Hello readers, welcome to another edition of my boxing mailbag. I have a diverse bag of questions this week with topics ranging from the boxing hall of fame, the famed Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry, Manny Pacquiao and more. This mailbag comes in the wake of today?s dominant heavyweight Wladimir Klitschko?s title defense over Tony Thompson. Strangely I received very little commentary about Klitschko?s fight, probably because the fight played out exactly as planned and Thompson was not much of a challenger on paper.
Even though the fans were not very excited about Klitschko?s performance, I have to take some time to give Wladimir some props. Although Tony Thompson was a sub-par opponent on paper, he had earned his title shot and performed better than I expected.
Klitschko was challenged like few heavyweights have been able to do to him. Thompson?s awkward style was a tough defense to crack and Tony was even able to landed more punches against Wladimir than any other heavyweight has according to the punch stat numbers. Wladimir rose to the occasion, ate some good punches to the chin, and kept his composure and stamina well into the late stages of the fight; enough to pull off an 11th round KO with a well-placed right hand.
Again, on paper this was just another ho-hum title defense for the big man. But if you actually watched the fight, this was one of Klitschko?s best and most impressive performances because of the way he handled adversity. The ?no chin, no stamina, no heart? critics will quiet more and more with wins like that.
To briefly change the subject to something other than boxing, have you guys seen this show on Fox called ?The Moment of Truth??
This is a horrible show with no conscience. The creators of this show should be shot for intentionally ruining people?s lives. The premise is they hook up contestants to a life detector test and ask really vile yes-or-no questions that could implicate them in front of their family or significant others. ?The Moment of Truth? is in the mold of the Jerry Springer Show in that it relies on shock value and humiliating people in order to attract an audience. During the show they have updates letting the audience know what has happened to past contestants. One man was fired from his job, dumped by his girlfriend, and now has a strained relationship with his parents. Appearances on the show have led to numerous break-ups and divorces.
As disgusted I am with the creators of the show, part of me thinks that the contestants who are stupid enough to go on deserve what is coming to them. Anyone with any skeletons in their closet whatsoever (in other words every person on the planet) or anyone with any responsibility should stay away from the show. The contestants are pre-screened with the questions so they know what they are getting into. Yet week in and week out there are ridiculously stupid contestants who are ready and willing to alienate their families and ruin their lives for a monetary gain. What the hell is wrong with these people? How is this kind of garbage on prime time network television and boxing isn?t? What kind of TV show will they think of next? I wouldn?t be surprised if the next hit reality show will feature willing contests getting anally ?taken? by polar bears in exchange for a Klondike bar. God Bless America.
With that rant out of the way we can get back to boxing and our first question of the week, which is about the Colombian slugger Ricardo Torres:
Ricardo Torres The Entertainer
Hi Brian,
I have not seen the Holt – Torres brawl but I wanted to ask you how it compares to the Cotto-Torres fight some years ago. Ricardo being the Punching Demon that he is gave Cotto a big scare. If it wasn’t due to Cotto’s excellent conditioning, he would not have been able to withstand Torres’ onslaught. Cotto eventually wore Torres out and TKO’d him in the mid rounds. I thought that was a classic on its own. What do you think?
-Alex
Alex,
Ricardo Torres vs. Miguel Cotto was a great slugfest, thanks for bringing that one up. Cotto was in serious trouble, even more so than Kendal Holt ever was against Torres. We really saw what kind of heart, determination, and calm under fire that Cotto had. Usually when a really hyped fighter almost gets KO’d my reaction is that they were overrated and were just exposed. That was not the case for Cotto vs. Torres. I was very impressed with the way that Cotto reacted when hurt and the way he was able to recover to win. This is one of my favorite brawls in modern times and my favorite Miguel Cotto fight. I remember immediately after this fight many pundits were saying that if Cotto wasn’t the next Felix Trinidad he at least was the next Arturo Gatti.
Torres vs. Cotto and Torres vs. Holt II were different but equally as compelling and entertaining. Obviously Cotto vs. Torres went more rounds and the action was more sustained for a longer period of time. Holt vs. Torres was great because the ending was so sudden, unexpected and very dramatic (not to mention brutal!!). Torres came out super aggressive because that is when he found success in the first fight. His ultra aggression seemed to work and if it wasn’t for a freak head butt at the perfect moment, Torres may have won again. Those were a couple of very exciting fights. The common link is the Colombian slugger Ricardo Torres so I wonder if it is physically impossible for this guy to be in a boring fight. I can’t wait to see what he does next.
Pacquiao At Lightweight, I Told You So
You said last time that Manny Pacquiao couldn?t fight at 135. See! I told you so! You said 135 is too much for him. hehehehe!
-Benjie M. Tiu
Benjie,
Here are my direct quotes regarding Manny moving up to lightweight:
?I predict that there will be a weight class at which Pacquiao’s power will diminish if he continues to move up in weight. Is that weight class at lightweight? (I don?t know), we will find out against David Diaz.? June 25th, 2008
?(Pacquiao) is the better fighter pound for pound, but I feel that (Juan) Diaz would win if fought at lightweight.? August 12th, 2007
?Moving up in weight is risky and if Manny loses a fight that could hurt his legacy.? September 9th, 2007
?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.? September 30th, 2007
?I think that Manny has a hard time with the lightweights you mentioned above except the limited David Diaz.? March 31st, 2008
You can interpret those quotes any way you want but I still stand by them. I picked Pacquiao to beat David Diaz. I still think that Pacquiao would have a tough battle against the elite of the lightweight division. I still think that any time a boxer moves up in weight he is taking a risk of losing effectiveness. And I still would favor Juan Diaz to defeat Manny Pacquiao.
Boxing Draft
I read about what you said last week about boxing not being as popular anymore and I agree. There is nothing wrong with the sport. Boxing is great and always has been. The problem is that it is not marketed right. Maybe boxing could take a look around at what successful organizations are doing and change their format. People love the NCAA Basketball tournament solely because of the brackets. Why not have some big tournaments with big brackets like that?
If you look at the NFL, they generate a huge amount of interest with the NFL draft. The WWE stole that idea and the fans ate it up. Okay, yeah, I admit I watch professional wrestling but they have legions of die-hard fans because they get what they want. Boxing fans rarely get what they want. What do you think about boxing instituting some big spectacle like a draft in order to get people interested again?
-Jerry Fraser
Jerry,
What is it about my column that attracts professional wrestling fans? I?m just joking my friend; I mean you no disrespect and I actually that you have a good idea. I am all for a format change or anything to shake up the fight game?s format that has become stale. Bob Arum said it perfectly when he said that MMA is gaining in popularity (instead of waning like boxing) is not because MMA is superior to boxing, it is because it is being marketed well. If you go to a UFC fight you are being entertained throughout. At a boxing match you have hours of sitting and waiting with nothing going on. You see MMA fights and hype everywhere you go, even on free TV. People know what they are getting with the UFC.
Maybe what boxing needs is a good gimmick. A great way to appeal to mainstream fans is with a tournament. Like you said, people love filling out brackets even if they don?t know the first thing about sports. I have been in support of the many one-night tournaments that have been held or announced. There was a heavyweight tournament in the 80?s that Tony Tubbs won. The Fistful of Dollars tournament that Maurice Harris won featured second rate boxers, but the tournament format was appealing enough to get RSR? editor-in-chief Geno McGahee to buy the Pay Per View. There was a heavyweight tournament that was supposed to be in Australia featuring legitimate contenders but unfortunately that one never saw the light of day.
Now Michael Grant mentioned after his under-the-radar win over Demetrius King last Saturday that there is supposed to be another attempt at having a heavyweight tournament to happen within the year in Las Vegas. I am curious to see who else is involved and how interested the media and public will be.
Boxing needs some sort of shot in the arm whether that is a tournament or whatever. I am not sure how a draft would work since boxing does not have ?teams.? Perhaps it could work if boxing was completely rehauled. Let?s say that there were four teams and the four team owners would draft one boxer per weight class. After a four person round robin at each weight, whoever won the most fights would win a title at the end of the year. That way fans could have a favorite team to root for.
I?m just throwing around ideas here but an idea like that could be crazy enough to pump some life and interest back into boxing. I hope so.
Mexico Vs. Puerto Rico
Brian,
I am Puerto Rican but have been living in the United States for years. I have followed Miguel Cotto?s career ever since he was in the Olympics. I was very happy a few years ago when he got revenge on the man who eliminated him from the Olympics (Mohamad Abdulaev). I am really looking forward to his fight with Antonio Margarito. How do you think Cotto vs. Margarito stacks up to other bouts that make up the classic Mexican vs. Puerto Rican rivalry?
-Roberto
Roberto,
Cotto vs. Margarito is a super fight that I cannot wait for. I will even go as far to say that this is the best fight in the ongoing Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry since Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Hector Camacho. That is unless you want to include Oscar De La Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad. I don?t include that because Oscar De La Hoya, as well as his contemporary Fernando Vargas, were Mexican-Americans born in the United States.
The beef of the legendary rivalry was born in the late 70?s and early 80?s. You had classic encounters like Wilfredo Gomez vs. Lupe Pintor, Wilfredo Gomez vs. Salvador Sanchez, and Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Edwin Rosario. Boxing does not get much better than that. People would not equate Mexico vs. Puerto Rican as a great boxing rivalry if it had not been for legends like Gomez and Sanchez; great fighters in their own rights who had the cajones to fight each other.
In modern times the rivalry has struggled to maintain the same momentum although there have been some bright spots. Felix Trinidad vs. Yory Boy Campas had a buzz that reminded fans of fights from the past. Antonio Margarito vs. Kermit Cintron was highly anticipated both times albeit one-sided. Juan Manuel Lopez? upset 1st round KO over Daniel Ponce de Leon was a huge score for Puerto Rico in the rivalry.
Ivan Calderon has fought a few tough Mexicans including his apparent rival and arch nemesis Hugo Fidel Cazares. Calderon is a striking talent but unfortunately since he fights at such a low weight class his matches do not get much attention.
Cotto vs. Margarito breathes new life into a great, legendary but recently dormant rivalry. Both men are legitimately superb boxers who are considered among the pound for pound best in the world. They face each other with not just the WBA Welterweight title and pride at stake, but the hopes of their nations resting on their fists. This class of the titans is going to be one to remember.
If Cotto wins I don?t see how Mayweather could resist the temptation of fighting him.
Boxing Hall of Fame
I commend you for this wonderful and very informative corner of the world-wide-web. Also, better late than never, I wish you a joyous married life.
I am a relatively new boxing fan (I’m Filipino and I got hooked to boxing because of Manny Pacquiao) and I wanted to ask about the boxing hall of fame. Who decides on who gets into the hall of fame? How is it done? What does it take for a boxer to be considered for boxing’s hall of fame? I will really appreciate it if you can enlighten me on this.
On a side note, do you think Floyd Mayweather Jr. deserves to be in the boxing hall of fame (in light of his recent attack on HBO commentators among other controversies)?
-Jason Bourne
Jason,
First off, thank you for the well wishes on my married life. But I must say that I love your movies Mr. Bourne and please don?t kill me. You are more of a badass than Chuck Norris! But about your inquiries:
Boxing is a bit disorganized when it comes to, well…just about everything. They don’t have one champion per weight class, they have 4+. They don’t have one unified organization; they have numerous competing sanctioning bodies. As you can imagine, the same thing goes for the boxing hall of fame(s). Instead of one universally recognized group there are two (that I know of). The International Boxing Hall of Fame, or IBHOF, is the most visible and most prominent. The other one is the World Boxing Hall of Fame, or WBHF.
Both started off without a museum or location, it was simply a banquet where fighters were honored. Now they both have an actual location that you can go and visit. The IBHOF is in Canastota, NY and the WBHF is in Riverside, CA. They still have a banquet every year to induct new members.
Boxers are not eligible until 5 years after their last fight. The members of the IBHOF put a boxer on the ballot once he is eligible. All former champions and prominent boxers are considered. The ballots are sent off to members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and other eligible boxing figures. When the votes are tallied we have the year?s inductees into the hall of fame. 2008?s inductees were Larry Holmes, Eddie Perkins, and a few non-participants.
And yes, I do believe that Floyd Mayweather belongs in the hall of fame. Even if his comments were off-color, offensive, and misguided, he still meets the only two requirements that matter in my opinion. The first of those two requirements is that he was a great, accomplished boxer. The second is that he was a famous, popular boxer who captured the imagination of the public. Someone can be a complete scumbag but still make it into the hall of fame. The boxing hall of fame is not a place to make character judgments in my opinion.
There are no strict or hard guidelines for who can be inducted and who can?t. It is up to the writers and voters to determine who deserves an additional honor in their careers. There have definitely been some questionable inductees, such as Ingemar Johansson. Johansson was hardly an all time great Heavyweight Champion, however he was extremely popular in a golden age of boxing so I can understand his entrance somewhat. I hope I answered your questions about the hall of fame. Feel free to contact me again with any other questions.
Lightweight A Breeze For Pacquiao
Pacman KO?d David Diaz without trouble and finished the fight without a scratch on his face. He is having a very easy time with the lightweight division. I think that he will beat anyone at lightweight just as easily but I know that you will disagree with me. Who do you think gives Pacman the biggest challenge at lightweight? I think that nobody will so he should move up in weight and fight Hatton. Your thoughts?
-Penny
Penny,
Pacquiao looked great in his one fight at lightweight but I cannot comfortably say that he would beat every other lightweight in the world. The three that would give him the most trouble are Juan Diaz, Nate Campbell, and Joan Guzman. I say Guzman and Campbell because Pacquiao has trouble with slick boxers and fighters who use their range and legs effectively. I say Diaz because Juan is a durable volume puncher and that kind of boxer is a difficult task for anyone.
A fight with Ricky Hatton would be fun but I will say what I said when Pacquiao was at 130 talking about moving up to 135. Moving up in weight would be fine, but I would rather see him stay and take care of business where he is at because there are plenty of quality challengers at lightweight and even more challengers who are following him from 130 to 135.
Fights For A Budding Fan
I wouldn?t say that I am a huge fan but I found this website when I was surfing for information about Oscar De La Hoya and thought I would drop you a line. Boxing peaks my interest but I don?t really know which fights to watch or where to find out when they are going to be on. Could you tell me some really good fights coming up?
-Derek
Derek,
The best fights that boxing has to offer are almost always on HBO or Showtime. Check out the websites of both of those TV stations for a schedule of when they are set to broadcast boxing matches.
The fight that I am looking forward to the most is Antonio Margarito vs. Miguel Cotto. Margarito is a tough, rugged Mexican who throws a ton of punches and never stops pressing the fight. Cotto is a ruthless power punching Puerto Rican who will stop anyone in his tracks with his strength. I predict an action packed fight fought at the highest skill level that the sport has to offer; one that ends in a crowd-pleasing knockout.
Another one that I am looking forward to is Juan Diaz vs. Michael Katsidis because of their styles. Neither man is ever in a boring fight and both want to fight. I am recommending this match to you, someone who is trying to get into boxing, because it is sure to be fireworks. If I were trying to get one of my friends into boxing I would turn on Diaz vs. Katsidis and let these two warriors do all of the convincing by doing what they do best.
Be sure to come back next week for more ranting, more raving, and of course, more great questions of Ringside Report readers. Thanks and see you next time!
