~Sitting in the back of a Hyundai Sonata~
You see, I got this Boxing “writing thing” on lock and I’m not getting any younger so I “move when I want to move.” I had my outfit already picked out for this column. You see those big ass under amour sweats over there? That was for the column I should have turned in last week. While I was sorting through stuff and setting up the new bachelor lair, Boxing did more than just lurch along. It took huge steps toward super fights in two divisions. Like most things in life we keep our eye firmly off the ball, obsessing over the constipated notions behind Pacquiao/Mayweather and not the amazing action between 168 lbs. and 175 lbs. Every story that can be told in our sport is unfolding on the pages of seven pounds; the most compelling tale is that politics haven’t a chapter in this book. From the Super Six to Bernard Hopkins chasing the legends from the black and white era -real fights ARE going down and you should love it. So you can wear all the “Take the Test” shirts you want. I won’t get mad. I haven’t done anything the “right way” in years.
Put your hands up and don’t expect the referee to se everything.
Bernard Hopkins, Legendary
Listening to Bernard Hopkins critique a thoroughly beaten Jean Pascal would -on the surface- appear condescending until you consider the teacher. Bernard Hopkins throughout his career wore many labels in the ring but last Saturday he fooled us one last time by revealing his true identity: brutal chameleon. In a stroke of genius he laid back, manual on Pascal in his hard drive and allowed the notorious “four-round fighter” to blow out his circuits. Stressed out from over a month of demanding respect from a man who began his career when the Canadian was in diapers, Pascal was counting on youth to steal something from someone you can’t steal from. Even Nazim Richardson could see the uneven rhythm of Pascal and reiterated that the kid was trying to “steal” on the legend. For those of you un-baptized to the nuance of African-American slang to “steal” on a foe is to hit first, hoping the speed of your attack can finish matters.
Hopkins started the fight stalking and crowding the better athlete, yet he didn’t let his hands go. He only mimicked the vendetta Pascal truly believed the fight was and the Canadian, wasting punches, played right into his hands. He was mean, combative and the body language he projected was not the “submissive” message he accused Mosley of sending against Manny Pacquiao. However, Hopkins knew the Robert Allen clone was a dangerous foe in rounds 1-4. While Pascal started the fight moving laterally and giving up energy Hopkins set a steady tempo inching forward behind the jab. Pascal in the “short bus” version of Ray Leonard’s round-stealing masterpiece vs. Hagler scored in punctuated bursts, only hurting Bernard with a right hand to end round 4. Even during wild exchanges like the one in round two, the Philly hard man let loose the tighter punches which play like a death organ to a guy who can’t go more than five rounds. This fight was over after round 4 when Hopkins survived the right hand bomb, Brother Nazim capsulated the fight saying, “he must think he’s dealing with somebody ordinary.”
Love him or hate him, Bernard “stayed off the tracks” and started dropping quick right hands behind solid jabs. When you do everything right your punches get there faster than those of younger opponents who are looping arm bombs. Not only did Hopkins start landing shots right down the middle, but he would also finish all exchanges with six-inch chops to the heavily muscled flanks of the child sacrifice. I don’t have to tell you that the old man rolled downhill on the kid and closed the show in more exciting fashion than he ever did when he was waiting on his lottery ticket. All we can do now is appreciate the legend for what he is, never mind when he runs his mouth before a fight and reminds you of what he clearly isn’t.
And What Now?
Montreal is Boxing country and Hopkins is in a position to establish a whole new fan base in O’ Canada. Lucian Bute is the Sinatra to Pascal’s Sammy Davis Jr., Bute is the big fish that can bring Bernard one (or two) big paydays. The only roadblock is Bute’s defection to Showtime for the competition the Super Six can provide. Ever Savvy, Hopkins didn’t completely downgrade Pascal because it wouldn’t be in his best interest. A third fight in the interim while waiting for Super Six business to sort out would be a soft place to land for a fighter determined to reach 50. Chad Dawson in his debut under Phil Jackson, I mean Manny Steward, looked like someone who needs to get more comfortable with change. Bernard made it clear he will honor a verbal agreement to face Dawson but no one would spite the old man if he put the transitioning southpaw on hold. I used to think Hopkins was running from the New Haven native but at this stage I would favor him over anybody coming off or out of the ring turmoil and a new trainer. There’s only one fighter out there with the toolbox and precision to make Bernard look like a defenseless old man and that’s’ Andre Ward.
I can see it now, Church Pews vs. Prison Yard, which of these champions can claim the tightest relationship with God?
SOG out of the ring, SOB in it
Andre Ward’s professional journey is a strange one. An American Gold Medalist in Athens, Greece, he entered the pro-ranks with a pedigree that no longer carries the same cach?. Add the injuries and whispers about his chin and he’s actually had one foot in David Reid’s territory without actually being exposed. The Super Six was supposed to be a vehicle that nailed his coffin and further advanced Showtime’s decade long investment in European Super Middleweights. What actually happened is the Oakland native proved himself the best overall fighter in the tournament and trust me, it ain’t close. A better boxer than his dear friend Dirrell and nasty enough to bully bigger guys like Kessler and Greene to the point of damned near surrender, there isn’t a thing I haven’t seen him do.
Manny Pacquiao at 32 just learned how hard it is to knock out a bigger man who is trying to survive but what Ward had to deal with in Abraham is far more dangerous. Abraham may be too crude for Ward but he came out faster than usual, finally realizing he was no longer dealing with middleweights. Not only did Ward endure Abraham’s initial thrust, he stayed close and brutalized the former champion for his aggression. In this field I’ve heard more nitpicking of Ward’s overall game which tells me one thing; he’s the only one with an overall game to critique. When you look at Roy Jones’s murderer’s row at 168 and what Ward is doing now, there’s no comparison. He’s looking more like the Gold Medalist who could deal with adversity (Ray Leonard) than the Silver medalist who deserved Gold in 1988. I’d match him against Hopkins in a heartbeat and I don’t see Dawson dealing well with his versatility either.
Leonard and De la Hoya, Transcendent as Usual
There were only two men who changed the game in the last thirty years, two men who laid the template for the extremely rare “celebrity” boxer. Ray Leonard and Oscar De la Hoya carry more weight in mainstream circles than Pacquiao and Mayweather combined, a compliment and a curse to our sport. However, when they put themselves out there behind a cause and sacrifice parts of their own public image to raise awareness. boxing ultimately wins. Professional athletes aren’t immune to the horrors of child molestation and sexual abuse, they are citizens just like you and I. Leonard, part of the Mount Rushmore of Boxing put his considerable largess in action to confess in his autobiography that he was assaulted by a youth coach in the years before the 1976 Olympics. Ray was always a master of timing in the ring and his timing could not have been better. Youth sports is still a breeding ground for pedophiles and abusers; if it can happen to a 16 yr. old who can throw 20 punches in 4 seconds, the crime is more emotional and mental than we will ever know. We owe a debt of gratitude to Ray for shedding light on something that can lead to helping millions.
Oscar De La Hoya reminds me of a comment I once heard about Charlie sheen. When your whole life is pleasure-filled, you pass a tipping point and descend into a form of mental illness. Oscar’s proclivities have been one of a worst kept secret in boxing circles for years. Yet, only the addict will know the depth of his pain and the actual day he can sustain the lifestyle no longer. Many of us think we would know what to do with his money and good looks, but our judgment is merely misplaced envy. The fact is Oscar De La Hoya is a child star no different than the actors and singers that get engulfed in Hollywood. When you look at the timeline of Oscar’s track record please factor in the children, many of whom will be adults soon – all of them will carry their own unique scars. Personally, I never nitpicked his in the ring shortcomings because I considered his impact outside of the ring more important. Maybe humbling himself enough to get healthy will affect the sport of boxing in a positive way. Clearheaded, maybe he can return to the sport more committed to pushing the ball forward instead of contributing to what is “wrong” with the sport.
Stealing the last Rounds
I find it hard to believe that the IRS can’t impose taxes on a fighter’s purse as easy as they do with ours. Since Joe Louis the IRS has found it acceptable to bum rush a fighter for back taxes when he is no longer able to defend himself in the ring. It has to stop now! Roy Jones went over to Russia to have his head caved in for something that could have been easily rectified years ago. Honestly, I believe there’s some sick ritualistic agenda at play, men in suits sitting by impassively while a once arrogant gladiator is sacrificed by an inferior opponent. Listen to “boxing won’t retire me” Mayweather Jr., and ask yourself who he sounds like. He sounds like Roy Jones, Jr., circa 1997. I used to devote paragraphs to Chris Arreola’s lack of professionalism and now I am proud to say he’s shut me up real good. I always felt the man to beat a Klitschko had to be conditioned; and not necessarily big. Arreola weighed in at 234 lbs. on May 14th vs. Nagy Aguilera and on Friday Night 236 lbs. to beat down Kendrick Releford. But, I’ll leave my pleasantries to a minimum. Like Chris Rock on daddies, you don’t get extra credit for doing some shit you’re supposed to do. If Carl Froch somehow beat Glenn Johnson and Andre Ward how many racially charged comments could he and Bernard Hopkins pile up in pre-fight interviews?
I just checked Bodog.com; the prop bet is -10
What is the name for Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez 3? “Wrong weight but hey he deserves it.” At this point I have no objection to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. fighting Paul Spadafora. Why the hell not? Call it “gym war spills over.” After watching Lance Armstrong’s pathetic attempt to fight off accusations of PED use, I have a whole new level of respect for Pacquiao. Guilty people don’t sue, because court cases shine a light on EVERYTHING. You can do time for perjury; I can’t wait to see who is willing to lie to a judge by saying they did not imply Manny was on steroids. Oscar De La Hoya should not have a statue in front of Staples Arena in Los Angeles, California. He received the honor based on his membership of an elite playboy class that is lead by old man Jerry Buss owner of the Lakers. Kareem Abdul Jabbar won 3 titles for UCLA and 5 with the Lakers, comparatively Oscar lost 90% of the big fights he participated in. Tim Bradley will be on ice until he can either get a clue or get on the Golden Boy roster, both outcomes are a long shot.
