Welcome to a RSR exclusive, the boxing mailbag that gives the fans what they want by answering all questions. The only mailbag on the net that never dodges Pacquiao emails, never shies away from the tough questions, and always discusses what is on the mind of find fans.
I turned in this mailbag to my editor right before heading out the door to catch a flight to Las Vegas Saturday morning. When the opportunity arose to be in Las Vegas on the same day that Joe Calzaghe vs. Mikkel Kessler was going on, I could not resist. Even if the fight was happening on a different continent, this fight was too juicy to not have the ability to legally place a wager.
Not to say that Vegas is particularly boxing friendly though. For a place that is supposed to be a boxing Mecca, Las Vegas dos not cater to boxing fans like I thought they would be when I went last year. With the exception of major championship and Pay Per View level fights, finding a line on a boxing match is near impossible. Finding a sports book that is showing the fight is a chore as well. Mandalay Bay is the best sports book that I have found in Las Vegas for a boxing fan, but even they are limited. That absence of love for boxing, even in the biggest boxing city in the United States, is a bit depressing and proof that boxing is not in its glory days anymore.
But that is the topic of a different column. I still wanted to visit the city of sin because Calzaghe vs. Kessler is a big enough fight that I will be able to throw down a paycheck without having to search every sports book on the strip to find someone carrying the fight; at least I hope not. My plan is to take Joe Calzaghe with the -150 money line (risk 150 to win 100), although if the line moves and I can get Kessler at anything more than +160 (risk 100 to win 160) I might have to change my mind. Kessler?s jab is too dominant to go against at those odds.
So by the time that you all read this the fight will have already happened and my ticket that says ?Calzaghe to win? will either be worth a small fortune or nothing at all. Feel free to write to me to either congratulate me on my winnings or to laugh at my humiliating pain. Or if you have any other boxing questions or comments and you would like to be included in next week?s boxing mailbag drop me a message.
On to the questions:
Miguel Cotto vs. Shane Mosley
Brian, you said that you’re going for Cotto to win over Mosley this Nov. 10, well guess what, we’re the same on this one. I think Shane is up for a long, tough night with the younger/fresher Miguel at Madison Square Garden.
However, I noticed that Mosley’s four losses come from just two opponents, marquee ones, Winky Wright and Vernon Forrest. They are both great fighters, right? I assume Mosley had major difficulties in trying to win over Wright (an excellent defensive fighter) and Forrest (a highly skilled boxer) because of certain qualities both these fighters have, the kind of which Miguel Cotto or Fernando Vargas might not possess at all. That said, is there a vague or perhaps a small space in your critical mind in which a Mosley victory could turn into a reality on November 10? Thanks!
-PinoyGlad
PinoyGlad,
Absolutely Mosley could pull a win on November 10th. You are correct in pointing out that Shane has only lost to top notch fighters, and ones that were particularly adept at defensive fighting. Cotto is not a defensive fighter, he is a slugger. In the past, anyone who has stood and fought with Mosley got gobbled up. I am predicting that Cotto will be the first to beat Mosley by initiating a slugfest. Miguel is younger, his punches are sharper, and his power is greater at this weight. I expect an exceptional battle between two of the sport?s elite. Shane Mosley is a great fighter even if he is past his prime. Great fighters often have one last epic left in them, so Mosley could surprise me.
Rico?s Manny Pacquiao Analysis
Hi Brian. It’s my first time to share some of my views on this site regarding The Philippines? very own Manny Pacquiao. It seems every body is talking about the Pacman these days, and most of it is asking who’s the fighter regardless of weight divisions will be able to stop the winning streak of Manny Pacquiao, especially out of the Mexican crowd. Let’s just put it this way, everybody wants to beat the Pacman and I really can’t blame them. If I were Mexican, I would really love somebody to give Manny a good whoopin!
But anyway, we all know Pacquiao’s time will come, just like any boxer, they come and they go, it will only be up to history how his name will be remembered. But at this stage and time, Pacquiao is making history.
I watched the fight of Juan Diaz and Baby Bull surely has what it takes to be undefeated. He has speed and all, and the endurance to keep the pace up to the last round. It will be a hell of a fight if he squares with Pacquiao. I still believe Manny still has business to settle at 130 lbs. Everybody wants to finally see a concrete end to a Pacquiao – Marquez fight. Then there is Edwin Valero who’s been taunting Pacman for a shot, and I believe he’s been succeeding, because Pacquiao has been saying he is thinking about fighting Valero soon. At the end of the day, I’d still like to have a MP – JMM match. It will seal it for Manny to be the BEST in his weight class.
-Rico Mostajo
Rico,
I agree with just about every point you make. Juan Diaz vs. Pacquiao would be one great fight but I would rather see him stay at super featherweight to settle the score with Marquez and possibly take on some of the other young guns. Pacquiao is quickly turning into a boxing legend, not only for his prowess in the ring, but for his willingness to always fight the best opposition available.
Rodel?s Take On Pacquiao vs. Baby Bull
Hi! Brian, my question is if Pacquiao faces the Baby Bull how much of a chance do you give Pacman to win? And I observed Manny during his last fight against Barrera that he is relatively slower but I guess he was not comfortable because he looked dehydrated and possibly was skipping meals to get down in weight. He will be able to bring the power to Diaz if he does not have to drop that much weight. Plus, I think Manny’s power, speed and special movement peak when he is the underdog and in the case of facing Baby Bull of course it seems he is a challenger against the bigger guy. I predict that Manny would bring all of his styles coupled with his speed and power. I don’t think Juan Diaz can handle all of Pacquiao?s different styles. Manny was very deceptive because he bangs in unexpected areas and that makes him special. Even in awkward situations he can hit the opponent. That’s my observation. Thanks Brian for your answers.
-Rodel
Rodel,
You are correct in that Pacquiao has had his best performances when he has been the underdog. The fights that I am talking about are his title winning performance against Lehlohonolo Ledwaba, the first fight versus Marco Antonio Barrera, and the second fight against Erik Morales. Pacquiao would probably be the betting underdog against Juan Diaz, and I would pick the Baby Bull in that fight as well. Manny has been varying his attacks well recently to make himself not as one dimensional as he once was, but I question that is enough to take out a bigger stronger man like Juan Diaz. Even his ?special movement? may not be enough against Diaz.
Kid Chimes In On Pacquiao vs. Baby Bull
Ey Brian wazzup! I agree with you when you said that Manny Pacquiao would need to clean house at 130 first before heading to the lightweights. There are still a lot of great and lucrative matches left in the super featherweight division but what can you say about Pacquiao’s weight problem before the rematch with Barrera? This is also one big factor to consider. If this happens again with your boy Marquez in their second encounter @ 130 then I think Manny Pacquiao might lose. Considering the fact that JMM is already comfortable in this division and with his superb technical boxing skills, Marquez might end up giving Pacquiao a run for his money. This is also the case with any of the other top-level boxers at super featherweight (Soto, Guzman, Valero). I think the next logical step for Pacquiao, if he fails to be 100% fit and conditioned at 130 would be a move up to lightweight and face Joel Casamayor, David Diaz or even Juan Diaz.
Manny Pacquiao is not getting any younger and I think that if he faces a Juan Diaz 1 or 2 years from now he would definitely not win. At 29 years of age Manny is in his prime, yes he may be naturally small for this division (considering the fact that he came from flyweight) and he will definitely lose some of his speed and power, but if he adjusts quickly he will be a strong contender @ 135. He may not be the best in this division right now but with his fighting heart and improved boxing skills (more training, lesser distractions) he is still a major force to be reckoned with. He showed in the Barrera fight that he has already learned how to box a little but this does not take away the brawler in him. Once he is hit he will engage. He will not back way or quit and this is what makes a bout with Juan Diaz even more exciting: 2 boxers in their prime engaging in a toe to toe, no-holds-barred non stop action fight. This match is actually a toss up. The more conditioned and accurate boxer wins. Boxing fans need this now!!! More power to you!
-Kid
Kid,
For someone who started his career at flyweight and very recently made featherweight comfortably, Manny should not be struggling to make 130 pounds. My guess is that he is doing too much strength training and building up muscle mass. If he gets a good nutritionist in camp, or simply has Freddie Roach monitor his diet and exercise routine, he will be able to make super featherweight comfortably.
But if my theory holds no weight and Pacquiao is not able to make the weight any longer then yes, he should move up to lightweight. He will basically be forced to. If Diaz and Pacquiao were to fight, the result would likely be a fight of the year candidate because you have two offensive minded fighters. I have never seen Manny take a backwards step if someone was willing to engage him. Will that be the case if he finds himself out gunned? We could find out if he fights Juan Diaz.
Boxing vs. MMA
I got a question for ya. Explain to me why you think that boxing is more superior of a sport than Mixed Martial Art, such as the newly popular “UFC”? Can boxing regain the market control it once had in the fighting-entertainment industry anytime soon? What would you do to get our young generations interested in the sport of boxing rather than MMA? Thanks.
-Steve from Sacramento
Steve,
I don?t necessarily think that MMA is a better sport than boxing or vice versa. They are very different sports and I happen to like boxing better. However I know that there are millions of fans out there who prefer MMA to boxing. The popularity of the UFC has been a product of its marketing and its accessibility. Boxing has been doing some things very poorly and UFC has taken advantage by giving fight fans what they what. Primarily that means that in the UFC, the best fighters are fighting each other consistently, major fights are free on television or cable (UFC has done this with their partnership with Spike TV), and they have a product that is easy to follow and free of corruption.
If boxing could get its act together and match UFC is those categories, boxing would return to its glory days. Sports are all about marketing and boxing, with a few exceptions, does a very poor job at this. Promoters seem to have answered the challenge that UFC has presented in that the best boxers are starting to fight each other now. Just look at the upcoming boxing schedule to see that.
Boxing is not completely dead. That is far from the truth. Currently the top boxers make more money than the top UFC fighters and the marquee boxing matches make more money than the marquee UFC fights on PPV. For example, Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather did 2.4 million PPV, which is twice as much as the highest grossing UFC fight. That fight did a lot more in revenue too since the fight was priced at over 50 dollars and UFC fights are only priced at 30 dollars.
The emergence of the UFC could turn out to be a real blessing for boxing. It could give the sport the kick in the butt that it needs to get going and start making the fans happy.
Credibility of Judges
Hello Brian, it?s my first time to send a letter to you but I have been reading your articles/replies for quite sometime now and I must say you know your stuff and has been, to my opinion, really honest with your readers.
Anyway, my question goes like this, the first fight of Pacquiao vs. Marquez was a draw although one of the judge on that fight admitted that he didn?t know that he could score the first round 10-6 in favor of Pacquiao due to the 3 knockdowns he scored against Marquez. Well the fight is announced a draw although both camps felt they won (I think Pacquioa won that one, but of course anyone who roots for Marquez can say otherwise). When Barrera and Juarez first fought the initial announcement was a draw but was later changed to a Barrera win when one of the judges saw that he made an error with the way he totaled the points/score of Barrera. Of course Juarez was furious and he got the 2nd fight which Barrera again won albeit in a boring fashion. Now why was the result to the Barrera/Juarez fight amended while Pacquioa/Marquez was not? And why is it that boxing governing bodied penalizes the boxers for “bad stuff” they do but not their judges? I?m just a boxing fanatic man, so enlighten me on this one. By the way I?m a pro-Pacman guy but I respect your opinion against him when you root for your own guy (Marquez). Thanks.
-Prime
Prime,
It kills me when you say that Marquez is ?my guy?. And please don?t feel that I am picking on you Prime, because you are not the only one. When I write about boxing and make predictions I aim to be completely non-biased. In other words, I am not rooting for anyone. Not my countrymen, or my race, or the most exciting fighter. I look at each fighter without prejudices or personal emotions and make an assessment of how I think the fight will turn out. When I picked Marquez over Pacquiao it was not because I like Marquez better or am rooting for him in any way.
Okay, with that out of the way, the reason that Barrera vs. Juarez was overturned was because the judge did not make the mistake. The person who tallied the scorecards made the error. Since what the judges scored was not reflected the announced decision the commission overturned the decision. That is different from the Pacquiao vs. Marquez fight because the judge scored the first round 10-7 on purpose. His reasoning behind that scoring was poor and due to the fact that he did not know the rules. But the scorecard was tallied correctly so the ruling stood.
My official stance on the fight is that a ruling of a draw was a pretty accurate description of what happened that night between Manny and Juan Manuel. However that judge should have scored the first round 10-6 because of the three knockdowns.
Pacquiao Happy Mailbag
Brian, I think all your readers are all Pachaks. I am sick and tired of their questions it is clear that they are all gripping Packy?s eggs so tight! I am Filipino too but am not riding Packy?s bandwagon that hard! Damn?
-Cowboy
Cowboy,
It is all understandable my friend. There is nothing wrong with giving unconditional support for your national hero. Some Pacquiao fans tend to think with their heart and not with their head at times. Anyone who has said something along the lines of ?Pacman would destroy Pretty Boy in one round!? is exactly the kind of fans I am referring to. It is all in good fun though and I greatly appreciate their enthusiasm.
Hands Off My Mailbag
It feels good to have my questions back in your bag and my hands on your bag! It has been too long Wilbur my dear, I feel as though we have lost our question and answer connection-but I’m not giving up on us.
I was sitting at my place watching re-runs of Perfect Strangers and eating a spicy Italian Sausage when I decided I had some questions for you on my mind. Nothing like a giant sausage exploding in your mouth to get the curiosity juices flowing.
Anyways, after Balki and Larry were finished getting into whatever trouble they were getting into that day I figured it was Email Brian time. I did the dance of joy over to my computer and got to work. The following is a compilation of questions I have been working on since my “Perfect Strangers” marathon ended Sunday night.
1.) Who would win in a 15 round fight Kid Rock or Tommy Lee? Granted Tommy is hung like a Yeti from the Pacific Northwest, but can he fight?
2.) If you were in a professional boxing match, which fighters would you least like to get caught in a steamy clinch with? I’m talking your face buried in his chest with his enormous arms wrapped around you holding him up. Who would you most like to get in the clinches?
Time Out-I can’t pinch this thing off any longer. I’ll be back in about 20.
3. How come Andrew Golota had bacne in the 2nd Bowe fight and the Tyson fight but he doesn’t in others? Could it be a side effect of roids?
4. If you could punch Larry Merchant one good time and get away with it would you?
Thanks for the answers and next time we shouldn’t wait so long to tango. Good bye my love. And don’t leave me with a hard on with those answers this time, last time your answers lacked honesty.
-Talen
Talen,
Perfect Strangers, that?s a funny show. I answer questions for a living so I will give yours a go:
1 – Tommy Lee is a lover not a fighter. He gets worked by Kid Rock in seven easy rounds.
2 – I would not like to get into a clinch with John Ruiz because he is relentless. Once he grabbed a hold of me he wouldn?t let go. I would most like to get into a clinch with Ivan Calderon. I do not say that in any type of homo-erotic way. No sir, not in the least. I just figure that since he is so small I would be able to handle myself. You know, use my edge in girth to break free.
3 – I have no proof but yeah, Golota probably used steroids. That wouldn?t be the first time he broke the rules.
4 – Good ol? Larry Merchant? Nah, I like the guy. I only feel like punching him in the face 30% of the time. The rest of the time he is okay with me.
Brian?s Top 15 P4P
Brian I had been wanting to say something about your recent P4P list. You have received quite a bit of positive feedback from your readers, except for that one person who still wants PBF to be the no. 1. I thought you gave him a strong clarification as to why you chose Pacman to replace Floyd, I guess that person must be starting to recover his senses and be persuaded this time.
I was so pleased by your judgment of declaring Pacquiao as the no. 1 P4P in the world right now. Your criteria and evaluations for the entire top 15 are more realistic and impartial compared to other lists I’ve known. You know other scribes’ lists are often very subjective, subtly racist (I mean if they are Latinos they tend to enshrine Latinos, if they are Asians . . . if they are Americans . . . and so on and so forth), and somewhat biased.
I bet there are a lot of talented fighters out there that it becomes very difficult to just reduce the list into top 10 only. Glad you came up with at least 15 with runners-up at the end. Job well done.
-PinoyGlad
PinoyGlad,
Thank you sir. Actually I failed to persuade Greg to see things my way. Greg is an intelligent guy and I respect his opinion. He has an argument and up until recently I agreed with him. But I feel that Pacquiao has done enough recently to take that top spot. Check out his next email below:
Greg Still Likes Mayweather Above Pacquiao
Mayweather has moved three divisions in the last two years, earned a “Legit” Ring belt. Which he has two of to Pacman’s none. Pacman has no world titles, he won?t fight the best guy in his division because of the last time they fought and he knocked him down three times in the first round and couldn?t finish him off. Kind of like he did with washed up Oscar Larios (who got destroyed in his last fight by an up and comer) that?s not that impressive. How does Floyd catch flack for fighting a name in his division (maybe not the top guy) and Pacman doesn?t?
Everyone makes such a big deal about the Morales fights and the Barrera fights. Come on guys, did you see Morales going into the 3rd fight? He looked drained and like a walking skeleton, like he walked out of a Nazi concentration camp, while Pacman looked stacked. The contracted weight, gloves, ring size all to Pacman?s advantage. Real champs don?t have to do that crap. Same stuff Oscar pulled on Floyd and still got taxed. Fighting names and future HOF fighters on their way out for no belt doesn?t move a guy up in my book. Floyd hasn?t lost since he was moved to #1 and it isn?t like his last 5 fights since he was moved to #1 were against no names or chumps. So how without a loss do you slip? Barrera hasn?t been the same guy his last couple of fights. How does Manny beating a guy that is the former champ coming off of a loss that isn?t a top p4p fighter anymore and for no belt move him up? He isn?t moving weight classes as Floyd is.
Oscar is a shell of his former self? I know you don?t mean that. You are probably one of those guys that said how good he looked after the Mayorga fight. He?s back!!! And then he fights a guy he outweighed by 22 pounds, gets out boxed, gets out punched, and gets rocked? Come on did you see punch stats? Oscar was the bigger man and he didn?t look like it. He?s no shell, he still has plenty left after a three year layoff. It did wonders for Holyfield too. Oscar may be 34 but his body and mind aren?t. That?s a cop out.
We should try and get Arum together with Floyd and have Pacquiao and Floyd meet at a catch weight to see whom the best fighter in the world really is. What do you think?
All I know is Pacman makes to many mistakes to be the best fighter the world has to offer.
Thanks bro. I appreciate it. Nice work.
-Greg Rowe
Greg,
I respect you as a writer and I respect your opinion, but I couldn?t disagree more with some of the things you say.
Winning championships is all good and fine, but I am more concerned with the quality of opposition that a pound for pound candidate faces. To give you an example, I consider Sam Langford to be one of the greatest pound for pound fighters of all time and he never fought for a major World Title in any weight class.
In the case of Pacquiao vs. Marquez, after hearing the reports from both camps, team Marquez is much more to blame for a rematch not getting made than team Pacquiao. With what you said, it sounds like you believe that Pacquiao is afraid of or avoiding Marquez, which is not the case.
You speak of Morales and Barrera as if a win over them is a given. Both were past their primes when Pacquiao fought them recently, but not by so much that a win over them does not mean anything. Both were still clearly top 5 super featherweights at the time Pacquiao beat them (according to both Ring Magazine and common sense).
And if you say that Barrera was a shell of his former self then it is fair to say that Oscar De La Hoya was too. You can?t argue with the results in ?The Golden Boys? four previous fights before getting in the ring with Mayweather. De La Hoya was defeated by Shane Mosley, had an abysmal performance against Felix Sturm, was knocked out by Bernard Hopkins, and had a gimme win against Mayorga. I didn?t get high on De La Hoya after the Mayorga win as you suggest. I rarely overreact after the results of one fight like many fans do. Ricardo had not had an impressive performance since winning the title from Vernon Forrest way back in the day. Mayorga is an amateurish fighter that can be easily exposed by a well-schooled boxer. The only chance that Mayorga had to win that fight would have been if Oscar was completely shot.
De La Hoya and Barrera were in similar places when they fought their pound for pound representative. Pacquiao won impressively and Mayweather scraped by with a split decision.
Don?t start talking about a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao. Pacquiao would get killed, you know this and I know this. My pound for pound list is not based on who I think has the best skills or who I think would win if everyone were the same size. It is based on recent accomplishment, which is the only fair way to do it. Mayweather has been lacking in his recent fights so his ranking slips.
You say that Pacquiao makes too many mistakes to be the best fighter. Henry Armstrong made many mistakes in the ring but is still among the top 3 pound for pound boxers ever. Muhammad Ali did almost nothing by the textbook. He backed straight up, he arm punched, he left his guard down, and he threw punches from his hips among other mistakes. Yet Ali was the greatest heavyweight of all time. When judging a fighter, you have to look at the total package and the results of his matches. You can?t just exclude someone from the running if they don?t slip a jab or parry as well as you would like them to. Pacquiao has other talents that allow him to succeed at the highest level despite him not being a technical virtuoso.
It has been a pleasure debating this topic and I look forward to your response.
Rapid Fire Predictions
Hey Brian, I will keep this one short so that you can answer right away. What do you think about these possible explosive match ups and who do you think would win?
1. Juan Diaz vs. Michael Katsidis 2. Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Edwin Valero 3. Humberto Soto vs. Juan Manuel Marquez 4. Michael Katsidis vs. Edwin Valero 5. Humberto Soto vs. Joel Casamayor 6. Juan Diaz vs. Edwin Valero 7. Joan Guzman vs. Juan Manuel Marquez 8. David Diaz vs. Joel Casamayor 9. Joel Casamayor vs. Michael Katsidis
And finally at number 10 Manny Pacquiao vs. every fighter I mentioned above. Thanks! More power to you!
-Kid
Kid,
Wow, you asked me to comment on a lot of fights. That isn?t short at all my friend! Here are my rapid fire predictions:
Diaz by decision Marquez UD Marquez UD Valero KO5 Soto UD Diaz TKO9 Guzman Draws with Marquez Casamayor UD Katsidis KO11
Out of the fighters mentioned above I think Pacquiao would beat Casamayor, Katsidis, David Diaz, Valero, and Soto. I would predict that Pacquiao would lose to Marquez and Juan Diaz. A fight with Joan Guzman is too close to call in my opinion.
It?s Tough Being This Good Looking
Hey Brian, I just wanted to let you know that I (censored) to your sexy picture in front of the ring every night before I go to bed. I get (censored) looking at your sexy mean mug. Have a great day sexy boy.
-Jennifer Lopez
J-Lo,
Get in line chicken head, get in line?
Gloves at Lightweight
We may not have common ideas when it comes to opponents (Marquez and Juan Diaz) of Manny but I really like your comments last week when you explained why Pacquiao is above Mayweather on your pound for pound list. I wanted to ask about the glove difference at 130 and 135 lbs. Can Manny still use Cleto Reyes when he goes to 135? If the gloves at lightweight are much thicker or heavier, then I can say that Manny can’t KO Juan if they ever fight. I like Marquez and Juan Diaz. They are both great fighters and they don’t clinch, that’s why I like them both. It’s just I like Manny more, hehehehe. Oh, by the way, can you give a comment on Larry Merchant?s idea about the Golden Boy vs. the Pacman! No insults please. Thanks a lot Brian and more power.
-Benjie M. Tiu
-Benjie,
That is funny that Merchant proposed that fight. Pacquiao and De La Hoya are vastly different in size. I don?t see how Manny could be competitive against De La Hoya giving up so much in height and weight.
Manny Pacquiao would be able to use Cleto Reyes gloves if he moved up in weight. That brand of gloves is made in every standard ounce level. The size of the glove would increase however. The lightweight division is the cut off division where all boxers fighting at that weight or above must wear no lighter than 10 ounce gloves. That is heavier than the 8 ounces gloves that Pacquiao is used to. The 10 ounce rule in the lightweight division was a recent change made by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
More Mikkel Kessler
Your last edition was indeed jam packed. Thanks again for featuring my latest contribution to your mailbag.
You know it really rounds up a better discussion and anticipation of Calzaghe vs. Kessler when you happen to lean toward the former. You made me think when you said that the veteran Joe can surprise Mikkel with certain ring tricks from a more experienced champion. But it sounds quite dreadful if Joe?s ?hometown advantage? would translate into a hometown decision. I hope the people concerned did their job by selecting a well-represented panel of judges for this historically monumental fight.
Perhaps I really want Kessler to win this fight. He is always busy with his tough left jab and uses it wisely to set up the proper situation for his powerful right hand. I trust his patience in the ring. He doesn?t mind to wait for the right time to throw his right fist and deliver some accurate, solid combinations. He often measures his opponent well before he delivers a perfectly timed punch.
It?s interesting that Joe shows great respect for this warrior from Denmark and said that he plans to move a lot and not stand in front of the menacing Dane. So I guess Mikkel should switch from boxer-puncher to puncher-boxer, I mean he should be more aggressive, not in a reckless way but in a methodical way as Freddie Roach would have it in Pacquiao?s case, and make Joe to engage more and trade with him, especially when Kessler believes that Joe doesn?t hit that hard but compensates it with his hand speed.
Though I?m not at all suggesting that this would be a ?walk in the park? for Kessler just because I mentioned that point, what I mean is that if Mikkel could somehow walk through the best shots coming from the 35-year-old Joe without wobbling in order to throw and land some of his own, I guess the Danish must have an edge to stop Calzaghe to avoid any possible controversial (hometown) decisions. But I know Joe has a great heart, courage, stamina. It would be very tough for Kessler to dismantle and destroy a fighter like Joe Calzaghe. I believe though that if the fight would go the full distance then perhaps Joe could win the decision. In any case, as you have exquisitely pointed out, ?This is the kind of boxing match that fight fans live for. May the best man win.? Take care!
-PinoyGlad
PinoyGlad,
I have heard some reports that Team Palle is griping about the officials picked saying that they favor Calzaghe. We?ll see on fight night.
I am going to break a boxing writer commandment and say that I want Mikkel Kessler to win too. Even though I officially predicted Calzaghe and I am on my way to Las Vegas to put money on Calzaghe. Joe is an excellent fighter but I despise the way that he has gone about his career. If Joe someday makes it in the hall of fame he will have fought the softest opposition compared to everyone else in the boxing hall of fame. But again, I don?t base my predictions on who I want to win at all.
Disregarding how I feel about Calzaghe and his title reign, I think that this is an even fight, so with the hometown advantage I pick Calzaghe. That is standard practice when handicapping odds. If two football teams meet that are even, the home team typically is a three point favorite or so.
And readers, since this mailbag will be posted after the fight happens, feel free to heckle me on how wrong I was.
That is all for this week Ladies and Gentlemen. I hope you enjoyed the mailbag and I hope to hear from you soon. Stop by next week for some more mailbag fun.
