In this latest edition of his regular feature on FightFan.com, TSN?s ?The Coach? Russ Anber weighs in as the FightFans email their questions to one of Canada?s top trainers. Only on FightFan.com!
FF: Russ thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions from the fans here. The first question comes from me actually?
RA: Is that legal?
FF: I thought we?d just roll with it. I wanted to get your thoughts on something Sugar Ray Leonard said right after Floyd Mayweather defeated Ricky Hatton:
?”Floyd’s an amazing fighter; very economical. It’s all about the eyes. He’s one of the few fighters I’ve ever seen, like Muhammad Ali, he watches every move his opponent makes and capitalizes on those mistakes. That’s a gift. You can’t teach that.”
RA: If I understand the gist of what he?s saying, there are probably only a handful of fighters in the history of the game who?ve been able to do that. I think if you look at all sports, anywhere motion is involved, you almost get the feeling that the transmission of sight, from the eye sending the information to the brain, happens quicker for athletes like Floyd. Yet it?s like he sees it in slow motion. When you think of special athletes like that, Floyd definitely appears to be one of them that can see things happening a millisecond faster than everyone else. He?s able to move away because it would seem his eye is picking up the punch coming so fast.
Ray is right about that; the ability with which Floyd is able to see what?s coming and react to it is unlike anything I?ve ever seen. I shouldn?t say ever seen, because there?s a handful of guys in history who?ve been able to do that, but I?m not sure I could think of too many who did it better than Floyd does.
You can say it?s reflexes, but I think there?s more to it than that, because there are a lot of guys out there with good reflexes. It has to be more than that. It really seems to me that the message sent from the eye to the brain gets there just a little bit quicker.
FF: Do you see any similarity there to the things Roy Jones Jr. was able to do a few years back in his better days?
RA: Yes, I do. I think there are a lot of similarities. Jones was a bit more offensive with the explosive barrages of punches, but I do think they both share some similarities. Jones is another guy who fits that list as well.
FF: We have a question from Daniel in Puerto Rico: What do you think of Miguel Cotto?s chances in with Floyd Mayweather?
RA: While I don?t think Ricky Hatton was a full-fledged welterweight or as talented as Miguel Cotto, I have to say that in the fight with Ricky Hatton Floyd Mayweather passed a test of dealing with a rough and tough fighter. The answers he had for the rough and dirty tactics of Ricky Hatton proved that he?s 100 per cent fighter. Having said that, I would base my thoughts on what would happen between Floyd and Cotto on what I saw Shane Mosley get away with vs. Cotto. Mosley was able to execute against Cotto, and as great as Mosley is, I think Mayweather is a superior fighter. If Mosley was able to come out with an effort I felt should have been a draw, I have to go with Floyd in that fight. I don?t think Cotto can beat Mayweather. Floyd?s defence is better, his speed is better, his boxing ability is superior.
FF: Our next question comes from Elmer Santos in the Philippines. Elmer would like to know what you think about the Pacquiao vs. Marquez rematch slated for March, and what you think the biggest difference is in each fighter since their first fight occurred?
RA: First of all, as a purist in boxing, this fight took too long to get made. I know there were political and promotional difficulties, but it is really a rematch that is long overdue, for Pacquiao especially because he was the one who had his man down three times in the first round but had to settle for a draw. I know Marquez priced himself out of a rematch a while back, but that is the one fight that boxing needed to be made. I for one am thrilled it?s happening now and I know I?m not the only one.
I think both fighters are different from what they were. I?d have to say that right now in terms of improvement Pacquiao has probably improved more since the first fight. He?s a lot more versatile. The first time they fought he was a one-armed fighter. He just looked to load up the big left. He did catch Marquez with that big left and almost had him out, but as Marquez has shown time and time again, he?s a warrior. Marquez hasn?t made the same kind of improvements since that fight but he?s gained more experience. He?s a consistent, well-rounded, well-educated fighter. I think this is a very eagerly anticipated rematch and I for one can?t wait to see it.
FF: Mark in Edmonton would like to know what you think about the upcoming fight between Roy Jones Jr. and Felix Trinidad?
RA: How some people can not have interest in seeing two of the greatest fighters of the last generation face off is beyond me. We all know they?re not at their best, we know that. Trinidad is moving up, but I can?t see how some people aren?t interested in seeing what?s going to happen in this fight. This isn?t a fight where they?re taking a guy who?s past his best and cashing in on his name throwing him in with a young fighter. These guys are both past their best, but still meeting each other. I?m interested to see what happens in this fight. I?ll be watching and will be excited to see how it plays out. It?s easy to downplay a fight like this, but the bottom line is that these two guys are a couple of the greatest fighters of their generation and still in the top percentile of top boxers in the world, even though they?re not at their best.
Trinidad seems like he?s going to rely on his power, thinking Roy is vulnerable. I think the speed and overall boxing skills are going to favour Jones. I think Tito will have to look for the knockout. With the layoff for Trinidad it?s tough to say; some guys benefit from a layoff and it seems to hurt others. I think that?s part of what makes this fight so interesting.
FF: Michelle in Trois-Rivieres would like to know what you think about Jean Pascal?s chances against Edison Miranda should that fight get made in 2008?
RA: I like Jean?s chances. He didn?t look his destructive self in his last fight against Brian Norman because mentally he wasn?t up for it with all the opponent changes. I don?t think Jean expected that kind of resistance. Having said that, I think Edison Miranda is a fight he would really get up for and he has all the tools to trouble him. Jean has the speed, the elusiveness, when he doesn?t want to get hit he?s hard to catch, and when you take that away from Edison Miranda, you aren?t left with much. Jean is very quick, and Miranda is not. I think that speed advantage will play out big.
FF: A bit of a retro question for you from Nick Andre. Nick would like to know had Shawn O?Sullivan not hurt his hand against Simon Brown in 1986, would he have had a chance at hanging in there with the hot welterweights in the early 90?s?
RA: The problem there is that injuring the right hand really had nothing to do with the outcome of that fight. Not even God himself could come down out of the heavens and tell me that Shawn O?Sullivan had any business being in the ring with Simon Brown at that stage of his career. That?s not a slight on Shawn. It?s a slight on his management. They took a kid with 11 pro fights and put him in with a guy who was ranked in the top ten in the world; that has to be one of the most horrific managerial decisions in the history of Canadian boxing. If you guys can come up with seven more, it would be nice to do an Outstanding Eight edition featuring the worst managerial decisions made in the history of Canadian fighters. Because I?ll tell you, that one would rank No. 1. That was crazy.
FF: I think that?s all we?ve got for you this time Russ. As always, thanks for taking the time to answer some of the FightFans? questions.
RA: My pleasure guys and if I don?t catch up with you before the holidays, all the best to you guys and all the fans out there!
FF: Thanks Russ, you too.
