Welcome to the mailbag readers. I hope that all of you survived Valentine’s Day, the most stressful holiday of the year for men in relationships. As a present to my sweetheart this year I told her that I would change my underpants every day for a whole week. I was thinking about changing my underwear everyday for a month but decided against that because it sounded like too big of a commitment.
In boxing action over the weekend, Eric Morel won a debatable decision over Gerry Penalosa in a non-title bantamweight fight. Gerry Penalosa was a top notch boxer when he was at his best. His current record of 54-8-2 should be even more impressive that it is. Penalosa, like Glen Johnson, is notable for the number of close or controversial decisions that have gone against him. Gerry can’t seem to get a break, seeing another decision go against him last Saturday in a fight that a majority of observers felt he won.
Not that Eric Morel vs. Gerry Penalosa was a significant fight. It was a battle between two faded former champs hopelessly struggling to remain relevant despite their declining skill. Morel vs. Penalosa was buried on the under card of your typical Nonito Donaire vs. TBA (insert over-matched Latino opponent here) Top Rank Pay Per View. You know, the type of PPV where the main event isn’t good enough to be shown on a major TV network so Top Rank has to televise it themselves.
Despite Penalosa being past due for retirement in a fight where the stakes are low, you still hate to see a decision go against a guy like that, especially since he has been a victim of so many questionable verdicts in the past. The one constant in Penalosa’s long distinguished career has been getting screwed by the judges; from the beginning of his championship reign to the possible end of his career last Saturday.
You’d think that karma would be working against Eric Morel, the convicted rapist.
The rest of the Pinoy Power fight card went as planned. Nonito Donaire and Fernando Montiel made quick work of their challengers. Bernabe Concepcion unfortunately won a unanimous decision against Mario Santiago. I say unfortunately because Concepcion earned a title shot against Juanma Lopez with the win, and he will be a lamb led to slaughter against Lopez. The highlight of the entire night was seeing Z Gorres at ringside, back from his life-threatening and career-ending injuries.
And with that we steer into the mailbag section of the column. I hope you enjoy this week’s offerings, and as always, I look forward to reading your responses and qeustions.
Brian Wilbur as Judge Dredd
Hi Brian,
If you were the judge or one of the jury on Pacquiao’s defamation lawsuit against Mayweather and Co, what would your judgment or verdict be?
Do you think Floyd Mayweather Jr. and the others being sued are guilty of slander, libel and defaming Pacquiao? I’m not familiar with the US justice system and I’d like to ask how long does this kind of case go in your country? Pacquiao is suing a very popular American, can he get fair trial there? And lastly, can he actually win his case against Mayweather and Co? Thanks so much Brian… more power and God bless.
-Ace from Manila, Phil.
Ace,
There are many defendants in this case. If I were the judge and jury of this case (Judge Dredd style) I would have a different verdict for each one. Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. I would say not guilty because they were careful with their words and did not blatantly say anything slanderous. They only implied and that is not good enough in my opinion.
Richard Schaeffer is borderline. There is word that Schaeffer explicitly told people that he was 100% certain that Pacquiao was on steroids. If there was a witness or evidence to convince me that was the truth then I would find Schaeffer guilty. If no convincing witness or evidence came forward proving that Schaeffer actually said that then I would have to find him not guilty.
The others in the Mayweather clan, such as Floyd Mayweather Sr., I would find guilty because they have blatantly accused Pacquiao of PED use. They were not shy or careful with their words either.
I could see a judge ruling not guilty if they felt that the Mayweathers were only stating opinion and did not claim that they know for sure. I don’t see it that way though. For anyone to be found guilty in civil cases like this they must prove damages and they must prove either negligence or malice.
A case like this can sometimes take months or years, especially if there are appeals. Yes, Pacquiao can get a fair trial because Mayweather is not that popular of a figure in the United States. Boxing is a fringe sport in the USA. I’d like to think that the American justice system is fair and unbiased.
Can Pacquiao win this case? I would say that the odds are against him. You have to really prove foul play to win a slander case. If he has a good enough lawyer though, anything can happen.
Mythical Match Ups
Hi Brian,
I wanna know your insights on the following matches:
– Manny Pacquiao vs Edwin Valero
– Nonito Donaire vs Vic Darchinyan II
– Bernard Hopkins vs Roy Jones Jr.
– Kelly Pavlik vs Sergio Martinez
– Carl Froch vs Lucian Bute
Thanks a lot, man. More power to your very nice and entertaining blog!
-Aljun
Aljun,
Thanks for the email. Here are my thoughts on those match ups:
Pacquiao vs. Valero – These two are very similar actually, but I give Manny an edge in many categories. For example, Pacquiao is faster, more experienced, more precise, and more seasoned. Plus, Manny is comfortable at welterweight so he has the size advantage. Valero impressed with his thorough thrashing of Antonio DeMarco because he showed that he has boxing skill and not just reckless power. This could be a tough fight for Manny and potentially a very fun one to watch. I’ll take Pacquiao by late round TKO.
Darchinyan vs. Donaire II – This is an interesting one because you know that Vic would be watching that hook and not get caught with the same punch twice. Still, I like Donaire’s youth, speed, and boxing ability here. Darchinyan is getting up there in age and has been beaten up a bit recently. I also like the gutsy performances that I’ve seen Nonito display when he has been grossly outmatched in the size and strength categories. Donaire by decision.
Jones vs. Hopkins – Roy Jones is completely shot and has been for over 5 years now. He is a hazard to himself and I would not be confident picking him over club fighters at this point. Hopkins is going to demolish him in a silly fight that I have no interest in.
Pavlik vs. Martinez – This is a solid fight since Martinez is coming off of an impressive showing against Paul Williams. Pavlik will be in against a real opponent who should test him. I see Pavlik coming forward with limited success early but eventually wearing down Sergio and winning a decision.
Froch vs. Bute – I am not much of a Carl Froch fan. He seems like a pretty generic European fighter to me. He is not bad but nothing spectacular either. Lucian Bute on the other hand, looks terrific and may be the total package. I like Bute to knock Froch out in the middle rounds.
SJ Jarapa’s Rant
Hello,
I thought I’d join your conversations.
