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By Cliff Rold - There will undoubtedly be more U.S. television viewers for the HBO Boxing After Dark show. That’s okay. The young men who make up that card certainly deserve the attention; a couple of them (Alfredo Angulo and Yuriorkis Gamboa) could very soon be regular headliners and legitimate stars. Still, until proven otherwise, the best fight this week takes place on a small pay-per-view in a small division.
That doesn’t mean the stakes aren’t as big as can be.
The 115 lb. unification clash between WBC titlist Cristian Mijares (34-3-2, 14 KO) of Mexico and two-time WBA titlist Alexander Munoz (32-2, 27 KO), rated #1 and #3 in the most recent BoxingScene ratings, (Click Here To View), is a great fight on its own.
That it comes at a moment when the division’s center of gravity has moved firmly from Asia to the Americas, and at a moment when bankable action fighters Jorge Arce and Vic Darchinyan stand on the cusp of the title scene again, generates grand ramifications. And no, WBO titlist Fernando Montiel (36-2-1, 27 KO) is not forgotten; he, in fact, is the best possible opponent for the winner of Mijares-Munoz. It’s nice to know that such fights can be talked about realistically.
Too often, the smallest divisions are wrought with parity by way of regional stars with no incentive to travel. Right now, the regions are lined up, and so are the key players. That means the incentive for big fights lines up with it and a weight class long observed by the hardcore masses as one of Boxing’s best can prove it. Through the first four months of this year, the results say they already are doing just that. [details]
That doesn’t mean the stakes aren’t as big as can be.
The 115 lb. unification clash between WBC titlist Cristian Mijares (34-3-2, 14 KO) of Mexico and two-time WBA titlist Alexander Munoz (32-2, 27 KO), rated #1 and #3 in the most recent BoxingScene ratings, (Click Here To View), is a great fight on its own.
That it comes at a moment when the division’s center of gravity has moved firmly from Asia to the Americas, and at a moment when bankable action fighters Jorge Arce and Vic Darchinyan stand on the cusp of the title scene again, generates grand ramifications. And no, WBO titlist Fernando Montiel (36-2-1, 27 KO) is not forgotten; he, in fact, is the best possible opponent for the winner of Mijares-Munoz. It’s nice to know that such fights can be talked about realistically.
Too often, the smallest divisions are wrought with parity by way of regional stars with no incentive to travel. Right now, the regions are lined up, and so are the key players. That means the incentive for big fights lines up with it and a weight class long observed by the hardcore masses as one of Boxing’s best can prove it. Through the first four months of this year, the results say they already are doing just that. [details]
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