The recent reunion between "Iron" Mike Tyson and Don King sparked a global trip down memory lane. The black shorts....the black boots....the cut white towel.....the intensity....the explosiveness.....the knockouts! I'm not sure if there was ever a more magnetic force in the history of the sport, but what I am sure of is that there won't be a replay of this one. Mike Tyson recently made it very clear for those out there (like me) who just can't get it through our thick heads about seeing him somehow turn back the hands of time and ravish the sport again. Forget about it! In specific terms, Tyson recently admitted to not only being "fat", but simply no longer having "love for the sport", as it relates to being in the ring. Being in his mid-40's, perhaps it's better that way, but damn.....It sure would have been nice...right?
Freddie Roach: Change of Heart, Change of Luck?
Freddie Roach has always carried himself with a certain level of dignity, and each of his fighters have been guided along that same path. What's odd is that in a change of heart, Roach appears to be ready to go out on a limb and root for the bad-boy, as he claims David Haye may "talk a bit much", but he comes to back it up and he could in fact be the spark that lights a fire in the heavyweight division. Roach has predicted a Haye victory, and generally his predictions are spot on. With Haye stepping in against arguably his first true test in the division, combined with Manny Pacquiao stepping in against his first legitimate welterweight test, one can only wonder if Roach's prediction streak will remain in tact. I don't know if his vision is 20/20, but what I see from my angle is a 50/50.
Cotto Plans To Set New Trend
Conventional practice for fighters in preparation for a key fight is to bring in the best help that money can buy. Fighters like Oscar De La Hoya actually employed the services of individuals who were talented enough to actually defeat them (Shane Mosley). For some odd reason, Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto has decided to buck that trend and set a new one by using the services of two men (Abril and Tukes) who are barely known, let alone accomplished. The one man with experience in his camp (Figueroa) was released. How this will all play out is yet to be seen, but one thing for sure.....there are a ton of southpaws out there, but there's only one Manny Pacquiao! Stay tuned.
David Haye/Nikolay Valuev: Is A Haye Victory "Out of Reach"?
Saturday, November 7th, David Haye will make his official conversion to the heavyweight division. His initial fight against Monte Barrett was categorically a heavyweight bout, but squaring off against a man that not only stands nearly a foot larger, but also weighing in at 105lbs heavier, there's no question, this will a HEAVYWEIGHT bout if nothing else. Despite being vertically challenged, Haye said he knows the way to get the "W", and that it'll come with speed and power. On paper, it appears tough to deliver, but of all the dimensions he'll have to overcome, the one that probably means the most is the advantage that appears to be the least. Unlike the disproportionate height and weight advantage, the 5-inch arm differential which Valuev holds is far easier to penetrate for a fighter like Haye. He says he knows the way, (to win), but literally and figuratively, it just seems that he's still a bit out of reach. Time will tell.
Glen Johnson: KO Only Way To Go
Veteran Jamaican bruiser Glen Johnson will finally get his shot at redemption this weekend when he takes on "Bad" Chad Dawson. It was an opportunity that he always wanted, yet for a while, never received. Well, so much for waiting.....the time has come. And now that the time has come, Johnson knows that there's only one way to seize the victory that eluded him the last time, and that's by taking the fight away from the judges and removing any doubt from the minds of the fans. A KO won't come easy for Johnson, but with no other options on the table, he knows this could be his last chance to dance. I hope Dawson is ready. Lets get ready to rumble!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pacquiao Uninterested In "Money"
Manny Pacquiao recently opened up with a scribe from the L.A. Times and spoke his mind in a way that he rarely does about his thoughts on Floyd Mayweather jr. Everyone wants to know whether the two will square off next year, but from the sounds of it, Pacquiao doesn't think so, and isn't particulary interested in doing so. Critics have gone on record to say that Pacquiao is planting a seed which will serve as an excuse for a fight that he truly doesn't want, but in reality, Pacquiao has never downplayed a fight (with the exception of a Marquez trilogy) and I don't have reason to believe that he will now. Whatever the case may be, ego's and motives could serve as the main reasons why fight fans never get a chance to see a fight that would pair the best two talents of the sport in a long time. Never has the sports top two pound-for-pound kings squared off in the past, and apparently, the present won't be gift wrapped like we would love to see either. Hopefully, this scenario will change come November 15th.
Chad Dawson: 2 Divisions, 1 Decision
Chad Dawson has recently gone on record about his considerations for the future if he's able to get past Glen Johnson next Saturday. Of all the things he could consider, neither which he spoke of would have come to mind at first glance. Not only has the talented light-heavyweight given his promoter the nod to launch a potential heavyweight tour, but he's also totally on board for a chance to take part in the Super-6 Tournament. Unfortunately, Taylor hasn't decided to step aside and offer that chance, so we'll never know what that would be like, his addition to the tournament would serve as a major boost for the American team which currently entails a fighter with zero confidence, and two other typical great-talent-no-experience competitors. The Heavyweight division could use another spark, but Dawson's addition to the Super-6 Tournament would be pure fire!
Yhonny Perez/Joseph Agbeko: To Be Or Not To Be?
You never really know what boxing judges are looking for, and the Agbeko/Perez showdown gave us one more reason to wish we did. I won't dare pull out that "R" word (Robbery), but wow.....the margin that was scored in that fight by the three blind mice at ringside left quite a bit to be desired. Perez landed great shots, but clearly Agbeko pushed the action. Perhaps the sport will never get it right. The old adage states that you "can't cry over spilled milk". I guess that's easy to say when you're the cow! In other words, some are able to manufacture opportunity far easier than others. As it relates to this scenario....I just hope that Agbeko can. He's a fearless fighter and although Perez earned his victory, no doubt, Agbeko is the guy I'm pulling for after losing a fight I think he probably should have pulled off.
(Vivek Wallace can be reached at vivexemail@yahoo.com, Youtube (VIVEK1251), Twitter (VIVEK747), Facebook, and Myspace).
