Last Week: Hernandez Harrison Stumbles, Povetkin Puts Wilder Fight in Doubt
Last Week: Hernandez Harrison Stumbles, Povetkin Puts Wilder Fight in Doubt
Life, in the last 20 years, has changed in unanticipated ways. The internet has changed the way we think about and process the world. Eve
By Jonathan Snowden
Life, in the last 20 years, has changed in unanticipated ways. The internet has changed the way we think about and process the world. Even the hoary old sport of boxing is not immune. Once upon a time "one for the history books" was a phrase that packed a punch. After all, thousands of bouts took place every year, yet only a handful stood the test of time, each one a cultural triumph in some way, outlasting dozens of other worthies to earn a place in our hallowed histories.
Today, the historical record has expanded to an unimaginable degree. Every fight, interview and social media rumbling will live forever in the vast morass of tubes, wires and boxes that rule our lives. The new annals of history are much less exclusive. History was once carefully hand crafted. In the future it will be list after list of blue links, each leading to an unremarkable event, an immense scroll with no caretaker to trim it, to provide it context, to breathe life into the past. In 100 years, moments before the machines we've created to serve kill us all, their humming, spinning hard drives the world's last remaining music, we will be able to pull up Dusty Hernandez-Harrison versus Mike Dallas Jr. and relive it from start to finish.
If one were so inclined.
For Hernandez-Harrison, Friday night against a former contender in Mike Dallas Jr. was supposed to jumpstart his push to the top of the welterweight discussion. Instead, Hernandez-Harrison required some help in the form of a controversial knockdown call in round 8 to secure a split decision draw. He was making a significant leap in competition against Dallas Jr.—a fact that states more about the prospect’s matchmaking thus far than Dallas Jr. as an opponent. Yet in spite of this, he clearly lost the early rounds of the fight and was dropped in the 5th. Managing to escape with only a draw, Hernandez-Harrison was left to offer a rematch to his second tier opponent.
This, friends, is what passes for history in the new age. Remember it fondly.
-The biggest news of the weekend had nothing to do with in ring action, but with the delay and possible cancellation of the WBC Heavyweight Title contest between Deontay Wilder and Alexander Povetkin. With a positive drug test, Povektin’s run gets called into question, a supreme test for Wilder goes out the window, and a lot of money seems to be burnt up along with it. Without a TV deal stateside, Povetkin/Wilder being cancelled seems almost like a plus for Haymon and the PBC. Limbo might be preferable to action in this case.
-Andy Ruiz Jr. is still nowhere near slim, coming in at a robust 248 ½ lbs. But that didn’t seem to matter much against a past-his- prime Ray Austin. Austin was never any great shakes in the ring, but benefited from his loyalty to Don King to the tune of significant fights and even a world title bout against Wladimir Klitschko. At 42, the B-tier fighter seemed to be drifting towards the C's. Ruiz stopped him in 4. Your fun trivia fact: Apparently new UFC champion Stipe Miocic did some boxing training or sparring with Ray Austin somewhere around 6 years ago. Who’d have thought back then that it was Miocic headed for world championship gold?
-Family members of famous boxers had a mixed night of success. Michael Hunter Jr., a former US Amateur champ and son of the late heavyweight contender Mike “The Bounty” Hunter,, beat Isiah Thomas and ran up his undefeated record on Shobox. Aaron Pryor Jr., son of the Hall of Fame “Hawk,” fought to a draw Chicago based 19-1 fighter Mike Jimenez. Finally, Ivan Morales, brother of Erik, lost a fairly wide decision to IBF Bantamweight champ Lee Haskins out in Wales.
-Andrew Tabiti took a step forward in the competitive cruiserweight division Friday night on Shobox. Carlos “Chuko” Diaz and Roberto Marroquin had the fight of the weekend down in Mexico, with Diaz coming out on top and extending his record to 20-0. Saul Rodriguez reached the same milestone, with his KO win over Daulis Prescott headlining over on Solo Boxeo. It's probably way too early to suggest any of these fighters have long, successful careers ahead of them. But if this weekend ends up being one to remember, it will be because of these young winners first and foremost.
Life, in the last 20 years, has changed in unanticipated ways. The internet has changed the way we think about and process the world. Even the hoary old sport of boxing is not immune. Once upon a time "one for the history books" was a phrase that packed a punch. After all, thousands of bouts took place every year, yet only a handful stood the test of time, each one a cultural triumph in some way, outlasting dozens of other worthies to earn a place in our hallowed histories.
Today, the historical record has expanded to an unimaginable degree. Every fight, interview and social media rumbling will live forever in the vast morass of tubes, wires and boxes that rule our lives. The new annals of history are much less exclusive. History was once carefully hand crafted. In the future it will be list after list of blue links, each leading to an unremarkable event, an immense scroll with no caretaker to trim it, to provide it context, to breathe life into the past. In 100 years, moments before the machines we've created to serve kill us all, their humming, spinning hard drives the world's last remaining music, we will be able to pull up Dusty Hernandez-Harrison versus Mike Dallas Jr. and relive it from start to finish.
If one were so inclined.
For Hernandez-Harrison, Friday night against a former contender in Mike Dallas Jr. was supposed to jumpstart his push to the top of the welterweight discussion. Instead, Hernandez-Harrison required some help in the form of a controversial knockdown call in round 8 to secure a split decision draw. He was making a significant leap in competition against Dallas Jr.—a fact that states more about the prospect’s matchmaking thus far than Dallas Jr. as an opponent. Yet in spite of this, he clearly lost the early rounds of the fight and was dropped in the 5th. Managing to escape with only a draw, Hernandez-Harrison was left to offer a rematch to his second tier opponent.
This, friends, is what passes for history in the new age. Remember it fondly.
OTHER NOTES:
-The biggest news of the weekend had nothing to do with in ring action, but with the delay and possible cancellation of the WBC Heavyweight Title contest between Deontay Wilder and Alexander Povetkin. With a positive drug test, Povektin’s run gets called into question, a supreme test for Wilder goes out the window, and a lot of money seems to be burnt up along with it. Without a TV deal stateside, Povetkin/Wilder being cancelled seems almost like a plus for Haymon and the PBC. Limbo might be preferable to action in this case.
-Andy Ruiz Jr. is still nowhere near slim, coming in at a robust 248 ½ lbs. But that didn’t seem to matter much against a past-his- prime Ray Austin. Austin was never any great shakes in the ring, but benefited from his loyalty to Don King to the tune of significant fights and even a world title bout against Wladimir Klitschko. At 42, the B-tier fighter seemed to be drifting towards the C's. Ruiz stopped him in 4. Your fun trivia fact: Apparently new UFC champion Stipe Miocic did some boxing training or sparring with Ray Austin somewhere around 6 years ago. Who’d have thought back then that it was Miocic headed for world championship gold?
-Family members of famous boxers had a mixed night of success. Michael Hunter Jr., a former US Amateur champ and son of the late heavyweight contender Mike “The Bounty” Hunter,, beat Isiah Thomas and ran up his undefeated record on Shobox. Aaron Pryor Jr., son of the Hall of Fame “Hawk,” fought to a draw Chicago based 19-1 fighter Mike Jimenez. Finally, Ivan Morales, brother of Erik, lost a fairly wide decision to IBF Bantamweight champ Lee Haskins out in Wales.
-Andrew Tabiti took a step forward in the competitive cruiserweight division Friday night on Shobox. Carlos “Chuko” Diaz and Roberto Marroquin had the fight of the weekend down in Mexico, with Diaz coming out on top and extending his record to 20-0. Saul Rodriguez reached the same milestone, with his KO win over Daulis Prescott headlining over on Solo Boxeo. It's probably way too early to suggest any of these fighters have long, successful careers ahead of them. But if this weekend ends up being one to remember, it will be because of these young winners first and foremost.