Author: ringgngrdio2018

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Forgotten Fades: Merqui Sosa vs Prince Charles Williams 1 & 2

In my boxing lifetime, the best fight that I have ever watched is Diego Corrales vs Jose Luis Castillo I.  That fight was 10 rounds of unbelievable ebb and flow with a finish not even a rocky movie could do justice.  However, the point of this article series isto focus on the classic wars that do not get the attention that they rightfully deserve.  Corrales-Castillo has receivedmore than enough adulation and praise from all areas of the boxing world.  The first fight that I thought of that was so underrated and in need of a spotlight was Merqui Sosa vs Prince Charles Williams.  To me their 2 fights were the most violent that I have ever seen at light heavyweight

Merqui Sosa was a tough hard punching fighter from the Dominican Republic who operated from 160 to 175.  He had been in the ring with some of the boxing best of the time: James Toney, Michael Nunn, and Frankie Liles.  In fact he had come very close to handing toJ ames Toney his first career loss in an unsuccessful bid for the IBF Middleweight title.  Prince Charles Williams, a pro since 1978, was looking to regain some career momentum coming off an almost 6 year title reign as IBF Light Heavyweight Champion.

 The first fight, held on 1/13/1995,is one of the most savage fights ever seen at the time.  There were very few clinches in this phone booth war.  Absolutely mind numbing ebb and flow.  Blood and sweat flying everywhere. The punishment doled out by both men was incredible.   To watch this as it played out it had the feel that that someone needed to save these 2 warriors from themselves.  After the 7th round, referee Ron Lipton and the ringside doctor stepped in and stopped the fight.   What made this stoppage unique is that they ruled that both men were unable to continue.   Sosa had a possible broken cheekbone while Prince Charles had a nasty cut around his eye. The result was an extremely rare double TKO which was ruled official asa technical draw.  The scorecards though showed that Sosa was up significantly on all 3 judges’ cards, something that didn’t sit right with Sosa.

Now after a fight like that one would think that a significant time off for rest and recovery would be the movefor both fighters.  Instead a rematch wassigned and took place only a mere 5 months on 6/30/1995 after that fight.  Both men picked up where they left off in an even more savage slugfest.  However the judges were not needed this time around. At the beginning of the 10th round, the tank went zero all ofa sudden for Prince Charles.  Prince Charles got hit with a right hand that had him out on his feet in a corner.   Sosa then ripped off a murderous left uppercut, overhand right, left hook, and right hook combination that had Prince Charles swaying helplessly in the corner.  The referee, John Carroll, incredulously issued a standing 8 count instead of stopping the fight like it needed tobe.  It took some missteps from Prince Charles for him to officially bring an end to the fight giving Sosa arguably his career best win.

The aftermath of this fight was not pretty.  Prince Charles was carried out of the ring on a stretcher while a visibly emotional Sosa was on the verge of tears in the post-fight interview concerned about his condition.  His skills completely faded after these 2 wars,Prince Charles would fight and win one more low level fight a year after and retire in 1996.  Merqui would soldier on until 2000 going 9 and 5 in his final 14 fights but never really regaining the brief world class form he had as the wars added up.  You never hear these 2 fighters mentioned much less these series of fights or for that matter any of their fights. If you’re a boxing fan check these fights out, you will not be disappointed.

Written by PatScorpio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qDMbZhu-JM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcT_SElJBks&feature=youtu.be
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A Tale of Two Fights

A new take on the age old argument in boxing about taking the title away from the champion in order to win the belt.  Written by Shutterworth

A Tale of Two Fights

This world we live in is filled with extremes and opposites and boxing deeply reflects that. One of the oldest sayings in the sport of boxing is that you must take the title away from the defending champion if you want to win. I know there’s some who disagree with this premise since it can subtly imply that you’re giving the champion the benefit of the doubt during close rounds. Another interpretation of the old saying is that boxing your opponent simply isn’t good enough. Those that agree with the old saying probably imagine the contender climbing the summit of his strength in a Rocky like performance to batter the champion defenseless in a title winning effort. Of course, that epic visual looks a lot more dramatic than someone calmly boxing on his backfoot without a care in the world. Although both sides have an argument, neither can come to a common ground for this ageless debate.

I feel the true answer to this passionate subject lies somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. When you break down the two major strengths of each ideology you’re left with composure and effort. The spirit of the underdog is composure. Knowing how to stick to your game plan amidst adversity is to believe in your boxing. You understand that if you work behind your jab, that more opportunities will come. Winning the title is only a matter of time. Those that disagree with the whole you must take the title away from the champ saying would probably agree with my composure breakdown. On the other hand, we have effort which is the foundation of every action including fighting. Those famous boxing movie scenes where the underdog beats the odds all have one thing in common. Each fighter exerts herculean effort in their performance. We might overlook the inner composure the boxer is showing while implementing their strategy because we’re too busy being impressed by their grit and determination. Sometimes we might give the lack of skill a subconscious pass due to seeing effort and hustle become successful. Composure resides on the boxing side of the spectrum while effort lies on the fighting side of the spectrum. Most boxing fans due to their individual preference, subconsciously choose a side of the spectrum and proceed to view a championship fight in that way.

There shouldn’t be a separation between composure an effort. Both are at their best when they reinforce the other. Sound boxing is nice on its own, but if the effort behind the approach is passive, you’re going to end up not getting the most out of your skills. Too often have we seen a skilled challenger let a fight that was up for grabs go to the champion because they failed to take the initiative and attack more. Good effort can be impressive, but the notion wears off if there aren’t enough skills to back that effort. I’m positive the reader has seen a fight where the challenger hurls haymaker after haymaker for twelve rounds in a valiant effort that was unfortunately void of any adjustment which would have made those wild punches land more effectively. With all the pressure that comes along with preparing for a world title shot, is it too much to ask of a boxer, to expect them to stay composed during adversity while giving maximum effort in the implementation of their strategy?

Boxing is a battle of doubles. There are two boxers along with two opposing strategies fueled by two different ideologies. With that said, there should only be one way you should view the fight. That view is the one that sees which boxer displays the better more consistent combination of composure an effort. The champion doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt for not looking too bad and the challenger doesn’t get rewarded for having a few bright moments. There’s no preconceived notions of what each boxer should do to fulfill your personal preference. Its just two boxers fighting for their own truths.

Written by Shutterworth the Goat Artist

published on RingGangRadio.com on November 28, 2018