The future for Andre Berto.

In early 2009, Andre Berto clashed with slickster Luis Collazo in what turned out to be a surprise slugfest. Collazo showed an uncharacteristic willingness to stand and trade with Berto. And he didn't do as bad as analysts might have guessed beforehand. Berto fought for the second time in '09 against Juan Urango, a sturdy but limited 140 pound titlist. The kind of world class fighter who is on the fringes of that esteemed world class group. As expected, Berto dominated, but in a much, much different fashion. He put his reflexes and speed to much different use, this time staying mobile and not allowing Urango to plant his feet and land a bomb- power being Urango's best asset. He dominated the fight, arguably sweeping every round in the process.

Two completely different fights, and there was only one real connection between the two: The post fight criticism that Berto received for his performances.

Against Collazo, he should have boxed more. Taken less chances. But isn't Collazo the one who is more comfortable with the sweeter side of the science? Against Urango, he should have sat down on his punches more, and been more aggressive. Yet this would have given Urango one of his only possible chances to land anything of consequence. In reality, Berto did things as good as you could ask of him. He won in a textbook fashion against each guy- using their stylistic opposites against them. But that's exactly where the criticism comes from for Andre Berto- the textbook fashion. Doing things in "textbook fashion" insinuates that nothing extraordinary happens. The public wants to see something extraordinary from Andre Berto. They want to see a Jones-Griffin II kind of performance. A Pacquiao-Hatton sort of affair. Some flash of brilliance that is outside of the realm of what we expect. After all, this is the "theatre of the unexpected"... So should Berto be discouraged if things go exactly according to what people thought would happen.. yet still get criticised for it? No.

Berto has shown that he is an elite fighter in the division that everybody has their eyes on. Yet he still has not given the kind of performance to distinguish himself as somebody that is a necessary fight for the likes of Mosley, Mayweather, Pacquiao, or even Cotto. He has not shown the kind of 'special' quality that demands attention from the cream of the crop. People watch Andre Berto fight and still expect to see some of that mythical special quality come out.. That's why his results at this point are still met with some disappointment.

So what's next for Berto? Well, he shouldn't hold his breath for a fight against any other top titlist in the division. Because they themselves are holding their breaths for Mayweather or Pacquiao. But what Berto can do is fight one of the 'names' who are still a challenge floating around. A convincing win over a fighter Kermit Cintron could do wonders for the buzz around Berto. The loser of Clottey-Cotto is also a viable option if he can get it arranged (we know how that goes in boxing).

No matter what the future holds for Berto, we can rest assured that he'll continue to receive slight criticism until he definitively shows us whether he has "it" or not.

Mayweather Marquez does not deserve a 24/7 series.

"It takes two to tango."

That statement is no truer than in the sport of boxing. Competitive fights are what should be at the forefront of boxing. In a perfect world, it would be Joshua Clottey and Miguel Cotto who have a 24/7 series dedicated to them. But of course, we are all human and just like the vanity of the world that attracts people to the glossy brand-names in shopping, so we are attracted to the big names in boxing. Mayweather, Delahoya, and now Manny Pacquiao are those boxing "brand names". No matter who they are in against, there will be a buzz associated with the fight. While any exposure is good for boxing, it's also important to get some exposure out there for the people who are really going to entertain. Mayweather-Delahoya should have proven beyond a doubt that 2 big names do not always equate to a big time fight.

Now, maybe Marquez-Mayweather is not a Delahoya-Mayweather kind of affair. But it still stands that the general consensus points towards a Mayweather victory. So much so, in fact, that media outlets are consistently looking past this fight and questioning Mayweather about possible fights with Pacquiao, Cotto or Mosley. Whether it's conscious or subconscious, the public has nonetheless shown that they are more interested in the bigger match-ups for the big names. It makes more sense to promote the gems that are hidden from casual fans, such as Cotto-Clottey. These are fights that would re-energize boxing if enough people could see them. These are the fights that can make life-long fans.

Is age becoming just a number in boxing?

In about a month, Juan Manuel Marquez will be stepping into the ring with the biggest fight of his career in front of him- a bout against the now un-retired Floyd Mayweather. He's coming off of a win over the Lightweight champion of the world in Joel Casamayor, and a FOTY candidate in his match against the Baby Bull, Juan Diaz. He also happened to give some guy named Manny Pacquiao two incredibly close fights- fights which many argue he won. When you look at Marquez in the ring, you'd easily understand how he garnered all of this attention and respect. What is most impressive about Marquez, however, is not his acheivements- it's the timing. Marquez is 35 years old, and by lightweight numbers this should be considered ancient. But Marrquez is a member of the growing fraternity of boxers who seem to be defying father time with consistent wins and a seemingly slower decline in skill.

Who else is apart of this group of top-notch geezers? How about the sugary one, Shane Mosley? He's coming off of a shockingly one sided victory over former Welterweight kingpin, Antonio Margarito. All while at the not-so-tender age of 37. With a birthday in september and Mosley specifically stating that he'd like a big-money fight with either Mayweather or Pacquiao, it's likely that he won't be in the ring again until he's 38 years old. Now, a while back it might have seemed like a stretch for a guy in his late 30's to be considered such a big threat. Today, however, it's commonplace. Fighters are aging differently, and I think part of it is because nutrition has become a more exact science than it used to be. If you're committed, you can stay healthy and put a few more years on your "athletic clock". This combined with sound technical skills can lead to longevity. Guys like Roy Jones Jr. who depended so heavily on their natural talent, found that they hit a wall as soon as their skill slipped even a little bit.

Perhaps the best example of this comes from the Executioner, Bernard Hopkins. Here is a guy that seemingly got better with age. Maybe not in the sense that his reflexes improved, true- but that's not what I'm arguing. Hopkins has become more formidable with age because of the tricks that he learned while in the ring. He was a fighter with no amateur experience, and he had to learn on the job. Coming off of an upset victory over middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, Hopkins can be argued to be the most intelligent fighter in the ring today- at 44 years old.

Who said that the body or mind decays at these ages? Don't tell that to these guys. They're old enough to be my college professor, and they're still taking these young'ns to school.

Are the Heavyweights still just dead weight?

A lot of the great storylines in boxing history have been produced from the Heavyweight division. It's undoubtedly the 'glamour division' of the sport; sort of the Quarterback position of boxing, with the other weights being the other positions. Fact is, the big men have always gotten the most attention, throughout the years. It's only now that we have a sort of lull in the Heavyweight division... But I personally don't think it's because the Heavyweights of today are less formidable than any of the past crop. Nah.. It's more because of the fact that there is no real "flash" in the division.

You gotta have an 'it' factor in a great Heavyweight. I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound like a Hollywood director who is looking for the next big star. But it's just true. The man has to look the part, and act the part. In the ring there should be drama. Outside of the ring there should be charisma. Holyfield, Tyson, Ali, Foreman, Marciano... These guys (and many other greats) had 'it'. When you looked at Mike Tyson, you expected to see exactly what you got: brutality. Tell me this guy doesn't look like he'd knock you out for charging him 2 cents extra on his bag of Hot Cheetos:

I rest my case.

Now, when I look at the Klitschkos, I see great fighters. Yet, there is nothing there to make me do a double take. Sure, Wlad knocks his opponents out. And I'm not saying that he's not a dominant fighter; he undoubtedly is. But it's the lack of excitement in the ring and charisma outside of it that I'm talking about. As a Heavyweight, you gotta be more than just a sound fighter. You have to generate excitement. Wlad's jab-and-grab style is not whats gonna turn tv set around the world to a Heavyweight match.

Let's be real: People want to watch heavyweights for an entirely different reason than what you'd watch for in the lower weights. Sure, you want skill- but power is foremost. We aren't getting that today. Skill-wise, I think today's top heavyweights are as valid as any other era's, save a few special ones. But in terms of 'star power', we just aren't getting it.

If boxing is gonna be back in the absolute spotlight, we are gonna need some real stars to emerge. 'Nuff said.

Update: Exodus Tyson dies.. My heart and the boxing community's heart goes out to Iron Mike.

Sorry for your loss, Mike. We know the heart you've shown throughout the years.. And unfortunately you're going to have to show it one more time. Stay strong.

Mike Tyson's daughter is in critical condition after tragic accident...

Mike Tyson's daughter is in critical condition after being found hanging from a treadmill chord. Details on how exactly it happened are unclear, but apparently the chord served as a noose, cutting off her oxygen supply.

It was particularly striking when I heard news of Mike's daughter being in critical condition, because I had just recently watched the Tyson documentary, and the loving words he had to say about his kids are still fresh in my mind. I know he's hurting right now, and I'm hurting for him in this time of great distress.

Say what you want about Mike, but he is a fighter who put his livelihood on the line whenever he stepped into that ring. He deserves our prayers, and I for one am sending mine out to him and his family. I hope that his daughter pulls through...

Roy Jones Jr: Nothing left to lose? No. Nothing left to prove? Yes.

Word is out that Roy Jones Jr. is going to fight his fellow Floridian, Jeff Lacy, on August 22nd. Now, let me just say it now so we don't have any confusion in the future: Roy Jones is my favorite fighter. Ever. In his prime, he was a fighter that had everything- handspeed, power, timing, and a knack for good game cock imitations while in the ring. But now.. now?? Roy Jones Jr. is just a shadow of what he used to be... And it pains me to see him continue to fight on. I was one of the many fools who had some hope going into the Joe Calzaghe fight. I thought that maybe he'd been replenished after a few good (not amazing) wins under his belt, and that he'd be able to give ole' Joe a run for his money.It turns out that this image was the last glimpse of greatness that we may ever get from Roy:




















That knockdown in the 1st round of their fight was the only noteworthy thing that Royaholics like me could latch on to for comfort. Because the rest of the fight... well, lets not get into that. I don't feel like breaking out the tissues and calling my mother to comfort me right now.

My point is: I'm saddened, everytime I see Roy fighting out there. And I that as a fan I could communicate to him just how little it adds to his legacy to continue fighting. It only stands to detract from it. Because there is no way that Roy will be able to make it back into the upper echelon of boxing- the ONLY place where he should ever fight. I feel like it's undignified for a legend to have to carry on like this. I don't want him to end up like the rest of the fighters who couldn't make it out of the sport- the Durans, Holyfields and Joe Louis' of the world. He's already going down that path.. and I just hope that he'll get a satisfying win that will appease him into retiring, after having "ended on the right note".

No matter what happens, I and all of Roy's fans will remember the Roy Jones who avenged his first loss like no other. The Roy who stopped Virgil Hill with a single punch. The Roy who reigned as p4p number one.

Check out my Roy Jones video, highlighting his stellar reign at Super Middleweight: