Trying To Gain Respect

Who is the better pound for pound fighter in the world Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr.? I know I know, we all wont know for sure until both of them step into the ring together so the debate will continue. However there is one man who never really gets mentioned in the pound for pound discussion, even though he has dominated his opponents through out his career. But as his next fight comes closer he may start to get universal respect, His name is Sergio Martinez.

The five foot ten, 37 year old southpaw Sergio Martinez (49-2, 28 Ko's) is currently preparing to face young Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on September 15^th live on pay per view. This will mark the biggest bout of Martinez's career. Although Martinez has faced great opposition such as Paul Williams, Kelly Pavlik, Kermit Cintron, Darren Barker, and Antonio Margarito. The number three ranked pound for pound for fighter in the world will have all eyes on him to dominate Chavez Jr.

With great well known named fighters ahead of him in Mayweather and Pacquiao, every Martinez bout means just that much more. One loss could mean Martinez not seeing a future super fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Martinez who offered 80% of the earnings to Mayweather for a possible bout, still wants to move up the rankings one day and beat Floyd Mayweather. For now Martinez must take care of a hungry Chavez Jr. in a fight of the year candidate.

Martinez holds the true warrior spirit and we should see that in his upcoming fight. That's what has made him such a fan favorite. And even more so thats what has made his run so impressive as one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world. Possibly even one day here we could see Martinez grace the rankings as the top pound for pound fighter in the world.

Never Judge A Book By Its Cover

The month of June for Boxing was filled with controversy, steroid scandals, and of course great fights. The biggest thing the average outside fan, plus even the occasional hardcore Boxing fan will take away from last month, was the judging scandal of Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley. And to there credit it did dominate the headlines of Boxing. Judging in Boxing does need a make over and in do time there will be some changes made.

Another portion of fans may say they take away steroid testing in Boxing still needing a upgrade. Boxing should implement a unified steroid testing policy. But Boxing is doing something right though, other wise no one would be getting caught. Above all though there is one thing that should be taken away from the month of June in Boxing, the future of the sport.

There are problems to be fixed within the sport yes, but more often then not everyone focuses on all the bad instead of the good. And Boxing is still doing a lot of things good. For instance future fights and even future talent and stars in the making. The future shined bright in June.

The week after the Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley controversy, we got to see once again one of the more exciting stars in the sport coming up Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. back in action. Like his Hall of Fame father Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., Chavez Jr. sparkled as he fought his way to a action packed TKO victory, over Irish southpaw Andy Lee. After the fight it was announced that a bout that fight fans have wanted for some time had been made, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Sergio Martinez September 15^th. In recent years we have seen possible great fights avoided due to promoters own priorities. This time around we will see just what the public wants, which is a young exciting Chavez Jr. going up against the worlds number three pound for pound fighter southpaw Sergio Martinez.

Then just another week after Martinez vs. Chavez Jr. was signed, a young hungry under dog Josestio Lopez pulled a huge upset over Victor Ortiz. Going into the June 23^rd bout at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Ortiz was the six and a half favorite over Lopez. The stakes on the line were if Ortiz were to win, he would be the next opponent inserted into the Canelo Alvarez sweepstakes. Lopez had other thoughts though as he ripped Ortiz in the 9^th round breaking Ortiz's jaw, forcing Ortiz to quit on his stool giving Lopez the win by TKO. This fight summed up what we love about Boxing. The underdog with no shot, that suddenly battles through the odds to pull off the impossible.

Then lastly just this last Saturday we saw future superstars Erislandy Lara and Gary Russell Jr. take care of business. Cuban amateur standout Ersilandy Lara who still could face Canelo Alvarez in September, dominated Freddy Hernandez. Hernandez at the end simply put, had more cuts on his face then jabs landed. Lara showed why he could be a future number one Junior Middleweight in the world. Also we saw Gary Russell Jr. another amateur standout this time from U.S.A. Boxing run over his opponent Christopher Perez. The lightning fast and powerful Russell made quick work knocking down Perez numerous times before finally getting the TKO stoppage. Even with lesser opposition Lara and Russell both showed why they are top prospects. 

So now as we roll into the month of July and look back at June, don't focus on the problems of Boxing, focus on the future, as well as the good things. With great fights being made, plus upsets, and future stars who hold the ability to excite fans, we should all be excited. The future holds big things for Boxing including more upsets and talent being cultivated right in front of our very eyes . So upon further review are you still bummed about June's downers? Or are you excited at the amazing things we saw? It's okay to believe in a little of both, but if you think Boxing lost in June, then just look again and you may be surprised at what you find.

A Mission For Greatness

As the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London get closer, U.S.A Boxing will prepare itself for redemption. At the 2008 Olympic Games held in China, U.S.A Boxing had its worst showing of all time capturing just one medal. On top of that the U.S.'s one medal was just a bronze captured by heavyweight Deontay Wilder who since has turned pro. In Olympic history U.S.A Boxing holds the record for most medals and gold medals all time in Boxing.

Over the history of the Olympic Games the U.S.A Boxing team has been a source of pride, featuring many Boxers that would go on to have Hall of Fame careers, including Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Roy Jones Jr., and recently Andre Ward among others. Greatness in almost any fighters back ground can be traced back to his amateur days with U.S. Boxing. What will this year hold for the U.S.A.? Will we see a gold medal? Could we see the next Hall of Famer? One man from Staten Island, New York Marcus Browne, may just claim both a gold this year and one day possibly a H.O.F. Ring.

It's hard to tell the future obviously, if anyone could we would all be rich. But 21 year old Marcus Browne may have the pedigree it takes to get himself into both elite classes of the Boxing world. Browne earlier this year in May at the America's Qualifier tournament in Brazil qualified himself for the 2012 London Games. Ranked as the number one Light heavyweight amateur in the U.S. Browne has enjoyed success throughout his amateur career, capturing golden gloves, winning national championships and now even a 2012 Olympic athlete. But it's not the accomplishments and accolades that will bring Browne success, it's something else that some may never get taught. The lesson of adversity.

For hundreds of years men have enjoyed success in there amateur and pro careers in Boxing, but what really defines a great fighter isn't when there winning, but how they can rebound from tough situations. It's that moment when someone gets knocked down or losses, that we find there true worth. Some fighters will crumble, but the true champions battle through to greatness. This is a key detail the 2008 Olympic team was missing, they simply hadn't been tested enough. So when things got tough the young amateurs were crushed leaving the U.S. Know where to be found on the medal stands. This year U.S.A Boxing has some of the guys who can battle through tough times. One of those men is the Light heavyweight Marcus Browne.

Going into last years 2011 World Championships, Marcus Browne was cruising his way to an easy bid to the 2012 Olympic Games. It was there though that he would be tested. Browne who only needed a few more victories to punch his ticket was defeated. Browne however stayed focused on the prize. Instead of taking the easy way out and turning pro, Browne stuck with U.S.A Boxing. 

Training harder then ever in the gym, Browne found his way back to the 2012 National Championships earlier this year in March at Fort Carson, Colorado Springs. Browne leveled the competition through out the tournament, until he got to the finals where he would meet up with one of Fort Caron's favorites, the Army's own Steve Nelson. Against Steve Nelson, Browne also learned more about fighting through adversity.

With over 97% of the crowd cheering for Nelson every punch landed was even more dramatic. And when Browne slipped in the first round, the crowd gave a huge roar thinking it was a knock down, the extremely biased crowd clearly wanted a loss from Browne and a win for Nelson. But once again Browne fought his way through the bout, and even more impressively he did it being pressured up against the ropes for most of the night. Browne won the bout in a hostile environment that mentally weak amateurs would have let get the best of them.

Marcus Browne then was off to the America's Qualifier tournament where he put a rubber stamp on his journey to the 2012 London games. Browne cruised his way through to win the gold medal, and ensure himself a spot this time at the 2012 Olympic games.

Marcus Browne has been through the ringer  and made his way back without melting down at any point. Marcus Browne is mentally ready to take any challenge in London as he heads towards his gold medal hopes. But if it's still physical ability and pure Boxing skills you want, then Marcus Browne has them as well. 

The lengthy 6'2 Light heavyweight southpaw has great hand speed, as well as great strength that can make his opponents night bad very quick with a stoppage. On top of that with the help of legendary trainer Teddy Atlas, Browne has been getting the knowledge and expertise of one of the greatest trainers of all time. Atlas has worked extensively to help Marcus Browne sand off his rough edges in the ring. The same tips Atlas learned along the way with heavyweights Mike Tyson and Alexander Povetkin.

So just what are realistic expectations for Marcus Browne? Olympic gold medal? Future Hall of Famer? Before you answer, just ask yourself-- What separates the talented athletes from the great ones? Every athlete at the pro level of Boxing, NFL, NBA, NHL, Etc. is talented. What makes the great ones so great, is how much adversity they have to battle through in there journey to get to the top. When things get bad the greatest athletes know how to handle it because they have been there before. Browne still has plenty of learning to do at the pro level. However If I had to bet one way or the other, I would bet on Marcus Browne being the next best thing in Boxing, and the next U.S.A Boxing gold medalist.

Who's Next For Canelo?

At one time or another in life everyone has had that one friend, date, or family member cancel plans on them. It's no doubt very annoying and frustrating. Just imagine it happening three times in a row, with a different person every time. This is the constant frustrating reality that Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (40-0, 29 Ko's) is facing as he tries to find an opponent for his scheduled September 15^th Pay Per View fight. In the past couple months we have seen three future opponents of Alvarez drop out in different ways.

  

First Alvarez was set to face Paul Williams, but after an unfortunate motorcycle accident William's was forced to drop out. Next came James Kirkland and while for a couple days it looked certain they would face off, Kirkland and his team dropped out due to there end wanting more money. Then finally Victor Ortiz had an agreement to fight September 15^th, but after an upset loss to Josesito Lopez Saturday night, he now to is out of the September 15^th clash. This now leaves Canelo Alvarez and his team to find yet again another opponent. But who else is left for the young red headed sensation?

CEO of Golden Boy Promotions Richard Schaefer who promotes Alvarez, has declined to confirm what opponents they are considering at this point. All that he has confirmed is there are three opponents that they will pick from now. The three opponents on the table we assume are Vanes Martirosyan, Carlos Quintana, and Austin Trout. Although there may be a couple others who fall into play, those three presumably are the three on the decision table.

All three are respectable opponents for Canelo Alvarez but none as good as the three previous opponent that had been lined up. Vanes Martirosyan (32-0, 20 Ko's) one of the opponents possible for Alvarez has adamantly wanted Alvarez for quite some time now. Even recently Martirosyan has called out Alvarez on Twitter and other social networking sites. On paper Martirosyan does set up for a respectable bout with two undefeated fighters. The only detractor from the fight taking place has been Martirosyan seemingly dodging opponents put in front of him, including a WBC eliminator between Martirosyan and young Cuban Erislandy Lara just a few short months ago.

Another possible Undefeated opponent that could face Alvarez this September could be southpaw Austin Trout. Trout (25-0, 14 Ko's) is coming off a victory against Delvin Rodriguez June 2^nd. Before Victor Ortiz was announced to be next in line at the time, it seemed Trout could be a heavy favorite to face Alvarez next. Trout who didn't look sensational in his last bout does pride himself on being a solid defensive fighter. That along with being a southpaw could give Canelo Alvarez some issues. If Trout was signed to face Alvarez most likely the September 15^th date would be moved from a Pay Per View bout to a Showtime or even a CBS contest.

Though the last option for Alvarez and his team Golden Boy Promotions does have three losses, Carlos Quintana (29-3, 23 Ko's). He does present an interesting variable. Quintana as we saw in his last bout against Deandre Latimore on the Floyd Mayweather Miguel Cotto under card, posses the ability to end fights with one punch. Quintana in that fight as well as others hit Latimore with a few punches that simply stunned him leading to a impressive TKO. That's the factor that could put Quintana in the lead for September 15^th. But like a possible Austin Trout bout Golden Boy Promotions would most likely make the Calors Quintana fight on Showtime or CBS.

All three as stated are pretty good opponents. It will be seen though if young Cuban Erislandy Lara gets a long look for September, although Golden Boy has stated many times they would like to hype the fight more for the future, before the two square off.

Canelo Alvarez for sure has just about had enough match making and wants to just step back into the squared circle. Three possible opponents and all three are respectable that could still present a challenge. With all this shifting of opponents, just leave yourself with this question though. How long before Miguel Cotto's fire gets ignited and wants back in the ring? Who would you like to see Canelo Alvarez face next?