Good-bye Genaro Hernandez
I remember many years ago reading an article on two young up and coming fighters. One was Nicky Acevedo from New York, the other was Genaro Hernandez from California. Hernandez had just recently won the 130 pound title but was still unknown. I don’t remember exactly what the article said but it was about escaping the tough streets of East LA. A couple years after reading that I was watching a card from the Great Western forum and Genaro Hernandez was fighting. I don’t remember who the oppenent was but I will never forget the left hook to the body he hit the guy with to knock him out. As terrific a fighter he was, he was an even greater man. I never had the privilege of meeting him but from all accounts of those who have, he was a credit to boxing, and to the human race. Let’s remember him for that and hug those we love a little longer tonight. For life has shown us time and again that the one’s we love are always taken from us way too soon.
Jr. seeks to emerge from legendary father’s shadow
When your father retires with a record of 107-6-2 (86 ko’s), a six time world champion in three different weight classes, and a Hall of Famer, trying to carve your own path in the same career seems like an impossible task. Yet that is exactly what Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will be looking to do on June 4th at the Staples Center in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles. Chavez Jr. will challenge WBC middleweight champion Sebastian Zbik of Germany, who will be fighting outside of Europe for the first time in his career. Chavez’s 42-0-1 (30 ko’s) record has been carefully constructed on club fighters, mixed in with an occasional contender and put on small Top Rank shows in Mexico. Criticism is to be expected. But Chavez has a wild card, literally. He has been training at the Wild Card gym under the watchful eye of Freddie Roach. Training with pound for pound great Manny Pacquiao and world champion Amir Khan should give him that extra boost of confidence he needs to take the undefeated but unknown champions title. But there would still be more questions than answers. Who is Sebastian Zbik? Will Top Rank stop protecting him and put him in with Felix Sturm or Sergio Martinez? Is it fair, who knows, but how easily time can erase memory, and September 13th 1984 was a long time ago. Few remember that the great Julio Cesar Chavez was once a little known 22 year old underdog from Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico when he stopped Mario Martinez in th 8th round for the vacant WBC super featherweight title.
The winner…… and new light heavyweight champion of the world
He did it. The 46 year old Hopkins yet again proved critics wrong, including me, and became the oldest champion in boxing history. Hopkins had Pascal swinging wildly and looking unsure of himself most of the fight. He was able to hurt Hopkins a couple of times but never sustained an attack as Hopkins imposed his will on Pascal and landed clean right hands at will. Pascal’s best chance for victory came in the 12th when he had Hopkins in some trouble. But for whatever reason he didn’t press Hopkins and allowed him to see the final bell. That was all Hopkins needed to do to secure a points win. Congrats to the new champ. When it’s all said and done we will look back on his career and remember the song he walked out to on his record breaking night. Indeed Hopkins, you did it your way.
Can Hopkins turn the clock back one more time?
11-05-1994, Big George Foreman challenged Michael Moorer for the heavyweight championship of the world. 10 rounds later Foreman surpassed Archie Moore to become the oldest world champion in boxing history. 05-21-2011, Bernard Hopkins challenges Jean Pascal in a rematch of their disputed draw last December. With a victory, Hopkins would become the oldest world champion at the age of 46. It would seem to be a mistake to rule out Hopkins when he constantly proves doubters wrong. We have all been waiting for that one fight when he suddenly gets old and for the first four rounds of the Pascal fight it looked as though the day finally came. Hopkins was floored twice within the first four rounds but was able to find that resolve yet again and land body shots that would start to slow down the champion and have him looking to survive the fight instead of trying to win it. After twelve rounds it appeared Hopkins had overcome the two knockdowns to take Pascal’s title. But the champion escaped with a draw in his hometown of Montreal, which leads us to the rematch tonight. At first glance one would think that Hopkins is going to pick up where he left off and finish the job he started. However five months later to a 46 year old could be a lifetime and Pascal seems to have a different sort of confidence to him this time. Coming off a thrilling win against Chad Dawson, Pascal may have taken his 45 year old challenger lightly, a mistake he’s not likely to make again. Look for Pascal to set a fast pace, not letting Hopkins fight in spots but rather three minutes of every round, and possibly winning within the distance.
Ortiz beats Berto
Victor Ortiz won a hard fight 12 round decision against Andre Berto to win the WBC welterweight title. Ortiz started strong and never let up dropping Berto twice and overcoming getting knocked down twice himself . Ortiz looked like a man possessed as he kept the pressure on Berto all night long. Berto seemed to mentally check out of the fight early as he spent long periods of the fight laying on the ropes, holding, and looking at the clock. Ortiz on the other hand put to rest the Maidana fight once and for all by showing the heart he was questioned about when in the 6th round he took a hard right hand by Berto and was floored only to get up and drop Berto at the end of the round. Ortiz will try to put his name in the Manny lottery, but a rematch with Berto seems to be the more likely senerio.
Dreaming from coast to coast: Part 1
The two things I remember most about 1984 is the Detroit Tigers beating the San Diego Padres in the world series and the summer Olympics in Los Angeles. I was living in California at the time and I remember all the talk was on the US boxing team. It was an all-star cast with Pernell Whitaker, Meldrick Taylor, Evander Holyfield, Mark Breland, Virgil Hill. I already caught the boxing bug, as my uncle Peter took me to a boxing gym a year earlier when we lived in Tampa. Little did I know back then how that one day in the gym would direct the course of my life. I watched all the matches I could and although I don’t remember every detail of the fights I do remember when we came back to Tampa the next year, I had to get back to a boxing gym. I started training with my uncle in his backyard whenever I could, hanging on his every word. I sparred, mostly with bigger guys and I started to develop a mental toughness because these guys couldn’t hurt me. After years of training and sparring I had a couple of amatuer fights. But my amatuer career was cut short with the passing of my father and by the time I was ready to enter a gym again it would be as a trainer and not a fighter.
Bute stops Magee in 10th
Lucian Bute continued to look impressive as he knocked out Brian Magee to retain his IBF super middle weight title at the Bell Centre in Montreal Canada. Magee was able to battle for the first 5rounds but Bute started to take control in round 6 when he dropped Magee with what is becoming his signature punch, a left uppercut to the body. Bute dropped him twice more with that same punch in round 7 but the first one was incorrectly ruled a low blow. It didn’t matter because Bute dropped him again moments later, this time ruled a clean knockdown. Bute continued to dominate rounds 8 and 9, then in round 10 Bute dropped him once more with a left uppercut this time to the jaw. The ref waived it off without a count. Bute ran his record to 28-0 with 23 ko’s but more importantly he moved closer to a fight with the super six winner. In the mean time I am going to start the campaign of Bute vs Sergio Martinez. I know the fight has about a 3% chance of happening but who wouldn’t love to see that fight.