EDITORIAL: Don’t Look Now…But 2017 is Rapidly Becoming the Year of the Highlight-Reel Knockout in Boxing
By Dr. Paul Jones | Monday, June 5, 2017
According to the Chinese calendar, 2017 is the Year of the Rooster. However, if the current trend in boxing continues, 2017 could go down as the Year of the Highlight-Reel Knockout.
And that’s good news.
In fact, boxing is receiving a much needed shot in the arm after a disappointing 2016 marred by inactivity among marquee fighters (e.g., Tyson Fury, Miguel Cotto), mismatches (e.g., Danny Garcia vs. Samuel Vargas, Gary Russell Jr. vs. Patrick Hyland), and uncertainty in the sport’s glamor division — the Heavyweights.
At the root of boxing’s renaissance is a string of spine-tingling knockouts.
Consider these examples:
Exhibit A: Lemieux vs. Stevens.
In March, Canadian dynamo David Lemieux (38–3, 33 KOs) took on the outspoken Brownsville powder keg Curtis Stevens (29–6, 21 KOs) in a middleweight thriller. Although the bout lasted a mere three rounds, and no major title was on the line, Lemieux and Stevens gave boxing fans the three things that they covet most: (1) a prefight build-up highlighted by equal measures of trash talk and mutual animosity; (2) a match-up that many fans peg as a pick ’em fight; and, (3) a fantastic finish, preferably by a Knockout of the Year candidate.
Lemieux vs. Stevens didn’t underachieve on any of these criteria.
Exhibit B: Garcia vs. Zlaticann.
An equally compelling KO came at the hands of emerging star and reigning WBC World Lightweight titlist, Mikey Garcia (36–0, 30 KOs) who clinically dissected the previously undefeated titlist Dejan Zlaticanin (22–1, 15 KOs) in January. Garcia laid waste to Zlaticanin in short order: by third-round knockout courtesy of a hellacious right hook that flattened Zlaticanin, and left the Montenegro-based fighter momentarily unconscious and requiring oxygen from ringside paramedics.
Exhibit C: Greer Jr. vs. Smith.
Perhaps the most riveting knockout of 2017 comes from a bout that most boxing fans probably missed: Joshua Greer Jr.’s (13–1–1) timber-shivering KTFO of James Gordon Smith (11–1, 1 NC) on ShoBox: The New Generation in March. By boxing standards, neither Greer, nor Smith are household names; but, their bout was proof positive that one well-timed right hook is all it takes to separate a man from his senses and introduce him to Mr. Sandman…literally.*
More important, we’re only at the midway point of 2017 and plenty of fights with pound-for-pound implications are still on the horizon, including Canelo vs. Golovkin (September 16) and Ward vs. Kovalev II (June 17).
Fan-friendly non-title fights are also popping up like dandelions, such as Broner vs. Garcia (July 29), and bouts with explosive potential remain under consideration (e.g., Kanat lslam vs. James Kirkland and Kirkland vs. Stevens, per Round By Round Boxing).
Any of these match-ups are capable of producing Knockout or Fight of the Year candidates.
And with unbeaten champions like Anthony Joshua (19–0, 19 KOs), Errol Spence Jr. (22–0, 19 KOs), Mikey Garcia, Keith Thurman (28–0, 1 ND), and boxing’s youngest world champion, 22-year-old IBF Junior Lightweight champ Gervonta Davis (18–0, 17 KOs) on the verge of super stardom, it’s easy to see why the sport is experiencing a resurgence.
As retired multi-division champion Oscar De La Hoya put it, “[Boxing is] on a good run right now. Boxing is back.”
I echo De La Hoya’s sentiment, and hope that boxing promoters, fighters, and fans do their part to ensure that the sweet science remains “Great Again.”■
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Commentary by Paul Jones, Wrapsontv.com Senior Contributor. You can reach him at prjones1@hotmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @boxingepicenter and on Medium.com.
For more insight from WrapsOnTv contributors, follow @wrapsontv on Twitter.
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Footnote
* Night!!! Night!!! #Don’tBlink is a trademark of Joshua Greer. Pillow sold separately. :-)
