SANDERS DID NOT “PASS TEST” IN TITLE WIN
Billy Joe Sanders
Houston, TX– A fortnight ago, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) middleweight (160 lb.) title clash between champion Andy Lee and challenger Billy Joe Saunders made me realize how far our beloved sport has declined in quality over the past three decades. Saunders captured the WBO honors in a 12 round sleepwalk at the Manchester Arena in a contest that was “sub par” as far as major fights involving world class competition.
WBO TITLE FIGHT NOT ONE FOR “TIME CAPSULE”
The WBO has historically has recognized some outstanding champions including: Erik Morales, Wladimir Klitschko ,Marco Antonio Barrera, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and many others. And while I’m the first to realize that you can’t blame the sanctioning body. Still, this match was not one the WBO could call one of 2015’s best.
NEW CHAMP LACKING KILLER INSTINCT
Saunders dropped Lee twice in the second round, had him quite ready to go but failed to even try and finish his wounded foe off. From that point forward, the wide open Lee stepped forward as if his feet were encased in cement towards an unwilling participant in Saunders who refused to engage him any longer and both mimicked posed for the remainder of the dreary affair.
KARL’S CLOSING COMMENT IS MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION?
Unbeaten Gennady Golovkin (34-0, 31 KOs) would beat both of these fighters, back to back on the same night. Interesting, no, what was more revealing was that Sanders never mentioned Golovkin in his post fight interview, which makes me agree with those that say he, like seemingly every other person at 160 is not scard, but frightened of “GGG.” And seeing nobody will fight “GGG” one on one, he might need to step it up by challenging (slaying) two guys in one night?
Karl Hegman