When people say that boxing is dying, point out all the spectacular recent fights and all the great matches coming up. When they say there are no good heavyweights around, tell them to watch the fantastic fighters in the lower weight classes. When critics blast boxing for over-utilizing pay-per-view programming, direct them to ESPN, where they can see the legends of old as well as up-and-coming champions. When nay-sayers talk about the dark underbelly of the cruelest game, ask them how baseball is coping with steroids, why the NFL welcomes murderers and drug dealers, or why Ron Artest is still in the NBA. When somebody says that there is no excitement in the boxing world, when they say that it’s not like the old days, simply recap the month of January 2006 for them.
The first month of the new year provided us with more than enough hope for the future of boxing, not to mention a ton of excitement about the current scene. First, a double-feature card on Jan. 7 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City, the city which once played host to countless title fights and countless legends, from Joe Louis to Rocky Marciano to Ray Robinson to Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, saw two title fights end in thrilling upsets, with both advancing the cause of boxing.
While most fans tuned in to see welterweight champion Zab Judah take on mandatory challenger Carlos Baldomir, the first bout of the evening, a cruiserweight unification match between WBC and WBA champion Jean-Marc Mormeck and IBF titlist O’Neil Bell, nearly stole the show.
Bell, (26-1-1, 24 KO’s) upset Mormeck, (31-3, 21 KO’s) with a tenth round kayo to unify three cruiserweight titles for the first time since Evander Holyfield did so in the late 1980s. Withstanding constant pressure from the bull-like Mormeck, Bell gradually assumed control of the fight while Mormeck, having fought only once in the previous 18 months, exhibited a touch of ring rust and an incredible lack of stamina as he wore down during the middle rounds. Bell finished the job with a pair of right hands to the head and stopped Mormeck, handing the Frenchman his first loss since 1997. The competitive nature of the bout as well as the exciting finish raised the profile of the cruiserweight division, and Bell gave the 200-pounders another bump by promptly announcing that top contender Steve Cunningham, (18-0, 9 KO’s) will be his first defense.
Bell-Mormeck would’ve been a good enough feature on its own, but the headliner of the night was Zab Judah, the hometown boy. Judah. (34-3, 25 KO’s) had finally matured enough to harvest his remarkable physical gifts into a long championship reign. He had avenged his loss to Cory Spinks to assume the undisputed welterweight crown, and then annihilated Cosme Rivera in his first defense. The tilt with Baldomir, an unknown 37-year-old from Argentina, was supposed to be a walkthrough for Judah on his way to facing Floyd Mayweather, JR. this spring. Or so we thought.
Baldomir rocked Judah with a right hand in the seventh round and went on to win a clear unanimous decision, throwing the entire welterweight division into chaos in the process. If this were any other sport, chaos would be harmful. But in boxing, it simply adds to what is already there. Baldomir’s inspirational victory once again showed the world that boxing is the ultimate sport for the underdog, the best place to find feel-good sports stories, and the best reminder that it isn’t talent that prevails in life, it is heart, courage and determination. It proved to be a terrific way for the New Year in boxing to begin.
Two weeks later, Manny Pacquiao, (41-3-2, 33 KO’s) accomplished something that no other man ever has when he knocked out Erik Morales in the tenth round of their slugfest rematch on Jan. 21 in Las Vegas. With two entire nations watching their heros go toe-to-toe, a determined Pacquiao made good on his promise to reverse the result of their first encounter, and pounded on the brave Morales until Morales could no longer stand. Both fighters were stars before the fight, and both earned even more respect due to their performances that night. Pacquiao proved he is a legitimate superstar, one of the best in the business today and stylistically as pleasing as any fighter around. Morales, (48-4, 34 KO’s) showed that one does not have to win to be noble. A lesser fighter would’ve folded by the seventh round, but Morales hung in and fought back until his body couldn’t take any more punishment.
To cap the outstanding first month of 2006, Arturo “Thunder” Gatti returned to the ring on Jan. 28 and announced that he is not quite finished leaving his mark on the game. At age 33, and fighting at 147 pounds for the first time since 2001, Gatti looked great as he dominated the previously undefeated Thomas Damgaard. Gatti, (40-7, 31 KO’s) moved well, threw well and hurt his slow-footed opponent on the way to an eleventh-round TKO victory at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, the same venue where Gatti suffered one of the worst defeats of his career at the hands of Floyd Mayweather, JR. just seven months earlier.
Many experts wondered if Gatti’s career had run its course, but now, with the welterweight division wide open and Gatti having easily disposed of The Ring magazine’s No. 5 contender, the wildly popular Gatti is once again a major player. With such an exhilarating start to 2006, and with even greater events on the horizon, it pays to be a fight fan. Other sports can match the sweet science for a month at a time, but no other athletic arena offers excitement like this year round. And it’s only going to get better as we go deeper into the new year. Fernando Vargas and Shane Mosley both attempt to climb back to prominence as they face off on a Feb. 25 card that also features the amazing welterweight prospect Joel Julio, as well as heavyweight contender Calvin Brock. Julio also fought in January, improving his record to 26-0 with 23 KO’s with a third-round stoppage of Robert Kamya on Jan. 6. March 4 brings us the best super middleweight showdown of all time when WBO titlist Joe Calzaghe, (40-0, 31 KO’s) and IBF champ Jeff Lacy, (21-0, 17 KO’s) square off in Manchester, England, and the hazy heavyweight picture will gain a touch of focus when James Toney, (69-4-2, 43 KO’s) and Hasim Rahman, (41-5-1, 33 KO’s) touch gloves on March 18 in Atlantic City. And, oh yes, Mayweather-Judah is still on for April 8 in Las Vegas.
So, when someone tells you that boxing is dead, just tell them about January 2006, a month of great thrills, and great anticipation for the future.
