The wait is finally over boxing fans. We have endured a long stretch without a major fight and if you are anything like me you are starting to feel the aches, pains, and twitches; a side effect of my addiction to pugilism. The drought was supposed to end earlier in September but injuries KO’d those cards (Fernando Vargas vs. Ricardo Mayorga and Vitali Klitschko vs. Jameel McCline). Now with the injuries to Oleg Maskaev and Adrian Diaconu, four consecutive Showtime fights have been cancelled or postponed due to injury. That is almost too much bad luck to believe. Maybe a certain rival network is sabotaging Showtime’s fighters, upset that they have been getting their butts kicked by a network with a fraction of the budget? Who needs evidence and responsible journalism when starting unsubstantiated conspiracy theories is so much more fun!
Back to reality, the gap between big fights is ended with a doozy. This Saturday HBO will treat us to the best middleweight fight that can possibly be made, Champion Jermain Taylor against number one contender Kelly Pavlik. Everyone find some wood to knock on to prevent a last minute injury that scraps this gem.
The schedule from this point out is stacked, starting with these next two weekends. In addition to this Saturday’s Middleweight Championship fight, another televised card featuring Chad Dawson will be shown on a rival network. Although Dawson is no long facing Adrian Diaconu, that card should still be worth watching. Next weekend on October 6th, we will be treated to Manny Pacquiao vs. Marco Antonio Barrera on PPV; a show that has a pretty good undercard to go with the top-notch main event.
On a side note, the cancellation of Maskaev vs. Peter probably boosted the PPV numbers for Pacquiao vs. Barrera by at least 50,000 because now it is the only show on TV that night. More evidence of a conspiracy theory?
The hits keep on rolling pretty much non-stop on to December, when Floyd Mayweather will fight Ricky Hatton. Tickets for that one sold out in a half an hour just to give you an idea of how anticipated that encounter is.
On that positive note, let us get to the mailbag submissions for this week. We have a hefty load of Manny Pacquiao related emails. The Pacman fans are out in full force getting ready for Manny’s war with Barrera, as well as some looking past Barrera and wondering what Pacquiao should do next. Enjoy the great fights over the next few months and enjoy the mailbag:
Excuses: Everybody Has Them
I’m an avid Boxing fan and I love and enjoy good boxing match-ups. Pacquiao and Marquez have unfinished business with each other and they need to resolve it. Both camps say they should have won. There are a lot of questions to be answered on this match-up, which needs to materialize. In Barrera vs. Pacquiao I, Barrera stated a lot of excuses although he lost by a definitive KO, which was to be expected because the loser always does. Just like Pacquiao when he lost to Morales in their first fight. The only difference he was that Manny was not KO’d. Manny was able to redeem himself in rematches. Now Barrera was given a chance to prove that his excuses were valid or Pacquiao is really superior irrespective of their boxing style. Only October 6 can answer us. Good day.
-Mars
Mars,
Good email. My father used to tell me that excuses are like a%$!holes: everybody has one and they all stink. Pacquiao deserved a rematch against Morales just like Barrera deserves one against Pacquiao. They deserve the rematches not because of the excuses that they gave, but because they are great fighters who have earned the right to have second chances. I ignore the excuses that they come up with because ever fighter than loses has one and most of the time they are bogus. I don’t like to give credence to the alibis that fighters invent after losses so I won’t say that we will find out if Barrera was right on October 6th. Instead I will say that we will see if Barrera was able to make the proper adjustments to rebound from that first defeat on October 6th.
In regards to Pacquiao vs. Marquez, yes they do have unfinished business. Unlike the situation with Barrera, Manny clearly won but the rematch was given out of respect to Marco’s greatness. There was no clear-cut winner in Marquez vs. Pacquiao I so they need a rematch just to determine a winner.
Hopkins Watching Calzaghe vs. Kessler
Don’t you think that Joe Calzaghe vs. Bernard Hopkins will be one of the best? Who do you think will win it? What about Calzaghe vs. Mikkel Kessler?
-Billy
Billy,
You shouldn’t look past Mikkel Kessler if you are a Calzaghe fan. Calzaghe vs. Kessler is pretty much a toss up fight in my eyes. Calzaghe has a better work rate, speed, and the hometown advantage while Kessler has a better jab and heavier hands. I give Calzaghe an ever so slight advantage because this one will most likely go the distance and the hometown judging favors Joe. I would not bet on this one though and if Joe is looking past Mikkel he is in for a surprise.
Bernard has expressed interest in fighting the winner of this stellar Super Middleweight Championship unification bout. He even said that the winner is a more attractive opponent than the winner of Felix Trinidad vs. Roy Jones. So to answer your first question, yes Hopkins vs. either of these two is a very good fight. Even a 45 year old version of “The Executioner” is a tough out for anybody.
Super Featherweight Round Robin
Hi Brian. I like reading your articles. In the Super Featherweight division we have Manny Pacquiao vs. Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Rocky Juarez, Humberto Soto vs. Joan Guzman, and Edwin Valero who does not have a next scheduled fight. Who will win these and who will it be in the Super Fight. Thanks for you time.
-Junior
Junior,
I pick Pacquiao and Marquez to come out on top of their respective fights and hopefully fight each other next. That is the super fight right there. Soto vs. Guzman is an even fight and I cannot pick a winner. Both are extremely talented and worthy contenders. But the Soto vs. Guzman winner and Edwin Valero are a step below an already established fighter such as Juan Manuel Marquez. Once Pacquiao and Marquez settle their business, I hope that Humberto Soto, Joan Guzman, or Edwin Valero get their deserved shot at the superstars.
Another Round Robin Suggestion
Brian, I would like to see a boxing tournament in one night consisting of three round fights between undefeated boxers at a catch up weight of 132lbs. The fighters involved would be Edwin Valero, Joan Guzman, Michael Katsidis, and Juan Diaz. Give us your prediction and reasons who will win. A similar tournament happened before at heavyweight. There were fights among Jerry Quarry, Jimmy Ellis and two boxers I forgot their names. If I’m not mistaken Jimmy Ellis won.
Eddieboy
Eddieboy,
If you toss out the idea of the fights only being three rounds then I like your idea. Three rounds is the format of a Toughman Contest and not conducive to boxing skills, only brawling. The heavyweight tournament you speak of was the great WBA Heavyweight Title elimination tournament of the late 1960’s. There were actually eight fighters involved, not four. There were so many worthy heavyweight contenders at the time that a tournament like that made sense and was one of the greatest events in heavyweight history in my opinion. The fighters involved were Jimmy Ellis, Leotis Martin, Oscar Bonavena, Karl Mildenberger, Jerry Quarry, Floyd Patterson, Thad Spencer, and Ernie Terrell. Ellis defeated Quarry to come away as champion. He lost the title to Joe Frazier in 1970.
The modern tournament you suggest would be very entertaining. I am a big supporter or tournaments and round robins such as these. Realistically to pull this one off it would have to happen at 135 pounds because I doubt if Diaz and Katsidis would want to or be able to make a 132 pound limit.
I would pick Juan Diaz to come out on top because of his work rate, stamina, weight advantage over the 130 pounders and overall ability. The other three fighters are tremendous boxers though and would create explosive fights. Valero vs. Katsidis, wow, just think about the type of action that fight would create.
Pacquiao vs. Valero
I am keenly awaiting for this fight to happen, because I know that Manny will just knockout Barrera or Marquez. I think this is the most intriguing fight for Manny. Do you agree? Whom do you think will win this one? LABAN PACMAN!!!!
-Superman
Superman,
You know that your online mailbag is a success when A-list super heroes start writing in and asking questions. It is an honor to field your question Superman. Can I call you Superman or do you prefer Mr. Kent?
Regarding your question, sure, Pacquiao vs. Valero is one of many fights at 130 pounds that would be awesome. The super featherweight division is so incredibly deep and talented that you could randomly pick out the top eight fighters out of a hat and get four super fights.
Pacquiao probably has a better shot at knocking out Valero than he does Marquez. Valero is a very hard puncher but he does not have the boxing skills that Juan Manuel possesses.
Manny’s Foot Blisters
Hi Brian, this is my first time to write to your mailbag and I hope you can reply to my comment. I think that if only Pacquiao didn’t hurt his hand and his feet didn’t have blisters he could have demolished Marquez in the second round. The way I saw it, Marquez couldn’t take Pacquiao’s punches as shown by the knockdown that he got in the first round. Marquez was just lucky that time that Pacquiao unfortunately hurt his hand.
-Ed
Ed,
As I mentioned earlier in this column, I pay very little attention to the excuses that fighters come up with after a loss. One way to look at the first fight is that Marquez couldn’t handle Pacquiao and got lucky to survive. Another view is that Marquez got caught with a lucky punch but once he recovered he out-boxed Manny. A rematch really is necessary to resolve what happened in the first fight.
Manny Movin’ On Up
Hi Brian. Thanks for your response and insights regarding Valero working with Barrera in camp. By any chance, can you see Manny Pacquiao moving up to the lightweight Division in 2008 or 2009? Can you also see some advantage if he will?
-Zi
Zi,
Manny has many options at this current weight. He is in the best division that boxing has seen since the welterweight division of the late 1990’s with Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad, Pernell Whitaker, Julio Cesar Chavez, Ike Quartey, etc. I will venture to say that the group of Pacquiao, Morales, Barrera, Marquez, Valero, Guzman, Soto, etc. is as good or better than that celebrated group of the 1990’s. To leave any of those contenders without fighting them would be a terrible error in judgment by Manny and his handlers. I am not opposed to the idea if Pacquiao cleans out the 130 pound division and needs to move up to 135 in order to attain big money fights. Many Filipino fans are encouraging Pacquiao to move up so I suspect that it will happen, but I hope not until 2010 or so, once he has finished his business at his current weight.
Zi’s Thoughts on Pacquiao vs. Barrera
Huge expectations have come out that Manny Pacquiao will pull an upset again on Marco Antonio Barrera and, of course, if you are a die-hard PacMan fan then you would go for the best that Manny can win this via KO.
Anyway, I appreciate the factors that you mention but you missed something. It took 11 crucial rounds to have it halted which makes me think that Manny does not have much of that power to scrap Barrera. Barrera is no Morales so tactics and versatility can make a difference. Barrera is very durable, he can endure 15 rounds and that is a real warrior.
-Zi
Zi,
Manny was a big underdog last time he fought Barrera because he was not considered an elite fighter at that time. In this rematch, Pacquiao is a significant betting favorite. However, what you say about Barrera is true. He is a versatile, durable veteran. With the kind of talent and experience that Marco Antonio has accrued, you can never overlook him. I am predicting of Pacquiao win, but great fighters have a way of producing great performances when you least expect it.
Rising Stars
Hey Brian, nice chatting with you again here in your mailbag. The majority of the people in your mailbag keep asking about Pacman. That proves that Pacman really is entertaining in and out the boxing ring. I know already about Pacquiao, I have supported him since he was knocked out by a Thai boxer. So now, I am watching some prospects that could boost the boxing world into the next generation.
Let’s start with Nonito Donaire, I studied his fight and I like his fighting style. This kid has a good future, and I hope it will not be the repeat of what happened to Brian Viloria.
Next is Edwin Valero, I know that Valero is eager to fight Pacman but he is banned from fighting in America. 22-0 (22 KOs) how’s that for a record? But only 2 of his 22 opponents were known (Nobuhito Honmo and Vicente Mosquera) while the others were unknown. I hope his next fight will be the winner of Guzman-Soto bout. It will be a good match-up.
Lastly is Bert Batawang, now his title fight against Ulises Solis is already final after Solis pulled out twice in a row. I think that Batawang will shine again and destroy this chicken opponent. What can you say about this Brian?
-Seven
Seven,
My mailbag this week is almost exclusively about Manny Pacquiao so that proves your point. I am willing to talk about whatever people want to talk about.
Nonito Donaire and Edwin Valero will both be excellent fighters. They have extremely different fighting styles but are effective on a championship level nonetheless. Donaire is a boxer-puncher who is good and jumping in and out of punching range and uses his speed to surprise his opponents. Valero is a seek and destroy type of fighter who uses some subtle head movement and dodging, but mostly his offense is his defense. His record will speak to his punching power.
The one who I am the least familiar with his Bert Batawang. At 35 years old I don’t think that you can call him an up and comer anymore. I am surprised that someone that old can still compete in the lower weight classes but he seems to be doing okay. I would pick Ulises Solis to beat Batawang simply because I know what Solis can do and I am not sure about Batawang. I am eager to see what happens.
Jan’s Response
Thanks for publishing my letter. I am writing a follow-up not because I want to extend the argument but because after reading my letter again, I realize that its tone betrayed my real intentions.
What I meant by letters a day following a Pac-Marquez bout is a lively discussion on the merits of the fight. I didn’t mean any disrespect. I am still less of a fan though not because you chose Marquez over Pacquiao but because I believe your reasoning stands on shaky grounds.
I shall continue to remain an avid reader of your column.
-Jan
Jan,
I appreciate your support of my columns. We can agree to disagree about the outcome of a potential rematch between Marquez and Pacquiao. Let’s both hope that it happens so that we can discuss the aftermath.
Ways to view Marquez vs. Pacquiao I
I do not know what boxing match you were watching that night but I can tell you that Pacquiao won that fight fair and square, there is no but. I replayed the dvd that I have so many times because I keep reading on the net that Pacman was schooled in that fight. I can clearly see that Marquez had the advantage boxing technical wise but round by round, JMM was back pedaling all night long getting hit by crispier punch. Never did Pacman backpedal and an honest official would have scored most of the round for Pacman. If scoring a fight because you see that a boxer has a very good defense but not landing a punch is way out of my imagination. Whatever happened to aggressiveness and landing crisper punches? I guess to you it doesn’t count if the result is fixed. In my opinion, don’t put anymore 70 years old judges because they really can’t see. Also, these judges should follow the rule, 3 knockdowns, 10-6, period. I advise you watch the DVD in slow motion so you can see the punches being made by either boxer. You better start counting how many Pacman landed and how many JMM blocked and evaded and how many he connected. Good day, mate.
-Sal
Sal,
Manny was aggressive the entire fight and Marquez was backpedaling the whole night. That much we agree on, but that is about all we agree on in regards to Marquez vs. Pacquiao. As much as fans such as yourself would like, even if a boxer is pressing the fight and making the fight more exciting, that does not always mean that he is winning. Starting in the third round, whether or not Pacquiao’s aggression was effective or ineffective can be debated. Marquez showed superb boxing ability avoiding any further assaults from Pacquiao. He also used the jab to keep Manny at bay and while backpedaling was landing more clean punches (maybe not harder ones I concede) than his opponent. I have no problem with the judge who scored the fight for Pacquiao. But I also have no problem with the judge who scored the fight for Marquez. I tend to feel that the verdict of a draw was an accurate description of the match. I have watched the fight many times and this is still how I feel.
Filipino Prospect AJ Banal
Hi Brian. I am a boxing fan, and I don’t jump on bandwagons easily. I do believe that styles make a fight. Recently there is this prospect in the Philippines who gives me a hint that can be bigger than Pacman, and that is AJ Banal. He has power and defense, speed and footwork which Pacman did not have yet on that age. We cannot question his heart too and the quality of opponents they are feeding to him right now (not like our boom2x before). Did you see this guy fought already, and what is your assessment?
-D Dreamer
Dreamer,
I saw AJ Banal fight when I was covering the World Cup of Boxing last month. The fight only lasted three rounds and the impression I had of him was positive. He has very good punching power, the kind that can bail him out of a fight that he is losing. His opponent, Jorge Cardenas, was pushing the fight to Banal in the second round and that had me worried a bit since someone like Cardenas should not be giving a top prospect too many problems. But AJ pulled off a sudden knockout. Banal is not a finished product yet and it is too early for me to say that he will turn out to be anywhere close to what Manny Pacquiao is now. I do have my eye on Banal though. He has tremendous physical gifts of speed, power, and most importantly poise.
JM Marquez and His Glass Jaw
Hey Brian. I have been a faithful follower of the mailbag since Geno’s time, and I swear it feels like eons ago! I just can’t keep myself from making a comment on you picking Marquez over Pacquiao. While I respect your opinion, I just want to point out that Marquez has a glass jaw, and one of poor quality at that (note the way he went down from getting tagged by Barrera). It’s not really the best attribute to have when facing someone with Manny’s speed and power (and unorthodox movements). If there’s anyone who can give Manny problems, I think it would be Barrios, so long as he keeps himself in shape. The guy is just so durable and HUGE! Guzman could also give Manny a run for his money, but judging from his fight with the hyena, I think Manny can easily hurt him.
-Paolo
Paolo,
First off, thank you for your support of the RSR mailbags. We appreciate you reading and submitting questions.
I am not going to agree with your statement that Marquez has a glass jaw at all. The man has almost 50 professional fights and has never been knocked out. He has been in with solid competition throughout his career and can always handle himself. The only two knockdowns that I have ever seen him suffer were against Manny Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera, who by the way, are great fighters and big punchers. Barrera does not have the reputation that Pacquiao does as a puncher but he can hit. In addition to a scored knockdown over Marquez, Barrera has dropped notable fighters like Manny Pacquiao (even if he was not hurt badly it was officially ruled), Erik Morales and Paulie Ayala. And please don’t try to tell me that those fighters have glass jaws too.
I respect your opinions but I don’t think that Barrios would have much of a shot against Manny and definitely would not have as good of a chance at beating him as Marquez. Barrios is a pure brawler. His strategy is to get right in your face and swarm you with combinations. That type of offense is easy pickings for the accurate and devastating straight lefts of Pacquiao. Barrios would be standing in the danger zone of one of the hardest hitters in boxing. I doubt he would be able to stand up to that power for very many rounds. Marquez has the boxing skills that could allow him to avoid Manny’s power shots for the majority of the bout.
Death of Boxing
Who said that boxing is DOA? They said that boxing is losing its popularity and there will be no more famous boxer that will ever come up since the start of UFC. My question is, what are they supposed to do in order to save boxing back to its popularity 20 years ago?
-Chris
Chris,
I thought that it was funny that Sports Illustrated and ESPN were both saying that Floyd Mayweather vs. De La Hoya was going to be the last super fight that boxing ever produces. I disagree with that notion on several counts. Mayweather vs. Hatton looks like it is going to be huge, so their prediction lasted less than a year. Boxing has historically peaked and waned in popularity based on how the heavyweight division was doing. The heavyweight division is poor right now and not surprisingly boxing is not very popular. If a dominant, flamboyant, and exciting heavyweight champion comes along I predict that boxing will be popular again. Boxing and the UFC can and will coexist so expect more boxing stars to come around even with UFC. If boxing gives the general public a reason to pay attention, they will. What might not happen is a non-heavyweight like Oscar De La Hoya becoming a household name, but time will tell.
Who Will Be Remembered?
Hello Brian, I’m back! In your opinion, who do you think is the most hyped, famous and universally recognized little man ever in the lower weight divisions by boxing writers and fans? I mean, the one whose boxing career generated more media attention during his peak and after his retirement. I know, current boxers have the advantage due to the internet but how would you measure the impact of such notable pugs like Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Manny Pacquiao to the past all-time greats when they retire. Whose legacy would you think will be best remembered? This is a hypothetical question, who among the three aforementioned legends do you think will get more write ups, tributes 20 years from now?
-Helven
Helven,
The most popular little man? That is a tough question but I will do my best. I have three candidates. The first is Henry Armstrong who held the featherweight, lightweight and welterweight championships simultaneously. The second is Benny Leonard who rumor has it is the reason that the term “pound for pound” was coined. The third is Willie Pep who had such great defense that he famously won a round without even throwing a punch. These three are famous because they are among the top 10 pound for pound greatest fighters of all time. Morales, Barrera, and Pacquiao don’t quite fall into that category. They will be remembered as among the best of their generation. If I had to venture as to who of those three is looked upon the most I would probably say Manny Pacquiao because he has been so explosive so far and there is so much more that he may still accomplish.
Update On the Brian Wilbur T-Shirt
Hey Brian. I found out later what that Brian Wilbur on a t-shirt was! It is the name of a local rock band. Seeing that you are probably not that into music, maybe the band was named after that other Brian Wilbur that you mentioned. No worries, they suck anyway.
I do have a rock band, which totally owns by the way. I will suggest that we re-name it to “the real Brian Wilbur”, after you of course. But that means you will have to help me convince the other 3 guys in next week’s mailbag (they haven’t heard of your mailbag). I even inserted a line in one of our songs which goes like this “if you cant hit ’em with a straight, stab ’em with a pen”. Pretty cool huh?
-Bobby the “mugonat-shirtguy”
Bobby,
I think that you should name your rock band after me because, as you said in your email, all other Brian Wilbur’s suck anyway. You have a talent in writing music, I must say that I am impressed. Even though I have never stabbed anyone with a pen. There is always a first for everything right? Good luck with your band.
The Lawyer vs. The Writer
Hey Brian, your prediction in the hopefully future bout between Franklin “The Jackal” Gacal (Pacquiao’s Lawyer (?)) and Michael “The White Gorilla” Marley?
-Ambo
Ambo,
I will try not to pass judgment on either of the individuals involved but this whole situation is pretty ridiculous. However the way that Gacal disgustingly brought up race and challenged Marley to a fight for no logical reason makes me have no respect for him. After all, Marley was just doing his job, trying to find stories for fans to read. My prediction is that Gacal does not fight now that Marley has called his bluff.
Have a great week fight fans. See you next time. Feel free to send your questions and comments for next week’s bag and enjoy the fight weekend!
