Wright Is Always Wrong Guy to Fight

First he couldn’t get fights because few knew who he was. Then he couldn’t get fights because opponents knew all too well who Winky Wright was.

He had a style that could make polished boxers look awkward and seethe with frustration. With his gloves plastered against his ears and his elbows tightly covering his ribs, Wright has the most impenetrable defense in boxing.

And out of that tightly wound shell erupts perhaps the best jab in the sport, an arm pumping like a piston, the gloved fist pounding an opponent’s face. Despite all that, however, the boxing world finally came to Wright. Because the only thing worse than a fighter who can hurt an opponent physically is one who can hurt him financially.

In an era when many recent big-name fighters are in retirement, Wright has emerged as a marketable attraction. He’s not yet able to carry a pay-per-view show by himself, but he certainly can carry a fight to a meaningful opponent.

He proved his worth in beating Shane Mosley -- twice. And he propelled himself to the top echelon of the best pound-for-pound list with a dominating performance over Felix Trinidad in May. Trinidad made Wright (49-3, 25 knockouts) look good by inexplicably standing in front of him for 12 rounds, serving as a human punching bag for that devastating jab.

At last, Wright’s phone started ringing. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was willing to move up from 140 pounds and leapfrog 147 to fight Wright at 154. At least that’s what Mayweather claimed he would do. When it came to discussing the split of a purse, however, the sides weren’t willing to compromise.

Undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins was also ready to fight Wright, perhaps as the grand climax to his 18-year ring career. First, though, Hopkins had to beat this kid named Jermain Taylor.

When Hopkins lost a split decision to Taylor in July, the look of shock and dismay on Hopkins’ face was mirrored by Wright, seated ringside.

Hopkins signed for a quick rematch with Taylor, with the possibility of Wright for Hopkins’ grand farewell still out there. But last week at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center, Taylor again beat Hopkins, this time on a unanimous decision.

Hopkins, who will turn 41 next month, may still have a final fight, but the logical big-money match now is Taylor versus Wright. Wright is certainly in a position to expect that as the No. 1 middleweight contender of both the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Assn.

So why is he fighting Sam Soliman (31-7, 12) tonight (HBO, 7 p.m.) at the Mohegan Sun resort in Uncasville, Conn.?

Taylor wants to enjoy his title as undisputed middleweight champion for at least a brief while, according to his promoter, Lou DiBella, and perhaps first take a fight against a lesser opponent in Taylor’s home state of Arkansas before stepping back into the pressure cooker against a world-class fighter.

In other words, take a stiff break.

So in the meantime, Wright is fighting Soliman, the No. 1 middleweight contender of the International Boxing Federation, whose 160-pound title is vacant.

Soliman is relatively unknown outside his native Australia. Wright can identify.

“I know how Sam feels about trying to get a big fight and no one would give it to him because I was in that same predicament,” Wright said.

“I need a fight that can get me excited. ... I can’t lie. It’s not the same fighting Sam as fighting Tito Trinidad, but Sam is the No. 1 contender.”

That’s the kind of fighter who once avoided Wright with all the moves he could muster outside the ring. But there is no avoiding Winky Wright these days.

As Taylor will ultimately realize.

Tough Sell

HBO executive Ross Greenburg said last week that his cable network wanted to expand its boxing lineup and bring back some of the fights that now go to pay-per-view outlets both within his company and elsewhere.

Good luck.

Trying to sell big-name fighters on HBO rather than pay-per-view is like trying to sell major league baseball players on a salary cap.

Case in point: the Feb. 25 pay-per-view match between Mosley and Fernando Vargas at Mandalay Bay.

This would be perfect for HBO, two guys with intriguing story lines on comeback trails, two guys in need of wide exposure to show the boxing public that they still retain enough skill to warrant a megafight and a $44.95 pay-per-view buy.

Mosley must demonstrate that he can bounce back from the twin losses to Wright. Vargas hasn’t been the same since the poundings he took at the hands of Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya, his struggles compounded by a positive steroid test and a serious back injury.

For the winner, there’s still a big payday ahead. For the loser, there’s always “The Contender.”

But for now, the image is of two guys who had been at the top on a downhill run. Perhaps it’s fitting that this fight will be shown during the Winter Olympics.