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Ever since Chris Arreola beat the daylights out of Chazz Witherspoon on June 21 in Memphis, there has been a burning question in the mind of yours truly: When was the last time we saw a heavyweight stay as busy as Arreola?
I can't remember.
Arreola doesn't just throw a lot of punches. They are all with bad intentions. There are no soft ones just to keep active. He unleashes scores of mean punches, period. We're talking almost nonstop punching action, and that is very rare with the big boys.
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| Chris Arreola has the multiple-punch mentality of lighter boxers. (Getty Images) |
Witherspoon was disqualified when his corner came into the ring too soon at the end of the third round after he had been dropped. But Witherspoon had taken a savage beating in that round. It's doubtful he expected to be blanketed with the type of assault Arreola put on him.
Arreola and his promoter, Dan Goossen, played host to a media luncheon Tuesday at a Mexican restaurant in Sherman Oaks, Calif., just outside Los Angeles. We couldn't make the gig because of another assignment, but we got Goossen on the phone later in the evening.
The topics of discussion ranged from Goossen's impression of his top-10 heavyweight, as well as the future of the 27-year-old Arreola. Goossen said he was not surprised at the way Arreola took apart a fellow undefeated fighter like Witherspoon. But apparently some might have been.
"I said to Chris when we made the fight that I believed he would overwhelm him," Goossen said. "But the closer we got to the fight, what was amazing was how many of the boxing wise guys were telling me that it was a much tougher fight and that a lot of people were picking Witherspoon to win."
Goossen almost couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"I was kind of shocked at that," he said. "Even if you're a boxer and a mover, eventually someone like Chris is going to catch up with you."
Arreola, of Riverside via Los Angeles, is trying to become the first fighter of Mexican heritage to win a heavyweight world title. Arreola is very passionate about reaching this goal, and it shows in his fight-by-fight improvement.
"He has matured so much with his abilities," Goossen said. "He is a much better fighter than people give him credit for. He swarms you, so people think he is a brawler. But he is much better than that.
"What he has mastered is throwing combinations to the head and body with tremendous effect, and that showed in this fight. He is constantly throwing a punch in someone's vicinity."
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Before the victory over Witherspoon, Goossen said it was possible Arreola's next fight would be against former contender David Tua. But Goossen on Tuesday was told of a conversation we had with Richard Schaefer just days before Arreola's eye-opening showing.
Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, said he would consider putting David Haye in with the winner of Arreola-Witherspoon. Haye was recently signed by Golden Boy. He won three belts at cruiserweight, but has moved up to heavyweight.
Interestingly, Haye (21-1, 20 KOs) also throws a lot of vicious punches. Arreola-Haye would be a much more intriguing fight than Arreola-Tua. Much more exciting, too.
"Any of those types of fights are always attractive," Goossen said when asked about Haye. "I heard a little bit of scuttlebutt about that, but my David Haye phone line has not been ringing off the hook."
Goossen said Arreola mentioned the names of champions Sam Peter and Wladimir Klitschko at Tuesday's event. But before Arreola's destruction of Witherspoon, Goossen said he probably wouldn't put Arreola (24-0, 21 KOs) into his first title fight for another four to six fights. Goossen said that mid-to-late 2009 was realistic.
"We want the type of fights that keep on establishing Chris as the preeminent young heavyweight," Goossen said.
Notes
Minutes before Manny Pacquiao walked into Saturday's post-fight news conference at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, we had a quick chat with promoter Bob Arum:
• Arum was asked about the possibility of Pacquiao -- who destroyed David Diaz via a ninth-round TKO -- fighting Ricky Hatton in the fall. Arum responded by saying that Hatton was going to fight Paul Malignaggi in November.
Arum, however, was reminded that Hatton-Malignaggi has yet to be made. Arum said he knew that, but that he was not about to ruin Malignaggi's chance at a big fight with Hatton by going to Schaefer with a proposal for Pacquiao-Hatton. Hatton is promoted by Golden Boy.
Arum went on to say he likes Malignaggi too much to ruin that for him. Thus, Arum said, if a fight between Pacquiao and Hatton is to take place, it would not be until next year.
• There were a lot of beautiful Filipinas at Saturday's fight, no doubt there to root on Pacquiao. But the best-looking Filipina -- at least to these eyes -- was walking arm-and-arm with Nonito Donaire in the media center at Mandalay Bay. Yes, Donaire, also of the Philippines, has a drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend. We're not just talking fine, but super fine.
If Donaire, a flyweight world champion, suddenly starts to decline, we'll know why. How does one abstain from physical relations during training when he is dating someone who looks like this girl?
• On a more somber note, Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times said he saw Tanya Diaz after her husband was viciously beaten by Pacquiao. Dwyre said Diaz, also beautiful, did not look good at all after the fight. I had the pleasure of speaking with Tanya a few days before the fight, and she is a very nice gal. Here's hoping she's feeling better about now.
