Round by round we go!
 By Ian Keogh (Oct 6, 2006) Photo © JP Yim
Round 1: Recent reports have it that Oscar De La Hoya will not be fighting Felix Trinidad next May. Rumours have been churning for sometime now about this possible mega rematch but it now appears the proposed fight is dead in the water. Why? Why else? Money. De La Hoya believes he's the attraction and that the lions share belongs to him, Trinidad believes he too is an attraction and wants an even split. The truth is that while Oscar may be the bigger name both guys have made a ton of money from boxing and its fans and if they both truly wanted this to happen they'd have made it so. I for one am glad; their first fight wasn't all that entertaining and I'd rather see De La Hoya go out fighting the best as opposed to a retired former champion.
Round 2: This Saturday night in Rosemont, Illinois, WBA Heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev puts his title belt on the line against the very undeserving Monte Barrett. Despite Valuev's unique size for a boxer the real big story on this card is the rematch of one of 2005's best fights when WBC light heavyweight champion Tomasz Adamek of Poland defends
his title against Australia's Paul Briggs. Their first fight, which shamefully didn't see the TV lights of HBO, was an absolute war and this rematch figures to be the same. Their first fight took place on the undercard of then WBO heavyweight champion Lamon Brewster's first round blowout of Andrew Golata last May 21st but wasn't shown on HBO because of the networks decision to show a taping of the previous week's Winky Wright vs Felix Trinidad fight. Turns out we missed a great entertaining back and forth brawl that Adamek squeaked out. This could be 2006's fight of the year.
Round 3: Real quick, is it not written in the Muhammad Ali act that a boxer can't challenge for a world title if he/she has been inactive for a year or longer? If so, why is Barrett, who hasn't fought since walking around the ring for 12 rounds without doing much against Hasim Rahman last August, getting the nod? Oh, right, Don King.
Round 4: Moving across the U.S Saturday night to Las Vegas, Nevada where WBC and Ring magazine lightweight champion Diego Corrales defends against the crafty Cuban, Joel Casamayor. The first two fights between these two were good fights and I can't see any reason why the third won't follow suit. Sure Casamayor is older, and yes Corrales did take a lot of punishment in those 14 rounds with Jose Luis Castillo last year, but you get the impression that with the genuine dislike between these two we should have an entertaining fight this Saturday night in Sin City. Don't forget about the flyweight title fight between IBF champ Vic Darchinyan and Glenn Donaire of the Philippines on the undercard too.
Round 5: HBO made a mistake by giving the fans a shallow and less then stimulating undercard to Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s quest for the World Welterweight Title on November 4th against Carlos Baldomir. As it stands now the pay-per-view’s undercard doesn't hold a candle to the mega card Don King is putting on that same night in Arizona at Chase field in Phoenix, home of MLB's Diamondbacks. As it stands right now King is putting on six world title fights including the main event, Sergei Liakhovich defending his WBO heavyweight title versus Shannon Briggs of New York. If HBO is hoping for a successful pay-per-view that night they better cut the electricity in Phoenix. The Showtime card is flat out better and most importantly, free.
Round 6: Lucas Green Arias was fighting well and to some winning the sixth round in Montreal, Quebec last Saturday night before being dropped late in the round by Jean Pascal. In between rounds Arias fell off his stool and collapsed prompting him to be taken to a local hospital where it was discovered he'd suffered a sub-dural hematoma. Arias, showing the heart of a champion, is improving and due to the operation preformed he'll likely suffer no long term effects. Glad to hear, we all need to remember that despite being a sport boxing can be very dangerous and unfortunately things like this happen from time to time. Fighters are the most courageous athletes in the world in my opinion and whether an amateur on his way to his first fight or a world champion defending his title they, like the rest of us, are only human.
Quick hits
- I'm new to the "fight write", so you can't expect me to go a full 12 rounds just yet.
- Should the proposed Miguel Cotto-Carlos Quintana fight for the vacant WBA welterweight title fight go ahead for December 2nd on Showtime we'll get two welterweight title fights in one broadcast. Should Cotto win and Margarito get past Joshua Clottey, what a unification fight we'd have there. Of course don't tell Bob Arum that, I doubt he'll put either guy in with the other.
- From what I've read, heard and seen Erik Morales is shaping up nicely for his third and final fight with Manny Pacquiao. I can't wait!
- My colleague Gabriel Montoya recently did a great interview with Manny Steward highlighting the many difficulties the famed Kronk gym is currently enduring. If you'd like to help out visit www.Kronkgym.com
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