Boxing Betting: Comeback kids look to history for inspiration

Boxing Betting / Richard Douglas / 13 February 2009 / Leave a Comment

The next month sees bouts involving a number of young fighters whose reputations need more than a sticking plaster. But history shows that it is possible to comeback from a knockdown, says Richard Douglas.

The word "comeback" will always be associated with ring-worn boxers and Frank Sinatra.

Old Blue Eyes just could not keep away. Driven by fame, money and ego - the triple whammy that has blighted many a career in the ring and on stage - the singer tainted countless cherished memories by refusing to give in when good sense and good timing suggested it was the moment to go.

The Fat Lady is hardly singing for Miguel Cotto and Kelly Pavlik right now but the duo have both feet on the comeback trail next week. In fact if I add Amir Khan, who - despite beating Oisin Fagan - is certainly still recovering that from demolition at the concrete hands of Breidis Prescott, then the next month brings together a number of younger fighters with reputations that need more than a sticking plaster.

However it has all been done before.

Joe Louis had the weight of the free world on his shoulders when he lost to Max Schmeling in 1936. But he came back to become one of the greatest and most-loved fighters of all time. Fourteen years earlier, Gene Tunney dropped a decision to Harry Greb not long after moving up to elite level. It would be his only loss in a fine 85-fight career. Ali lost to Joe Frazier in his first world title bid after his ban and Bernard Hopkins lost the first fight of his career!

Even just last weekend, Vic Darchinyan continued his rehabilitation with an impressive stoppage of Jorge Arce. The Armenian was considered a legend in the making at super-flyweight before being savagely stopped by Nonito Donaire in five rounds.

Cotto had a similar stature until he fell apart in the latter half of his WBA welterweight title fight against Antonio Margarito last July. Before that the heavy-punching Puerto Rican had stopped 26 of his 32 opponents.

The 28-year-old [1.05] has his Sinatra moment against Michael Jennings [8.0] on February 22 at Madison Square Garden. The Englishman is tight, technical and highly likely to be outgunned. Jennings, a former British and WBU champion, has only stopped 16 of 35 opponents. Surely that means Cotto can afford to stand in range and gets his shots off. You get the feeling the Mancunian has been hand-picked to be "the opponent" on the night.

It was the same scenario when Welshman Gary Lockett went over to face another puncher, Kelly Pavlik, for the WBO and WBC middleweight titles last June. And the result was predictable - a one-sided three-round pummelling.

That was Pavlik's last fight before his ambition started to extend beyond his reach. The Ohio fighter chased the big money,so he decided to put on 11.5lbs and face ring legend Hopkins. The weight was one hurdle but the nous of The Executioner raised the bar too high. Pavlik [1.08] lost a wide, unanimous decision and so now he has scuttle back down to middleweight to defend his two titles against Marco Antonio Rubio [5.0].

The Mexican has spent most of his career at light-middleweight and has lost whenever he has stepped up in class. Again the matchmakers are putting the shine back on their prized jewels by buffing them up against some pretty average chamois leather.

Marco Antonio Barrera, on the other hand, is no cow hide. He is not exactly the raging bull of old but he is still pretty bloody angry. The Mexican superstar won his first world title in 1995 and it is eight years since he beat Prince Naseem Hamed - the best recent example of a first defeat effectively ending a stellar career.

Barrera is not shot. The IBO rankings - considered the best because they are computerised and therefore are not vulnerable to 'human influence' place him fifth among the world's lightweight. That is a full 14 places above Khan.

Promoter Frank Warren has often been criticised for over-protecting his fighters. For example, the recently-retired Joe Calzaghe may be feted as the best British fighter ever but he also knocked over more than his fair share of stiffs while he was in the prime of his career. That is certainly not true here.

However even if Khan [1.88] emulates the wonderful career Barrera [2.2] he will never ever be able to wipe away that vision of his crumpled carcass in the corner after 54 seconds against Prescott.

In the same way, Sinatra's movie turkeys and failed marriages could never be expunged from his public record.

However, comebacks did seem to run in the family. His father Martin went by the name Marty O'Brien in the ring and endured four straight defeats between 1911 and 1914 before achieving the one and only victory of his seven-fight career.

And even that came via disqualification.