Hello RSR Readers and welcome to the RSR Mailbag that used to be known as “Ask Geno,” but is now known as “Geno’s Boxing Mailbag.” I had to let everyone know that this is a boxing mailbag and too many people were asking me for relationship advice. I’m married…what would I know? Now, I’m not saying that you cannot ask me about other things other than boxing. I welcome anything and I will give you a response, but I am only an expert at certain things. So, if you ask me something that isn’t boxing related, you may only get a guess, but that’s better than nothing, right?
There is a new schedule for the RSR Mailbag that you should be aware of. On Wednesday, Geno’s Boxing Mailbag will be released every week. On Thursday, the “Pac Sack” will be released, where questions regarding the Filipino Superstar are answered. Finally, on Saturday, Geno’s Boxing Mailbag, Part 2 will be released and that will be a mixed bag. No questions are off limits. So if you didn’t get your fill in the hump day edition or the Pac Sack, you can get your fix on the weekend. So, mark these days on your calendar and don’t forget to get your questions and comments in there because the only stupid question is the one that you don’t ask.
Do you want a movie review? You do? That’s great! I just watched the remake of: “The Hills Have Eyes,” and it was disturbing, gory, and great. The story concerns a family that gets stranded in the desert and they are not alone. They have to deal with mutants. Now, these aren’t the friendly mutants that you may see at your family reunions or in the movie: “Total Recall.” These are mean mutants that want to kill the men and make it with the women. They even put a gun to an infant’s head! That just isn’t right. Well, I am a horror film fan and Hollywood is notorious for producing crap, but this is an exception. This was a great movie from start to finish and I highly recommend it.
Speaking of horror movies…there is a winner of the X Posse Production: Evil Awakening DVD, signed by the stars of the movie, and the writer/producer, which would be me. There were so many questions and comments that were in the running, but I could only choose one, and it will be revealed on Saturday, when it is posted and I personally contact the winner. I am very proud of all of you and don’t worry, there will be other chances to win prizes. RSR takes care of their readers and we will continue to do so.
Now, let’s do this mailbag!
ON THE SAME PAGE
Hey, Geno
Hi Geno…like your new picture. I’m amazed we have many opinions in common. Larry Holmes #1,we both like Emanuel Augustus, neither of us like Taylor or Tarver, I never liked Lacy, either and was tickled pink to see Calzaghe whip his…!
But, when it comes to Tyson, we part company. And Geno…I love flying. The take off and landing, are a thrill. Be part of it, embrace it! Have faith! and if the plane goes down…you won’t die alone. I bet you didn’t like roller coasters, either.
Like your humor, Geno Bambino
Keep writing,
Judy
Judy,
I don’t care if I die with a zillion people…I don’t want to die!!! I knew this girl that was deathly afraid of cruise ships. Perhaps she was sexually harassed at one time in her life by an actor from the show: “The Love Boat.” I want to create my own show called: “The Love Trailer.” Girls could meet my pal Steve at his trailer and there would be love…hey, I’m trying to get my friend a nice girl. Anyway, I was talking to this girl and she said: “Hey, if it sinks, and I die, at least I will die with everyone that I love.” Okay, let’s explore this. If everyone that you love are standing in line, side by side, and this guy is walking up to each and every one of them and kicking them in the grapes, would you want to get the same thing because you love all of them? Of course not. Do you see how stupid this is? I want to live and see my son grow up and graduate high school. I want to live to see my son have kids of his own. I want to live to see Superman vs. Batman. Did you hear that they were making that movie? It sounds badass to me.
I actually enjoy roller coasters, but I do not enjoy waiting in line for an hour for a two minute ride. I don’t like those freaking crazy coasters that do crazy loops and go upside down. They aren’t safe anyway. You are from New England Judy, if I’m not mistaken, but anyone that lives next to an amusement park can probably relate. We have “Six Flags,” which replaced the greatest park of all time: “Riverside.” Well, there is this coaster: the Superman Ride. Unfortunately, somebody was launched off it and that coaster is 100 feet high or so. That is not the way that I want to go. Then, the Batman Ride that they feature is another ride that has a body count. A man was dropped out of that at about the 70 or so foot range. Nobody has ever died on the Cyclone, which is the best coaster of all time. It is wooden and now that they have all of these new rides, the line is always reasonable.
I don’t understand why you don’t like Tyson. He’s always been considerate of women and has never said anything offensive when referring to the fairer sex. He is a true gentleman that will not grant an interview to a female journalist unless he fornicates with them first. I have the same policy. Just kidding! Sadly, no females want to interview me and I think that my wife would not like my requirement, even when I tell her: “Honey, this is how the business works.”
Thanks for the props on the picture. Every once in a while, my boss, the Publisher of RSR, “Bad” Brad Berkwitt, surprises me with something new. I had to laugh when I initially saw the change. It’s good because I’m holding up my index finger, stating that this mailbag is #1.
Anyway, take care and thanks for the props.
RANKING THE COMMENTATORS
How would you rank the following commentators?
Al Bernstein
Steve Albert
Teddy Atlas
Joe Tessitore
Larry Merchant
Jim Lampley
Emmanuel Steward
Lennox Lewis
Max Kellerman
Fran Charles
Al Albert
Sean O’ Grady
Rich Marotta
Barry Thompkins
Brian Kenny
Bob Papa
Alex Wallau
Howard Cosell
I know that is a lot but a guy you likes to get a lot. Thanks for answering and RSR rules the boxing world.
Jules
Jules,
This is a tough one, but I will try. You forgot “Sugar” Ray Leonard…I liked him too. What about Gil Clancy and George Foreman? All right, I will break it down. I think that I will just let you know how I like it. Oh, that’s what everyone wants to know: How does Geno like it…well, I’m going to list my personal favorite announcers and/or teams. It’s too much of a pain in the ass to take this group and rank them. I don’t want any freaking hate mail stating something like: “Geno, I am a Gil Clancy fan. He is hot and he is a great announcer and you had him at #12? Well, you don’t deserve to even know my fancy Clancy.” Now the odds of an RSR reader calling Gil: “Fancy Clancy” are low, but you never know. So, Jules, you get what you get.
Favorites:
Barry Thompkins/Al Bernstein team
Sean O’Grady/Al Albert Team
Larry Merchant
Teddy Atlas
Alex Wallau
“Sugar” Ray Leonard
Not So Favorites
Lennox Lewis
Jim Lampley
Fran Charles
Steve Albert
Bobby Czyz
Roy Jones, JR.
Kevin Kelley
I hope that you are happy Jules…
THE MAGIC MAN
Geno,
Malignaggi was successful in building controversy around him by poking his nose and shooting his mouth. Cotto fixed it by fracturing Paulie’s nose and mouth.
But honestly, I might have a change of heart and give MalignantNagging a lot of credit. Being able to fight it out without giving up shows a heart of a champion. Plus being a good sport by going to Cotto’s corner and saying “No hard feelings” (it should be the other way around) takes a lot of heart to do so. Paulie is sure to climb and his performance in and after the fight definitely raised his stock. Next fight I just might be on the Mouthie’s side.
Ton
Ton,
What is going on my friend? I was really impressed with Malignaggi. He was attacking a tank with a flyswatter, but when that tank began to slow down, the pecking shots began to take their toll. He showed such heart and tried his best to rally at the end to win it. He exposed Cotto in a way that nobody else could. He stood up to the power and came on late, but he was too drained and didn’t hit hard enough to score the TKO. I assure you that a lot of boxers that weren’t going to take on Cotto because of his strength are thinking about it now. I am a huge fan of Miguel Cotto and I think that a bout with he and Ricky Hatton would be a fight fan’s dream. Perhaps we’ll throw Antonio Margarito in the mix, since PBF is finding better things to do. There is so much talent in and around that division and we are sure to get some good contest in the months to come.
I think that Malignaggi is good for the sport. When he’s facing an average fighter, he wins easily but the fight is BORING. When he faces somebody that presses the fight and is talented, he puts on quite a show. I wouldn’t mind seeing him face Hatton either. Look at what us fight fans have: PBF, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Paulie Malignaggi, Luis Collazo, Zab Judah, Antonio Margarito, Jose Luis Castillo, Diego Corrales, Acelino Freitas, Kermit Cintron, Paul Williams, and Arturo Gatti. There are so many potentially great matches in and around the 140-pound division. Malignaggi, in defeat, became a player.
THE CANNON
Geno,
What ever happened to Shannon Briggs? He looked good in the few fights I saw him. How is he doing in the heavyweight division?
SFL
SFL,
Shannon Briggs is one of the most active heavyweights and is on an eleven-fight winning streak, all of which ended by knockout. The problem is that his run at the heavyweight title right now is an illusion. He is fighting sub-par opposition and is not coming in prepared like a heavyweight contender should. In his last bout against Chris Koval, he weighed in at a career high of 273 pounds. When I think of Briggs now, I think of Ray Mercer in 2002. Mercer was on a 7-fight winning streak, 6 of which were by KO, but they were not remarkable wins, and when he landed a big bout against Wladimir Klitschko, he was disposed of in six one-sided rounds. I think that Briggs will probably get either a title shot or a bout against a well-known contender and that’s when he will either lose or prove me wrong.
LEGITIMACY IN BOXING?
Hi Geno the Genius!
It’s my first time to post a question here but I’ve always been reading your mailbags. So far, I am enjoying it!
Now here’s my question: How many world alphabet titles are there, and among those, which to you consider are “legitimate” championship belts?
What are your views on the Ring Magazine belt?
Thanks for spending time on this amigo! More power to you and your family! Mabuhay!
KangKong
KangKong,
The nickname: “Geno the Genius” is definitely one of my favorite ones that you people have come up with. I am glad to hear that you are enjoying the mailbag and I will continue to put it out there as long as the RSR readers continue to write in. Hmm…how many alphabet titles are there? Well, you have the big 4: WBO, WBA, WBC, and IBF, but then you also have the IBO, WBF, and WBU, just in case there weren’t enough titles floating around. I personally consider them all garbage, but the IBO talks a good game. They have a computerized system to rank the fighters and claim not to be controlled by the promoters. The problem is that they are relatively small and unknown at this time. The big 4 are most respected, but let’s take a closer look.
The WBA, IBF, and WBC, are notorious for being shady. Thank God for the hidden audio tapes that took Robert Lee out of the picture. He was fixing the rankings for the promoters with the biggest bankroll… Take a look at the heavyweight contenders that have challenged for the title that didn’t belong in the ring to begin with. John Ruiz was lost in the mix until he signed with Don King and suddenly, he’s the #1 contender and fighting Evander Holyfield for the title that they wrongfully stripped Lennox Lewis of.
I have no respect for these jerk offs. The WBA has “Super Champions” now when a person unifies the titles. So, they, in some instances, have world champions and super champions in the same division! Do you want to puke in your suit yet? The WBC’s Jose Suliman is another piece of work that is in the pocket of the promoters. If you look at his decision making over the years, you will see the influence of Don King and other promoters as well.
The Ring Belt is garbage too. They have their influences as well, and at one time, they were bought and sold too. Take a look at the 1977 Tournament that ABC broadcasted. Don King was the creator, and the ticket into the tournament was a top 10 ranking by Ring Magazine. Anyway, to make a long story short, the Ring rankings were fixed and only King promoted fighters were allowed entry. Marvin Hagler wasn’t even considered for the middleweight portion of the tournament, which tells you just how insane it was. Ring also had Vitali Klitschko at the #1 position for beating Corrie Sanders. They are just as big a joke as the others.
This is the reason why boxing isn’t popular anymore. There is too much nonsense going on behind the scenes and the titles are meaningless. Look, Nikolay Valuev is coming close to beating Rocky Marciano’s record of 49-0 as a Heavyweight Champion to be undefeated. He’s got 5 fights to go and he will be tied for the undefeated run. Do you consider it the same thing as when the “Rock” held the title? Of course not…especially if he continues to face the Owen Beck’s of the world. Now, I’m not a fan of Rocky Marciano, but he was the recognized World Champion and he may be moving down a notch when Valuev makes it to 50-0.
So, take your pick people: Serguei Lyakhovich, Wladimir Klitschko, Hasim Rahman, or Nikolay Valuev? Which one is the real heavyweight champion in your opinion? Right now, I consider the title vacant and the sanctioning bodies really don’t care about the sport, so there is no rush to unify the titles. We need an undisputed heavyweight champion and I don’t see it happening any time soon.
HEADBANGER’S BALL
Geno,
Dude, glad to know that you are a Heavy Metal fan. I’ve been reading your mailbag for months now and find you very interesting and informative. You really know your boxing! I saw Iron Maiden live six times during the ’80s and it never got old. I’ve seen Priest, AC/DC, Scorpions just to name a few. Back in the day, my friends and I went on road trips just to see our favorite bands and we partied like Rock stars. Yea, I used to be cool… then I got a job, got married, had kids and became a responsible citizen. It’s that circle of life deal that you referred to in an earlier mailbag. I’ve been a boxing fan all my life. I too used to be a backyard champion such as yourself where I campaigned against my brother and our friends until I got whupped and that was the end of that. I’ve been waiting for a Filipino champion to come along who has the charisma and prowess to dominate the boxing world. My prayers have been answered. Thank God for the Pacman! Since the Pacman has arrived, I’m feeling pretty cool again. Anyway, my question to you is where can I find old videos of the great “Flash” Elorde? I’ve never seen him fight but have heard wonderful things about him.
Peace to you my friend!
Just a Fan
Just a Fan,
I remember the glory days too my friend. I would just sit in my room, Iron Maiden blasting on my huge boom box. Why the hell did we think that enormous stereos were great? At one time, I purchased this stereo that had a CD changer that held 300 CDs. Why the hell would I need that? I have never owned that many CDs in my entire life. Amazingly, I still have that CD changer in my living room along with my 51-inch television that I bought to compensate for…I mean, because I want to watch the fights big screen and the price was right. I got rid of the gigantic speakers that came with the system too because they were just too large. They were almost the size of a refrigerator it seemed. I just liked when people came into my house, looked around, and said: “Geno, you’ve got a big one.” If they looked around too much, however, and said, in regards to the speakers: “Geno, you’ve got big ones,” I would be offended. I am a man dammit. I do not have “big ones.”
Looking back, I don’t think that I was ever cool. Well, I’m cool now. I am so damn cool, it’s not even funny. I am a married man with a munchkin of 15 months and my time is no longer my own. I was never really into concerts all that much, but I loved MTV’s “Headbanger’s Ball” religiously. I would listen to Iron Maiden, Danzig, Ozzy, Mercyful Fate, Skid Row, Anthrax, Slayer, and Judas Priest all of the time. At one time, my mother threw away some of my cassettes (They were the rage before those new fangled CDs arrived) because they were satanic or whatever. That was the big scare back in the 80’s…that heavy metal music was ruining the young and causing suicide and murder and the occasional dry hump. I am 31 years young right now and I hope that I’m not the big idiot when it comes to my son as some of the parents of the 1980’s were.
The key to staying on top of the Backyard Boxing mountain is to be very selective in your choice of opponents. Do not fight your brother and his friends. Challenge the great grandparents of your brother’s friends. That’s how I stayed on top. I only began to lose when they came into the bouts high on Viagra. Thank God that the drug testing showed it and the bout was considered a no contest. Boxing them while they were on that junk gave a new meaning to the term: “Jab.”
Finally, I cannot give any advice about finding tapes on “Flash” Elorde. I, at one time, purchased some Mike Tyson fights from a website that said that they rated the fights from 8-10 in quality. Well, when I got them, they were horrible. I emailed them and told them so and they never responded back to me. I will never steer an RSR Reader into the grasps of a scam artist…but check out our message board. Perhaps one of our other readers can send you to a place where you will find good quality footage of “Flash” Elorde.
BLUES CLUES
Hello Geno,
I hope that you were not offended by the subject header: “Humping Spider.” I read your answering of the inquiry from Spideyman and that’s when you mentioned you once contemplated on picking up: “Spider Bambino” as a monicker. That would probably fall a little short against “Humping Geno” but it gave me a good laugh.
Anyways, thanks for answering my last question on your mailbag. Here’s are my question this time:
– Is there any news at all about these different boxing organizations (WBO, WBA, etc.) to create just one recognized boxing organization body for the betterment of the sport?
– Who would be your pick on greatest fighters of all time from – 135 lbs. below? You could name as much as you want.
I appreciate you taking time with us boxing fans, you are an asset to the Sport. Keep up the great work, sir.
Blue
Blue,
Do you watch “Blues Clues?” If you don’t have young children, you probably don’t this kid’s show. You see, there is this geek that sort of looks like my pal, Jeremy that runs around like a man with a bowel problem and talks to cartoons all day. That sounds like the last days of my great grandfather. He swore that he was getting fondled by Mighty Mouse. On his last day, he took me aside and said: “Geno, you are my favorite great grandson and I love you to bits. Carry on your writing and tell Mighty Mouse to stop shoving those cheese wedges up my ass.” Okay, he was a little bit batty, but he supported my writing and that means a lot.
Whose clues? Blues Clues! That show blows, but my son absolutely loves it. It’s much better than Elmo. What an ego he has. He talks about himself in third person all of the time, which is forcing these kids to demand his products. They know his name above all others: “Daddy, I want Elmo.” Barney has more credibility, if you ask me. He doesn’t say his name over and over again. He just stands there and sings. Wow, I watch so many kid’s shows now. Having a child really changes your life…for the better for the most part, but waking up every morning at 6 A.M. to watch “The Wiggles,” is something that I would pass on if I could. Other than that, and trying to keep “Geno, JR.” away from the electronics, being a dad is a great thing.
The sanctioning bodies do not care about the fans. They care about lining their own pockets and that is all. What needs to happen is for these titles to be unified and to make it a permanent thing. The Super Champions need to go too. What the F is up with that nonsense? “Oh, we have a champion, a super champion, a super duper champion, and an awesome dude champion.” I’m telling you, that all we have to do is to become professional boxers and wait. We won’t fight, but we will have the license to do so and eventually they will send us a belt too for some reason. The sanctioning bodies can go and…well, I will let you fill in the rest. Please end it with: “”With a Broomstick!”
Okay 135 and under: Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker is one of the greatest fighters of all time for sure. Diego Corrales, Pacman, Azumah Nelson, Julio Cesar Chavez, and Michael Carbajal come to mind. I used to love watching Azumah Nelson in action. Wow, Don King used to put on good PPVs. He would place Azumah Nelson on the card along with JCC, Terry Norris, Simon Brown, and Mike Tyson. You didn’t feel like you were getting pumped so hard, when you shelled out the 50 smackers.
Geno,
Your reply to me last time when I asked you about the changing of announcement of who is the winner in a fight, you said that it happens from time to time…can you tell me of any fight that has been changed the result because of miscalculation. I believed it happens but I’m not aware of any…I just want to know, thanks master…
Nebukasnezzar
Nebukasnezzar,
There was a result with Jesse James Leija, I believe, that was initially announced as a victory for Azumah Nelson, but it was a miscalculation, and it was actually a draw. The result was changed afterward. I can’t really cite many incidents, but I know that it happens from time to time. In any sport, there is the chance for human error…especially when it comes to addition. Trust me, some of the judges that I’ve met are not the brightest stars in the sky. I’m sure that the promoters are pleased when they look at the scorecards and all of the judges spell their names correctly.
THE HITMAN
Good day, Sir Geno,
I’m a Ricky Hatton fan and I was thinking why is it that PBF is always targeting the Golden Boy? I think it’s going to be more interesting if he’s going to fight Hatton….
What is your say on this?
Hi to the Pacman fans here… Mabuhay Pilipinas…
Thanks,
Mark NiVir
Mark,
Ricky “Hitman” Hatton is a tough guy and brings everything that he has to the game and that has to be respected. I don’t like the way that he brawls and grapples, but you can’t argue with success. He stopped Tszyu’s long winning streak and is willing to face anyone and prove that he is the best in the game. I think the PBF is a great fighter and he is going after the money, mostly. The Golden Boy brings the cash, and that’s why PBF has left Hatton and Antonio Margarito in the dust. It blows that PBF is going after De La Hoya. Because of the popularity of the “Golden Boy,” most fighters want to face him and PBF is no different. Unfortunately, the most fan-friendly fights are going to be postponed.
This leaves an opening for the less popular boxers to face off. Margarito vs. Cotto or Hatton are great matches. When Tommy Hearns faced Marvin Hagler, they were both living in the shadow of Sugar Ray Leonard and fought their way out of it with that great fight. Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo did the same thing. They are great fighters, but the casual boxing fan could care less about their careers until that 10 round war. Now, Miguel Cotto vs. Ricky Hatton would be a great fight and Antonio Margarito vs. anyone would be a great fight. They don’t need PBF.
YOUR MAILBAG
Geno,
Too bad I don’t have much time for writing you. But I’m sure there are lots of us silently egging you to keep answering because they keep the fires of boxing spirit keep burning. Great stuff you have there. Don’t tire yourself.
Mike
Vancouver, B.C. man
Mike,
Thanks for the compliments and I will keep on answering the questions as long as they come in. I’ve noticed other websites that have a huge following put out mailbags with 3-4 questions and the responses are horrible! The “writers” try to convince the public and their readers that they are tough or something. In the answers to the questions, they use bad grammar and as much slang as they possibly can. They pay more attention to maintaining an image than to answering the questions at hand and ignore their readers for the most part. Sometimes I get a lot of questions and it may take some time to answer them all, but, as I have said before, if somebody takes the time to email me, I will respond.
So, I am very happy that the people are enjoying this segment and you have my word that I will never try to change my image to look tougher. Okay, maybe I will wear bling if it will get me more respect. How the hell is “Bling” sticking around? That is one of those sayings that you thought would come and go like “Not” did. You remember that…right? I’ve got a nice car, NOT! I have a piece of crap car. My ride is not pimped. Okay, I’m going off topic here.
HEY, HE THINKS I’M GREAT!
You are great Geno! Your opinions are very informative. My question is: who is Geno? What makes him guru in boxing?
Homer O. Puquiz
Homer,
Wow, this is a very good question. So many people ask me about boxing related things, but never ask me about me, myself. Okay, question 1: Who is Geno? I am a boxing fan that has been watching bouts since I was very young. I became obsessed with the sport when Mike Tyson came onto the scene. I watched USA’s Tuesday Night Fights every week, and I still consider it the best show of all time. I tape every fight that I can and I usually watch them more than once. Before any major bout, I will watch a few of the boxers’ prior bouts before I make my prediction…not that it makes much of a difference. I’ve been on a losing streak lately.
I am a movie producer and have been filming weird skits with my buddies since I was 13-years old. It’s fun to look back a those days and seeing just how far that we’ve come. Now, what makes me the boxing guru? You know, I read all of the time and I watch a lot of boxing…so, knowing is half the battle as G.I. Joe would say. I absolutely love the sport, which is weird because I don’t like many sports. I don’t like baseball, football, soccer, arm-wrestling, UFC, Nascar, golf, competitive dancing, or strong man competition. That has to be the biggest collection of morons anywhere. Have you seen these strong man gatherings where these muscle-bound freaks lift cars and tree trunks. Who finds this entertaining? “Wow, dat guy is very strong,” a fan might comment…morons. My buddy Tony can bench 500 pounds, but I’m not video taping him pumping iron. I will not video tape him pumping anything. Then again, if the money is right, I will tape anything. Yes, this is an offer. You got something weird that nobody else will tape. Make me an offer!
So, my obsession with the game has made me the “guru” that I have been labeled.
GENO, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MY WINKY?
Hola!
Although this is my first time writing to your great mailbag, I’ve been visiting this site for quite a long time now. You know reading boxing articles is my best way to relax especially reading your mailbag…I love boxing so much that if I have a little time in office I immediately surf the net just to have updates in the latest boxing news and fights. Hope this site last long or even forever. Keep it up!
Can you give me some of your thoughts regarding the other night’s fight between Winky and Taylor. I thought that Winky won it.
Thanks and God bless!
Just to introduce myself I’m from Philippines. Thanks!
Dysign ltd.
Hola Dysign,
I’m pleased to see that you love our site…and of course, my mailbag. Don’t worry…RSR is here to stay. Okay…onto the Winky. I am going to jump right on the Winky and tell you what I think about it.
I thought that the bout was extremely close and I ended up scoring it even at the end. I would not have been upset with any decision as long as it was close and a draw was not controversial. I think that both men showed a lot. Winky Wright was the better combination puncher and had his way when he backed Taylor against the ropes, but when they were in the middle of the ring, Taylor was winning. I think that Taylor wins the rematch. Look at the facts: Jermain is young, strong, and has the experience now that not many do. He beat Bernard Hopkins twice and fought to a draw with Wright, who is known for being the most difficult guy in the game. Taylor being a work in progress is only going to get better and was better as he fought Winky. Don’t forget that he has bad intentions too. I would not want to fight a man that had bad intentions. I would fight a guy that said: “Geno, I’m going to fight hard, but my intentions are all good.”
The way that Wright acted after the fight was wrong, as he stormed out of the ring as if he had won every round, hands down. The fight was close and Taylor was the champion, but I think that Wright got this “unbeatable-defensive whiz-master of the ring” reputation in his mind to the point where he didn’t think that he could lose a round. I wish that Taylor wasn’t so nice. He’s such a nice and considerate guy. Had it been me and my opponent ran out like that after such a competitive bout, I’d grab the microphone and say: “Hey, I’ve got your Winky right here.” That would have been the appropriate response to such disrespect.
THE STANDING 8
Geno,
The standing 8 count gives the referee a chance to evaluate a fighter’s condition rather than just stopping a bout outright. The standing 8 count can prevent a premature stoppage and also save a fighter from harm. If the only option the ref has is to stop the fight completely they will be far more hesitant to step in. I believe that the standing 8 could have saved a few lives along the way. I know that the potential exists for abuse, and that it gives a fighter a chance to recover when perhaps a fight would have been stopped; but it also helps to prevent premature stoppages and gives the ref a chance to really evaluate a fighter before ending a fight.
Dan
Dan,
I don’t like the standing eight count. I really don’t think that it has saved many lives. Now, granted, it is an option in there to avoid calling a bout, but it breaks the flow of the fight and could possibly lead to more punishment to a fighter should you give him that break and let it continue and then give him another break and so on and so forth. There are many things that might make boxing seem safer: reducing the bouts to 12 from 15 rounds, having the boxers wear headgear, standing eight count, and 3 knockdown rule. I hate the 3 KD rule. It’s ridiculous. It is up to the ref’s discretion if the fight should be stopped. Look at JMM and his spirited effort against Pacman.
Dan, I appreciate your opinion and I see where you are coming from, but I have to disagree.
Okay, RSR readers, that is all for my “hump day” edition of Geno’s Boxing Mailbag. I hope that you enjoyed it. Did it do it for you? It did? Fabulous! Come back and see me tomorrow when the “Pac Sack” version of the RSR Mailbag is released and on Saturday, when the mixed mailbag comes out and the winner of the Evil Awakening DVD is announced.
So, check out our message board! You won’t believe what you could win and you will be able to talk with other boxing fans and the RSR writers! You can’t beat that deal with a stick!
