Saturday, July 21, 2007 Quijano: Pound for pound laurel up for grabs By Jingo Quijano Last Round
BERNARD Hopkins has been breaking his promise to his mother for two years already. After vowing never to continue fighting past the age of 40, Hopkins is still at it. And this Sunday, he will carry on breaking her heart as he meets slick southpaw Ronald “Winky” Wright.
Well, for as long he is fighting the best out there, such as Wright, I hope his mother doesn’t mind me egging him to be untrue to his word. This is a dream bout for boxing purists and students of the sweet science should watch this bout intently. It’s almost a shame, one of them has to lose.
Here is an analysis of the factors that will determine the winner of this bout:
Boxing ability- Even. These are two of the best practitioners of the sport. Hopkins is the southpaw butcher. He claims he would rather fight left-handed fighters all the time as he finds them easier to beat. His record backs up his claim, as he is spotless when going up against them.
Wright is known for his slick and aggressive southpaw style. He out-boxed Shane Mosely twice and defused power puncher Tito Trinidad in 12 one-sided rounds. He is a stylistic nightmare for his opponents and is unbeaten in seven years.
Strength- Hopkins. This fight will be at a catch-weight of 170 lbs. Hopkins is being smart by not trying to drop too much weight after having fought Tarver at 175. Obviously, he doesn’t want to be another Roy Jones Jr.
On the other hand, he has successfully lured Wright to move north 10 pounds and it remains to be seen how effective the latter can be.
Speed- Even. Ordinarily I would have given this to Wright, but because he is competing at a higher weight class, he will be a tad slower which evens up this department.
Experience- Even. Hopkins is older at 42, while Wright is no spring chicken either at 36. Though Hopkins turned pro earlier, Wright has more fights and their level of competition is just about even. Hopkins fought Tarver, Jones, Trinidad and de la Hoya; while Wright has fought Mosely, Vargas and Trinidad.
Chin/Defense- Wright. Both of these fighters are iron-jawed and difficult to hit. However, Hopkins has been down a few times in his career and Wright, being the younger man, will be more resilient.
Intangibles- Even. Age could be a factor here, as fighters have been known to strangely grow old overnight. Hopkins is always in excellent physical condition but his 42-year-old legs will surely be tested in this fight.
Hopkins will have a height and reach advantage and this could prove to be a problem for the smaller Wright.
MAKE MINE B-HOP. There is a saying in boxing: A good big man will beat a good small man. Therefore, the Last Round is picking The Executioner because of his size and strength advantages.
POUND FOR POUND KING. The Last Round will be crowning the winner of this bout as the new pound for pound king. Floyd Mayweather Jr., currently the top dog, looked very ordinary in his bout with Oscar dela Hoya, who, prior to the bout, was not in any of the pound for pound lists. Worse, the decision was a close, disputed one.
In contrast, this will be fight between no. 3 and 4 on our list, hence it’s a no-brainer to crown the winner as the new pound for pound king.
GO CZAR. The Last Round is wishing Czar Amonsot the best of luck as he tries to become our next world champion when he takes on undefeated puncher Michael “The Great” Katsidis for the WBO Asia-Pacific lightweight crown on the under-card of the Hopkins-Wright fight. Take your cue from Nonito Donaire who outbullied the bully. Make us proud bay!
THE LAST ROUND. It’s on a trio of lovely ladies close to my heart who are all celebrating their birthdays this week. My cousins Maila Quijano and Grace Ybañez for their love and support and to my good friend Liezel Gedorio who always captivates me with her bubbly charm. Cheers!
