I am officially a fan of Mexican slugger Daniel Ponce De Leon. Every time that I have seen him, even if I was not impressed with his performance, I have walked away happy with the action level. One may never confuse him with Pernell Whitaker in his style, but he always fights hard and gives the fans their money?s worth. In an era where there are more businessmen than fighters in the boxing ring, this guy doesn?t mess around. Daniel Ponce De Leon flat out fights. I am eager to see him mix it up with the other three top super bantamweights, Rafael Marquez, Israel Vazquez, and Celestino Caballero.
There are some killer fights signed and ready to go for the remainder of the year. Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Manny Pacquiao on October 10th, Jermain Taylor vs. Kelly Pavlik on September 29th, Joe Calzaghe vs. Mikkel Kessler on November 3rd, and Shane Mosley vs. Miguel Cotto on November 10th. These are all dream match-ups. They are the type of fights that boxing fans have become pessimistic about being made because it seems to good to be true. Maybe the promoters are starting to feel the competition from MMA and realize that they have to treat their fans better by giving them quality fights.
The Philippines beat Mexico in the Boxing World Cup as definitively as Mexico beat Thailand in the first edition of the event. It may be too early to start talking about the next round, but The Philippines vs. Japan would be interesting. Imagine these matches: Gerry Penalosa vs. Hozumi Hasegawa (WBC/WBO unification), Z Gorres vs. Nobuo Nahiro (WBA belt), and Nonito Donaire vs. Daisuke Naito (WBC/IBF unification).
Just in case you, the Ringside Report readers, were unaware, Manny Pacquiao is huge in the Philippines. He is followed in his home country with even more diligence than press in the United States follow Lindsay Lohan and Barry Bonds. Only instead of looking upon Pacquiao in disgust like we do our celebrities in the USA, the people of the Philippines worship him as a national hero. I get more questions about Manny Pacquiao to my mailbag than any other fighter by far. In no way am I complaining though. Manny is a voraciously talented and exciting fighter; one of my favorites. Please send in your boxing questions to my mailbag, whether they be about Pacquiao or anything else. I enjoy reading and responding to boxing fans so keep them coming.
I will let the Pacmaniacs start off this week.
Pacquiao vs. The Flavor of the Week
Brian can our beloved it Manny move back down and face Israel Vazquez? How you see fight going? Or can Vazquez move up to face Manny?
Do you see Manny losing to Marco by any way?
-Phillip
Phillip,
If Pacquiao and Vazquez were in the same weight class, wow, what a fight that would be. Talk about complete and utter carnage. Pacquiao gained a noticeable amount of muscle mass as he stepped up in weight, eventually settling nicely into the 130-pound weight class. Eight pounds may not seem like much, but in the lower weight divisions, eight pounds makes a huge difference. I doubt that Manny would be able to make that weight again without injuring himself. He probably would be able to make featherweight again though. Perhaps if Vazquez moves up one division and Pacquiao moves down one this fight could happen.
It will have to wait for a while at least. Manny has Barrera next, then possibly Juan Manuel Marquez, and the rubber match between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez is all but confirmed. With so many other options at super featherweight I don?t think that Pacquiao and his camp will bother sweating off the weight when they don?t have to. I certainly wouldn?t complain though if both sides overcame the obstacles to make this fight happen. I would favor Pacquiao to win an action packed brawl.
And to answer your other query, no I don?t see Pacquiao losing to Barrera. Pacquiao would probably defeat a prime Barrera, and this time Pacquiao is in his prime and Marco has lost a step or two. You can never count out a proven great fighter though. I am looking forward to this long awaited rematch.
Down With SD Jones
I have noticed in you last several mailbags a fool that goes by the name of “SD Jones,” a special delivery if you will. He is no more SD Jones as I am one of the Nelson brothers. They sang “After the Rain,” a remarkable achievement in the music industry and quite frankly, my favorite song.
Now, onto boxing. Tye Fields looks like a tall pile of utter poop. It looks like a Giraffe took a squat and shat him right out. Is he as crappy as I contend or do you have what you Americans call “a hard on” for him?
-Nelson from the UK
Nelson,
I would not call Mr. Fields, or any other boxer for that matter, an utter piece of poop because that would be disrespectful. Tye does not have much chance to win a world title in my estimation. He will probably reach the point where he will be picked as an opponent to contend for one the championships. That has more do to with the lack of depth in the heavyweight division more than his talents as a pugilist. Although size is not everything, size does matter in the heavyweight division and Fields is huge. That immense frame could be the avenue that he uses to surprise his critics, similar to the way that Nikolay Valuev surprised everyone by winning a world title a couple years ago.
Indonesia vs. The Philippines
Can Manny Pacman chomp chomp Chris John?
-Jarusa
Jarusa,
If they did fight, yes I think Pacquiao would win by knockout. John is an excellent boxer and could have a style that would give Manny difficulties, but he is too unproven for me to pick him against a stud like Pacquiao. Perhaps we can see this fight as apart of the next World Cup? However I doubt that John would want to move up in weight to fight Pacquiao, and even if he did there are more attractive opponents available for Manny.
Is Barrera Crazy??
Hi Brian. I watch Manny Pacquiao and see that he dishes out incredible punishment to all of the fighters that he has fought. Why would Barrera step in ring with him again? And why not fight Edwin Valero?
-Mia Suieharny
Mia,
Barrera is a champion at heart and would want to have revenge against any fighter no matter what the circumstances. That competitive nature is part of the reason why he has been such a great fighter over the course of his career. Because of the numerous accomplishments and accolades of Barrera, he has earned to right to have this fight, this opportunity for redemption against someone who dominated him. A Pacquiao vs. Valero match is also a good fight but Barrera is a much bigger name so he generates more money in Pacquiao?s bank account. I fully support this choice of opponent for Pacquiao.
What To Do Saturday Night
Long time reader but this is my first time writing. It amazes me the depth you have in articles on your site and, early this week, you have a writer giving out fashion tips. Since you seem like a stylish cat, what can you offer to a bi-curious male who loves boxing and hangs out late on Saturday night?
Stephen Ramero
Stephen,
Looking for something to do on a Saturday night? I suggest buying the September 8th pay per view featuring Fernando Vargas vs. Ricardo Mayorga. I won?t try to convince you that either are still particularly relevant fighters on the worldwide stage. They are not, and this is probably the last significant fight for both men. Their ability to contend against the elite of their division is not why I am interested in this card. The main event is appealing because Vargas and Mayorga are both familiar, colorful fighters who are very rarely in a bad fight. These guys are going to try to take each other?s heads off, giving the fans a good show in the process. The undercard looks pretty solid as well, with Kermit Cintron, Roman Karmazin, and Joel Julio tentatively scheduled to make appearances. Don King may not be as involved in boxing as he used to, but he still knows how to give the fans their money?s worth when it comes to undercard on his PPV shows. I hope that the fights satisfy your bi-curious desires Stephen. Have fun.
Tyson Fan Hoping For A Comeback
Brian, do you ever see Mike Tyson coming back just one more time to try and do something in the heavyweight division? If so, do you think he could make any dent if he got in the best shape he could for his age?
-Todd Fairbanks
Todd,
Tyson stayed around for as long as he could. He really did. And when he was fighting he was rarely in bad shape. Mike partied hard and trained even harder. Die hard Tyson fans cannot accept that Mike was in the best possible shape in his comebacks against Lennox Lewis, Danny Williams, and Kevin McBride and still lost. After the loss to McBride, Mike said that he respected the sport too much to continue fighting. His exhibition match against Corey Sanders did not sell either. I think that it is safe to say that we have seen the last of Tyson in a boxing ring.
If he did return, no I do not think that he would have any impact at all except for a few more tickets sold. Mike never did have a problem with selling tickets. We like to say that today?s heavyweights are terrible. They are not very good, but they are serviceable. They would be able to handle a washed up one-round fighter like Mike Tyson with ease. Danny Williams and Kevin McBride are not good enough to be considered contenders in today?s poor heavyweight division, yet they were able to knockout Tyson. This is undeniable proof that Tyson can no longer compete at any serious level. I was surprised that Mike was able to last as long as he did. Defensive boxers sometimes maintain their abilities into their 40?s. But aggressive crouch fighters like Tyson tend burn out shortly after they turn 30. He is 41 years old now. Mike had a good career, but it is time to let him go.
Sugar Shane vs. Cotto
Hey Brian, I am the Ken Doll, best male exotic dancer in the world, thank you very much. I was hoping to get your opinion on the most anticipated match up in some time: Sugar Shane Mosley vs. Miguel Cotto. I go with Cotto. I’m as sure of that as I am that I have the best pelvis thrust in the USA. What do you think?
-Ken Doll
Ken,
I am never 100% sure about any boxing predictions since this sport can be so unpredictable at times. I am sure that you are a weirdo though.
I favor Cotto in that fight as well. Mosley has slipped over the past few years, mostly in his reflexes, not necessarily his speed. Cotto is going to bring strength and power mixed with just enough boxing skill to be able to land frequently against Mosley. Shane has always welcomed a brawl in all of his previous fights, but for the first time in his long career I don?t think that he would get the better of the exchanges if this was settled via slugfest. I see Cotto winning a decision or winning by late TKO in a fun action bout.
Mythical Matchups
Brian, I have always loved mythical matches. Who do you think wins these?
Renaldo Snipes vs. James Toney Manny Pacquiao vs. Danny Lil? Red Lopez Roy Jones vs. Bob Foster Bernard Hopkins vs. Jake LaMotta
-Paul R.
Paul,
That is a good selection of fights. This is what I think:
Snipes vs. Toney: Snipes was better than his record suggests, but Toney would win this fight, especially the version of Toney who knocked out Evander Holyfield. James would fight on the inside and counter using his trademark style. Getting on the inside would be the key for Toney who would use his superior skills in close quarters. That would be enough for Toney to overcome some rough spots to win a decision.
Lopez vs. Pacquiao: Lopez was a dynamic fighter but he was a bit chinny, having been on the canvas several times in his career. Expect a slugfest and expect a knockout here. I am going to go with Pacquiao because you cannot afford to have a questionable chin against those hellacious straight left hands of Manny.
Jones vs. Foster: Roy Jones had such great reflexes that he hid his questionable chin for many years. Against a fellow great fighter like Foster, I don?t think he would be able to stay clear of all of the power punches. Foster was a tall, lanky slugger who would find Jones? chin and put him down for the count. I couldn?t tell you what round it happens, but over the course of a twelve or fifteen round match, Bob would catch him clean.
Hopkins vs. LaMotta: Jake LaMotta uses his very underrated boxing skills to match anything that Bernard throws at him. I like LaMotta by decision in this one. Probably a very close split decision because Hopkins is never an easy out because of his defense and the way he is able to adjust and adapt during the course of a fight.
Two Fans Want To See Pacquiao vs. Juan Diaz
Who do you think would win if Pacquiao and Juan ?Baby Bull? Diaz would fight? I know you said that 135 is too much for Pacquiao but I think Pacman can handle Diaz. Do you remember Diaz fighting a Filipino? He was at 130 pounds before moving up to 135 lbs. That is the basis for my argument. I say Pacman can get a win over Diaz.
-Benjie M. Tiu
Can Manny move up and beat Juan Diaz or is Diaz too big?
-Horace Pinquia
Horace and Benjie,
The fighting styles of Pacquiao and Diaz are both aggressive. They would partake in a very physical bout if they did fight. In this kind of fight, size advantage plays a huge role, much bigger than in a fight between two stylists. Diaz has a way of smothering the effectiveness of his opponents with his constant onslaught. I see the size and volume punching of Juan would wear down Manny in an entertaining fight.
Diaz has never fought at 130 pounds in his professional career so your assertion is incorrect on this count. Pacquiao would be competitive in this fight. He is the better fighter pound for pound, but I feel that Diaz would win this fight if fought at lightweight. Manny should stay at 130 pounds because his options at that weight are numerous, most notably Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Maruqez, and the winner of Joan Guzman vs. Humberto Soto. If he is able to defeat all of those superb opponents at super featherweight, then, and only then, should he consider moving up in weight.
Gerry Penalosa
I am a regular visitor of your website and I like your column and also Geno’s (McGahee). You know, I am a really a big fan of Gerry Penalosa even before Manny Pacquiao sparked, and it was overwhelming seeing my idol a champion again. He has never been knocked down in his career and all of his losses were controversial hometown decisions in Japan and Korea.
Fighting the lanky and talented Gonzalez is a fight of “tactics” and Gerry did just the right thing because of the long reach and counters of Gonzalez. If ever you can feature Gerry in your column, I would be more than thankful!
-Roldan Magno
Roldan,
I was very surprised by the 7th round KO that Penalosa toppled Gonzalez with to win the WBO Bantamweight Title. Gerry fought a good tactical fight and happened to land a perfect shot at the right time. This could not have happened to a more deserving person because you are right that Gerry has endured more than his share of controversial decisions in his career. He is a very humble, appreciative person and I am happy that he is able to have this high note late in his pro campaign. Look for an article about Gerry Penalosa on RSR in the future.
That is all for this week faithful RSR readers! Keep the questions and comments coming for next time and I will be more than happy to include them in my mailbag. Take care!
