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“Zute” For Thought: Andre Ward Vs Kovalev II on PPV is a Joke! Why is Eddie Mustafa Muhammad Not in the IBHOF? And Lots More Boxing Talk…

By Anthony “Zute” George

It has been over a month since Canelo Alvarez dismantled Julio Cesar Chavez, JR., and the conspiracy theories are flying. Newsflash, if you are one of those who say the fight was fixed, but were saying JR. had a great chance of winning before the fight, what can I do to get you to stop talking? This fight was never competitive and the only real battle was if JR. would cash in by making weight. Deal with the fact that you were played. Nuff said.

Speaking of cashing in, why in the world is Ward Vs Kovalev II on PPV after such poor numbers in the first fight? While 2017 has been a much better year for boxing than 2016, little of the excitement has been seen on HBO PPV. Yes, Canelo Vs Cesar, JR. reported stellar numbers, however, the boxing that was showcased was less than stellar. Will the numbers for this light heavyweight rematch increase?

Speaking of Ward Vs Kovalev, I love how Sergey can take the first five rounds, knock Ward down, but Ward can still win the fight by winning the second half of the fight, but, Marvelous Marvin Hagler had no chance of winning against Leonard because he gave away the first four rounds by not fighting southpaw (which is a myth, Hagler fought southpaw in round three and won the round.) Boxing fans also regurgitated the same spiel when Marcos Maidana had a great start against Mayweather, JR. Some consistency please.

Speaking of consistency, June 10th marks the eleventh anniversary of a great scrap between two of the more consistent fighters of the last years, Miguel Cotto and Paulie Malignaggi. In this fight, Cotto showcased just how good an offensive fighter he is, and Paulie demonstrated guts and determination that cannot be taught. It is the IT fighters are born with. Paulie brought these attributes each time he fought. Win or lose. For whatever reason this fight is not spoken of much anymore and I wanted to bring it back to the light so to speak. When Cotto gets inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, this fight should be considered one of his signature victories.

Speaking of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, the festivities are underway this weekend. Modern boxers Evander Holyfield, Marco Antonio Barrera and Johnny Tapia will be enshrined. The Old Timer category inducts Eddie Booker. Should be a great weekend.

Speaking of the Old Timer category, many fans are predicting that Marvin Johnson will be chosen in this category next year. While I love Marvin Johnson, I would like to mention a fighter who I think deserves the honor more, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, a pugilist who schooled and stopped Johnson. For whatever reason, Eddie has not received much attention as a Hall of Fame Inductee. Whatever the reason it is bogus. Hopefully things will change in the future.

Speaking of the future, how great does it look for the welterweight division? The Errol Spence, JR. era has officially begun with his stoppage victory over 147-pound title holder Kell Brook. It was a fight that was far from a cakewalk for Spence, JR., and yet he still managed to win via stoppage. If you are not impressed by such circumstances, I suggest you watch golf instead, because you are just wasting your time. We now have two wonderful undefeated welterweight title holders, Spence, JR. and Keith Thurman, and the prospects for them fighting each other are good. What is not to love?

Win an autographed copy of Mike Tyson’s autobiography “UNDISPUTED TRUTH” by clicking HERE and subscribing to be entered to win this great prize along with any future ones!

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