The waning months of 2012 are producing fistic fireworks of the finest order as current stars shine, others rise and new ones are born. This past Saturday?s fight cards provided some excellent star-gazing for hard-core and casual fans alike.
Adrien ?The Problem? Broner proved to be the star of the night as he moved up in poundage to rip the WBC lightweight crown from the head of Antonio DeMarco. DeMarco was no pushover ? he was considered to be the best fighter in his division, next to Juan Manuel Marquez. If Broner is the second coming of Floyd Mayweather Jr., could DeMarco prove to be ?The Problem?s? Jose Luis Castillo? Mayweather?s first fight with Castillo (coincidentally at lightweight) has been the only one he may have lost unofficially, though the scorecards worked out in Floyd?s favor. Well, Broner may yet be another Mayweather. But DeMarco was no Castillo on Saturday, as Broner dominated him before knocking him out in the eighth round. A crippling right to the body followed by a left hook to the head closed the show. DeMarco was as game as they come, but he had no answer to ?The Problem?s? speed and power. Broner is indeed Mayweather-esque in ability. His self-promoting braggadocio is also reminiscent of the man who calls himself ?Pretty Boy? and ?Money.? Will Broner also emulate Mayweather?s questionable out-of-the-ring antics? Or Mayweather?s penchant for ducking difficult opponents? He?d better not!
Flyweight Brian Viloria fought a title-unification bout with Hernan ?Tyson? Marquez and came away with a stirring 10th-round TKO victory. Coming into the fight, Viloria had held the WBO title, and Marquez the WBA?s version. This was about as good a matchup as possible in the division, and it lived up to its hype, with Viloria proving to be stronger in the end. At 31, Viloria is up there in age for a smaller fighter. He has proven to be a hardy perennial, bouncing back from three losses ? to Carlos Tamara, Edgar Sosa and Omar Nino Romero ? that threatened to derail his career. Viloria persevered, and is now in a position to add to his collection of belts.
Carl Froch?s defense of his IBF super-middleweight title against Yusaf Mack proved to be the ?gimme? everyone thought it would be. Fighting in front of a hometown crowd in Nottingham, England, Froch destroyed Mack in three one-sided rounds. In other circumstances, this would have been just another of those title-bout mismatches that give boxing a bad name. But if anyone deserved a ?gimme,? it?s Froch. Over the past three years, he has fought eight bouts against opponents who were either champions, ex-champions or top contenders. He won six of those fights. The two losses were to Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward. Against Mack, Froch did what he was supposed to do ? thrill his supporters with a blowout of an overmatched challenger. Now he looks forward to rematches against the only two men to have beaten him. Froch can beat Kessler, but he can?t beat Ward. Then again, neither can anyone else between 160 and 175 lbs.
A non-title fight produced an upset as heavyweight Johnathon Banks blasted highly touted undefeated contender Seth Mitchell to the canvas three times in the second round, giving the referee no choice but to stop the slaughter. The victory capped an emotional time for Banks, whose long-time trainer Emmanuel Steward passed away last month. Steward had also trained heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, and Banks took Steward?s place in Klitschko?s corner last week when Wladimir outpointed Mariusz Wach. Now, Banks has decisively defeated the man who was considered the top American heavyweight prospect. Despite the win, though, Banks is not in an enviable position. It?s hard to imagine him wanting to challenge his friend Wladimir, who holds the IBF, WBO, WBA ?super? (don?t ask) and Ring Magazine belts. Nor is it likely that Wladimir?s brother, WBC champion Vitali, would be eager to fight a man who is like another brother to him. And what managers or promoters would now be willing to risk their fighters against a dangerman like Banks? As for Mitchell, don?t write him off just yet. Remember, Wladimir Klitschko suffered a similar two-round blowout at the hands of Corrie Sanders. And look where Wladimir is now.
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 award-winning novel, Damballa, which centers around a fictional heavyweight title bout, is available at Amazon.com.
