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A new star is born
at junior welterweght
By Rizwaan Zahid
of The Boxing Amusement Park
Devon Alexander has been a name that has
been floating around the boxing world the last couple of years,
however he wasn’t mentioned as often as his 140-pound
counterparts. After his impressive win over former champ Juan
Urango, the 23-year-old can now expect to take part in major
fights in what might be the most talent-rich division in the
sport.
Urango might not be the quickest boxer, but he definitely has
the biggest body of any light welterweight. It still amazes me
that the 5-foot-7 Columbian can make weight each time around. He
has great power and although he looked tight and a tad reckless
during this fight, much of that could attributed to Alexander’s
footwork, always catching Juan off guard and off balance. The
balance of speed, precision -- and above all, focus -- is
what impresses me the most. Urango had only been down once in
his entire career (in his last fight against hard hitting
Randall Bailey) before entering Saturday’s fight.
Those qualities allow Alexander to be
entertaining as well -- something his fellow St. Louis native,
southpaw Cory Spinks, doesn’t ever seem to be.
There are so many opponents to choose for
Devon’s first defense, starting with Timothy Bradley, although
that's a match that might be hard to make right now, since both
are so young. Both have solid chins and great technique. It
would be a fight-of-the-year candidate, for sure, but one in
which you would see jabs, speed, game plans and skill. A "fight
of the year" is rarely that technical, but I would expect this
one to be an exception. It would also be a battle of wits, a
battle of boxing brains, like chess players predicting their
opponent's next move. If it happens, boxing fans who adore the
brawls and the brains are in for a treat.
There are many options for Alexander, and
the talent-wide division seems to be growing by each light
welterweight fight. There are three big names who are only 23
(Alexander, Khan, Ortiz), and the majority of name-brand
140-pounders are under 30. These fighters should be around for
quite a while, which means big fights are on the horizon for
years to come -- and Alexander may be a heavy favourite in each
of them.
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The best female fighters
of all time
By Rizwaan Zahid
of The Boxing Amusement Park
Yesterday was International Women’s Day and although
women make accomplishments all year around, many use
today to highlight female success. Women’s boxing is
scarcely covered, even more so then other sports. The
reality is though that many female boxers have had
successful careers, and although this type of piece
could be used at any point in the year, I will take
advantage of this well known day to discuss the best
female fighters.
Bridgett “Baby Doll” Riley turned pro after a career in
kickboxing. The Missouri native was promoted by Don King
and was not the female boxer that most would expect.
Most would imagine a female fighter who fights
courageously through cuts blood to be a tomboy and wear
thick checkered flannel shirts. On the contrary, Riley
has expressed her love for make-up; however she has also
expressed her love for knocking her opponent out. She
was also one of the key members in the new sport of
women’s boxing.
Lucia Rijker was one of the most devastating female
power punching boxers of all time. The Dutch women
knocked out 14 of her 17 opponents, beating every one of
them. She was an undefeated kickboxer as well. Her wins
however were more against lesser known opponents and
journey women. Nevertheless, Rijker was one of the most
feared fighters in women’s boxing history.
The number one female boxer of all time however in most
people’s eyes, is Laila Ali. The daughter of the
Greatest of All Time had a daunting stature, but she has
been criticized for not fighting the best opponents,
such as the 6’6 Vonda Ward who’s only loss was to Ann
Wolfe and Ann Wolfe herself. Despite this, many still
view her as the “greatest of all time”, when it comes to
female boxing that is.
Ann Wolfe was an outstanding boxer during her career
being able to out-muscle most of her opponents. Her
boxing knowledge then transferred to her becoming a
trainer, training rising prospect James Kirkland under
her wing before he was incarcerated. It has been said
that Laila avoided Wolfe as well. For good reason too,
especially since Wolfe had destructive power, and the
size to match-up with Laila.
Regina Halmich dominated the flyweight division during
her 13 year career. She was pro before she turned 18 and
suffered only one loss during her career, going 54-1-1
(16 KO’s). Her superior boxing skills won her fights,
even fight where she hit the canvas. The German native
made successful defenses for 12 years straight,
retaining her title in 47 consecutive fights. Now that’s
impressive.
Susi Kentikian may be the best prospect in women’s
boxing right now. The Armenian-German is only 22, and is
currently holding three titles and is undefeated at 22-0
(16 KO’s). Like Halmich, Kentikian turned pro at the
young age of 17, and has the potential to be a major
celebrity in German boxing. Her bouts are already
televised in Germany, however she is relatively unknown
outside her home country. Perhaps that will change if
women’s boxing continues to grow.
There are numerous others to mention, such as Holly
Holm, Christy Martin and even fighters today such as Ina
Menzer. Perhaps if we see these women fight more, and on
television, then not only can we appreciate the female
fighters, but we can appreciate and commend what they
are doing. They are boxing.
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