Erislandy Lara’s Golden Opportunity

Erislandy Lara’s Golden Opportunity

By Vikram Birring, Doghouse Boxing (July 9, 2011) Photo © Craig Bennett / Goossen Tutor
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It’s funny how boxing works. Before his disappointing draw with Carlos Molina, Cuban defector Erislandy Lara could not get any name boxer to fight him.

However, as soon as the decision was rendered, the phone rang. Lara was no longer a dangerous high risk/low reward proposition. He now was beatable, and thus a more attractive opponent.

Soon, Lara was thrown into a match against Paul “The Punisher” Williams, himself coming off a sad verdict, but a much more destructive one. The last time Paul Williams was seen on television, he was on the ground, eyes bulging as if they wanted to exit their sockets, after being viciously knocked out by middleweight champion Sergio Martinez.

The matchup is full of intrigue. Williams is the equivalent of a human buzzsaw, constantly coming with a non-stop onslaught of punches. Lara is a counter puncher, waiting for his opponent to make a mistake: a total contrast.

This fight could go one of three ways.

Williams could force Lara into defensive mode, and not allow him to get off, a la Winky Wright.

Lara could catch Williams coming in, just as Martinez did. As Martinez showed, just one punch could end the match.

Williams could force Lara to fight at a high pace, which Lara is not comfortable with, and make it into a fantastic aesthetic boxing match.

Whatever the case, Lara’s back is against the wall. Ideally, he surely had hoped to not get his chance at stardom as a B-side on another promoter’s card, but he has no choice now. He must prove his last bout was simply a fluke and prove the naysayers wrong.

Adding to his troubles, esteemed trainer Ronnie Shields will not be in his corner, as his fellow gym mate Kermit Cintron has a date with, ironically, Carlos Molina, the same night.

His trainer will be 23 year old former professional boxer Genaro Alarcon, Shields’s assistant, and Juan Diaz’s first cousin. Alarcon also assists Shields with Guillermo Rigondeaux, but this is his first exposure as a high level chief second.

However, boxing lifer, Argentina’s Miguel Diaz, will also be in the corner. Diaz has worked with Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Marcos Maidana, Pedro Decima, Manny Pacquiao, Christy Martin, and Fernando Vargas, among others.

Sometimes opportunity presents itself when you least expect it. This is Erislandy Lara’s chance at the dream he thought he may never have a chance to accomplish while living in communist Cuba. How he responds is in his hands. The fight is tonight at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, and on HBO.

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Vikram at: vikram.birring@gmail.com