After the conclusion of Mayweather vs. Hatton, I was driving home listening to the local AM sports radio station and was surprised to hear some conversation about the fight. I am shocked whenever the mainstream media covers boxing (meaning the ESPN?s and Sports Illustrated?s of the world). The mainstream sports media has almost entirely cut out boxing from their radar screen. This time of year the only sports that are talked about on the radio are pro football, college football, and pro basketball.
The host of the radio show casually said after one break that his itinerary was to talk about Florida quarterback Tim Tebow winning the Heisman trophy all night because that was the big story of the day. Unfortunately for him and his agenda, all the callers wanted to talk about was the Mayweather/Hatton fight. That was a perfect example of the gloom and doom mentality that the media has about boxing, a mentality that does not reflect reality. The programmers try to say that boxing is dead and that there is nobody who wants to hear about boxing. The media has prematurely held a funeral for a sport that is alive and well. Boxing is not dead and would be doing even better if ESPN, Fox Sports, and other news organizations would give a mention every now and again.
The millions who bought boxing PPV?s this year and the phone lines of radio stations that are jam packed with fight fans are hard to ignore. Yet major media outlets will continue to give boxing the same amount of coverage as competitive hot dog eating. That is not a joke either. I honestly believe that more people in America would recognize hot dog eating champion Kobayashi over a top name boxer like Middleweight Champion Kelly Pavlik simply because Kobayashi has had more face time on Sportscenter.
So again, I was surprised to hear boxing conversation on the radio, albeit pleasantly surprised. The radio show spent a good two hours or more on Mayweather vs. Hatton, although not by choice. Every time the host tried to change the subject to Tim Tebow and college football another caller wanted to put his two cents in about the fight.
Some of the comments from the callers and the host about Floyd Mayweather I disagreed with. Some fans are calling Mayweather one of the top 5-10 boxers of all time. Floyd is the best pound for pound fighter right now, absolutely, but boxing has a vast history with many unbelievable, legendary fighters. I have feeling that some of the people who suggest that Mayweather is one of the top 10 fighters of all time have never even heard of all time greats like Sam Langford, Harry Greb, Benny Leonard, Willie Pep, Ezzard Charles, Joe Gans, etc., all of whom are light years ahead of Mayweather in terms of greatness.
If Mayweather wants to even sniff the top 20 of all time he has some work to do. It is not good enough to say that he would be a big favorite over any potential opponents right now. He needs to prove in the ring that he can defeat all comers, including Miguel Cotto, Paul Williams, Joshua Clottey, and whoever else emerges as a viable contender in the next couple of years (maybe Andre Berto?). Don?t get me wrong, Floyd has a great resume and if he retired today would be considered one of, if not the, greatest boxer of his generation. But breaking into the elite of being a top 25 all time pound for pound candidate is extremely difficult to do for a modern fighter. Mayweather has the potential to do so but he still has a lot to prove and a lot to accomplish before he reaches that plateau. If Floyd retires or takes two years off like he is suggesting that he will, Mayweather will be throwing away his opportunity to make it into that grouping of great fighters.
This opportunity for greatness has just recently opened up for Mayweather, yet instead of wanting to prove his spot along side Sugar Ray Robinson and company, he claims he is going to take two years off and effectively end his career. That is too bad for fight fans, the sport of boxing, and for Mayweather. I say too bad for Mayweather because with his ego, I know he would love it if people started to agree with him when he said that he was the greatest pound for pound fighter of all time. Because right now, he is far from it.
For more on Mayweather vs. Hatton, let?s get to our first mailbag question:
Time To Eat Some Crow
Well Brian, I have no idea how in I am supposed to respond to the outcome of this fight between Hatton and Mayweather?!? To be honest with you, I CALLED IT! But to be realistic, I wasn?t that sure that that would end up being the final result, educated guess I know. But I can tell you this one for sure; I will be on my toes waiting for your analysis on Mayweather?s next victim!
-Stephen Balls
Stephen,
You called it and I guess I should eat some crow. Last week you said that Mayweather would win by late round TKO and I responded by saying that a Mayweather KO was very unlikely and that Floyd would win a decision. More predictions like that and I am going to have to include you in the official RSR predictions column! By the way, kudos to RSR writers Geno McGahee and George Diaz Smith for calling the outcome right on the money by picking Mayweather by 10th round TKO.
I hope that Mayweather has a next victim as you suggest. He says that he is going to take a couple years off and only fight if someone offers a ridiculous amount of money. Floyd is apparently ?bored with boxing?. Mayweather would be a big favorite over everybody at or around his weight class, but I would hate to see him retire when he has so many big name opponents ready to fight him.
Mayweather?s Fake Persona
What’s up bud? By the time this is posted we will know the results of the Mayweather-Hatton fight. From the former pound for pound best writer at RSR to the new champ it is an honor to throw a question your way. I will look at Mayweather from another angle. I have watched all 3 installments of 24/7 as well as just about every one of his fights. You answered another question last week in your bag in which you mentioned Floyd’s trash talking. My opinion on the matter is that he is not very good at it and he is either being given some really bad public relations information or he is just an idiot. Personally I think Floyd could have been the perfect good guy. In line with the Leonard?s and De La Hoya?s of the world. His play at being the bad guy is a dumb move as far as I am concerned. Granted it works well for some guys but he comes off as fake and he struggles for insults and good one-liners. People like Ali and James Toney are good at what they do because it’s natural. What do you think of Mayweather’s play as being the bad guy and his constant chatter? Obviously he is rich so you can’t say too much about his strategy, but if he wishes to be remembered as one of the greats then personality is definitely part of it. So what do you think of his act and if he continues on winning enough to be considered one of the greats, do you think his choice of being “Money Mayweather” instead of good guy Mayweather will hurt his standing in the boxing public’s eyes like it has with guys like Larry Holmes and George Foreman (before his transformation)? Keep up the good work bud.
-Jon Cook
Jon,
Wow I didn?t know that I had been knocked off my perch as RSR?s pound for pound best writer. Nor did I know that I had ever been RSR?s pound for pound best writer. Good to know, I am going to go put that on my resume.
But about your comments, Mayweather?s bad guy attitude is definitely an act. When he talks his trash he has a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye like he is cracking himself up with his insincere insults. And his theme for EVERY SINGLE FIGHT is to spew an immense amount of negativity about his opponents before the fight, yet as soon as the fight is over he has nothing but good things to say.
I am not sure if he would have had the same success if he were a ?face? instead of a ?heel?. He needed to come up with a persona that grabbed people?s attention and I think he successfully did so. People want to see him fight, whether it is to root for him, appreciate his skills, or to hope that he gets knocked out. Either way, fans are paying attention and his greatness is secured. Nice guy Mayweather may have worked too as long as he had some kind of memorable personality.
Mayweather Proved His Worth
I am thanking that there is such thing as your mailbag Brian to give us a chance to air our opinions and comments. For the December 8th big fight between Mayweather Vs. Hatton, I guessed it would be Hatton to deliver his power punch to the proud Pretty Boy but I was wrong. Hatton should have gone to the body first and taken a lot of backward steps to destroy Pretty Boy’s stamina.
I feel that fans were disgusted with Floyd’s actions against Oscar De La Hoya. He seemed to have given De La Hoya a break by punching him with less force and power from within. Floyd was unaggressive to please De La Hoya and neglect what was expected of him from his fans. As one of your readers, I am glad that Mayweather fought a good, entertaining fight this time around to prove his worth for once.
-Danny Gabia from Gingoog City, Philippines
Danny,
After the weigh-in I gave Hatton a slightly better chance to win the fight than I had prior to the weigh in. Hatton looked absolutely ripped and in great shape, and he was. But that only gave false hope because Mayweather put together one his best performances against a very dangerous opponent. Hatton had a tough task of trying to wear down Floyd, because Mayweather may have the best stamina out of any active boxer, save Juan Diaz. I am glad that Mayweather made a concerted effort to please the fans because every major fight that is dull and goes the distance turns potential fans off to boxing. The old Floyd, who actually goes for knockouts, is back.
Pre Fight Wishes And Predictions
Hi Brian, I’m a hard-core boxing fan from the Philippines and I must say that your mailbag is something I look forward every week. I also admire your patience in entertaining questions from my fellow countrymen. I do apologize if they idolize Pacquiao too much. Somehow similar with you, I assess each fighter fairly regardless if they are my favorite or not.
This weekend?s fight between Hatton & PBF, I would love to see the Hitman win but somehow it?s hard for me to see him do it.
For Pacquiao-Marquez 2, though I’m a fan of Pacman. I really think it?s a 50-50 matchup, Pacquiao has to be at his best to defeat Marquez.
Lastly, I want to know your thoughts about the De La Hoya Pacquiao plans. I really think it?s a waste of time, knowing it?s a mismatch. Oscar may not be in his prime, but he will handle the Pacman easily. I would really want to see Pacquiao go against another championship be it junior lightweight or lightweight, and De La Hoya go after Cotto or Hatton (if he wins this weekend). More power to you bro! Thanks!
-Richard Lopez-Pozas
Richard,
Hatton was unable to pull off the victory as you had hoped but he gave good effort and made his fans proud. I appreciate your objective opinions and honesty about your favorite fighters. De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao is a serious mismatch because of the weight difference. Good thing that Pacquiao has his hands full with Marquez, the Diaz? at lightweight, and the other quality fighters around his weight class. I say good thing that Pacquiao is so busy because if he wasn?t his matchmaker might actually pursue a terrible fight like Pacman vs. De La Hoya. Good suggestion for De La Hoya to fight Cotto, I had not thought of this match up but it would be a good one. The winner would be ripe for a date with Floyd Mayweather.
Boxing Not Popular In The USA
I have noticed a theme in most of your mailbags. The theme is that you do not think that boxing is a popular sport in the US anymore. I do not dispute that fact, (I remember boxing being a really big deal 45 years ago when I was young). My question is, if you were appointed boxing commissioner tomorrow, what 10 things would you do to try to bring the popularity of the sport back to the States? I am a big fan of your mailbag; I love your sense of humor, thanks for the laughs.
-Bonnie
Bonnie,
Boxing is a great sport and I feel that it would be the most popular sport in America like it was in years past if the media would give it the coverage that it deserved. There are millions of Americans who are interested in big fights and these same fans who only casually follow boxing would follow it religiously if they were exposed to boxing more. Boxing has become a fringe sport because of its lack of exposure. That raises the question of why does the mainstream media shut out boxing? The answer is that the sport is a corrupt, incompetent mess and the media does not want to deal with it anymore. So if I become the all-powerful boxing czar these are the 10 things that I would change to bring back boxing?s popularity.
1 – Abolish the current sanctioning bodies and create one organization that rules over all of boxing (similar to the NFL, MLB, or NBA). This organization would be very professional with rankings that made sense and a no nonsense attitude towards misconduct. This would be to establish credibility in hopes to bring the media back to the sport.
2 – I would weed out all of the bad or mediocre judges and only allow the very best judges to work big fights. There are so many controversial decision in boxing nowadays that you never know if the better man will win. Bad decisions are frustrating for the fans and the fighters and they turn potential fans away.
3 – In line with #2, I would create a new scoring system that is not so subjective. We need a scoring system that is consistent from fight to fight and judge to judge. Right now personal opinion and bias play too big of a role in scoring fights. A bout should not be so difficult to score that trained professionals cannot consistently come up with score that reflect reality. Also, in this new scoring system I would have the judges favor aggression more than they do now because the boxers who are trying to make an entertaining fight should be rewarded. After all, boxing is for entertainment purposes and very few are entertained by a fight between two defensive cuties that would rather dance than fight.
4 ? Routinely and frequently make four or eight man tournaments in a division to crown a champion or a number one contender. Sports fans love tournaments so boxing should give them what they want. If there are enough tournaments then we could have brackets just like they have in college basketball. Filling out brackets for the NCAA basketball tournament is a huge deal in the USA even for people who have little interest in college basketball. Boxing could cash in on people?s love for filling out brackets by holding similar tournaments.
5 ? Sign a contract with a major network or a cable station to promote big fights and have a reality television series similar to the way that the UFC has teamed up with Spike TV. Exposure is key, just look at how the 24/7 series on HBO resulted in a huge increase in interest from the general public for Mayweather?s fights with Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton.
6 ? Take boxing off of Pay Per View and put it on free television with the hope of eventually putting major championship fights on network television like the Super Bowl and the World Series. At first boxing would make less money because Pay Per View generates massive amounts of revenue. But having fights on free TV will allow for a much greater audience and it will increase the fan base slowly over time. As boxing becomes more mainstream because the fights are accessible to everyone, boxing will make as much or more money than it made on PPV because the ratings would be huge. Accessibility and exposure are key words here.
7 ? Force the best fighters to fight each other. Too many times, especially in the lower weight classes, a belt holder will ignore the other belt holders, other credible challengers, and only fight scrubs to preserve his championship status. Sometimes a fighter will only be matched against fighters who are under the same promotion even though there are much better challengers available. Fans lose interest in such games. Everyone wants to see the best vs. the best so I would give them what they want.
8 ? I would create a retirement fund and health care benefits for boxers. Boxers are mistreated and have been for decades. If the fighters were treated fairly then maybe more of the top young athletes would go into boxing instead of football or basketball. Boxing could always use more talent, especially in the heavyweight division. Even if those benefits do not attract potential fighters, at the very least the fans will be at ease knowing that boxers will be taken care of. Knowing that Joe Louis died broke and desolate leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
9 ? I would do whatever it took to ensure the public that fight fixing and corruption in boxing are completely a thing of the past.
10 ? I would venture away from holding so many big fights in Las Vegas and other casinos. Many tickets for events that happen in Vegas are given away to high rollers making tickets nearly impossible to obtain for the general public (i.e. true boxing fans). Holding big fights in various sports arenas around the country would be better for two reasons. First, the arena?s hold more people so more people would be able to get tickets. Second, with no high rollers to give tickets to, people who really wish to see the fight will be able to attend. Again, accessibility and exposure to the general public is a major step in solving the problems that boxing has.
If even half of my list gets implemented I believe that boxing would have a new renaissance and an explosion of popularity.
Papers Like Pacquiao Over Marquez
Why is it that most of the papers are conclusively optimistic that Manny Pacquiao will win his bout against Juan Manuel Marquez when both of them have an equal chance to defeat each other as displayed on their last bout? Many consider Manny’s fight with Marquez on March 15, 2008 as a done deal. I?m worried about the content of the undivulged negotiations and agreements between the two big boxing promoters to make this bout possible. What do you think about this Brian?
-Alex De Guzman
Alex,
I believe that Pacquiao will be the betting favorite against Marquez although the odds have no yet come out to my knowledge. That is probably why some in the media are looking past Marquez and onto Pacquiao?s next opponent. It is okay for members of the media to do so, but it would be a huge mistake if Team Pacquiao were looking past the awesome technician in Juan Manuel Marquez.
For all I know, Marquez vs. Pacquiao II is a done deal. Top Rank and Golden Boy have successfully worked two big fights together now with no fall out. That is a good sign so I would not worry about any secret negotiations that would affect the Pacquiao/Marquez rematch.
The Best Heavyweights of All Time
I wanted to ask how do you think Mayweather-Hatton would play out but it?s too late because your mailbag will come out after the fight. I think it would go the distance just like you said. I like The Hitman to win but I guess PBF is too quick and untouchable to be substantially caught by Hatton. So on the 8th of this month I think Floyd would join Pavlik and Calzaghe instead of Taylor and Kessler for this year?s thrilling mega battles of the undefeated.
But instead of asking about your prediction for that superfight, I would rather ask you something about history. If you were to pick at least five greatest heavyweights in pre-Ali era, who would that be? In contrast, who would be your top five heavyweight fighters in post-Ali era? And finally, who do you consider as the ten greatest heavyweights of all time?
And by the way, in your opinion and historical knowledge, why do you think the renowned Nathaniel Fleischer excluded Cassius Clay or Muhammad Ali in his list of ten greatest heavyweight fighters of all time? Thank you for your time my friend.
-PinoyGlad
PinoyGlad,
You picked one of my favorite topics. I love discussing the history of the heavyweight division. My top 5 heavyweights in the pre Ali era in order would be Joe Louis, Jack Johnson, Jim Jeffries, Jack Dempsey, and Rocky Marciano. My top 5 heavyweights in the post Ali era are Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes, and Lennox Lewis. As the years go by it is so much harder to come up with a top 10 list because there have been many outstanding heavyweight champions over the years and I find it difficult to leave people out. So I will give you my top 15 instead of my top 10.
1 – Muhammad Ali 2 – Joe Louis 3 – George Foreman 4 – Jack Johnson 5 – Joe Frazier 6 – Jim Jeffries 7 – Larry Holmes 8 – Jack Dempsey 9 – Rocky Marciano 10 – Lennox Lewis 11 – Evander Holyfield 12 ? Mike Tyson 13 ? Sonny Liston 14 ? James Corbett 15 ? Ezzard Charles
Some comments about my list, I believe that I have Jeffries rated higher than most and I will tell you why. He completely cleaned out the heavyweight division circa 1900 and retired undefeated. That run included KO wins over some of the greatest heavyweights of all time like James Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons. Jeffries was Rocky Marciano before Rocky Marciano, only he fought better opposition. You can?t count the Jack Johnson loss against him because he was six years removed from his retirement and way past his best, and even so, there is no shame in losing to Jack Johnson.
I have Marciano a bit lower than most. I think that many are hypnotized by his undefeated record and overrate him. Marciano was very good but he was unfortunate that he did not fight in an era with very many other great heavyweights who were in their primes. Even though he went undefeated, the fighters above him on the list accomplished more in their careers despite having blemishes on their record.
I leave out Gene Tunney because even though he twice defeated Jack Dempsey, he only fought about four times at heavyweight. Most of his career he was a light heavyweight. Tunney is a great pound for pound fighter but I don?t feel like he spent enough time at heavyweight to be in the top 15 all time.
I have a hard time figuring whom to put on top between Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield. Holyfield fought the better opposition overall in his career. But I settle with Lewis because Holyfield incurred more losses, including one to Lennox.
As for your question about Nat Fleischer, I have seen his heavyweight rankings and they do look funny, especially since he leaves out Ali completely. Fleischer was an old timer who was around when guys like Corbett, Fitzsimmons, and Johnson were around so he had a unique perspective. However I believe that he was pressured by other old timers to give respect to the pioneer boxers over the modern ones. I think that is a trend among boxing writers and historians. They tend to be hesitant to give modern fighters their just due while they overrate the fighters that they grew up watching.
Another thing to consider is that Fleischer passed away in 1972, which was before Ali beat George Foreman and had his late career resurgence. I do not like considering active fighters in all time lists either. I prefer to wait until they are retired before I weigh their greatness against the legends. I am sure if Fleischer were around to see Ali?s entire career he would have him in the top 10 as any reasonable observer would.
Who Wins, Pacquiao or King Kong?
I was in New York at Jack Dempsey Street back in April this year talking to a vendor who was a boxing fanatic when I mentioned the possibility of a Pacquiao vs. Mayweather fight. He said it is possible and I said for sure Pacman would make a lot of money. He said if Pacman wants to make a huge amount of money then he?s got to fight Oscar De La Hoya. Now the rumor that just started a few weeks ago about Oscar and the Pacman originally started with my conversation with this vendor guy at Time Square. Now if you will hear the Mayweather and the Pacman possible fight you must remember that you heard it first from me. Now who do you think will win if the Pacman would slug it out with the Pretty boy? I know what will be your answer of course; it will be the guy who talks rubbish that he is the greatest.
Lastly don’t forget that I was the one who emailed you with my prediction for Pacquiao vs. Marquez so when the Pac beats the (censored) out of Marquez, it was me.
Good luck and more power to your mailbag. I hope that I will see this email in your column. Thanks buddy!!!
-Super Mandie
Super Mandie,
Whether Manny fights Floyd Mayweather or Oscar De La Hoya, the result will be the same. Manny will get beaten very badly. Both of these fights are mismatches because Mayweather and De La Hoya are both significantly heavier than Pacquiao. Pound for pound Manny is in the same league, but they are not the same weight so it is silly to think about these fights. The only way that this will happen is if the fighters involved do not care about holding a legitimate contest and just want to cash in on their name value to make shameful amounts of money.
And as for Marquez vs. Pacquiao II, I think this is pretty much a toss up fight but if Pacquiao wins via knockout and completely blows out Marquez easily then I will give you credit.
More On The Pacquiao/Marquez Rematch
This is my first time to send email on this site. I love reading your boxing comments even if I disagree with some. You are mature and I love the way you write unbiased comments on any level. I just want to air some questions and maybe some views I think you will agree with.
I know you like Marquez better than Manny in terms of fighting style or boxing skills so to speak but I disagree with your comments that Marquez at 34 is not old considering the many fights he was in before. I do think he slowed a little bit since taking the draw with Manny. His last two fights say it all. Against Marco Antonio Barrera, he almost lost and against Juarez he could not down Juarez even with the solid, well-placed jab he threw. That is the sign of old age.
Marquez wants to fight Pacquiao now because he lost the opportunity a long time ago to be great. It is better to fight the Pacman and have a chance to win than fight other younger fighters in his division and lose. This is his time to earn bigger bucks and high recognition in beating Pacquiao and be called a Mexican great ahead of MAB and El Terrible. Just like what others say, I predict this fight to end by KO in the 8th for Pacman even if Marquez will run the entire fight. In your opinion, can you digest what can kind of strategy the Marquez camp will employ to upstage Manny? How about Team Pacquiao, can he KO Marquez in 8rds? Also, how about Valero vs. Soto to further test Valero?s strength before fighting Guzman?
-Pocahontas
Pocahontas,
Thank you for the kind words and supporting my mailbag. About your first points, I felt that Marquez handled Barrera just as effectively and definitively as Pacquiao did in the rematch. Also, Rocky Juarez is one of the most durable fighters around with one of the best chins. Marquez dominated Juarez even if he didn?t knock him down. Rocky has never tasted the canvas to my knowledge. I don?t even think that Pacquiao would be able to knock down Juarez if they fought.
I would not be shocked if Pacquiao scored an 8th round KO over Marquez. He has the talent and the motivation to pull of spectacular performances. However I more likely see Marquez boxing cautiously and counter punching his way to a very narrow decision. Marquez is so good at nullifying offense and controlling the pace of a fight that I think he will give the great Pacquiao a headache by the end of twelve rounds.
Okay RSR readers, that is all for this week?s mailbag. Send me your boxing questions and I will put them in next week?s mailbag. I will be happy to hear your comments on Mayweather?s win over Hatton or any other questions you have, whether they be about boxing or not. Take care all!
