Are judges ever going to get tired of screwing Kassim Ouma? Seriously guys, it is getting old. The poor guy has been through enough. Let him win a decision. And note to Kassim: Your shoe-shine style doesn't work. It generates no power, and judges are ignoring your work. Throw less, throw harder, and take the judges out of the equation.
Speaking of getting tired... did you think sportswriters would get sick of writing about the "death of boxing", especially after being wrong for the last 30 years? Just like reality TV, some fads grotesquely outlive their usefulness. Boxing wasn't supposed to survive Ali retiring, or Leonard retiring, or Tyson getting toppled, or De La Hoya. We just have to do what we have always done... expand our horizons as to who is allowed to be a star. Recreating these old legends always fails. The new saviors will be foreigners. I have no problem with that, as long as flag waving, tea-bagging, goober-nation doesn't.
Can the cruiserweight division get any more pathetic? Maybe fighting more than once a year might hold some people's interest. The talent is there, and the matchups even get made occasionally... but there is absolutely no momentum. I blame the lack of promoter cohesion for this one. The sad part is... name the last time they televised a fight between top cruiserweights, and it wasn't entertaining. Go ahead, think. I'll wait.
Is Kelly Pavlik going to look back on this era of doubt, and laugh? Remember, we even thought Floyd Mayweather may lose to Diego Corrales, after he spent some time inactive and unimpressive. I am not comparing the two, but believe me, as long as he does not venture north in weight again, the future is bright. There is no one left at Middleweight who can do much more than lose competitively to Pavlik, and he would likely be an underdog against nearly everyone in the Super Six. Stay at 160, Kelly, and dominate. Let the other champs come to you.
Are we all getting a little too excited about Marcos Maidana? We made this mistake last year about Joseph Agbeko. Just because he beat a more-hyped opponent who fought the wrong fight, doesn't mean he is the second coming. I don't know enough about Cayo to pick him, but it would not surprise me at all. Just like Yohnny Perez's win over Agbeko was not shocking. I just hope Maidana vs. Cayo is just as entertaining.
Does Steve Molitor have to walk through fire to get respect back? Virgil Hill had many great wins, and was a champion for the better part of 10 years, but many will only remember him as a hometown fighter who stunk out the joint against Thomas Hearns, and got finished with a body shot against Roy Jones. After the disastrous loss to Caballero, Molitor cannot just return home, get his belt back, and never leave again. He must make a drastic move toward one of the many names in and around 122. Otherwise, he can win 20 straight on Ontario, and no one will care.
Are you annoyed when people ask, "is it just me..."? It's so snide and sarcastic. :)
Chris Strait
www.convictedartist.com
Chris Strait Video Boxing Predictions
www.str8boxing.com
