Too much Pacquiao. Too much Amir Khan. Too much Marley. Those little old whinemakers, Lois and Chavez, never stop weeping. Long ago, I stood before you my friends and admitted, ?My name is Michael, I am a Pacaholic.?
I guess Rick?s wife won?t entertain his complaints and Johnny, well let?s just say his four ex-wives live far away in places like Mineral Wells, Yep, all Chavez?s exes live in Texas.
Lately, I?ve scribbled little about Megamanny. That won?t last as he will start training in earnest in a few days for his Dec. 6 showdown with Oskie Dollar Hoya.
But I would be remiss not to reference Pacman in connection with two bouts, which can be compared to primary elections, this Saturday night.
Pacaholics the world over, take note. The performances of Joan Guzman, Nate Campbell, Joel Casamayor and another crybaby (just kidding), Juan Manuel Marquez, do mean something to Manny?s standing among the lightweights.
What you thought Manny might move up to junior middleweight after trounces Oskie? Only if Floyd Mayweather meets him there.
My selections are no surprise. I like Guzman to box, dance and prance his way to a close but unanimous points victory over the much respected Cambell. Nate does not have high mileage but, let?s face it, 37 is not the new 27. I think the speed and age advantages will get Guzzie over the hump.
I don?t think any ringside or TV viewer will have any complaints as I think the two veterans will put it all on the line over 12 tension convention rounds.
In Vegas, I think age also plays a big factor. Casamayor likes to counterpunch, for his opponent to lead, so his bout with master counterpuncher Juan Ma could be slow to heat up. Remember what my man Larry Holmes always said, ?You can?t cook with cold grease!?
Marquez, if his mind is not on Manny, should be able to outpoint the Cuban cutey. Yes, Casamayor is a smart, slick fighter who rarely makes a mistake but he may be looking in the mirror and seeing something of a younger version of himself. The verdict will be close, maybe even split, and I can tell you Golden Boy insiders will only be crying crocodile tears if Joel loses. They would consider him losing a case of addition by subtraction.
The obvious next big lightweight fight would, if things go the way I see it, Guzman against Marquez.
That would be neat and it would set the stage for a massive fight between the winner there and a returning to 135 pounds Pacquiao.
While Da Manny is the P4P kingpin, he is not the Emperor of all lightweights, not based on slapping around David Diaz, he?s not.
But the funniest thing of all, and this I can guarantee, is that the winners and the losers in Biloxi and in Nevada will be shouting the same thing.
?I Want Manny! I Want Manny!?
It may sound, to your ears, like ?I Want Money.?
It?s supposed to.
