Tweet
BY MICHAEL KATZ - Let us now praise mediocrity – it can be a lot more exciting than nothing. With no fear of losing my reputation as a cynical curmudgeon, I can extol both Roy Jones Jr. and the heavyweight division, now mutually exclusive. In the greater context of boxing’s renaissance, both its once finest practitioner and once proudest weight class, are emitting reminders of what made them better than mediocrity.
Jones showed flashes of the ability that made him the No. 1 fighter in the world when, in bittersweet revision, he dominated good old Felix Trinidad Jr. last Saturday at Madison Square Garden. Yes, I paid the $50 for the pay-per-view and I’m not going to ask Don King for my money back. Foul Pole Golota put excitement in slow motion, and with uncommon civility, outbrawled a smaller novice named Mike (Marsh) Mollo. Alex Bunema sprang an upset of Roman Karmazin and a kid in a St. Louis Cardinal cap, Devon Alexander, who hits more like Ozzie Smith than Albert Pujols, showed promise in dominating good old Chop Chop Corley.
But the star of the show was Jones, for at least giving latecomers to the game a glimpse of greatness. No, I do not agree with Emanuel Steward, the HBO cheerleader who said the network’s old standardbearer would have a chance against Joe Calzaghe. I doubt that Jones, at 39, has grown a new chin (I did, and later a third and fourth, but I suspect my beard is better than his). His hand speed has to be put in the kind of perspective that doesn’t take an Albert Einstein to understand. Against someone as slow as Trinidad, it is not too difficult to look quick. Against a 35-year-old fighter who had not won a round in 39 months, it is not too difficult to look masterful. [details]
Jones showed flashes of the ability that made him the No. 1 fighter in the world when, in bittersweet revision, he dominated good old Felix Trinidad Jr. last Saturday at Madison Square Garden. Yes, I paid the $50 for the pay-per-view and I’m not going to ask Don King for my money back. Foul Pole Golota put excitement in slow motion, and with uncommon civility, outbrawled a smaller novice named Mike (Marsh) Mollo. Alex Bunema sprang an upset of Roman Karmazin and a kid in a St. Louis Cardinal cap, Devon Alexander, who hits more like Ozzie Smith than Albert Pujols, showed promise in dominating good old Chop Chop Corley.
But the star of the show was Jones, for at least giving latecomers to the game a glimpse of greatness. No, I do not agree with Emanuel Steward, the HBO cheerleader who said the network’s old standardbearer would have a chance against Joe Calzaghe. I doubt that Jones, at 39, has grown a new chin (I did, and later a third and fourth, but I suspect my beard is better than his). His hand speed has to be put in the kind of perspective that doesn’t take an Albert Einstein to understand. Against someone as slow as Trinidad, it is not too difficult to look quick. Against a 35-year-old fighter who had not won a round in 39 months, it is not too difficult to look masterful. [details]
Comment