NEXT “SUPERSTAR” NOT TO BE A HEAVYWEIGHT!
Wollaston, MA- As the sport of boxing continues to search for its next breakout star, once again fistic royalty may be crowned in the lower weight divisions. Much as it did in the 1980’s when lonely eyes searching for a replacement for Muhammad Ali found “Sugar Ray” Leonard and his compatriots and then in the 1990’s when Oscar De La Hoya and his rivals replaced Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, today boxing’s gaze is looking towards the little men. The heavyweight division has yet again been relegated to 2nd or even 3rd class status.
YES, MANNY PACQUIAO IS ON THE LIST!
There are several candidates for the next “big thing,” and junior lightweight Manny Pacquiao may already be there. In the coming weeks there are two boxers who will engage in significant summer bouts who may fill the void. Welterweights Miguel Cotto and Zab Judah will fight on June 9th and junior welterweights Ricky Hatton and Jose Luis Castillo will do battle on June 23rd. Both fights are attractive, although for different reasons. Hatton-Castillo has the potential to be a vicious, infighting slugfest. Cotto-Judah has the potential to elevate Cotto to star status should he knockout the very talented, but let’s face it, underachieving and annoying Judah.
WHY DID MARGARITO SAY NO TO COTTO?
On top of that Cotto was ready to sign on the dotted line to face popular Antonio Margarito, but Margarito backed out-possibly in anticipation of a juicy buildup to a potential Puerto Rican-Mexican superfight with Cotto at the end of the year. Regardless, Cotto can’t be accused of ducking anyone (as he has been recently) because he decided to face the slick, fast, hard punching Judah in the interim.
COTTO & HATTON, UNBEATEN & LEAKY?
Both Cotto and Hatton have their critics and apparent faults, which could be further exposed by Judah and Castillo. Cotto’s chin is still under suspicion. His knockdown, drag out thriller with Ricardo Torres in 2005, in which he was floored and badly hurt but rallied back to win by knockout, is pointed at with menacing index fingers by his critics. Those critics maintain that not only does Cotto have a weak chin but also that the bout subsequently led to easy-touch matchmaking. Yet his move up to welterweight has seemed to invigorate him. In other words, you’d be surprised how the extra seven pounds has helped the Puerto Rican.
THE LAST TIME HATTON LOOKED GOOD?
Hatton hasn’t looked particularly good since his tremendous title winning effort against Kostya Tszyu back in 2005. He moved up to welterweight and was lucky to get a decision victory against Luis Collazo in Boston in 2006. Then, he dropped back down to the junior welterweight division but again looked unimpressive against Juan Urango early this year. Hatton has regressed into a hit-clutch-and-grab fighter, but Castillo, with his vicious left hook to the body should force the “Hitman” to fight back for survival.
BROOKLYN “BIG MOUTH” HAS PROS & CONS!
Judah is as frustrating a fighter as I’ve ever seen in years. He’s talented but undisciplined. He seems to never have an alternate “Plan B” should “Plan A” go awry; and “Plan A” usually falls apart inside of four or five rounds. When that happens Judah loses both his concentration and his temper and falls apart. Yet, his feet are ten times faster than Cotto’s and he is the hardest puncher with the fastest hands Miguel has yet faced.
“PUNCTUATED” VICTORIES NEEDED FOR BOTH
All the questions in both fights make for two potential “fight of the year” candidates. If Cotto and Hatton emerge victorious in exciting fashion they could very well become superstars in the sport. If not, the search for boxing’s next savior will carry on.
