Winky Wright…The Forgotten Man?
Slaven Prica
4 years ago Ronald “Winky” Wright was on cloud 9 walking into a huge fight for the Junior Middleweight Championship of the world against superstar and champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley who was coming off his second victory over boxing's “Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya. Shane Mosley showed his true champion spirit as he took on the more deserving challenger and “high risk, low reward” fighter in Wright over a third fight against the “cash cow” De La Hoya. Wright was given an opportunity and ran away with it putting on a superb boxing display scoring a wide unanimous decision over Mosley dominating him using his jab, reach and natural size advantage. Then again showed is potential greatness scoring another decision over Mosley in a more competitive bout 8 months later to solidify his status as the best in the 154lb division.
6 months later he was stepping into the ring with a living legend in Felix “Tito” Trinidad who was coming off of his destruction of Ricardo Mayorga in his comeback fight after a two year retirement. Leading up to the fight many fans and writers were picking Wright to become the newest member of the Trinidad knockout list. As the fight neared is became noticeable that many writers and fans were switching there picks to a Wright decision proving that Wright’s victories over Mosley didn’t go unnoticed in the boxing world. In front of a sold out crowd and millions watching on pay per view, Wright put on the most one-sided boxing clinic of his career and showed that Trinidad made the wrong decision in picking him for only his second fight back after his semi-retirement. Boxing fans watched in shock as Wright landed his jab at will and mixed in his straight left and boxed Trinidad to a shutout decision victory sending “Tito” into another semi-retirement.
Wright had a tough fight against journeyman Sam Soliman and won a decision showing toughness and some decent pop winning another decision. Wright was then given a title shot against young former Olympian Jermaine “Bad Intensions” Taylor. The fight was not on pay per view to the delight of boxing fans and neither fighter disappointed the audience. In a great fight the hard hitting Taylor and busy boxer Wright fought to an epic draw in which both fighter elevated their status’s and had fans clamoring for a rematch. That’s when it seemed to go downhill for Wright.
For reasons beyond many boxing fans knowledge Wright and Taylor couldn’t agree on terms for a rematch. Taylor went on to fight less deserving challengers such as Kassim Ouma and Cory Spinks two Junior Middleweights. Wright went on to win an impressive outing against the faded Ike Quartey. 7 months later Wright would make the move to Light Heavyweight to face Light Heavyweight Champion Bernard Hopkins at a catchweight of 170lbs. In an atrocious fight which featured more holding and head buts than punches landed Hopkins escaped with his title by unanimous decision. Wright showed his dismay after the fight saying he thought he deserved the decision. Fans were then expecting Wright to drop back down to 160 where he belongs and fight the top tier guys down there. Lucrative fights with champion Kelly Pavlik and Arthur Abraham were possibilities for Wright.
That fight was on July 21st, 2007…I’m writing this on October 6th, 2008. Wright hasn’t stepped into the ring since and doesn’t appear to have anything scheduled. Wright will be turning 37 late this year. Time isn’t on his side and there have been very few fighters in history that haven’t been affected by inactivity late in their careers. Will Winky Wright simply fade out of the elite picture now? Have fans already forgotten about him? Or will he comeback and make a final big splash in his solid career? Is Winky Wright the forgotten man?
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