Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Let the Games Begin: Pacquio Vs. Mayweather
The Pacuiao - Cotto fight had a scripted ending. I've always liked Cotto but Manny Pacquiao was riding the crest of a wave. His triumphs in the boxing ring raised him to godly heights, and his resilience in bouncing back from disappointments guided his path to future conquest.
I'm angry with Antonio Margarito for putting a question mark or shadow over Cotto's career. We'll never know whether the gloves were loaded but it is likely they were, making the Cotto defeat even more tragic. That's not to say that Pacquiao wouldn't have won against Cotto anyway. Pacquiao is a superb competitor with a take-no-prisoners attitude. His boxing skills, ring savvy, and control of physical space have developed to a point where Floyd Mayweather Jr. has to be thinking about Pacquiao in the way an up-coming new and hungry fighter thinks about his first chance at a title.
Mayweather, of course, is a great champion. Beneath the obligatory flamboyance, trash talking, and in-your-face attitude demanded by a peculiar boxing tradition, Mayweather is as far better guy than the media gives him credit for. But that works in his favor, too, and builds the gate for another Superfight.
There is also another thing "beneath it all," and it is that Mayweather has the seasoning not only of his own generation of fighters--he has the seasoning of several generations. In spite of whatever public shenanigans he's planning to amuse himself and fight fans, expect Mayweather to be as serious beneath it all as the soldier who marches at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
I'm angry with Antonio Margarito for putting a question mark or shadow over Cotto's career. We'll never know whether the gloves were loaded but it is likely they were, making the Cotto defeat even more tragic. That's not to say that Pacquiao wouldn't have won against Cotto anyway. Pacquiao is a superb competitor with a take-no-prisoners attitude. His boxing skills, ring savvy, and control of physical space have developed to a point where Floyd Mayweather Jr. has to be thinking about Pacquiao in the way an up-coming new and hungry fighter thinks about his first chance at a title.
Mayweather, of course, is a great champion. Beneath the obligatory flamboyance, trash talking, and in-your-face attitude demanded by a peculiar boxing tradition, Mayweather is as far better guy than the media gives him credit for. But that works in his favor, too, and builds the gate for another Superfight.
There is also another thing "beneath it all," and it is that Mayweather has the seasoning not only of his own generation of fighters--he has the seasoning of several generations. In spite of whatever public shenanigans he's planning to amuse himself and fight fans, expect Mayweather to be as serious beneath it all as the soldier who marches at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Broadway Boxing Brings You the News
I've been AWOL on boxing for rather a long time, but I haven't forgotten about the sport. I tune in once in a while, though I've missed the recent "big fights." I'm looking forward to Cotto-Pacquiao and whatever's beyond that with Floyd Mayweather, but I'm often happy to watch the uknowns, the lesser knowns. I like Broadway Boxing for that, because it's almost local. I like the concept of the unknown, breaking out and moving to the next level. Or languishing, dying, never to be heard from again.
While they produce the occasional snorer, I find most of Broadway Boxing's promotions to be highly entertaining. There are things to be learned from boxing superstars like Mayweather but there are things to be learned from the up-and-coming fights you see on Broadway Boxing, too. The Broadway cards are less distracting, absent the big-fight glitz.
Chris Algieri took on a game (Henry?" White up on Long Island tonight. Algieri's from there. He has a job as a lab tech. He's working on his Master's degree, having graduated from a New York state college. He's 25, wants a title (who doesn't?) and says he walk after he gets one. Then, it's off to Medical School, he says.
The interesting background doesn't stop there. Algieri's a former kickboxing champion, a fact which might have you think he'd do a lot of bouncing around. He didn't, at least with White he didn't. The odd thing was that he threw no jabs. I'm crazy about the jab but for this kid I'm making an exception. In place of a jab, Algieri fires as many left hooks as there are cars on the Long Island Expressway. He doubles the hook, triples it, hitting up high and on the body.
White was a good fighter, with a lot of grit. He punched up inside with short pops and had decent power that didn't connect enough through Algieri's high guard. Few body punches from White--he was on the receiving end of same and wore down.
Another thing to like about Chris Algieri is the way the punches flow naturally, one from the other. No right hands without a left hook to follow and the other way around, too. Algieri has a great chopping right, too, though he oftened missed the elusive White who seemed aware of it. White seemed not aware of the hard straight rights that hammered in from overhead angles.
It was interesting, a good match, but Algieri remains undefeated, now at 10 and 0.
While they produce the occasional snorer, I find most of Broadway Boxing's promotions to be highly entertaining. There are things to be learned from boxing superstars like Mayweather but there are things to be learned from the up-and-coming fights you see on Broadway Boxing, too. The Broadway cards are less distracting, absent the big-fight glitz.
Chris Algieri took on a game (Henry?" White up on Long Island tonight. Algieri's from there. He has a job as a lab tech. He's working on his Master's degree, having graduated from a New York state college. He's 25, wants a title (who doesn't?) and says he walk after he gets one. Then, it's off to Medical School, he says.
The interesting background doesn't stop there. Algieri's a former kickboxing champion, a fact which might have you think he'd do a lot of bouncing around. He didn't, at least with White he didn't. The odd thing was that he threw no jabs. I'm crazy about the jab but for this kid I'm making an exception. In place of a jab, Algieri fires as many left hooks as there are cars on the Long Island Expressway. He doubles the hook, triples it, hitting up high and on the body.
White was a good fighter, with a lot of grit. He punched up inside with short pops and had decent power that didn't connect enough through Algieri's high guard. Few body punches from White--he was on the receiving end of same and wore down.
Another thing to like about Chris Algieri is the way the punches flow naturally, one from the other. No right hands without a left hook to follow and the other way around, too. Algieri has a great chopping right, too, though he oftened missed the elusive White who seemed aware of it. White seemed not aware of the hard straight rights that hammered in from overhead angles.
It was interesting, a good match, but Algieri remains undefeated, now at 10 and 0.
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