The Hottest Boxing Storylines for the Week of June 5
Last week in boxing was such a plethora of emotions and highlighted once again how the sweet science is capable of bringing us to the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
We lost a great man, a legend and a giant, with the passing of Muhammad Ali at the age of 74 on Friday evening. The three-time heavyweight champion was a force of nature. He was larger than life both inside the ring and outside of it.
His loss hurts both those who knew him and those who may never have shared the same room with him, but to whom his fighting or advocacy served as an inspiration.
With tributes pouring in from around the world, Francisco Vargas and Orlando Salido engaged in the type of fight on Saturday night that would've done Ali proud. They left it all on the line, didn't leave a single bullet in the chamber and gave fans what almost certainly will be the Fight of the Year.
We also take a look at the upcoming title fight between Vasyl Lomachenko and Rocky Martinez, Ruslan Provodnikov's guaranteed war with John Molina and the return of Demetrius Andrade.
These is a somber edition of the hottest boxing storylines for the week.
Farewell to the Greatest
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Ali was more than a man.
He was a legend, an icon who transcended the world of sports and challenged and changed societal conventions.
He was a pioneer and a fierce advocate for what he believed to be right and just.
For many of us, he's the reason why we love the sport of boxing today.
The loss of a cultural treasure, a giant who loomed large over generations to become one of the most important figures in American history, forget sport, is impossible to quantify.
Losing him hurts. And it will hurt for a long time.
The outpouring of grief from all walks of life is a fitting tribute to a man who influenced and spoke for so many during his personal journey, and did it, the whole time, his own way and without apology.
If you only focus on Muhammad Ali the boxer then you miss half of his story, and possibly the most important parts.
Ali was a three-time heavyweight champion in an era where that matters much more than it does today, but his impacts were felt far beyond the boxing ring.
He was a defiant figure, refusing to accept less than the full promise of America and becoming a tireless and outspoken advocate for the civil rights movement when far too many of our American brothers and sisters were denied basic rights and freedoms.
He opposed the Vietnam War and refused to go when he was inducted into the army. He demanded answers as to why young men like himself should fight and die to preserve the rights and freedoms for others that they were denied at home.
Ali wasn't all talk. What he did had consequence.
He was arrested, vilified, stripped of his heavyweight championship and lost nearly four years of his career. That decision, to stand on his principles, cost him countless dollars and caused tremendous stress. You'd never see that in today's me-first culture of professional sports.
And that's because Muhammad Ali was one of a kind.
He wasn't just the greatest boxer of his era, or all time, he was the greatest athlete of all time and a figure whose shoes can never be filled.
Rest in peace, champ, and thanks for the memories and for standing up for those who didn't have their own voice.
Do We Have Our Fight of the Year?
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If you missed Saturday's bloody war between Vargas and Salido then we genuinely feel bad for you.
The two Mexican warriors engaged in 12 rounds of vicious, back-and-forth action at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, ending in a very justifiable and satisfying draw. It's often said that a draw in sports is like kissing your sister, but neither man deserved to lose after the hell they inflicted on their bodies.
The fight was everything we hoped for and more when it was signed.
It's going to take something truly magical for it to be unseated as the clear favorite for 2016 Fight of the Year.
Vargas and Salido, who both entered the ring wearing tributes to the late Ali, began throwing bombs just seconds after the opening bell and concluded with a scintillating final frame with the fight seemingly on the table. It was an old-school throwback to the days where guys just got in there and let it rip.
They combined to throw over 2,000 punches and land over 700, per CombuBox, and their 1,593 combined power punches thrown were a division record in fights tracked by the organization.
It was just that good, and there really aren't any words that can do it justice.
Vargas now has a great chance to engage in back-to-back Fight of the Year award winners (he knocked out Takashi Miura to win the WBC Super Featherweight Championship last year), while Salido—well, that dude is so underrated it hurts.
To do what he did on Saturday, at 35 years old, with 60 professional fights and 20 years in the fight game, damn impressive stuff.
Can Vasyl Lomachenko Make History?
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Lomachenko has a chance to once again make history when he challenges Martinez for the WBO Super Featherweight Championship Saturday night at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on HBO.
The Ukrainian two-time Olympic gold medalist captured a world championship by outpointing Gary Russell Jr. in his third professional fight—tying a record set by Thailand's Saensak Muangsurin—and has a chance to make history by becoming the fastest to win a title in multiple weight classes.
Naoya Inoue currently holds the record. The Japanese sensation captured junior flyweight and super flyweight world titles in his first eight fights. Lomachenko, should he win, would accomplish the task in just six fights.
The Ukrainian decided to move up in weight after being unable to convince any of the other top featherweights to fight him. A proposed fight with Nicholas Walters fell apart when the Axe Man made the curious decision to dodge the fight and what would've been a career-high purse by making ridiculous money demands.
Lomachenko decided to move up in weight anyway, and he'll find a seasoned Puerto Rican champion known for his guts—if not technique—and willingness to mix it up. Martinez most recently engaged in a memorable two-fight series of wars with Salido where he scored a win and a draw.
He's the favorite, but to make history, he'll need to contend with a rugged multi-time champ who will have the crowd at his back on the weekend of New York City's Puerto Rican Day parade.
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Will Provodnikov and Molina Provide Fireworks?
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It's a stupid question, really, to ask if Provodnikov will provide excitement in one of his fights.
The former 140-pound titlist jumped from HBO to Showtime earlier in the year and immediately signed on for what promises to be an explosive fight against Molina, a veteran tough guy known for his grit, determination and never-say-die attitude.
This one will be a ton of fun for however long it lasts.
Provodnikov might well be made of pure adamantium. You could hit the guy in the face with a brick, and he'd smile at you and just keep on coming forward. His style will never be confused for an example of pure boxing skill, but he's fun to watch and no tougher fighter in the sport comes to mind.
He's must see every time.
Molina is still durable, even if he's lost a couple of steps from the many violent wars he's tortured his body with. He engaged in a brutal back-and-forth affair with Lucas Matthysse in April 2014, knocking down the Argentine before finally succumbing to his power and an awful gash behind his head that was gushing blood.
You can expect plenty of power and maybe even a good deal of blood Saturday night.
This fight will be a brutal collision of fist on face, so don't miss it and hide the children.
What Can We Expect from Demetrius Andrade's Return?
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Andrade is one of those fighters that boxing's legions of internet warriors will tell you is a superstar in need of a chance to prove himself. Nothing about that previous comment should be taken derisively since it's 100 percent true.
The undefeated former junior middleweight titlist, who has fought just once in each of the previous two years, will face solid contender Willie Nelson Saturday night in the co-feature of Provodnikov-Molina.
Andrade captured the vacant WBO Junior Middleweight Championship with a split-decision win over Vanes Martirosyan late in 2013. He made one successful defense, a blowout of overmatched challenger Brian Rose at the Barclays Center, but was stripped due to inactivity.
He's had issues with his promoters, complicated by the fact that he turned down some fights along the way, stalling his career and removing him from the mainstream eye.
But he's back now and hoping to resume his rise toward the top against a dangerous opponent.
Nelson has won two fights in a row, including a stunning knockout upset of highly regarded Tony Harrison last July, and a win here would throw him right back into the mix atop the 154-pound division.
This is anything but a gimme, and both guys have plenty of motivation, so it should be a good scrap.
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