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12/12/2003 Archived Entry: "Weekend Preview: Mega show in Atlantic City"
WCOB Weekend Preview: Mega show in Atlantic City
by Kris Van de Velde
Great challenges for Hopkins and Mayorga
Ottke and Hatton close their account in style as well
Saturday's Atlantic City card is surely one of the best fight cards ever. Besides numerous belts, some WCOB World Cup competitions will also reach their climax.
In the so-called undisputed welterweight championship the two best fighters of 2003 face each other in a great climax. The rough-styled WBA and WBC titlist Ricardo Mayorga (#1, v2000), conqueror of Vernon Forrest, has promised fireworks again versus Corey Spinks (#4, v1400), who took the IBF belt away from Italian Michele Piccirillo in March. Winning or losing, Mayorga is actually already assured of victory in the 2003 World Cup competition. He has scored 2200 points more than the American and the value for his #1 in the overall ranking is of course 2000 points. However, the winner this weekend will start 2004 in pole position.
Bernard Hopkins (#1, v2000) is still the undisputed middleweight champion and 2003 World Cup leader. The veteran meets probably the best challenger out there at the moment by the name of William Joppy (#6, v1000). Since beating Felix Trinidad two years ago, Hopkins has had only two fights against top ten opposition, that was nevertheless way out of his class. Joppy is a good technical boxer and should be a test to see what's left for the champion. Joppy's limitations at the highest level were exposed by Trinidad in 2001 and he hasn't been in the ring since October last year. Still, this could be a good fight that determines the outcome of the World Cup competition at this weight.
Two heavyweights who have just dropped out of the top ten fight each other with big chances of regaining those lost places. Hasim Rahman (#11, v490), fifth in the WCup after drawing with David Tua, squares off against John Ruiz (#12, v480), the Puerto Rican who got humiliated by Roy Jones Jr. in March. A win by Rahman would mean second place in the World Cup behind Corrie Sanders. Not bad for someone who's been written off by many. The fact remains that today's top heavyweights are ridiculously inactive and many stick to fighting medium to low level opposition.
In what promises to be a spectacular rematch of their January bout, IBF super flyweight king Luis Alberto Perez and Felix Machado touch gloves again with the overall #1 spot in this division as ultimate prize. Both warriors can gain enough points with a victory to overtake Japanese Masamori Tokuyama in the total ranking. The WCup competition is a slightly different story, though. Perez is currently second with 1400 points behind Mark Johnson's 1600. If the Nicaraguan repeats his win, he takes the Cup as well. Machado, however, will have to settle with a podium finish as he hasn't recorded any win this year.
In the light flyweight division, #12 Rosendo Alvares, the WBA champion, has a chance of earning a WCOB top ten ranking if he defeats his IBF rival Jose Victor Burgos. Currently 16th and 23rd respectively in the heavily contested WCup standings, they are both too far down to score a podium finish. Merging the 108 and 105 lbs divisions - both very lacklustre on their own in 2002 - has certainly been a success as in no other weight division the competition has been so severe this year!
Top super welterweight Alejandro Garcia (#6, v1000) is trying to boost his image in a marketable division with a fight against fellow-unbeaten Travis Simms (#55, v135). Of course, Simms is still a bit too much down in the total ranking for Garcia to prove something.
The same can be said for cruiserweight Wayne Braithwaite (#6, v1000). The WBC champion defends versus Luis Pineda (#65, v90) in what could be described in WCOB terms as a safe attempt to keep third place in the World Cup standings. Had Braithwaite at least chosen some challenger ranked a little higher, he'd have overtaken Johnny Nelson for second place.
Super lightweight Zab Judah (#4, v1400) closes the fantastic show at the Boardwalk with a mere five-pointer against unranked Jamie Rangel.
There's more great action in Manchester, England, and Nürnberg, Germany, on Saturday. Super middleweight boss Sven Ottke (#1, v2000) steps in the ring for the fourth time this year against former WBC titlist Robin Reid (#24, v360). Although the Briton is better ranked than some of Ottke's other foes, he has been keeping busy with mere five-pointers lately and on paper doesn't seem to be a major threat for the popular German, who's on the way for a back-to-back victory in the WCOB World Cup competition.
Super lightweight Ricky Hatton (#3, v1600) - sixth in this year's competition at the moment - faces Ghanaian Ben Tackie (#23, v370) in what could be a decent bout. Still, when is Hatton finally going to step up to genuine top ten rated opposition? True, if the "Hitman" wins again he looks nevertheless set to finish the year in second place. The 140 pounders haven't been up to much in 2003 compared to last year...
For more information on World Cup Of Boxing, please contact:
Christophe Neyts - WCOB Press Officer e-mail: micromacro@pandora.be
