IBR on The Cruelest Sport

It was a gesture that revealed the bond between the two men: with a microphone in his face, trainer Virgil Hunter argued that his fighter, Alfredo Angulo, was indeed coming on at the time of the stoppage, and he called on the crowd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, to support him, if not to strengthen his claim, than to console a beaten man, to help Angulo preserve his reputation and the confidence he draws from it. And it was a gesture sorely needed, because junior middleweight Saul Alvarez had just put the finishing touches on a one-sided thrashing of Angulo that culminated in a tenth-round TKO.

Read Rate of Decline: Saul Alvarez TKO10 Alfredo Angulo on The Cruelest Sport.

IBR on The Cruelest Sport

“With two Olympic gold medals and a staggering amateur record of 396-1, Lomachenko—along with his team and promoter Top Rank—believed he had the polish and savvy to the surmount the rugged nuance of the aging Salido. Seven years younger than his opponent, and with far fewer miles on his body, Lomachenko, Marina Del Ray, California, via Ukraine, was expected to exploit his glaring advantages in speed and athleticism. And he did just that, in spurts of varying duration. But unlike the Olympics, where the spirit of friendly global competition is at least supposed to pervade, and unlike the amateurs, where prizes not purses are awarded, the professional ranks are a cutthroat racket filled with men grasping at whatever chances are within reach—and the best of these men die hard. Lomachenko had undoubtedly learned much in his amateur career, but Salido would teach him about desperation.”

Read Desperate Measures: Orlando Salido W12 Vasyl Lomachenko on The Cruelest Sport.

IBR on The Cruelest Sport

If you can believe him, he is training harder than ever. He tells you that the goal is to make the judges superfluous, since he has less faith in their powers of perception than in his own ability to shape reality. And while it is obvious to him that he was deserving of the nod in his last fight, he relishes the opportunity to repeat his victory on Saturday night at the Alamadome in San Antonio, Texas.

Would you believe those words if they were about Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.? Or would you believe those words if they were about Bryan Vera? Both Chavez and Vera have expressed sentiments that fit that narrative, and both are looking for greater satisfaction than they reaped in their first fight, a ten-round dust-up last September. Chavez, 47-1-1 (32), was awarded the victory that night (a verdict less ridiculous than the scores that secured it); outrage ensued, and a rematch was negotiated.

Read Mulligan Stew: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.-Bryan Vera Preview on The Cruelest Sport.