It may be a bit early to be making resolutions for 2011, but this weekend of spectacular boxing thrills inspired me to decide on a pair of promises to myself.
First, I will stop bemoaning the sorry state of the current crop of heavyweights.
Second, I will stop lamenting the prospect that a bout between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is, in all likelihood, not going to happen.
With regard to Resolution #1, IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko pulled out of a scheduled title defense against the unheralded Derek Chisora, citing an abdominal injury. Well, nobody cared about that fight to begin with, so its cancellation didn?t mean much to anyone except Chisora.
And why should it, when a trio of bouts featuring smaller fighters promised more fireworks than a Fourth of July celebration? Klitschko was such an overwhelming favorite over Chisora that a Chisora victory would have been the biggest upset since Buster Douglas shocked Mike Tyson. On the other hand, the 140-pound clash between Amir Khan and Marcos Maidana, and the bantamweight battles featuring Joseph Agbeko against Yonhhy Perez and Abner Mares against Vic Darchynian, were all ?pick-?em? matchups.
Although all three of those bouts went the 12-round distance, none of them were one-sided, and they featured plenty of blood, knockdowns and momentum changes. It was like having all three Erik Morales-Marco Antonio Barrera fights occur on the same night.
The little guys are stepping up to fill the super-size void the heavyweights have left. More power and purses to them. And if the big boys ever rediscover their lost glory, more power and purses to them, too.
Concerning Resolution #2, it?s time for a reality check. The fever-pitch of excitement for Pacquiao-Mayweather reached a crescendo earlier this year. It was the most highly anticipated encounter since Oscar De La Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad back in 1999.
A case could be made for either Floyd or Manny to win. The fight would have thrust boxing back into the mainstream media, and the result may well have made the front page of the New York Times.
Unfortunately, a series of stalemates at the negotiating table shelved the fight for 2010. And Mayweather?s troubles with the law could keep it on ice throughout 2011. As well, Pacquiao?s recent choices of opponent (Antonio Margarito and possibly Shane Mosley) have eroded some of the respect Manny has built up over the years.
Somehow, some way, Pacquiao-Mosley might yet be made while it still matters. But, as B.B. King would put it, ?the thrill is gone.?
Charles R. Saunders is the author of several books including Sweat and Soul: The Saga of Black Boxers in the Maritimes from the Halifax Forum to Caesars Palace. Considered by many to be one of the leading authorities on boxing in Canada, he is the current Vice-President of Boxing for the Society of North American Sports Historians and Researchers.
