Mormeck Steps Up; Faces Braithwaite in Cruiserweight Unification Bout.
| Jean Marc Mormeck puts it all on the line for a chance to double his world title belt collection when he meets Wayne “Big Truck” Braithwaite on Showtime’s killer Saturday night telecast starting at 11pm. WBA champion Mormeck has been quiet the whole week, preferring to let his fists do the talking in the ring than to engage in the time honored |  © Tom Casino/Showtime |
tradition of waging war through the media, but still we have a first class fight on our hands, the kind that Showtime has pledged to bring to television screens across America in the coming months. Mormeck, 30-2 (21), will step into the Centrum Center in Worcester, Mass with the knowledge that since winning the WBA crown from Virgil Hill two years ago, he’s defeated three very good fighters. Dale Brown, Alexander Gurov and most recently Virgil Hill again, have all been swept under the Frenchman’s powerful attacking style. Although well past his prime as a two-time light heavyweight world champion, Hill was still a very good name to have on the Mormeck resume, and both Brown (NABA) and Gurov (European) still hold titles today.
None of that means anything if Mormeck can’t beat Wayne Braithwaite, though. The southpaw, “Big Truck,” 21-0 (17) has been “Big Finisher” in his career to date. The native of Guyana knocked out his last fifteen opponents before Louis Azille managed to survive the distance in a rematch about a year ago. If nothing else, the former French light middleweight’s chin will be tested on Saturday night.
Mormeck has also been riding a power surge in his career, stopping all but two opponents in his last seventeen bouts. While there will be no shortage of heavy hands in the ring in Worcester, the defining aspect of this cruiserweight super-fight just may come down to stamina. Because of all the stoppages and knockouts, neither man has had many long fights under their belt, so this may present a foray into uncharted waters for all involved.
Ultimately, it’s the fans that will benefit from this high-voltage pairing. Our own correspondent Edwin Gonzalez will be there along with a packed house in boxing mad Massachusetts to bring us a first hand account of the action and we won’t have to wait long to see who comes out on top in this hotly anticipated firefight. Will Jean Marc Mormeck’s latest foray into America allow him to become one of France’s most successful modern day fighters? We shall see, but one thing is for certain, the cruiserweight division is getting some much needed time in the spotlight and that’s a good thing for the long neglected weight class.
Richard Eberline can be reached at richardeberline@fastmail.fm