Subject: The “Fear Factor” In Boxing
Dear Pedro,
Your article on the “Fear Factor” in boxing is dead on target. I boxed amateurs growing up and have continued to train because I love boxing and the workouts so I can relate to your observations. You summed up the mental stress better than anyone else I’ve ever read and I can’t imagine too may other boxing scribes providing such insight (most of them having never trained nor fought). Also, I don’t think too many people understand that the gym fights you referred to can often be tougher than the real thing!
Best Regards,
William
In case you didn’t read, “Could you handle the “Fear Factor” in boxing” here’s the link to click and read http://www.ringtalk.com/news/view_article.asp?id=339&cat=4
Subject: Fallen Comrade Jack Welsh
Pedro,
I never had the chance to meet Jack Welsh but after reading about him on Ring Talk I wish I had the opportunity. Another very colorful boxing character that makes our sport entertaining. Thanks for the great reporting and telling it as it is!
Brian Halquist
Subject: Manny Too Small For Erik?
WE WOULD END THIS DEBATE OF WHO AMONGST THE TWO BOXERS IS THE BEST, JUST GIVE PACMAN A REMATCH. AND IF PACQUIAO LOSSES AGAIN, THEN MORALES IS THE MAN.
Subject: Historian Up In Arms!
I had to email, Roy Jones and James Toney shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same sentence as Bob Fitzsimmons! Jones and Toney beat the SAME, LAME-ASS guy for one quarter of the heavyweight titles. John Ruiz has to be one of the worst champions of all time. Marvin Hart, he might have beaten Ruiz !
Jem Smith (D. Gomez)
Subject: How Dare You Call Ruiz “Louise!”
Pedro,
You may have had some level of skill and heart as an amateur boxer, but you seem to have very little “character” as a person. Your demeaning comments about John Ruiz are sickening. Criticizing his technique and pointing to his shortcomings as a fighter are all within the bounds of fair and proper journalism, but calling him “John Louise” only proves that you are a low-level scribe and a person of weak character.
You shouldn’t write anything about another person that you wouldn’t have the guts to say to his face. And we both KNOW that your conversation with John Ruiz would be much different in person. You might wax bold in public, but in private -man to man- you would not be so bold because he would beat you to the point of begging for mercy.
John P. Fernandez
Dear John,
That was me yelling, “Johnny Louise” in November at the Madison Square Garden weigh in for Andrew Golota. Trainer Norman Stone then grabbed the microphone screaming “Where’s that bastard Pedro!” At the Chris Byrd-David Tua fight when “Johnny Louise” was yelled, Ruiz got up and acknowledged such! So, it’s not like we haven’t poked fun at Ruiz/Louise it in his presence John.
Subject: Dan Rafael’s Lack Of Boxing Acumen
Dan Rafael knows about as much boxing as the other USA Today fraud Jon Saraceno. Recently he was talking about Marvin Hagler, and his fight announcer partner said “Hagler lost a war to Bennie Briscoe,” Saraceno agreed. He also said during a fight, “If Henry Maske wins he’ll be the first European to hold the light heavyweight title since WW2.” What about John Conteh and Mate Parlov? The man knows crap about boxing. J.R. Jowett, this man is a boxing junkie. When he wrote for “Flash Gordon” he would drive all over the country and see over 300 shows a year.
Dear Reader,
J.R. Jowett is one of the few guys that write about boxing that deserve a special place in the Boxing Hall of Fame. People like Jowett, and Jack “KO JO” Obermayer, these men are great credits not only to boxing, but the world at large! As for Dan Rafael, I noticed he was the only Media guy that had the “house” (Top Rank) fighter Castillo ahead after nine heats. I guess you can’t instill boxing knowledge by watching videos. Because if that were the case, Dan wouldn’t have went hitless in the past two consecutive weeks!
Pedro
Subject: Protecting Manny Pacquiao
Dear Pedro,
I always read your reports on Pacman’s site and in www.RingTalk.com As a boxing fan I am happy to know that you are helping Manny on his case against Murad Muhammad et al. You know there are lots of fighters victimized by this kind of unfairness because they are the less educated. In Manny’s case he’s lucky to have American contacts to help him, but for others, I pity them. One example is Luisito Espinoza he is already a US citizen.
Leonides
Dear Leonodes,
I try and help any professional fighter that is wronged. If only a couple of other writers had the stones crap like this wouldn’t be an everyday occurrence! But they are scare of promoters like Bob Arum. Luisito Espinosa still hasn’t been paid $150,000 from a 1998 fight in the Philippines. And your Government had guaranteed the purse! Manny’s got the money to fight Murad, Luisito is broke, battered, and scarred. Living alone in California, the case of Luisito is indeed a troubling one.
Pedro
