Prior to the doubleheader in Houston on Feb. 28 that featured Juan Manuel Marquez?s stirring victory over Juan Diaz and Chris John?s draw with Rocky Juarez, I exchanged a series of emails with Thailand-based boxing writer Scott Mallon.
I?d heard much about John?s skills, but had seen only several low-quality tapes of him fighting.
Mallon had seen John in person many times, so I asked what about John would surprise people like me.
?First, I think they?ll be surprised at just how skilled he is,? Mallon said in an email. ?In addition, I think they?ll be surprised at how gritty a fighter he is. He?s not a boxer who likes to be on his bicycle, shying away from action. He?ll stick and move, then stand in the middle of the ring and trade.?
Though John had a gaudy 42-0-1 victory and a win over Marquez, there were still many questions about him entering the bout. He hadn?t fought much high-level competition and had fought 40 of his 43 bouts in his home nation of Indonesia.
Mallon insisted that John wasn?t a product of home-cooking, nor favorable matchups, but said his heart could be his downfall.
?His propensity to trade may eventually get the best of him,? Mallon wrote. ?He?s got heart, he?s got a good chin, but he doesn?t have the sort of punch that can keep a murderous puncher off of him. If he chooses to forego his boxing, this is where he?ll get beat.?
Mallon proved to be eerily prophetic. John was brilliant in the bout, boxing marvelously and controlling the fight in my view with his jab and his movement.
Though I rarely put much stock in the way a fighter looks after a bout, I did agree with John?s assessment after the bout when he was asked what he thought of the decision.
?Look at my face,? John said sheepishly, ?then look at his.?
John?s face was virtually unmarked, while Juarez?s had plenty of lumps, bumps and bruises as a result of the steady 1-2 combinations he took from John.
I scored the fight 116-112 in favor of John and was shocked when the draw was announced.
Promoter Lou DiBella, who had nothing to do with either fighter, was also among those who thought John won.
?It was 8-4, 9-3 easily,? DiBella said. ?The kid totally got screwed. He boxed the [expletive] out of him.?
I was so impressed with John that I placed him seventh on my ballot in the March voting of the Yahoo! Sports boxing rankings. For the record, my votes were, in order, Manny Pacquiao, Marquez, Chad Dawson, Paul Williams, Bernard Hopkins, Miguel Cotto, John, Vic Darchinyan, Fernando Montiel and Ivan Calderon.
Alas, John failed to make it. Two fighters who were in February?s poll, Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez, are now ineligible to be ranked because they?ve been idle for more than a year. And Antonio Margarito, who was among the others receiving votes in February, is also ineligible because he was disciplined by the California Athletic Commission and is still serving his penalty.
Dawson and Ricky Hatton joined the top 10, replacing Vazquez and Rafael Marquez (who will become eligible as soon as they fight again).
With that, here are the results of the poll of the 23 boxing writers who are part of the elite blue-ribbon panel.
1. Manny Pacquiao Points: 230 (23 of 23 first-place votes) Record: 48-3-2 (37 KOs) Title: None Last outing: TKO8 over Oscar De La Hoya on Dec. 6 Previous ranking: 1 Up next: May 2 in Las Vegas vs. No. 10 Ricky Hatton for super lightweight title Analysis: Win will give him a world title in sixth weight class (112, 122, 126, 130, 135)
Photo Marquez
2. Juan Manuel Marquez Points: 206 Record: 50-4-1 (36 KOs) Title: WBA, WBO, Ring lightweight champion Last outing: TKO9 over Juan Diaz on Feb. 28 Previous ranking: 2 Up next: TBA Analysis: Has called out Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Photo Hopkins
3. Bernard Hopkins Points: 171 Record: 49-5 (32 KOs) Title: None Last outing: W12 over Kelly Pavlik on Oct. 18 Previous ranking: 4 Up next: TBA Analysis: Interested in cruiserweight bout vs. Tomasz Adamek
Photo Mosley
4. Shane Mosley Points: 124 Record: 46-5 (39 KOs) Title: WBA welterweight champion Last outing: TKO9 over Antonio Margarito on Jan. 24 Previous ranking: 5 Up next: TBA Analysis: Still a dangerous combination of speed and power
Photo Williams
5. Paul Williams Points: 110 Record: 36-1 (27 KOs) Title: Interim WBO junior middleweight champion Last outing: TKO8 over Verno Phillips on Nov. 29 Previous ranking: 7 Up next: April 11 in Las Vegas vs. Winky Wright Analysis: Has the range of a heavyweight, quickness of a welterweight
Photo Cotto
6. Miguel Cotto Points: 106 Record: 33-1 (27 KOs) Title: WBO welterweight champion Last outing: TKO5 over Michael Jennings on Feb. 21 Previous ranking: 8 Up next: Likely June 13 in New York against Joshua Clottey Analysis: Still much to prove since Jennings provided so little opposition
Photo Calderon
7. Ivan Calderon Points: 86 Record: 32-0 (6 KOs) Title: WBO light flyweight champion Last outing: TD7 over Hugo Cazares on Aug. 30 Previous ranking: 9 Up next: May 23 in Puerto Rico vs. Cesar Canchila Analysis: Quickest fighter in lower weights
Photo Darchinyan
8. Vic Darchinyan Points: 74 Record: 32-1-1 (26 KOs) Title: WBA, WBC, IBF super flyweight champion Last outing: TKO11 over Jorge Arce on Feb. 7 Previous ranking: 10 Up next: TBA Analysis: Powerful southpaw hoping to hold titles in three weight classes in 2009
Photo Dawson
9. Chad Dawson Points: 53 Record: 27-0 (17 KOs) Title: IBF light heavyweight champion Last outing: W12 over Antonio Tarver on Oct. 11 Previous ranking: NR Up next: May 9 in Las Vegas against Tarver Analysis: Forced to accept rematch because of clause in contract
Photo Hatton
10. Ricky Hatton Points: 18 Record: 45-1 (32 KOs) Title: Ring super lightweight champion Last outing: TKO11 over Paulie Malignaggi on Nov. 22 Previous ranking: NR Up next: May 2 in Las Vegas vs. No. 1 Manny Pacquiao Analysis: Trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. says Hatton far more skilled than he thought
Others receiving votes: Kelly Pavlik 16, Arthur Abraham 16, Chris John 15, Juan Manuel Lopez 14, Mikkel Kessler 11, Fernando Montiel 4, Celestino Caballero 3, David Haye 1, Wladimir Klitschko 1.
