World class boxers reach a career crossroads for many reasons. Some lose ability due to age, dented confidence, a bad knockout or beating, or because some of the fire and desire has gone out of them. Others slip from the top of their division due to its changing complexion, displaced by better fighters, while others are exposed as being more limited than first thought.
Just as a boxer could find himself standing at a career crossroads for many reasons, that boxer’s ultimate destination is equally varied. Some rebound into the start of a new, good run near or at the top. More common is for a once top fighter to slip into the ranks of the fringe contenders, or even to become a gatekeeper.
A few see the handwriting on the wall and show enough wisdom to seek out a good win, and retire on that note. The five biggest names at the crossroads right now show both how a boxer could arrive in such a place for many reasons, and will in all likelihood also show how many places a crossroads can lead.
1. Manny Pacquiao: Everyone acknowledges that Pacquiao didn’t really lose his June 2012 bout with Timothy Bradley, so it was the third and fourth encounters with Juan Manuel Marquez that tarnished Pacman. Although Pacquiao won the squeaker of a rubber match with Marquez by Majority Decision, everyone expected him to blow Marquez out of the water. That he not only failed to do that, but in the eyes of many actually lost the fight diminished his super star standing. Then he lost the fourth fight in a crushing knockout defeat.
No one doubts that Pacquiao is still a world class fighter (ProBoxing-Fans.com ranks him #4 at welterweight and #12 pound-for-pound, but he is no longer the sport’s kingpin or in contention for the crown. As he continues to flirt with a career in Filipino politics, one has to wonder how much desire Pacquiao has left for the sport. Maybe a win over Brandon Rios will be the start of another run for gold for Pacquiao, but a loss would certainly be the beginning of the end for him.
2. Arthur Abraham: That Abraham wasn’t top 5 material was shown in the Super Six tournament, but “King Arthur” looked set to grab a belt and carve himself a niche in the lower half of the top 10. Then he lost his rematch with Robert Steiglitz by TKO4, and his career has been in limbo ever since. Ugly victories over nobodies, like this weekend’s likely De Carolis win, won’t help. Abraham needs to get on with it and do something meaningful soon, or he will find himself slipping into fringe contender status.
3. Erislandy Lara: Lara is still a solid figure in his division, so the crossroads he stands at is whether he belongs in the top or bottom half. His problem isn’t losing fights, since he hasn’t lost one since he was robbed by Paul Williams back in 2011. The problem is he hasn’t won a big fight cleanly. His fight against Vanes Martrisoyan was more or less even when an accidental headbutt turned it into a Technical Draw, and he got sent to the canvas twice before stopping Alfredo Angulo by busting his eye shut. Whether Lara is going to become the world beater he was supposed to be or just another contender is very much in doubt.
4.Tavoris Cloud: Cloud’s run as a light heavyweight force came to an end as soon as he ran into world class talent. Bernard Hopkins out-foxed him, and Adonis Stevenson out-drilled him. Most believe that Gabriel Campillo deserved to beat him as well. We have him pegged to the floor in our 175 lbs Top Ten, and it’s unlikely he will snatch another belt in that weight class. Cloud’s options are to stay where he is and become a stepping stone, take the time-tested path of moving up to cruiserweight, or get out of the game altogether.
5. Amir Khan: Back-to-back defeats to Lamont Peterson and Danny Garcia have dislodged Khan from super star status, probably for good. Since Khan hasn’t had a big name opponent in more than a year, where his career is going at this point is very much open to question. He and his team are always angling for a chance at Floyd Mayweather, but it’s a fight that makes little sense beyond doing business in the UK for the sake of it.
