2011 was a mixed bag for fight fans. Marred by poor officiating, awful judging, and stifling promotional politics, boxing could easily have drifted into a dark era of malaise. Instead, the sport proved, once again, that there's nothing wrong with boxing that can't be fixed by what's right with boxing. The rise of quality stars in their twenties is slowly, but surely forcing … [Read more...]
Island Slaughter: Lopez, Martinez, Oquendo in Mismatch Squashes
Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez, Bayamon, Puerto Rico-- On a night of mismatches from Puerto Rico, fringe contender, Mike Oliver (25-3, 8 KOs) had a good 40-second spurt of energy, backing up the former featherweight titlist, Juan Manuel Lopez (31-1, 28 KOs), with a flurry of quick arm punches before settling into his role as opponent for the rebuilding boricua star. A minute after … [Read more...]
The Boricua Comeback?
2011 hasn't been a great year for Puerto Rican boxing. While faded boricua figurehead, Miguel Cotto, stopped Ricardo Mayorga in March, not even the fiercest of Cotto loyalists would argue that it was anything other than a trophy win from a critically weathered fighter. Cotto is far removed from being the fighter who once cut a violent swath through the ranks of … [Read more...]
Real Little Rocky Story: Rogers Mtagwa Gets a Final Shot at a Dream
By Gary Purfield Journeyman, trial horse, opponent; all titles used to describe those guys in boxing that fight the future star. He is the guy you put in with your hot prospect so he can get some experience. Maybe that opponent has just enough skill to make it interesting, but not enough to threaten the precious unbeaten record. Perhaps the opponent has a particular skill … [Read more...]
Yuriorkis Gamboa: A King Without a Throne
Professional excellence tempered with personal disappointment is nothing new for 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist, Yuriorkis Gamboa. After all, Gamboa is the same fighter who, despite national hero status in his native Cuba, had to sell his gold medal in order to pay for his daughter's first birthday party. Even when defecting in December of 2006, alongside teammates and fellow … [Read more...]