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By Cliff Rold - It was only a matter of time.
No matter how deep, no matter how exciting, being the best at Jr. Welterweight has rarely carried the cache that comes with owning the scale seven pounds up. When one thinks of Jr. Welterweight, the mind might wander to Nicolino Locche, Aaron Pryor, Julio Cesar Chavez, or Kostya Tszyu. When one ponders the history of Welterweight, the mind lusts for Mickey Walker, Henry Armstrong, Ray Robinson, Emile Griffith, and Ray Leonard.
Welterweight wins.
And who wants to be a “Jr.” anyways?
It’s true even when the field at 140 lbs. is tougher and deeper than its larger counterpart. In recent years, 140 lbs. has been on par with Bantamweight and Super Middleweight in the race for ‘best division in boxing.’ It remains today the rare division with a top ten actually housing ten fighters worth rating.
Welterweight has been as top heavy as any class in the game. Lineal World Welterweight Champion Floyd Mayweather (42-0, 26 KO) and titlist Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KO) reside there, giving it more cache than any other spot on the scale. The drop from them to Andre Berto (28-1, 22 KO) and Victor Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KO) is steep. There’s little to get anyone beyond the most devout interested from there.
Hardcore fans have had a fulfilling ride at 140 but it’s been a grooming period for the inevitable rise. Heat rises. In boxing, so does talent. A lot of what has made Jr. Welterweight a hot spot is coming to Welterweight.
This Saturday night on HBO, two of the best at Jr. Welterweight during its recent run, Marcos Maidana (31-2, 28 KO) and Devon Alexander (22-1, 13 KO), make their serious debuts at Welterweight. Maidana has left the door open for a return to 140. Alexander appears set to stay. [Click Here To Read More]
No matter how deep, no matter how exciting, being the best at Jr. Welterweight has rarely carried the cache that comes with owning the scale seven pounds up. When one thinks of Jr. Welterweight, the mind might wander to Nicolino Locche, Aaron Pryor, Julio Cesar Chavez, or Kostya Tszyu. When one ponders the history of Welterweight, the mind lusts for Mickey Walker, Henry Armstrong, Ray Robinson, Emile Griffith, and Ray Leonard.
Welterweight wins.
And who wants to be a “Jr.” anyways?
It’s true even when the field at 140 lbs. is tougher and deeper than its larger counterpart. In recent years, 140 lbs. has been on par with Bantamweight and Super Middleweight in the race for ‘best division in boxing.’ It remains today the rare division with a top ten actually housing ten fighters worth rating.
Welterweight has been as top heavy as any class in the game. Lineal World Welterweight Champion Floyd Mayweather (42-0, 26 KO) and titlist Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KO) reside there, giving it more cache than any other spot on the scale. The drop from them to Andre Berto (28-1, 22 KO) and Victor Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KO) is steep. There’s little to get anyone beyond the most devout interested from there.
Hardcore fans have had a fulfilling ride at 140 but it’s been a grooming period for the inevitable rise. Heat rises. In boxing, so does talent. A lot of what has made Jr. Welterweight a hot spot is coming to Welterweight.
This Saturday night on HBO, two of the best at Jr. Welterweight during its recent run, Marcos Maidana (31-2, 28 KO) and Devon Alexander (22-1, 13 KO), make their serious debuts at Welterweight. Maidana has left the door open for a return to 140. Alexander appears set to stay. [Click Here To Read More]
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