The first half of 2007 was just a warm up. Boxing fans were treated to an amazing second half and the promise of an even better 2008.
The fights became more significant as 2007 rolled on. Look for Cotto, Mosley, Mayweather, Pavlik, Pacquiao et al to give the sweet science an even better 2008. Clever readers will notice a lack of heavyweight names in the fights listed below. The heavyweight division hasn't quite caught up to the "best fighting the best" mentality that has driven the lower weights in 2007. But look for a change for the better in 2008.
Gonzalez/Penalosa: Penalosa suffered a controversial decision loss to Daniel Ponce De Leon back in March (boxing writers almost universally agree that he schooled De Leon), but he wasn't about to let the judges decide his August fight with WBO Bantamweight Champ, Jhonny Gonzalez.
The Filipino veteran spent six and one-half rounds working on a counter left to Gonzalez's liver. The perfect shot came at 2:35 of round seven. Beautiful work by a master boxer.
Taylor/Pavlik: According to Bob Arum of Top Rank, Kelly Pavlik's promoter, Pavlik hand been put in with Edison Miranda as "cannon fodder" for HBO back in May. The cannon fodder showed that he is a cannon himself and pounded Miranda into a 7th round TKO, setting up a Pavlik/Taylor showdown in September.
Middleweight champ, Jermain Taylor came out fast and nearly scored a second round KO, but Pavlik, a tough Youngstown, Ohio native got up, withstood Taylor's shelling, and knocked out Taylor in the seventh. A rematch is set for February 16, 2008.
Barrera/Pacquiao: Significant because it was the last fight of Marco Antonio Barrera's likelyfirst ballot Hall of Fame career, this was a rematch of a 2003 showdown in which Barrera was TKOed by Manny Pacquiao in the 11th. The sequel lacked some of the fire of the original, but Barrera showed enough to remind us of the thrills he's given boxing fans since his first pro fight back in 1989.
Vargas/Mayorga: Originally scheduled for September, this fight between Fernando Vargas and Ricardo Mayorga had to be shuffled off to November so Vargas could recover from anemia. As far as the middleweight division was concerned, the fight was meaningless, but as an emotion stirring, venom spewing showdown for Vargas' rabid fans, it was peerless.
Vargas--clearly past his prime at only 29-years-old--got knocked down in the first, then slowly gained a rhythm and out-boxed Mayorga, (33) throughout the middle and late rounds. Mayorga knocked Vargas down again in the 11th, slamming the door on any chance of a Vargas decision. Mayorga wins by majority decision.
Cotto/Mosley: If this were any other 36-year-old fighter facing welterweight champ Miguel Cotto, it would be little more than a footnote, but Sugar Shane Mosley showed in his decision victory over the young, talented Luis Collazo that he could give Cotto a serious test. Basically an even fight among the odds-makers, the actual fight showed that the fighter's parity on paper translated to the canvas.
A brutal fight in which every punch was thrown with knockout force, momentum swung back and forth with Mosley gaining an edge in the late rounds. It wasn't enough to sway the judges as Cotto retained his welterweight belt by decision, to the delight of a packed Madison Square Garden full of Puerto Rican fans.
Mayweather/Hatton: Before the fight, Ricky, "The Hitman" Hatton claimed that his "heart would explode" before he gave up in this December scuffle with Floyd Mayweather. Believed by some to be an even fight (unless you were one of Hatton's maniacal, British minions--then you thought Hatton would disassemble Mayweather) Mayweather fought Hatton's fight on the inside for the first few rounds, but did a better job of it than Hatton.
In the eighth he opened up with combinations that turned Hatton into a sort of grotesque, bobble-head boxer. Towards the end of the tenth, Mayweather lured Hatton into a short, sweet, counter left hook that effectively ended Hatton's night.
Mayweather says he wants a couple years off, but if a big enough payday with Cotto could be made (high seven or eight figures), the end of 2008 could give us the highest grossing Pay -Per-View fight of all time. At $54.95, or even twice that, it would be a bargain for boxing fans.
