25.05.05 – By Chris Acosta: If Winky Wright feels inclined to call himself the sports best fighter, I would understand wholeheartedly. After all, he hit the great Felix Trinidad with so many jabs that I’ll bet the Puerto Rican is probably flinching in his sleep throughout the night at the recollection of that right hand. He twice contained Shane Mosley like a kid who’d just bottled up a bee and laughed as it tried in vain to sting him through the glass.. And remember that a few years ago when HBO was showcasing a hungry, undefeated Fernando Vargas, that Winky ruined their plans by shutting down the hot prospect so badly that most spectators had Wright winning by a wide margin. (Interesting sidebar to that story.
I scored that fight 9-3 for Winky watching the bout live and apparently feeling the effects of a brainwashed daze from HBO’s buildup for Vargas and decided to watch the fight again in the hopes that maybe I was wrong. I was. My re-score came out to 10-2).
Next up, Kostya Tszyu, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Bernard Hopkins who are also serious contenders to the mythical title, get ready to re-stake their claims. King Kostya, fresh off that scary “how dare you say that about my mother” kind of beating against Sharmba Mitchell, gets ready for the youthful energy of the U.K.’s Ricky Hatton.
Hatton, a guy who goes by the alias of “Hitman” does nothing to make us second- guess the suggestive nickname previously worn by the legendary Thomas Hearns. The Brit is a relentless punching machine with the kind of shaky defense that makes every fight an adventure worthy of a six-story carnival ride. The problem is that I can’t find a single category in which Hatton has an edge. It’s not that he’s not a world class fighter or some undeserving journeyman. Ricky is as tough as nails but the feeling is that Tszyu has the hammer.
Hatton’s only hope (other than Kostya suddenly losing his edge) is to go through hell to get it. That means taking to a better boxer with better power, equal physical strength, greater defensive ability and unparalleled experience. That’s not entirely out of the question because strange things do happen (like the goofy looking guy I saw at the bank the other day with the molten hot girlfriend) but in this one Tszyu will have the answers by KO in round 6. The hype machine has been in full gear for Arturo Gatti’s challenge of Floyd Mayweather on June 25th.
There’s been enough magazine articles on the fight to make you think they are the last two boxers left in the world. If Gatti loses, it will probably be the end to an amazing career that will make one hell of a biographical DVD someday. What Mayweather has to lose is that sterling 33-0 record and his own assertion that he is the best practitioner in the game. Among the esteemed four fighters on this list, Floyd is the only one to remain undefeated which in my book is just enough to nab that top spot.
Gatti certainly has that punchers chance and unbreakable will, but it’s like asking the toughest longshoreman to solve a Sub-Particle Atomic Theory equation. I absolutely love Gatti but against a superior foe who seems to raise his game against better opponents -and this time he knows he’ll be performing in front of his largest audience – look for Floyd to do the kinds of things that make us glad we’re not the guy in the other corner. Mayweather by TKO in 9. Now, how much fun would it be to just go with the favorites? Sometimes you have to just go out on that limb called Jermain Taylor.
Okay, so I was a little fuzzy on him too in the beginning, but Jermain has really come along nicely and seems to actually have more substance than the considerable amount of style that he exudes as well. He’s the same height as the amazing Bernard, a hair quicker, strong and wants it as much as he says he does.
Of course, there’s always the possibility that Hopkins’ experience will prevail and he’ll punish the younger man for 12 rounds but here’s my case to the opposite scenario: Taylor brings a natural middleweight frame to battle (unlike Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya) and is a notch above a Robert Allen, Andrew Council or Howard Eastman. He also has that special flash to his fists, that charisma to his work, that separates the good from the great. He’s a way off from being great but I expect a great performance. Taylor by 12th round TKO.