MIDDLES WERE SUPPOSED TO TOP WELTERS
Cambridge, MA- In late 2007, it was widely speculated that the coming year would see a transfer of popularity from the welterweights (147 lbs) to the middleweight (160) fighters. Floyd Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) was dancing his way out of the spotlight and a solid assortment of middleweight fights had ended the old year. Joe Calzaghe (46-0, 32 KOs) defeated the greatest pre-Kelly Pavlik adversary he could find in Mikkel Kessler (41-1, 31 KOs). Pavlik himself (43-1, 30 KOs) proved his earlier victory against Edison Miranda (30-2, 26 KOs) was no fluke, nor was it when he twice took down Jermain Taylor (28-2-1, 17 KOs). While 2008 refused to be categorized thus, especially with the weight disregard displayed by the year?s pound-for-pound best, 2009 is opening with a bang once again for the welterweights.
BERTO?S QUICK BUT NOT-SO-EXPLOSIVE RISE
One of the myriad reasons why 2007 could be so sharply associated with the welterweights was the big-scene debut of young champ Andre Berto (23-0, 19 KOs). Most fans got their first taste of the fighter through one of his first two 2007 fights, either his first-round knockout of Norberto Bravo (27-16-3, 15 KOs) in New York or the 7th round elimination of Martinus Clay (13-19-4, 5 KOs). Sure, no one would plausibly argue that either of those fighters are anywhere near the level of established and respected world champions, but 2007 was the year Berto turned 24, and he had plenty of fuel left in the tank to evolve into a champion in his own right. At that age his impressive power made him stand out before most of his generation and many that had been in the game for years later, and yet his Achilles? heel, or, rather, chin, made him fairly vulnerable to future humiliation. His handlers treated him well and sculpted his talents incredibly successfully, to the point where being knocked down against the veteran Cosme Rivera (31-11-2, 22 KOs) was shrugged aside for him when, for many other fighters, such would have been a humiliation to destroy a career. He got up, worked on his defense, and with an alphabet soup trinket now under his belt, is back to finally take on a formidable challenger this January 17th.
COLLAZO BRINGS INTERESTING RESUME TO GAME
Luis Collazo (29-3, 14 KOs) is quite an interesting opponent for the young Berto. Much like a pre-IBF championship Paul Malignaggi (25-2, 5 KOs), he is the type of opponent that is distinguished by his bravery, setting foot in the ring with world-class acts and, with the exception of his early defeat against Edwin Cassiani (25-4, 21 KOs), holds a perfect record against anyone who isn?t one of the greatest of their generation. Although he did lose to Shane Mosley (45-5, 38 KOs) in 2007, he most strikingly entered the collective boxing psyche against Ricky Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs). Losing to a 147 lb Ricky Hatton does carry a decent amount of ignominy and as such places him at a disadvantage against Berto, but this does not make the pairing any less interesting. Berto, by nature of his explosive power and diminutive defense and chin resistance, is always an entertaining draw to any ring. And as he is neither yet a world-class fighter (he?s getting there, but way too young to use the term yet) nor the kind of lower-tier challengers Collazo easily disposes of, there is a bit of ambivalence as to how Collazo will approach the situation. While Luis is one of the better opponents on Berto?s resume, I expect Berto to pull this one out if he can keep his chin out of harm?s way.
GREAT WELTERS ON THE HORIZON
It would be a stretch to claim that because the first attractive match-up of the year is in the division it will set the tone for the year. Yet it is difficult to see, now that Manny Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) is determined to fight men way out of his proper weight range (and non-Mexicans, too!), how that trend will be let down in the near future. The first blockbuster fight of the year, two weeks away and certainly meriting its own analysis the scope of which does not belong here, is only a steppingstone in the right direction for the division. Antonio Margarito (37-5, 27 KOs), who seems to have been constructed by nature for another place on the scale, is back to defend the title he pounded out of Miguel Cotto (32-1, 26 KOs), this time against arguably his most formidable opponent yet (the fight, no pun intended, is also between Cotto for that title). In Shane Mosley (45-5, 38 KOs) he finds a grizzled war veteran that may have the skill to defeat him, if willing to take the punishment. Beyond what the result of such a fight would mean to the careers of either fighter, this fight, coupled with the speculation surrounding Pacquiao?s fight with Hatton, is definitively keeping the ball on the 140-147 lb side of the court, and with the eminent retirement of several of the middle- to super middleweight?s greatest, the action is going to stay right here for some time.
