By Chris Kelly: Boxing fans and critics alike seem to be making out that World Boxing Council welterweight champion Andre Berto is ducking his mandatory challenger Seluck Aydin when really we all know the only reason Aydin has even reached the position of WBC Number 1 contender is boxing politics : He’s a huge name in his home country and sells a lot of tickets there. This was apparent in his last fight against Ionut Dan Ion, which practically sold out.
Unfortunately for Aydin he also showed in winning the WBC Silver Belt that night that he does not belong in the same league as Berto and possesses no where near enough talent to become a world champion. He is a puncher who’s career has been managed well.Why should Berto conform to the WBC’s demands which are fueled only by greed. He’s worked hard becoming champion and has earned himself a big name in the US by beating some big names and respected fighters such as Steve Forbes, Juan Urango, Luis Collazo and Carlos Quintana as well as arranging a bout with Shane Mosley which fell through. Plans for this match up have since been scrapped following Mosley’s one sided loss to current pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather.
Mandatory challengers are a subject that should be taken seriously by champions, and title defences are commitments that should be honoured. Although the responsibility here does not simply lie with the Champions, governing bodies (in this case the WBC) also must ensure that their challengers and indeed all of their rankings must be listed fairly and realistically. I am sure that if Berto’s top challengers were Mayweather, Pacquiao, Cotto, Clottey and Kell Brook then I’m sure Berto would be much more likely to oblige the WBC in defending against his mandatory challenger and of course the WBC would have a much greater argument for their case in insisting he do so. Do boxing fans really care if Berto shirks of the title defense against a unknown fighter of limited ability?
On the subject of ducking opponents, WBO Welterweight Champion Manny Pacquiao has come under criticism for opting to fight disgraced former champion Antonio Margarito instead of taking a third fight against rival Juan Manuel Marquez. Marquez and Pacquiao in their last two meetings have produced two of the finer fights in recent memory; the first being seen as a draw and the second a close majority decision in favour of Pacquiao whilst Mexican Antonio Magarito has been banned from competing for over a year now after he was discovered concealing a plaster like substance within his hand wraps after his loss to Shane Mosley. Both fights between Pacquiao and Marquez were incredible and both decisions could have easily been seen going in any direction. However Marquez, in his one sided defeat to Floyd Mayweather, recently proved he is unable to campaign as a welterweight and Manny is by now far past the point of no return as a lightweight. It is time to move on, for now at least. Whilst I do not believe Margarito deserves this fight and the payday that comes with it, there is only fighter Pacquiao should be facing and he is not a Mexican.
Manny’s fellow culprit, the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. currently seems to be in need of a credible opponent of any sort with every top welterweight having already been beaten by either himself or his Filipino rival or already tied up in negotiations to another fighter. This being said, with Don King now at his side, there is no way of knowing what Floyd’s next move will be. No advancements on a possible mega-fight between he and Manny have been made as of yet.
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