by James Slater – Some people thought Chris Arreola, who fought and beat Brian Minto this past Saturday night, was making two mistakes going into the bout. They felt, one, he was coming back to the ring too soon after the tenth-round retirement loss he’d suffered at the hands of WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko and, two, they felt he’d weighed-in at too hefty a weight at a career high 263-pounds. Both concerns were proven to have been unnecessary, as Arreola fought well, fought at a high pace and took care of the gutsy Minto inside four action-packed rounds.
Say what you want about “The Nightmare,” who is now 29-1(25), but he remains one of the heavyweight division’s most exciting fighters and his fights are almost always fun to watch. The Minto fight, which featured plenty of punches being thrown from both sides before the 4th-round TKO that was scored by the 28-year-old, was a classic example. Arreola loves to fight, he has a great chin that can soak up whatever comes his way, and he has naturally heavy-handed punching power that has so far got the job done against all comers apart from the iron-chinned “Dr Iron Fist..”
Value for money is something the Mexican/America slugger provides, and his approach – very much not of the Fancy-Dan variety – entertains those fans who enjoy seeing good, old fashioned heavyweight battles. And now that he’s proven he has suffered no ill effects from the Klitschko loss that came on September 26th, Arreola’s fans can look forward to more fun fights from their hero.
Doubtless the same old broken record about Arreola’s weight will continue to be heard, but Arreola’s poundage has not once prevented him from throwing plenty of punches per round in any fight (Arreola’s punch output was not up to scratch in the Klitschko fight, granted, but that was more to do with his inability to get anything going and land shots on the defensively-proficient and technically superb giant – not due to fading energy or stamina). As long as Arreola comes into the ring and is able to fight and fight hard for as long as is needed for him to get the job done; what’s the problem?
It will be interesting to see when Arreola fights next, and who against. Fighting less than three months after the first loss of his career, as he just has, shows us how serious he is about his quest to become the heavyweight champion, so it’s a good bet Arreola will be back before spring. There are a number of potentially thrilling fights that could be made for the man from Riverside, CA. Often Arreola’s name has been mentioned alongside that of fellow power-puncher David Tua. How awesome would that fight be? Or how about Arreola Vs. WBA heavyweight champ David Haye? Though Haye appears to be on a different path right now, that fight, too, is one worth hoping for.
Rest assured, whoever Arreola fights in 2010 and beyond, it will be exciting. “The Nightmare” simply knows no other way to approach his business!
As for the incredibly brave Minto, reports suggest he is now considering a drop down to cruiserweight – but only if the big fights can be made for him at 200-pounds. Minto did say he will concentrate on fighting guys who are “his own size” in 2010, and that’s smart. As gutsy as he was and as determined and as aggressive as he was against Arreola, Minto’s best punches merely bounced off the big guy’s head and jaw.
Here’s an idea for Minto; how about testing Tomasz Adamek, as he campaigns at heavyweight? Providing “Goral” can get past the talented Jason Estrada first, Adamek-Minto would be a very interesting fight.