By Joe Harrison
Now that the year 2007 has come to an end, it will likely be remembered as the year of
redemption for the sport of professional boxing. Names such as Floyd Mayweather Jr,
Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquiao, and Kelly Pavlik helped keep boxing alive with their
superb skills and exciting battles. It appears that 2008 is looking to be another big year
for the sweet science as it continues its climb back into the spotlight. As boxing
continues to redeem itself from the past few years of mediocrity, there are others
looking toward redemption as well. Two of these individuals are heavyweight boxers
from Chicago, Andrew Golota and Mike Mollo, who will face each other on the undercard
of the Jones/Trinidad Pay-per-view on January 19th at Madison Square Garden in New
York. It is hard to believe that Andrew Golota (40-6-1, 33 KOs) will turn 40 years old on
January 5th. It was only on June 5th of ’07 that Golota made his return from a two-year
hiatus to score a 2nd-round stoppage of Jeremy Bates in Poland. Even more
impressive, Golota fought again on October 6th at the Madison Square Garden in New
York, scoring a 6th-round technical knockout over Mike Tyson-conqueror Kevin McBride.
Despite finding himself in trouble during the first round against McBride, Golota was able
to fight back and eventually battered McBride enough to convince Referee Arthur
Mercante Jr. that it was time to save McBride by waving off the bout.
Surviving that first round against McBride was a significant moment in the career of
Andrew Golota. Many times in the past, fans have witnessed Golota break-down during
any high-pressure moments in a boxing match. Such as in 1996, when Golota had
difficulty stopping Riddick Bowe, his frustration turned into low blows, causing a
disqualification even as he was winning on the scorecards. This result repeated itself in
the Golota/Bowe rematch, when Golota was disqualified for low blows, even though he
was on the verge of winning by decision.
The saga of disappointments continued for Golota. In 1999, Golota refused to continue
in a match-up with Michael Grant after rising from a knockdown in the 10th round, a bout
that Golota was still winning. One year later, Golota quit during another bout. After having
difficulty dealing with the aggression of Mike Tyson for two rounds, Golota refused to
return for the third round and left the ring for his dressing room.
Finally, after failing to win a title against Chris Byrd and John Ruiz, Golota was given a
third consecutive title-shot against Lamon Brewster in 2005. Not only was Golota a
betting favorite to defeat Brewster, but the fight would take place in his hometown of
Chicago, Illinois at the United Center. This is where the ultimate disappointment took
place. Golota was knocked down three times before the bout was called off 53 seconds
into the first round.
Indeed, Golota is looking for redemption. Surviving that first round against Kevin
McBride last October was definitely a good sign. Golota fans are not used to seeing him
overcome pressure during a battle, and it may be a sign that this Polish heavyweight has
finally matured as a professional boxer. Whether or not he can survive the wrath of Mollo
remains to be seen.
On paper, Golota appears to be the perfect opponent for Mike Mollo (19-1, 12 KOs).
Golota has always struggled against big punchers such as Mike Tyson, Lamon Brewster,
and Lennox Lewis. That is exactly what Mike Mollo is, a big puncher. A victory over a
well-known boxer such as Golota is precisely what Mollo needs, for Mollo has something
to prove to his critics as well.
It was a huge step up in competition for Mollo when he was matched up against former
title-contender DaVarryl Williamson in 2006. Some said Mollo was being moved up too
quickly. Others knew of Williamson’s reputation for having a week chin, and it was only a
matter of landing that big punch. That big punch did not land, and the fight ended in a 4th-
round technical knockout of Mollo.
Since his first and only loss, Mollo has been a very busy and determined boxer. He is on
a four-fight winning streak, including a knockout over the 305-pound Willie Walker, 25
seconds into the first round. He also scored 2nd-round TKO’s over both Art Binkowski
and another familiar name, Kevin McBride. It was after his victory over McBride when
Mollo called out Golota, and the match was made shortly afterwards.
If Mollo can get a victory over Golota, it will be easier for his critics to forget about the
Williamson bout and see how he handles other high-profile opponents in the division. If
Golota can defeat Mollo, it is unlikely that it will help him much in the rankings. On the
other hand, it would show that we may have a new Golota among us, not the Golota who
we have seen quit, get disqualified or knocked out repeatedly.
Whether the victor is Mollo or Golota, today’s top heavyweights may have a large threat
among them. This is good for a division that could use a little extra spice. Certainly, the
Golota/Mollo bout is a wonderful appetizer for what the heavyweights have to offer in
2008. Of course, adding flavor to the heavyweight division is adding flavor to boxing. So
not only will the winner of Mollo and Golota be closer to redemption, but the sport of
boxing could be another step closer to redeeming itself as well.
