There are currently many rising stars in boxing.
Cris Arreola. Paul Williams. Amir Khan. Timothy Bradley. Edwin Valero. Juan Manuel Lopez. Nonito Donaire.
Despite an elevating status, however, the challenges can only get stiffer and harder. As a fighter rises to the cream of the crop, his opponent becomes more skilled, experienced, and battle tested.
When Napoleon Bonaparte was campaigning in Egypt, he extolled and motivated his troops: "From the heights of these pyramids, forty centuries look down on us." When a fighter is starting out, judges judge his bouts. As he begins to reach the top, it is history that takes over and who begins to judge him.
In Greek mythology, a warrior-god would be successful in his pursuits and conquests, in his climb to the mountain of glory. However, any slight of physical weakness or moral turpitude led to his tragic defeat at the hands of elite opponents at the pinnacle of their own prowess. Perfection was the goal - all-about and around. Inside and outside. The late great trainer Cus d'Amato viewed that the fighter with more character (in moral terms) typically won the battle inside the ring.
The sport is the ultimate display of Darwinian competitiveness and obsessiveness. It's media coverage also retains an entertainment aspect that measures excitability and marketability as measures for earning power.
There are five months left until the calendar transforms into 2010. We explore the top remaining fights of 2009 - the top remaining fights of the decade.
Top 7 Fights of Fall 2009:
# 7 Chris John (42 wins, 0 loss, 2 draws) vs. Rocky Juarez (28 wins, 4 losses, 1 draw)
"The Dragon" vs. "Rocky"
Competitiveness Grade: A+
Excitement Grade: B+
Popularity Grade: C+
P4P Landscape: Possibly top 15 pound for pound ranking with Chris John convincing victory
The rematch takes place on the undercard of Mayweather vs. Marquez on September 19. Their February bout ended in a controversial draw at the Toyota Center in Houston. I was at ringside, and had John winning 7 rounds to 5. This is a must-win fight for Rocky Juarez if he is to keep himself on the radar. It should be another competitive fight between the two.
Source: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-4514-Houston-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m8d15-Top-5-megafights-for-2009
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