Ages have gone by since I have said anything positive about the heavyweight division but that drought is finally over. HBO televised a fight between two young heavyweights who were actually worth watching. That has not happened for at least 10 years when they were showing the rise of guys like David Tua and Ike Ibeabuchi. Alexander Povetkin and Eddie Chambers put on a good show, both showing promise, but the 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist came out on top in front of the German fans. Every time that Chambers started to get something going, Povetkin would respond by picking up his punch output and out working his foe. Being able to keep going to the next level and stepping it up in the middle of a fight like is the sign of a champion. Alexander showed similar qualities against Chris Byrd. Attributes of Povetkin that are world class are his stamina, work rate, footwork, punching accuracy, and his ability to find the opening on his opponent whether that be to the body or the head. Most heavyweight prospects of late are prospects simply because they are big or strong. It is refreshing to see one that actually has some boxing ability. Kudos to Alexander Povetkin, the new kid on the block.
Eddie Chambers made a good account of himself too in defeat and I know that this will not be the last that we see of him. He was out-worked by a thoroughbred on Saturday, but with his speed and skills in this limited heavyweight division, Chambers will be a contender for a long time. Styles make fight and Chambers did not match up well against Povetkin.
Speaking of fighting styles, Povetkin is very good at what he does but I do not think that his style is one that can adapt to every opponent. Alexander is an offensive minded volume puncher. He uses good footwork and angles to work his way in and then unloads. That works well against a defensive minded fighter, but I wonder what will happen when Povetkin fights a true power puncher. Povetkin does not look like he has overwhelming power and we have no idea what will happen when he gets hit in the chin by a KO artist. I could easily see a heavyweight round robin situation where Povetkin beats Chambers, Sam Peter beats Povetkin, and Chambers beat Peter. Again, styles make fights and each fighter has strengths and weaknesses that can be exposed by the right fighter.
Povetkin has not proved that he can defeat a huge puncher like Sam Peter or Wladimir Klitschko. The new IBF #1 contender has fought an impressive level of opposition so far in his young career, but if you notice his name opponents have all been defensive boxers with below average power. Wladimir Klitschko would be a massive step up in power, difficulty, and overall class from Povetkin?s previous opponents. The IBF will mandate Povetkin vs. Klitschko if Wladimir gets past Sultan Ibragimov as he is expected to in March. Povetkin and his team might be biting off more than they can chew by chasing after Klitschko.
Changing topics, I would like to give you a preview of three upcoming fights that I cannot wait for. Boxing does not get much better than the three fights that are all less than three months away.
The first is the February 16th rematch between Jermain Taylor and current Middleweight Champion Kelly Pavlik. Last year in their first fight, both men were knocked down in a runner up for fight of the year. Then-champion Taylor scored an early knockdown but eventually succumbed to the pressure and power of the challenger Pavlik. The title will not be on the line in this fight because it is being held at a catch weight above the middleweight limit because of Taylor?s struggle to make weight. There will be no excuses in the rematch so you can expect both sluggers to be on their A-game and to stand toe to toe to give the fans a pugilistic treat.
The second is the March 1st rubber match between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez. Their first two fights both happened last year. The rematch won Fight of the Year for 2007 and the first fight was a runner up. Two fights between these two have created two classics. Both men are pound for pound level fighters and also happen to be two of the hardest punchers that the 122-pound division has ever seen. In short, Marquez and Vazquez have unearthly KO power and they know how to use it. Expect multiple knockdowns on each side and the fight to end on a dramatic one punch KO. As Samuel L. Jackson would say, hold onto your butts!
The third fight that I cannot wait for is the March 15th rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. Pacquiao is as exciting as he is good so as long as his opponent decides to fight instead of trying to survive, the action is fast, furious, and intense. The first match between Marquez and Pacquiao was a classic, legendary fight. Marquez was dropped three times in the first round but found a way to get back into the fight to score a well-earned draw. The rematch is long overdue but better late than never. I expect either a dominant KO for Pacquiao or a boxing clinic held by Dr. Marquez. Either way, this is a critical fight for the legacies of both fighters.
If you are as excited about any of those fights as I am, send me an email and let me know. I am always glad to listen to and respond to any boxing questions from the readers. In this week?s bag, we have a healthy dose of Manny Pacquiao emails as well as a variety of interesting emails from boxing fans all over the world. Enjoy.
Endorse This
I would like to make a comment on an impending endorsement by Marco Antonio Barrera for a Philippine made product, I really don?t think that?s a wise move since Barrera is not well loved by Filipinos unlike his Mexican contemporary Erik Morales who is obviously the gentlemen of the two. Barrera made a bad impression at least on my point of view when he constantly used dirty tactics in his 2 fights with Manny Pacquiao that I don?t think we Filipinos will go gaga over his endorsement unlike with Morales. I hope the corporate big boss reads this. Thank you.
-Superman
Superman,
Point well made. If you were just a regular emailer I don?t think that the corporate big boss would have done anything, but how can he ignore Superman? Unless he has kryptonite in his back pocket I think the company will reconsider their hiring of Marco Antonio Barrera to endorse products.
On a more serious note, I have noticed that Filipino fans are fonder of Erik Morales than Barrera as you suggest. I think that the Filipino fans appreciated the fact that Morales came to fight all three times. He went right after Pacquiao and gave everything he had, win or lose. Barrera fought to survive and was happy to walk away with a paycheck after their second fight. That is not the warrior mentality that fans have grown to love.
Chris John Missing In Action
Chris John defeated Juan Manuel Marquez a couple years ago and proved that he is one of the top Asian fighters. He is a true champion that holds the WBA Featherweight Championship. I noticed that he fought and defended his title successfully. Now do you think he is going to fight Pacquiao or another top fighter?
-Edwin
Edwin,
John was in action over the weekend, defending his WBA belt against his #1 contender, a man named Roinet Caballero. I was not very interested in this one because Caballero had no business fighting for a title. The WBA are an embarrassment for declaring Roinet Caballero as the most worthy challenger in the featherweight division.
Chris John is a very good fighter but he is content to defend his title in his home country without ever taking on a serious challenger. With guys like that (Sven Ottke and the old Joe Calzaghe come to mind) they are content to rack up title defenses fighting the bare minimum level of opposition that the sanctioning body is willing to let them. It is really up to the WBA to mandate a serious challenger for John to fight yet they offer an opponent who is even worse.
I suspect that there is some funny business going on. Perhaps John?s handlers have a deal with the WBA so that he never has to face a serious threat. Whatever the reason or motive, Chris John is a prime candidate for breaking some kind of consecutive title defenses record in a few years because he is good, will probably stay in his weight class, never attempt to unify, and never attempt to challenge the best fighters. With a fighter of his talents, I am sad to admit that his career will likely be wasted in meaningless fights.
Alexander the Great; Future of the Heavyweights
Hi Brian, I just saw the fight between Alexander Povetkin and Eddie Chambers and think that Povetkin looked really good. The heavyweight division is trash right now and even though Povetkin wouldn?t have cut it in the Ali/Frazier/Foreman era, he is the best heavyweight today. Povetkin is going to clean up the division and beat all of the chumps who call themselves champs. Mark my words, Alexander Povetkin is the future of the heavyweight division.
-Dimitri
Dimitri,
Povetkin is a good young heavyweight, probably the best to come along for a few years, but I am not as high on him as you are. His style is better suited for domination of the amateur game, not the pro game. He has incredible work rate and determination, but he may be too aggressive for his own good and may not have the tools to compete with the giants of today.
I would strongly favor one of those ?chumps? (Wladimir Klitschko) to defeat Povetkin if that fight were to be made tomorrow. Klitschko has the frame and reach to keep Povetkin at bay with the jab and then pick him off with power punches from the outside. Klitschko has too much size and ability for young Alexander.
I compare Povetkin right now to Ruslan Chagaev and Sultan Ibragimov in terms of level and ability. They are similar in build and fighting styles. That is a huge compliment for me to give to Povetkin since I am comparing him, a boxer with less than 20 fights, to world champions. Seeing how well Ibragimov does against Klitschko will give us a better idea of how Povetkin will do against Wladimir. My guess is not very well, although any of these guys will have a puncher?s chance against Klitschko.
Povetkin vs. Klitschko
So it looks like Alexander Povetkin is going to get the title shot against IBF Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko. I have seen Klitschko get KTFO?d before and it might just happen again against Povetkin. Who do you think is going to win this one?
-Benny
Benny,
As I said in the previous email, I like Klitschko in that fight. Wladimir would control the pace, frustrate Povetkin and probably end the fight by late round TKO.
This fight is not set in stone yet because Klitschko still has to get by Sultan Ibragimov, and that is not a gimme fight. Ibragimov definitely has a chance in the IBF/WBO unification fight. If Ibragimov pulls off the upset then we would be talking about Povetkin vs. Ibragimov.
Judges Too Friendly To Povetkin
What the heck was that one judge watching when he had Povetkin winning 119-110? That is a terrible score and is proof that visiting boxers cannot get a fair shake in Germany. Germany is the worst place for a visiting fighter. Chambers was winning after about 7 or 8 rounds. He was really busting Povetkin up. But then Chambers could not keep up the pace in the later rounds. I though Povetkin definitely did enough to win, but man, 119-110 is just flat out wrong.
-Easy D
Easy D,
I agree. 119-110 was not an accurate description of the action in the ring. Chambers was very competitive and had a good showing against a young hungry lion.
Pacquiao vs. Marquez Predictions
Yo Brian, I heard on Pacland that you are picking Marquez to beat Pacquiao on March 15th. You are wrong because Pacman wins by KO since Marquez cannot handle the power. After the fight I want you to stand up and be a man in your mailbag and tell everyone that you were wrong.
-Csc1
Csc1,
You are correct in that I do like Marquez in that rematch against Pacquiao. When I first made the prediction I was hesitant and realistically saw the fight as a pick ?em fight. However as time has gone by I have grown more confident in my pick of Juan Manuel Marquez. Pacquiao has not looked as explosive as he has in the past in his last couple of fights. That has put enough doubt in my mind to think that perhaps Manny has slipped a bit and is not the uncontrollable fireball that he was a year or two ago. If Pacquiao has lost a step at all, a wily veteran like Marquez will box his ears off.
But I am an honest man and a respectable journalist so if I am wrong I will have no problem saying so and taking the heat from all of you die hard Pacquiao fans. Tell your friends and everyone at Pacland that they are welcome to send in email and give me a hard time if Pacquiao proves me wrong and scores a big time KO. I have been wrong before so I know how to eat crow when I have to.
Pacquiao vs. Guzman, Who Hits Harder?
I am a big Manny Pacquiao fan and I know that you are not as big of a fan as me. I want to know who you think is the harder puncher and who has more dynamite in their fists between Manny ?Pacman? Pacquiao and Joan Guzman. Thanks and more power.
-JD
JD,
That is an easy question. Manny Pacquiao is a much harder puncher than Joan Guzman. Though Manny is not quite the puncher that he was at 122 and 126 pounds, he is still a very hard hitter and has knockout ability every time he steps in the ring against any opponent. Guzman used to be a pretty heavy striker when he was a champion at 122 pounds, but he has not carried his power up with him at all. Guzman has transformed from a heavy handed boxer-puncher to a slick counter puncher with very little pop. Guzman is a tremendous fighter, but he does not go for knockouts or hit with power anymore. Some people like to call Guzman ?Little Floyd?, but I would compare him more to a little James Toney instead of a little Floyd Mayweather.
Hopkins Gunning For Calzaghe
I am looking forward to the fight between Bernard Hopkins and Joe Calzaghe. I think that it is going to be a really good one. Calzaghe is one of my favorite fighters now. He looked amazing against Kessler. Last week in your mailbag you said that you thought Calzaghe was going to win easy. Even though Calzaghe is one of my favorite fighters now, I have to disagree with you. I think Hopkins is going to win. I mean, when has this guy really lost? I have never seen Hopkins get beat when I?ve watched him. I?m kind of scared of Hopkins. Even though he is in his 40?s he is a really scary dude.
-Joseph Angus
Joe,
Hopkins is a legendary fighter and one of the best of his generation. If Hopkins was in his prime this would have been a no contest. Bernard would have whooped up on Calzaghe and embarrassed him. But this is a mid 40?s version of Hopkins. Bernard has completely reinvented himself into a tricky, slow paced, defensive boxer and he is still very effective. But Calzaghe is a volume puncher who will throw a ton of punches, and at Hopkins? advanced age I just do not think that he will have enough stamina or energy to even come close to matching Joe C.?s output. Even if Hopkins lands the better, cleaner, and more effective punches, he will land so much fewer than Calzaghe that the judges will have no choice but to award the decision to the busier fighter. Just look at how the relatively unskilled Jermain Taylor was able to do good work against Hopkins simply by being active and throwing more punches.
Hopkins will need to find a way to completely nullify Calzaghe?s offense and put the Welsh fighter on the defensive. If Calzaghe fights defensively then the fight will turn into a chess match and that is exactly what Hopkins wants and where Hopkins thrives. I don?t know how he can do that, but if the wily old man figures out a way he could win a decision.
Surely Pacquiao Will Win
Why? Simply because JMM can?t handle the power of the Pacman. They said Pacman can’t fight backing up, but I saw him do so during the Morales trilogy. Morales had a dismayed look in his faced the times Pacman threw punches while backing up when Morales was busy attacking forward with jabs and combinations. The result was a big TKO that dropped Morales into the ropes. I noticed that Pacman now is very intelligent, quick, smart, turbo powered by energizer so much that even when he got sick and and toncillitis in the 3rd fight with Morales he still knocked Morales out. So what now can Marquez offer? No way he can out-box or knock-out the Pacman; never.
I admit that Marquez has the skills and ring generalship but we can?t also deny that the Pacman has the speed and quick moves to frustrate. During their first time encounter, JMM was so lucky that Pacquiao got blisters on his foot and the injury in his hand. That is why Pacquiao could not move where he wanted and couldn?t punch big as he wanted to. In their first encounter, JMM was in his prime and was the big guy while Pacquiao was a small, one-handed fighter.
It is universally noticed that Pacquiao can whack his opponent in a fight early or even in the late rounds and that is very scary because he can brutally TKO a star and a hall of famer in his weight class which is very rare in sport of boxing. Did Tyson, Ali, Mayweather ever TKO or maul a hall of famer in their weight class? I don?t think so. That?s why Pacman is a very unique one dimensional fighter and a candidate for the hall of fame. No one can beat Pacquiao in a 2nd fight and that is proven.
I have somewhat of a revelation for all it is stated in Cebuano language, Pacquiao said in his private conversation with his friends in Cebu “patuo siguro aning tawhana nga makadaog na siya nako swerte lang siya nga na injury ang ako kamot ug napalot akong tiil nya sakit ilihok og sakit isumbag kong makadaug man gani siya nako kana kong masyambahan ko niya”. In English he said “that guy thinking he can beat me is a big joke. He was very lucky I had blisters and hand injury which hurt very much when was moved and very painful to punch?. The only way Marquez can win is if he got lucky….this is my opinion sir..thanks more power!
-Rodel
Rodel,
I respect your opinion and admire your support for your man Manny Pacquiao. I don?t buy into the excuses that fighters make after a fight happens so perhaps that is why our opinions on who will win this fight are different. If what Manny said was true about his injuries, he will have a chance to prove just how dominant he can be on March 15th. I think that both men will improve and make the necessary adjustments to have a very good, evenly match bout. My pick is still Marquez by decision.
I have one more comment on your email. You said, ?Did Tyson, Ali, Mayweather ever TKO or maul a hall of famer in their weight class? I don?t think so.? That is not true. Tyson knocked out Larry Holmes, although Holmes was towards the end of his career. Muhammad Ali knocked out a prime George Foreman and also stopped Joe Frazier in their third encounter. Mayweather brutally TKO?d Diego Corrales. Pacquiao is a remarkable fighter, but the other fighters that you have mentioned have duplicated or bettered the KO accomplishments of Manny.
Thanks for sending in your questions. Please send in more to be featured in next week?s mailbag. Until then have a great week everyone!
