It might be the stupidest question ever asked of a legend.
Someone once asked criminal mastermind Willie Sutton why he always chose banks to be his robbery victims.
?Because,? Sutton deadpanned, ?that?s where the money is.?
Sutton was not stumped but I tried to make famed comedian George Lopez laugh and, from the looks of this photo, I think I succeeded. Lopez, a close pal of Oscar de la Hoya, did a superb job in handling emcee chores at the recent Boxing Writers dinner in Los Angeles and displayed both his comedic knack and a genuine love, respect and knowledge of boxing.
For example, Lopez properly introduced ring legend Alexis Arguello in a fitting way that I doubt any other funnyman could.
So how did I make Lopez laugh? Simple, I asked him why so many fighters have fled the super featherweight division.
Answer: to run away from having to fight unbeaten Dominican slickster Joan Guzman.
Lopez got the joke but it?s no joke, with Guzman now having moved north to 135 pounds along with (any minute now) Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny Pacquiao and (probably) Edwin Valero, that the lightweight division is where the real fistic gold is.
The lightweights are the ?heavyweights? in terms of individual and collective talent as these marvelous former 130-pounders stand alongside triple belted king Nate Campbell,
Joel Casamayor, Juan Diaz, Michael Katsidis, David Diaz, rising Amir Khan and Anthony Peterson and ?spoiler? Jose Armando Santa Cruz. Last but not least would be ex-lightweight beltholder, Julio Diaz, who may still be a factor here.
Campbell?s got three belts and the weight class has three guys named Diaz.
Comparing these bright lights to the trash dump that is the heavyweight division is putting the Waldorf Astoria next to a dilapidated housing project.
Now I?m hearing a steady buzz, buzz, buzz out of the HBO boxing nest on Sixth Avenue that Ross ?The Boss? Greenburg and his posse might toss some financial fire into the 135-pound pot and kickstart an informal tournament in the weight class.
Who is King of the Hill at 135 pounds? I think it shows no disrespect to the proven commodities in the revamped division to opine that I don?t see one guy who Guzman cannot beat.
HBO?s intervention would be most welcome because, while Campbell earned his three belts the hard way against then undefeated ?Baby Bull? Diaz, what matters most is a round robin, mano a mano tournament to prove who The Man is the loaded lightweight class.
Last man standing? Well, here?s Marley?s Future Book (and an asterisk added given my past association with the Dominican Dandy and his manager, Jose Nunez):
King Of The Lightweight Division, When The Smoke Clears:
Joan Guzman, 8-5????????.no one has faster hands or feet Manny Pacquiao, 9-5??????.if Guz is Ali, Pacman is lefty Frazier Juan Manuel Marquez, 2-1????supreme counterpuncher brings cojones Juan Diaz, 3-1?????????on paper, the best; in ring, spanked by Nate Edwin Valero, 5-1???????..hammer blows but weak defense Joel Casamayor, 7-1???????slick as they come but time is ticking Amir Khan, 8-1?????????not ready for prime time but will soon be Anthony Peterson, 9-1??????..impossible not to root for this story David Diaz, 10-1????????..cashing Lotto ticket against Megamanny Michael Katsidis, 11-1??????..leads with chin so cannot win it all Jose Armando Santa Cruz, 12-1???you want a spoiler in the mix, it?s him Julio Diaz, 15-1????????…..gunslinger may be low on ammo now
