28.12.06 – By Dave Domenico: 2006 was an interesting year for boxing. We had our good, bad, & ugly scenarios as usual. True to my style, I came up with a list of ten highlights, which summarized boxing for 2006.
1.) Manny Pacquiao emerged as the new boxing superstar: Manny has it all. The charm, the style, the punching power, and he’s actually legitimately beating top opposition in devastating fashion.. Manny is for real; he has beaten top featherweights like Barrera and Morales, had a war with Marquez, and defeated other top fighters. He is becoming a real attraction for boxing because he closes the show, and you don’t get the feeling that he’s a hype job. Now, all the top promoters are scrambling to sign him. Look for Manny to move on to some more superfights in 2007.
2.) We have an exciting middleweight division again: We yearn for the days of, Hagler, Leonard, Hearns, and Duran. Now we have some real good fighters in the division again with some very exciting potential matchups. Jermain Taylor and Winky Wright proved themselves to be the top dogs in the division with their great drawing effort. We also have fighters like Edison Miranda, Arthur Abraham & Sam Soliman and a few others making waves. We also have Mosley, and De La Hoya still making ripples in the junior middle weight division as well. We will see what 2007 brings for the division.
3.) The Heavyweights are exciting again: As of 2006, Wladimir Klitschko designated himself as the man to beat in the division with his impressive wins over Byrd and Brock. Although the belts are still fragmented, and unification bouts are still lingering, we are at least getting some clarity in the division since the retirement of Vitali Klitschko. We’ll see where the division goes in 2007.
4.) Floyd Mayweather Jr. is hype machine: You cannot deny his skills. His speed and elusiveness are unmatched. However, he’s a well-protected fighter. Since his move up in weight, he has carefully selected opponents who have the unique combination of being top named opponents who also happen to be grossly overmatched. Pretty boy Floyd has managed to avoid the most dangerous opponents. Next year he has signed to face De La Hoya in a mega-fight. Perhaps De La Hoya may prove to be a worthier opponent than people realize.
5.) Joe Calzaghe has established himself as the best super middleweight in the world in 2006: Many meaningful potential match-ups could be made for him at this stage. At 35, he must fight a top American opponent to solidify his legacy. He must get the ball rolling in 2007.
6.) Fighters who should retire in 2006: Eric Morales, Arturo Gatti, and oh! Evander Holyfield, should all bow out of the sport. Their time is done.
7.) Serious contenders that emerged in 2006: Fighters like John Duddy, Antonio Margarito, Allen Green, Nikolay Valuev, Peter Manfredo, and even Miguel Cotto, really established themselves as serious contenders to be watched in 2006. We’ll see what they do in 2007.
8.) Golden Boy Promotions: Golden Boy promotions ran by Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins has been quite successful in their promotional efforts in 2006. In a business ran by older corrupt coots, golden boy promotions has breathed some fresh air into the sport with their own unique angle. Personally, I fell it’s a good thing having boxing promotions handles by former fighters. It seems more legitimate to me. Good luck to Golden Boy Promotions in 2007! Some advice: Sign more heavyweights!
9.) The American fight fans: Boxing has become huge in Europe; Boxing’s popularity is expanding throughout the world. However, It seems that in America, boxing is on the Decline. Why? Lack if talent? The emergence of dominant foreign fighters? A lack of promoting the sport? This issue needs to be dealt with. We’ll see if the situation gets better or worse in 2007.
10.) The Rocky Saga: The final chapter of the Rocky series was released in late 2006. The rocky story has been a corner stone to the sport since the first rocky in 1976. The rocky movie may just be a reminder to all Boxing fans that the sport is not dead. It is going strong. People just need to sit back and give it a chance. We will see where boxing goes in 2007.