By Jay McIntyre:
“Our mantra is: ‘close the show, no mercy'” – Freddie Roach (latimes.com)
Disclaimer: This is a painfully abbreviated version of a longer and more thorough article that can be found at: http://a-neutral-corner.blogspot.ca/2014/03/my-two-cents-part-one-meditations-on.html
Background
Manny Pacquiao’s (55-5-2, 38 KO’s) penchant for violence in the ring has been questioned since he stopped knocking people out after his twelfth round TKO of Miguel Cotto in 2009.
By Jay McIntyre: There was a time when the heavyweight division was boxing. While the Benny Leonards, Harry Grebs, Sugar Ray Robinsons and Ray Mancinis were all notable and talented men, they never could sell out stadiums with the urgency and regularity of the heavyweights. Jack Dempsey consistently sold out venues for his executions and on at least two occasions he packed outdoor stadiums designed specifically with the sole purpose of watching him fight.
In 1927, 104,983 people packed Soldier Field to watch him rematch Gene Tunney in the infamous “Long Count” Fight (Tunney was the first fighter to ever get a million dollar payday – though that paycheck has an asterisk beside it). It was his fights, under the expert promotion of Tex Richard, that encouraged women to attend – a novel idea for its time. Since the “Golden Era of Sports” in the 1920’s, the casual fans have always been interested in – most especially – in heavyweight boxing (there are rare exceptions, but let’s stick with established rules).
By Jay McIntyre: “Gameness” is a term used by people that train dogs in the highly controversial sport of dog fighting. It describes a dog’s ability to “make the scratch” (come out of their corner to fight), without flinching or showing cowardice. These dogs do not have to be the largest, nor do they have to inflict the most damage. In fact the winner in many cases simply needs to be one that is unwilling to quit and will continue to make the scratch.
With this in mind, Alfredo Angulo’s nickname “El Perro” seems rather apt. He does not quit and he fights with a courage under fire that makes for entertainment (the stoppage to Lara was understandable given the effects to his eye).
(Photo credit: Esther Lin/Showtime) By Jay McIntyre: Showtime’s next PPV card on Saturday March 8th will be headlined by Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (42-1-1, 30 KO’s) and Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo (22-3, 18 KO’s) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Both men are coming off of tough losses, but both are primed to deliver in what expects to be an entertaining scrap. While the odds according to some bookmakers have Alvarez as a -800 favourite and Angulo as a +500 underdog, I find this disparity quite suspect and would like to analyze what both men bring to the ring in this latest installment of “My Two Cents”.
Saul Alvarez
Praise: power in both hands, sticks to game plan, clever use of punching combinations
Concern: has not shown much ability fighting while going backwards, doesn’t feint enough, takes time off during rounds
By Jay McIntyre: When you talk to or read interviews about the old sages of the sweet science their fondness for “how tough they had it”, or “the good old days” can sometimes come to light, and often these remarks are shrugged off by a younger, more hubristic generation willing to learn things their own way – the hard way. Today fighters and promoters are criticized for rushing the potential of young fighters, or alternately, protecting them so that their title shot is safeguarded.
Maxie Rosenbloom is an archaic example of a fighter rushed into a title fight against the exhausting Harry Greb, while Gerry Cooney was guarded by his promoters against fighters that could have made him better for his tilt with Larry Holmes. Vasyl Lomachenko was a victim of both – of rushing into a title fight, and also being unprepared for the style of his opponent in his title fight. He fought skillfully, and he fought nobly, but he lost due to his inexperience in the pro ranks.
(Photo Credit: Chris Farina) By Jay McIntyre:
The Setting:
Where? – Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
When? – March 1st, 2014
Who? – Orlando Salido (40-12-2, 28 KO’s) vs Vasyl Lomachenko (1-0, 1 KO)
What’s at Stake? – WBO featherweight title
Why should you watch this fight? – although it is not the main attraction, it has far more question marks surrounding it – expect it to be a fascinating fight.
By Jay McIntyre:
Setting
When: Saturday, January 18th, 2014
Where: Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada
Who: Jean Pascal vs Lucien Bute
What’s at stake?: WBC Diamond light-heavyweight title (for whatever that’s worth)
Introduction
It is a fight that has lost some of its significance. Indeed, had it happened several years ago, it would have been a very worthy pay per view draw. Nevertheless, on January 18th, Jean Pascal and Lucien Bute will finally meet in Montreal – a turf war of sorts in one of the oldest cities in North America that both men call home.
By Jay McIntyre: Happy Holidays! Here’s an article on boxing on Boxing Day! I hope that it holds you over until the next worthwhile boxing match!
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? The punchline to this rhetorical question is, of course, an unconscious Luis Angel Firpo. During The Golden Age of Boxing, nobody was more popular than the king of the heavyweights, “The Manassa Mauler” himself, Jack Dempsey. Surging through the heavyweight division during a time when there was one world title per weight class and a multitude of hungry, dangerous contenders, Dempsey was capable of delivering clinical beatings with freakish regularity. On July 4th, 1919, he seized the heavyweight crown from “Giant” Jess Willard (Willard was knocked out in three rounds) and spent the next four years pummeling anyone brave, or foolish, or financially desperate enough to step through the ropes and shake a fist at him.
By Jay McIntyre:
The Abdication
On Monday December 16th, Vitali Klitschko vacated his title as the WBC heavyweight champion of the world and has made vocal his desire to run in the Ukrainian presidential election of 2015. While he doesn’t intend to return to the sport which made him so famous, the World Boxing Council responded by declaring him ’emeritus champion’.
This basically means that if he every steps through the ropes again, it will be into an instant title shot for the WBC strap. According to cbc.ca, Klitschko himself has been quoted as saying that “This offer makes it theoretically possible to return to the ring, which I cannot at all image happening right now.” The WBC’s decision may leave some scratching their heads, but I can’t disagree with this move because the heavyweight division isn’t exactly teeming with prospects and talent at this time.
By Jay McIntyre: It always seems oddly self-serving to publish an article that talks about how right one was when making a prediction. With this humility in mind, I want to look back on what was a very fun bout to watch. Marcos Maidana (35-3, 31 KO’s) and Adrien Broner (27-1, 22 KO’s) were able to provide a significant measure of entertainment in a fight that was marred by some controversy. Thankfully, however, the outcome was not a victim of any errant stupidity.
I feel I would be remiss if I did not point out that this fight certainly served to be a cautionary tale about the perils of hubris. While Broner clearly has observable talent in the ring, much of the lead-up to the fight had me slightly concerned about his priorities.