I don’t know about you, but it sure seems to this boxing fan that the lower-weight warriors- the little giants, if you like- are pretty much dominating the sport right now. At least as far as supreme skills are shown, as far as fights are the best vs. the best. And as far as dynamite performances and finishing ability is concerned.
One look at the awesomeness of the Japanese ring stars currently operating at either flyweight, bantamweight, or super bantamweight, lets a fan know that the lower divisions is the place to be if one hopes to catch some great stuff. Sure, there are still some superb bigger men of the sport who are either leaving bodies in their wake or putting on soul-taking, mesmerising showings. But by and large (but not too large in terms of body type or physical stature), the little guys are today’s kings.
This brings us to Oscar Collazo..The sizzlingly skilled southpaw from Puerto Rico is going from strength to strength, from hugely impressive win to hugely impressive win. And, as is quite rare for a “little man,” Collazo has scored KO after KO.
The 28-year-old is currently 12-0(9), this after his latest violent, supreme, and smooth display of, well, of violence. On Saturday, Collazo (who was named Oscar by his parents due to their fondness of and their admiration for Oscar De Hoya) took down a good fighter in Mexico, this as he stopped Edwin Cano Hernandez.
Collazo, as cool, calm, and patiently calculated as he is crammed with wicked punching power, let loose to both head and body as he sucked all the fight out of fellow lefty Hernandez, the end coming in round five, with Collazo again retaining his WBA, WBO and Ring Magazine minimumweight titles. Collazo has now stopped five of his last six foes.
But as special as Collazo is – as in, he absolutely has to be on anyone’s pound-for-pound list – this remarkable fighter is as humble as can be imagined.
“I demonstrated power and physicality,” a victorious Collazo said after his latest win. “I did OK. I still have a lot to learn. ”
As incredible as he has looked thus far in his pro career, it’s frightening to think how much more Collazo can learn and how much better he can become. Right now, though he would never say it himself, Oscar Collazo just might well be the best lower weight fighter in the world today.
Next up may be a homecoming in Puerto Rico (and already, Collazo has made history, this by becoming the quickest ever world champion from that great island) – and after that, well, global domination will come, surely!
The only downside as far as Collazo goes is, what a crying shame it is that he is not the same weight as current fellow stars who have the surnames, Inoue, Nakatani, Teraji.
As it is, Collazo is not only greatness personified, but he is also a heck of a fun fighter to watch. Every single time out.
