The Hottest Boxing Storylines for the Week of March 6
Well, that was an interesting weekend for combat sports.
We break with tradition here a bit this week and discuss some MMA—only as it relates to a boxer you may have heard of named Floyd Mayweather Jr.—and ponder whether he has become a curse for MMA fighters who like to drop his name.
Next, we turn to this past weekend's action in the sweet science.
We'll take a look at Jessie Vargas' huge title-winning victory, Luis Ortiz's latest dominance and, yes, the ill-fated comeback of Antonio Margarito.
These are the hottest boxing storylines for the week!
The Mayweather MMA Curse
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It's not often that we talk about the UFC in this piece, but it's impossible to ignore a curious little storyline that developed over the weekend that brings together both boxing and MMA.
Prior to his shocking defeat to Nate Diaz at UFC 196 on Saturday, Conor McGregor had drawn a lot of easy personality comparisons to boxing's now-retired pound-for-pound king, Mayweather. Both are brash, cocky and disliked by a good number of people but grudgingly respected for their in-ring ability.
Attempts were made to draw them into a cross-promotional rivalry.
McGregor even suggested a boxing match.
"I’m open to that discussion [boxing Mayweather], come at me," McGregor said, per Gareth Davies of BT Sport (via Boxing Scene). "It would be nice to make that fight if the fans are interested and wanted to see it—and obviously they would."
But then he got choked out on Saturday, thus negating whatever minuscule chance that fight had of ever happening.
He's not the first to fall victim to the Mayweather MMA curse.
In fact, the last MMA fighter who was drummed up for a possible challenge of Mayweather (yes, it was ridiculous and nobody should've taken it seriously) was Ronda Rousey, and she too lost in a shocking upset in her next fight.
Compounding matters, her conqueror, former boxing world champion Holly Holm, lost her belt to Miesha Tate at UFC 196 on Saturday.
Maybe this is making a point, or maybe it's just needling boxing's friendly rival, but it's possible that the UFC's finest should worry about MMA only from here on out.
Beware of Jessie Vargas' Right Hand
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Geez, Vargas sure has one hell of a wicked right hand for a guy with just 10 knockout victories in his 28 professional bouts. He entered Saturday's contest for the vacant WBO Welterweight Championship with just nine but added to that with an impressive finish over previously unbeaten Sadam Ali.
Most considered this to be a 50-50 fight when it was announced, and Ali did more than hold his own early. However, Vargas began opening up and landing more around the middle of the fight and dropped his man with a hard right hand in the closing seconds of Round 8.
He put Ali on the canvas a second time one round later, and the fight was soon waved off. The decisive victory will reinvigorate Vargas' career after a controversial loss to Timothy Bradley his last time out with the title on the line.
The win over Ali impressed promoter Bob Arum, who said after the fight that he'd like to match Vargas with the very best welterweights in the world, including, perhaps, the winner of Manny Pacquiao's rubber match with Bradley in April, per Dan Rafael of ESPN.com.
Vargas seems to have it in for Bradley, who took a decision from him last year after referee Pat Russell prematurely stopped the fight in the final round with Bradley badly hurt and holding on.
Desert Storm was well up on the cards, and even though a stoppage was unlikely, Vargas had a right to be upset about being deprived of the final few seconds where anything could have happened.
That rematch didn't have much of a market before, but if Bradley can beat Pacquiao after this scintillating performance from Vargas, it will.
Antonio Margarito Should Probably Go
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With the same morbid curiosity that we treat a car accident on the side of the highway, many of boxing fans and scribes tuned in Saturday night to check out the return of the former welterweight champion Margarito from a four-year hiatus.
Few, if any, felt that the Tijuana Tornado, who hadn't fought since dropping a rematch to Miguel Cotto in 2011 and left the game with severe damage to his right eye, should attempt an in-ring comeback, but there he was Saturday night in Mexico City fighting Jorge Paez Jr. at junior middleweight.
Don't get me wrong: It was an exciting, back-and-forth fight that Margarito deserved to win and did win, but the notion that he can be competitive against world-class opposition at this point is laughable, if not outright dangerous.
He took plenty of clean shots against Paez, which, honestly, wasn't all that different from Margarito during his prime, but the type of high-profile fights he could get at 154 or 160 pounds would pretty much all come against guys who are younger and stronger with possess the ability to beat him up.
Saturday night's result just portends a future filled with potential disasters.
We'll likely see more of this show, which could be fine so long as Margarito hangs with guys on the level of Paez. If and when he steps up, however, things could go south in a hurry.
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Does Anyone Want to Fight Luis Ortiz?
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Ortiz once again proved why he might be the heavyweight with the most buzz right now, trucking through Tony Thompson, who, to his credit was basically the only fighter with the stones to step in with the hulking Cuban. Ortiz extended his undefeated record to continue climbing up the suddenly red-hot heavyweight ranks.
Several heavyweights (contenders and pretenders alike) turned down the assignment against the WBA's interim titlist, which led us to Thompson, a former two-time title challenger known for his cagey, awkward style.
That awkwardness and all the tricks in the book couldn't help him Saturday night.
Ortiz has real devastating power in his left hand, which Thompson found out quickly, tasting the canvas in Round 1 and twice more before the fight was stopped in Round 6.
Knocking out Thompson, particularly a 44-year-old version of him, may not seem impressive, but it's kind of important to realize that the only other man to ever do it was Wladimir Klitschko, and both of those fights came in his heyday as undisputed champ.
So, what's next for Ortiz?
Given how hard it was to find someone willing to fight him this time around, we'll just have to wait and see.
Get Ready for a Couple of Wars
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You want action?
We have action and probably a good deal of blood.
Friday afternoon brought some great news for boxing fans who enjoy leather flying fast and furious between fighters who go at each other with reckless abandon and little regard for their own bodies.
Francisco Salazar of Boxing Scene reported that a much-discussed bout between WBC junior lightweight champion Francisco Vargas and battled-tested former world champion Orlando Salido is set for June 4 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
Vargas won his title with a blood-and-guts performance against Takashi Miura, which saw both men down, bloodied and hurt last year.
Salido is rarely in a bad fight and got saddled with a ridiculous draw in a rematch against Rocky Martinez on the Mayweather-Andre Berto undercard. He won that fight, judges be damned, and you can expect an all-action war between two rugged Mexican warriors.
Also announced is a fight that doesn't carry as much significance in the grand scheme of things but will likely produce some hide-the-women-and-children moments.
Boxing Scene reported that Jesus Soto Karass will meet Yoshihiro Kamegai on April 15 as part of Golden Boy Promotions' L.A. Fight Club series.
Soto Karass (28-10-3) doesn't have a pretty record, but the dude is tough as nails.
Ditto for Kamegai (26-3-1).
This should be an old-fashioned street fight.
Don't miss it.
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