We have overloaded the RSR mailings with bulk that came in from Manny Pacquiao fans. A letter from a Roberto Duran fan echoes many sentiments here today, with a another’s fond remembrance of James “Hard Rock” Green. One fan asks why promoter Gary Shaw and Co. has to take such huge slices of the pie on Pac Man’s proceeds, and another one on a fight that could conceivably be in the wings that we aren’t aware of. Check inside. Just one reminder, due to the influx of MAB and Pacquiao boxing fanatics out there, we’ve done a bag especially for them from your email to be featured here on Wednesday.
I have followed the career of Manny Pacquiao and he indeed is great having beaten the best of the junior featherweight, featherweight, and junior lightweight divisions. Should Manny go up and fight at 135lbs? I’m sure he has the potential to beat the fighters in that division the likes of Corrales and Castillo. Even Floyed Mayweather Jr. What do you think George?
saint
Saint,
What amazes me more about a question like that is why would somebody really want to put a small great fighter with a bigger great one?
I say if he wants to move up, he’ll need to see if he can substantially be there as a lightweight. You should not be in a hurry to place him in an over 140-pound category.
If all of that goes well, I say why waste time knocking around and why not go for the gusto?
I am just amazed at the depth or Ringside Report. Nobody does pieces like you have done on James “Hardrock” Green or even tries to remember fighters such as him. I saw him fight Wilford Scypion live and he put a beat down on him for sure. Please keep doing pieces like this because I am diehard reader and look forward to seeing more of them.
Jay
Jay,
Our own publisher “Bad” Brad would love you for saying that. He sometimes picks the assignments to designate for us to write, and with those words you’ve placed of encouragement, there’s no doubt he’s making as much an impact for fans worldwide as we enjoy in writing them. I want to thank you for remembering that great fight, and for your excellent support too. Thanks.
Hi George, I would have to agree with you. I’m 60 now and I remember it was Duran that initiated my interest big time into boxing. I thought he was invincible at that time and every contender was avoiding him. Viruet ran the whole night and was content to last. Duran ignited the animal in every spectator. Winning was second-fiddle to punishing when it comes to Duran. His tenacity was fearsome. The look in his eyes melted opponents. A great body puncher as well as all-around fighter. With superb timing, too. What a fighter!
He ruled the lightweights, no doubt. Especially in the early years of his reign, up to his 21st title defense. Thank you “El Cholo” for those wonderful years of Boxing!
Antonio
Antonio,
What music to our ears indeed it is to hear. With fans who may have not have known it, Duran was so gifted that even being a terrific party animal after fights with Salsa bands, playing congas and dancing, celebrating was part of his enjoyment to life in making appearances everywhere, and part of showing up at press conferences without skipping a single one was just as important for him to do. Thanks for your letter with those memories.
If MAB wins against CHAVEZ ,,,, Do you think that he will still fight PACMAN ??? at what weight??? I’ve read that PACMAN will stay in the 130 division…..
Fritz Martinez
Fritz,
It may give off a whiff of manageability in what can be described in the boxing apropos as holding back your playing hand a bit. It all boarders to coming down to the winning bucks and the contracted said weight for the fight, and this is all of it in a nutshell.
I would tend to hinge off on whatever what fighter has had to say until the deal is sealed.
In other words things can change to accommodate and smooth the progression for the fight itself along.
Pacman fighting Castillo? Can pacman survive the power of Castillo? What do you think? Another PPV blockbuster? Fighting on 130? or 135?
ynut
Ynut,
Why would Jose Luis fight as a junior lightweight when he hasn’t in so long?
Castillo would have a sizeable advantage on Manny for him (Pacquiao) shooting to lightweight. Really Jose Luis and Miguel Angel both are borderline welterweights already. They’re just too big one thirty seven thru one forty five pounders today.
How come Gary Shaw, Khan,and Davidson got huge cuts from Manny Pacquiao’s purse? What did they do? (Top Rank promoted Pac-EM II.)
Does Pacquiao need them for future bouts?
Sargo
Sargo,
All I can tell you is that promoters take the risks for winning like fighters do in acquisition to getting really known. Just the nature of the beast. Whenever you see a huge promotional company move, you can best be rest assured that it’ll more than make up for the efforts worth taking. Nothing would have been done without Manny’s cooperation. The long or shorter term of being about it is not as important as what they presently represent as a team.
Rafael Marquez is a dominant force in the bantamweight division, knocking quality opponents out. Had he faced Pacquiao when the PACMAN was still a superbantamweight, what do you think would have been the outcome?
GUILLER SANTIAGO
Guiller,
Had they fought in that weight division? I’d say we’ve all lost out on a real gem for it not happening. We could all sit here and talk about what could’ve been, but ironically the only thing that will get even remotely close to holding a fight like that would be for Rafael to move up in weight, or get Manny to move down.
Catch-weights seem to be things that are done these days with much trouble for some unknown reason, particularly for finding a fighter to bringing down his pounds.
I would rather keep this one under my hat to see if it indeed does materialize somehow.
I will talk about it once the match reaches a possibility to have. Downsizing it at this time is too early, as much as it could be possibly made.
How good was Joey Ferrando and Ray Famechon?
Edward Baston
Hello Edward,
Not to be confused with famous Johnny Famechon from January’s ’69 winning the WBC Featherweight Championship over Jose Legra over 15 rounds in London, who was great. However, the one you’re asking of was Frenchmen Ray Famechon (no relation) who was also a featherweight champ, but an EBU European bound one, literally.
He’d lose to both Willie Pep and Sandy Saddler, so his real value did not flourish beyond these match ups like it might have had if he fought here in the States. Ray had a 99-12-3, 37 KO’s, with some decent power, fighting in 1944 after the war, through near middle ’50’s.
Jersey City’s Joey Ferrando had much more success, particularly in his early going. Lightweight Ferrando proved that being the least guy to knock you out did not mean he couldn’t beat you. Joey had only been knocked out once before, May 13, 1932 by Paul Junior, but rebounded strongly from it never to be falling prey to that again until Sammy Angott fought him January 1939. He’d pretty much reached the top pentacle fighting Angott at that. Record of accord went 55-4-3, 4 KO’s.
