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By Cliff Rold - “It's weird...you know the end of something great is coming, but you want to hold on, just for one more second...just so it can hurt a little more.” – Unknown
There is skepticism in the air for at least one of the big fights on tap this weekend. Oddly, it’s the fight with the two biggest names, the two most likely future Hall of Fame entrants. The possibility of a bad style clash stopping a fight from breaking out has been discussed by this scribe and many others. It’s there. It’s legitimate.
This Saturday, for those who pay to see it, lineal World Lightweight champion Joel Casamayor (36-3-1, 22 KO) makes the third defense of his claim to the throne against Juan Manuel Marquez (48-4-1, 35 KO). No matter how it plays out in the ring, we know both grizzled old veterans will be there and are long past proving their legitimacy. Looking for angles beyond how the styles might, or might not, mash up, there are plenty of positive approaches.
There’s the Mexico-Cuba rivalry…the chance to talk about men like Jose Napoles and Kid Chocolate.
There’s the implications on a wild Lightweight class…will this lead someday to Marquez-Manny Pacquiao III? Will the winner face the winner of Saturday’s other big divisional clash between multi-belted titlist Nate Campbell and Joan Guzman?
Those are all conversations worth having.
One could also think about Knockout Kings.
In 1999, the first version of the video game that would morph into Fight Night unveiled its first version on the original Playstation. Needless to say, it was a blast, the best Boxing game ever…until the 2000 version did it up even better. Then the PS2 hit and Knockout Kings 2001 came with it, complete with a fantasy match-up mode. [details]
There is skepticism in the air for at least one of the big fights on tap this weekend. Oddly, it’s the fight with the two biggest names, the two most likely future Hall of Fame entrants. The possibility of a bad style clash stopping a fight from breaking out has been discussed by this scribe and many others. It’s there. It’s legitimate.
This Saturday, for those who pay to see it, lineal World Lightweight champion Joel Casamayor (36-3-1, 22 KO) makes the third defense of his claim to the throne against Juan Manuel Marquez (48-4-1, 35 KO). No matter how it plays out in the ring, we know both grizzled old veterans will be there and are long past proving their legitimacy. Looking for angles beyond how the styles might, or might not, mash up, there are plenty of positive approaches.
There’s the Mexico-Cuba rivalry…the chance to talk about men like Jose Napoles and Kid Chocolate.
There’s the implications on a wild Lightweight class…will this lead someday to Marquez-Manny Pacquiao III? Will the winner face the winner of Saturday’s other big divisional clash between multi-belted titlist Nate Campbell and Joan Guzman?
Those are all conversations worth having.
One could also think about Knockout Kings.
In 1999, the first version of the video game that would morph into Fight Night unveiled its first version on the original Playstation. Needless to say, it was a blast, the best Boxing game ever…until the 2000 version did it up even better. Then the PS2 hit and Knockout Kings 2001 came with it, complete with a fantasy match-up mode. [details]
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