Welcome to my mailbag everyone. So I committed boxing fan blasphemy this weekend by missing the live broadcast of Kelly Pavlik vs. Jermain Taylor. I had a good excuse though. I was the best man at my brother?s wedding on Saturday night. I am going to catch the fight via Tivo (gotta love technology) a little later on this week. All I know is that Kelly Pavlik won by knockout and if Pavlik is capable of that then maybe the people who said that he was the second coming of Tommy Hearns were not as far off as I thought.
I would like to congratulate my brother David Wilbur on his marriage with lovely wife Jessica. Watching them walk down the aisle made me get ideas for my wedding and how I would like to walk down the aisle. At first I was thinking about a boxing theme. I would come out in a robe and trunks with my entourage and a famous rapper, maybe Nelly or 50 Cent, and have him rapping as we walk, like a modern ring entrance. If I had a few drinks in me I might even dance all the way to the altar like Cory Spinks.
But in the end, my buddy Carlos and I came up with the perfect wedding set up. As soon as me and my special someone say our vows, the electric guitars start playing some wicked solos, fireworks and pyrotechnics are going off to the ooh?s and ahh?s of the crowd. My jacket lights up with an arrow from my shoulders pointing down to the letters ?FZ? right above my crotch. FZ is short for Fun Zone, of course. As we walk back down the aisle together, Poison?s Bret Michaels gets on the microphone and starts singing an epic, tear jerking love song. I?m pretty sure that Bret Michaels will do personal appearances for $50 for less nowadays so the price won?t get too extravagant. Talk about romance; this would be outstanding.
But enough about weddings, let?s talk about boxing. Send in your questions and I will be happy to answer them as always. This week we have large group of Manny Pacquiao fans and a few other miscellaneous questions. Enjoy!
A Young Gerry Penalosa
What can you say about Gerry Pe?alosa? I find him very technically skilled. Let?s imagine Gerry as of this moment at the age of 22 and he already has the fighting ability he has as of this time. Do you think he would be more popular than Manny, Barrera, Morales or any fighter out there?
-Skreech
Skreech,
Nice to see more celebrities writing in. How is AC Slater doing?
Anyway, Gerry Penalosa is a very good, talented boxer. He is tough as nails and will always be around to give you a tough fight. He is more popular at 35 years of age than he ever was before. I will propose though, that he is not any better than he was 5 or even 10 years ago. Penalosa has always been an excellent fighter. Out of 52 fights he has never definitively been beaten. The reason that he has had an explosion of popularity in the twilight of his career can, in my opinion, be attributed to Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao has caused boxing to become immensely popular in the Philippines and in turn all Filipino boxers have become better known. If Pacquiao had not created an explosion of interest in boxing in the Philippines then Penalosa may have retired with far less fanfare or notoriety. If Penalosa was 22 today he would be more popular than he was because of this. Another point, if he had fought more in the United States when he was younger he may have created similar interest to what Pacquiao is doing now.
The Pacquiao Hater Predicts Pacman vs. The Prince
Hi Brian. I am an avid reader and fan of yours and your column. Your boxing insights and analysis are comparable to the best and respected boxing writers nowadays. I am one of the millions of Pacman diehards around the globe. Though, it seems to me that you are not one of us as evident in your responses to questions of your millions of readers. But, that is okay.
My question is, if Prince Naseem Hamed was still active and in his prime today, who will win between him and the great Pacman? What would be the result of a simulated fight between the two? Your predictions and insights on the fight and how will the fight end? How will the cocky and arrogant Naseem Hamed survive the devastating punches and speed of the Pacman or will he survive at all?
You see, there was once a great Filipino WBA featherweight champion the same time the Prince was the champion of the WBO version during the 90’s. His name is Luisito Espinosa. He is one of Philippines’ best. He has speed, great footwork, class and showmanship comparable to Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns. He has beaten most great featherweights of his time, the likes of Cesar Soto, Manuel Medina, Israel Contreras and many more during his reign as champion in his weight class. Unfortunately, the Prince has eluded and avoided fighting him, until he was defeated by the great Barrera and put him to retirement.
More power to your column!
-Art
Art,
I oppose the notion that I am not a fan of Manny Pacquiao. I am a huge supporter and fan of Manny Pacquiao. He is one of my favorites. But the difference between me and some of the Pacmaniacs out there is that I look at Manny realistically instead of as an unstoppable mythical being. As a journalist I have to be impartial. That means that I have to pick against Pacquiao in fights that I realistically think he could lose and possibly criticize him when he makes a wrong move. Those are two things that some Pacquiao fans would never do. It is endearing to see Filipino fans unconditionally support their national hero. But to be a Pacquiao fan you don?t need to be unreasonable in your devotion to him.
Now about Pacquiao vs. Hamed, I am sure that this fight would end by a highlight reel KO. These are two of the hardest pure punchers in the history of the featherweight division. Hamed was the harder puncher, but Pacquiao would throw faster, sharper, and straighter punches. I would predict that Manny would win this one by knockout. But if Hamed landed a haymaker right on the button I don?t see Pacquiao staying on his feet. If they fought three times I would say that Manny wins two and Hamed wins one, with all three fights ending early. Talk about fireworks!
Espinosa was a good little fighter but I definitely hesitate to call him great. Great is not a title that I throw around easily when it comes to boxers. The fighters that you mentioned, like Medina and Soto, were notable featherweights of their era but were also not great. Espinoso will be remembered as a worthy champion but he is not on the same level as some of today?s modern greats like Bernard Hopkins or Roy Jones.
A Pacquiao vs. Marquez Rematch
Hi Brian, this is my first time writing on any subject matter. I love boxing and I like your honest opinions when it comes to your responses.
I have seen the first fight between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez and in my opinion you are right that he threw cleaner punches and had great defensive style but after that fight Manny just became better and better every time. He has now the right hand that can be compared to his left hand and probably even better as what Freddie Roach said during his training in Cebu City just recently. He is for sure faster than before and faster than Marquez. His stamina has improved to the point where he would be able to go another 12 rounds. He can hit hard and for sure harder than Marquez. The only problem I see is his footwork, he is not good at that yet but is much better than his previous fights. So if he can develop that footwork it will be very hard for any featherweight fighter to defeat him. Now if a boxer is durable, has power and stamina this is more than enough to destroy any opponent.
Even Muhammad Ali believes and admired Pacquaio, saying that he had never seen a fighter like him that Manny’s intention in the first round is to knock down his opponent right away. Now with Barrera this time I am 90% sure than he won’t last 11 rounds this time and he will be knocked out on either in the 7th or in the 8th round. When this happens you will remember me and you will remember this email.
Good luck and more power to your column.
Cheers young man!
-Mandie
Mandie,
True, Pacquiao does seem to have improved since his initial fight with Marquez. How much has he improved? That is a question that we do not know that answer to. What I do know is that Marquez is still a superb technical boxer and counter puncher. It will be a very good fight if it ever comes to fruition. Your prediction of Pacquiao by KO in either the 7th or 8th over Barrera sounds about right. My prediction will be similar, but I will remember your email anyway! Take care.
Two-Fisted Heftier Pacman
Hi Brian. This is my first email for your very interesting mailbag but I’m sure it won’t be the last. I totally agree with you that to resolve all the issues regarding the first JMM-Pacman fight, is to have a JMM-Pacman II. I consider that fight also a draw, notwithstanding the error of one of the judges. Though I could add that Manny was not a well-rounded fighter at that time. His right was not as dangerous then. Now at present I could see that a very different Pacman would be facing JMM in their next fight. Manny has evolved into a two-fisted fighter and with more bulk in his body. Weight I think is a vital change for Manny because his opponents now get tossed away when they come toe to toe. This was very evident during the Morales vs. Pacquiao III fight. Do you think Pacman’s second fight with Marquez will still be that close in the judge?s eyes? I don’t. What is your opinion? Well thanks for giving space to my question and more power to you Brian.
-Hard Knuckles
Hard Knuckles,
What I said in response to the email above applies to your questions too. Marquez is still the better technical boxer. I envision that he will be able to adjust to the changes and improvements that Pacquiao has made. I see the rematch between Pacquiao and Marquez as essentially a 50/50 pick ?em fight, although I give Marquez an ever so slight edge because of the ring generalship that he displayed in rounds 3-12 in the first fight. When under duress, Marquez fights at his best. That is an intangible virtue that is hard to measure.
Mayweather In the UFC
Hey, I know boxing is the sweet science and all and as I watched this documentary on discovery, boxing has the strongest punch among the martial arts. Since that’s where you place all your energies at: your punch. Boxing is efficient and effective. But I wonder, wouldn?t it be great if you could see Mayweather go into the UFC, since, according to him, he is quite untouchable. How about guys from MMA transitioning to boxing? Kinda cool too! But how bout the rules? Thinner gloves? Ring or octagon? Just playing with the idea. Mayweather in the UFC, think he’ll do good?
-Raffy
Raffy,
Mayweather would get creamed in a UFC fight. As soon as someone got him on the ground he would not know what to do and quickly be put into a submission hold that he could not get out of. Floyd was raised in a boxing family from a young age and knows boxing inside and out. That does not mean that he knows how to fight in the UFC, which is a much different sport that requires different abilities.
On the flip side, a UFC fighter would not stand a chance against today?s top boxers in a pure boxing match. Even if they hit hard, they do not have the right technique to box or to last twelve rounds. But even though saying all of this, I would not be opposed to a cross sport showdown. An event such as that would bring attention to both sports and bring in fans. Although at this point in time a boxer vs. a UFC fighter would not make monetary sense because top boxers make significantly more money than the top MMA fighters.
Boxing Not DOA In The Philippines
Brian, I would like to disagree about people who say that boxing is dead compared to the UFC. Boxing is a popular sport and it can shake you to the bones. For those people who think boxing is dead you are absolutely wrong because boxing is life in Pinas. Thanks bro.
-Cel Ryan
Cel,
Boxing is alive and well in many parts of the world, including The Philippines, Mexico, Russia, Puerto Rico, etc. When people talk about boxing being a dying sport and potentially being overtaken by the UFC, they are mainly talking about its popularity in the United States. I still disagree with those sentiments because there are more boxing fans in the USA than the mainstream sports media thinks. No other sport would have survived being on PPV but boxing has.
The New Version of Pacquiao
I would like to comment on what Zi mentioned that it took Pacquiao 11 rounds to totally annihilate Barrera. That’s quite true. However, he still stopped Barrera in a very convincing fashion, and aside from that no one has seen Barrera been badly beaten like that. There is a very significant difference from Pacquiao of 2003 and the Pacquiao at the present. I only wish Barrera will last at least 5 rounds of a Pacman onslaught!
-Josh
Josh,
Many Pacquiao fans are mentioning that Manny is so much better than he was a few years ago. Sure, it looks like he has improved, but perhaps the Pacmaniacs are reading too much into this improvement. He has not become Godzilla over these last few years and is still beatable. I predict that Barrera will have a better showing than he did last time but still lose.
Benjie Wants 135!
Hi Brian! You said Marquez can defeat or has a better chance at winning against Manny. How big is that chance then? 60% win for Marquez? 70% win for Juan Diaz? I give Pacman 90% chance to beat Marquez, because he will dominate. 80% chance over Katsidis or Juan Diaz not because they are bigger but because Manny hasn’t been fighting in lightweight yet. He will skip Marquez not because he is afraid but because Marquez camp will again ask too much money. After Barrera, I think Manny will fight Katsidis or Juan Diaz. If the promoters can give Manny the right prize then I’m sure Manny will fight at 135 lbs. He’s not getting younger anymore and I think this is the best time for him to fight them, not after he cleans up the 130 lbs division. You see, if he fights Katsidis or Juan Diaz after Barrera then he will know right away if he can absorb the punches of a lightweight. I think those two are big paydays for Pacquiao, and he goes for history too, well maybe at least in the Philippines if not the world from 107 lbs up to 135 lbs with the belts in between. IF HE CAN?T HANDLE LIGHTWEIGHTS THEN HE CAN GO BACK RIGHT AWAY TO SUPERFEATHERWEIGHT AND CLEAN UP THAT DIVISION and get all the belts UNTIL THE END OF HIS CARREER. I think a lot will agree with me. It is a better plan than waiting for maybe after 2 to 3 years before going to 135.
-Benjie M. Tiu
Benjie,
That could very well be the best route to go. With Manny being a popular as he is, he can hardly make a wrong turn with his choice of opponents as long as he is challenging himself. Personally if I were Pacquiao?s handlers I would go a different route. My goal would be to get Pacquiao the most money and glory. Pacquiao hasn?t definitively shown me that he has the same power at 130 that he used to have at 126. His only knockout victims have been Hector Velasquez, who is second rate, and Erik Morales, who was also moving up in weight. Manny was unable to stop Oscar Larios. He still has questions at 130 enough that I would be very nervous for Manny at 135. A loss at lightweight could significantly hurt his legacy, especially if he gets knocked out. He would get just as much, but probably more money and glory fighting at 130 pounds because the stars there are more established. Michael Katsidis is an exciting fighter, but outside of a hardcore fight fans he is an unknown and will not generate big money. Juan Diaz represents a major fight but Juan Manuel Marquez is a bigger name. As much as I would like to agree with you Benjie, as I do appreciate your support of my mailbag, we just don?t see eye to eye on this issue.
A Reasonable Pacquiao Fan
This is in response to Jan and Sal’s emails from last week. I’m a big Pacquiao fan (and Barrera’s too) but I agree with your assessment on the Pacman-Marquez fight. Marquez clearly out-boxed Pacquiao from the 3rd round on after Marquez recovered from the 1st round debacle. I’ve watched the fight numerous times and have no problem with the draw decision. I’m tired of hearing this argument that Pacman should have won because he was the aggressor and was throwing more (connecting less) and was landing the harder punches and just disregarding the fact that Pacman was out-boxed and out-hit. They put too much stock on the ringside commentaries and Harold Lederman’s running scorecard. They should try watching the fight again with an open mind with the audio off. These same people are upset that Penalosa lost to Ponce de Leon conveniently choosing the “Penalosa out-boxed Ponce de Leon” argument. What happened to the aggressor argument? I was not upset with the outcome of that fight but I was with the lopsided scoring.
-Richie Ledesma
Richie,
Brilliant email. Your Penalosa/Ponce de Leon analogy was spot on. The scoring of Marquez vs. Pacquiao was very reasonable.
Richie?s Response
Thanks. I’m a Filipino but I’m tired of all these people crying about the two aforementioned decisions. There are lots of really bad decisions to complain about, I’ve always thought that the draw to Marquez and the loss to Morales were the best things to have happened to Pacquiao because he realized that being super strong and super fast won’t guarantee him a win against elite fighters. He was too predictable in those two fights, double jab followed by the straight left was all he had and there’s no point discussing his defense or lack thereof. But he learned from those fights and has vastly improved, so can’t we all just move on.
And another thing, if people ask you who you think would win if Pacquiao would fight Mayweather Jr at a catch weight, tell them that Pacquiao would get killed!!! Maybe then they’ll stop asking. -Richie Ledesma.
Richie,
I do think Pacquiao would get beaten by Floyd!
No Knockdowns For Pacquiao
Good Day Brian. I just want to make it clear that Barrera never scored a knockdown against Pacquiao. If you look close you?ll see that their feet got tangled. Barrera did not connect in that instance and was a clear mistake by the referee. I am also confused why people keep reminding us that Manny lost via KO to a Thailander when they clearly do not know the circumstances surrounding that bout. He was so dehydrated that he would not even produce a tear during an interview.
-Kipoy
Kipoy,
I admit that my initial statement was unclear and did not accurately depict what I was trying to say. I should have been more direct and said “even though it was really a slip” instead of “even though he was not hurt”. My official stance on this is that it was a slip but it was a tough call to make in real time and I don’t think that the referee did a bad job. He has a tough job and does not have access to instant replay like we do.
In my column I was listing fighters that Barrera has officially scored knockdowns over. Even if it was a blown call, you must include Pacquiao to that list. Bad calls happen in all sports, not just boxing, and they stand in the record books as being final. You cannot take away the New England Patriots Super Bowl Win because of the terrible call in the “Tuck Rule” play against the Raiders. Maybe they should have, but the call was made and it stands today. The Dallas Stars still officially won the Stanley Cup in 1999 despite Brett Hull’s skate being in the crease. We have to accept blown calls as a part of the sport.
I hope this clears up my stance and I appreciate your interest in my writings.
Kipoy?s Response
Dear Brian, yeah thanks for clearing that up. At least you really take time to answer your readers question. Anyway the referee made a couple of bad calls in the bout but I can say the he did a good job overall. I agree they are mere mortals prone to mistakes.
I heard Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will challenge Paul Malignaggi for the IBF Light Welterweight belt. Is this true? How do you assess JCC JR’s chances on this?
Again God bless and more power.
-Kipoy
Kipoy,
As of the writing of this column, the Malignaggi/Chavez fight is still a rumor and has not been officially announced yet. Julio?s best asset in this fight is his height and reach. He has not yet shown that he has a commanding jab, but if he can use his height and jab to establish distance he would be able to set up power shots and possibly win this one. More likely I see Malignaggi picking his spots, moving in and out, and winning a unanimous decision.
Tex Snoozes and Loses
A while back I put myself out there by announcing my crush on Daniel Tex Cohen in this mailbag. Well I’ll just assume that since I haven’t heard from Mr. Sexy Cohen that he is more interested in fighters than dish washers. Thankfully I see that you have hired another steamy reporter Mr. Mark Murray. His buns might be a little thicker than Tex but he looks like he can take care of business. Me, Mark, a Tom Cruise movie, a giant hogie, and some turkey gravy… that is a first date.
-Renaldo
Renaldo,
I?ll keep the steamy reporters coming if you keep the classic emails coming.
Superman Returns
Thank you for posting my last comment on your mailbag, by the way Brian, you can call me Superman. Well regarding your comment about the boxing skills of Marquez, I think Marquez has not really improved since their first meeting unlike Pacquiao who made a tremendous improvement with regards to his boxing skills & defense, do you agree?
-Superman
Your welcome Superman. I agree that Marquez has not improved since the first fight and that Pacquiao has. However that does not mean that Marquez could have a better performance than he had in the first one. I believe that he was over confidant in the first round and that is why he got caught. He will come motivated because he knows that he will be an underdog. He will be more mentally prepared in the rematch because he knows exactly what he is up against in Pacquiao.
In addition, though I say that Pacquiao has improved, I don’t believe that he has improved quite as much as his hardcore fans want to believe. He is a bit better at varying his attack and his right hand is more effective, but he is still essentially the same fighter. The thinking that Pacquiao is leaps and bounds better than he was a few years ago is not accurate in my opinion, even though I do admit that he has improved some.
Donaire vs. Arce?
Brian, I’m just new here in RSR. I really am fascinated by the way you answered all people’s comments and queries. Keep it up! By the way, I?m excited upon reading the news that Nonito Donaire Jr. and Jorge Arce are going to fight on December 1. What’s your comment about this fight? Who has the edge? Who’s going to win? Thank you.
-Aljun
Aljun,
Unfortunately I have not heard confirmation on this immensely appealing match up. This one would be a tremendous battle between two of the sports best and most popular little men. As far as I know Arce?s December 1st date has not yet been determined. This is a very hard one to predict since Donaire is so new to the championship scene. But if he fights as well as he did against Vic Darchinyan then I like Donaire.
I hope you enjoyed reading. Come back next week for more of Brian?s Boxing Mailbag, where I will once again answer all of your questions and comments! Have a great week!
