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The Other American Middleweight
For the second time in the last three weeks, a thrilling Middleweight bout that ended with as many questions as answers gets a sequel. The last big sequel earned a passport stamp by way of some Florida geography form Arthur Abraham-Edison Miranda II and some Showtime love. Unfortunately for American fans, none of the cable outlets keeping the sport in the public consciousness are picking this one up. Instead, it falls to the ‘net savvy to catch Felix Sturm-Randy Griffin II.
If chapter two go is as good as the first, those fans should find pleasing rewards.
And if Griffin can pull the upset that almost was last October, the landscape of the Middleweight division can take an interesting turn.
As of today, Griffin is just another American Middleweight. American attention on the Middleweight division is focused almost entirely on one Kelly Pavlik (34-0, 30 KO). That’s as it should be. He is, after all, the undisputable World champion in his class. The blue collar Ohio roots don’t hurt his esteem, nor does the hurt he renders with his hands. It’s also hard to miss his American-ness, period, in a weight class dominated by European-based pugs.
Given names like Sturm, Arthur Abraham, and Sebastian Sylvester, Pavlik is the rare World champion whose best challengers really do represent the earth beyond. No matter what happens in Sturm-Griffin II, that won’t have changed by this time next week.
Doesn’t mean the world can’t get a little smaller.
Doesn’t mean Griffin can’t become the premier “other” American Middleweight.
Read the Rest at: http://maxboxing.com/Cliff/Rold0702m08.asp
For the second time in the last three weeks, a thrilling Middleweight bout that ended with as many questions as answers gets a sequel. The last big sequel earned a passport stamp by way of some Florida geography form Arthur Abraham-Edison Miranda II and some Showtime love. Unfortunately for American fans, none of the cable outlets keeping the sport in the public consciousness are picking this one up. Instead, it falls to the ‘net savvy to catch Felix Sturm-Randy Griffin II.
If chapter two go is as good as the first, those fans should find pleasing rewards.
And if Griffin can pull the upset that almost was last October, the landscape of the Middleweight division can take an interesting turn.
As of today, Griffin is just another American Middleweight. American attention on the Middleweight division is focused almost entirely on one Kelly Pavlik (34-0, 30 KO). That’s as it should be. He is, after all, the undisputable World champion in his class. The blue collar Ohio roots don’t hurt his esteem, nor does the hurt he renders with his hands. It’s also hard to miss his American-ness, period, in a weight class dominated by European-based pugs.
Given names like Sturm, Arthur Abraham, and Sebastian Sylvester, Pavlik is the rare World champion whose best challengers really do represent the earth beyond. No matter what happens in Sturm-Griffin II, that won’t have changed by this time next week.
Doesn’t mean the world can’t get a little smaller.
Doesn’t mean Griffin can’t become the premier “other” American Middleweight.
Read the Rest at: http://maxboxing.com/Cliff/Rold0702m08.asp
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