Mares KO’d by Gonzalez: Why the Featherweights are special

By Boxing News - 08/25/2013 - Comments

024(Photo credit: Naoki Fakuda) By Hector Gonzalez: Here is why Mares getting knocked out was special. Most boxing fans are accustomed to watching welterweights, middleweights and heavy weights. Some notable light weights, but in general very few people talk about featherweights. In my opinion, that’s where the real magic happens. For example, one of the best technicians in Nonito Donaire losses to an even better technician in Rigondeux. Undoubtably in the top 5 lists of technicians in boxing today,fighting one another.

Some of my favorite fights in the last 15 years have been in the featherweight divisions. Such trilogies (what other divisions are having trilogies?), Morales vs Barrera, Israel Vasquez vs Rafael Marquez, Pacquiao vs Morales. Even Gonzalez vs Vasquez was a great right. How about Juan Manuel Lopez vs Orlando Salido.

Juan Manuel Lopez was not suppose to lose to Orlando Salido, yet he does in front of his hometown. Salido then loses to Mikey Garcia who has great defense but is also one of the best, if not the best counter punchers in boxing today.

The fight is being called an upset because Abner Mares was not suppose to lose to Jhonny Gonzalez, but the real upset is that Jhonny Gonzalez didn’t get the respect that he deserved walking into the ring. How could that happen? Jhonny Gonzalez is an exceptional fighter, whose biggest defeats have come from exceptional fighters as well.

The featherweight offers very raw talent. The magic lies in that there is nothing that could be taken away from Mares, how could you? He’s a 3 time world champion who TKO’d the same guy that defeated Jhonny Gonzalez. The notion that Mares lost offers a refreshing dose of realness to us as fans. The notion that three boxing friends, Mares, Gonzalez and Ponce De Leon fight each other, what other division has that plot line?

The featherweight division provides a virtue of boxing that no other division above is providing. That the best are always fighting the best.



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