By William Trillo
“When A Cactus Grows On My Hand” is an old Polish saying that fits into a list of idioms such as, When Pigs Fly, When Hell Freezes Over, When Chickens Have Teeth, etc. etc.
It’s with that thought in mind that I bring you the following article:
There were two separate boxing cards on Saturday night, both brought to you by Al Haymon and/or his PBC venture.
Now…as much as it surprises you to read that I thought they were both decent attractions, just imagine how much it shocks me to look up and read what I just slammed out on the keyboard.
Never the less…I must admit I was somewhat entertained by the televised broadcasts.
Unbeaten Polish WBO cruiserweight champion Krzysztof Glowacki (26-0, 16 KOs) is a beast. Steve Cunningham (28-8, 13 KOs) is no slouch himself, even though he is more than a bit chinny. Those four trips to the canvas by “U.S.S.” made the difference. One look at the scorecards tells us that had Cunningham not gone down he may have walked out with the title……..there go those flying pigs again!
I am sold on Erroll Spence, I was before this fight. The 20-0 fighter with 17 wins coming via KO is the goods. I don’t think anyone thought Chris Algieri (21-3, 8 KO’s) was going to beat him but I am also pretty sure few thought Spence was going to dismantle and destroy the tough former kick boxer that easily. I fully expect Spence to be the man at 147 pounds in the not too distant future.
I know, I know. What about Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter who are now scheduled to fight in June? Shouldn’t the winner be considered the best at 147?
That’s a valid question. Allow me to answer.
Until I see both of them in the ring I do not believe the fight will come to its fruition. (Insert your personal favorite idiom here).
Lest we forget who is pulling the strings here, the credibility of the promoter (see above) still remains in question. Light Heavy Marcus Browne (18-0, 13 KO’s) was given a gift decision over Radivoje Kalajdzic (21-1, 14 KO’s). Browne was given credit for a knockdown that wasn’t, should have been penalized for dirty tactics and was cleanly dropped by Karadzic in round six. Scores ended up 76-74, 76-75 Browne and 76-74 Kalajdzic. That gave Browne an undeserved split decision victory. There can be NO QUESTION about that. Kalajdzic is shouting for a rematch and rightfully so. Look for that to happen “when grapes grow on a willow” (Serbian idiom Kalajdzic may be more familiar with).
The Showtime card was also palatable, semi-main event notwithstanding. Simply said, Puerto Rican world champion Jose Pedraza (22-0, 12 KOs) is a real talent, Smith (23-2, 13 KOs) not so much. The fight did afford me a moment to rustle me up some dinner, for that I am thankful.
The “show” on Showtime was WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. (27-1, 16 KOs). He decimated Patrick Hyland (31-2, 15 KOs) inside of two. The job was complete, thorough and very impressive.
Like Spence I have been high on Russell Jr. long before he became a household name. The first time I spoke to Russell was in early 2010. I found the young man to be purposeful and determined without an ounce of arrogance. I wish him well on his journey.
I would love to speak with him one more time but something tells me I “have a snowball’s chance in hell” for that to ever happen again.
Last but not least, what was with that Showtime announcement at the end of the broadcast announcing that Deontay Wilder would be putting his heavyweight title on the line in Russia on the turf of his mandatory challenger, Alexander Povetkin? Did they really say, “We are working on bringing you that broadcast?” What the heck is that supposed to mean. Either you are showing it or you are not.
In regard to the fight itself, the question is whether or not Wilder returns to the USA with his belt. As they say in Russia, “When the crawfish whistles on the mountain”.
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