Top 8 Boxing Disappointments, Failures & Controversies in 2011
This year of boxing has been a letdown in a number of respects. The biggest fight in the world, Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, again was not made, making one wonder if the fight will ever take place or if it does, will both fighters still be in their prime? Other luminaries in the sport were dormant or in relatively uninteresting fights. Lightweight king Juan Manuel Marquez didn’t defend and Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez was limited to two easy defenses.
The best fights in each division were mostly not made. We got Donaire-Montiel and Segura-Calderon II early in the year, but those are slim pickings indeed, especially since neither bout was competitive. The tournaments at super middleweight and bantamweight made for fights between top guys, but that hardly puts a dent in the disappointment of all the other divisions’ lack of stirring matchups.
At the same time, the effort was there to make some good matches. If those fights actually delivered, 2011 would be looked at as a pretty good year. Unfortunately for the sport and its fans, the more-eagerly anticipated events of the year were stinkers. A look at the biggest fights of the past ten months shows that 2011 might be one of the worst years in recent memory. And remember—these are only including fights amongst the absolute top fighters in the world.
Timothy Bradley vs. Devon Alexander (January 29)
This was supposed to be the night where it paid off to be a hardcore boxing fan. This unification fight between two unbeaten titleholders fighting each other early in their careers made some people think of this as a working man’s Leonard-Hearns. And it was simply awful. Round after round, fans kept expecting a great fight to break out and it never happened. In fact, it just got more and more frustrating and ugly to watch. Fans were almost relieved when cuts brought an end to matters in the 10th round.
Vitali Klitschko vs. Odlanier Solis (March 19)
It might have been unreasonable to expect a good fight. But the former Cuban gold medal winner Solis was unbeaten and thought by many to be at least an interesting challenger, if not an altogether dangerous one. Toward the end of the opening round, Vitali landed a benign-looking right hand. Solis’ legs dipped, causing a blown-out knee and ending the fight. Ugh.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley (May 7)
I suppose there’s nothing wrong with watching the world’s best do his thing. And part of being the best in the world means not all your fights are going to be competitive. Still, it was somewhat unfulfilling watching Pacquiao tattoo an utterly overmatched Mosley for 12 rounds in a fight devoid of drama.
Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye (July 2)
Haye had us all fooled. Hearing him talk, you would have thought the Tazmanian Devil was showing up, not a timid pretty boy who can’t cash checks written by his big mouth. Word is Haye has called it quits and I say “good.” Don’t talk the most bombastic smack ever and then come into the ring acting like Henry Akinwande. For 12 rounds, Haye rarely engaged Klitschko, seemingly content to escape with his health. His post-fight claims that he had a hurt toe only underscored his utter failure. What a waste of time.
Abner Mares vs. Joseph Agbeko (August 13)
Unlike the other fights on this list; this was actually a pretty good scrap. Too bad that it was impossible to focus on the fight itself amidst the surreal refereeing of Russell Mora. His bizarre inability to see dozens of Mares low blows cost Agbeko a chance to win and took our attention off of both fighters.
Vitali Klitschko vs. Tomasz Adamek (September 10)
Again, we should be conditioned to expect non-competitive matches involving the Klitschko brothers, but Adamek seemed different. The gutsy, never-say-die Pole was expected to at least make it fun. Instead, we got another one-way-traffic fight, with Adamek unable to muster any success whatsoever.
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Victor Ortiz (September 17)
For botched endings, at least it was entertaining, as Mayweather coldcocked an unsuspecting Ortiz for a 4th-round ending. Nevertheless, it was frustrating to see the fight end at the precise moment it became interesting. Ortiz was doing okay directly before butting Floyd, which led to the whole melee and his eventual demise. Regardless of who you think was at fault, the finish was a major bummer.
Chad Dawson vs. Bernard Hopkins (October 15)
Another pay-per-view gone awry. Without getting into the whole debate itself, suffice to say that no one really benefitted from the ending—particularly boxing fans. The finish was bizarre, but the way it was handled and the eventual ruling just made it a terrible evening. Not that fans are accustomed to seeing great Hopkins fights, but it’s difficult to remember a less-fulfilling PPV main event.
