IBR on The Cruelest Sport

“It is certainly an event—only a fool would deny that. Miguel Cotto’s challenge of Sergio Martinez Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York is more than a fight for the middleweight crown, it is a veritable pageant. In a world where “celebrity” qualifies as a vocation, star power goes a long way. And in a sport where the best fighters treat each other like magnets of like charge, this matchup of proven headliners is a rarity, even on pay-per-view. Yes, Cotto-Martinez is most certainly an event. But is it a fight?”

Read Blood Pageant: Miguel Cotto-Sergio Martinez Preview on The Cruelest Sport.

IBR on The Cruelest Sport

“Groves promised to meet Froch in the center of the ring, win the battle of the jab, and crack him with two right hands; two being sufficient proof he would land any number at will. Groves kept his word, punctuating a prophetic first round with a right hand that showed Froch the other side. It was an auspicious start for Groves: he understood his opponent, understood himself, and most importantly, understood what friction would transpire between the two. Keeping his own promise, one inherent in his own insolence, Froch came to and stopped Groves eight rounds later. Their sudden history has bound these men since then.”

Read No Better Path: Carl Froch-George Groves Preview on The Cruelest Sport.

IBR on The Cruelest Sport

“Perhaps no professional sport places more emphasis on recent history than boxing, where general inactivity makes last impressions lasting. Adonis Stevenson, who won a unanimous decision over Andrzej Fonfara at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, last night, is the latest example of this phenomenon. Stevenson’s career is in many ways a sprint to separate his years in a criminal flesh trade from his years in a legal one. His success in this endeavor has nothing to do with contrition or atonement, of course, but in giving the public the fights it wants to see. Which is not to say Stevenson’s past does not remain on peoples’ lips.”

Read The Flesh Trade: Adonis Stevenson W12 Andrzej Fonfara on The Cruelest Sport.