ULTIMATE ENDING TO A FIGHT
Los Angeles, CA- As boxing fans we crave superstars, blood, drama and the sensational knockout occasionally. Okay, maybe not occasionally, more like most of the time we do! All fight junkies demand awe-inspiring knockouts. Don?t get me wrong, I admire a pure boxer, the sweet science for its theatrical beauty and grace. As human beings our emotions are associated with drama being put forth in the ring, hence the craving of the KO.
THE KO BLOW AN AMAZING ENDING!
Why? For starters, a well-delivered blow can arrive with wonder and amazement, disconnecting and knocking a foe unconscious at any given time. Our desire to supplement the absence of a wounded beast painted onto the canvas unresponsive, compliments our palates. It?s as if we can almost taste it when the lethal blow when the lethal blow make its star appearance.
RECOVERING FROM A KNOCKOUT: HOW DOES ONE DO IT?
A number of greats have endured devastating drillings in their careers. Roberto ?Hands of Stone? Duran was by far one of the most influential and outstanding fighters of today and of any era in existence. However, the Panamanian did suffer a lethal dosage from in 1984 when a fat and unprepared Duran took on Thomas Hearns in a 154 lb. contest. After getting battered in the opening round, Hearns feinted to the body with a job and instead launched a right hand discombobulated ?the greatest lightweight (135) in round two. Our own Pedro Fernandez, sitting on the floor a couple of feet from the outdoor Caesars Palace ring said, ?It was the most devastating punch I?ve ever seen, bar none!?
STILL, DURAN TRIED TO GET UP!
Landing face-first, Roberto was counted out. You could hear him groaning as he tried in vain to get up in a concussed state. Ironically, another name that comes to mind is none other than Hearns himself. The ?Motor City Cobra? was gathering various elements and ingredients to construct the demise of arch rival ?Marvelous? Marvin Hagler in April 1985. Hearns and Hagler waged war for three spectacular give or take rounds.
BEST WAR EVER FOUGHT?
Simply put, most fans call this clash breathtaking. In the third stanza, Hagler connected with an overhand right that had Tommy on queer street, followed up with a ballistic right hand missile to Hearns? searing jaw. Hagler missed with a wild left and completed the mission with another rocket-propelled straight right that put Tommy down in such a heap it looked like he had fallen out of an airplane sans any parachute.
WHAT DO TOMMY & DURAN HAVE IN COMMON BESIDES BEING KO?D?
Both men were able to regroup from their knockout losses and collect titles in higher weight classes. Duran was considered all but done after Hearns. Yet Duran went on to claim the WBC middleweight title in 1989 against Iran Barkley (UD 12). Barkely, AKA ?The Blade? in his last outing had defeated Thomas Hearns (KO 3). Was this a parody to Barkley?s last signature win? Perhaps not to the fullest extent, although Duran had done what most experts thought, was impossible and here he was ? Hands of Stone? enjoying his last hurrah.
Hagler KO of Hearns LOOKING AT THE MOTOR CITY COBRA AFTER HAGLER
Now back to Tommy Hearns, who had a few hardships along the way. After yielding to Hagler?s right hands, Hearns could have been compliant with the end result, but his mind and heart would not entertain the thought. He would back to 154 and defend the WBC title with a (TKO over Mark Medal in 1986, this before also claiming the WBC light heavyweight (175) crown from Dennis Andries with a (TKO 10) in ?87. Next would be a fight for vacant WBC middleweight trinket in 1987 over Juan Roldan (KO 4). And in 1991, around the slender waist of Hearns would be the WBA light heavyweight belt winning (UD 12) over the unbeten 1984 Olympian Virgil Hill. Both Hearns and Duran achieved so much before and after knockout losses. It should also be noted that Thomas Hearns was stopped by a coming from behind Ray Leonard (TKO 14) in 1981.
AND NOW WE COME TO THE ?PUNISHED PUNISHER? PAUL WILLIAMS
Paul Williams (40-2, 27 KOs) may not be Hearns or Duran but he was at one time in his good, not-so great career, ?the most avoided fighter? in boxing, or so his handlers deemed it so. Williams, a lanky 6?1 monster in the welterweight (147) and jr. middleweight (154) divisions was a tough as nails inside high-volume punching machine. He?s willing to take three or four punches to land five or six of his own, is a bit of an oxymoron, but you get the idea.
PAUL WAS WILLING TO FIGHT ANYBODY?SO HE SAID!
?The Punisher? was a good technician on the infighting, and was willing to engage with any man from 147 to 168. Williams would go on to harvest the WBO title at both welter and jr. middle respectively. The related story to both greats: Paul Williams attracted by far the most crushing defeat in his pro career, a second round slaying from the mighty sword of the true middleweight champion Sergio Martinez. It was so detrimental that many in the boxing world were calling for his retirement. Not moving, the ref could have counted to 100 and still Williams looked all but dead. The sight was unpleasant and disturbing. Where does one go from here?
WILLIAMS WAS OWNED (PIMPED) BY ERISLANDY LARA
Paul Williams will be hunting down Japanese spoiler, Nobuhiro Ishida (24-6-2, KOs) in Corpus Christi, TX this Saturday on Showtime. Ishida, possesses an upset victory over hard-hitting (but soft-chinned?) James Kirkland (KO 1). Does the Japanese born boxer have the ability to upset the odds yet again? After witnessing Williams? last appearance against Erislandy Lara, a travesty with the readings that got the three Atlantic city judges suspended. Williams, was given an ?gift? awful decision in his favor. ?The Punisher? will and should have a better blueprint to defeat Nobushiro, but in this sport it?s inevitable? and so is Williams? unavoidable chin. Although the fighter from Japan KO?d Kirkland, it looks like another close and unpopular decision for South Carolinian combatant.
