No time for a snappy introduction so lets just jump right into it shall we?
Boxing After Dark Shines Little Light on Heavyweight Division
Saturday night former amateur standout Alexander Povetkin out worked and out hustled “Not So Fast” Eddie Chambers over 12 somewhat exciting rounds. My much respected compadre Tim summed up the fight in excellent detail but I wanted to add my own .02 cents.
On Povetkin
The 2004 Russian Gold Medalist fundamentally is as sound as any fighter with over 200 amateur fights under his belt which seems to serve him well given his 15-0 record. While his will is strong there are some glaring holes in his defense that will need to be tightened up if he hopes to unseat Klitschko. Povetkin’s promoter Wilfried Sauerland revealed that “The White Lion” was close to pulling out after becoming ill days before the fight. If that rings true then Povetkin’s win is made all the more impressive as it was his sheer unrelenting work rate that carried him to victory over Chambers. Is Povetkin the future of the heavyweight division? Probably not, but there is always room at the table for a talented pug with no quit in his heart.
On Chambers
“Not So Fast” Eddie Chambers had him moments Saturday night in defeat. I liked his straight right hand that seemed to find the skull of Povetkin with regularity. Chambers had the tools to beat Pavetkin, he just didn’t want the “W” as bad as his Russian counterpart. For whatever reason Chambers seems to lack that killer mentality that carries good fighters into the pantheon of greatness and based on that I believe his ceiling to be no higher than eventual title holder. Harsh? Perhaps, but in his last three contests Chambers inexplicably took his foot of the gas in the middle and late rounds. Granted his last two opponents, Guinn and Brock, had dug themselves into such deficits that victory for Chambers was assured but if the young Pittsburgh fighter hopes to make a name for himself he needs to fight at least 2:oo minutes of each and every round. Still, I like the tools Chambers posses, good sense of distance, fast hands, tight defense but he better find the “eye of the tiger” if he wants to rise to the top of the division. Oh, and there is no way Chambers gets down to the cruiserweight limit of 200 lbs. without cutting off a leg so put that in your pipe and smoke it Kellerman!
Wonder Twin Powers Activate! 
From what I saw of the Velasquez twins, Carlos Ivan and Juan Carlos, I believe they just may emerge as stars of the featherweight and super featherweight divisions. Both twins show poise and maturity far beyond their youth and are as fundamentally sound as one can ask for. Backed by a hell of a team which included Golden Boy Promotions as well as advisor Shelly Finkle it is a safe bet that the two Puerto Rican pugs are being groomed toward stardom. After all, as renown publicist Mario Serrano once told me, Shelly doesn’t wast his time with fighters of no talent. Look for these two to make some noise in the very near future.
Margarito-Cintron Deux
Well it appears that everything is a go for former WBO welterweight titlist Antonio Margarito to face his old punching bag Kermit Cintron who now holds the IBF welterweight strap around his svelte waist.
For those who may recall Margarito beat-down Cintron a few years back in a manner that would have made the LAPD beam with pride. Cintron to his credit has come back to establish himself as a formidable champion and arguably the hardest hitting welterweight in the game right now.
The two will tangle on April 12th underneath the Cotto-Gomez fight in Atlantic City. Top Rank hopes to pair Cotto and Margarito in a highly anticipated match provided both fighters emerge victorious.
Props to HBO
You have to give credit where credit is due. Kudos to HBO for putting up the dough that will allow normal subscribers the enjoyment of witnessing De La Hoya’s tune up in May as well as Hopkins-Calzaghe in April without plunking more money on PPV. Harkins back to the good ol’ days doesn’t it?
500,000 Buys and I Still Don’t Believe It!
Ok, I realize that Roy Jones and Felix Trinidad have loyal followings but I am still in awe that their fight two weeks ago generated 500,000 PPV buys. I guess in the grand scheme of things such display is good for the sport but considering how the live gate was nearly a bust (MSG reportedly lost 5 million dollars on the promotion) I still cannot wrap my mind around the number of people wanting to pay to see the “Seniors Tour”.
