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Corrales-Castillo.
As expected, this fight got a tonne of coverage from various angles. Despite there being differing views on the stoppage, the referee’s performance and Corrales antics with the mouthpiece, the one thing we agree on in unison is that this was one of the greatest fights we have ever witnessed. The case was made for both fighters by the forum members with Castillo being the slight favourite in what everyone saw as a very even fight. The one thing that tended to sway the members was the calibre of each man’s chin, no one doubted Castillo’s, whilst many questioned Corrales’ ability to take the punishment about to be dealt to him. The forum members proved to be correct in part, as Corrales was twice dumped on the deck by Castillo, the first being the result of a perfectly executed left hook to the chin, the following knockdown could also be attributed to this one punch as Corrales was still feeling the effects. Where a minority did slip up was to question Corrales’ toughness which is a mistake in my book, and so he proved as he twice dragged himself off the canvas when many thought he was about to quit. Corrales, with mouthpiece freshly rinsed, almost immediately drilled Castillo with a peach of a left hook, then, drove him to the ropes where he unleashed a torrent of punches, which in the opinion of most left referee Tony Weeks zero choice. It is ironic that the one attribute (chin) the members were certain of, might have been the one to bring about Castillo’s downfall. Whatever we have agreed, or agreed to disagree on, one things for sure, Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo put on a fistic treat for us all, an immense showing of heart and determination which will be remembered alongside any great match up you care to mention, congratulations to you both, we hope you do it again real soon.
Tarver vs. Johnson II: Roy to fight the winner?
It would appear that Roy Jones is having serious difficulty walking away. Not content with his place in history, his commentary stints on HBO and his various other interests, Roy is considering lacing them up once again and has his sights set on the winner of Tarver-Johnson II. When the question was put to the forum, “Should Roy return or stay retired?” the overwhelming response was for him to stay retired. The main concern is Roy’s motivation, does he really want to fight again, or is he looking for a tidy end to his career and one quick “W’ to sign off in style? Most feel it is the latter. The problem facing Roy is the same one that Mike Tyson faced after Buster Douglas; no one is afraid of him anymore, add that to his yo-yo weight situation, his lightning fast reflexes diminishing and questionable punch resistance and that means big trouble should Roy decide to climb through the ropes again. Fighters past their best have proven us all wrong at times, but when that fighter’s whole game is based around speed, it becomes increasingly less likely; look how quickly talk of a Naseem Hamed comeback gets pushed under the carpet. “Roy Jones does what’s best for Roy Jones,” that has always been his motto. The SaddoBoxing forum members would like him to do just that, and stay out of the ring.
Tszyu to destroy Hatton?
With the fight just over twentydays away, the Hatton-Tszyu talk will no doubt pick up pace, I don’t want to go into it in too much detail as it will get ample coverage and no doubt re-appear on this very segment shortly. What I would like to say, is that I think come fight time, Tszyu will be a massive favourite with the forum members, most will look to Hatton’s so-called lack of opposition, questions over his punch resistance arising from his trip to the canvas against Eamonn Magee, and the weight that he puts on between fights as areas of concern. Tszyu on the other hand is the best in the business; he is a massive puncher and is coming off a resounding win over nearest rival Sharmba Mitchell. Whilst I do not agree with the forum consensus on this one, it is easy to see where they are coming from. Even at thirty-five years old, Tszyu is a formidable foe, Ricky Hatton will find out just how formidable come June.
Best ring-walk?
Love them or hate them, everyone remembers a good ring-walk; personally, I think they are great and the forum for the most part agrees. Some prefer the no nonsense approach of Mike Tyson; that in its own right was many people’s pick by the way. Chris Eubank got plenty of mentions with his “Simply the Best’ routine as well as his entrances on a Harley Davidson motorcycle, although this can backfire when you lose and a mob of Steve Collins fans chant “On yer bike, on yer bike, on yer bike.” A few more notable mentions were Bernard Hopkins and his “Executioner” routine and Brian Magee’s Matrix effort, but the run away winner among the forum members was Prince Naseem Hamed and his various routines that often lasted longer than the action inside the ring. Whether he was flying in on a magic carpet, chauffeured in a pink Cadillac or accompanied by a string of impostors mimicking his every move, no one did it quite like Naz. It was not every body’s cup of tea it has to be said. I have never seen a man more animated than Kevin Kelley was as he awaited Naz on his American debut, I think the commentary team started a clock on Naz to see just how long the entrance took. I also remember one fighter’s team issuing the warning that they would vacate the ring if the razzle-dazzle went on too long. Whether you like it or not, Naz’s antics were must-see viewing: the music, the dancing, the pyrotechnics and the props ensured that when Naz was at work, the fireworks started long before the opening bell had sounded.
Notable mention to Apollo Creed for his efforts in Rocky I and IV.
Toney fails drug test.
We were all brought down to earth with a thud this week with the news that James “Lights out” Toney tested positive for banned substances after his victory over John Ruiz. Whilst the incident in itself is serious enough, the repercussions could be disastrous: we might be stuck with Ruiz again. Toney’s team were quick to deny the allegations, releasing a statement blaming medication used to ease inflammation on Toney’s injured arm for the positive test results. According to Fight Fax’s list of suspended fighters, Toney has been issued a ninety-day ban and a ten thousand dollar fine, more important than that, his April effort has been declared a No Decision. Whilst no one has actually said it, we all know that Ruiz is going to be reinstated as champion, why? Because that is how lucky we fight fans are. Team Ruiz are pushing for the WBA to implement rule 18:23(3) which states that under these circumstances the title should revert back to Ruiz, rumour has it that this news coupled with the WBA’s laws in such cases are responsible for Ruiz’s swift u-turn on his retirement plans, had he retired the title would have become vacant.
To be continued…
Morales vs. Corrales.
Hot on the heels of his stunning victory over Jose Luis Castillo, the forum’s attention turned to the possibility of a match up between Diego Corrales and Erik Morales. Morales has publicly statedhis desire to fight Corrales if he were to emerge the victor and now he might get his wish. The forum is pretty divided on this one; the portion that pick Morales think that he is a better pure boxer and would take it on the cards, however, the ones behind Corrales state that it is only a matter of time before it becomes a brawl, leaving only one winner: the bigger more powerful Corrales. If this one does happen, you have to take your hat off to Morales, he started life as a super bantamweight and here he is wishing to mix it with the world’s premier lightweight.
Join us next week in “The Fans’ Voice,” as we pick the bones out of the Trinidad-Wright fight.
Matt Cotterell can be reached at mattcotterell@blueyonder.co.uk
