Boxing Scribe Vivek Wallace brings his Left-Hook Lounge mailbag to FightHype.com, answering questions for fans and giving his own unique perspective on all the latest current events in boxing. This week, check out his response to fans as they discuss Mercito Gesta’s recent victory, Floyd Mayweather’s release from prison, the upcoming Martinez vs. Chavez Jr. showdown, and much more.
Alvin H. (Oakland, CA): Mercito Gesta has now called out both Adrien Broner and Brandon Rios. I’ve heard you talk him up in the past, but do you think he has what it takes to defeat either of these two men?
Vivek W.: I like Mercito Gesta. I think he’s a breath of fresh air for not only the sport, but more importantly, the Filipino nation. He’s a very solid talent, a good looking kid, which helps with marketability, and he has a great attitude. There’s really no downside to a fighter who brings that combination of attributes. From that angle, I think you have to like what you see in him as a budding star in the sport. All of that being said, I still think we have to keep things in proper perspective. When I get beyond the attributes previously mentioned, when I think Mercito Gesta, I think two words: “vastly untested”. Those two words don’t exactly bode well when you start to try to compare him to some of the bigger names out there, particularly the ones he apparently called out.
Starting with Brandon Rios, many know that I’ve said for quite some time that while Rios is a very determined fighter, his biggest test, and perhaps trouble too, would come against a skilled fighter who has the durability to outlast him and the work rate to intelligently outwork him. A fighter of that template would have Rios all figured out and potentially make easy work of him. Trouble is, at this stage, Gesta isn’t that guy. When we look at things from that standpoint, it’s safe to say Broner would be an even tougher assignment. While I’d be the first to say Broner is not on that superior Mayweather level that some have attempted to label him with, I’d also be very candid in stating that there’s a major, major difference in ability between he and Gesta, as well as he and Rios.
Rios has an amateur background of over 250 fights, but it’s evident in his fighting style that it was an experience strictly used for toughening him up, rather than skillfully building him up. Gesta is a bit more fundamental by nature, depending more on speed, power, and footwork, but has zero fights as an amateur, which has made his learning curve as a professional that much more difficult, explaining why we haven’t seen as much from him in comparison between the three. Broner, on the other hand, has not only better than 300 amateur fights to lean on, but when you watch him fight and see the utilization of a total package (offense, defense, footwork, etc.), I think it speaks volumes of why he’s probably the more rounded, and potentially the best of the young trio.
In a nutshell, Gesta is a great talent and I do see him being one of the perennial flagship fighters for the Philippines in the future, but despite my interest in him, I think it’s also safe to say he isn’t quite developed enough at this stage to suggest he’d defeat either Rios or Broner just yet. His recent outing on ESPN Friday Night Fights solidified my thoughts. He faced an opponent far from the elite level, and he went 9 uneventful rounds before pulling the curtains. Definitely not his best outing in my book, and it definitely displayed the reality behind why there’s much work to be done before we see him truly eligible to stand in the ring with the other men he called out.
Jeffery M. (Atlanta, GA): I thought it was interesting how many in and around the media reacted when Floyd Mayweather was released from jail last week. For so long he has been the guy they love to hate, but this time there was an anticipation that I found curious. What are your thoughts on the media reception after his release from jail?
Vivek W.: I thought the media reaction basically supports Mayweather’s reasoning for being who most of us know him to be today. The old adage has it that “any press is good press”! Many don’t seem to understand that, but the logic is that if people are saying your name, particularly on a constant basis, they’ll become accustomed to hearing it and typically seek it out when they don’t. As Mayweather made very clear on HBO’s 24/7, “haters don’t get their money back after the fight” and “their checks clear the bank too”! Whether it’s positive or negative, Mayweather has kept any and everyone remotely interested in boxing steadily looking for his name, to the point where many even manufacture it when there’s no reason to discuss it. This scenario showed how effective that logic really is.
When it was time for him to serve his sentence, the media boards flooded with the famous “don’t drop the soap” type jokes and a ton of other comical fodder, all aimed at bashing the “villain”. After a few weeks behind bars when the smoke cleared, people went about their business and had very little to say. Fast forward a bit, and despite the Pacquiao/Bradley shocker and a ton of other things to take place in his absence, it was interesting how many fans and media began to speak about a “void” in the sport. I wasn’t so sure that Mayweather qualified as that “void”, but when Broner entered the ring with his “Free Money May” shirt and capped it off with the patented shoulder roll in the ring, suddenly, the mass media attention appeared to have shifted to the release date of a man most said they “don’t care to see”.
Here we are now, days after his release, and without many saying it publicly, the underground media circles continue to buzz with anticipation relative to what lies next for Floyd….both in the ring (as a fighter) as well as outside of it (as a promoter). This type of anticipation tells me that no matter how much me and others disapprove of certain antics, outside of the one which landed him in jail, all others were well worth it, and shows us precisely how he became sports biggest earner last year, according to Forbes Magazine. Has it occurred to anyone that the man we parallel him to (Pacquiao) was recently on the downside of a very pathetic scoring controversy, yet there’s more headlines relative to who Mayweather is fighting next than that man? That speaks volumes!
I think that says something, and on a deeper note, it explains why Mayweather has maintained that he should earn the biggest share if they meet. When you look at the roster recently assembled by TMT Promotions, and the fact that there’s a ton of talent out there said to be waiting for a call to earn a roster spot, I think without doubt the Mayweather name will continue to grow. As of now, none of us know specifically what to expect from Floyd, but hearing Arum say that he believes a Pacquiao fight has a “far better chance” of being made with 50 Cent and Mayweather “away from Goldenboy Promotions” makes me wonder if these two men knew that beforehand, making this new promotional group the first step in perhaps the biggest negotiation the sport has ever seen.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens from here, but relative to why the media has seemed to be “nicer” since his release…..I think it’s pretty obvious…..whether you like him or not, this is the biggest name and arguably the biggest talent in the sport….bar none! He always said he wouldn’t be appreciated until he left. Well…..he left for a few months and upon his return, the spotlight has found a way to locate him again. I think that tells us all everything we need to know to answer that question. Interesting days lie ahead, ladies and gents! Stay tuned.
Paul E. (Miami Lakes, FL): On FightHypeRadio last Wednesday night I heard you saying that you have “slowly warmed up to the Martinez/Chavez fight”. What changed, and now that you’re interested, what are your thoughts on the potential outcome?
Vivek W.: In shortest logic, I’ve never been a big fan of Chavez Jr., based on the scenic route he took to the top of the sport, padding his record with a ton of cupcakes and feeding off the fat of the land rather than earning his stripes the hard way. Sergio Martinez, on the other hand, I was a fan of, but never really felt he was a solid as many tried to make him out to be…..some even going as far as saying he should move ahead of Mayweather and Pacquiao on the mythical P4P list. All that being said, it’s never been personal between me and either of the guys, and even though I didn’t like the fight at first glance, the fan in me has begun to see that the potential is there to be a good fight because in many ways these two men balance one another out.
Martinez is by far the more polished fighter, but he enters the ring the smaller man against a guy who has finally developed confidence and a few names on his resume to support it. Chavez is nowhere near what his dad was, but neither does he have to be! He has proven that he can take shots and land shots, which is what has always drawn me to that proud warrior Mexican style in the past. Martinez, on the other hand, won’t be taken advantage of, and will enter the ring with a ton of confidence himself, as well as a very good power and a certain level of skill. The biggest subplot of them all which truly makes me intrigued in this fight is that both men will enter the ring with a chip on their shoulder, eager to prove their worth to a fan base which currently has more questions than answers.
In the case of Martinez…..is he truly as good as many believe? Can he face the fire against a bigger, durable, and very determined fighter? For Chavez Jr., can he earn that career defining victory over a perennial force in the sport on the elite P4P level? There’s really so many subplots surrounding this fight that point to an interesting night, and the one that looms larger than them all is the fact that we’re even seeing this fight! For the longest time, many of us (myself included) thought the day would never come. Reality is that had Top Rank not run out of cupcakes to feed Chavez, we probably wouldn’t be seeing the fight, but in fitting fashion, all good things must come to an end, and the run of meaningless fights against non-worthy opposition has ended. By the end of the night, his undefeated streak may as well!
For Chavez Jr., it’s now time to sink or swim, and he’s no longer in the guppy pool….he’s in an ocean of sharks! 160lbs-168lbs has a ton of names that all come to play ball. A victory over Martinez and out of nowhere, he’s in high demand, has the drivers seat for the larger purse against many of those names between the two divisions, would probably get choice of venue, and would basically run the negotiations table. So, not only is this an intriguing fight in and of itself, but the implications that lie behind it make it a fight I’m certainly warming up to, and may even decide to attend. Should be a great night!
