Boxing Perspective: 2007 – The Year The “O” Went

The O. It’s been what was for dinner in 2007 for boxing fans. This year has been a fond swan song for the much coveted goose egg. From the first of this year when bantamweight Jonathan Arias kayoed Jorge Lopez Palafox in Baja California in a single round to two weeks ago when Floyd Mayweather stacked his flawless record against the also undefeated Ricky Hatton, 2007 has seen perfect record pitted against perfect record, half of which now besmirched.

The first course was the “O” that came and went belonging to former WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Tomasz “Goral” Adamek, 31-0, by the fast hands of “Bad” Chad Dawson, 22-0, way back in February. It was a completely one-sided broasting as Dawson reduced Adamek to a single dimensioned fighter, knocking him down in the seventh. Adamek returned the favor in the tenth with a straight right after Dawson rested on a gravy train, but was unable to keep him down.

In September, WBC and WBO Middleweight Champion Jermain Taylor, 27-0-1, got a healthy serving of leather from challenger Kelly Pavlik, 31-0-0, as he found himself beltless and momentarily conscious-less. After jumping out to an early lead with a furious display of power that put Kelly Pavlik on the mat in the second round, Taylor was unable to capitalize and drop Pavlik for a full count. Pavlik became more assertive as the rounds progressed until he dumped Taylor like a sack of potatoes against the ropes.

Mikkel Kessler, 39-0, versus Joe Calzaghe, 43-0, made for a fine main course, a definite fight of the year candidate as it had the greatest impact ever in the super middleweight division, pitting undefeated champion against undefeated champion in which neither fighter would yield. Kessler faded while Calzaghe remained fresh throughout the fight, the Dane giving a good accounting of himself before relinquishing his WBA and WBC titles to the WBO linear champion. And this was after Kessler defended his titles against fellow undefeated, granite-chinned Librado Andrade, 24-0, back in March.

As beautiful a boxing match as Calzaghe vs. Kessler was, Hatton vs. Mayweather was just as ugly. A foul-laden dessert of a contest that was anything but sweet, save for Mayweather fans, in which Hatton rabbit-punched, Mayweather pushed and Joe Cortez was just as confused as the rest of us. Mayweather, 38-0, dangled his WBC Welterweight title in front of the IBO Light Welterweight champion Ricky Hatton, 43-0, for nine rounds until “Money” and a turnbuckle tag teamed “The Hitman” to put him down for only the second time in his pro career. The third knockdown came shortly afterward and Hatton’s corner threw in the towel.

Next year, we’re in for potential treats as Adamek, Taylor, Kessler, Hatton (and Andrade), like the king’s horsemen, attempt to put their respective Humpty Dumptys back together. Ricky Hatton will be shopping for an opponent at 140 and Paulie Malignaggi, who got his only loss to Miguel Cotto in 2006, is looking to get his mitts on “The Hitman” after he finishes with the very capable Cameroonian Herman Ngoudjo in January.

Mikkel Kessler is eying Jeff Lacy, both of whom owing a hash mark to Joe Calzaghe, with Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor waiting in rumored wings. Taylor has opted to make the mistake of immediately rechallenging Kelly Pavlik six pounds north of the middleweight limit on February 16 in what I’m prematurely dubbing “The Post-Valentine’s Day Massacre” and what he does after his second consecutive KO loss other than retire is anybody’s guess.

Also with the coming of “O-8” are even more goose eggs that will be there for the taking. While Floyd Mayweather once again flirts with the idea of retirement, fans are clamoring for him to face off against the also unbeaten Miguel Cotto, then perhaps Paul “The Punisher” Williams. Or maybe Williams makes a run at Cotto himself after he’s done with Carlos Quintana and then the winner fights Mayweather.

While Joe Calzaghe zeroes in on a debut in America with Bernard Hopkins as a more than likely opponent, there is also the possibility that he could fight Chad Dawson for “Bad” Chad’s WBC Light Heavyweight title after Dawson dispatches with Glen Johnson (this writer predicts that Dawson will give Johnson his first KO loss since fighting Bernard Hopkins in 1997). 17-0 Ronald “The Motor City Cobra” Hearns is interested in fighting 34-0-1 Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

As we close out a year which has given us a feast of undefeated fighter against undefeated fighter, we can pick over the scraps of “O-7”, full-bellied and glutton-eyed to watch Steve Cunningham, 20-1, who avenged his lone loss last year to Krzysztof Wlodarczyk back in May of this year, as he takes on undefeated German, by way of Yugoslavia, Marco Huck on January 29.

Maybe we can catch a nibble by way of Mike Dowcett, 0-0, taking on James Dearmin, 0-0, or swig some of the Battle of the Isaacs as Isaac Quaye, 1-0-1, matches dukes with Isaac Owusu, 1-0.

Whatever your fare, the year has been a grand offering of champions staking their unfailing statuses in opposition to one another’s, giving fans more to gorge upon than in many years past. One can only look forward to menus being dreamed up. Here’s to what’s cooking for next year.