The leaves are beginning to turn and the days are getting shorter which means that autumn is upon us. But it’s clear that the seasons have also changed in the game of boxing.
The summer months saw some of this past generation’s best boxers fall by the wayside. In addition to Mike Tyson, fighters like Oscar De La Hoya and Roy Jones – who have been pound-for-pound mainstays for about a decade – suffered knockout losses and guys like Antonio Margarito and Mark Johnson, who were listed on the fringes of various pound-for-pound listings, also suffered defeats. But there is a Puerto Rican legend that makes his return.
So as we turn the calendar, it’s time for another edition of ‘the Bakers Dozen’.
13. Felix Trinidad – Some will say that in Ricardo Mayorga, ‘Tito’ faced a raw, crude, blown-up welterweight that was built to order in his comeback. Others will state that Mayorga was a difficult an awkward opponent – with heavy hands – that was a dangerous foe to return to the ring against.
Both factions are correct in their statements. And in stopping Mayorga in eight exciting rounds, he showed that no matter how long he may stay away from the ring, he will always have his vaunted left hook and he will always be an offensive machine.
Trinidad is back, and the game (and business) of boxing couldn’t be happier about it.
12. Sharmba Mitchell – It’s not that Mitchell has done anything spectacular to earn his inclusion in my list, but it’s really a testament to his consistency and professionalism the past few years. While in hot pursuit of a rematch with Kostya Tszyu – where two return bouts have been postponed – Mitchell has managed to stay active and sharp throughout this run.
But on November 6th, he gets a golden opportunity to solidify and strengthen his ranking when he gets a shot the recognized jr. welterweight champion. Even as Mitchell gets older, he has shown no erosion of the skills and speed that helped him become a two-time 140-pound titlist.
11. Jose Luis Castillo – Castillo, re-enters my top 13, based on his solid win over the respected Juan Lazcano in June. But don’t call it a comeback – as James Todd Smith once said – because he never really went anywhere.
It’s just that after his two losses (one being very questionable) to Floyd Mayweather in 2002, he stayed on the fringes of the world class scene, taking one tune-up bout after another.
But now, back on the heels of recapturing his WBC lightweight belt, he is right in the thick of things in a suddenly deep lightweight division, that includes names like Diego Corrales, Juan Diaz and Julio Diaz.
10. Rafael Marquez – If you made a list of the hardest punchers in the game, Marquez would have to be listed. If you disagree, why don’t you ask Heriberto Ruiz.
Although at times he has been overshadowed by his brother, featherweight titlist Juan Manuel, this is a guy who many consider the premiere bantamweight on the planet (and he has wins over Tim Austin and Mark Johnson to prove it).
Like most Nacho Beristain trained fighters, Marquez is well-schooled and technically sound. The only problem is that there may be no lucrative bouts for him at 118 pounds.
9. Diego Corrales – Right now ‘Chico’ is one of the front-runners for ‘Fighter of the Year’, with his revenge victory over Joel Casamayor in March and then his big knockout win over Acelino Freitas in August.
From the professional and personal abyss of 2001, Corrales, with the help of trainer Joe Goossen, has come all the way back.
After stretching himself to make 130 pounds into his 6’0 frame for so many years, moving up to lightweight and beyond seems to have fit him like a glove. And to go along with his supreme punching power, he has seemingly rediscovered his jab.
8. Cory Spinks – No, Spinks, who is the undisputed welterweight champion of the world, will never be a particularly exciting or compelling fighter, but this St. Louis southpaw can box.
He has victories over Ricardo Mayorga and Zab Judah to his credit, but now the question is this: just who is there to face at 147?
7. Winky Wright – For so many years Wright would tell anyone and everyone that he was the most avoided boxer in the world and that if he ever got his chance at the big time, he would deliver.
Well, he backed up his words by thoroughly defeating Shane Mosley in March, who he faces in a return bout on November 20th. Another win over Mosley, and it’s clear that Wright is the top dog in the jr. middleweight division.
What makes beating Wright so difficult is that he is so sound. He keeps his hands high defensively, keeps his elbows tucked in tight to his side and throws sharp, straight punches.
5. Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez (tie) – I think it’s only appropriate since their bout (which has to be considered 2004’s Fight of the Year) ended in a dead heat, that they share this spot.
Now, I know both groups of fans will say that their man won, and they both make strong cases, but there really were no losers on that night. Both men showcased their considerable skills.
‘the Pac Man’ displayed his blistering power and hand-speed in blitzing Marquez in round one, sending the Mexican to the canvas three times in stunning fashion. Marquez, showed his grit in getting off the deck to effectively box and counter-punch the Filipino for the remaining 11 rounds.
Marquez put on a flat performance in his return against Orlando Salido, while the plans of Pacquiao are unclear. But it should be another barn burner when they meet again in early 2005.
4. Antonio Tarver – It’s an interesting question, does Glen Johnson’s KO of Roy Jones take away from Tarver’s stoppage of Jones in May? Perhaps, but you have to give credit to this talkative southpaw for being the first one to scale the mountain.
It was Tarver, who took down the veil of invincibility from Jones, and that has to count for something.
So what does he do now that a Jones rubbermatch is no longer in the picture? And the bigger question is, now that Tarver has reached the mountain top, can he sustain the same focus and work ethic he had the previous three years when he has to face a Paul Briggs or a Johnson?
We’ll see just how much staying power Tarver has.
3. Erik Morales – OK, now I know I had ‘El Terrible’ behind Tarver in my last ratings, well, I reserve the right to admit that I goofed. Hey, there’s no doubt that Tarver deserves his lofty rating but in further examining the track record of both fighters, Morales has simply done more.
In fact, since Tarver knocked out Jones, Morales won his second 130-pound title by mastering Carlos Hernandez in late July and will now face Marco Antonio Barrera for a third time on Thanksgiving weekend. While Tarver has seemingly been ringside at every big fight the past few months – and he wont be scheduled to fight again ’till January – all Morales has done is go to work and win fights.
2. Floyd Mayweather – I’ve said it awhile now, ‘the Pretty Boy’ is the heir apparent in most pound-for-pound rankings, if he isn’t number one already.
And there’s a good reason, go look at his record, from 130 to 140 pounds, all he has done is take on one solid guy after another. The names speak for themselves: Genaro Hernandez, Angel Manfredy, Carlos Hernandez, Jesus Chavez, Jose Luis Castillo (twice) and DeMarcus Corley.
And with his yearning for only lucrative bouts, look for him to take on the divisions best at jr. welterweight.
The only things that can seemingly stop this slick boxer are a set of brittle hands and legal problems outside the ring.
1. Bernard Hopkins – Love him or hate him, this guy has been among the most consistent boxers over the past decade. He’s not particularly exciting or spectacular, but he is a testament to being fundamentally sound and having the will to accomplish.
Seriously, after suffering his last loss to Roy Jones in 1993, did anyone out there really think he could ever reach these heights?
Who knows if he’s slowing down at age 39, but he seems to have more than made up for it with his savvy and guile inside the ring. He is the very definition of an ‘old school fighter’
He says his goal is to have 20 middleweight defenses by the time he calls it a day. Unless he moves up in weight (which is highly unlikely) his only real opposition is father time.
INJURED LIST
Before I get deluged with a flood of emails asking: ‘Where the hell is Kostya Tszyu and/or James Toney!?!?’
Like they have been in the past, they are on my ‘disabled list’ since Tszyu hasn’t fought since January of 2003, with various ailments and Toney, who got re-injured in his return bout against Rydell Booker, has seemingly become the black version of Tszyu.
As soon as they’re up and running (and winning) they will regain their rightful place in ‘the Bakers Dozen’.
JUST MISSING THE CUT
* Glen Johnson: Not only does he have the win over Jones, but without getting robbed more than a 7-11 at 2 A.M. he’d have a sterling record.
* Oscar De La Hoya: No real shame in losing to Hopkins, I mean, that’s precisely what was supposed to happen, right?
* Oscar Larios: Durable and consistent, he just needs a big fight. Perhaps he should move up to featherweight.
* Marco Antonio Barrera: A win over Morales and he’s back in the mix.
* Joel Casamayor: Still a tough nut to crack between 130-135.
LISTS
Perhaps I’m part of the USA Today/VH-1 generation but I love lists, listings of anything, whether they be the top five fighters of all-time, best rappers, best sitcoms, whatever. I see a list, and I’m reading it intently.
Lately, I’ve been watching ‘Sports Lists’ on FSN hosted by Summer Sanders. And I have to admit, like lil’ Mikey in that old cereal commercial, I like it, I really, really, like it.
So with that, I’m introducing a new weekly feature, called ‘K9’s List’. Now, this is just a listing of my personal opinions on various subjects from sports and beyond.
With ‘Friday Night Lights’, coming out on the silver screen soon, so I’ll start off with my five favorite football flicks.
5. ‘the Best of Times’: Robin Williams and Kurt Russell, while not exactly Montana-to-Rice, made a great tandem.
4. ‘All the Right Moves’: One of Tom Cruise’s most underrated movies. This was no ‘Cocktail’.
3. ‘the Longest Yard’: You just had to root for the ‘Mean Machine’
“Hey, I think he broke his freakin neck!!!”
2. ‘ North Dallas 40’: One of the first sports movies to really tell it like it was.
1. ‘the Program’: Football, steroids, keggers and Halle Berry. A touchdown if there ever was one.
FINAL FLURRIES
We’ve seen the demise of some of the game’s stalwarts the past few weeks, but in Kassim Ouma and Jeff Lacy, we saw the emergence of some of the game’s most entertaining young stars. They may never have the marquee success of a Oscar De La Hoya but they should be involved in some very exciting and compelling bouts in the next few years…..Hey, isn’t it time for Ricky Hatton to stop gobbling up Sharmba Mitchell’s leftovers?…..You gotta give Wayne Martell some credit, he kept getting up against Zab Judah.
