When taking a look at Joan Guzman at the moment it would be easy to have mixed feelings. If anyone watched the Dominican?s split-decision victory over Ali Funeka last Saturday night they would have been able to see a fighter with much guile and talent. Guzman was able counter his taller foe effectively and a sixth round knockdown highlighted an extremely entertaining fight. While taking a first look that may be reason enough to think everything is fine in Guzman?s world but unfortunately there is much more going on beneath the surface.
On last Friday Guzman?s foe Funeka did his part in coming in at the contractually scheduled Lightweight limit of 135 pounds for their clash at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was then time for Guzman to step on the scale and his joking nature and devilish demeanor foreshadowed what was soon to be another strike on his career. When it was announced that the former two-time champion had come in at a whopping 144 pounds people were in disbelief and disgusted.
The Guzman-Funeka rematch would go on and surprisingly it was a very lively fight. Guzman was at an obvious advantage, as he didn?t have to kill his body to make weight in the same fashion as did Funeka. Ask any athlete the toll that it takes to cut weight and they will be quick to tell you how weakening it can become to one?s body. In not having to torture himself to make 135 pounds like Funeka, Guzman wasn?t playing by the rules and came into the contest much stronger than expected. The ending result saw a reinvigorated Joan dance and mock Funeka all night, while easily brushing off any power blows that the lanky South African laid upon him. Guzman would capture a split decision when the cards were announced but it is a verdict that will certainly have an asterisk by it.
In the aftermath of his second tussle with Funeka, whom he fought to a controversial draw last November, Guzman claimed that the reason he wasn?t able to make weight was because of all the excess water weight that he retained during camp in Englad under the eye of Lee Beard. He also noted that he will absolutely be making the move to 140 pounds and noted that he would like to get revenge for his fallen countryman Victor Cayo, who was stopped in six riveting rounds by interim WBA Jr. Lightweight champion Marcos Maidana in the evening?s headline bout.
While Guzman was able to show some positives against Funeka, most notably the speed of his still-quick hands and his overall boxing ability, one shouldn?t get too caught up in that performance as he was fighting a man much weaker than himself. At 140 pounds Guzman will find himself around a bevy of young and physically imposing pugilists and it very well could spell doom for him.
At 135 pounds the only division that Guzman was rated in the top ten was the IBF. When looking at the IBF rankings at 140 pounds some names stand out that would be interesting matchups with Joan including Zab Judah and Kendall Holt, who was surprisingly halted by Kaizer Mabuza earlier this year. All the other interesting names in the IBF rankings, such as Nate Campbell, Paulie Malignaggi and Juan Diaz, all seem to be tied up with fights of their own at the moment.
Guzman began his career over twelve years ago at 122 pounds, where he was a lightning-fast phenom who dominated his opponents with his vicious attack and blazing combinations. Pegged ?Little Tyson? by some, Guzman had the look of greatness about him but the fights he desired never came to fruition and the past few years in particular must have been extremely frustrating for his supporters. Whether through a lack of dedication or his body simply aging, Guzman now finds himself on the verge of 34 in a new and highly-dangerous division. While last Saturday night may have showcased that Guzman is still a capable professional, it could also be delaying the inevitable. Every fight from here on out is going to be a dog-fight for Joan and at 140 pounds he simply seems to be facing an uphill battle.
