When Every Fight Was Not a Super Fight

In 1982,  welterweight champion Ray Leonard (right) met the unknown Bruce Finch in Reno before a crowd of  6,700 for a purse of $1.5 million.

There was a time in this game they call boxing that a champ was allowed to take some easy fights. It wasn’t  long ago that Roberto Duran, when he was king of the lightweights, engaged in 23 non-title bouts. Joe Louis had his “Bum of the Month Club” where he starched a succession of foes that could best be described as less than dangerous. Larry Holmes, Sugar Ray Leonard and even Marvelous Marvin Hagler had easy fights against sub-par opponents in small towns.

Back then, not every fight had to be a super fight.   

It used to be that you could see Joe Louis in Buffalo, Larry Holmes in Bloomington, Sugar Ray in Syracuse and Marvelous Marvin in Providence.  It was a nice way for the champs to take breathers in between tough title defenses and it was also a way for the common folk to see the best fighters in the world in small venues in small towns. The top fighters on the planet could connect with the everyday fans and local media alongside ticket prices that weren’t in the stratosphere.

But in this day and age, when the top stars only display their wares a couple times in any given year, the pressure is on them to face the best available competition every time out. These days, boxing fans shell out upwards of fifty dollars for each pay-per-view bout. The fighters themselves, especially at the highest levels, expect paydays that routinely exceed eight figures. The last time Floyd Mayweather, Jr., the reigning PPV king, appeared in a bout on regular television was in 2006.  Because the public will not pay for bouts of little significance and because Mayweather will not step into the ring for a purse under $20 million he must always appear on PPV against someone the public considers a top contender.

For his most recent bout, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. received this check.

So it is that Mayweather has found himself in somewhat of a conundrum in regards to his next opponent.  Because the talent pool in the sport has dried up and because he has already beaten many of the big names (Alvarez, Cotto, Marquez)  Mayweather is faced with a dearth of capable and bankable opposition. He signed a contract with Showtime for six bouts (and has fought two of those) but at this particular point in time there are not four fighters kicking about that he can face and make all the money he feels he deserves or that will satisfy the particulars of the contract. For a variety of reasons, he refuses to fight Pacquiao so that has left Mayweather with leaving it up to the fans to choose his next opponent.

It is a novel approach and one, quite frankly, that I applaud. In fact, I’d like to see more fighters do it. The message boards are replete with cranky know-it-alls that believe there is no other bout on the planet except Mayweather versus Pacquiao. My feeling is that the sun has set on that match-up and Pacquiao has lost twice. It made a lot of sense in 2009, but both fighters have aged and it if they ever do meet it will be a watered down affair much like Hagler versus Leonard was when it came five years too late.

Mayweather hears the critics and he reads their blog posts. The way the game is these days with Golden Boy  and Top Rank controlling the promotional end of things and with HBO and Showtime the television kingpins Mayweather lives on the Golden Boy/Showtime side of the fence. It has left him with limited options in terms of opponent selection. Other factors also come into play, but Mayweather will meet either Amir Khan or Marcos Maidana next. Neither match is necessarily a bad one, but any knowledgeable person realizes Mayweather will be the winner two hundred times if he faces both of those guys one hundred times each.  Mayweather knows this and he hears the fans who expect him to fight only the best of the best next.

Photoshop can work wonders, but it can't get Mayweather (left) and Pacquiao into the ring against one another.

Since that doesn’t seem possible, he’s doing the next best thing and inviting the arm chair matchmakers to select his next opponent by casting their vote on his website. This approach is an interesting way to select an opponent because it allows Mayweather to avoid the catcalls from those that often criticize him – the paying public. Floyd can simply say that he fought the person the fans chose – even though they were given only two choices.

It’s a sad commentary on the game when you realize it’s not possible to see the top champions perform in person anymore unless you can travel to Las Vegas or even Macau and spend hundreds of dollars for even the least expensive ticket. There is zero chance that you will see Mayweather fighting in Michigan or Pacquiao in a ten-rounder in Toledo. Those days are clearly over and as a result the stakes are high every time the top fighters skip up the steps and slink through the ropes. Some folks would say that’s the way it should be and that fighters shouldn’t be allowed easy fights in backwater towns.

But it was a lot more fun when boxing took its traveling circus on the road. Ron Stander against Joe Frazier in Omaha, Ali versus Liston in Lewiston or Holmes against Snipes in Pittsburgh were all sights to behold. But those types of fights that once involved boxing’s biggest names in those types of places just wouldn’t happen today. 

February 2014

This Racket Is No Game

Victor Ortiz absorbs a right from Luis Collazo this past Thursday night.  

 Sometimes in this game they call the fight racket you can really get hurt. People often forget that, particularly the ones that don’t get punched in the face for a living.

Take “Vicious” Victor Ortiz for example. He got hurt. Nineteen months ago, he was involved in a fracas with Josesito Lopez in a fight Victor was supposed to win on his way to bigger and better things. But a bad thing happened on his way down the yellow brick road – he got his jaw broke.

In boxing, a broken jaw is right up there with the worst of injuries. Not as serious as a cerebral hemorrhage mind you, but right up there nonetheless. Obviously, once someone has a broken jaw, it sort of changes the way they live for a while. If you find humor in the thought of someone sucking pureed steak through a straw – then we’ll just call you Schadenfreude from now on.

From a psychological standpoint, returning to the squared circle after having suffered broken jaw is akin to getting back on the roller coaster ride that caused you to blow your corn dog lunch on your first cousin the last time you two were at Six Flags in the summertime. It’s a scary thought indeed, and the flashback of it all brings back the pain, especially for your cousin.
  

The X-ray of Victor Ortiz' broken jaw is frightening to see. 

So, for those in the know, and there aren’t many of them around here anymore, we all knew Victor was in for it this past Thursday night when he met hometown hero Luis Collazo in Brooklyn. Nobody loses two fights in a row by knockout, returns from a broken jaw after sitting around for the better part of two years and jumps right back in with a world-class contender in front of a national TV audience – and expects to actually win do they?

Now, give Victor some credit. He does hail from Kansas and those are good people there. Like me, he finds joy in riding bicycles and participating in triathlons and what not, but for the past couple years “Vicious” has participated on the television show ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and then somehow or other someone dreamt up a cologne for him to sell for fifty-five bucks a bottle called ‘VO’ – his initials. The description on the box indicates it’s “A cologne that won’t apologize for the attention it’s about to bring you!”  

So, long story short, VO hasn’t exactly been living the life of a real prizefighter (if there is such a thing anymore) so it’s perplexing why those that claim to be his managers and promoters would throw him into a cage with a tattooed Brooklyn wolf like they did. Like I say, there aren’t many in the know around here anymore.

But in any case, Victor stopped after only two rounds on Thursday night. As it often does, the end came suddenly, and you have to think that once Collazo really touched him on the chin, that all the memories of pureed steak flooded back into poor VO’s head like the Log Flume ride at Disney World in free fall.

It was a sad exhibit to see in this traveling freak show they call boxing. Young kids with punching power, good looks and a personality like VO has shouldn’t be fed feet first into the meat grinder like this. 

Scribe of scribes, Michael Marley, who has been witness to just this sort of thing since he was president of the Muhammad Ali fan club sometime before “The Greatest” threw the “Phantom Punch” at Sonny Liston up here in Lewiston, Maine (and one of the few left in the know) summed it up best: “Ortiz was shockingly inept, even flinching after a knockdown when Collazo wasn't even essaying a hurtful punch. Gun shy, that's how Ortiz looked, making a mockery of his nickname.”  Wonderful prose. Were he still with us,  I think A.J. Liebling would've been kicking his feet together with glee under his desk at The New Yorker.

The night was a train wreck really. Anyone in the know could have seen it all coming down the tracks like the Super Chief that once ran from Chicago to L.A. VO’s loss was a huge mess of epic proportions and it will take a long time to mop all this up. If you’ve ever broken an entire case of olive oil on a tile floor, as I once did during my teenage tenure as a stock boy at the Save Easy, you would understand the conundrum. 

There are few bankable commodities remaining in this beautiful old dame of a sport that was once flush with “money in the bank type” characters. You see, Ortiz was bankable. The girls like the way he looks and he can punch like the dickens – so the boys at the networks liked him, too.

In the end, Victor appeared to be thinking over his future in the game.

The problem is that Victor, as handsome and as ambrosial as they come, went down on Thursday night and it appeared as though he could've gotten up had he really decided to. He looked for a spot on the canvas to avoid the incoming and after he got there he paused on the deck on all fours with his head sticking through the ring ropes. You could see he was using the ten seconds allotted to really think things over. You could see he was more shocked than he was hurt. You could see the memories of the roller coaster and the log flume and the pureed steak were flashing before his very eyes.

In that ten seconds, perhaps VO came to the conclusion it was best to dance, sell cologne and ride bicycles. This game they call the fight racket and this getting punched in the face thing can really get a guy hurt.       

February 2014

Nobody Asked Me, But...

Mayweather, Jr. has bet $10 million on the outcome of the Super Bowl.

In the words of the immortal Jimmy Cannon…

Nobody asked me, but  I tell them I heard the same thing they did – that Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has placed a $10 million wager on the outcome of this weekend’s Super Bowl game between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks. Mayweather is apparently of the belief that Peyton Manning and the Broncos will ultimately prove victorious.

Nobody asked me, but I tell them I was somewhat surprised to see that the Boxing Writers Association of America chose Floyd Mayweather, Jr. as their 2013 Fighter of the Year. I am a BWAA voting member and I cast my ballot for middleweight Gennady Golovkin. The Ring magazine chose light heavyweight Adonis Stevenson. While Mayweather had a good year with two uneventful decision wins over Robert Guerrero and Canelo Alvarez both Golovkin and Stevenson fought more often and were much more exciting. It’s no knock on Mayweather, but I think my colleagues at the BWAA missed the mark on this one. It says here that Golovkin is a more complete fighter than Stevenson and his upside is more promising. GGG as he is known is kicking off 2014 with a bout this weekend in Monaco.

Nobody asked me, but  I tell them that Thursday night’s welterweight bout featuring Luis Collazo versus Victor Ortiz could be a good one to see. While both are world class boxers and fringe contenders they have strengths and flaws. Collazo has lost pretty much each time he has ever faced a higher ranked opponent (Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley, Andre Berto) while Ortiz  suffered a broken jaw in his last bout against Josesito Lopez 19 months ago. Collazo has five loses and a draw in his career whereas Ortiz has four losses and draw in his. Both are southpaws, former titlists and both have struggled when they have faced better competition.  Ortiz is the betting favorite, but I’m going with Collazo by decision in this one. Ortiz has been too inactive and is trying to recover from a broken jaw as well as two knockout losses.

Victor Ortiz (left) and Luis Collazo will settle it in the ring on Thursday.

Nobody asked me, but I tell them that Timothy Bradley should defeat Manny Pacquiao relatively easily when the two meet on April 12^th in Las Vegas. Defense has never been his forte and Pacquiao has taken on too many larger and stronger foes over the past several years and has absorbed a tremendous amount of punishment in the process. Bradley is likely in his prime and he was dominant in his recent win over Juan Manuel Marquez. The late Emanuel Steward perhaps said it best when he noted that each fighter really only has a certain number of fights in him. My belief is that Pacquiao has exceeded his limit.   

Nobody asked me, but I tell them that Wladimir Klitschko’s numbers will go down as some of the greatest in all of heavyweight boxing history. If you include his WBO title defenses, Klitschko has defended a heavyweight title belt 20 times, which ties him with Larry Holmes. Only Joe Louis has more with a total of 25. In two reigns as a heavyweight titlist, Klitschko has held a belt for a total of 10 years and nearly 2 months as of this writing. Only Joe Louis held the title longer at 11 years, 8 months, 9 days. Nearing  38 year-old, Klitschko is as good as he has ever been and with little serious competition to challenge him he could conceivably outlast Louis. Klitschko has held virtually every title imaginable (WBA, WBO, IBF, IBO, The Ring magazine belt, NABF, NABO, WBA Inter-Continental, WBC International, EBU as well as being the 1996 Super Heavyweight Olympic games gold medal winner). Klitschko is only missing the WBC title from his collection and has intentions of winning that now that his brother Vitali has given it up.

Wladimir Klitscko has won just about every belt there is to win.

Nobody asked me, but unless something changes, Freddie Roach may very well win the BWAA Trainer of the Year honors several more times before it’s all said and done. There is a shortage of fighters in the world these days and an even more severe shortage of competent trainers. Roach gives all the credit to the fighters, but he is as hands on as they come and when he is allowed to do his work - he can perform magic. Roach has a plethora of talented fighters in Pacquiao, Cotto and Provodnikov among others and after suffering through a tough 2012, Roach was able to rebound nicely last year.   

January 2014

You're Manny Pacquiao

You’re Manny Pacquiao. You’re like a Hollywood star past his calling that knows all his lines, has got the script down pat, but who is beginning to miss the mark. You can still tell the jokes on the late night talk show circuit and sing karaoke like nobody’s business. You know all of Freddie’s moves and what he’s going to tell you to do next.  Arum is still tapping out the tunes from the Top Rank offices on the Howard Hughes Parkway, and whether the press conference be in Beverly Hills or New York City you know when to smile and when to frown.  How long ago was it that you drowned out De La Hoya, hammered out Hatton and conquered Cotto? How long ago was it that you were the Little Lord Fauntleroy of the Philippines?

The fights still happen at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. You still train at the Wild Card, still stay at Mandalay Bay and win or lose, you still sing your songs after the fights. You hand out dollars to your people as though it were monopoly money, but that money is drying up like a pond in the desert and you’re not the champion anymore. Where did the years go and how did everything that was so good for so long go so wrong so fast?

You beat Brandon Rios in China a couple months ago and they told you that you were as good you have  ever been. But you’re Manny Pacquiao and you know the truth. You haven’t knocked anybody out  in over four years. The IRS sends you letters saying you owe them $18 million. In your home country they’ve locked your bank accounts and tell you the number owed there is $50 million. You’re Manny Pacquiao and even if you fight and win forever these debts can never be repaid. Just ask Robinson or Louis or Tyson.

You’re Manny Pacquiao and your own mother told you she wanted you to stop when Marquez knocked you cold. You said you can’t stop, that there is still more to do and that if you can get Marquez for the fifth time you will win for sure. They’re going to trot Timothy Bradley out for you on April 12^th. You beat him the first time but were robbed of the decision. You’re Manny Pacquiao and you said it was “OK” and that’s how the fight game goes. You smiled through the pain and privately choked on the tears.

They all say that you are broke. Your own trainer says that Bradley is a bad match-up for you, but you have always said that your promoter makes your fights and that you simply fight them.  Some ask how much more you can take.  You just turned 35 and most everyone who is not on your payroll are whispering that your best days are in the rearview mirror. But you’re Manny Pacquiao and because you have most always been a winner it’s hard to think like a loser.

For longer than most can remember the world has been threatening and tantalizing the fight of all fights for you against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. But Floyd wants all the money and says he will only fight you if you divorce yourself from Bob Arum. He says he is the draw and that you are not. The numbers support that notion, but you’re Manny Pacquiao and they tell you not to listen to the Chicken Littles that tell you the sky is falling down around you. The same ones that told you all your taxes were paid in full.

When the typhoon hit your homeland, you were there with your wallet opened wide. But because your accounts had been frozen, you had to borrow the goodwill money. Your people love you and you love them, but for the first time, none of what you were able to give was enough.  You’re Manny Pacquiao, and you say God will provide, but you will never have those riches again. What you haven’t given away, some have stolen from you.  Maybe you fight for free against Bradley and still there will be a tax bill to reconcile. Then what do you give?

When they woke you after Marquez stretched you out, you smiled and said you were OK. Your smile was crooked and your eyes were glazed. Your wife, the beautiful Jinkee, was crying and Freddie was biting his bottom lip. For the first time since you stepped through the pro ropes 19 years ago, the crowd went silent. How could 16,000 people be so quiet? Your inky black hair was flat and the hop that has always been in your step was replaced with a stutter.  Some have been asking how much more one man can take.

But you’re Manny Pacquiao. You’re not Robinson, you’re not Louis and you’re not Ali. They tell you they love you. They tell you they won’t let you go out as a loser. You’re Manny Pacquiao - and you believe them.

January 2014

The Battle for Montreal

Canadians Lucian Bute (left) and Jean Pascal will decide who is number one in Montreal on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.

They like to  throw around terms like “crossroads bout” and “make or break fight” a lot in this old school sport fought in new age times. Tonight at the Bell Centre in Montreal, lots of the old-time newspapermen, website warriors and boxing bloggers have said that for both Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute – tonight’s fight is all about the loser.

He goes home.

Both are transplanted Montrealers – Pascal from Haiti and Bute from Romania - but they have made this melting pot of a metropolis on the frozen shores of the St. Lawrence River their home. Tonight is big here. Upwards of 23,000 will pour themselves into the cavernous ice rink the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL call home and if you’re unlucky enough sit high in the rafters of this coliseum – the fighters will look like ants. But it seems no matter the temperature or your vantage point; nothing can dampen the enthusiasm of what some are calling the biggest fight to ever take place in Montreal – a city that has become a hotbed for boxing.

“Nothing can stop me,” said Lucian Bute Friday afternoon, he being the decided underdog in this meeting. “Tomorrow will be destruction. This is the fight of my life, the most important fight of my career.”

And certainly for Bute it is. Inactive for all of 2013 and with only one tepid win since being brutally manhandled by Englishmen Carl Froch in May 2012, the 34-year-old former IBF 168-pound titlist is hoping tonight will see a reincarnation of his previous good fortune.  He was a belt-holder for nearly five years and he did make 9 defenses of said title.  He has lost only once in 32 career fights, even having crept onto the pound-for-pound rankings before Froch dispatched him, but since then many observers have written him off as a serious player who is not strong enough to compete at the highest level.

In his only loss as a professional, Bute had to be rescued from the vicious punches of Carl Froch in Nottigham, England. 

Bute, though, has no such doubt in himself. To the contrary, he claims the long layoff has done his mind and body good and despite everything everybody has said about his ability to take a solid punch and keep going when the road gets steep he feels Saturday night will be a coronation of sorts.

“I have strategy” says the handsome Bute.  “My head is clean. I’m very confident and I’m very strong. There’s nothing to stop me. Saturday night, there’s just one winner - Lucian Bute.”

In the other corner is Pascal, who has worn the black hat throughout this promotion. Thickly muscled and sometimes sullen, he has attempted to intimidate the affable Bute whenever the opportunity presents itself.

“He has no guts,” proclaimed a defiant Pascal, the former WBC 175-pound belt-holder for a brief two year reign. “It’s easy to speak through the media, on Facebook or Twitter. If he’s a man of his own and not a puppet, man-up, stand-up, come to my face and say you’re going to shut me up. I think he’s a coward.”

At 31, Pascal is a few years younger and is perceived to be the physically stronger of the two men.  He has drawn and lost against the great Bernard Hopkins who usurped his title belt. He also was a victim to the aforementioned Carl Froch back in 2008, albeit by decision rather than knockout.  His opposition is marginally better than Bute’s and he has campaigned against larger men at 175 pounds whereas Bute’s accomplishments have taken place at 168. Hopkins has shown that Pascal can be out slicked and out boxed - and when he is on - Bute can be a slick boxer.

Thickly muscled and full of confidence, Jean Pascal believes that when the dust has settled, he will reign supreme Saturday night in Montreal.

In contrast to the clean shaven Bute, who wore a suit and tie, a heavily bearded Pascal wore a black hat, a black track suit and black gloves to the final pre-fight press conference and he claimed Saturday night will be the SuperBowl of Canadian boxing. “I hope he is well prepared, ‘cause I’m well prepared,” proclaimed Pascal who shifted from foot to foot as he addressed the media. “You know we’re going to do a great fight and an epic fight and we’re doing this for you guys.”

With each man slated to receive paychecks of over $2 million, a live gate projected in excess of $3 million, the fight will take place in front of a full house of rabid fans, be broadcast in the United States on HBO and be seen in Canada on pay-per-view – the stakes are incredibly high.      

Bute seems to realize as much. As the underdog and with the sun seeming having set on his future the humble and soft-spoken gentleman put all of the histrionics of what usually leads up to a big fight into context.

"He wants to play in my head, but it does not interest me," said Bute. "We have unfinished business and we will settle it Saturday night. In every battle, there are emotions and this battle is more important to me than the others. As I have said many times, I am confident and I know how it will happen. Let him come shut me up."

January 2014

Taking Care of Business

Champion Carl Froch (left) makes his point to challenger George Groves.

By guest writer Emma Mchale 

The psych up to the Carl Froch and George Groves boxing match has been an interesting one with some serious derogatory comments being thrown around before the match. The highly anticipated boxing match between Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch and George ‘The Saint’ Groves has made both boxers fully charged for the clash with the psych up to the match becoming a grudge match in itself.

“I’m ready to take care of business”, Carl ‘the Cobra’ Froch recently proclaimed ahead of his match on Saturday. The three time world super middle-weight champion will defend his IBF and WBA world titles in Manchester against George ‘the Saint’ Groves. The 36 year old Nottingham boxer said confidently that “he had boxed the best of the best in recent years. I’m under pressure but I don’t feel any different for this fight.” Froch also threatened that the defeat on Saturday would be a “devastating defeat” for Groves that Froch has previously described as a cheeky little idiot who can’t punch.

The undefeated and former Commonwealth champion Groves has been described as one of the rising stars of boxing. Labelling his opponent as “ a second rate” boxer, 25 year old London born George Groves has stated that he will make Froch look “clueless” in the ring and his reputation will be in tatters.

In September, Groves split from his long-term trainer Adam Booth, therefore George Groves will have to create chemistry with a completely new trainer. Some critics have perceived this as a negative sign for Groves as he will take on his biggest fight of his career so far without the advantage of a well-known mentor.

Froch is the favourite as he has more experience with 10 world title fights under his belt, but Groves has the advantage of youth. Welsh retired boxer, Joe Calzaghe has backed Froch for the win saying Froch’s experience will get him through, but said Groves may have a chance if he can absorb the damage. Froch'srecent bouts with youthful boxers Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell gave ‘the Cobra’ some of his toughest tests, so could his experience and age be working against him?

One thing is for sure, the match on Saturday will be the one to watch as youth and experience clash for the IBF and WBA titles. The sold-out match will be televised on Sky Sports Box Office at 6pm on Saturday night.

If you want to train up to be the best boxer for less, take a look at the SportsDirect.com boxing range including boxing training equipment, gloves, clothing and punch bags.

Author bio: Emma McHale trained as a web journalist at the University of Sheffield and has a passion for boxing. 

Everybody Asks Me

Adrien Broner was challenged, but only slightly, when he met Gavin Rees this past weekend at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Everybody asks me and I tell them I was very impressed with Adrien Broner in his victory over Gavin Rees last weekend in Atlantic City. I told everyone going in that Rees was a serious guy with a solid resume and that he would test Broner.

All of that rang true - except for the fact that Rees was not able to test Broner as I believed he would because “The Problem” is just that good. As Broner said afterwards, he does have another gear and when he needs it he just shifts up and a fellow like Rees was unable to keep pace.

Many are calling for Broner to up the competition level but as far as I can see, there is nobody out there at 135 pounds that is on his level. It should be very interesting to see what the future holds for Broner as at only 23 years-old the sky is the limit for him. I’ll go on record now as declaring that he’ll likely remain undefeated for a long time.

Everybody asks me and I tell them the ESPN2 Friday Night Fights telecast emanating from the DC Armory in the nation’s capital is a must see TV event. Lamont Peterson versus Kendall Holt for the IBF title at 140 pounds. These two guys are rarely in a bad fight and the DC Armory is a great venue for boxing.

IBF 140-pound titlist Lamont Peterson will meet Kendall Holt this Friday night in Washington, D.C. The bout will be Peterson's first in 14 months.

Peterson is returning from a long lay-off after his positive steroid test following his bout against Amir Khan. Holt is making an attempt to stay relevant and win another title as another loss for him could relegate him to club fighter status. Holt is a tremendously explosive puncher and when he is on he is a sight to behold. Whoever wins puts themselves right back into the middle of the mix in the talent laden jr. welterweight division - so this fight is one that means something, too.    
Everybody asks me and I tell them I believe Bernard Hopkins could very well outbox Tavoris Cloud when the two of them meet up on March 9 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The ageless Bernard Hopkins (left) will soon discover if he can once again turn back the hands of time when he attempts to lift the IBF light heavyweight title belt from Tavoris Cloud.

While IBF 175-pound titlist Cloud is only 31 years-old, whereas Hopkins is 48, you can just never count Bernard out of any fight. Cloud hasn’t exactly vanquished a murderer’s row of opposition and he steps into the ring very infrequently. If Hopkins can impose his clutch and grab style on Cloud to slow him down enough so that he can do his usual maul and brawl, he very well may throw Cloud out of his rhythm. Hopkins likes to hold with one hand and hit with the other and since Cloud doesn’t possess the boxing skills of Joe Calzaghe or Chad Dawson then Hopkins may very well prove successful against Cloud with this sort of strategy.


February 2013