All indications are that on Friday, May 6, in Las Vegas–the night before the Sugar Shane Mosley-Manny Pacquiao bout at the MGM Grand Hotel we’ll see some new faces copping the top two honors from the Boxing Writers Association of Amercia.
The BWAA “Fighter of the Year” and “Trainer of the Year” winning streak of Manny Pacquiao and his tutor, Coach Freddie Roach, had to end sometime and the inside word is that Maravilla’s Masterpeice, the one punch second round KO Argentina’s dashing Sergio Martinez scored over Tall Paul Williams, will be doubly honored.
First, Martinez will take home the best fighter hardware and, secondly, his unheralded trainer from Spain, Gabriel Sarmiento, will take the top trainer honors.
I would be shocked but not appalled if the tandem does sweep both awards and it’s also a tipoff that the writers clique is holding their annual soiree the night before a Pacman fight. Obviously, if Manny and/or Freddie were the honorees again they wouldn’t have much time available to schmooze and hang around the cocktail hour and then the lengthy dinner followed by award presentations.
How will the Team Martinez taking center stage night be recieved by Paclanders?
In the main, I think the real fight fans, those who are not merely Manny addicts, will agree that Maravilla’s plaudits were hard earned.
Don’ forget PWill was nearly unanimously regared as the third best pound for pound boxer, behind only the Congressmanny and the moribund Floyd Mayweather Jr.
A strong case really cannot be logically made for Pacquiao to be 2010’s award-winner not so much based on how he performed but because of the limited opposition meaning ordinary Joshua Clottey and the rusty gate from Mexico, Antonio Margarito.
Looking ahesad to 2011, my crystal balls are itching right now but what if…
Pacquiao stops Hall Of Famer Mosley in May and then…
The Megafight is put together in November and Pacman beats L’il Floyd?
Then, at the 2012 BWAA dinner, you know who will be back collecting more honorary hardware for their respective garages, don’t you?
In the meantime, let’s all hail Martinez and Sarmiento.
There’s something neat, something inspriational about a 35 year old, intinerant fighter who had to leave his homeland and go to Europe to rev up his career and a little-known trainer combining to slay a formidable foe such as Williams was and, I think, still is.
The next boxing scribe dinner?
Let’s just call it what it deserves to be, “Maravilla’s Moment.”
If Sergio has properly won the award, I don’t see how his strategist can be denied.
Bravo, Martinez. Bravo, Sarmiento.
Btw, kudos to Jack Hirsch for moving the BWAA dinners around, getting them out of New York occasionally and going to Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
I think it stimulates not only boxing interest but interest in the organization.
Suggested by the author: Maravilla’s Masterpiece: Martinez KO blast demotes Mayweather Pacquiao, Roach and Koncz; what a team! Freddie Roach, Tea Party both right to be mad over Pacquiao’s extracurriculars Roach: Mayweather knows Pacquaio can walk through him Paul Williams: Floyd Mayweather won’t fight me as I don’t have a vagina
Manny Pacquiao Freddie Roach Gabriel Sarmiento Sergio Martinez Floyd Mayweather Jr. Sugar Shane Mosley
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3 Comments sig357 3 hours ago
While i do agree that Manny Pacquiao did not have the same fruitful year as Sergio Martinez due to the above mentioned reason. How about Roach? His 2010 records says 29 fights which consist of 27 Wins and only 2 Loses. However, i not sure how many of those are title fights or important enough as to be considered again for the Trainers top honors. Does Sarmiento have the same records as Roach as far as winning results? I dont think Sarmiento has enough fighters in his stable to give him 27 wins and only 2 loses. Sergio had a great year but i dont know if a trainer can actually have one boxer who earned BWAA FOTY and the trainer would automatically get the BWAA TOTY award. In other words, any trainer who have a single boxer in their care then get 2 solid wins in a single year will automatically get the TOTY while a trainer with 100 boxers who have lackluster fights but produced 95% wins will get none. That sucks. But hey, congrats to them.
