Talks about the demise of boxing were greatly exaggerated. 2007 has been a very interesting year thus far. Boxing had it’s biggest selling fight of all-time when Oscar De La Hoya faced off with Floyd Mayweather Jr in May.
Here are my thoughts about the first six months of the boxing
year…
Fighter of the Year
This was a tough choice but I had to go with Juan Manuel Marquez. There was so much sweet science going on that Las Vegas night in March vs. Marco Antonio Barrera, that I
think I got a cavity or two watching the two Mexican warriors going at it.
Marquez is finally getting the recognition he deserves after years of being avoided. His
brother Rafael Marquez and Kelly Pavlik get honorable mention. The seven round blood bath that Rafael had with Israel Vasquez was an instant classic. Kelly Pavlik had two
exciting this year; against the rugged Jose Luis Zertuche in January and he exposed the over hyped Edison Miranda in May.
Juan Manuel Marquez is pretty much taking off the rest of the year. He will fight Barrios in September and wait for a rematch in spring 2008 either against Manny Pacquiao or
Marco Antonio Barrera. A fight against Humberto Soto would also be a fan favorite.
Rafa’ Marquez will have a rematch with Israel Vasquez August 4th which will promise to be another exciting fight.
If Kelly Pavlik can beat middleweight champion Jermain Taylor, it will be difficult for him not to be at the top of this list come year end.
Fights Fans are Still Waiting
The May 5th fight seemed like nothing but a million dollar sparring session. The winner were the pockets of the Golden and Pretty Boy. I really wish HBO would do a 24/7 series for Miguel Cotto or Manny Pacquiao fights to help promote their fight even more.
MMA
All it took was one lucky right hand for Quentin “Rampage” Jackson to be the new posterboy for the UFC. How quickly they forgot about their Iceman. MMA is here to stay, but this boxing fan prefers quality over quantity.
Fall Classic
The rest of this year is looking to be a very exciting one. These are the bouts that are official: Barrera vs. Pacquiao II, Marquez vs. Vasquez II. I usually tune in to
European television for my soccer fix, but come November 3 I’ll be
watching the much anticipated Mikkel Kessler vs. Joe Calzaghe fight in Wales.
Here are fights that are just about official: Pavlik vs. Taylor, Mayweather vs.
Hatton. These are the fights the fight fans have been yearning for and it seems like we are finally going to get them.
Golden Boy vs. Top Rank
They ended their Cold war to the delight of the boxing fans. These two companys will generate millions of dollars by pitting their best fighters against each other, and we will not mind a bit.
