THEY DON’T MAKE ‘EM LIKE THIS EVERYDAY!
Las Vegas, NV-When the day arrives that both Erik Morales (48-3, 34 KO’s) and Manny Pacquiao (40-3-2, 32 KO’s) are on the Hall of Fame ballot, the vote for this scribe will be easy. They both go in! They are warriors and champions of the highest order who have fought at the highest level over an extended period of time. Heading into their HBO Pay Per View rematch this Saturday night at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, it is that already established legacy that will move the turnstiles and promise to move the pulse rates of the viewing public.
RECENT HISTORY CREATES QUESTIONS!
And why shouldn’t the heart race? As much as the technical savvy of a Winky Wright or Floyd Mayweather can be appreciated, it is the base blood lust of the audience that drives the dollar. Call it barbaric or primordial if you will, but it is also an all too human reaction. Adding allure to this bout is that both men have recently been shown to be just that…human. Morales is infamously coming off a loss to Zahir Raheem in September when he was outboxed and outhustled. Pacquiao has not defeated a marquee opponent since his sensational stoppage of Marco Antonio Barerra in 2003 (drawing with Juan Manuel Marquez and losing to Morales). It is those setbacks that continue to fuel the dynamic of two men both under and overrated.
PACQUIAO BETTER POUND FOR POUND THAN AT 130 POUNDS!
Pacquiao, of the Philippines, IS that dynamic. Anyone who has had the misfortune to run into Manny’s most ardent fans is immediately willing to call him overrated. They can be, slightly, nationalistic and obnoxious. However, it is not their jingoism that determines his merit in the ring…and in the ring Manny has performed historic feats. The accomplishment most often overlooked is Manny’s most impressive. He is the only man ever to win the lineal, real World titles at Flyweight (112) and Featherweight (126). In 1998, Manny knocked out veteran Chatchai Sasakul in eight to win the lineal (and WBC) World flyweight title. Sasakul was no soft touch at 112 pounds; he had won his title against the outstanding Yuri Arbachakov. Trouble making weight led to a knockout loss in Pacquiao’s second title defense and the beginning of the rest of his career. In a marvel of human genetics, Pacquiao moved from 112 all the way now to 130 and has brought his power with him. That sort of thing doesn’t happen very often. What does happen often is that smaller men find, no matter how good they are, size does matter.
PACQUIAO CARRIES POWER NORTH!
Pacquiao is learning that lesson. Size was not a factor in the 2001 knockout win for the IBF 122 lb. title against Lehlo Ledwaba; but without a rematch we may never know if Pacquiao beat the best Barerra there is. Barerra had suffered from medical issues and a fire that interrupted his camp leading to his featherweight title loss to Pacquiao. We do know that following that win, and three knockdowns of Marquez in the first round on their bout, Pacquiao hasn’t won very many rounds against his best foes. Marquez, on my and many other cards, came back from those knockdowns to deserve the win…and Morales beat him at least seven rounds to five. Having not yet stepped in the ring with a man who started his career at 130, it may well be that the universal rankings of Pacquiao near the top of that division have him overrated. However, the inability to recognize him on the pound for pound level of a Wright or Mayweather is underrating. His move through the weight classes, and ability to compete in every single one against the best foes he can find, is what pound for pound is all about.
MORALES ALWAYS AN ENIGMA!
Morales is a different case. The best weight class for the frame of “El Terible” may be 130 even as he has accumulated, like Pacquiao, titles in three weight classes (122, 126, 130). Morales is a case of a fighter who seemingly can’t avoid fighting at the level of his opponent. Near losses to In Jin Chi and Guty Espadas raised question marks that were erased in the glow of last years brutal win over Manny and even his rubber match loss to Barerra. Those question marks are back, in spades, following the loss to Raheem. At his best, and against the best, Morales has looked the part of Mexican legend. Knowledgeable observers can note though that the separation amongst the elite is often not only how they do against the best but how they handle the lulls. Morales doesn’t handle them well.
RAHEEM JUST A CASE OF STYLES?
Prior to the Raheem fight, I noted that Morales had rarely if ever faced a slick, classic American boxer, and that such a style was often a curse for aggressive Mexican fighters. Against Raheem, he often seemed lost inside that style quandary. That flat performance has many putting their support and dollars on the power punching Pinoy. It may be a costly mistake. Morales, whose uneven performances have often led to his underrating heading into big fights, can easily be overrated as he is always forgiven in the wake of his greatest wins. This Saturday is a test of whether Raheem was a case of Morales starting to get old or just a case of his inconsistency catching up to him.
24 KARAT PREDICTS REPEAT AND NOT REVENGE!
Whether he is getting old or not, Morales isn’t facing a slick boxer in Pacquiao and he retains his size advantage. He also carries the weight of disappointment from the Raheem loss. That is going to be a bad thing for Manny. Morales has always come back from his worst performances more focused and with a chip on his shoulder. That chip will be enough for him to win another barn burner of a fight that will further cement the Hall of Fame status of both men even as it leaves many still scratching their head trying to figure out where each man fits in history.
KESSLER CEMENTS DEMAND FOR CALZAGHE-LACY VICTOR!
Ring Magazine, promoters Frank Warren and Gary Shaw, and Showtime would all like the public to think that, come March 4, the showdown between168 WBO belt holder Joe Calzaghe (40-0, 31 KO’s) and his IBF counterpart Jeff Lacy (21-0, 17 KO’s) is not just the division’s biggest money fight but also a battle between the division’s two best fighters. After all, Ring has said they will sanction the fight between their number one and three ranked contenders to fill the vacant 168 lb. crown. Former belt holder Eric Lucas (38-7-3, 14 KO’s) sat in his corner following his corner men throwing in the towel with a minute left in the tenth round Saturday night in Copenhagen, Denmark. Blood was streaming from his left eye, as living proof that all the hype and all of Ring Editor Nigel Collin’s self-congratulatory editorials can’t undo reality. That is because the man who rendered Lucas to that corner, Ring Magazine #2 and WBA title-holding super middleweight Mikkel Kessler (37-0, 28 KO’s) remained in his place as the ultimate reality check, and fly in the ointment, to the establishment’s best laid plans.
LUCAS BRUTALIZED BY BOXING’S BEST UNKNOWN!
Some may say, “Well, it was Eric Lucas.” That’s a valid point. Lucas is past his best, and his best wasn’t particularly memorable even with a brief reign as WBC titleholder. But just like one couldn’t help but be impressed when Lacy went through the even less memorable Scott Pemberton in his last outing, Kessler on this night continued an impression made in recent wins over stalwart super middles like Anthony Mundine and Manny Siaca. The overmatched opponent gives the marquee fighter a chance to show his full range of artillery. Having seen Kessler repeatedly in the last two years, it is that artillery that makes him every bit the potential heir apparent at 168. He possesses the division’s best jab and does not have the stiff, head high European style that is so often a burden. His defense is solid, even if his feet are a bit slow, and he can fight both inside and out.
EUROPE NO LIABILITY FOR POTENTIAL SUPERSTAR!
The next retort could very well be that “Kessler only fights in Europe.” Frankly, that argument is of little worth. Lacy is the only notable American in the entire division and 168 has largely been dominated by Europeans for the last decade. Kessler SHOULD COME to the US but only because this is where he stands to make the most money in the short term if (still a BIG IF) Lacy beats Calzaghe. Long term, fights with the other European super middles and light heavyweights, another division short on Americans, will make sense over there. That doesn’t say anything about his talent. Kessler is one of the best young fighters alive. He might be the best period at 168. At the least, he’s got a hell of an argument for second best behind the long dominant Calzaghe…and no ‘champion’ can be declared in the division without his having a say.
CORRALES-CASTILLO POSTPONEMENT A BLESSING IN DISGUISE!
Fight fans everywhere were disappointed by the news that the World Lightweight title rubbermatch between champion Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo has been postponed due to a training injury to the champ. Fans should actually be happy for these guys. Following their two brutal affairs, this rivalry needs a resolution, and that should come with both men at their best. The chance that they could both be at their best again so soon after their last fight, in October, was unlikely especially for Corrales. Good things come to those who wait, and more time for these two men to heal away from each other (and Castillo’s replacement foe won’t be someone who can stop that healing) will be good for them and the sport. In 2006, we will get the answer to the question of who is the better man and this postponement will make that all the more definitive.
HBO DECISIONS CONTINUE TO BAFFLE!
The good news for HBO has been an increase in dates for fight shows this year and the promise of subscriber level fights like Hasim Rahman-James Toney in 2006. The bad news is that HBO is still willing to shell out for the wrong fights. As a fellow fan noted, I have been too hard on Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto (25-0, 21 KO’S). The fact that he is not what his hype machine makes him out to be is not his fault. The fact that he is taking a slow road to the top is also overstated; Ricky Hatton took almost seven years to get to Kostya Tszyu and that was clearly shown to be the right call. However, HBO subscribers should expect the best fights and Cotto getting a date for a fight with Gianluca Branco in March is not what is being paid for. It is an ESPN level fight against a fighter who, while only having one loss in 38 starts, has never beaten ANYONE to deserve a second HBO payday (his first came in a loss to Arturo Gatti). If Cotto wants to take his time, good for him…but let him do it on outlets commensurate with the level of his foes. Excellent fights and fighters abound in other weight classes, and HBO is wasting our time with another Cotto prep fight. At least Showtime had the good sense to refuse to air Hatton fights for over a year while they waited for him to make his leap.
24-KARAT NOTEBOOK…
As a plus for HBO, the Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones rematch fell apart, saving the most gullible a good 50 bucks. That fight was going to suck…something that COULD suck would be if rumors turn into reality and Zab Judah’s loss to Carlos Baldomir does not derail his April date with Mayweather. Why would this fight make sense? Why would Floyd not want to be welterweight champion and try to fight Baldomir? Let’s hope this is all smoke…Oh, and just to be positive, instead of Cotto-Branco, how about HBO remember why they invented Boxing After Dark (BAD)? It was to highlight smaller fighters and great matchups. The 112 and 115 classes have both, and deserve to be seen. It would never have been thought that men as small as Morales and Barerra could command the dollars they do before BAD; men like Jorge Arce, Martin Castillo, and Lorenzo Parra deserve a chance and could be an investment in a whole new revenue base…Anyone else want to see Antonio Tarver challenge new Crusierweight king O’Neill Bell?
Cliff Rold
Note: “24-Karat” Rold is not just the best young boxing writer on the planet. He is also an award winning poet and recently received his Masters degree in US Foreign Policy at the American University in Washington DC. Comments related to this article can be left below.
