By Stephen S. Johnson
(INSIDE BOXING) With the emergence of Hasim Rahman in the heavyweight division, Felix Trinidad in the middleweight class, Shane Mosley controlling the welterweights, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Fernando Vargas, Acelino Freitas, Joel Casamayor and Jose Luis Castillo taking on all comers there is no time for any serious challenger to deny himself the opportunity of "stepping up to the plate".
The previous 2 or 3 years have seen boxing fans endure the likes of Oscar de la Hoya and Bernard Hopkins battle opponents that were hand picked and in the twilight years of their careers.
So transparent was there endeavor that even Prince Naseem Hamed was allowed to get on the bandwagon. An over the hill Kevin Kelly gave the Prince all he could handle before age took down the former World Champion.
Finding veteran boxers who had not enjoyed an attractive payday in recent memory was an easy task. Pummeling fighters that 4 or 5 years earlier would have kicked their ass made some of them media darlings.
But for some strange reason boxing is a sport that usually exposes a fighter for what he really is. Whether that be a contender or a pretender a fighter sooner or later comes face to face with adversity. How he handles that adversity is where the real truth lies.
After ducking Fernando Vargas for the past 3 years for what de la Hoya termed "disrespect", the new de la Hoya now seems to be accepting the Vargas challenge.
Could it be that "Oscar the Great" saw the beating Vargas absorbed at the hands of Felix Trinidad and the first fight following that defeat Vargas looked out of shape and uninterested maybe make de la Hoya think that Vargas is susceptible to some de la Hoya magic?
Should that fight ever be set Fernando Vargas would enter the ring in the best shape of his life. He would be totally focused. This is the one fight
Fernando Vargas truly wants. He would not squander the opportunity to destroy the one boxer he hates with a passion.
Bernard Hopkins has ducked William Joppy for the last 2 or 3 years. But after having Felix Trinidad do his dirty work Hopkins is running off at the mouth about his finally receiving the respect due him in the middleweight division.
William Joppy is a champion, gentleman, true warrior and credit to his sport. No trash talk, just the "old school" lunch bucket mentality of "kick ass and take names". There is no one in the middleweight division William Joppy fears and he is respected by all.
Bernard Hopkins is incorrect in his presumption that he has received no respect in the middleweight division. He has not earned any. Bernard Hopkins is a street fighter who resorts to any and all tactics when in the ring. There is nothing about him that remotely resembles what a champion is all about.
Oscar de la Hoya feels now is the time to tackle Fernando Vargas. Trinidad destroyed Vargas so de la Hoya feels he can do the same. He is sadly mistaken. Oscar de la Hoya no longer carries the "Golden Boy" image. He has been exposed as a womanizer who made an unsuccessful attempt at something other than boxing and failed miserably.
The one good thing that has happened during the last 12 months is that there is now no room for error. Every contender or pretender is spouting off about his pugilistic abilities. But with every weight class showing promising YOUNG stars on the horizon the veterans had better not wait too long.
Roy Jones, Jr. is the only veteran champion that is constantly named as a possible opponent for every division from featherweight to heavyweight… and the only champion that is presently without peer.
The truth is every professional boxer now sees every fight as potentially the special one that earns him a shot at the big payday. So there is currently no such thing as a "tune-up bout".
We as boxing fans are enjoying a time when fighters are fighting. Sure there is a lot of talking but the public has demanded enough talk we want action! Unbelievably the promoters and fighters are listening and the boxing fan is the better for it.
Enjoy it while it lasts because for now, there is no waiting. Champions are expected to take on all comers. And that's the way it should be.