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By Jake Donovan - It seems like old times, or at least 2005, as all eyes are on the junior welterweight division for the second time in as many weekends. World linear junior welterweight champ Ricky Hatton defends his crown against former lightweight king Jose Luis Castillo (Saturday, HBO 10PM ET/7PM PT, live from Las Vegas, NV) in one of the years more anticipated matchups.
There was a time when such a matchup would highlight an active discussion regarding the 140 lb. weight class. Today, the only talk is whether or not this bout can help resuscitated it.
It was June 2005 when the division witnessed a major changing of the guard. Hatton kicked things off by kicking out longtime king Kostya Tszyu. Miguel Cotto would play the main room of Madison Square Garden one week later, on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day parade, a tradition that carried over two weeks ago for the third consecutive year.
Two weeks later, Floyd Mayweather Jr. emerged as the greatest threat to the crown in bludgeoning shopworn and hopelessly overmatched Arturo Gatti less than an hour after potential darkhorse Vivian Harris was derailed by unorthodox Colombian Carlos Maussa.
Perhaps it was too much all at once for the division, for years long on talent but short on quality head-to-head matches amongst the top players. Very little came of the division following Junior Welterweight June. Hatton went on to defend against Maussa in capping his Fighter of the Year campaign. Cotto survived the lone knockdown of his career to take out Ricardo Torres in one of the year’s best fights.
That was it.
Mayweather bolted for the welterweight division. Gatti sat out the rest of the year before himself preparing for a move 7 lb. north. Harris sat out while changing promoters, managers and trainers, though still keeping his boxing address, in fact to this day. [details]
There was a time when such a matchup would highlight an active discussion regarding the 140 lb. weight class. Today, the only talk is whether or not this bout can help resuscitated it.
It was June 2005 when the division witnessed a major changing of the guard. Hatton kicked things off by kicking out longtime king Kostya Tszyu. Miguel Cotto would play the main room of Madison Square Garden one week later, on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day parade, a tradition that carried over two weeks ago for the third consecutive year.
Two weeks later, Floyd Mayweather Jr. emerged as the greatest threat to the crown in bludgeoning shopworn and hopelessly overmatched Arturo Gatti less than an hour after potential darkhorse Vivian Harris was derailed by unorthodox Colombian Carlos Maussa.
Perhaps it was too much all at once for the division, for years long on talent but short on quality head-to-head matches amongst the top players. Very little came of the division following Junior Welterweight June. Hatton went on to defend against Maussa in capping his Fighter of the Year campaign. Cotto survived the lone knockdown of his career to take out Ricardo Torres in one of the year’s best fights.
That was it.
Mayweather bolted for the welterweight division. Gatti sat out the rest of the year before himself preparing for a move 7 lb. north. Harris sat out while changing promoters, managers and trainers, though still keeping his boxing address, in fact to this day. [details]
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