Rizwaan
Zahid
Andre Berto
The search intensifies
for boxing's next 'star'
By Rizwaan Zahid
of
www.ringsideboxingshow.com
While Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao continue to work on a
deal for a November 13th fight, the fact remains that most
expect both to retire within the next couple of years. Although
Floyd fights much younger than his years, "Pretty Boy," or
“Money” as he prefers to be called, will be 34 in February.
Pacquiao, on the other hand is the Philippines' most beloved
politician and already has indicated that he won’t fight much
longer.
The question now becomes who are boxing’s next big stars? Now,
this does not refer to great fighters, but stars specifically.
While this may sound confusing, there are only a few great
fighters, but there are even fewer stars in boxing. The previous
batch of Roy Jones, Mike Tyson and Oscar De La Hoya who
dominated the '90s and early 2000s have faded and retired (or in
Jones’ case, should have retired long ago.) Now, you don’t need
to be a singer like Jones and De La Hoya, or make an applauded
effort like Mike Tyson did in "The Hangover" to become a star.
So what are the qualifications for stardom? Obviously being a
great fighter, being exciting, having youth, and being able to
fill the seats as a household name. Here are a few candidates
that may be able to rise to stardom:
Andre Ward
The undefeated Oakland native was not known to even the most
hardcore boxing fans until his one-sided victory over Mikkel
Kessler. While in my eyes Kessler has slipped a bit and is an
old 31 because of chronic back issues, the victory was
impressive, nevertheless. Ward is a fighter who, at 26, has many
years ahead of him. He also has a combination of speed and
power, which makes him a crowd pleaser, and he's still
undefeated. His popularity is mainly around the California area;
however that may expand, especially if he’s able to win the
Super Six tournament.
Lucian Bute
Like Ward, Bute is a popular fighter in his adopted hometown of
Montreal. It is said that after the NHL’s Montreal Canadians,
Bute’s fights are the biggest sporting event in the city. That
says something about Bute’s popularity since -- take my word for
it as a Canadian -- the city of Montreal is pretty fanatical
about Les Canadiens. Bute is 30, but seems to be a young 30. He,
too, is undefeated and his popularity is spreading toward the
United States as HBO’s new headliner. While it depends on who
he’ll fight in the coming years, the Romanian native has the
personality, the look, and adulation of fans that can propel him
into stardom.
Andre Berto
Berto already has been accepted by most boxing fans simply
because of his personality and his good character. The Florida
native postponed his fight with Shane Mosley after the
devastating earthquake in Haiti, and went there to selflessly
volunteer time and labor to his native nation. Berto is young at
26 and has the skills needed to entertain fans. Most fans
mention Berto’s uppercut on Miguel Rodriguez when thinking of
the best uppercuts in recent years. The issue with Berto is that
he’s in one of the sports most demanding weight divisions, the
welterweights. He’s been showcased many times by HBO, so they
clearly want to make him a star. The issue is whether he can
continue his undefeated streak in the talent-stacked 147-pound
weight class.
Robert Guerrero
Guerrero. like Berto. has earned points and popularity for his
character. It’s quite ironic how the two young fighters have
gained popularity without stepping into the ring. Guerrero,
already a three-time world champion, took time off and vacated
his belt during his wife’s battle with leukemia. In the ring,
Guerrero is far from nice and has a good combination of speed
and skill. A San Jose-area native, Guerrero is only 27 and has
also been showcased on HBO for a couple of years now. While
controversial figures like Tyson attract crowds, "good guys"
like Oscar can spin the turnstiles. Guerrero has one defeat in
his career, and had another loss reversed when Orlando Salido
tested positive for a steroid. But if the wins keep coming, and
he stays active in the ring, "The Ghost" can become a household
name.
Juan Manuel Lopez
Juanma exploded onto the scene with his one-round destruction of
highly regarded Daniel Ponce De Leon. Before that fight, few
knew who Lopez was, but within three minutes, fans realized
they'd seen the birth of a potential star. Lopez followed that
up with two first-round knockouts. Besides the stumbles he had
against Rogers Mtagwa, Lopez has been on a tear, methodically
breaking down fighters. He's only 27 and brings thunderous power
-- more pound-for-pound than all of the aforementioned fighters.
Lopez also brings a high punch output from a southpaw stance
that immediately causes problems for most fighters. At 5-foot-7,
he's unusually tall for a featherweight. All of that has added
up to titles in both the 122 and 126 pound divisions.
Like Oscar was able to move up in weight easily because of his
height and reach, Lopez may be able to do the same. Like Oscar,
he has immense potential to gain popularity and become a star.
The loaded 140s
The 140-pound division is packed with up-and-comers -- Timothy
Bradley, Amir Khan, Devon Alexander, Marcos Maidana and Victor
Ortiz top the list -- and seems most likely to produce one of
the next big stars. For that to happen, though, these fighters
need to fight each other and earn a name for themselves.
Rarely does a fighter remain a star for many years and usually
this popularity is achieved at a young age. Stardom, though, is
not only about performance in the ring. Marketing and the
backing of a popular network -- HBO or Showtime -- are as
important as a fighter’s performance in the ring. Networks
showcase fighters who are entertaining, exciting and bring a
certain pizzazz into the ring. The summit of boxing's mountain
will soon be vacant. Who has what it takes to ascend?
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