A Look Ahead
Here’s a quick breakdown on what’s in store for readers this month on Safeside. I’ve abandoned an article which ended up clogged in the pipeline over the Christmas period, one detailing my picks for the top fights of the decade (I may as well quickly label them here and have done with the whole enterprise):
- 1.Diego Corrales TKO 10 Jose Luis Castillo (2005)
- 2. Erik Morales W 12 Marco Antonio Barrera (2000)
- 3. Micky Ward W 10 Arturo Gatti (2002)
- 4. Israel Vasquez W 12 Rafael Marquez III (2008)
- 5. Somsak Sithchatchawal v Mahyar Monshipour (2006)
- 6. Arturo Gatti W 10 Micky Ward (2003)
- 7. Felix Trinidad TKO 12 Fernando Vargas (2000)
- 8. Israel Vasquez W TKO 6 Rafael Marquez (2007)
- 9. Marco Antonio Barrera W 12 Erik Morales (2004)
- 10. Juan Manuel Lopez W 12 Rogers Mtagwa (2009)
Honourable mention: Manny Pacquiao W 12 Juan Manuel Marquez, JM Marquez KO Juan Diaz, Erik Morales W 12 Manny Pacquiao, Antonio Margarito KO 11 Miguel Cotto, Carl Froch W 12 Jean Pascal, Carl Froch TKO 12 Jermain Taylor, Micky Ward W 10 Emanuel Burton, Miguel Cotto KO 7 Ricardo Torres, Julio Gonzalez W 12 Julian Letterlough, Ezra Sellers KO 4 Carl Thompson, Juan Manuel Marquez v Joel Casamayor, Joel Casamayor v Michael Katsidis, Michael Katsidis v Graham Earl, James Toney v Vasily Jirov.
There. I feel better for getting that out. Incidentally, whilst researching the article that never was, I was reminded of the sheer quality of battles we’ve been privy to over the past decade. In my reckoning, the above list comprises one of the finest batches of boxing drama seen within a ten year period, one to rival even the wonderful 1950’s.
Moving on, and a quick gander at January’s schedule sees most of the eye catching stuff appearing towards the end of the month. There are a host of highly rated contenders in action over the next couple of weeks such as Brian Viloria, Roman Karmazin, Robert Stieglitz, Juan Carlos Salgado and Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym, all of them in against opponents one would expect them to get past without too much trouble, in fights therefore, which are unlikely to feature here in much detail.
Things suddenly turn white hot on the 23rd with a mouth-watering New York card that I’d quite happily trade a digit for the opportunity to attend. Bob Arum again uses the double header format to build towards a projected summer blockbuster, one which will look to pit the dynamic Cuban speedball, Yuriorkis Gamboa against Puerto Rico’s dynamite punching Juan Manuel Lopez.
Gamboa takes on the man who almost wrecked Lopez last time out, the hardy and determined Rogers Mtagwa. Lopez meanwhile tackles one of the world’s top featherweights, Steve Luevano, in the other half of a brilliantly exciting double header.
I’d tentively ringed the 29th on my calendar as a possibility for my first boxing jaunt of the year, with Nathan Cleverly scheduled to invade Rovigo for a crack at the European light heavyweight title against Antonio Brancalion, however the bout looks to be off (although this has yet to be confirmed officially).
One week after Gamboa and Lopez strut their stuff, things get even bigger as future hall of famer Sugar Shane Mosley clashes with rising welterweight star, the undefeated Andre Berto. I’ll be giving both weekends plenty of attention, complete with expert picks, previews and predictions.
On top of that lot, I’m working a piece dealing with matters closer to home, previewing the year ahead for the sport on this side of the drink. This may find itself a home on an alternative website, however I’ll remember to post the link up here.
It should be a fantastic start to what could be a stellar year.
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