On the heels of a somewhat anemic August, boxing roars back to life in September with four big bouts coming in the first three weekends of the month. The outcome of each fight will go a long way toward answering question about their participants.
On Saturday, Andre Berto faced not only IBF welterweight champion Jan Zaveck, but also whispers that he had been ?exposed? as an over-hyped wanna-be in the wake of his decision loss to Victor Ortiz in April. Never mind that both men were decked twice in a strong contender for Fight of the Year. Berto?s first defeat caused his standing to plunge deeply on the sock exchange.
By stopping the capable and courageous Zaveck in five rounds, Berto regained a lot of his lost momentum. True, the stoppage was caused by severe eye cuts to Zaveck. But at least the gashes were caused by punches, not head contact, as has been the case in way too many recent big fights. Other than the cuts, Zaveck was hardly out of it. Both men gave as good as they got. But there was no point in allowing Zaveck to risk permanent damage to his vision by continuing.
Berto is now back where he was before his loss to Ortiz: one of the best welterweights in the world whose name is not Pacquiao or Mayweather.
On September 10, Vitali Klitschko will put his WBC heavyweight title on the line against Tomasz Adamek. The question in this contest is whether former cruiserweight champion Adamek can perform better against this Klitschko than another ex-cruiser king, David Haye, did against Vitali?s younger brother Wladimir earlier in the summer.
Vitali turned 40 in July. But he?s the most formidable 40-something heavyweight since George Foreman in his second career. If Adamek tries to slug it out with Klitschko, he guarantees himself an early exit from the ring. If Adamek slips and slides without throwing many punches, it will be Haye-Wladimir all over again. If Adamek fights Vitali the way Sugar Ray Leonard fought Marvin Hagler years ago, however, he could well bamboozle the elder Klitschko brother into defeat. But that?s an ?if? as big as Klitschko himself, who stands 6?7 1/2?.
The other big bout on September 10 is the IBF featherweight title tilt between champion Yuriorkis Gamboa and challenger Daniel Ponce De Leon. The question here is whether Ponce De Leon can burst the highly touted, undefeated Gamboa?s bubble the way underdog Orlando Salido did that of another young gun, Juan Manuel Lopez, earlier this year. With 34 stoppages in 44 fights, Ponce De Leon is a dangerous puncher, and Gamboa had better not take him lightly.
Before the Salido loss, Lopez was considered to be on a par with Gamboa, and the two were on a collision course for a mega-fight this year or next. Now, Gamboa appears to b a cut above Lopez. And three years ago, Lopez knocked Ponce De Leon out in the first round. Enough said.
Rounding out the month?s significant offerings, on September 17, ?Vicious? Victor Ortiz defends the WBC welterweight title he took from Berto against Floyd Mayweather Jr. Because he hasn?t fought in more than a year, Mayweather is no longer rated in divisional or pound-for-pound rankings. But he?s Floyd Freakin? Mayweather, which is why he?s the favorite against the surging Ortiz.
The question here is whether the 34-year-old Mayweather is another Roy Jones Jr., or another Bernard Hopkins. Jones relied on his otherworldly athleticism during his prime. When age eroded his reflexes, Jones became an ordinary, and increasingly vulnerable, fighter. In his earlier years, Hopkins was no slouch when it came to physical ability. But he always relied more on rigorous training and finely honed technique, which enabled him to become, at age 46, the oldest fighter to win a major title.
In terms of athleticism, Mayweather is either equal to or slightly below the best of Jones. Mayweather?s technique, on the other hand, matches or perhaps even exceeds that of Hopkins. So even if Mayweather has lost a step, he still has the capacity to make the adjustments necessary to handle the hard-charging Ortiz.
Then, again if Mayweather?s outside-the ring difficulties distract him from the task at hand, or if Father Time abruptly catches up with him, he will be vulnerable to a big punch ? which ?Vicious Victor? surely possesses.
One thing beyond question: Ortiz is a more dangerous opponent for Mayweather than his last two ? Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez ? combined.
Related News: Mayweather breaks from training to spend time with Boxscore’s John Martinez and US Troops in Afghanistan – Sept. 4, 2011
Charles R. Saunders is the author of several books including Sweat and Soul: The Saga of Black Boxers in the Maritimes from the Halifax Forum to Caesars Palace, as well as the Imaro series of fantasy/adventure novels. Considered by many to be one of the leading authorities on boxing in Canada, he is the current Vice-President of Boxing for the Society of North American Sports Historians and Researchers. His latest novel, Damballa, which centers around a fictional heavyweight title bout inspired by the Joe Louis-Max Schmeling contests, is available at www.gopulp.info
