The Brewing War

Loving the sport of Boxing could be a difficult thing at times, especially when your favoured weight category in the sport consists of gladiators weighting in at 112 lbs. While most of the fan base drools over the welterweight division and heavier weight classes, i savour in the amazing scent of a bubbling war that is brewing underneath the nostrils of the hype machine. 112 lbs, "hell, i think even my 15 yr old sister would knock them the fluck out in Dos rounds" is a statement i have heard and read numerous times when flyweights are brought up into a boxing conversation. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but i do believe the sheer amount of energy, technique and versatility found at 112 is unmatched by any weight class at this moment. With technically sound and masterful boxers such as Juan Francisco Estrada holding two crowns, Akira Yaegashi being a king amongst greats, a slugger with the heart of a lion such Giovani Segura, and menacing newcomers to the division that usher in a dynamic twist to the field such as the explosive Roman Gonzalez and Japans Prince, Kazuto Ioka… the electricity is enveloping. Milan el Metodico Melindo and fresh into the scene John Riel Casimero, Dethroned King Brian Viloria are here to reclaim glory to their homeland after being left with only 2 champions. Luis Concepcion, Hernan Marquez, Edgar Sosa are all here attempting to rekindle their greatness. With those names as well as many others that haven't been mentioned and the realistic possibility of light flyweights moving up such as Moises Fuentes and Donnie Nietes, the lower weights of boxing are more alive than ever. With amazing match ups in the works, new brawls brewing, and possibly a few classics in the making, perhaps its time to give the smaller guys a bigger shot. For the fans of the division out there, who do you see conquering the division? What upcoming or possible match ups are you most excited about? Im rooting for Juan Francisco Estrada to reign supreme for a while.

Comments (9)

To most people it looks like a bunch of rich fat guys pitting 2 starved children against each other for $$$ (which is kind exactly of what it is). Regardless of the talent its hard to get past that imagery. You're right but thats the case for boxing itself regardless of weight. We as fans of the sport see the science, the beauty and appreciate it deeply. The promoters for the most part laugh at these poverty stricken men(for the most part) fighting for the bread crumbs off their tables. Thing is i read comments where folks think it would be best to abolish weight divisions below 126, etc.. but that would be a waste of talent. At times these tiny warriors physical frames can't carry them anywhere higher than where they are currently positioned at. I noticed that other than the US, the rest of the world appreciates these small guys. Perhaps because they can identify with their background, physical traits, or the fans have a deeper appreciation for what they are doing in the ring. The thing is that the fans that garner true revenue are mostly reached through PPV showtime and HBO, and sadly not TV Azteca or ABS CBN, etc...

12y ago

ShoulderRoll

The Showtime bantamweight tournament was fun and it did a lot for Abner Mares' reputation. Seeing something similar at flyweight right now would be awesome. And you have to figure that it wouldn't be that expensive to put on.

12y ago

Aztekkas

remember when showtime had the bantamweight tournament? not only was the division cleaned out but it brought attention to 118 and a lot of folks discovered new boxers in the mainstream. They got to witness exciting bouts that are so common below 140. I believe with the current talent pool at Flyweight, a tournament will attract new fans due to the sheer level of excitement these small men put in every outing. Personally i want to see Yaegashi vs Gonzalez and Segura vs Estrada, winners fights each other to further unify and have a true Ring Champ. Viloria vs Segura/Marquez 2 or Viloria vs Ioka would be fireworks. Melindo vs Sosa would be interesting. Casimero said he wants Estrada but Reveco and him would also be good. its just amazing how many match ups we could get.

12y ago

soul_survivor

I'm not gonna lie, it's hard to appreciate guys who fight under 118. They're just so small. I gotta agree with this, even as a hardened, long time boxing fan, I see these guys, even guys at 126 in all honesty and they look like twigs. There's still the thought "I'd knock em spark out", then the boxing side of my brain kicks in but with casual fans, they see this and they're like, "na why do I wana watch midgets fight?". It's the sad reality of it all.

12y ago

ShoulderRoll

ESPN got poor ratings for the Wlad-Leapai fight. Maybe instead of wasting time with the heavyweights they should have invested in the flyweights instead. Putting together a tournament in that division right now is almost bound to pay off in terms of having competitive, entertaining fights.

12y ago

Public_Enemy

Estrada is my favorite in the division. He has many different facets to his style. The contrast between how he fought Viloria and Melindo showed he's not one dimensional/limited. This division gets very little recognition on this website though. I don't remember any threads about the Estrada/Mepranum fight and it was on TV in the US. I would like to see an Estrada/Gonzalez rematch. Gonzalez is an elite pressure fighter but he doesn't get much PFP recognition. Estrada/Segura would be great as well. There are so many potential matchups in this division and they can all happen. Gonzalez/Yaegashi is a fight I'm looking forward to as well.

12y ago

Bigg_Rigg

I'm not gonna lie, it's hard to appreciate guys who fight under 118. They're just so small.

12y ago

mannyFresh

I was seriously thinking about this on my way to work this morning. Thinking about how surprised I was that GBP or TR don't jump on some of these guys. Especially when you consider the market segments these guys would revive in the states. El Gallo Estrada and Chocolatito are 2 of the best fighters in the world and have a rematch brewing... The obsession with the WW's is getting out of hand.

12y ago

soul_survivor

It's a good, very under appreciated division. I've watched guys like Yaegashi, Estrada and Segura fight but it's a division I watch on and off, mainly cos it's so hard to catch fights on TV or over the internet. I would love it if some of these guys got more exposure on PPV undercards.

12y ago