By Gerardo Granados: Next December 10 at a venue yet to be determined; top ten contenders Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz will try to make history by becoming the first ever New Zealander or Mexican heavyweight Champion. It would have been better if they were to challenge the heavyweight Champion of the World Tyson Fury, but as the reader already knows the Gypsy King vacated his titles and won’t be around until maybe fall of 2017. So, for the two top WBO ranked available, Parker and Ruiz, they will get the chance to win a vacant title.
Mexico has a vast boxing tradition; I researched and found a list of 175 world champions, titlist and belt holders. From the straw weight up to the welter weight division we can find many great Mexican fighters. Some of those 175 are multiple division Champions or multiple times one division Champions.
Just to mention one per weight I would say the names of Ricardo Finito Lopez, Humberto Gonzalez, Gilberto Roman, Jorge Arce, Lupe Pintor, Carlos Zarate, Salvador Sanchez, Erik Morales, Jose Luis Castillo, Julio Cesar Chavez and Pipino Cuevas. But none a single titlist at the cruiser or heavyweight division; having only one light heavyweight champion the late WBO Julio Cesar Gonzalez, one super middleweight titlist WBO Gilberto Ramirez and two middleweight belt holders Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Saul Alvarez.
I might not be correct, from New Zealand I could only find former middleweight belt holder Maselino Masoe; but at the Boxrec site he is listed to have been born and represented Pago Pago, American Samoa at the 1988 summer Olympic Games and to have residence in New Zealand.
By the way Masoe was trained by Kevin Barry, who is the trainer of the cyclone Joseph Parker.
Undefeated 27 years old Andy Ruiz took time to develop a more muscular body, but he still is an archetype of a traditional heavyweight; being 6´2” tall, with an average fighting weight of 265 pounds, record of W29 (19)-L0-D0; has fast hands, nice 3-4 punch combinations along with great punching power, he is also smart and patient inside the ring.
Undefeated 24 years old Joseph Parker stands 6´4” tall, an average fighting weight of 235 pounds, record of W21 (18)-L0-D0. I have no doubt he has faced and beat better opposition than Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder. Joseph has a solid jab, good speed along great power and killer instinct, he reminds me of a prime Evander Holyfield. In his last four fights the cyclone Parker has developed a tendency to drop his hands, but this can and better be corrected with ease.
I asked a friend his thoughts on the upcoming Parker vs Ruiz fight, he said he likes it and gave a good chance to Ruiz to win. I agreed with him because Ruiz is a big puncher, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins, none the less I believe Parker must be the clear favorite because he has better overall boxing skills than Andy.
Maybe the reader has little interest to watch this fight. Perhaps the fight fans are disappointed about the heavyweight division poor year. But for sure the New Zealand and Mexican fight fans will watch a fight that no one should miss.
I believe this fight has the style and all the ingredients to turn into an epic battle between two young lions hungry for fame and glory. I won’t miss this fight and I surely hope the reader is interested to watch a good fight next December 10. Not only because statistically it will deliver an historical achievement for the winner, but also because in this new era at the heavyweight division, we the fight fans, need to see the new blood that will take over to rebuild the historically once premier weight division.
I believe this is history in the making but what about the reader, do you agree?