By Matthew Sanderson

 

Even though he was relieved of his WBA and WBC cruiserweight titles two weeks ago, Jean Marc Mormeck ensured he won’t disappear from the memory banks of fights fans – due the mixture of artillery, bravery and class he showed against new undisputed champ O’Neil Bell.

 

The Frenchman, who contributed 50% to one of the best fights of recent memory, has every inclination to bounce back from his brutal tenth round stoppage loss, as a genuine rivalry could be shaping up in what is becoming boxing’s most ferociously competitive weight class.

 

He deserves another crack, and will get it sooner or later.

 

That other boxer whose bleached beard contrasts his skin, Howard Eastman, has been given a chance to avert what seemed a certain vanish into obscurity. Though he’s not shown the fire of Mormeck, Howard has been shown the way to his final crack at the big time.

 

The British middleweight could land a third world title challenge, if he beats US-based Colombian Edison Miranda this spring. As if to give more incentive to a man who often lacks passion in the ring, the fight is an eliminator to face current IBF champ Arthur Abraham.

 

Abraham beat Howard in a close fight last July.

 

If that won’t motivate the lanky counter puncher from Battersea, London via Guyana, nothing will. Eastman, who holds wins over Robert McCracken and Hassine Cherifi, has the class. He looked capable of beating the German-based Arthur, but was far too laid back and ended up eating some huge power shots that knocked him sideways.

 

And Arthur, who beat Kingsley Ikeke for the vacant title last month, has shown vast improvement. Little more than a two-year pro, the Armenian puncher is developing into a clever, disciplined performer. If he looked raw outpointing Eastman, Arthur was sharp and devastating against Ikeke, five months later.

 

Ikeke, known for his huge reach and bruising punch, couldn’t penetrate Arthur’s guard. He was hit with such force and regularity the Nigerian was rescued in five, before toppling over.

 

Looking at his compact stance, tight defense and clever navigation of space, Arthur seems to have learned lessons as the sparring partner of Sven Ottke. Abraham, who hits a lot harder than the highly decorated super middleweight, has an easy fight forthcoming, against Raymond Joval – on March 11.

 

Continued success should lead Arthur, 25, to a showdown with Felix Sturm, should Sturm beat Maselino Masoe for the ‘regular’ half of the WBA title that really belongs to Taylor. That seems to be the plan, as Arthur and Felix share the same promoter, Wilfried Sauerland.

 

Even if he gets by the inexperienced but hungry Miranda, is Howard headed for another dose of disappointment?

 

Indeed, one wonders how much Eastman, the former EBU champion, really wants it at the age of 34. Howard has failed in two tries for versions of the middleweight title, when he allowed William Joppy to outwork him in a bid for the WBA belt that was split to accommodate Joppy. When he fought for the real thing, against undisputed champ Bernard Hopkins early last year, Howard looked finished with world-class boxing.

 

Like so many others, he followed the ‘Executioner’ around as if in a torpor, but this time was easily picked off.

 

His following fight, against Abraham, was considered a step down. Howard had no one else to blame but himself for his lacklustre showing, but as has become the norm, he complained of being robbed.

 

Don’t believe all the Hennessy Sport pressers that you read.

 

The man ‘The Battersea Bomber’ soon faces, Miranda, is a muscular, aggressive sort who has the reputation for packing a punch and putting plenty of work into twelve rounds. If Eastman gets outhustled against this hungry, in-your-face-fighter, there will be neither an excuse, nor a way back for him.

Woods Looking Toward American Soil

 

Speaking of finding a way back, few have shown the persistence of IBF light heavyweight champ Clinton Woods. The Yorkshireman, best known for a brave losing effort against Roy Jones, had a superb 2005 – that saw him outclass Rico Hoye and Julio Gonzalez to win and defend his new belt.

 

It was his fourth attempt to win a version of the world title, after a draw and a loss to Glen Johnson for the vacant IBF title. Clinton’s next fight could settle some old business and endear him to a broader, stateside audience.

 

Woods, who looks far sharper and fitter these days, would like a rematch with Jones. Roy was expected to fight Bernard Hopkins on March 11, but when the fight was scrapped the Floridian became one of Clinton’s targets.

 

If all goes to plan, Clinton would like to stake his claim as the very best in the intriguing light heavyweight class. “If I could map out my year, I’d have Jones in March, (Glen) Johnson in the summer and then Antonio Tarver”, he told BBC Sport.

 

“I want to make my mark in America, as that is where boxing is run,” added Woods, whose title wins were in Sheffield, England on Fight Academy shows.

 

Woods made no mention of WBC champ Tomasz Adamek, or the formidable Aussie Paul Briggs, who are looking ever more like the future of the division.

 

Since Jones’ dazzling 2002 stoppage of Woods, the two men have gone in drastically different directions. Dropping down from heavyweight, after taking John Ruiz’ WBA title, Jones has lost three of four contests against top dogs Tarver and Johnson.

 

Woods, by contrast, has become a genuine world-class force, dominating top contenders Hoye (TKO5) and Gonzalez (W12) with his finely tuned skills and grinding them down with his superior strength.

 

There are those who hope the Jones fight doesn’t come off. Jones looked petrified in his recent points defeat to Tarver, content to run and spoil for all but two of the twelve rounds. His 2004 KO losses to both Tarver AND Johnson were frightening spectacles.

 

Indeed, a fight with Jones would lack substance, wherever it is staged. Jones is a shot fighter. Things seldom happen as planned, especially in a sport as unpredictable as this, and a Tarver fight looks doubtful for Clinton.

 

Antonio has bulked up for his part in the new ROCKY film, and a move down could be too much chore for the 36-year-old. Besides, the best 175-pounder is keen to cash in against a big name, hinging on whether Jeff Lacy or James Toney are able to win their upcoming fights (against Joe Calzaghe and Hasim Rahman respectively).

 

That would leave Johnson, with whom Clinton has a real score to settle.

 

It’s been overlooked that their first fight, a 2003 draw, saw Johnson in trouble at the end of a very close affair. Clinton seemed no more than a point or two behind, and wobbled Glengoffe, before dropping the Jamaican with an uppercut.

 

But Johnson’s legs went slowly, and referee Ian John Lewis ruled it a slip.

 

A rematch saw Johnson well in control, leading Glen to win his first title at – you guessed it – his own fourth attempt. Previous losses were against Bernard Hopkins at middleweight, and Ottke, at 168-pounds. (Not forgetting the draw with Woods.)

 

Since then, Johnson’s been hot and cold, beating Jones and Tarver but losing a rematch to the latter. Between those fights, Glen gave up his IBF belt, which Clinton won.

 

What better an opponent to validate Woods as champion? What better story than to match two men whose dedication and persistence has proven equal, and even confirmed by mathematics?

 

Johnson, now represented by Warriors Boxing, must first get by fellow Jamaican Richard Hall, on February 24, in Florida. With a third Tarver bout unlikely, Johnson is interested in Woods again.

 

That he’s been made Woods’ mandatory, who must face him by June or be stripped, makes the fight more urgent and realistic than the others.

 

Don’t be surprised if it’s next.

 

Of the Hall fight, Glen says, “I’m just keeping in tune,” while he waits to chop down Woods.

 

Glen, who dismantled George Khalid Jones recently, will be favored to beat Clinton again. But he can expect a different Woods, who has reinvented his dietary and training regimes with trainer Richard Poxon. Clinton has a newfound confidence as defending champion, and we could be in for the best meeting yet between these two late bloomers.