By Ted Sares: – No matter what some people say about him not fighting much lately, he’s a legend and you have to respect a legend. Especially if he’s Mexican. –Marcos Maidana
Long in the tooth legend Marco Antonio Barrera, recently scored a crushing second-round TKO over hapless Jose Arias of the Dominican Republic. The fight was in Barrera’s’ native Mexico. No surprises here. Speaking of long in the tooth, Arias is 43-years-old and holds just four wins over fighters who held a winning record coming in against him..
But far worse is yet to come.
The winner of the Tomasz Adamek vs. Kevin McBride bout on April 9 in Newark, NJ, is a foregone conclusion. If the likable McBride cannot win a Prize Fighter tourney in England, how is he going to beat Vitali Klitschko’s next opponent? Even as a tune-up, this fight will not do the Polish fighter much good. This is a mismatch plain and simple and will be over faster than you can say “Kielbasa.”
Another ugly one is on tap for April 9 when another former Mexican legend, Erik “El Terrible” Morales, goes up against arguably the hardest-hitting light-welterweight in boxing, Marcos “El Chino” Maidana. While Morales may be a Hall of Famer in waiting, this fight will do nothing to enhance his legacy. In fact, Maidana should be able to walk right through Morales and achieve a brutish closure within five rounds. He simply is too strong and too prime. Moreover, “El Terrible” is a proud fighter with lots of will, but this could work against him in sustaining more punishment than is necessary. This one makes me particularly uncomfortable.
Also, on April 9, another foregone conclusion will occur when junior middleweight James Kirkland (25-0), one of boxing’s hottest rising stars before his career was slowed down by an 18-month prison term, will go up against an opponent to be named. You can bet your money that the “opponent to be named” will be a sacrificial lamb led to a quick and definitive slaughter.
At least 39 year old Winky Wright vs. Michael Macklin promises to be more competitive if not very exciting. Though Macklin is a tough guy, this one might just have me winking to stay awake, Thankfully, Robert Guerrero vs. Michael Katsidis is the type of matchup (also on April 9) that promises to be competitive and exciting. After all, Katsidis, a true warrior, has never been in a dull fight in his. But therein is the rub. He may have been into many tough and exciting fights and might not have enough left to hold off “The Ghost.”
Still, the fact remains, April 9, 2011, represents the darker side of boxing when three men go into the ring only to be savaged. And I’ll be there watching it all play out– as the pendulum of my love and hate for this sport continues to move back and forth.