO Heavyweight (1999-2000, 2 Defenses); Ring/WBC Heavyweight (2004-05, 1 Defense)
Height: 6’7 ½
Weight: 246.9 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 248.6 lbs.
Hails from: Belovodskoye, Kyrgyzstan (Ukrainian descent)
Record: 38-2, 37 KO
Record in Title Fights: 8-2, 8 KO
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 5 (Herbie Hide, Orlin Norris, Corrie Sanders, Samuel Peter, Juan Carlos Gomez)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced in Defeat: 2 (Chris Byrd, Lennox Lewis)
Vs.
Kevin Johnson
Age: 30
Titles: 1st Title Fight
Height: 6’3
Weight: 242.5 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 242.2 lbs.
Hails From: Asbury Park, New Jersey (Resides in Atlanta, Georgia)
Record: 22-0-1, 9 KO
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 1 (Bruce Seldon)
Let’s go to the report card.
Grades
Pre-Fight: Speed – Klitschko B; Johnson A
Pre-Fight: Power – Klitschko A-; Johnson B
Pre-Fight: Defense – Klitschko B+; Johnson B
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Klitschko B+; Johnson B
This isn’t a fight which has generated a huge buzz amongst fight fans. Johnson’s build through the ranks has been quiet, even if he isn’t. As his record notes, the challenger is not a massive puncher but his power can be underrated because of how he gets it there.
He gets it there fast.
Johnson, who operates behind a left jab which is always working, with pop or as an annoying paw, lets loose with an accurate right hand. It’s got enough force to stun, to demand respect, even if it is unlikely to hurt to proven chin of Klitschko. He’s shown against lesser light like Seldon and former Olympian Devin Vargas that he can finish when he needs to.
Power won’t be a problem for the titlist, though his might be slightly overrated. Klitschko, a massive man, rarely scores the one punch stop. His knockouts come through heavy handed attrition. Since returning from almost four years off, he’s won three in a row inside the distance but none earlier than eighth. Samuel Peter, Juan Carlos Gomez and Chris Arreola were bludgeoned by what look like arm punches but clearly feel far worse.
Defensively, this fight has intrigue. Johnson is a relaxed professional, rolling his shoulders and picking his spots engage while maintaining the distance he desires. Klitschko is a master of distance which could create a chess match. Throwing an awkward upwards jab and punches which begin at bizarre angles, Klitschko levies a high price to get inside on him.
In terms of intangibles, Klitschko is the more known commodity. He’s faced better opposition, in victory and defeat. This is a massive step up for Johnson. So far, he’s passed all of his tests but this is like going from high school to dissertation. With a crowd at the PostFinance Arena in Berne, Switzerland likely to favor Klitschko, Johnson’s ability to tune out distractions will be a key to any chance of success.
The biggest fight, literally, of the night probably won’t be the best. That should come in the U.S. main event on the docket.
Let’s go to report card number two.
The Ledgers
Juan Diaz
Age: 26
Titles: None
Previous Titles: WBA Lightweight (2004-07, 6 Defenses); WBA/WBO (2007, 1 Defense); WBA/IBF/WBO (2007-08)
Height: 5’6
Weight: 138.4 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 135.05 lbs.
Hails From: Houston, Texas
Record: 35-2, 17 KO
Record in Title Fights: 8-2, 4 KO, 1 KOBY
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 5 (Lakva Sim, Julien Lorcy, Acelino Freitas, Julio Diaz, Paulie Malignaggi)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced in Defeat: 2 (Nate Campbell, Juan Manuel Marquez)
Vs.
Paulie Malignaggi
Age: 29
Title: None
Previous Titles: IBF Jr. Welterweight (2007-08, 2 Defenses)
Height: 5’8 ½
Weight: 138.6 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 139.4 lbs.
Hails from: Brooklyn, New York
Record: 26-3, 5 KO
Record in Title Fights: 3-2, 0KO
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 1 (Lovemore N’Dou)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced in Defeat: 3 (Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Juan Diaz)
Grades
Pre-Fight: Speed - Diaz B+; Malignaggi A
Pre-Fight: Power - Diaz B-; Malignaggi C-
Pre-Fight: Defense - Diaz B; Malignaggi B+
Pre-Fight: Intangibles - Diaz B+; Malignaggi A
Controversy still lingers over the first contest between Diaz and Malignaggi. This scribe favored Malignaggi narrowly. There was certainly a case for a Diaz victory, even via unanimous verdict.
There was no excuse for the two wildly wide score cards in Diaz’s favor. Gale Van Hoy’s 118-110 was hard to fathom and laid the groundwork for this grudge rematch. Analyzing the aftermath of the first bout, the following was noted :
Perhaps the most striking element of the fight, from the opening bell, was how different this Malignaggi was from the fighter who was stormed by Ricky Hatton last year. The legs were back and as the fight progressed, so was the swagger. His speed was clearly underestimated in the pre-fight report card and he used his hands and feet to control geography for steady stretches of the bout. Diaz looked downright plodding at times. Malignaggi needed to force Diaz to reset often to win on Saturday and did it enough to give himself a shot. To Diaz’s credit, his ability to whip off shots in multiple allowed for him to have his own moments throughout.
Neither man is much of a puncher, which was known before the opening bell and evident in the ring. It didn’t hurt the action as the pace was outstanding and the leather never really stopped flying. Power isn’t a prerequisite to a hell of a fight at the lower weights. Skills and styles can make for plenty worth watching and did here. Because each man was throwing, they were also catching but Malignaggi gets more credit for defense because he was more often able to deflect the rushes.
In terms of the intangibles, both men scored high. As Diaz pointed out after the bout, he never wavered at the sight of his own blood, a charge made after losses to Nate Campbell and Juan Manuel Marquez. The charge was always a little silly given that he was hit a hell of a lot, and hard, in those fights. The one bad sign tonight was that Diaz was troubled by Malignaggi’s movement far more than could be expected. He hasn’t faced a lot of Malignaggi’s type of style in his career and in the long run this weekend’s difficulties could be good for him.
Malignaggi gets credit because, just two fights ago, it appeared he might be shot. His performance against Diaz, easily still one of the best Lightweights in the world, says a lot about how good Hatton was that night and how much Malignaggi has left.
Malignaggi doesn’t have a style everyone loves, but he fights with guts and heart and makes the most of what he’s got. He can walk away knowing it still takes a genuinely elite Jr. Welterweight to convincingly beat him.
We’ll find out if the final statement is still true when both men step in the ring at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois. These are both known commodities, so there shouldn’t be any surprises. Malignaggi has almost no chance of scoring the stoppage, same as the first time, which means he has to be near flawless technically.
The naked aggression of Diaz means the same is not true for him. Diaz throws so much he can win rounds even while landing is smaller percentages than his foes. If he establishes his jab more on Saturday, he could make this an easier fight.
The Picks
Diaz is expected here to do so. Diaz can fight better than he did in the August battle with Malignaggi. It’s hard to imagine Malignaggi has anything better in the tank. So much of what Malignaggi does is based on flow and comfort. Diaz isn’t going to let him get the first so Malignaggi won’t get to the second. As shown in his second bout with Lovemore N’Dou, after dominating N’Dou the first time, Malignaggi can be adjusted to. Let’s hope he doesn’t have hair extension issues as was the case in that rematch; his chances would shrink even more. As it stands, a clear Diaz decision if not a late stoppage is the assumed verdict for this one.
The Heavyweight fight is a different animal. Johnson looks basic, but he’s very good at those basics and this may be his only, and best, chance to make a splash. His jab is going to trouble Klitschko, as is his superior speed. By night’s end, he’ll have hit Vitali more than any opponent since Lennox Lewis.
Put the fight in a neutral setting and a Johnson upset pick wouldn’t be out of the question. As it is, the European home field advantage should favor Klitschko is a fight which refreshingly surprises in its competitiveness even if the action is dry for healthy stretches. The big question is whether Johnson can take the punishment; it’s always safer to error on the side of yes in that equation when the answer is ‘don’t know yet.’ Look for Klitschko to win a debatable majority decision in a fight which might, as Malignaggi-Diaz did over the summer, lead to a rematch down the road.
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
