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By Cliff Rold - To paraphrase George Orwell, all fights are dangerous but some are more dangerous than others. This weekends bout between 30-year old Mexican great Erik Morales (48-5, 34 KO, Ring Magazine #5 at 130 lbs.) and 31-year old Miami-based lightweight contender and 1996 U.S. Olympian David Diaz (32-1, 17 KO, #3 at 135, WBC titlist) is one of the latter. This fight makes me think about how to justify watching boxing on its bad days.
This fight makes me think about Leavander Johnson.
Johnson of course was the valiant lightweight warrior who lost his life following a brutal bout with Jesus Chavez in 2005. It was a fight that few saw as potential tragedy prior to the opening bell but the warning signs were there.
Johnson had lost a war to Javier Juaregui three fights prior and, at age 35, he didn’t have the legs and athleticism that were there when he stopped an undefeated Sharmba Mitchell in 1994. All he had was pride and heart. That wasn’t enough against the younger Chavez.
Chavez didn’t, never did have, single shot power. He won battles through attrition, through volume of punches thrown, through staying on top of his man and dishing as much punishment as possible. Without legs, Johnson was there to absorb that punishment without suffering that single shot that could have ended it before it was too late.
That scenario sounds too much like Morales-Diaz for comfort.
Diaz is an unheralded talent, but he’s not without talent. He defeated future welterweight king Zab Judah to advance to the Olympics and his only loss is to currently streaking junior welterweight Kendall Holt. The calendar may say he is the older man, but he is undoubtedly also fresher. He hasn’t burned his legend into the mind of boxing lovers with the wars Morales has left in his wake; no epics with Marco Antonio Barrera, Manny Pacquiao or Daniel Zaragoza. [details]
This fight makes me think about Leavander Johnson.
Johnson of course was the valiant lightweight warrior who lost his life following a brutal bout with Jesus Chavez in 2005. It was a fight that few saw as potential tragedy prior to the opening bell but the warning signs were there.
Johnson had lost a war to Javier Juaregui three fights prior and, at age 35, he didn’t have the legs and athleticism that were there when he stopped an undefeated Sharmba Mitchell in 1994. All he had was pride and heart. That wasn’t enough against the younger Chavez.
Chavez didn’t, never did have, single shot power. He won battles through attrition, through volume of punches thrown, through staying on top of his man and dishing as much punishment as possible. Without legs, Johnson was there to absorb that punishment without suffering that single shot that could have ended it before it was too late.
That scenario sounds too much like Morales-Diaz for comfort.
Diaz is an unheralded talent, but he’s not without talent. He defeated future welterweight king Zab Judah to advance to the Olympics and his only loss is to currently streaking junior welterweight Kendall Holt. The calendar may say he is the older man, but he is undoubtedly also fresher. He hasn’t burned his legend into the mind of boxing lovers with the wars Morales has left in his wake; no epics with Marco Antonio Barrera, Manny Pacquiao or Daniel Zaragoza. [details]
Gran Campeon
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