Coaches' Corner:

 

Trinidad best of 2000.....by Coach Francis Marquez

     The year 2000 will probably be remembered as the year boxing came back. 2000 brought with it a sense of renewed vigor and enthusiasm towards our modern day gladiators. Many of today's top pugilists set aside economic squabbles to face off in some of the most memorable contests in years. The following are my choices (in order) for fighter of the year in 2000:

1.) Felix Trinidad: bar none, Trinidad just had a monster year. Trinidad had the type of year true champions are supposed to have. He fought frequently, and against top competition. His total annihilation of former champ David Reid, top contender Mahmadou Thiam, and superstar-in-waiting Fernando Vargas catapulted Trinidad to the top of most pound-for-pound lists, as well as crowning him the fighter of the year.

2.) Shane Mosley: 2000 was billed as Sugar Shane's coming out party, and the former lightweight champ did not disappoint. Mosley demonstrated tremendous skill and hand speed in defeating Oscar De La Hoya to gain the welterweight crown. He beat one of boxing's best, after going up two weight classes, in a classic bout that has left De La Hoya scrambling. Add his destruction of Willy Wise and Antonio Diaz, and Mosley clearly had one of the top years for any boxer.

3.) Lennox Lewis: In recent years, heavyweight champs that do not shy away from top competitors seemed to have been extinct. Lennox Lewis dispelled this myth, and many critics, by fighting top contenders Michael Grant and David Tua, as well as journeyman Franz Botha. All that is really left for Lewis is Mike Tyson, although, at this point, it seems unlikely.

Vargas wins in defeat.....by Coach Francis Marquez

                                  

     Last weeks Junior Middleweight unification bought between Felix Trinidad and Fernando Vargas proves their are still true champions in the sport of boxing.

     Both fighters impressed, but for different reasons. Trinidad was in control most of the fight, and proved why he is, pound-for-pound, one of the best boxers in the world. Vargas, on the other hand, showed heart, determination, and a level of maturity that many did not expect. Although he was knocked out by the superior Trinidad, Vargas will actually come out of this fight a winner.

     Tactically, Vargas did not do many of the things he needed to do to win. Vargas spent most of the fight straight up, and just standing in front of Trinidad instead of constantly moving away from Trinidad's left hook, and towards his swollen right eye. By not moving he became a still target for Felix, finding himself obligated into heavy exchanges that favored Trinidad.

     Going into the contest, Vargas assured the boxing public  that, unlike fellow Mexican Oscar De La Hoya,  he would not run, and, to his credit, he didn't. Vargas stood toe-to-toe with one of the hardest punchers in boxing , and actually won many exchanges. He gave Trinidad his toughest fight yet, while cementing himself as a true main event fighter.

     By fighting Trinidad, Vargas has gained respect and popularity that will accompany him throughout his days as a pro. He, unlike David Reid, lived up to the billing, and his days in the spotlight are just beginning.

     With Trinidad apparently ready to go up in weight and fight Middleweight champ William Joppy, the twenty-two year old Vargas seems destined to become a dominating force at the junior middleweight level.

Tyson vs. Lewis should be next big heavyweight bout.....by Coach Francis Marquez

     Lennox Lewis' recent domination of highly touted David Tua has the boxing world on the edge of its seat because non other than Mike Tyson will now hold the number one contender's spot for Lewis' WBC belt. 

     A Lewis vs. Tyson match up would undoubtedly be a huge moneymaker for all parties involved. The bout would also serve as a way for Iron Mike to prove that he is still a world class fighter, and not a bully who only beats up on the Lou Savareses and Andrew Golotas of the world.

     This match up has been talked about for months now, and seems quite interesting. Arguably the hardest hitter in boxing would be pitted against one of the true ring generals of our time. Add the fact that both fighters have been verbally sparring after their most recent fights, and you have the possibility of one of the highest grossing matches ever.

     Lewis is probably at his best moment to fight Tyson. He has just come out of a match with David Tua, whose style and physique are fairly similar to Tyson's. Some may scoff at the comparison between Tyson and Tua, and truth be told Tyson does have two hand power which Tua does not, but David Tua has proven to have a much better chin than Tyson. Tua was hit hard and repeatedly by the superior Lewis, but was never really in any danger of being knocked out. Lewis' main weapon against Tyson would be the same one he used against Tua: his stiff jab.

     Lewis' jab would be essential in his fighting Mike Tyson because Lewis cannot afford to let Tyson come up close and deliver a series of blows with the amount of power that Tyson hits with. Lewis has demonstrated to be the top Heavyweight in the world, but no other opponent, other than Tyson, can establish his true greatness.

     I think both fighters would have much to prove, and much to gain by a victory. This motivation would almost certainly assure two well prepared fighters facing off in the most anticipated heavyweight bout in years.

     Now, much has been said about Tyson's comments before his controversial fight with Andrew Golota. In the pre-fight press conference, Tyson announced his retirement from boxing, but was it anything more than a cleaver ploy to try and bring up sagging pay-per-view numbers? I doubt it.

     Tyson vs. Lewis now seems like a possibility. Hopefully these two gladiators will set aside financial and personal concerns to allow the match to be set up.     

Trinidad vs. Vargas defining bout for both fighters.....by Coach Francis Marquez

                                               

     December 2nd's Junior Middleweight bout between Fernando Vargas and Felix Trinidad is shaping up to be a career defining fight for both champs.

     Fernando Vargas will be looking to catapult himself into the upper echelon of pound-for-pound boxers by disrupting Trinidad's fight plan. Trinidad's one true weakness is that he fairs poorly against more mobile opponents, as was the case against Oscar De La Hoya.. This plays right into Vargas' style. Vargas' constant lateral movements and his natural punching power could spell the end to Trinidad's undefeated record. The question of whether Vargas took this fight too early in his career, though, still remains unanswered.

     With only twenty fight under his belt, half of Trinidad's total, Vargas' inexperience is obvious. Vargas defends this fact by pointing to his two biggest fights: vs. "Yori Boy" Campas and Ike Quartey. A closer look, though, reveals that these bouts are not all Vargas makes them out to be.

     Vargas' defeat of "Yori Boy" Campas came late in Campas' career. It was the classic case of an old fighter, well past his prime, trying to duke-it-out with a top prospect. Trinidad, on the other hand, fought and dominated a younger, stronger Campas on Mexico's (Campas' native country) Independence Day.

     The Quartey bout, in my opinion, was and still is an overrated match up. Quartey has proven to be a top flight fighter, but he seems to only fight when a big name comes calling. Quartey was not prepared to face Vargas. If Quartey would have had one or two warm-up bouts leading up to his contest against Vargas, he could have very well won.

     This lack of preparation is exactly what I think will hurt Vargas once December 2 rolls around. I would have preferred Vargas to first fight Spain's Javier Castillejo (the WBC champ), and then set his sights on the far superior Trinidad.

     This match up is much more crucial for Vargas than Trinidad because it could ruin Vargas' rise to stardom, much in the same way Trinidad's handling of David Reid (a teammate of Vargas on the 1996 U.S. Olympic squad) dropped Reid to second class status.

     Felix Trinidad has been a world champ for years now. He has fought and defeated many of the top boxers in the world over a ten year career. His place as one of boxing's all time greats, though, is still in question because of the unconvincing manner in which he defeated Oscar De La Hoya. Trinidad's bout against De La Hoya left many wondering about Trinidad's place in history. Trinidad did not win the bout as much as De La Hoya lost it. An easy defeat of David Reid helped, but does nothing more than re-establish him as one of the top fighters today.

     By defeating Vargas, Trinidad would add another marquee name to a list that already includes: "Yori Boy" Campas, "Fearless" Freddy Pendleton, Hector "Macho" Camacho, Oba Carr, Pernell Whitaker, David Reid, and, yes, Oscar De La Hoya. This would cement his name as one of the true champions in boxing history.

     A defeat, on the other hand, would mean an exit from the spotlight. By losing to Vargas, Trinidad would be left scrambling. He would have to either go up in weight, and fight middleweight champ William Joppy, or try to organize a rematch with De La Hoya. A defeat at the hands of Vargas would signal the end of Tito's career at the junior middleweight division.