Boxings first half report card, who made the grade?

By: Albert Alvarez

January 2009 - Andre Berto defeats Luis Collazo- The fight was and still is the toughest test in Berto’s young career. Going into the fight, I remember thinking that this fight could be a walk in the park for Berto since Mosley in my opinion handled Louie quite easily, so logically the younger fresher Berto would have a field day right? I couldn’t have been more wrong. Early on, Berto seemed very troubled by the style belonging to lefty Louie, it was clear that for the first 6 or 7 rounds that Louie’s experience and ring generalship was the difference. The second half found Berto digging deep to land the harder shots on Louie. The fight was classic and deserves an encore. Will the encore happen during the second half of 09? Let’s hope so.

Shane Mosley KO’S Antonio Margarito- When the fight was announced, the boxing media and I included thought that the 37 year old Mosley had no business at all trading leather with this Terminator. The drama began before the fight even took place, when just minutes before the fight it had been reported that Tony’s trainer was trying to plaster the wraps. The plaster was removed and the beating began. Mosley not only beat The Terminator, but Mosley simply dominated the younger lion with ease. Mosley shocks the world, Mosley terminates The Terminator. After the fight, Tony was suspended up to a year for the attempted foul play, as for Mosley, well Mosley looked so sharp that he may have shelved himself after such a brilliant performance. Sometimes that’s just the way the cookie crumbles.

February 2009

Vic Darchinyan KO’S Jorge Arce- I remember this slugfest for 2 reasons. One being that I missed this fight because the fight took place on my birthday and my wife and brother had surprised me with a night out to celebrate. The other reason being that intense hangover that followed, but lucky for me that I was able to catch the replay of this fun fight. The fight to me was all Darchinyan with Arce providing a shoot out in the middle rounds, but in the end the heavier shots of Vic were just too much for Arce to handle. What does the 2nd half of 09 hold for Vic? Well next week Vic will take on tough man Joseph Agbeko, no easy task. If Vic defeats Agbeko, what then? How about the long anticipated rematch with the only man to blast The Raging Bull, Nonito Donaire Jr.?

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