6 fighters you will miss when they’re gone

By Boxing News - 02/05/2014 - Comments

mayweather2256By @BoxingMuse: Fight fans this is a short list of current top boxers who have enthralled our sport for years, all of these men are near the end of their remarkable careers. This article briefly reviews and reminds you as the reader, that these ring icons time in boxing is shortly and surely running out. So treasure these greats while they are still live and active in front of our eyes. Follow and tweet me @BoxingMuse to give your opinion on this article or perhaps suggest a name I didn’t mention.

Thanks for reading.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Love him or hate him, unarguably the biggest star in the sport at 36 years old and with several fights left to fulfill his Showtime contract, in under two years ‘Money’ is surely heading to the bank to cash in on his stellar career for the very last time, after turning professional in 1996. Former ‘Pretty Boy’ has been boxing the best and the elite since 1998 and has never lost. Floyd is not as entertaining as former pound for pound greats such as Sugar Ray Leonard or Roy Jones Jr. but you can’t deny his talent and his mainstream draw. Who knows what the remainder of Floyd’s career will entail but you would be in the minority to suggest he will hang up the gloves with a blemish on his record.

Carl Froch

You will never see a boxer like Carl Froch in a ring again once he has retired. His boxing style cannot be taught, his best attributes cannot be adopted from a boxing textbook; you cannot develop a freakishly strong chin, gain the heart of a lion and simply acquire the warrior instinct. There will always be fighters more technically skilled than Froch, many of which he has faced and defeated in his 34 professional fights. We as boxing fans do not tune in to Froch fights to see the sweet science we watch Froch for all-out war. Putting the controversial Groves bout aside, which ended sourly through no fault of Carl’s, we should cherish the few fights ‘The Cobra’ has left.

Bernard Hopkins

Some people may not know but B-Hop actually lost his debut professional fight in 1988, Resorts Hotel, Atlantic City. This didn’t prevent Hopkins from becoming one of the most regarded champions of the last several decades. Bernard has beaten the odds so many times and has one of the strongest resumes in the game having being matched up against such premier puglisits as De La Hoya, Calzaghe, Trinidad, Dawson, Jones Jr, Tarver and Wright. Having turned 49 years old last month father time will inevitably catch up with him sooner rather than later but can Hopkins distinguish the two blazing flames in the light-heavyweight division, Kovalev and Stevenson before he walks away?

Juan Manuel Marquez

Another hall of fame veteran who owns an impressive boxing record, Juan like Benard also lost his professional debut in Mexico City, by DQ! It took a while before Marquez’s worth was realised, he was tarred with the reputation of a safety first scientific fighter but gradually the boxing world clocked on. Marquez’s first fight versus ‘The Pacman’ in 2004 perfectly highlighted his true Mexican do or die nature, climbing off the canvas three times in the 1st round to mostly out-skill the Filipino for the bout to end in a draw. After a competitive loss to Tim Bradley last October, Marquez has a decision to make on his next step. Juan’s highlight moment a KO victory over Pacquiao will remain in boxing history for years to come. Whatever happens next we should appreciate ‘Dinamita’ while we still can.

Miguel Cotto

Puerto Rico’s proudest son has had a thrilling career, when have you ever seen Miguel in a boring fight? His victories come with all action, violent exchanges and brutality. His losses have shown his courage and gladiator mentality. A seemingly unemotional man has had a very emotionally charged career. Overcoming a barbarous and possibly illegal beat down at the hands of boxing’s bad boy, Antonio Margarito and then returning the favour legally, effectively ending ‘El Tornado de Tijuana’s time as a boxer. With a middleweight title fight set against Martinez, in order to attempt achieving a world title in a fourth division. This jump up in weight could possibly be one the last times we see Miguel in battle.

Manny Pacquiao

There were calls for ‘The Pride of The Philippines’ to retire after his shocking KO loss to Marquez, since then Manny has shown a flare of his vintage self; blisteringly fast combinations, lateral movement and superior ring general-ship, be it against a rather immobile Brandon Rios. It is still extraordinary to review his climb through the weights. Stepping foot in an American boxing ring for the first time in 2001, he unexpectedly won the IBF Super Bantamweight title. Since then ‘Pac-Man’ has entertained the world in brawls against boxing’s who’s who of the last two decades, competing up to the light-middleweight division. Set to rematch Bradley in April, the future is uncertain as to whether we will ever see a match up with Floyd. One thing is certain we only have several bouts left to truly acknowledge the phenomenon of Pacquiao.



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