Martinez leading the Williams race, Arreola will return on Dec. 5

by SC on Oct 23, 2009 11:35 AM EDT in News Comment 16 comments

Cristobal Arreola will return to the ring on December 5. Sadly, his opponent won't be veteran slugger David Tua. (Photo via www.mightygloves.com)

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Cristobal Arreola will make a quick return to the ring after his September 26 thrashing at the hands of Vitali Klitschko, as it's been confirmed he'll be part of the re-shuffled December 5 HBO card, reports Rick Reeno. Reeno also says that junior middleweight titlist Sergio Martinez is leading the race to land the main event fight with Paul Williams on that night.

While Williams-Martinez could be a very interesting fight, with two tall southpaws matching wits and clashing styles, let's focus right now on Arreola. As expected, Reeno says the chances that Arreola will fight David Tua are slim. Tua made $500,000 for his New Zealand fight with Shane Cameron, and he wouldn't be able to get near that for a fight with Arreola as an HBO co-feature. While it could be a hell of a fight, it's just not a sound economic choice for Tua or the promotion, probably.

Brick mentioned in a thread yesterday that Goossen Tutor could look in-house for an Arreola opponent, which would offer up James Toney, Tony Thompson, Malik Scott and Manuel Quezada as possibilities. I think there's a genuinely good chance Arreola loses to Toney or Thompson, and I think he probably steamrolls Quezada or Scott. Lucky for Arreola, Toney would probably balk at an "opponent's purse," just as Tua would, because in his strange world, James remains a top contender and some sort of draw. Scott has built up a 32-0 record while never jumping in competition, really, and at least you could put that sparkling "0" up there and make it look good. Quezada would probably at least give Arreola a scrap. Thompson, who is tall, tricky, and old, lost to Wladimir Klitschko in 2008 and has little upside; I hesitate to believe Goossen Tutor would give Arreola that kind of a fight if they could avoid it.

But I'm glad we're going to see Arreola back in action so quickly. He took the loss to Vitali hard, but he also immediately said he'd be back, and he seemed quite genuine about that. Turning around and getting back in the ring in a little over two months time shows he's ready to get back in position.

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Arreola vs " Don't be surprised"

It would be good to see Tua back in action in the states. Arreola and Toney would be exciting also but Arreola would get schooled to some degree but learn a thing or two. Toney is still a slick fighter at his age. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if Toney decides to take the fight. No one is really knocking down his door or calling him out but people know about the work that he is capable of putting in. Besides it’s away for the Heavy weight division to stay active. I’m thinking that maybe before it’s all said and done their will be a couple heavy weights coming out of the wood work trying to get that fight against Arreola because he is a heavy weight name that is being thrown around the division particularly in the top 10, despite the loss against one of the " ROBOT BROTHERS" .

by Haans Bishop on Oct 23, 2009 12:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Toney and Arreola are good buddies

So that might come into play as well.

Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."

by Brickhaus on Oct 23, 2009 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

James Toney looked pretty slow in his last fight. Arreola would be able to outwork him.

by Polish Rifle on Oct 23, 2009 12:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Toney deserved to lose to Fres Oquendo last year too, and didn’t. Some people (judges) are still in love with the illusion of great defense he presents. I think he’s still a pretty good defensive fighter, but he’s not the ring genius he was at his best.

Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes

by SC on Oct 23, 2009 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm rooting for Arreola

to get things back in order, maybe lose a few more pounds, tweek his game slightly, etc. He’s still pretty young, right? So couldn’t he be one of those heavyweights to get a name for himself after the Klitschkos move on?

"Gowin on fourth and 14 will punt it away. He hangs it very high, angling it for the near sideline...HAKIM DROPS THE BALL!!! HAKIM DROPS THE BALL!! Brian Milne might've fallen on it at the ten yard line! It's the New Orleans Saints' football! Brian Milne, the most unlikely hero of them all, falls on the fumble, the muff by Hakim! There is a God after all!" -- Jim Henderson

by hakimdropstheball on Oct 23, 2009 12:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

There’s no reason other than his own bad decisions that Arreola won’t be a star in the division for years. He has good boxing skills when he uses them, genuine power, and he’s got the guts.

Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes

by SC on Oct 23, 2009 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

id like to see toney and arreola. however, if arreola has any sense left in his big ass head, he would avoid james toney at all costs. toney schools him pretty easily over 10 rounds.

@mikefareri on twitter.

by sonofapsycho on Oct 23, 2009 12:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I doubt it

Toney doesn’t throw enough these days to do so, and his reflexes are shot. His body movement is all just by the numbers now, not to actually avoid punches he sees coming. If Arreola just comes forward and throws, he’d probably win.

Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."

by Brickhaus on Oct 23, 2009 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Toney can't even school Fres Oquendo anymore

Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes

by SC on Oct 23, 2009 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tua was the guy I wanted to see. I just read a report that Tua would demand big money.

However, check this article about Tua’s New Zealand TV deal:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/television/news/article.cfm?c_id=339&objectid=10598994

The article exlains how Tua is tied down to a Maori TV station on small money; that the financial constraints of that deal prohibit him fighting decent opponents in NZ; and that for decent pay days he’ll have to fight abroad.

If money is the excuse for not making Arreola vs Tua, something doesn’t add up.

by Falstaff on Oct 23, 2009 1:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Also

Tua just won a lawsuit against his former managers a few days ago, so it should be easier for him to make fights now. I think Goosen would like to make a Tua fight IF it means he makes more money than he would having Arreola fight one of his own guys. But Tua may very well negotiate himself out from that. There’s a reason so many of his fights fall through.

Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."

by Brickhaus on Oct 23, 2009 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can’t help rooting for Tua. I suppose it involves tricking myself into forgetting some of his less memorable fights, but when the prospect of Arreola vs Tua came up, it did get my blood pumping. But I suppose deep down I knew it’d never happen.

by Falstaff on Oct 23, 2009 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Such as?

Boxing is the beginning of all sports. I'm willing to bet that the first sport was a man against another man in a fight. (Omar Epps)

by Chaos100 on Oct 23, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He thinks he’s worth more money than he actually is.

Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes

by SC on Oct 23, 2009 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Martinez is happy that someone isn’t a pussy…

"Boxing is dirty," said Casamayor. " The day I’m not ready to be a dirty fighter is the day I don’t fight anymore because it will mean that I have no heart for it anymore."

by Zocalo on Oct 23, 2009 5:22 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs