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By Cliff Rold - In sports, it can be a marvel to witness top talents at their peak. If those peaks extend beyond the norm, that’s even better. It can help us to contextualize what we’re seeing. This week in the NBA, the Miami Heat might be well on their way to sewing up a fourth consecutive trip to the Finals.
That’s a good thing.
In general though, in sport, static is bad. We are programmed to accept the broad concept that old gives way to new. It’s long been that way for boxing fans. New is excitement, desire, and the unpredictable.
Now, new doesn’t always have to mean young. Sometimes, we get a late bloomer; we get a Glen Johnson for instance. New can just mean fresh faces and, for US audiences, the established face of boxing could be in for an overhaul this weekend.
Two fights in Macau, China, and another in London, will pit fairly fresh faces on the world stage against three of the most established names in boxing. Vic Darchinyan, Nonito Donaire, and Carl Froch have been fixtures near the top of their respective classes for years. All three of them are matched in fights they could lose this weekend.
Nicholas Walters, Simpiwe Vetyeka, and George Groves are not unknown going into the weekend but they are all fresh.
They may also be ascendant.
Of the three established names, Donaire can probably afford a loss the most. Only 31, and fighting in his fifth weight class, there would be more opportunities. The 33-year old WBA “Super” titlist Vetyeka (26-2, 16 KO) is a fighter with a hot hand. Winning ten of his last eleven since falling short in a Bantamweight title shot against Hozumi Hasegawa in 2007, Vetyeka has already freshened up the Featherweight ranks. His stoppage of Chris John in December 2013 ended the longest active title run in the sport and cleared out a faded champion who’d hung on too long. [Click Here To Read More]
That’s a good thing.
In general though, in sport, static is bad. We are programmed to accept the broad concept that old gives way to new. It’s long been that way for boxing fans. New is excitement, desire, and the unpredictable.
Now, new doesn’t always have to mean young. Sometimes, we get a late bloomer; we get a Glen Johnson for instance. New can just mean fresh faces and, for US audiences, the established face of boxing could be in for an overhaul this weekend.
Two fights in Macau, China, and another in London, will pit fairly fresh faces on the world stage against three of the most established names in boxing. Vic Darchinyan, Nonito Donaire, and Carl Froch have been fixtures near the top of their respective classes for years. All three of them are matched in fights they could lose this weekend.
Nicholas Walters, Simpiwe Vetyeka, and George Groves are not unknown going into the weekend but they are all fresh.
They may also be ascendant.
Of the three established names, Donaire can probably afford a loss the most. Only 31, and fighting in his fifth weight class, there would be more opportunities. The 33-year old WBA “Super” titlist Vetyeka (26-2, 16 KO) is a fighter with a hot hand. Winning ten of his last eleven since falling short in a Bantamweight title shot against Hozumi Hasegawa in 2007, Vetyeka has already freshened up the Featherweight ranks. His stoppage of Chris John in December 2013 ended the longest active title run in the sport and cleared out a faded champion who’d hung on too long. [Click Here To Read More]
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