Greetings loyal RSR readers. This week I have another diverse bag of questions for your reading enjoyment. Most of which are about boxing, but you know that my crazy Wilbur genetics will not allow me to resist the temptation of answering every goofball question that is thrown my way! But before we get to that, some random thoughts:
Put Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez in a ring together and every time you will get a gem. These two have complementary fighting styles that combust when mixed. I consider their entertaining rematch the fight of the year so far, surpassing their first fight as the leading candidate.
Celestino Caballero is the clear number one contender in the super bantamweight division. His performance against the rugged and tough Jorge Lacierva was not enough to make people want to see Vazquez vs. Caballero more than they want to see Vazquez vs. Marquez III. That would have been tough to do. If he keeps active and keeps winning, his chance will come. And by the way, this writer thinks that Lacierva would have beaten Caballero if he wasn’t a Zab Judah-esque front runner.
Oscar De La Hoya is planning on fighting at welterweight again, but who is he going to fight? Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley, and Ricky Hatton are all busy right now and I doubt that the risk/reward ratio for a Paul Williams fight would appeal to the Golden Boy. My guess is that he sits out playing businessman until a logical contender (probably Miguel Cotto) comes out of the fray.
A surprising turn of events has Evander Holyfield fighting for the WBO Heavyweight Championship against Sultan Ibragimov. This is bad news because Ibragimov is such a bum that he might actually lose to the 100 year old version of “The Real Deal.” Holyfield does not need any more false hope that his goal of becoming the undisputed World Champion is actually attainable.
Good to hear that Erik Morales has announced his retirement now having lost 5 out of his last 6 fights. He has been in countless wars and has taken more than his share of punches to the head. Unfortunately my instincts are telling me that Morales will lace up the gloves again, especially since he was competitive against David Diaz. I hope that I am wrong.
On to the mailbag:
Drunken Wrestling Fan Starts Things Off
I bet you have a degree in “Bicurious” and want the SD Special Delivery Package, but you AIN’T GONNA GIT IT. I’ll have Demolition and the Killer Bees on you so fast, you won’t be able to say “Kamala” before they put a beat down on you.
But this is a boxing bag and I must hit it from a boxing angle and here it is: I heard that Slater from Saved by the Bell sparred James Toney. Why doesn’t this Saved by the Bell reject go pro?
-SD Jones
SD,
Saved by the Bell. Good show.
I know that celebrities like Mario Lopez and Michael Rapaport regularly train at the Wild Card gym in Hollywood. I didn’t know that Lopez sparred with James Toney, but that does not surprise me because Toney will spar with anybody. He even went a couple minutes with Manny Pacquiao a while back. If Slater held his own against James, then maybe he should turn pro. He could attract some fans just on curiosity.
World Cup of Boxing
Hi Brian. What are your predictions on the following up and coming fights that are to be fought at the Philippines vs. Mexico World Cup of Boxing:
1. Gerry Penalosa vs. Jhonny Gonzalez 2. Rey Boom Boom Bautista vs. Daniel Ponce de Leon.
-Gerry Perez
Gerry,
This is a great event that I will be attending, bringing readers a ringside report. I like Gonzalez over Penalosa by KO. He has too much length for Penalosa to deal with and has a notable edge in power. Bautista vs. Ponce de Leon is a toss up fight. This one is skill versus strength, with Bautista being more skilled but Daniel having a freakish physical prowess. If I had to make a pick on this one I say Ponce de Leon edges it out solely because he has more experience in big fights.
Hicks vs. Europeans
Yo Brianster,
This is Jasper Jack Jentry and I loves dis heres mailbag of yours. My question is do you thinks that us hicks could fight in Europe and beat some of thems talented fellers? I want to hang with the European ladies for sure. You know what I meanz?
-JJJ
Jasper,
From the looks of your spelling and typing ability it is painfully clear that you are a product of the American education system. Congratulations! I’m not sure what you mean by “us hicks.” If you mean fighters from the United States, then yes, American boxers can hold their own with Europeans. The heavyweight division is ruled by Eastern Europeans right now. The best heavyweights from the United States are past their primes or have not yet reached their primes. But aside from the glamour division, Americans are doing just fine winning championships. For every European powerhouse boxer like Joe Calzaghe, Mikkel Kessler, or Junior Witter, you have a couple of outstanding American boxers like Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley, Winky Wright, Bernard Hopkins, Kelly Pavlik, etc. Although I don’t think I would call any of them “hicks.”
More From Gerry
Do you think Katsidis is overrated after seeing his performance against Czar Amonsot? What are his chances against Pacquiao?
Also, what are your thoughts on the fight between Ulises Solis and Rodel Mayol. Thanks.
-Gerry Perez
Gerry,
I have not noticed that people are overrating Michael Katsidis. Most pundits are considering Katsidis an exciting fighter, in the mold of Arturo Gatti. He is a guy that will put butts in the seats and entertain the masses. Now if you have heard people saying that Katsidis is going to be a great world champion and a pound for pound legend, those people are overrating him. I have not heard that kind of support though. I think that he will make a lot of money in his career by exciting people. He could win an alphabet soup belt or two but he will be taken apart by more skilled boxers. He handled adversity well against Amonsot so that enhanced my opinion of Katsidis rather than lessening it. The slugger from Australia is someone to look out for, not because he will chase the shadow of Sugar Ray Robinson, but because he will be fun to watch.
For your second question, the fight between Solis and Mayol had a surprising ending for me. I thought that Mayol was going to take it, and he almost did, hurting Solis a few times. You have to hand it to Solis for taking control of the fight and ending it in the fashion that he did. I had not seen much of Ulises prior to Saturday’s match, and he was better than I had anticipated. That is the best win so far for Solis’ potentially long title reign.
Is Merchant a Drunk?
Is Larry Merchant drunk during all of the HBO fights? If so, what do you think his drink of choice is and where does he hide it during the fight?
S.C. McGee
McGee,
I hear this accusation quite a bit. Larry has a slow, drawn out delivery and is spontaneously random. These are two habits of a drunk person, so I can see where people get the idea. But no, I don’t think that Merchant sips the medicine on the clock. I am a Larry Merchant fan though, so if he has been drunk during the fights, I hope he keeps up whatever he has been doing.
By the way, Larry looks like a single malt Scotch kind of guy.
East vs. West
Yo, my man. Since Oscar De La Hoya promotes this stuff called the World Cup of boxing, wouldn’t it be possible for Asian boxers to go against Western boxers? An east vs. west match-up if you will?
-Beast Machine
Mr. Beast,
Well, Saturday’s Mexico vs. the Philippines showdown is pretty much east vs. west. The World Cup is traditionally matching countries against each other rather than continents. Fans tend to have more pride in their home country so Golden Boy Promotions is playing off that hoping to strike a nerve with fans. I think that the World Cup is a wonderful idea and look forward to the winner facing other countries such as the United States, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Germany, Russia, Japan, etc. If you would like to see an Asian vs. Western boxer fight card, email boxing promoters and they might just take you up on your idea. I would not mind seeing the best from Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand versus the best from Mexico, USA, and Canada. Even though the amount of stars in the west outweigh those in the east, especially in the higher weight classes, this could still work.
A Story of Battling Sacs
Hey Brian, boxing is fake, wrestling is very real. I can come up side your head with my flying drop kick before you get a right hand off. You don’t think so huh? Just try me sport! But this is a boxing bag, so here is my question. If boxer A has a big sac, and boxer b has a smaller sac, which sac will ensure victory for the boxer?
-Jumping Jim Johnson
Triple J,
I will assume that when you say “sac” you mean punching power. Punching power is important, but is not the most important aspect of a fighter. All other factors equal, then yes, a boxer with a bigger punch will defeat one with a smaller one. However a good boxer will usually beat a good puncher. For proof, reference David Tua vs. Chris Byrd, Pernell Whitaker vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Cory Spinks vs. Ricardo Mayorga, Winky Wright vs. Felix Trinidad, among others. Speed, finesse, endurance, and technique are all more important than pure power in my opinion. I probably didn’t answer your question, and that actually makes me happy, you sick, dirty little man.
Bernard Hopkins: Clinch to Win
Hey Brian. Over the past couple weeks, I have read a lot of criticism toward Bernard Hopkins for all the holding/clinching he did against Winky. Did you think it was excessive? There certainly are elements of strategy to the clinch. Sometimes it is to buy an extra second of rest, other times it is because a fighter is not necessarily comfortable fighting on the inside and uses it as a form of protection.
There is nothing I like more than to see a couple beasts strategically thrust themselves into a tight clinch, exchanging sweat, forearms pulsating around the small of one another’s back, until they break by their own volition, or have to be separated by an impartial observer.
Lose the pants!
-Steve
Steve,
Uh oh, it’s the “lose the pants” guy again.
I am not a fan of clinching in boxing matches. There is no question that it can be used as an effective strategy to wins fights. That does not mean that I have to like it or that clinching is pleasing to watch. John Ruiz made a career off of jabbing then clinching. Bernard is not as bad as Ruiz when it comes to smothering his opponent with holding, but he clinches too much for my liking. That takes nothing away from my respect for Hopkins’ greatness. He has beaten too many good fighters to discredit him. Bernard is not an overly exciting boxer to watch though. He is too defensive and holds too much for there to be sustained action. His holding is excessive in that it hinders the entertainment value, but is not enough to where points should be deducted.
Another Wrestling Fan Freak
In the history of WWF wrestling, who do you think has the best small package in the business? I know the average man will say that Coco B. Ware has the best package small or big, but I want to know what an expert such as your self thinks. I will stir the pot with my honorable mention…Ravishing Rick Rude. It’s all on you now.
-Sugar T. Adams
Sugar,
I have no idea what you are talking about. Best package???
Granite Chins
After watching Carlos Baldomir’s face and head get pounded by scalding shots from Vernon Forrest all night, I had to give the man credit. Everyone already knew he had a good beard, but that display was unreal.
Librado Andrade also showed a concrete jaw against Mikkel Kessler, which brings me to my question: who has the best chin in boxing today? Who had the best chin ever?
-WTJ
WTJ,
Your two picks are good ones. Baldomir and Andrade have as good of chins as anyone in the sport today. Baldomir’s chin is what won him the Welterweight Championship. Zab Judah used all his energy to try to knock him out early, but little did he know that Carlos is darn near close to being “unknockoutable” (a word coined by Roy Jones, JR.). Others who have sturdy beards: Samuel Peter, James Toney, Bernard Hopkins and Rocky Juarez. I would also have mentioned David Tua, but it seems as if chin is an ability that fades with a fighter’s other talents when he ages (see Ray Mercer). My pick for the best chin now is Hopkins, who despite his age of 42 has not physically aged to match his numerical one. For as long as he has been around I don’t recall ever having seen him hurt, and he has faced off against some serious punchers.
All time, I would say that Marvin Hagler had the best chin. He was a rock. If it was possible to knock Hagler out, he would have been downed by Tommy Hearns in their classic fight. Hearns is one of the most devastating punchers of all time and he landed clean power punches right on the chin and they hardly had any impact on Hagler. That kind of beard is freakish. Other notables: Larry Holmes, Jake LaMotta, Sugar Ray Robinson, Julio Cesar Chavez, and I’m sure there are others I am forgetting.
My Toughest Mailbag Question
Hi Mr. Boxing writer. I was just wondering, how come you have time to answer these silly questions about boxing, wrestling, and even spam but you don’t have time to take the trash out?
-Future Mrs. Brian Wilbur
No comment.
Okay readers it looks like I have been exposed. I duck the difficult questions. I have stated that I will answer any and all questions, but I have just been stumped. Some topics are just outside of my area of understanding. Not many, but some. Be sure to send in your boxing questions to me for next week’s bag and I will try not to skirt around the answer like I did with Future Mrs. Brian Wilbur. Take care everyone.
