Top Rank’s Blaze of Glory pay per view event has been built on Manny Pacquiao. If the Pacman goes to the bathroom, I am sure the promotion’s ace photographer Chris Farnia is taking pictures and distributing them to media outlets around the globe.
Bob Arum’s head honcho has fought long and hard to promote the General Santos slugger and the newly acquired star’s fight with Jorge Solis is the driving force behind Saturday night’s card to be presented from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Manny may sell the tickets and pay per views on Saturday, but the best fight on the evening’s hottest action will not involve the Filipino. Instead it will be produced between reigning WBC super flyweight champion Cristian Mijares and fellow Mexican Jorge Arce.
Mijares – Arce is the best fight in the super flyweight division and to make matters worse, the animosity between the pair has been growing for months. Much like a challenger calls out a champ, trying to get a crack at glory, Arce was coming out of the champion Mijares’ mouth anytime a newspaper man or camera was around months before the fight was signed.
“He (Arce) is used to talking about his opponent, talking down to them and I have turned the tables on him “said Mijares. “He is going to find out that, quickly, that I am clearly the best opponent he has faced.”
Arce, always full of humor and wit, says that Mijares is biting off more than he can chew.
“He has said this is his dream, to fight me, but he does not realize how quickly it will turn into a blood curling nightmare,” said Arce. “If God is with him on Saturday, the fight will last eight rounds. I am knocking him out.”
Big words from two little men, but fans should be in for a fistic treat.
Arce has not lost a fight since 1999, when veteran Michael Carbajal knocked out the Lollipop Cowboy. Since then Arce has strung together 26 fights straight wins an developed a strong following in Mexico due to his television appearances, showmanship (will we ever forget the dancing horse entrance in Anaheim?) and aggressive crowd pleasing style. Cross-over appeal has been growing for Arce, as he has appeared on English language boxing card and even gone as far as learning the language of el norte.
Mijares, the meanwhile, crafted his trade in relative obscurity, having fought outside of Mexico only twice and in those instances the fights took place in Japan. Outside of boxing junkies and die hard Mexican fight fans, nobody knows Mijares and he will be baptized into the world of big time boxing by Arce’s fire.
Though he beat Katsushige Kawashima via a tenth round knockout in January, Mijares does not have the power or overly aggressive style of Arce, but is a master southpaw boxer who uses his jab and movement and can make the evening difficult for anyone.
If you were to listen to Mijares, one would think that he is going to come in and walk down Arce.
“I am going to attack, attack, attack,” said Mijares. “Arce does not know how to fight going forward.”
Bad idea on Mijares’ part and his comments are a typical of a boxer blowing smoke before a fight. If you ask me, and you did not, but I will still tell you, Mijares has the skill set to be the matador Saturday and slay Arce.
Mijares vs. Arce is a classic battle between a boxer and a puncher, with the added nationalistic dimension of Mexico vs. Mexico. In recent months Marquez vs. Barrera and Marquez vs. Vazquez have reminded fight fans the type of hell two Mexicans can put each other through.
Tune in for the Manny Pacquiao show on Saturday night, but pay extra special attention to Mijares vs. Arce, as this fight will produce the best drama.
