I’m Lightweight Confused
By Eddie Sanchez
Boxing’s Lightweight Division has been the talk of the town for years. Former champ Vasiliy Lomachenko was one of the most respected in the fight-game, and once he lost to Teofimo Lopez, there were talks about the new era, which was said to eventually rival the historic Four Kings. It seemed that his loss was the birth of new excitement in a division that’s one of the most historic in the sport.
Since that time, reality has struck. Teofimo Lopez lost his belts to George Kambosos Jr., Ryan Garcia has been MIA and Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis put out uninspiring efforts in their latest victories. It seems the new car smell has worn off, and while there is still considerable talent, the now hyperbolic expectations have teetered a bit.
Teofimo Lopez’s loss was very disappointing when you consider the amount of noise that was coming out of his and his father/trainer’s mouth since defeating Lomachenko. Media personnel, most notably from ESPN, were hailing him as the next huge star. While there is nothing wrong with losing, and I would go as far as saying that I’d rather see a loss in a competitive fight than have one cherrypick their way to an undefeated record, it’s the way he lost that was most disappointing.
Teo felt George’s power immediately. He went down in round one and you could get a sense that it panicked him. He eventually got under some control and gained composure. He returned the favor later in the fight, but when the moments mattered most, Kambosos stood firm and met Teo’s power and pressure adequately. It’s likely that Teo makes a move to 140 pounds, which is probably best for his body at this stage of his career.
Devin Haney won a wide decision against Joseph Diaz a short time later. This was a rather uneventful fight, but offer Devin the opportunity to callout the newly crowned George Kambosos Jr. If that unification takes place, all will be forgiven from the Haney camp, but if the trend of him fighting weak competition continues, it’s likely that interest will fall.
Similarly, Gervonta Davis, arguably the biggest star in the division, won a decision against the game Isaac Cruz. This matchup was promoted as a showcase, which respectfully came about as a short-notice replacement opponent. Isaac was no showcase opponent however, he brought the pressure to Gervonta and did not back down from his flurries. This was only the second time an opponent had taken him the distance. An argument could be made that this disappointing matchup could lead others to be more interested in facing him, but given that Floyd manages with extreme caution, I wouldn’t hold your breathe.
Lastly, the Ryan Garcia situation, and yes it is a situation, is perplexing. Twice he had fights announced and had the promotional wheels turning. Twice they were cancelled. One was due to injury and the other was sighted for not being mentally ready to compete. Maintaining one’s mental health is important, but there are members close to him who have cited their concerns about his dedication separately. Canelo Alvarez, the number one P4P fighter and mentor to Ryan Garcia shared the following in early November, “Look, Ryan has a lot of talent. But to me in my eyes, he’s wasting a lot of time and wasting his talent,” Alvarez told Complex. “I look at him and don’t see him 100 percent dedicated and, to us, that’s a bad signal.”
Whether Canelo’s concerns are true or not, the fact is that his concerns are felt within the boxing community and have in some ways affected his marketability. He has been collaborating with influencers less on social media and has been inactive in general as of late. He is VERY young, so he has plenty of time to rededicate himself, but when you look at the landscape of the division and see that it is as wide open as ever, these are concerns that one should not embody.
Boxing, like life, is confusing. Just when you think you have everything figured out and have the net few years mapped out, reality checks in and books a stay that has no immediate end in sight. 2022 will be an interesting year — hopefully it is one that provides clarity throughout the division.
In the meantime, Vasiliy Lomachenko will look to reassert himself in the heart of the lightweight argument against Richard Commey on ESPN this Saturday, December 11. Tune in!
