That little guy can fight. I am referring to Ivan Calderon who fought Hugo Cazares Saturday night. Calderon won when an accidental headbutt in round 7 forced the fight to go to the cards. Calderon won a unanimous technical decision. Calderon does not possess power and he fights at 107 pounds but his skill level is up there with any pound for pound fighter in the world. I doubt he will ever be a big draw here in the states but he is now a known name in the boxing community and he should get a shot here stateside.
Barrera signs with Don King, huh? Well, it makes sense on some levels. DK has fighters in his stable that have belts that MAB could get, like Japan’s Yusuke Kobori (23-2-1, 12 KOs), . It looks like one of them will face Barrera in November of this year but really, who wants to see MAB fight some obscure Japanese fighter no one knows in the states? I understand MAB for wanting to continue his career but why do it with King? Boxers just can’t stay retired I guess and King has pull.
Oscar DeLaHoya. That is all you have to say lately to start a conversation. In my circles, his rep has taken a huge hit and it was already shaky to begin with. He is clearly more promoter than fighter now and the fight with Pacquaio will be huge but is it the best fight for DLH? I doubt it. For starters, Margarito would provide an opponent that would not only restore some lost credibility but he would provide the opportunity where a win would cement Oscar’s status as one of the best of our generation. As it stands now, it could be a lose, lose for DLH. A win is a win against a much smaller man and a loss, well, that would be very bad for the Golden Boy. For Pac., he may never see a payday like this again! We are less than a week away from Michael Katsidis vs Juan Diaz (lightweight) and Jorge Rodrigo Barrios vs Rocky Juarez (super featherweight) next Saturday on HBO. Both fights are intriguing and my attention is on the Katsidis/Diaz scrap. Both are coming off of loses and both really need to win to be considered title contenders. Who do you like in these two fights?
Valuev and Ruiz fought Saturday and Valuev won but the fans lost. Valuev won the fight but really, why are these two fighting and why would anyone care who wins? The heavyweight division needs immediate help. We need to take a look at how young athletes are introduced to the sport. Too many gifted big men are choosing other options and the sport is suffering. Our glamour division is out of glamour.
Did you cringe a little during the post fight interview with Calderon when his Texas Longhorn style gash in his head would not stop bleeding during the questions? My party was screaming, “get him some help”.