Hello RSR readers and welcome once again to “Ask Geno,” our weekly email bag. I was once again very impressed with the questions and comments that were sent my way and I got a kick from some of the jabs that I was hit with. It happens whenever you put your work out there…you have to take the good with the bad. In all honesty, everything that was sent my way was very interesting and much of it really made me think.
STYLES MAKE FIGHTS
Geno,
If you’ve got a fight between an orthodox fighter and a southpaw, everyone knows that the orthodox fighter’s jab usually counts for less, but does that mean that reach generally counts for less? Does it also mean that hand speed counts for more? I notice that an awful lot of southpaws tend to be not-so-rangy guys with very fast hands.
Padraig McGrath
Padraig,
Against a southpaw, an orthodox boxer does have difficulty at times getting the jab going, but George Foreman proved against Michael Moorer that the punch can land consistently when timed correctly. The jab is all about timing and positioning, and even though the southpaw presents a different picture, the jab from the orthodox boxer can be an effective blow. Reach is always great to have and I don’t believe that anything is lost when you face a southpaw. The biggest issue is getting adjusted and once an orthodox fighter does, he can use the jab and his reach effectively.
BOXING VS. THE UFC
Geno,
What do you think is the future of Boxing and UFC? Do you see UFC having more fans in the future or will boxing still be the premier contact sport?
SuperLolo
SuperLolo,
I will start with the future of boxing. Boxing has ups and downs, but the people running the show don’t have the sports best interests in mind. Pay Per View has done wonders for the sport in one aspect, but has hurt it immensely in other ways. I remember the days when I was sitting in an arena, watching a bout on closed circuit television with some creepy guy sitting next to me the entire night, constantly asking me how I’m feeling. That was the bad thing about closed circuit…it brought out the creeps. So, PPV was good, but the promoters want to see how far they can push it and because the networks don’t support boxing, the fans look for a fix. That’s why we are shelling out fifty bucks to watch bouts that would have been on ABC fifteen years ago.
I am optimistic with some of the efforts. ESPN has thrown their hat in the PPV ring and perhaps their quality show with competitive bouts for thirty bucks will set the standard. You also have Shobox, which is presented by Showtime and I have to commend them for creating the program and sticking with it. Boxing is the best sport in the world and it needs more attention. The last bout I went to between Lenord Pierre and Willie Gibbs was a fight of the year type bout, but it wasn’t televised and “The Gladiator” only brought home fifteen thousand dollars before taxes and expenses. I wish ABC or some other big network picked up that fight. How much of this intruding Nanny reality garbage can we take? Boxing would sell like mad on the networks if they presented them correctly. You need the sizzle and the steak.
Now, before I get to the UFC, let me also state that they should have never cancelled USA’s Tuesday Night Fights. They replaced it with Walker: Texas Ranger. Now, I’m a big Chuck Norris fan, but that show was just horrible and I think that most people would have preferred boxing remain in that time slot. So, the future of boxing depends on the networks, promoters, and unification. When you have ten world heavyweight champions or so, it waters down the title, and people lose interest. We need one recognized world heavyweight champion.
The UFC did a very smart thing by creating that reality show and it has gone over very well. It will never take boxing’s place as the premier contact sport, but it has been re-establishing itself as a popular attraction. It doesn’t do it for me. When it first emerged and people were getting nearly killed, I rented a couple of their shows, but then Dan Severn happened and it became two guys rolling around with each other for fifteen minutes. If I wanted to see that, I would raid my father’s video collection. The UFC has implemented rounds since then and have tried to make it more exciting and there is a buzz regarding it, so I expect it to consistently move up in the ratings, but I have this feeling that it is more of a novelty and it’s going to wear off and it’s going to fall off the map again.
BIGGEST BUSTS?
Geno,
If you had to name the top five fighters in the last 25 years that were supposed to go all the way to becoming champion but didn’t, who would you pick? What are your reasons?
Tommy A.
Tommy,
When I first saw the title in the subject bar: Biggest Busts, I was sort of confused, but I get so much adult themed spam…I just thought that this was another. I have to give you credit. This is the question of the week! There are many fighters that have had disappointing careers and I’m sure that I’m going to get emails stating that I forgot such and such, and who’s his face, but I will do my best off the top of m head to give you some of the boxers that I think didn’t win a championship when they should have. I am not counting the WBO brand. It’s not an insult toward that organization, but I just cannot say that Francesco Damiani was the world heavyweight champion.
Ray Mercer immediately comes to mind. He gave Lennox Lewis, and Evander Holyfield incredible fights and lost very close decisions. Mercer would screw up title opportunities when he lost to opponents that he should have defeated. He was his own worst enemy and when you look at the long line of sub-par heavyweight champions, you ask yourself: “Why not Mercer?” That is a good question, and he would have had the title had he only applied himself and kept in shape. He was the best heavyweight of the nineties not to hold the legitimate heavyweight crown.
Ike Ibeabuchi would have his difficulties with Lennox Lewis, but he brought excitement to the heavyweight division and scored victories over David Tua and a knockout win over Chris Byrd. Ibeabuchi’s legend grows larger by the day, but his career is over as he sits in a small cell and awaits a release that isn’t scheduled any time soon. The reason that I put Ibeabuchi on this list is because of the dry spell that the division has been in before and after his incarceration. We want that Tyson gap filled and “The President” seemed to be the guy, but we will never know…
Oba Carr is unfortunate to come along the same time that Felix Trinidad, Ike Quartey, Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, and Fernando Vargas were in their primes. He was just one notch below these guys and could get the title shot, but just couldn’t win it. He was able to defeat Frankie Randall and Yory Boy Campus, but his title shots ended with losses because he was facing extremely talented fighters.
Zack “Zack Attack” Padilla won the WBO version of the Light Welterweight Title and retired with a record of, 22-1-1, 14 KO’s. He was a guy to watch and really impressed me with his activity and wins over Roger Mayweather, Carlos Gonzalez, and Ray Oliveira. I’m not entirely sure why he fell off the face of the map, but he was a future world champion for sure. He had a good chin and never stopped throwing punches.
Tony Ayala JR. was on his way to a Junior Middleweight Championship when his career was thrown away due to his lack of character. He was out of the game for seventeen years and came back to resume his career, but there wasn’t much left. I placed him on the list reluctantly because I have no respect for rapists, but personal dislike aside, this man was a fantastic fighter in his day.
NOW THAT’S BULL…
Geno,
If Jake Lamotta were fighting today, I think he would beat Taylor, Hopkins, and the rest of the middleweights out there. What do you think?
How do you see these matches going: Hagler vs Lamotta, Mugabi vs Lamotta, Hearns vs Lamotta?
David
David,
I might not win many fans here. You can’t discount what Lamotta accomplished in the ring, especially against Sugar Ray Robinson, but he had good nights and not so great nights. I don’t believe that his consistency was there and would certainly have his hands full with the boxers you’ve listed. Marvin Hagler was one of the best of all time and I would pick him to take the decision against “The Raging Bull.” John “The Beast” Mugabi would probably drop a decision, but he was SO powerful, that I cannot rule out the possibility of a knockout victory. But if you hold a gun to my head, or threaten me with a baseball bat or some other object that could hurt me, I would pick Lamotta by UD. Okay, Tommy “The Hitman” Hearns wins by knockout in six rounds or less. You don’t run into a tank unless you have the proper artillery. Lamotta was never known for his power. Finally, Lamotta defeats Taylor and loses by a couple points to the “Executioner” before the years caught up with him.
WHAT A HOTTIE
Geno,
Mr Bias. Just kidding. Enjoyed the bag. Which division do you think is the hottest today?
JP
JP,
I’m not going to level it down to one division. There are superstars floating around the same weight that will surely entertain us in the future. From the lightweight to the welterweight division, we have extreme talent. Ricky Hatton, Floyd Mayweather, JR., Zab Judah, Joel Cassamayor, Vivian Harris, Arturo Gatti, Miguel Angel Cotto, Kostya Tszyu, Jose Luis Castillo, Diego Corrales, Zahir Raheem, and Acelino Freitas will be facing one another in the future, which is good news for the boxing fans. That general area is where the most talent is.
GENO, YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM
Geno,
Nice article. Just thought I would let you know that in his last fight Klitschko beat Samuel Peter who is a much better fighter than Jameel McCline. So his last reasonable victory was in his last fight. You shouldn’t be so negative about the sport when you don’t have to be. This is what is killing boxing. Every journalist is out to write some kind of overly negative story about it. You could just say that Klitschko doesn’t look the same. You don’t have to try and create a story that isn’t there. He arguably just beat the toughest opponent of his career.
Christopher Corbett
Christopher,
I would first like to thank you for the compliments and I certainly value every reader. I feel so bad that I’m partly responsible for killing boxing. Forgive me…I know not what I do. Sam Peter is still an unknown. His biggest victory was over Jeremy Williams, so I’m not prepared to place him that much higher on the list than Jameel McCline. I think that there’s a difference between stating my opinion and being negative. For example, if I were to say: “Wladimir is a big oaf.” That would certainly be negative. That is not constructive, and I don’t just throw insults out there no matter how much fun it would be. I assess the situation and give my opinion. If I said that he “didn’t look the same,” people would say: “Well, how did he look then?” What then, Christopher, what then? I have to call a situation the way that I see it and Wladimir couldn’t live up to the hype. He is a good fighter, but he is also very vulnerable, and I have to call it the way that I see it.
POUND FOR POUND
Geno,
After going through several P4P lists from noted Boxing writers I have come to a realization that P4P lists simply don’t work. P4P lists are made on the basic premise that if boxers were all of the same body structure and weight how would they rank?
Well this premise just doesn’t work. Why? The human body performs differently depending on weight. As an example, you will never ever see a heavyweight with the same speed, stamina and endurance that Manny Pacquiao has.
Still discussions on P4P lists make for an entertaining read and lively debate.
Primo
Primo,
The imaginary rating is really only for fun and it gives the chance to the promoters and networks to gather more ratings and larger crowds because the pound for pound bests are going to fight. I agree that when you move up and down in weight, certain attributes go up while others go down. It is merely for entertainment and also gives some of the best in the sport incentive to train harder and take difficult opponents for the right to call themselves the pound for pound best.
ITALLIAN STALLIONS
Geno,
Who are some the Italian fighters out there who are coming up? I know about Gatti of course and Gianluca Branco but wondered if there are any young guns?
Angelo Croecitti
Angelo,
Leading the pack may be Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi, who will be facing Miguel Angel Cotto on June 10th. Malignaggi is undefeated, flamboyant, and confident, but has issues with his hands and is not the biggest puncher in the world. Alberto Servidei is also undefeated, but relatively untested. He recently won the IBF Intercontinental Featherweight Title, but has yet to leave Italy to test his skills. Undefeated Middleweight Domenico Spada is making some noise and may deserve some attention. Finally, although I would not consider him to be a young gun, heavyweight Paolo Vidoz has been on an impressive winning streak and is positioning himself for a crack at one of the titles.
ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE LOSS
Geno,
I can’t believe Emanuel got robbed again. Could you please tell me when and where this took place? He should never fight unless it’s on T.V. so enough people can see what really happened. I’ve seen Emanuel fight in person at the Mohegan Sun. He took the fight on very short notice and won. Did you see his fight against Ray Oliveira?? He was brilliant. He just fought again at Mohegan Sun, a serious fight where he didn’t get his rhythm…just fought straight up. He won, but there were times, I found myself yelling for him to do his thing because it confuses the other guy.
Could you tell me more about this recent loss? Emanuel had said before he fought at Mohegan Sun, that if he lost, he was hanging up his gloves. I’m very upset; as I saw that fiasco in Michigan, and thank God for Teddy Atlas for trying to get some justice. There is no chance of getting a video of the fight? Waiting to hear..thanks Geno
Judy
Judy,
Emanuel Augustus is such a great fighter and he gets robbed so many times, especially when he’s on the road. His last bout was on March 10th, and he opponent was Arturo Morua in Tucson, Arizona and according to all reports, it was a case of Augustus winning nearly every round and losing on the judges’ cards. One of my friends that went to the fight stated that it was worse than the Courtney Burton travesty, and it is a real shame considering that he would have been ideal to challenge Ricky Hatton at Foxwoods. Now, it seems that it’s not going to happen.
I loved the Ray Oliveira bout. It not only showed the skill of this man, but also his heart. When Ray was holding the back of his head and apparently in horrible shape, Augustus refused to hit him in the head. He is a true fighter that boxes on a regular basis and gets absolutely no breaks. I am fortunate enough to live in New England, which is where many of his bouts take place, and I never leave the arena disappointed. In his last bout at the Mohegan Sun, he wasn’t the dancing, playful boxer that he usually is, but it was still a knockout win. I’m glad that you mentioned Teddy Atlas too. He is the most honest man in the game and I have nothing, but respect for him. I am definitely waiting for his biography.
GIVE THAT MAN AN OSCAR
Geno,
Your take on the upcoming fight? Who do you see winning this fight and how. I hope Oscar knocks Mayorga out!
Roel
Roel,
This, on paper, is a mismatch, but there are several things that have to be taken into consideration. The last three times that De La Hoya stepped into the ring, he has arguably lost. The only win was against Felix Sturm and that is very, very, very questionable. In the other two bouts, Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley handed “The Golden Boy” defeats, and now he’s been away from the game, focusing on his promotions. Thank God, he wasn’t concentrating on his singing career. I think that De La Hoya needs a friend like Simon from American Idol, but he’s selling CD’s, so perhaps I’m wrong. Then again, David Hasselhoff is huge in Germany listening to him is painful. One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure, I guess.
I am picking De La Hoya by unanimous decision, but Mayorga is giving himself the best chance to win by upsetting Oscar. Just do the math: layoff + anger + 3 straight bad performances + bad singing = good chance for Ricardo Mayorga, but I’m going with “The Golden Boy.”
Geno
Hey Geno, you are right on like always. Mayorga is banging the drum for a big boost in PPV numbers. The early odds look very nice indeed if they hold up, as Mayorga is listed at about a 3 to 1 dog. One wild swing could put DLH to sleep and send us off to the cashiers window for a nice payout.
Nate in NC
Nate,
Thanks for the props. You are correct about that one wild swing. Can DLH control himself and can he put the necessary punishment on his opponent to score a knockout? Trinidad was able to do it, but he is a much bigger puncher than “The Golden Boy.” At 3 to 1, it wouldn’t be a horrible idea to wager a smidge. I’m still kicking myself for not betting on the first Holyfield-Tyson bout. My ex-girlfriend talked me out of it and it was 22-1 odds!!! I could have been rich…kind of.
A MESI SITUATION
Geno,
Will Joe Mesi ever fight again? He looked like a good future up and coming heavyweight fighter.
Mike
Mike,
“Baby” Joe Mesi was a very good prospect with power and charisma, but an unfortunate brain injury has sidelined him, but this is boxing and if a guy can put people in the seats, they will find a way to get him back into the ring regardless of possible end result. I really enjoyed Mesi’s fights, but I’m not a “Faces of death” fan and when he does box, I will be very concerned. As of now, Mesi is scheduled to face the unheralded Ronald Bellamy, 14-4-4, 9 KO’s. It seems like a mismatch, but Bellamy is 6 feet, 5 inches, and weighs over 250 pounds. That alone makes him a threat, and when you add the condition of Mesi, anything is possible.
BEST JAB
Geno,
I noticed in your pick for Rahman-Toney you said you thought Rahman has the best jab in the division. Nothing against Rahman, but do you really think his jab is better than Wladimir Klitschko’s? Klitschko may be a flawed fighter, but you have to admit he has a beautiful jab, as stiff as Rahman’s, and, I’d argue, more accurate.
Nathan
Nathan,
I would hate to argue with you, but I do consider Rahman’s jab to be the hardest one in the division. Without question, Wlad has a good one as well as proven in the Lamon Brewster bout. He really hit him hard with that punch, but Rahman seems to have a little bit more force behind it. Against Toney, he was able to use it, but not to the effect that I thought that he would. Against Kali Meehan, “The Rock” pounded away with the hard jab, eventually stopping the giant. Rahman may not have all the skill in the world, but he certainly has a jackhammer jab, and I would place it slightly higher than “Dr. Steel Hammer’s.” Where in the world did he come up with that nickname?!!!
GLADIATOR DAYS
Geno,
Enjoyed the fight report but really liked the pictures. That was a wild outfit Gibbs had on. It beats the heck out of me how a lot of bad fights get on TV then, you have something like this that doesn’t. Keep em coming.
Bob
Bob,
Bob, I have to give credit to my cameraman, Cedric Howard. He does exceptional work and, as always, I was pleased. You have to love the showmanship of Willie Gibbs, but his heart is what you will definitely fall in love with. So many bad fights are aired and the fact that Gibbs-Pierre wasn’t put on television is a crime. I don’t know what ESPN was thinking by not jumping at this encounter because it wasn’t a surprise that it was that good. These are two hungry warriors with a track record of exciting bouts. It would have been nice for the entire nation to enjoy and witness this epic battle, but it wasn’t to be. Hopefully, the networks will learn from this mistake, and I will keep the articles coming.
THE GREATEST?
Geno,
I’m glad to finally realize that I’m not alone in this world that thinks that Larry Holmes is the baddest heavyweight in boxing history.
Yes I agree with all your views about Larry beating Tyson, Lennox, James Toney, Rahman and Valuev. I also believe that he could have beaten Ali. People tend to underappreciate the capabilites of this man.
Cesar Tordesillas Manila, Philippines
Cesar,
Holmes beating Ali? I totally agree. It would have been tough style-wise for both men and I imagine that it would be a stinker, but I think that Holmes takes it down the stretch. I am also glad to see that he’s getting the recognition, and I know that I’m beating a dead horse here, but I do not agree with the way that he’s charging for everything. Boxing fans have had a hard time warming up to this man and now that they have, he’s ripping them off. The message board that he puts out there, you have to pay to use! The people that think that they will pay this price and get the chance to have their questions read by and replied to by the champ are sorely mistaken. He hardly frequents it, leaving these poor people unsatisfied. Boxing is about the fans and without them, there would be no sport. So, why is it necessary to treat them this way?
Geno,
Larry Holmes vs Mike Tyson fight in 1988. Mike demolished Larry in the 4th round via KO.
Neil
Neil,
Uh…yeah. I know this. I’m assuming you are referring to my prior mailbag when I picked Holmes to defeat Tyson and you wanted to correct me with this fact. The unfortunate thing is that in 1988, Larry Holmes was far from his prime, and it didn’t prove a thing. It is the common occurrence when a former great challenges the new big thing and loses. The torch gets passed as it did with Rocky Marciano’s win over Joe Louis and Larry Holmes victory over Muhammad Ali. So, your point was taken, but it doesn’t mean much.
PAC ATTACK
Geno,
The way things are going now in relation to Barrera calling out Pacquiao for a rematch, I am more convinced that MAB doesn’t really want such rematch with his former tormentor. The main reason is that he and his camp already know the schedule of PACMAN and they know that it would be impossible to accommodate him given PACMAN’s schedule. If he really wanted to, he could have booked a rematch with PACMAN’s team last year so that the fight can be scheduled this year. OR, if he wants to, MAB team can book such rematch with PACMAN team for early next year so that there will be more than enough time for each one to prepare for such “mega” fight. What do you think? What is your opinion on this seemingly undying issue between these two great boxers?
Warm regards,
Hermes
Hermes,
I really don’t think that Barrera wants to fight the Pacman again. A lot of people would say that it is a good business decision because of the money that a rematch could generate, but it’s a gamble. Should MAB lose, and most likely he would, his Pay Per View status could be in jeopardy. Why go after the most deadly puncher that gave you a vicious beating the first time around, when you can make a bundle by fighting mismatches on PPV? The majority of the MAB supporters believe that he is the better fighter and that the first fight was merely a case of their man underestimating the challenger. With his fans believing he is the better man, there is no need to gamble. He’s got his fans’ support, the set ups on pay per view, and a mansion to keep all of his earnings in. In my opinion, this is a dead issue.
Geno,
How do you think Pacman now is ready for the next bout against some future opponents despite his hectic schedule in the Philippines? Is he not in shape?
Jay Jay,
I have never seen Pacquiao out of shape. He’s always ready.
Geno,
There are rumors that Prince Hamed is going back to boxing, if this happens and he will challenge Pacman, what would you think is the outcome? I personally think the Pacman would dominate the Prince…
Gan
Gan,
I personally love Prince Naseem Hamed. He had charisma and a huge punch. If he comes back, and he stated that he wanted to, and got onto an active fighting schedule, he could very well challenge the Pacman. It would be a circus that would definitely attract the crowds. Now, the bad news: Prince Hamed was in his prime nearly ten years ago and may not be able to compete at the top level anymore. I would pick Pacman for sure, but the one thing that the Prince has is incredible power. If he lands, anything could happen.
Geno,
Geno,
If Pacman and Barrera will fight again, who will receive a bigger prize?
Jan
Jan,
I think that they would split the purse down the middle: 50/50. They are both stars and have that name recognition, and I think that both would ask for more, but would settle with the equal split.
Geno,
When will Pacman-Barrera materialize? It seemed that it would only exists in dreams.
Justin
Justin,
There is a common thread with this mailbag. Whenever I really get into it, I get these bad songs into my head and they will not go away. Last week, it was Huey Lewis and the News. This week, it’s Debbie Gibson’s “Only in My Dreams.” It’s better than Huey Lewis, but not by much. Okay, back to work… will it materialize? Maybe. Perhaps Barrera will push for it as his retirement bout. One big payday to send him off and perhaps revenge to boot!
Geno,
Hey I like your articles and I hope you’ll be as honest as you are now. More Power my friend and God Bless to you and your family.
Joemar
Joemar,
Thank you, thank you, and likewise.
Geno,
I agree with you. MAB should wait and keep himself busy fighting other challengers. Now he has time to prepare for Pacquiao bout when that time comes. He now has the luxury to watch all the Pacquiao future fights and he will have necessary adjustments as to what tactics and approach he will use against the Pacman.
Jake
Jake,
You hit the nail right on the head. Perhaps, the Pacman will slow down a tad and become a more stationary target for Barrera if he lets him age a little. MAB will keep busy fighting very winnable bouts, I’m sure.
Geno,
For the longest time I have been hearing everybody saying that Barrera doesn’t have a chance of beating Paquiao in their second match. I think that everybody forgot who Barrera is. I know Paquiao gave Barrera a one sided beating in their first match but that doesn’t mean that Barrera doesn’t have the skills to beat and even KO Paquiao in their second match. I’m a true believer that Barrera can reverse the outcome of the first match besides the same happened when Judah fought Baldomir no body gave Baldomir a chance of beating Judah and you know the story the same is happening with Barrera-Pacman 2. Nobody is giving Barrera a chance against Paquiao when Barrera has all the skills in the world to beat the destroyer Paquiao. What do you think Geno? Do you think that Paquiao is going to administer the same beating to Barrera after Barrera knows what Paquiao can do this time around? Besides Paquiao was relatively unknown in the first fight and I think Barrera took Paquiao lightly. Thank you Geno, and I’m looking forward to seeing what your opinion is.
Jesus
Jesus,
MAB certainly has a chance to beat the Pacman, but I would predict that the same thing happens, only sooner. What can Barrera do? He can either box from the outside, which he tried the first time, or he can really gamble and go old school on him, which could really be suicide. Pacquiao may have been an unknown to the casual boxing fan, but he surely wasn’t to the avid fan or MAB and his team. I think he knew what he was getting into and he definitely knows what he’s getting into with the rematch, which is why there is some hesitation on his part. I give MAB a reasonable chance, but I don’t pick him to win.
Geno,
You got it right bro!!! MAB has no options left but to challenge a fully loaded Pacquaio just to stay in the limelight. They are avoiding the Pacman ever since the one sided fight because they know that it would be the end of MAB’s career once he would be beaten again, which is really a big possibility.
Burnaqui
Burnaqui,
MAB has many options and all of them are far safer than taking on the Pacman. He has a chance to beat Pacman, but he doesn’t have to fight him. He’s respected and is marketable without risking it all in the ring in a rematch. MAB will be in the limelight regardless of a rematch.
Geno,
You are perfectly correct. MAB has had enough of Pacman. But, I think MAB’s back is on the wall already. He’s got nowhere to go. About the Calzaghe-Lacy, I wanna know who you picked to win (honestly). Those brits are really energized about the Joe win…mobbing all boxing sites that ridiculed him. These things are good for boxing like the Pacman win over Morales.
God bless and more power!
Jason
Jason,
First, Joe Calzaghe is a Welshman, not a Brit, and I did honestly pick him to win. I was right! I had an inkling that Lacy was going to lose because of his performance against Omar Sheika. If Sheika gave him that much trouble, I thought that Joe would beat him. I didn’t expect such a dominant performance, but I was leaning toward the Welshman.
Geno,
I agree that Barrera’s challenge is more a marketing ploy than anything. If Barrera shied away from a rematch with Pacman in the months followng their fight, he would be an even more reluctant challenger after seeing what the Pacman did to his great rival, Erik. Barrera though cannot run away for too long. He is getting old and, if he continues to duck Manny, his great legacy, it will be forever tainted, not by his KO loss, but his far too obvious fear of the rematch. Fighters earn adulation and respect not for not losing but for their ability to conquer fear and willingness to fight against superior opposition.
Al
Al,
I have to disagree to some degree. MAB doesn’t need a rematch to prove that he is great. His track record as it stands qualifies him as an all time great. For the fans’ sake, this fight should happen. The Pacman fans want to prove that the first time was not a fluke and the MAB fans want to prove the opposite. But, if the fight never happens, he’s still great.
Geno,
“He (Barrera) can go on forever fighting these sub-par challengers and live happily ever after without facing Pacquiao again”
Well said, Geno! Although I am a Pac fan, I also believe that MAB is a warrior who wants to redeem himself. But even warriors have fear in their hearts…so it will not be a surprise if indeed MAB will coast along fighting sub-par opponents. Just the same I don’t want to take anything away from MAB who I pray will find it in his heart to face his conqueror. This is the fight I am waiting for. Until then, we can only keep wishing…
Mistah
Mistah,
Thank you and I too hope for the fight to occur. Thanks for the comments.
Geno,
Yeah I agree with what you’re talking about with Barrera asking Pacman for revenge. Hahaha, I know it was only for a show.
Beverly Laurete
Beverly,
I’ll call it a ploy more than a show. A show usually involves a dance.
Good Day Mr. Geno,
In my own understanding, I think Marco challenged the Pacman at the wrong time because Pacman has a signed contract to fight EM again. Besides Pacteam has said that Pac will have a tune up bout against Larrios. Maybe this is a Promoters bout also, I’ve read reports before that Bob Arum and Oscar de la Hoya exchanged words about promoting a fight. This is one of my own view and a lot playing inside my head. Thanks and have a nice day.
OldIronside33
Oldironside33,
I appreciate being called “Mr. Geno.” It is far better than last week’s nickname of “Mr. Bias.” I will say though that the original sender of that email apologized to me for the nickname and now we are cool. We are not running on the beach, holding hands cool, but I wouldn’t really want to be that cool to begin with. As for the promoters, I assume that they have had talks, but the decision is MAB’s and even De La Hoya knows that he’s making money by bringing in guys like Fana to face the Mexican superstar. Have a nice day too.
Geno,
Isn’t it to the advantage of team Pacman to grab this opportunity? Manny fans are willing to pay big bucks to see this match. Pacman and MAB will be getting the payday of their careers and also Pacman can put a rematch clause like Mr. Arum did for a rematch with Morales just in case he loses. More money for Pacman, MAB and Morales…its like a 3 ring circus of greed.
Astig
Astig,
Greed and boxing go hand and hand. That’s why so many fights don’t happen. Remember when Roy Jones JR. was supposed to fight Bernard Hopkins before their careers fell apart? That was a case of two greedy guys forgetting that the fans keep them in business. Obviously, the boxers are going to try to make as much money as they can, and MAB, Pacman, and Morales are no different. Boxing itself is a circus of greed. Look at the unworthy pay per views.
Geno,
You are right. MAB’s challenge is a fluke. He is just using Pac’s popularity to prove that he has the balls to face Pac. But boxing’s fans are not idiots like MAB is. MAB can fool himself and his fans maybe, but not the boxing fans. More Power!
Edryan Lopez
Edryan,
I enjoyed your email. The fact that you questioned MAB’s intelligence and his manhood in one paragraph tells me that you are probably not one of his fans. More power to you as well.
Geno,
Exactly…right on the button. The pronouncement of team Barrera is just like that: a hot air balloon to say the least. First, Pacquiao-Larios is off, as Larios backed out, immediately after they called on the Pacman in connivance with WBC top honcho, Mr. Sulaiman. Then last week Gomez confirmed that the Pacquiao-Larios battle is on as he says they already reached an agreement on this issue. Then yesterday they pretended to be surprised when Finkel called Gomez while they were in Cebu informing them that the Larios deal is off. Perhaps Finkel saw it differently as Golden Boy is giving Team Pacquiao a run-around so he jump the gun on them taking Larios out of consideration for Pacquiao tune up. Gomez of Golden Boy is however optimistic that the deal can still be saved with another round of discussion by saying that Larios is very eager to come to the Philippines and eventually get to fight Pacquiao.
Immediately after, De La Hoya himself announced during his teleconference that he is reserving Nov. 4 as the date for Pacquiao-Barrera rematch (after their respective tune up with Barrera facing Juarez and Pacquaio with still unamed opponent).
You see Geno, you can see from far-away how Golden Boy manipulate the game of boxing into their advantage. Now they offer to be the promoter of Pacquiao after Gary Shaw’s 2-fight contract was not renewed. What is your take on this, Geno?
Emmanuel D Mallari JR.
Emmanuel,
The Pacman is such an attraction that any promoter in the world would jump at the opportunity to represent him. It’s good business and we will have to see how it develops. Boxing is a tough business and most promoters are shady and are looking constantly to make the most money regardless of whom it hurts. So, nothing surprises me.
Geno,
I’m a Pacfan, but that was harsh. You sounded like a Pacnuthugger. Ha Ha Ha!!!
Kadyo
Kadyo,
Insulting me and then laughing about it? I am posting this but I don’t want any of the other readers to get any ideas because I listen to Judas Priest CDs, which when added to insults can be dangerous. So, I will say categorically that I do not hug nuts and your insult was certainly unwarranted.
So, fight fans, keep the questions and comments coming. I take the good with the bad, and I will certainly answer all questions to the best of my ability. Take care people and have a great week!
