When I think of the 154 pound class the first name that comes to mind is “Terrible” Terry Norris. Norris may not have been the best junior middleweight in history; in fact, I think he would have been brutally KO’d by Felix Trinidad had they met in the late 1990s. Yet, Norris’ career was simply irresistible. He fought the best of his era and put concussive power on display along with the fastest pair of hands I have ever watched first hand. Even at his dominating best, Norris always appeared mortal. In the backs of our minds we knew it only took one shot to turn the tide of superiority against him. Norris blasted aged greats like Sugar Ray Leonard and Donald Curry. He mauled the best welterweights of his time in Meldrick Taylor and Maurice Blocker, but fell victim to the hands of Simon Brown and wasted a year of his career trying to settle things with journeyman Luis Santana. Norris would regain his stature as the world’s best junior middleweight with wins over Brown, Paul Vaden, and Vincent Pettway, but then he surrendered it to the unlikely Keith Mullings and finished his career with a three fight slide. Norris’ career could fill a Both Sides of the Coin article all by itself.
What’s good about today’s junior middleweight division?
This question is harder to answer than it should be, but one answer is Miguel Cotto. Cotto is closing in on one year of permanent residence at 154 pounds. He captured the WBA title with an easy stoppage of Yuri Foreman and defended it once in a novelty bout with Ricardo Mayorga. Cotto is the marquee name in the division. He’s been popular in the sport since he emerged as a prospect in 2002 and he still holds the loyalty of his Puerto Rican supporters, some of the most avid followers of the sport. More importantly, Cotto is a likable guy nearly free of controversy. He is sincere, humble, and willing to test himself against the best in the sport. His proposed rematch with Antonio Margarito will garner a lot of attention from the press and fans even though both men are clearly past their respective best. There are still a number of marketable match-ups out there for the Puerto Rican star and he still has been able to produce exciting bouts worthy of our time.
Saul Alvarez may be the future of the division and he’s only twenty years old. Forget about the fact that he holds the WBC 154 pound crown for a moment. Truthfully, he didn’t deserve the opportunity to try for it. Alvarez is still a prospect or a rising contender. He has beaten the right type of opposition in Lanardo Tyner, Jose Miguel Cotto, Carlos Baldomir, and Matthew Hatton. Those names offer substance and help build a fighter. However, the one name that is often overlooked, and just might speak the most about Alvarez, is Miguel Vazquez. Vazquez has since dropped from welterweight down to 135 and established himself as formidable champion. In three world championship bouts, Vazquez has lost only a handful of rounds in winning three decisions. Alvarez has twice defeated Vazquez as the climbed the professional ranks. We often learn more about a fighter by examining what his opponents did after he beat them than merely focusing on the quality of the win at the time.
A new generation of up and comers is developing at 154. Pawel Wolak is surely among the most exciting contenders in the division. His war with Raul Pinzon to end 2010 was a dark horse candidate for fight of the year. Recently, he put an end to the hopes of a rebound for Yuri Foreman with a dominant win. Erislandy Lara, although troubled last time out by Carlos Molina, has shown considerable flash in the division and his streak of first round KOs had experts picking him over Cornelius Bundrage, who may be lightly regarded among champions, but is still a world champion. Mark Jason Melligen, yet another top Filipino fighter on today’s radar, has rebuilt himself after a pair of defeats and appears to be developing into a promising contender. Austin Trout remains unbeaten and is coming off his career best win over Rigoberto Alvarez, who once troubled Marco Antonio Rubio.
What’s bad about today’s junior middleweight division?
The previous generation of hopefuls has stalled. James Kirkland went to prison, started a quick paced comeback at middleweight, and got blasted in one round this weekend. Alfredo Angulo stepped up and was woefully ineffective in being out-boxed by Kermit Cintron. Deandre Latimore earned a title shot against Cory Spinks and found a way to lose to the rusty champion. Vanes Martirosyan has met some fellow prospects and faded contenders, but still lacks a marquee name as he awaits his shot at a title. Carlos Molina seemed poised for a major match-up with one of the top contenders, but then he took nearly two years off before controversially drawing with one of the game’s most highly touted prospects in 2011. Only Yuri Foreman has been able to capture a title and that reign was short lived thanks to Miguel Cotto. This group has greatly underachieved.
Paul Williams has yet to commit himself to 154 pounds with the division as his singular interest. He beat Verno Phillips to a pulp back in 2008. Then, he started jumping all over the place to start more Henry Armstrong talk. The only problem was that Williams never really established himself as the best of one division from 147 to 160 pounds. His bout with Kermit Cintron proved little after a four round technical decision. Sergio Martinez has seemingly knocked Williams out of the middleweight division, but “The Punisher” needs to focus himself on 154 supremacy. The division is wide open right now with no clear fighter asserting dominance over the others. Williams probably has the best chance to do so.
The verdict?
I do not see anything great on the horizon for the junior middleweight class. It will always be positive that Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. reside seven pounds south and have dabbled in the 154 pound pool before. The only problem is that Pacquiao does not have many mega-fight options at junior middleweight and Mayweather doesn’t appear interested in fighting. The division needs an Williams-Cotto fight to promote genuine interest in the division while the last generation of prospects and the new generation of prospects maneuver themselves into bouts with each other. Catchweight extravaganzas will only provide temporary interest and do nothing to build up the division, which not too long ago appeared to shaping into one of boxing’s best.
Related Quotes:
Unbeaten, junior middleweight contender, Austin Trout: “I feel that Saul getting the belt is proof of popularity speaking volumes! Cotto’s recent wins after Margarito and Pacquiao, are an example of careful matchmaking, but the fashion in how he won those fights shows that he has something left. He’s not the same Cotto that beat Mosley for sure, but I wouldn’t scratch him off as a shot fighter.”
Former welterweight titlist, Kermit Cintron: “I don’t think Canelo should have had the opportunity for the WBC title. He really didn’t beat anyone to deserve the spot. He beat up a washed up Carlos Baldomir. I would rank him anywhere between 6-10, but not the top 5. He’s Mexican and Golden Boy has him and the WBC is out of Mexico. Lots of favoritism in my opinion. I believe, even though I boxed his head off, Angulo deserved the shot. He’s beaten legit fighters. I also believe that Rhodes deserved the shot as well.
Cotto has a lot in the tank. I don’t understand why people keep saying he’s got nothing left. He’s beaten good fighters with a pulse. He beat up Clottey, even though it was a close match, Foreman, and he beat up Mayorga, who is a dangerous fighter. I don’t think he was matched carefully. Cotto is a true world class fighter that will fight anyone. I’m a bit disappointed with the fact that he’s giving Margarito another shot. I understand that he wants his revenge, but after Margarito got caught with the wraps, I sure would not let him make money off me.”
