by Jeff Meyers: The boxing annals will show that heavyweight Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola (29-2-0, 25 KOs) won a unanimous decision over Manuel “El Toro” Quezada (29-6-0, 18 KOs) at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California. But the most revealing statistic—as respects Arreola’s dedication to achieving superstar status in a division in dire need of rejuvenation—was Arreola’s weight of 256 pounds.
The problem with Arreola is that his actions don’t correspond with his words.
The Nightmare says all the things you want to hear from a fighter who disappoints and doesn’t live up to expectations. Before the fight, ESPN aired an interview segment with Arreola where The Nightmare responded to the question of the significance of the Quezada fight: “It’s a make-or-break fight.” Arreola, his trainer Henry Ramirez, and commentator Teddy Atlas all noted that Arreola’s dedication had been lacking in his past few bouts, especially leading up to Arreola’s loss against heavyweight upstart and former cruiserweight/light heavyweight champion Tomasz Adamek (41-1-0, 27 KOs). Arreola and Martinez admitted that it was Arreola’s worst training camp ever, and it showed when Arreola failed to dig down deep enough to defeat Adamek despite having the Polish fighter in trouble on several occasions.
So how much does Arreola weigh the night of his “make-or-break fight” with Quezada? Six pounds more than he weighed against Adamek, and five pounds more than he weighed in his only other loss against current WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko.
A fighter who acknowledges that his lack of serious training and dedication to the sport make a certain bout a “make-or-break” one—then shows up for the fight weighing more than he did in his only two losses, and looks horrendous despite winning the bout—clearly has a problem with making his actions comport with his words.
Manuel Quezada isn’t exactly a force in the heavyweight division: BoxRec.com ranks him as the sixtieth highest-rated fighter in the division, and Quezada’s most impressive victory was probably his first-round knockout against Travis “Freight Train” Walker (34-5-1, 28 KOs), now ranked 194 on BoxRec.com. And while Arreola had his moments against Quezada, dropping him twice in the ninth round with two solid overhand rights and a superb left uppercut, The Nightmare’s lack of conditioning betrayed his pre-fight words and prevented Chris from finishing Quezada off in the ninth. Instead of jumping all over Quezada in the tenth, Arreola actually let the game Quezada back in the bout and appeared to be stunned several times in the round. While Arreola dropped Quezada again in the final round, overall, it was a very uninspired effort against a fighter seemingly tailor-made for Arreola: one with below-average power, speed and legs.
Arreola will never be heavyweight champion if he weighs in the two-fifties. No heavyweight prospect will ever have a chance against a Vitali or Wladimir Klitschko—the Ukrainian twin towers that have demonstrated career-long dedication to training and fitness, showing up for each fight in spectacular physical condition—unless he shows up in peak condition himself. The 6’4” Arreola needs to fight around 230 lbs. to be competitive, as in November 2006 when he first emerged as a potential force among up-and-coming heavyweights after defeating fellow undefeated prospect Damian “Bolo” Wills (now 28-2-1, 21 KOs). Arreola weighed 229 pounds when he beat Wills and looked sensational in knocking out Wills in the seventh round.
Who knows what demons haunt Arreola that prevent him from backing up his words with actions. But for The Nightmare’s sake, he better figure it all out before the twenty-nine year old is relegated to the “coulda, shoulda, woulda” category of fighters that failed to live up to their potential.
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