Friday, March 13, 2009

Hookin' and Jabbin'

Lots of decent bouts this weekend, starting with Barrera-Khan. Dan Rafael nailed my thoughts about the fight in today's chat:
I am so torn on this fight I honestly do not know. I can see Barrera, with all his experience and warrior mentality, sumoning [sic] the energy and smashing Khan. But Khan is so much bigger and faster that I can see him just playing with Barrera and being solid on defense, as Freddie Roach has been preaching. I know Barrera lost a couple of fights in a row but they were to Marquez and Pacquiao, not bad guys to lose to. I just don't know.
I couldn't agree more, which is why it's an intriguing bout despite arguably being nothing more than a has-been versus a never-will-be. Ultimately, however, I think boxing wiles and experience can only carry Barrera so far; Khan's size, speed, and strength will be too much.

Closer to home, I like Cristian Mijares to regain his smooth form in bouncing back from the Vic Darchinyan beatdown with a decision victory over Nehomar "T-Rex" Cermeño in a fight I'll be watching from a few hundred feet away. I also like César Canchila over Geovanni Segura in the rematch of their fight last summer (unless a hometown decision does him in), Nicky Cook by decision over the untested Roman Martinez (where he won't need a hometown decision to carry him through), Enzo Maccarinelli with a knockout of Ola Afolabi, and Lucian Bute to box his way to an easy decision over Fulgencio Zúñiga.

Also, one other boxing note. The movie Cinderella Man treats Max Baer as some sort of a Depression-era Mike Tyson, a truly abusive thug. I've always thought of him as a more happy-go-lucky character, what with the comment about having a million-dollar body and ten-cent brain. I wonder if Ron Howard or someone else based the characterization on any research of his personality. If not, it's an unfair hit job on a man whose grandchildren are probably still alive. Shame on them! Alright, maybe it's not worth a rebuke.

No comments: