Thus far, a sensational September is more than making up for what turned out to be an anemic August in the world of boxing. First, Andre Ward put a beatdown on Chad Dawson. And this past Saturday, a constellation of fistic stars put their titles and reputations on the line. Here?s a report card on their performances:
SERGIO MARTINEZ: ?A? The 37-year-old Argentine wonder retained his Ring magazine middleweight title and regained his WBC belt with a unanimous decision over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. The verdict proved to be lop-sided in Martinez? favor. But there was drama ? and trauma ? in the last round, when Chavez dropped ?Maravilla? and came close to knocking him out. Martinez was able to weather the storm and win on the scorecards. Sergio deserves full credit for thoroughly outboxing the younger, bigger man over 11 rounds, then surviving a scare in the 12th.
JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR.: ?A? So, why am I giving an ?A? to the guy who lost to Martinez? Because Chavez showed that he belonged in the ring with the best fighter in his division. Ever since he began his career, Chavez Jr. has been written off as a mediocre talent riding on the glove laces of his Hall of Fame father, Julio Cesar Sr. It was widely believed that Martinez would school Junior and send him back to his Daddy. Martinez did school Chavez, but he didn?t humiliate him. And in the last round, Junior came oh-so-close to duplicating Senior?s come-from-behind, last-round KO over Meldrick Taylor back in 1990. Julio Jr. is not Julio Sr. But Julio Jr. has proven beyond a doubt that he is his own man.
SAUL ?CANELO? ALVAREZ: ?B? Burgeoning superstar Alvarez scored three knockdowns en route to stopping Josesito Lopez in their WBC super-middleweight title bout. The undersized Lopez was game, as always. But he was simply in over his head. What makes Alvarez? win worthwhile is that he did to Lopez what Victor Ortiz was supposed to do in June. But Lopez scored an upset win, breaking Ortiz?s jaw in the process. That?s why he was given a chance to also upset Canelo, who is another young gun. Unlike Ortiz, Alvarez lived up to his expectations.
GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: ?B? WBA super-bantamweight champion Rigondeaux made a routine title defense, winning a wide decision over Robert Marroquin. Rigondeaux had his opponent on the canvas twice, but couldn?t put him away. Given the hype and praise he has attracted, it?s easy to forget that this was only the 11th pro fight for the former Cuban amateur standout. His rise has been spectacularly swift. But he?s just marking time now with opponents like Marroquin. He needs to face the likes of Abner Mares or the winner of the upcoming Nonito Donaire-Toshiaki Nishioka unification bout.
YOAN PABLO HERNANDEZ: ?C? IBF cruiserweight king Hernandez is touted as the best fighter in his unjustly-maligned division. But he didn?t show it on Saturday, yes, he won a close decision over challenger Troy Ross. But Ross dropped him hard in the fifth round and dominated the championship rounds. Ross is a solid contender. But if Hernandez aspires to be another David Haye or Evander Holyfield, he is going to have to do a lot better than this. While the other stars shone on Saturday, Hernandez faded.
QUICK RANT: When interest in a lucrative mega-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. was at its peak a few years ago, promoters were unable to make the match. Now, they can?t even put together a return bout between Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley, who won a disputed decision in their July encounter. Instead, Pacquiao will be facing Juan Manuel Marquez for the fourth time, and Bradley?s next opponent is ?To Be Announced.? What the hell is going on?
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, as well as the Imaro series of fantasy/adventure novels. 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. His award-winning novel, Damballa, which centers around a fictional heavyweight title bout, is available at Amazon.com.
