Thanks to Felix Trinidad’s final-round technical knockout of Fernando Vargas in the final month of the year–a fitting climax to a bout in which combat and courage were electric–those who appreciate boxing were able to judge the year 2000 as half-full rather than the other way around . . . or worse.
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After all, there were plenty of unsatisfying moments to leave patrons of pugilism feeling empty, particularly those who paid up to $50 per pay-per-view telecast, or more to be in an arena seat.
Looking ahead, there is at least one promising matchup early in the new year, along with some fights we’d rather like to see. And some we’d rather not.
Holding the roses: There were two runner-up contenders to Trinidad-Vargas as fight of the year. It’s a toss-up between Shane Mosley’s June 17 split-decision victory over Oscar De La Hoya in their welterweight title-unification fight and Erik Morales’ hard-fought, albeit controversial 12-round decision over Marco Antonio Barrera in their Feb. 19 super-bantamweight war.
Holding your noses: Most boxing writers went to the Oct. 10 Mike Tyson-Andrew Golota heavyweight bout with trepidation. Even the Showtime pay-per-view prefight publicity hinted that the unexpected might be ugly. But Golota’s quitting over complaints of head butts after two rounds was not the unexpected and ugly the network had in mind.
By contrast, most boxing writers went to the Nov. 10 Lennox Lewis-David Tua heavyweight title fight with great expectations. Tua vowed to be a warrior who would settle for nothing short of victory. After getting rocked early, however, he settled for a defensive posture that kept him from getting knocked out but left him far short of victory.
Best Chicago bout: In the opinion of Sean Curtin of the state’s boxing commission, the local fight of the year was a 10-round middleweight brawl between Texan Michael Lerma and Floridian Mario Iribarren at DePaul’s Alumni Hall on March 24. Lerma won a unanimous decision, and both fighters were put on 30-day medical leaves.
Chicago’s boxing scene needs a boost from a matchup of two local prospects. How about unbeaten young heavyweights Nate Jones and Fres Oquendo in a good local venue?
Chicagoan Rocky Martinez (34-4-1) gets a shot at derailing the unbeaten ride of Hector “Macho” Camacho Jr., now the top-ranked World Boxing Association super-lightweight contender. In preparing for their scheduled Feb. 3 bout in a Miami Beach nightclub, Camacho seems more concerned with his ring entrance than the fight. He has applied for a city permit to ride a motorcycle into the South Beach club and into the ring.
Best coming attraction? The scheduled 12-round showdown between undefeated super-featherweights Diego Corrales and Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Jan. 20 could extend the excitement of Trinidad-Vargas. Straightforward slugger Corrales will try to nullify the speed and elusiveness of Mayweather, who also has shown power in spurts.
These fighters’ skills surpass their name recognition, so this quality matchup won’t get a pay-per-view telecast. It’s scheduled for 8 p.m. on HBO’s “World Championship Boxing.”
Fights we’d like to see: Barrera or Morales vs. Prince Naseem Hamed. Trinidad, Bernard Hopkins or Darius Michalczewski versus Roy Jones Jr. Mosley or De La Hoya versus Vargas.
Fights we’d rather not see: Another Jones or Hamed title defense against an overmatched opponent. While those mentioned above might not be able to wrest the titles away from Jones or Hamed, two of the best pound-for-pound fighters in boxing, they figure to be competitive.
Carrying the torch: Six U.S. Olympians from the Sydney Games, including Chicago heavyweight Michael Bennett, are set to debut as professionals in the Madison Square Garden theater Jan. 27. The card will be televised on HBO’s “KO Nation” beginning at 10:45 p.m.
Opponents being considered for Bennett include Leroy Berbick (2-0), brother of former heavyweight champion Trevor Berbick.
Bennett’s appointment in the ring kept him from pursuing a January audition for Hollywood’s latest boxing film, in which Will Smith is to portray Muhammad Ali. Bennett was reportedly offered a shot at the role of Ken Norton.