As I approach a new year, with my belly filled with holiday cheer and food, I wish you all a healthy and prosperous New Year. Some of us will indeed have the best year of our lives this coming year (Wladimir Klitschko), while others will continue on and be as productive and happy as every other year (Floyd Mayweather). For some of us though the end is near, not in a mortal way, but the end of the charade or the end of a marvelous run. So with no more beer left in my fridge and Ms. Clause nagging me to help clean up the mess the little elves have left behind, I give you my scrooge list.
The Heavyweight “Champions” – This division has gotten a lot of bad press since the retirement of Lennox Lewis. After all, we were left with a bunch of has beens (David Tua, James Toney, and Hasim Rahman) and the “Who the Heck Are You Guys” (Audley Harrison, DaVarryl Williamson, Lamon Brewster, and Nikolay Valuev). A division that was once known as the “Glory” division has now become the “Who Cares” division, made up of a bunch of freak shows, and one title defense champions. But a funny thing happened on the way to this division becoming the laughing stock of the fight world. Two men, Emmanuel Steward and Wladimir Klitschko, joined sides and the face and hope of a division was saved. Yes, I’m referring to that Klitschko, the same one that blew his wad versus Lamon Brewster, the same one that learned the forbidden dance after a crashing shot from the notoriously out of shape and lazy Corrie “I Wish I Were Golfing” Sanders. We all remember the last true champion, Lennox Lewis’s dominant title reign. He went through title contenders like paper mache. Lennox was dominant but we forget how he had been written off after one fateful night, September 24, 1994 by one Oliver McCall. The younger Klitschko brother is finally starting to put it together also, with a thunderous jab and monstrous right hand, the weak chinned Ukranian, is starting to resemble the Lennox of old, thanks to Steward. Steward. Steward, The Hall of Fame trainer, has a history of taking weak chinned contenders with destructive power and turning them into champions. So we can say goodbye to Shannon Briggs, Oleg Maskaev and Nikolay Valuev. Goodbye to a division torn apart by no hope champions and say hello to a unified true champion. If and when in 2007 any of these so champions face Wladmir, their fate has already been sealed by the soon to be Unified Heavyweight Champion of the World, Wladmir Klitschko. So the heavyweights lose but we all gain a real champion finally.
Jermain Taylor – One of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world is about to experience a bleak 2007. Since winning the Middleweight Championship in 2005, the 2000 Olympic bronze medalist has looked anything but dominant in bouts against Bernard Hopkins (rematch), Winky Wright, and most recently against Kassim Ouma. In fact, Taylor has appeared to receive several gift decisions in a few of those fights. Now there is a rumor of Taylor fighting Joe Calzaghe, and really what other options does he have left? He certainly can’t fight a lesser opponent such as a Sergio Mora or a Kelly Pavlik. Taylor has made his professional name fighting and unconvincingly “beating” the top big name opponents. Arthur Abraham while certainly worthy of a title shot doesn’t bring a name or the money to a Taylor fight. So he is left with two options, Joe Calzaghe and Winky Wright. After Calzaghe’s dismantling of Taylor’s ex Olympic teammate, Jeff Lacy, can anyone really see Taylor defeating Joe? Could he win a 12 round decision if this fight were to take place in England? Does he have the skill set to defeat Calzaghe? The answer to these questions is simply “No.” What about Winky Wright, the defensive guru, and top 5 pound-for-pound fighter? Their first fight could have gone either way and a lot of people disputed a Taylor victory (I had it a draw). Can you see Wright losing twice to the same man? No. Who has more to prove? The overvalued Taylor or the still underappreciated Wright? Who has more riding on this fight? The young Taylor or the aging Wright? Sorry Mr. Taylor but scrooge has decided that soon your ‘0’ must go.
Manny Pacquiao – The two fisted, Mexican killing whirlwind will lose in 2007. Mark my words. As fun and as good as he is for the sport, Manny continues to push himself to fight better and better fighters. He has a rare fire to prove he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. And who are we to argue with him? In the last three years he has fought and beaten or fought to a draw with Erik Morales (3 times), Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Oscar Larios, a “Who’s Who” of the little guys. If all is settled with his promotional problems, Manny will certainly fight Juan Manuel Marquez or Barrera. Most likely it would be Marquez since Barrera hasn’t really expressed an interest to rematch him since his 2003 defeat to the mighty Filipino. So let’s assume Manny gets past Juan, who would be next for the most exciting man in boxing? Barrera? Joan Guzman, Edwin Valero, Juan Diaz at lightweight? Pacquiao would probably be the favorite going into all of those fights, but as well all know, boxing can be extremely unpredictable. However, knowing the always confident Pacquiao, he’ll most likely find himself staring across the ring against a spoiler like Joel Casamayor, the crafty Cuban veteran who recently revived his career by outpointing the bomb dropping, Diego Corrales. And this is where the Manny gravy train ends. Can he defeat Joel? Of course he can. Will he defeat Joel? The answer is “No.” Casamayor will probably get his revenge win vs. Freitas, then on to Manny. The same guy who took the power of Corrales and the pressure of Castillo, will take the power and pressure of Manny and outbox him, outtrick him and outdirty him. Casamayor has enough crack to get Manny’s respect, enough boxing skills to be able to move and fight, and enough experience to know when to clinch and hold.
Manny is what is good about boxing. He’s a fighter who always challenges himself and fights the best, but unfortunately that will prove to be the recipe for his collapse. They all eventually fall hard at some point and Pacquiao’s time will arrive in 2007.
Questions, Comments? Email Brendan Maguire
