Left field
The Reuters global sports blog
from Photographers Blog:
The fight of their lives
By Kai Pfaffenbach
Steve Marcus, our Boxing expert in Las Vegas, is maybe the one and only photographer within the company who has shot more World Championship title bouts than I have throughout the last couple of years.
I shot “Iron” Mike Tyson in Copenhagen, South Africa’s “White Buffalo” Francois Botha on several comebacks, I got my picture taken with Lennox Lewis after a fight I photographed and I followed the untouchable Klitschko brothers on their way to dominate the heavyweight class as only “The Greatest of All Times” (Muhammad Ali) did before!
But it was an IBF cruiserweight re-match which fascinated me the most. Steve “USS” Cunningham challenged Yoan-Pablo Hernandez from Cuba to get his title-belt back. Cruiserweight is as fast as middle-weight but the punch power is almost as much as heavyweight.
From the first second those two men delivered an absolutely top-level fight with clean technique, accurate, fast hits and the ability to take those punches. It was in the fourth round when a combination and a straight right hand sent Cunningham on the deck twice within a minute.
Time for Mayweather to enter the ring with Pacquiao
Floyd Mayweather Jr destroyed Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez with a ruthlessly clinical display in Las Vegas at the weekend but the non-title welterweight bout ended with an overall feeling of dissatisfaction.
The controversial weigh-in on the eve of the eagerly anticipated fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena raised the biggest question mark of all.
Marquez, a gutsy five-times world champion in three different weight classes, conceded four pounds to the bigger and faster Mayweather after tipping the scales at 142.
Because the 12-round bout was initially contracted as a welterweight contest with a catch weight limit of 144 pounds, Mayweather was heavily fined for coming in two pounds over the limit.
Fight insiders later confirmed the undefeated American was penalised $600,000, a relatively small sacrifice for a significant advantage on fight night.
By the time the two boxers entered the ring on Saturday in front of a non-sellout crowd of 13,116, the difference was probably close to 10 pounds.
Marquez weighed in at 148 moments before the fight but Mayweather refused to disclose his own weight.
Thanks for your comments folks, Joe you dont really think Mayweather will dodge the fight, surely it was the only reason he came out of retirement? Nathan, UFC still cant generate the global interest that Saturday’s fight could which means boxing is still above it, no? Kyle, would fighting Pacquiao appease your concerns about Mayweather “dodging” opponents
Who’s the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter?
Saturday’s welterweight clash in Las Vegas between undefeated American Floyd Mayweather Jr and Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez could well be the first leg of three to settle the mythical title of the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter.
As things stand, most boxing fans would give that tag to either Mayweather, 39-0 (25 KOs), or Filipino southpaw Manny Pacquiao, 49-3-2 (37 KOs).
However Pacquiao’s next bout will be in November when he challenges Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto for the WBO welterweight title.
Only after that, assuming both Mayweather and Pacquiao have lived up to their respective billing as strong favourites and triumphed, will the argument-ending contest between the American and the Filipino be able to unfold.
Mayweather has repeatedly said the notion of regaining the mythical pound-for-pound tag no longer appeals to him, but the idea that he would spurn the chance to take on Pacquiao seems ludicrous.
In an interview with Reuters, Mayweather played down the Filipino’s most recent fight, a stunning second round knockout of Britain’s Ricky Hatton in May to claim the IBO light-welterweight title.
“Pacquiao went out there and did what he had to do,” said Mayweather, who is returning to the ring on Saturday after a 21-month retirement.
Mayweather would be in 2nd place next to Manny Pacquiao, who is the real number 1 pound for pound fighter in the world. It would be very interesting to see these 2 very talented fighters face each other on the ring. Hope Top Rank and Dela Hoya promotions can make this fight happen, I bet it would break PPV records that Mayweather and Dela Hoya set when they fought 3 years ago.
