Every fight has to have a loser. Barring the dreaded draw, someone ? whether from the grassroots or the elite level ? has to come up short. Our obsession with champions, pound for pounders and Hall of Famers is understandable, and perhaps indicates the level of our own esteem, or lack thereof.
There?s nothing wrong with a defeat, provided it came in honourable fashion and provided the loser has something to work on and somewhere to go next. This writer has picked two or three pugilists to win at the highest level, only to see them fall short on the night during 2007.
Rather than dropping them from my columns only to resume enthusiasm when they ? Mikkel Kessler, Humberto Soto and Ricky Hatton in particular ? get back in the winning column, I?m not going to ?abandon? these guys, all of whom have something to work on, and somewhere to go, in what could be an excellent 2008 for them.
Below is an exclusive list of warriors who can emerge from losses better than ever, who have shown enough in defeat to achieve big things in 2008, and whom opportunity knocks for:
ISRAEL VAZQUEZ
Proof positive that defeat need not hold a good man back, Vazquez came through serious adversity to end the year on a high note. His seven round defeat to Rafael Marquez in March, which saw Vazquez throw in the towel due to breathing problems after taking some hellacious shots to his nose, inspired Vazquez into his greatest triumph when many had written him off. Only five months later, a fired-up Vazquez would stop Marquez on his feet in another outstanding encounter. Gritty and determined, Vazquez reclaimed his super bantamweight crown, bested his nemesis and set up a rubber match to decide this major rivalry in 2008. Above all, Vazquez wouldn?t let defeat hold him back, and is a terrific example to the below men.
MIKKEL KESSLER
Kessler began the year brightly, when defending his WBC and WBA super middleweight crowns against tough Librado Andrade via shutout. Credit him for risking those belts in Joe Calzaghe?s backyard, despite losing his ?0? in Cardiff, Wales during their unifier last month (Calzaghe was making his 21st WBO defense). Kessler has nothing to be ashamed of, more than holding his own over the first half, but losing his way afterward. Figured out and outsped by Calzaghe after the sixth, Kessler nonetheless reminded Joe he was in a fight, jarring Calzaghe in the twelfth of an absorbing fight. Technically sound and eager to make the best fights, Kessler, 28, will be a force at 168-pounds, perhaps the leading one, when Calzaghe abandons it.
Despite the poor TV figures for the bout on HBO, Kessler has the good looks and the attitude to get back to the top, and a win over a top American like Kelly Pavlik would do wonders for his profile. Redemption could come in the form of young Lucian Bute, a quick-handed southpaw ? like Calzaghe ? who happens to hold the IBF portion of the world championship. Like Calzaghe, the Romanian-born Bute is a homeboy, and has a big following in Canada, where he now lives. Kessler has some time to improve his game against southpaws and more importantly ? to deal with a moving target.
HUMBERTO SOTO
Life isn?t fair, but Soto has dealt with hard knocks before, overcoming five early career losses to become the world-class fighter he is today. Long overdue a world title shot, despite winning three eliminators to fight for WBC belts, the Mexican puncher wound up fighting defensive wizard Joan Guzman for the WBO crown at super featherweight. Though some fancied Soto, his correct punching and methodical approach had few answers for the Dominican, who outsped and outboxed him over 12 rounds.
But the wide scorecards seemed a tad unfair to Soto, 27, who boxed well early and staged a handful of hard rallies, despite failing to really penetrate the Guzman guard and despite being well outweighed on the night. Soto can bounce right back against more orthodox practitioners like Juan Manuel Marquez, holder of the WBC crown, in what could be the super featherweight equivalent of Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez (Juan Manuel?s younger brother). Humberto has certainly paid enough sanctioning fees to the WBC of recent, and the truce between his promoter Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, who represent Marquez, can prevent him from being overlooked.
Soto, 29, has the technique and the power to win a title, and is more likely to be a force at 130-pounds than Guzman, whose weight woes might send him up to lightweight. Despite losing to a once-in-a-lifetime talent, Soto has a lot going for and may have quite a lot to look forward to.
Already, he has been linked with WBC lightweight champ David Diaz for March.
RICKY HATTON
♫ There?s only one Ricky Hatton. ♫
Criticise the hype ? that he was the man to beat Mayweather. Criticise the strategy ? scuffling and charging with his chin unprotected against as precise a fighter as the ?Pretty Boy.? But it is hard to fault the Englishman?s courage or personality. Hatton?s army of travelling British fans, and the success of the fight on British and American PPV (an estimated 1.4m in the UK, and 850,000 in America) has softened the blow that was his tenth round TKO loss to boxing?s best, up at welterweight.
Despite his increasingly messy style, Ricky is an easy man to root for and outclasses most of the opposition at press conferences, even if he can?t in the ring. Still the main champion at junior welterweight, Hatton, 29, has the kind of star power that will ensure that major names will look to the Brit for big paydays and blockbuster fights. Might merely be ?good?, rather than ?great,? and fitness may be an issue given his pressure style and hard drinking, food gorging lifestyle outside of the ring.
But there?s nowt wrong wi? bein? just good, especially when you have the kind of support that Ricky Hatton has.
