Giving The Game Away
By: Andrew Harrison
Category: amir kahn, andrew golota, bernard hopkins, celestino caballero, chris eubank, david haye, enzo maccarinelli, evander holyfield, felix trinidad, fernando vargas, floyd mayweather, george foreman, hasim rahman, haye maccarinelli, joe calzaghe, john ruiz, kelly pavlik, lennox lewis, manny pacquiao, miguel cotto, mike tyson, mikkel kessler, nigel benn, oliver mccall, oscar de la hoya, prince naseem hamed, ricky hatton, roy jones jr, wladimir klitschko
Death and taxes are a given in life so goes the old cliché. Flying in the face of another (which states that in boxing, there are no guarantees) are the following fistic racing certainties; Don King will never be referred to as the strong but silent type, Fernando Vargas aint gonna see 154 pounds again anytime soon, Kelly Pavlik’s management won’t be needing a tux for any upcoming manager of the year awards and the WBA will never again sanction a heavyweight title fight unless John Ruiz is either involved or fights the winner……
Oh yeah here’s another banker; more often than you’d believe-just before a bout and after clocking each fighter’s respective ring walk, I’ll be able to pick the winner…..almost to a man.
As I sat amongst friends in May, chugging some suds whilst waiting for Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton to stride out into the MGM Grand Garden Arena, I had a betting slip tucked away in my shirt pocket with ‘Pacquiao to win- points’ scrawled across it. When a flustered and confused looking Hitman emerged to be followed by a confident and resplendent Pacman, a beaming assassin, I knew my paper scrap of hope was already null and void. Pacquiao was gonna get Ricky outta there.
Next time, I’ll use an online bookmaker.
Maybe it’s intuition, or an overabundance of oxytocin, the hormone which increases social perception, perhaps just plain old pot luck, who knows? Many times though, body language makes it a relatively simple task, it didn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure out that Mike Spinks was in a world of trouble the night he edged reluctantly into the ring to battle Mike Tyson.
As the information superhighway becomes saturated with folks offering their ten cents on the upcoming Marquez-Mayweather bonanza, (anyone not got a theory on that one?) I only wish that I had a DeLorean parked outside which would allow me to view Juan and Floyd as they left their dressing rooms (I wouldn’t go far enough forward to see the actual result……fair’s fair….) so I too could be confident of throwing my opinion into the melting pot.
In a bid to offer some light hearted respite amid the maelstrom of Money-Dinamita prediction articles, here is a list of ring walks which similarly gave the game away just prior to the bell sounding…
Going to the gallows: Mike Spinks/Frank Bruno(second fight)/Bruce Seldon v Mike Tyson , Michael Grant v Lennox Lewis, Vuyani Bungu v Prince Naseem Hamed
In the zone: Lennox Lewis v Andrew Golota, Evander Holyfield v Mike Tyson, Nigel Benn v Gerald McClellan, Bernard Hopkins v Felix Trinidad
Smiley, happy people: Felix Trinidad v Fernando Vargas, Nigel Benn v Chris Eubank (second match), Manny Pacquiao v Oscar De la Hoya, Paul Williams v Antonio Margarito
Element of doubt: Ricky Hatton v Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto v Antonio Margarito, Mike Tyson v Evander Holyfield (second match), Oscar De la Hoya v Bernard Hopkins
Steely and stoic: Frank Bruno v Oliver McCall, Lennox Lewis v Hasim Rahman (rematch), Kostya Tszyu v Zab Judah
Running into trouble: George Foreman v Muhammad Ali, Enzo Maccarinelli v David Haye, Monte Barrett v David Haye, Oliver McCall v Lennox Lewis (second fight)
Supreme confidence: Joe Calzaghe v Mikel Kessler, Floyd Mayweather v Diego Corrales, Naseem Hamed v Steve Robinson, Ray Leonard v Tommy Hearns, Celestino Caballero v Steve Molitor
Get your camera ready, I’m about to DO something here: Antonio Margarito v Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley v Oscar De la Hoya, Breidis Prescott v Amir Khan, Roy Jones v John Ruiz
Ready to walk through walls: Michael Gomez v Alex Arthur, Robin Reid v Giovanni Pretorius, Diego Corrales v Jose Luis Castillo
Just making up the numbers: Tony Thompson/Hasim Rahman v Wlad Klitschko
Whaddya think? Got any others? Let me know and I’ll update the post with the best ones.
Great stuff Haz. I’d another Tyson fight into the “Going to the Gallows” category – Holyfield v Tyson 2, only this time it was Tyson who had that frightened schoolboy look. I’ll never forget the staredown as long as I live. Tyson kept on dropping his head and had an extremely worried look on his face, whereas Evander just stared a hole through Tyson with this bad-ass look that was much more terrifying and menacing than any of Tyson’s past pre-fight antics.
It was almost as if Holyfield was saying “this is my playground boy, and tonight I’m going to teach you a lesson.”
One of the reasons that I love boxing so much is that it can often be used as an effigy for day-to-day life. This fight was another example. If you stand up to a bully, they will inevitably crumble.
I stuck that in the ‘element of doubt’ category but you’re right, could easily have slotted into the ‘going to the gallows’ one.
Perfect example of what I was getting at, that was probably the most exciting build up to a fight in my lifetime but once they emerged from their dressing rooms, I knew Holy was gonna do it again (I had a hunch he would anyway despite much opposition from the Tyson diehards!!)
I agree, I don’t think it’s being at all pretentious to see boxing as a metaphor for life. You see fighters who don’t train being made to pay, bullies being stood up to, age catching up to folk, hard work trumping raw talent…..there’s mileage in that idea…in a battle of wills (which is what we usually see when the best fight the best), character usually prevails, it’s why the good guy can still win by doing things the right way……boxing still has heroes….I don’t see many in other sports.
Yeah, this is what seperates Boxing from other sports IMO. Outside the ring, boxing is one of the most dis-honest and arguably corrupt sports in the world. I can’t deny that. But, believe you me, inside that ring there isn’t a more honest place in the world. As the old saying goes, when you step in between those ropes, the truth will find you.
I also had Holy as the pre-fight favourite. Just couldn’t see how the rematch would differ from their first meeting. Of course it eventually did, but for entirely different reasons, lol.
There were plenty who picked Tyson, he had this strange hold over a lot of fans, there were even those who picked him over Lewis and he was so far past his best by that point it was unreal.
I hear he’s making the draw for the prizefighter tournament in a bit, can’t believe the lad from Sunderland is in there, I saw him in Newcastle a while back……let’s just say whoever gets him will be doing well!!
Which one is he Haz?
Danny Hughes……..timberrrrrrrrrrrrr!!
That draw came out rather too well also don’t you think? Hmmmmm………….
Ha. You old cynic you
I thought the Tyson thing was cringe worthy. “Man, I’m so excited. I wish I could see this thing…… who’s he?”
Priceless!
Cynic, moi? Good old Barry Hearn, “let’s have a televised draw………….although don’t muck up the schedule, we don’t want the four favourites meeting first round”…………!!
Would honest Baz ever do that? Never!