Hope Lara Got Lubed For That: Review, Ratings Update

By Cliff Rold

Dearest Judges Al Bennett, Hilton Whitaker, and Donald Givens:

How bad was the judging of Erislandy Lara-Paul Williams?  It was so bad it almost screwed up the viewing of a better fight.  Having chosen to watch HBO’s broadcast before Showtime’s Saturday, it was impossible to fully enjoy what promised to be, and was, the fight of the week.  While Brandon Rios and Urbano Antillon went to war in Southern California, it was impossible not to wonder how boxing would muck that one up too.

Rios took risk out of the equation.  It wasn’t enough to wash away the stench coming from Atlantic City.

It was really that bad.

Eugenia Williams could see who really won it was so bad.

On the heels of recent questionable judging in the likes of Felix Sturm-Matthew Macklin and Devon Alexander-Lucas Matthysse, fights where even if one agreed with the winners it was clear the scores were out of whack, this took the cake.

Lara threw about half as many punches, sure.  However, he landed more, harder, cleaner, and left Williams a bloody mess.  The most decisive round maybe of the whole fight was the eleventh, in Lara’s favor.  Posted on the Twitter feed of boxing writer George Wills, Bennett and Givens somehow gave that round to Williams.  Garbage like that makes it hard to argue when fans of other sports laugh at the mockery boxing makes of itself sometimes.

Saturday was an all out ass-whipping.  The judges scores were just ass.

The sad thing is that no one deserved the outcome.  Lara didn’t deserve to lose (seriously, not even a draw?).  Williams, who showed all the heart and courage that has made him a pleasure to watch for the last few years, didn’t deserve the derision he will take for someone else’s mistake.  And the fans, both paying in the arena and watching on TV, didn’t deserve to have their time wasted by utter ineptitude.  

Still…

Rios-Antillon came oh so close to making up for it. 

Let’s go to the report card.

Grades

Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Rios A; Antillon B+/Post: Same

Three rounds of mayhem and then some were what fans got in Rios-Antillon and, when it was over, boxing’s new must-see action star had bolstered his bona fides.  He fights so hard, so all out, that it’s hard to imagine Brandon Rios being at a peak for long but every second will be a thrill ride.

Antillon deserves a lot of credit too.  The fight was largely fought in a phone booth and Antillon stunned Rios a couple times in rounds one and two.  Notably, Rios looked like some work to the body in the second forced him to dig deep.

He did.

He does.

Rios has shown now, in winning a belt from Miguel Acosta and now defending versus the rugged Antillon, a reserve and willingness to endure for victory.  He also showed some improved defense, and was caught to the head less often than was the case against Acosta (though Antillon’s head first style probably into that).  It’s something.

Fact is though, who would want Rios to change much?  He’s a fighter.  He fights, and he might just be the best Lightweight in the world right now (and that includes lineal champion Juan Manuel Marquez).

Going forward, Rios can be matched with almost anyone at 135 or 140 and it’s worth tuning in.   As to Antillon will have to rebuild a bit but there is time still for him to win a belt one day.  He gives so much of himself, in victory or defeat, it’s hard to root against him.

As to the Jr. Middleweight contest that kicked this review off, the hell with the official verdict.  Lara won.  He deserves his reward.  Lara called for a rematch with Williams and that would be fine.  A better idea, especially for HBO, might be to push behind the scenes for Lara to get a title shot.

They are reportedly obligated to air another Sergiy Dzinzurik fight even after the WBO 154 lb. titlist got blown out by Sergio Martinez.  Few with names are likely to want to tangle with the rangy Dzinziruk.  Lara, who is also likely to scare off names, probably lacks such luxury.

Lara-Williams II or Lara-Dzinziruk.  As long as Lara gets the next appearance, and subsequent check, he earned Saturday, it’s all good.

Report Card Picks 2011: 25-8

Middleweight: Williams slips to fifth after losing everywhere but on three sorry scorecards to Lara.

Jr. Middleweight: Lara makes a big move into a top ten at 154 lbs. that is fairly soft.  So too does Carlos Molina off of his upset of Kermit Cintron.  Having agreed with the draw verdict earlier this year in Lara-Molina, Lara gets the higher slot of the two.  Who knows?  As hot as those two are at the moment, maybe we’ve seen the future of the division head-to-head without realizing it.

Jr. Featherweight: Welcome to Rico Ramos, a reminder that victory is always just a punch away.  Now-former beltholder Akifumi Shimoda doesn’t slip far.

These results and more are reflected a page away.

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Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel, the Yahoo Pound for Pound voting panel, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com