By Norm Frauenheim-
Three notable fights over nearly five-and-a-half weeks between now and a New Year are the end of what might be another beginning.
Boxing has been here before, of course. It’s a well-worn crossroads full of too many wrong turns. In the aftermath of Sergey Kovalev’s fight to rediscover the force he was before Andre Ward in a comeback Saturday against Shava Shabranskyy, Miguel Cotto’s farewell in a symbolic retirement versus Sadam Ali on Dec. 2 and Vasyl Lomachenko-Guillermo Rigondeaux in a Dec. 9 bout loaded with potential intrigue, however, there are reasons to think the battered business has a good chance to recreate itself.
Comebacks, goodbyes and emerging faces have always been part of the attraction. It’s all there, concentrated and undiluted, a little bit like a sport once called life in a shot glass.
For Kovalev, it’s an opportunity to overcome, indeed conquer — defeat’s inherent adversity. That used to define the old legends, but defeat has been avoided at all costs in a Floyd Mayweather era built on the optimum implementation of the risk-to-reward ratio. Can Kovalev come back the way those in the pre-Mayweather years did?
The Russian light-heavyweight is a compelling personality, a dynamic mix of danger and emotions hard to hide. He reportedly spent time in a Greek monastery in an effort to reflect on what had happened, who he has been and where he wants to return. He has a new trainer. He’s made changes around him and perhaps within him. Yet, time doesn’t change. He’s 34. Only against Shabranskyy in an HBO-televised fight in New York will we know if he’s just an aging fighter or resurrected fighter with enough time to rebuild his pound-for-pound credentials.
Then, there’s Cotto. It’s hard to know whether Ali has a chance at his first time ever at heavier weight. I’m not sure it matters. But the bout, also in New York, is significant because it represents a passing of the torch, one generation finally stepping aside for a younger one. In 2017, Timothy Bradley retired. Ward retired. It’s not clear what Manny Pacquiao’s plans are. But it’s safe to say they don’t include Terence Crawford. There’s speculation that the Filipino Senator is weary of politics. Instead of a run at the presidency, there’s talk he’d prefer to take a run at Conor McGregor. He might have to get in line behind Oscar De La Hoya on that one. But if Mayweather’s scripted scam against McGregor did anything, it proved that an aging boxer talking about a bout with the UFC star is in effect a retired boxer.
Then, there’s Lomachenko-Rigondeaux, also in New York Not sure what happens in this bout between Olympic gold medalists, Lomachenko of the Ukraine and Rigondeaux of Cuba. It could wind up being a technical bore. Still, the possibilities are fascinating, in part because it’s the last chance for Rigondeaux to do something dramatic with the talent that has been oh-so evident for oh-so long. He’s got crazy skill, yet he has used it only within the disciplined blueprint of Cuba’s famed amateur system. He takes no chances. That wins medals, but not money.
Ten years ago, who would have ever guessed that a Ukrainian would be seen as the world’s most creative boxer? Then, it seemed as if the Cubans would put some new wrinkles into the old art form. From Erislandy Lara to Rigondeaux, they haven’t. The showman has been Lomachenko. Rigondeaux has the physical stuff to show him tricks of his own, but I’m not sure he has the mindset to execute them.
If not, that still brings us to 2018, with even more talk about Lomachenko against Mikey Garcia’s patience, smarts and efficient ability to deliver fundamental power. Either way, it sets up an intriguing end to what has been an interesting beginning.
