Boxing
faces new challenges
Daniel Kim
Boxing has not enjoyed the popularity it has in the past. Marquee names have
been missing in recent years making it difficult for the average sports fan to
embrace the majority of the current anonymous champions. Future hall of famers
such as Oscar De La Hoya, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Roy Jones Jr. are
enjoying their final years in the ring while younger, fresher, new faces have
emerged to take over the sport.
Boxing witnessed a passing of the torch in 2005. Jermain Taylor beat longtime
champ Bernard Hopkins twice last year. Many fight fans marveled at Hopkins’ long
reign as champion, and experts wondered aloud when he would finally show signs
of slowing down. Father Time eventually caught up to Hopkins in 2005, and many
other great champions as well.
The year 2005 was an upsets in boxing. Ricky Hatton pummeled champ Kostya Tszyu
into submission late last year. Winky Wright won a unanimous decision over heavily
favored Felix Trinidad in a fight many thought was going to be an easy knockout
for Trinidad. Antonio Tarver won the second and third fights against long time
rival Roy Jones Jr., a man who just a year prior was considered one of the best
fighters the sport had ever seen.
Also, 2005 produced what many boxing experts argue as the greatest fight ever.
Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo battled it out in one of the most memorable
fights in recent history. Both fighters refused to back down as they traded monstrous
blows at an alarming pace. Corrales, who had tasted canvas several times in the
fight, came back from nearly being knocked out himself, to knock out Castillo
in dramatic fashion in the closing seconds of the final round.
Boxing fans have a lot to look forward to in 2006. Just three months into the
year, there have already been three significant championship bouts. Corrales
and Castillo met again in a heavily anticipated rematch. Their second fight was
a carbon copy of their first one with both exchanging huge blows in the center
of the ring. This time Castillo prevailed by knocking out Corrales in another
memorable fight. Manny Pacquiao avenged his loss to Erik Morales in stunning
fashion when he knocked out Morales in the late rounds of an action packed thriller.
Joe Calzaghe dominated title holder Jeff Lacy in a one-sided unanimous decision.
This year has many interesting fights on the horizon. James Toney will face Hasim
Rahman for the vacant heavyweight title March 18. Toney will look to use his
ring savvy and counter-punch the much bigger Rahman. Rahman will see if Toney,
a former middleweight, can handle a heavyweight punch. Floyd Mayweather Jr. will
challenge Zab Judah in a welterweight showdown April 8. If the actual fight is
anywhere near the trash talk between the two, fans are in for a treat. Also mark
your calendar for Oscar De La Hoya vs. Ricardo Mayorga on May 6, Bernard Hopkins
vs. Antonio Tarver on June 10, and Winky Wright vs. Jermain Taylor a week later
on June 17.
Fight fans agree the most anticipated bout of 2006 is the rubber match between
Corrales and Castillo on June 3. Look for the third fight to be much like the
first two back-and-forth battles. Whenever these two enter the ring, fireworks
are guaranteed.
As the more famous names of the sport fade into the twilight of their careers,
younger fighters look to cement their legacy in boxing. These young fighters
are not ducking opponents like in the past and are willing to face top competition,
and that is beneficial for the rejuvenation of the sport. Who will be the next
Mike Tyson or Oscar De La Hoya? Boxing fans are very anxious to find out.
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