Let's be real – 2010 has been a lousy year for boxing fans.
The obvious first indication was the failure of Mayweather – Pacquiao being made, not once, but twice. Blood testing, tax issues, animosity between camps – whatever the reasons, there was no bigger disappointment to the sport than what perhaps could have been the biggest fight of all time not being made. In the meantime, all of the casual sports fans – the ones who recently decided to jump on the Pacquiao bandwagon while at the same time share their hatred of Floyd Mayweather by spending $50 for his fights in hopes that he loses – all suddenly turned around and wagged their fingers saying, "I told you so," as justification as to why the sport has fallen so far out of mainstream.
If that wasn't bad enough, not only did neither Klitschko brother fight David Haye, but HBO will no longer pay to show either of our era's most dominant heavyweight champions. The Super Six Tournament was on the verge of falling apart after Allan Green proved unworthy of being included, Mikkel Kessler pulled out due to injury, and the rest of the combatants argued over fight locations. HBO's budget was cut. Floyd Mayweather, one half of the power duo that keeps the sport a topic of conversation among sports fans, has an uncertain future after a recent run-in with the law. There has yet to be a front-runner for Fight of the Year. Golden Boy and Top Rank's relationship is at the worst it's ever been. I could go on, but you get the point.
Fortunately though, the parties involved seem to have finally gotten the point and at the last minute have done their best attempt at damage control, making November the best month for boxing since I can remember.
Things kick off November 6 when Juan Manuel Lopez takes on Rafael Marquez for the WBO featherweight title. Both men are very technical fighters, but neither are shy to mix it up and are very durable in the long haul. Lopez is the new kid on the block and Marquez is the veteran in the twilight of his career, so amid the fierce competition we'll see whether or not Lopez can hold his own against a proven legend or if the passing of the torch will go on to someone else. Also that night are Zab Judah and Lucas Mattyse mixing it up – two more guys among the already stacked 140-pound division ready to prove themselves as being just as worthy among the rest of their cohorts.
The following weekend, Pacquiao is back in action again. I know not everyone is thrilled to see him against Margarito for various reasons, but one thing is for certain – Margarito won't be covering up for twelve rounds like Clottey did in a snoozefest, or behaving completely gunshy and drained like De la Hoya was against the Pac-Man. Expect an all out war between the two; punches being thrown and eaten by both sides with seemingly a complete disregard for the consequences. Pac obviously has the edge in talent and skill, but Margarito is known for walking through bombs and picking up steam as the twelve rounds progress.
November 20 brings us the highly-anticipated Paul Williams-Sergio Martinez rematch; their war last year leaving fans thrilled yet completely undecided on who was truly going to hold the throne at 154 and 160 for the coming era. Both guys are champions, both are top 5 pound-for-pound, their styles are completely in contrast to one another, and their first fight was an epic war that could have been scored either way. No wonder HBO virtually stonewalled both sides from their network unless they hammered out a deal. This has Fight of the Year written all over it.
Finally, the last weekend of the month gives us three meaningful and potentially exciting matchups all on the same night. Juan Manuel Marquez fights Michael Katsidis for the title at 135; Katsidis loves to throw punches and has drawn comparisons to warriors like Gatti, while Marquez is a counter-puncher who's at his best when his opponent is letting loose. You couldn't ask for a better stylistic matchup. Also, the Super Six picks up and dusts itself off with a double-header as Andre Ward takes on Andre Dirrell and Carl Froch goes to war with Arthur Abraham. Ward and Dirrell are both US Olympic medalists and are easily considered the two slickest boxers in the tournament. Both are also good friends – but that usually lasts until the first punch is thrown. Froch and Dirrell are both European bangers who are far more interested in throwing leather than avoiding it, and each have serious egos and have managed to convince themselves that they are the best fighter on the planet bar none. Needless to say, there is serious bad blood between the two and a knockout seems inevitable in proving who will emerge the best puncher in the tournament.
Just about all of these fights have the potential for Fight of the Year, but I anticipate it will end up a repeat of last year – Williams vs. Martinez against Juan Manuel Marquez and his latest for the special honor. Either way, if the coming October makes you want to forget you were a boxing fan, November will sure as heck remind you why you still are. Barring injuries and other delays, look forward to four consecutive weekends to put the rest of the year leading up to shame. Which one are you looking forward to the most? Send me an email at rkennedy@fighthype.com or let me know in the comments below.