3,425 stories on BoxingScene are published under the Cliff Rold byline.
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The Heavyweight Champion of the World remains. The once great Erik Morales continues on. Yuriorkis Gamboa steps up and solidifies his place as a top ten Featherweight by defeating one. And Lightweight has a new ‘when is HE on again’ warrior in Brandon Rios.
By Cliff Rold - Opinions varied earlier this year when HBO head Ross Greenburg was quoted to the effect that HBO was out of the Klitschko, and Heavyweight, business short of a couple key matches. Given the rich history of Heavyweight, and its status as the division that produces the literal best fighter in the world, there was a purist impulse to see the viewpoint as unfair despite ratings evidence to suggest what Saturday made obvious.
By Cliff Rold - The great Joe Louis had a “Bum of the Month” club all to himself. World Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko (55-3, 49 KO) of the Ukraine has to share his with his brother, WBC titlist Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KO), but they share it with mutual domination.
By Cliff Rold - They will compete on separate telecasts, separate continents, and in widely disparate parts of the scale. Saturday’s main events take place over 100 lbs. apart and combine high stakes with what appear to be forgone conclusions. The favorites should win. They should probably win going away. Anything less, much less defeat, and the dissection of victory could come off sounding like the analysis of anything but. It’s probably not fair but so it goes in the high stakes world of a boxing game that sees its big names compete so seldom. Still, there is a reason the favorites are considered so. One is the dominant leader of boxing’s flagship class, undefeated since 2004. The other is a Cuban defector with eye popping athletic talents making his first real start against a contender at Featherweight. Does either have anything to fear? Let’s go to the report card, beginning with the big men.
24-year old Welterweight John O’Donnell (24-1, 11 KO) of Shepherds Bush, London, made a step up in competition Friday night at the Arena in Liverpool, winning over twelve rounds versus 33-year old veteran Terrance Cauthen (35-7, 9 KO) of Trenton, New Jersey. It was O’Donell’s ninth straight win since a surprising stoppage loss to Christian Solano in 2007. Cauthen, a 1995 U.S. Amateur champion and 1996 Olympian, loses for the first time in three 2010 starts.
By Cliff Rold - “El Terribleeeee…” When Michael Buffer, or any other ring announcer, extended the “e” at the end of Erik Morales’s nickname in pre-fight introductions, it was enough to raise the pulse of anyone watching. Goosebumps might creep onto the forearms. Erik Morales was fighting and that meant, almost always, that one was about to see a FIGHT. Twice over the years it meant the Fight of the Year. At least a half dozen other times, it meant a solid runner up. That level might not be attainable any more given with the ravages of time and age, but the goosebumps remain. To limited fanfare, after almost three years out of the ring, Morales is on the comeback trail. In March, he returned in a crowd-pleasing scrap with Jose Alfaro. This Saturday, he’ll face Willie Limond (33-2, 8 KO) of Scotland. They aren’t names on par with Morales’s best foes of the past, but his presence still means fight and Limond will know he was in one Sunday morning. Let the debate rage about whether or not Morales, at 34, has much to gain by continuing or should be continuing at all. It’s enough to assume the best Morales gone, to feel safe in reflecting on how the best Morales should be regarded. With titles in three weights classes and wins against some of the best of the 1990’s and 2000’s, the question is asked:
After a week with almost no fights on the tube in the U.S., the week ahead offers options on T.V., online, and on the dollar. The first of those options becomes television the day after and how many eyes find the replay will depend on the result.
Two members of the top ten found the heat of August, combined with heat in the ring, too much to bear, leaving them with first career losses. Their options, and room for optimism, going forward couldn’t be more different.
By Cliff Rold - The top of the Middleweight division is generally agreed upon for the moment. The kingpin, off his win over then-lineal World Champion Kelly Pavlik in April, is Sergio Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KO). Behind him by only a hair is the man who could call himself the uncrowned champion, Paul Williams (39-1, 27 KO), and have a case based on a thrilling, close win over Martinez last December.
By Cliff Rold - Mexico versus Puerto Rico is a storied rivalry in boxing for a reason. The latest example unfolded last Saturday night as Giovanni Segura traveled to hostile territory in Puerto Rico for a fight that exceeded even the highest expectations.