SLIVER of happiness can come in many forms to different people. To my wifey, it?s a slice of moist chocolate cake paired with a hot steaming mug of joe after a meal.
To my brother Ramsey, a one-hour swim, two-hour run brings a smile to his face. Cap that with a sub zero brewski and that smile will turn into an impish grin.
Last Sunday, for me it came in the form of a scintillating left hook landed by Alfredo Angulo on Erislandy Lara in the 4th round. He got up looking like a business executive who had eight shots of gin for lunch.
STYLE NIGHTMARE. Perhaps, a brief background is in order. If you?ve been following this column you will remember my displeasure with the Nonito Donaire-Guillermo Rigondeaux fight, more particularly the latter?s evasive techniques. I also had an issue with the scoring, but that?s stuff for another column.
Rigo called it the Cuban boxing style. I say it?s hogwash.
Teofilo Stevenson, probably the greatest Cuban boxer of all time-amateur or pro- floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, ala Ali.
Joel Casamayor, a multi-division titlist and one of the most accomplished Cuban boxers in recent pro history, was known as ?El Cepillo? also for his ability to ?brush off? punches landed on him.
Don?t get me wrong, I appreciate defensive techniques as much as the next boxing pundit, but I would much rather visit my dentist for a lovely root canal than watch Rigo?s next fight.
LARA. Perhaps, it?s just Lara?s misfortune that I have lumped him together with Rigo, but he indeed comes from the same boxing stable as the newly-crowned WBO/WBA super bantamweight champion.
And he does fight similarly: Stick and move. Repeat till your opponent gasses out or the bell rings.
When I read that Alfredo Angulo was going to be his opponent, I was stoked about this fight from the time it was announced. Angulo, a no-nonsense brawler with a bad attitude was a perfect antidote to Lara?s popinjay tactics.
ANGULO. During the pre-fight introductions, Angulo showed up with his blowhard, tough guy image to the hilt.
He wore black. His thick, shiny hair was divided neatly into cornrows as if to accentuate his bushy appearance.
He stared irreverently at his opponent through icy, unfeeling eyes, suggesting murderous intentions.
When he snorted through his mouthpiece, rings of smoke emanated from his nostrils. Perfect.
Of course I knew beforehand, he couldn?t box. When you watch Angulo plod through the ring, it seems unreal how he could have amassed a record of 18 knockouts in 21 wins.
But he has serious prodigious power in those fists and he complements that with a no nonsense take-no-prisoners approach.
THE FIGHT. As expected, Lara boxed and used lateral movement to stay away from the rampaging Angulo in the early rounds. The latter seemed businesslike in his approach and didn?t seem to mind the counter-artillery coming his way as long as he could land bushwhacking punches of his own. Angulo was cut early but did not seem to be bothered by it.
Then it happened. Angulo trapped Lara along the ropes , dug a left hook to the ribs then followed it up with a hook which landed on Lara?s momentarily exposed jaw and down he crumpled.
Happiness..
Of course, Lara, the master technician that he is, recovered well and by the middle rounds, Angulo?s eye began to bother him.
Then it happened again. A second dose of happiness?
Angulo caught a tiring, careless Lara with another left hook in the 9th round. By this time, the wifey came into the room to investigate what the ruckus was all about.
She looked at my unrepentant smirk, looked at the screen showing Lara being counted and she knew.
Of course, my elation would prove to be momentary. Lara would win the fight after Angulo felt he could not continue with the injury to his eye in the next round I don?t mind. Some good were never meant to last. Well, until the 10th round at least.
LAST ROUND. It?s on a dear friend who is both a supermom and a loving wife, Bana L. Fabricante who celebrates her birthday this week.
