San Francisco, CA- You know who really lost Saturday night when Joan Guzman beat Humberto Soto? You the boxing fans and Manny ?Pacman? Pacquiao. I?ve told you before that the Dominican fighter has superlative boxing skills, moves like a lil? Ray Leonard. His combinations are both blazing and effective. Fact is that based off of Saturday night?s Soto fight and Manny?s pedestrian effort against Marco Antonio Barrera, the fight is a toss-up!
LARRY WEIGHS IN ON ?RING TALK RADIO?
During a live Sunday night (6 PM PT) appearance on ?Ring Talk Radio,? HBO icon Larry Merchant was asked about a Pacman-Guzman clash. ?(Pacquiao?s promoter) Bob Arum has already said Guzman and Pacquiao won?t fight. Nobody is going to fight him (Guzman).?
GUZMAN IN 1996 OLYMPICS TOO!
Having followed Guzman since the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, GA, I knew that Sycuan Promotions had lured a gem in inking Guzman, as his ring ability was never questioned. It was his allegedly being a head case that made people cast doubts.
PERFECT TIME TO DISPLAY ABILITY!
But with time ticking off the clock of his career by an unknown rate, Guzman needed to make a statement against Soto, something he clearly did. If Manny and Guzman were to fight, Pacquiao would be in with the best fighter he?s ever faced. When I say ?best? what I mean is that his fighting Guzman means facing a fighter who unlike Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, is unbeaten and in his fighting ?prime.?
HAS PACMAN BUILT REP ON HAS-BEENS?
The knock on the fiery Filipino by those that dare risk the wrath of the Pacman posse, is that he?s built his fame on old worn out Mexicans. And while I don?t think that?s really true, Pac has been selective ever since the scary draw with Juan Manuel Marquez. And while some of you may have thought you saw something special in Guzman Saturday, you ain?t seen nothin? yet! Guzman?s problem is inactivity. If he could fight again in January, and again in April, and that?s unlikely, Joan could really polish up his act and bring his game to another level, one that might even beat Manny.
FIGHT JOAN NEXT BETTER THAN LATER?
For Manny Pacquiao to have the best chance of beating the Dominican flash, he would have to fight him next. I liken Guzman to Muhammad Ali when he came back from 3 ? years of inactivity. After he cut Jerry Quarry in three and went 14 with Oscar Bonavena in late 1970, Yank Durham, Joe Frazier?s decision maker told Ali?s brain trust that if he didn?t take a March 1971 fight with Joe, they would tie up the title and not give Ali a shot for two years. Reason being that Yank, like Arum with Guzman, knew Ali was not yet in 100% form.
DUCKING ALI ALMOST GOT JOE KILLED!
Joe ended up besting Ali in 15 rounds, this before his summary execution at the hands of George Foreman and his loss of the title. Instead of giving Ali a rematch, Frazier overrode his team leaders and fought Foreman out of spite. So while promoter Arum said that a fight between Pacquiao and Guzman will never happen, that can only be true if Manny Pacquiao is unwilling to fight Joan Guzman.
Right now, I?d make Pac a 9-5 favorite!
