Today is Thanksgiving and some of the Inside Fights staffers wanted to give thanks for the things they are most thankful for in boxing. It has been a good year for the sweet science with many things to be thankful for. Read on for a moment of thanks from the staff. Share your own moments of thanks in the comments section.
Corey Willinger
1. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Odd choice, you say? I beg to differ. Mayweather’s return to boxing was badly needed and helped generate interest in each of the three biggest fights this year. He ended his retirement the day of Hatton-Pacquiao, competed against Marquez and virtually turned Cotto-Pacquiao into an eliminator with the right to face him on the line. Without Mayweather, Pacquiao would probably be announcing his retirement sometime this week, and nobody would be talking about what is going to be the highest-grossing fight of all time when they meet early next year.
2. Showtime
Showtime has consistently made the best matches in boxing for several years now, from Corrales-Castillo in 2005 to the Vazquez-Marquez trilogy in 2007 and 2008. They came up big once again this year with the Super Six World Boxing Classic. This ground-breaking tournament could go down as the best thing to ever happen to boxing if the idea expands across other divisions. And let’s face it: it needs to. Who would have thought the best six fighters in a weight class would actually sign to fight one another in succession over a two-year period?
3. Sergio Martinez
Christmas will indeed come early this year for Paul Williams fans, who will get to see him fight again before 2009 ends. I’m thankful there is at least one elite fighter willing to fight Williams, and I actually give Martinez a good chance of pulling the upset.
Paul Magno
* The Return of Floyd Mayweather Jr., a class fighter and boxing’s best bad guy.
* A decisive ending to Pacquiao-Cotto- no scoring controversies or questionable calls.
* The Super Six Super Middleweight Tournament- Imagine 6 of the best in a division actually fighting one another!
* I’m thankful that Kelly Pavlik’s “Staph Infection” didn’t kill him…Sarcasm!
* I’m thankful for my friends and family and for the fact that boxing seems to be stronger than ever.
Trent Pusey
* Pacquiao’s Pinoy Power *
Not only are his fights amazing, but I really like being proven wrong on a consistent basis by this phenom. Not only has there yet to be a mountain he can’t climb; he’s yet to find a mountain that he can’t sprint to the top of. An absolute pleasure to watch.
* Money May’s Mouth *
Floyd has backed himself into a corner with all of his trash talk. He has to fight Manny Pacquiao now and the winners are all of the boxing fans. He’s run out of excuses and the biggest fight in boxing ought to be coming soon.
* Richardson’s Reconnaissance *
Nazim Richardson, thankfully, was the man that noticed something wrong with the handwraps of Antonio Margarito earlier this year. Not only did it allow Shane Mosley to beat Margarito in a fair fight, but it likely saved future opponents of Margarito from possibly incurring a traumatic head injury.
* Palpable Post-Fight Passion *
It’s become the show after the show. Paulie Malignaggi spoke unfiltered about the officials in his fight with Juan Diaz and it was beautiful. Chris Arreola wept in a profanity-laced post-fight reaction that endeared him to a new set of boxing fans. Floyd Mayweather Jr was cut off by Max Kellerman after Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins ambushed him moments after Floyd dispatched of Juan Manuel Marquez. Sometimes we get the cliches, but when the reactions are raw and from the heart, it adds a new element to the experience of watching a fight.
Your turn now. What are you thankful for?
