|
Jack Welsh On Boxing
LAILA NEEDS TOUGHER TEST FOR BOX OFFICE
When Laila Ali and Christy Martin did their thing the
other night in Biloxi, Miss, it brought together the two biggest
names in women’s professional boxing.
Other than drawing nearly 10,000 curiosity seekers into
the Mississippi Coast Coliseum, there was nothing that could keep
the action from being the worst mismatch in the novice sport’s
history.
Ali defended her IBA super middleweight crown, stopping
the super smaller Martin in the fourth round and the audience ---live
and via TV---watching in the embarrassment had to wonder what Muhammad
Ali’s gorgeous daughter can do for an encore if she really
cares about her credibility.
No way in hell the public would pay to see Ali fight
another jockey-sized opponent with one hand tied behind her. Yet
despite her overwhelming physical disadvantages, there was an element
who felt Martin, despite being a 5-1 underdog, might dig deep into
her far superior experience for an unlikely miracle.
And it was the reason at the box office, that Ali and
Martin could be paid $250,000 each in an exercise scheduled for
10 rounds with CSI as the pay-per-per view shill.
Going in, the paying public may have forgotten how much
the 35-year-old Martin, 10 years Ali’s senior, has done to
make the country aware of distaff fighters, who have virtually no
amateur tournaments before they decide to turn pro with their eyes
wide shut.
Promoter Don King was the West Virginia college graduate’s
biggest benefactor with her main-event scale reaching $150,000 and
the cap coming when she was the first of her sport to earn the cover
of Sports Illustrated. And when Dandy Don dubbed Christy “The
coal miner’s daughter”, her growing legions went bananas.
Martin has been the queen of her sport since the mid-80s,
and long, long before Ali’s youngest daughter at 25, was operating
a chez nail salon in Los Angeles.
Although she hadn’t fought since last December,
decisioning Mia St.John in Detroit, Christy’s super pride
as the people’s champion couldn’t refuse what she considered
Laila’s arrogance as “a newcomer being fed cupcakes
in the ring.”
Certainly, the money was terrific but facing a young
fighter she considered an “upstart” was just too much
to turn down.
A complete professional, Martin, coming in with a 45-2-2,
30 KOs resume, knew she would be giving up five inches in height
to the 5’10” Ali and at least 25 pounds on the scales.
Billy Lyons, the affable Mississippi State Athletic Chairman,
said the hyped fight would be cancelled if Ali outweighed Martin
by more than 10 pounds Christy didn’t want to lose this chance
on the scales and came in wearing military fatigues. Nobody complained
when the proper “added weights” that put the 5’4”
challenger at 159....12 pounds more than Martin ever weighed as
a pro. When Alt stepped off the scales at 162, Lyons smiled, ‘Three
pounds... that’s just right. The fight is on.”
Roger Mayweather, himself a former two-time former world
champion at 135-140, has done a fine job as trainer in taking Ali
out of the apprentice category when she turned pro in October,1999
without one amateur fight. Going in against Martin, the IBA 168-pound
champion was 15-0, 13 KOs.
If not the public, most of the boxing media felt it was
a gross mismatch from the day the fight was announced by Absoloot
Boxing of Los Angeles, with Johnny ‘Yahya’ McClain,
the unorthodox promoter who also happens to be Ali’s husband.
Well, girl, you can’t have everything.
Laila still has aspects waiting for her to show improvement,
like opponents with size and power who can score with combinations
and let the world know whether or not Ali’s chin is authentic.
Too strong, too tall, too young was acceptable only once
because the legendary Christy Martin was in the other corner.
Ali said the bout wouldn’t go past five rounds
and let’s hope Laila really doesn’t think she turned
in a fight for the ages.
When it comes to rules and weight regulations there is
no way to compare the men and women’s divisions, particularly
the distaff lash-up where the world has just seen absolutely the
top two combatants available.
In making a comparison to Ali-Martin likened to a major
men’s fight, there’s a west coast boxing wag who compared
it to a ridiculous scenario where Oscar De La Hoya (154) fought
Marco Antonio Barrera (126).
Martin, well-bloodied and knocked down three times before
referee Fred Steinwinder halted the rout at 28 seconds into the
fourth round, had a strategy of slipping inside and catching Ali
with short hooks to the head and body. On this toughest night of
a 15-year pro career, Christy couldn’t reach her glamour adversary
on a stepladder.
Ali was in charge almost from the first serious punch
she threw. She threw combinations with six jabs that drove Martin
into the ropes an instant before the bell.
It was a repeat in round two with Laila keeping Christy
off balance though grabbing trying to get inside. Ali dropped her
valiant rival in the third round for the first time in her career
with unerring combinations to the head and body.
Ali’s accuracy was now big punches in bunches and
there was one sequence when Martin took a salvo of 13 shots before
dropping to her right knee. When Christy looked to her corner and
Jim Martin, trainer/ husband, it was over.
Martin, never short on courage from her days when she
accidentally won a tough women’s tournament in West Virgina,
had no excuses.
“Ali was just too big. She was in great shape.
And she kept coming on but she still fights like an amateur, but
all-around, she was just too big for me.”
Ali was pleased with her effort.
“I was the greatest before the fight and I’m
still the greatest. I usually box but I jumped on her because I
was much stronger. I wasn’t surprised that Christy took all
the punches she did and she is very strong. I feel I’m getting
better and better the every time out.”
The crowd gave Muhammad Ali much attention when he arrived
several hours before the first bout. And in his patented style,
the former four-time heavyweight champion delighted the assembly
with his magic handkerchief tricks and unlimited autographs. WBA
heavyweight champion Roy Jones, Jr., was also at ringside but gave
no comments about his next fight in the coming months.
McClain, who promoted briefly in Las Vegas, won another
award for poor taste when he stopped Martin from getting across
the ring to congratulate Ali on her victory.
The one-time cruiserweight, who has repeatedly drawn
heat from the media in the weeks leading up to the promotion, hit
a new low in ignorance when he refused working media credentials
for a Sports Illustrated staff writer and photographer to cover
the fight. McClain’s beef about the world’s most widely
circulated sports publication “they did not give our fight
the proper advance coverage on the fight.”
I wonder how McClain will howl when he reads I’m
beating the drum for Ali’s next outing which should be Lucia
Rijker, who is nearly Laila’s size and breaks a lot of jaws
with her accurate combinations.
The product of the Netherlands was the opponent all promotions were
trying to make for Martin in her prime but both camps wanted $750,000
each with winner-take -all. Commissions said no to winner-take-all.
Unless I’m wrong, Rijker is still in Emanuel Steward’s
Detroit stable but he wasn’t reachable on deadline. A multi-athlete
from Amsterdam, the super attractive Rijker is 16-0, with 14 KOs.
Luica’s last outing was June 21 when she decisioned the talented
Jane Couch over eight rounds in Los Angeles.
In some precincts, Johnny McClain’s ability as
a promoter may be questioned, but if he doesn’t consider Ali
opposite Rijker, he doesn’t like money.......
|
