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 this past Saturday’s outcome of Martinez vs. Chavez Jr., whether or not there should be a rematch, Freddie Roach’s abilities as a trainer, and much more.
Jimmy A. (Northridge, CA): Freddie Roach had an amazing run, but right about now he doesn’t look too good at all. Do you think he’s starting to fade as a trainer?
Vivek W.: No. I think Freddie is what he always was, and it probably holds true for most of us. By that I mean not quite as good as many made him out to be, yet not nearly as bad either. Freddie had been blessed to have the hottest commodity on the block (Pacquiao) for quite some time. That turned into other marquee opportunities. Trouble is, as that one major product cooled off, so has the glow around Roach. The same knock I’ve had on Roach for years is the one I still maintain today. He hasn’t changed at all. He teaches with passion, and what I call ‘thin’ strategy. He doesn’t entertain the complex stuff, meaning the complete package, in terms of deep execution fundamentally in both offense and defense. All of his fighters are too easily hit. All of them rely on solid chins to serve as defense, and those who don’t have one (most notably Khan) fail to reach the heights of those who do.
As we just learned with Chavez, even those who do have one often lack the skills needed to get the “W”. I don’t think it’s an indictment on Roach anymore than I think he has just had some bad breaks. What he’s done for the longest has been good enough for him to remain a major figure in this sport. I can’t knock it totally. But I can say it limits his ability to grow with fighters who need a little more than toughness and ferocity to win. Pacquiao is the man who writes his checks basically. That’s the bread winner. That’s the guy I’m keeping an eye on when it comes to Roach.
He recently won one that he should have lost (Marquez III). And he recently lost one that he should have won (Bradley). Now he’s facing a guy he can’t seem to beat again! If Pac loses, Roach would be 0-4 this year in marquee fights. Reality here is that before, Roach seemed better than he probably was. Well now, the stage could be set for him to look worst than he probably is. It’s what I call a life cycle…..everything in life is a cycle, ladies and gents! Watch it closely and Stay tuned, for what goes up must come down! (Sad but true).
Jacques P. (Brooklyn, NYC): I think Martinez’s performance should put him in the top 4 P4P in the sport. Would you agree? If not, why?
Vivek W.: Pardon my bitterness here, but the whole mythical P4P discussion is one I wish would go away. Every dominant performance there’s a new person the masses wants to see in the top spot, and they have 1000 reasons why that argument should be “thee” official position of everyone in the media. I apologize in advance, but I don’t subscribe to that theory, and never will. Absolutely! Martinez put up a dominant performance and should be credited for that, but as he stated himself prior to the fight, “Chavez has never been a top 100 P4P competitor on any ones list”, so why Martinez should be at the top on the strength of this performance is beyond me. Chavez has improved greatly, but this performance was more about what he didn’t do than it was about what Martinez did do. Let me explain:
Should Martinez be at the “top” of the list? Lets compare his effort to the others up top: Mayweather defeated Marquez (top 3 P4P fighter at the time, albeit a little smaller). He defeated Mosley after a long layoff (he was viewed as one of the best in the division at the time and was coming off a huge career rejuvenating victory). FMW defeated Hatton, who was the best in his weight class and undefeated. He defeated Cotto, who was the best in his own respective division and looked incredible. Yes, he took time off, but he remains active and remains the best pure talent in the sport today…..bar none. Ward has defeated every top fighter in his weight class via the Super 6 Tournament. Ended the tourney and defeated the best light heavy in the world, who is also one of the most talented fighters in the world.
Both men not only have the best fundamental talent, but have put it up against very credible opposition consistently. That’s why those two men solidify the top spots in my book. Some would argue Pacquiao should be there. My response: Pacquiao has done some incredible things in his career, but who was the last top P4P fighter, or even top weight class opponent (non-catchweight) that he defeated? Bradley? (Questionable loss). Marquez? (Questionable win). Mosley? (Hadn’t won a fight in almost two years). Margarito and Clottey? Big boys, but neither P4P or top divisional quality, and Margarito came in at a catchweight. Cotto? Top talent, but at a Catchweight. The results are somewhat tainted, and he’s the ONLY of the top fighters in the P4P race who has consistently done this. Can’t call him the best when he doesn’t win in the same fashion as the rest. (Heads up).
Now, lets look at Martinez: Chavez? Title holder, but we know the real deal here. Very sheltered, very green. Not a top P4P opponent on any ones list. Macklin, Barker and Dzinziruk? Credible names…but paper thin! Neither of these men are the top fighter in their respective classes, let alone P4P material. Williams? Heart of a lion….would fight anyone, anywhere, any time. Doesn’t change the fact that his career defining victory was in 2007 against a man who was tough as nails, but never stood atop any ones P4P list either (Margarito). I think my point is pretty legible at this stage, and I sharpened my pencil so even the blind can see. Martinez has done some great things, but I can’t classify him as a top 2 P4P fighter. You can tossup between he and Pacquiao, but neither are top 2 at this stage. Very, very good. But Martinez is not a top 2 P4P fighter. Sorry.
Francisco S. (Boca Raton, FL): Sergio Martinez totally dominated Chavez Jr. and I see no need for the rematch being discussed. I’d rather see Martinez face Mayweather or someone more of a threat. What do you think Martinez should do next?
Vivek W.: I would totally agree that the fight was absolutely one-sided. There’s only one reason for a rematch, and if we see one, it’ll be because of the one person it benefits the most! Bob Arum and Chavez are the only ones bold enough to publicly state that there should even be consideration for a rematch. Frankly, from all the fight fans I’ve talked to, there’s no reason to see it happen at this stage. As far as individual performances go, starting with Chavez, I think he just looked very slow and lethargic. He appeared to fight the whole fight in slow motion. Martinez is fast, but he looked super fast, because Chavez Jr. just looked pathetically slow trying to counter. Guess hydrating 30lbs over night does that. He would get in close at a perfect range to do body work and couldn’t even punch.
He looked like a giant in there and it’s about time he starts trying to pick on men his own size. Martinez, on the other hand, looked good, but I’m not as sold on the performance as many seem to be. I like to take all things into consideration, and the first place we have to start is the fact that he did it against a man who was right there to be hit, and until the final round, never really tried to hit his opponent. What I did like from Martinez was that he took it out of the judges hands, and absolutely dominated. Where does he go from here? I’m not one of those guys who feel he needs to set his sights on Mayweather. No doubt, Martinez is far smaller than Chavez Jr., but again, lets keep all things in perspective.
Most seem to forget that at the 30 day weigh-in for his final fight with Paul Williams, Martinez weighed in at a solid 176lbs. That was a month into training. He walks around closer to 185lbs or so. Can he get down to 154lbs? Absolutely. But against a man who walks around at 157 or so, at his very heaviest? I’m not interested in seeing that fight. And if he went down to 154 and loss, the excuse would be that it was “too much weight for Martinez to shed”. I think there are more excuses to come out of a potential loss for Martinez than there are benefits to gain for a potential Mayweather victory. I’m not into catchweights, but the only way I’d advise Mayweather to take that fight would be with a stipulation that says Martinez could not enter the ring heavier than 165lbs on fight night. (Which FMW won’t do).
What Martinez should do is look in the direction of Andre Ward. Now THAT’s a fight! Rumor has it that Ward stated he would take the fight at 164lbs. If that can be confirmed, I think it’s a solid matchup. One man going up, one man going down. Both give a little to get a lot! That’s the fight I want to see Martinez in. Either that, Canelo, or Cotto. Either of those would be great, entertaining fights. And technically, all toss-ups, as either of those men could get the job done. It would be nice to see Martinez in against a real talent who isn’t overblown and able to pull the trigger. Unfortunately, looks like Top Rank is gonna stuff another “re-run” down our throats! And the sad part is that people will actually shell out to see this crap….again! Why????
Tahj Jones: Lucas Matthyssee has made me a huge fan. His style is great and he has better skill than many give him credit for. One could argue that he should have gotten the nod over both Judah and Alexander. What are your thoughts about him?
Vivek W.: Sergio Martinez just got another great victory under his belt, but for those who don’t know, he doesn’t stand alone! Argentina is definitely in the building, brother! Lucas Matthyssee is a guy who I have always found to be very, very good at what he does, and it’s just a matter of time before we see him break through. As you noted, both of his loses were split decisions on enemy territory (New Jersey for Judah and St. Louis for Alexander). Anywhere else in the world and this guy could very well be undefeated right now. We could place him in against any of the top fighters at 140 and he either wins or makes for one helluva night. You have to love that type of talent and what it translates to, as a perennial contender with youth for the future. I like what he brings to the table, and I’d love to see more of him. Hopefully we do soon.
Vivek “Vito” Wallace can be reached every Wednesday night at FightHypeRadio. Also at [email protected], Youtube (Vivek Wallace Boxing Channel), FaceBook, and Skype (Vito-Boxing).
