Tuesday, January 23, 2007 Quijano: Monsters’ Brawl By Jingo Quijano The last round
THE stage has been set for an epic battle of brutal proportions to take place sometime in mid-2007. No I’m not referring to the local mayoralty elections. I’m referring to no other than the Ricky Hatton-Jose Luis Castillo super fight.
Both protagonists managed to dispose of their respective opponents last Sunday in typical blue collar-like fashion. These guys prefer grinding it out than waiting it out. You won’t see them dancing around or showboating like Zab Judah, or be content landing a shot here and there and stopping to admire their work like Jermain Taylor. They’ll be in your face all night long. They’ll gladly take their opponents’ best shots just to get a feel of how hard the guy can hit. Then they start to impose their will and very soon, the other guy feels like he’s at the waterfront pier being mugged by someone out to take his money.
Jose Luis Castillo struggled with unknown Herman Ngoudjo before stepping it up in the last 3 rounds to take the nod via split decision.
To the uninitiated, this performance might be misinterpreted as shabby and unworthy of praise. But when was the last time you saw a Jose Luis Castillo fight without the requisite drama? His bloodbaths with Diego Corrales are what we lawyers refer to as res ipsa loquitor (The thing speaks for itself).
This guy loves to fight. He’s a modern day Roman gladiator masquerading as a boxer, ready and willing to spill blood and guts and whatever else that may come out of his battle-ravaged body. For some strange reason, this guy loves taking it almost as much as dishing it out. His wars with Floyd Mayweather Jr., Stevie Johnston and Juan “The Hispanic causing panic” Lazcano are all classics.
Ricky Hatton reportedly also had a difficult time with Juan Urango. No surprise there. Like Castillo, Ricky doesn’t make life easy for himself or for his opponent. He likes to move in, crowd and maul his opponent, all the time not quite concerned with the heavy artillery coming his way. You recall this was how he took down the great Kostya Tszyu. When the latter realized that Ricky could take everything he had and give so much more in return, Tszyu opted not to answer the bell for the 12th round. That’s how you beat a legend. Last time I checked, Tszyu was last seen on the TV show “Dancing with the stars”.
If this fight turns out to be even half as good as advertised, fight fans won’t be disappointed. These guys will brawl from pillar to post, and all the way back to the dressing room if necessary. This is not for the faint of heart.
READER’S MAIL. Yani (yanidy@sbc-global.net) sent me an email in reaction to my column Saturday (“Engine Chi”). Yani pointed out that Juan Manuel Marquez is older than Marco Antonio Barrera, and Yani is right. Thanks Yani for pointing out this oversight. Marquez is indeed five months older than the “Baby Faced Assassin” and Yani opines that “that if he will have a rematch with Manny we won’t see blood coming from Marquez, it will be dust.” That’s a good one Yani, and I quite agree with you that Manny will dust his ears and mouth off should a rematch take place. Keep those emails coming!
QUOTED. "It will be an honor to share the ring with a fighter like Castillo who has been in so many great fights…this ain’t going to be a tickling contest, and if you want to watch a chess match, tune in to the Floyd Mayweather-De La Hoya fight. But if you want to watch two blokes knock the s**t out of each other, watch me and Castillo."-- Ricky Hatton shortly after beating Juan Urango for the latter’s IBF junior welterweight crown.
THE LAST ROUND. This week’s last round is on Harlie C. Son, a confessed Last Rounder, now based in Perth, Australia, but who proudly hails from the same hometown as my father, Medellin, the sugar basin of northern Cebu, as well as to Nina Flores from Baybay, Leyte whose birthday falls on the Feast Day of the Patron Saint of Cebu, the Sto Nino. Cheers guys!
