Boxing: Good and Bad

[H2O Man]

April 8
At Montreal (ESPN2): David Lemieux vs. Marco Antonio Rubio, 12 rounds, WBC middleweight title eliminator; Adonis Stevenson vs. Derek Edwards, 10 rounds, super middleweights.

At Laredo, Texas (Showtime): Marcus Johnson vs. Dyah Ali Davis, 10 rounds, super middleweights; Danny O'Connor vs. Gabriel Bracero, 8 rounds, junior welterweights

April 9
At Las Vegas (HBO PPV): Erik Morales vs. Marcos Maidana, 12 rounds, for vacant interim WBA junior welterweight title; Robert Guerrero vs. Michael Katsidis, 12 rounds, for vacant WBO/WBA interim lightweight title; James Kirkland vs. Nobuhiro Ishida, 8 rounds, middleweights; Paulie Malignaggi vs. Jose Cotto, 10 rounds, welterweights

At Newark, N.J. (Integrated Sports PPV): Tomasz Adamek vs. Kevin McBride, 12 rounds, heavyweights.

Boxing is a strange fight. I consider boxers, as a group, to be the most honorable people I've encountered. Yet, the majority of managers, and almost all promoters, are parasites. This weekend's fights will showcase both the very good and very bad aspects of the sport.

Tonight's ESPN FNF's and ShowBox cards will feature good young contenders in competitive bouts. These fighters are all looking to move up in the rankings, to secure “big” fights later in the year. The ESPN main event is actually to open the way to a title bout.

On Saturday, there are three good fights. In Newark, Tomaz Adamek fights a tune-up against trial horse Kevin McBride. Adamek's people picked this fight, because McBride is close in size to the Klitschko brothers. If Tomaz wins – which he almost certainly will – he hopes to get a shot at either Wladimir or Vitali late in 2011.

McBride's one “claim to fame” came when he defeated Iron Mike in Tyson's last fight. Like everyone except Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis, that victory did not translate into a bright future. Few outside of the serious boxing fans could name anyone McBride beat after the Tyson fight ….or anyone he lost to. Still, reports from his training camp suggest that McBride has trained very hard for this fight, and is confident he will upset his smaller foe.

The HBO PPV card has some of the sport's bigger names on it. Paulie Malignaggi is again on the come-back trail, fighting the far less talented brother of Miguel Cotto. It's a “club fight.” It could be entertaining, but neither of these guys will ever win another important fight.

Recently released from prison, James Kirkland continues in his quest to regain top contender status. Kirkland is an explosive puncher, who is among the most entertaining fighters in the sport today.

After two light tune-ups, he is facing a more serious challenge. James is now trained by Kenny Adams, who I believe will be able to nurture the self-discipline that Kirkland needs in the ring. (Many years ago, Kenny helped my brother and I in the amateur ranks.) Also, James has been tutored by Bernard Hopkins, in the self-discipline needed to stay out of prison.

The Guerrero vs Katsidis fight could easily be a “main event.” Both fighters are talented professionals. Guerrero is a better technician, but he is moving up in weight to fight a stronger, hard puncher. It may be difficult for Guerrero to hurt Katsidis (excluding the “perfect punch he never saw coming”). I tend to favor Katsidis.

In the main event, Erik Morales faces Marcos Maidana in a 12 round “title” bout. Morales is hoping to be the first Mexican to win titles in four weight divisions. I believe this fight is dangerous to his health.

Although Morales is “only” 34, he turned professional in 1993. During his career, he proved himself to be one of the all-time greats. He fought exciting series of bouts with two other great champions, Marco Antonio Barrera and Manny Pacquiao. In each case, he won the first bout, then lost the next two. After going 47-1, he would lose five or his next six – including two devastating knockouts – before retiring.

After about 30 months out of the ring, he decided to make a come back. It was reportedly a decision made by his desire to win that fourth title, not because of financial need. And he has won three in a row, against fair competition. However, Morales has clearly not aged well in the ring.

Maidana is younger, larger, an explosive puncher, and is in his prime. He has a record of 29-2, with 27 knockout victories. His first loss came in his 26th fight, when he traveled to Germany to fight a top contender in his hometown. Maidana lost by split-decision, in a fight that most people believe he clearly won.

In his last fight, he lost to Amir Khan, who holds the WBA junior welterweight title. Although Maidana was hurt by a body shot in the first round, he came very close to taking Khan out in the final three rounds.

In June of 2009, Maidana upset Oscar de la Hoya's top prospect, Victor Ortiz (who fights Andre Berto next weekend!), in a six-round, action-packed fight, in which both fighters were floored.

After Morales' last fight, I've been told that he complained in his dressing room that he suffers from “head aches” after each bout on his comeback. That is alarming. It is a clear warning that he is risking his health by continuing to box.

Older fighters who are fighting too long almost never fare well against younger, stronger, and larger opponents. Even without these “head aches,” Morales has no business fighting Maidana at this point in his career. It doesn't matter if he somehow pulls out a victory – which isn't impossible, in theory – because taking Maidana's punches can only do long-term damage to him.

There are very, very few boxing matches that I am not interested in watching. Fewer main events, still. But I do not have any interest in seeing this fight. It has the potential to end tragically on Saturday – and I am not kidding. This kid Maidana hits extremely hard.

The promoter and Erik's manager are aware that, after signing for the bout, Morales has admitted that he wonders if he is making a mistake. You might call Erik brave, or stubborn. But you have to call the promoter and manager parasites.

[JonLP24]

1. I remember Khan

Now that I think of it. It wasn't Prescott-Khan that I've seen. It was Prescott in a fight after he fought Kahn because I remember clips of his match against Kahn being played during the fight. I hope the HBO fight ends well.

[H2O Man]

3. I think that Prescott

is getting his career back on track. Sometimes a big win puts a fighter in a strange place -- unless they have the correct management & promotion. Note how Khan got the far superior support and attention after Prescott flattened him.

[Auggie]

2. I'll set the DVR for Johnson and Davis

You're turning me into a boxing fan again, H20 Man.

On edit: Even better, I can watch it live at 8:00 on the West Coast.

[H2O Man]

4. Greedy promoters

did a lot to ruin the sport, and turn many fans away, during the past twenty years. The very best fighters tended to avoid each other, and mismatches were sold on PPV.

I think 2011 will be a good year for the sport, including fans that want serious fights. Of course, the wild card remains the potential for a Mayweather vs Pacquiao super fight. I've communicated with Floyd a few times in the past two weeks, and while he is no more likely to tell me than anyone else outside his circle, I have a very strong feeling the fight will happen at the end of this year.

[KamaAina]

5. Spoiler: Lemieux chokes his brains out

He was using the opponent Rubio as a human punching bag through five. Yet he did not get out of the seventh. His own corner waved it off.

Amazingly, in a city that has had riots after Canadiens victories, there was not so much as a cascade of boos. :shrug:

[H2O Man]

6. Rubio had told Teddy

before the fight that once he took Lemieux past four or five rounds, he would be able to stop him late.

In the second round, my son asked me what -- if I were in Rubio's corner -- I would tell him to do? I said exactly what he is doing, except not leaning over when he was trying to punch from too far away. Close that distance with his feet. My son said that there was no way Rubio could win doing that.

After the fight, my son said that "it doesn't make any sense." True. Boxing is often decided by things that do not seem governed by the rules of logic. One would generally prefer to get tired by punching another, rather than by being punched. But Rubio's defense was pretty solid. He wasn't getting hit by consecutive punches.

I'm familiar with Lemieux's trainer -- a talented man. He teaches (correctly) that every punch in a combination becomes harder than the one before it. So Lemieux's hardest punches tended to miss the target, and missing punches is tiring. Especially those when you load-up.

You noticed also that Rubio began moving forward around the end of round four. Lemieux couldn't adjust. He wasn't prepared for that. Before the last round, his trainer's final instruction was to clinch, and then "you'll be alright." The idea was to slow the pace, change the dynamics, and hope to catch his "second wind." Rubio started the round by letting his foe come forward, throwing -- and missing -- some punches. Once the gas tank was empty, Rubio began to again back him up.

I respect the corner's decision. They kept their man from being hurt more. Did you notice the swelling on Lemieux's right cheek? It started two rounds earlier, and was getting large. Bad sign.