MICKY WARD DIDN’T FIGHT THE EUROPEAN STYLE!
Mickey Ward Fought The “Hispanic” Style
San Francisco, CA– “It’s ugly, but I don’t mind,” said referee Steve Smoger after checking Pavel Wolak’s grotesque swollen eye a fortnight ago. “We are all ways trying to protect a fighter, but this is part of the game” said the MD that allowed the fight to continue. Delvin Rodriguez (25-5-3, 14 KOs) and Wolak (29-1-1, 19 KOs) really earned their pay checks that night on ESPN2 when they gave us fans an unbridled war that ended in a draw. People liked the fight so much that ESPN2 scheduled replays. Coming into the fight, fans new it had the potential of being a good one, much the same as the fight between Brandon Rios and Urbano Antillon. And one of the reasons the purists knew it was because of their styles, and we all know styles makes fights.
THIS FOURSOME FOUGHT LIKE GLADIATORS
The four fighters mentioned above have a mode of fighting I like to call a Hispanic style of pugilism, which I’ll explain below. I’m not trying to sound macabre but we all know the dangers we’re getting in when we box, and in no way I would want to see an athlete get seriously hurt or die. All I’m saying is that I admire and respect fighters with the “macho” mentality and style of fighting. Brandon Rios (28-0-1, 21 KOs) vs. Urbano Antillon (28-3, 20 KOs) proved that as they gave us the best three rounds of the year 2011. Last weekend, the heavyweight division was on display with Wlad Klitschko and David Haye, and like they have been doing for the last 15 years or so, the big boys failed to deliver!
THIRD WORLD HISPANICS CAN MAKE UP FOR TALENT WITH HEART & DESIRE
Hispanic culture is strong in boxing, and yet there are things considered Taboo if done in the ring and is considered betraying the culture. They relentlessly stalk and close in on their opponent ignoring whatever the consequences to get close enough to deliver, and fans love that style. Their attacks, a lot of times they start by working the body (liver shot) and work their way to the head with the intent of wining by KO. That’s the way a lot of Hispanic fighters fight and there are fighters who have adopted that way of fighting.
A lot of kids in Hispanic countries turn pro at young age, while other boxers are still in the amateur ranks. Many not all, because of there styles don’t have long career but in the years they do fight, they leave their mark. Hall of fame promoter Don Chargin said about Hispanic fighters when ask by Ring Magazine “A lot of them are fighting ten round fights when they are 15 or 16.” Most have also left a little of themselves in the ring ever time they fought.
BECAUSE OF TELEVISION, NOT SO MUCH RING DEATHS, THE WBC CHANGED FIGHTS FROM 15 TO 12 ROUNDS
This Hispanic style of fighting is more of a brawler/slugger which is fan friendly and it’s the in close style we fights aficionados can trace all the way back to boxing’s roots. Hey, when this sport first started, it was played out until one man got knocked our, thus it took a very different type of men to compete in those days, men that fought for honor, pride and money, they came to rip your head off. The people that went to see these fights were expecting blood, bravery and a near death-like encounter. Fans today, as gruesome at it may sound, they still come for the same thing except the near death part. A good example is Deuk Koo Kim (17-2-1, 8 KOs) wrote” Kill or be Killed” in that hotel room mirror the day before his fight with Ray “Boom-Boom” Mancini (29-5, 23 KOs) in 1982 for the WBA lightweight title. Recently, Juan Manuel Marquez stated, ”I’ll go for the kill, or I’ll die trying against Manny Pacquiao.”
WILFREDO GOMEZ-LUPE PINTOR WAS THE FIGHT OF THE 1980’S!
That why, I am a firm believer that it very important for both a cornerman and referee to keep an eye out for guys like this mindset, because they will literally put their lives on the line to secure victory. Boxers of that ilk gave us fight aficionados some of the best fights we’ve ever seen. Two White boxers that fought the Hispanic style were the late Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward, for it was the Mexican liver punch that made Ward famous, and the live or die mentality of Gatti is what made him a star. I have two favorite fights that I have used and you can too to get people hooked on the sweet science. The first being the 2005 Fight of The Year between the late Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo and the second featured the will to win Wilfredo Gomez showed against Lupe Pintor in 1982.
THERE IS A NEGATIVE FLIP-SIDE TO THOSE EXCITING FIGHTS
To all the boxer’s that have lost their health, some even their lives entertaining us fight fans, I give all the respect and admiration this one humble man can muster.
Manny Caballero