Finally, some fights…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
We’ve been a patient group of fight fans since mid-June, and we’re finally getting a little taste again Saturday with Timothy Bradley vs. Nate Campbell on Showtime.
Just as much interest to yours truly is the HBO documentary on the 1983 fight between Billy Collins and Luis Resto.
I plan on going from happy to sad to enraged all in the same hour. For anyone who doesn’t know the story behind this one, here’s a sampling from HBO’s preview on it:
On June 16, 1983, undefeated prizefighter Billy Collins Jr. set out to fulfill every boxer’s dream of fighting in the world’s most famous arena – Madison Square Garden. Collins’ opponent, Luis Resto of the Bronx, moving up from welterweight, had his own dream of rising to the occasion in front of hometown fans. But what began as a match that Nashville native Collins was favored to win changed both athletes’ lives – ending Collins’ career dreams and landing Resto in prison.
Resto seemingly reached a fighter’s ultimate goal by upsetting Collins, but his post-fight victory celebration was short-lived when it was discovered that the padding had been illegally removed from Resto’s gloves by his trainer, Panama Lewis, before the fight. Resto was subsequently incarcerated and banned from the sport, while the brutally beaten Collins went into a tragic downward spiral. Resto gives his account of the story in the documentary. Lewis, whose official career as a trainer came to an end that night, was also subsequently banned, and speaks for the first time in Assault In The Ring about the events of the fight and their impact.
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Bradley vs. Campbell is the exact type of fight I wouldn’t think would be made, so very excited that it has.
Bradley squeaked out a decision over Kendall Holt despite being dropped twice. Holt wasn’t busy enough and had no one to blame but himself while Bradley dug down deep for the win.
Campbell has been involved in weight issues in his last two fights. The first time he was wronged by Joan Guzman (in what would have been an unbelievable fight).
He turned the tables around by being the guilty party with weight and losing his title.
Bradley is a natural 140-pounder while Campbell is moving up, but that shouldn’t really be an issue.
The consensus (Boneman’s, too) is this will be going 12 rounds so sit back and get comfy to watch a good one. Plan on watching the fight live and taping the HBO doc and watching that later in the night.
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We were supposed to be all a-buzz about the Affliction event Saturday. But with Josh Barnett out, no suitable replacement to fight Fedor, well, that card is off.
Looks like Affliction will join the rest of those “here today, gone tomorrow” MMA groups.
Next week is UFC 101 from Philadelphia and with former OSU star wrestler Johny Hendricks fighting Amir Sadollah, you know I’ll have a lot more to say on that one as we get closer.
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Finally, still reeling from the death of Vernon Forrest. Loved him as a fighter, loved him more as a man.
I like Shane Mosley, but when Forrest beat him in their first fight (Forrest would win a rather dull rematch), still ranks as one of my favorite boxing memories.
And sad (and confusing) to hear that Arturo Gatti’s death has now been ruled a suicide. RIP to Gatti and Forrest.
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