Hello RSR readers. I thank you for visiting this fine site and checking out my column. This week?s mailbag is almost primarily concerning the Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao and his potential future rivals. The Pacman fans are out in full force in the wake of the recent action in the lightweight division, especially concerning Pacquiao?s arch nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez. I received a ton of questions making my mailbox jammed full so I will get right to the questions since there is so much to get to.
Manny Pacquiao fans are sure to get their fill with this mailbag. I hope you enjoy and be sure to send me your feedback.
Marquez Impressive; Guzman Blew It
It was an impressive win by Juan Manuel Marquez but I felt the referee quite prematurely stopped the fight instead of finishing the 10 count for Casamayor. The match was a close one, with Casamayor quite dominating the early rounds with his accurate punches. I guess it boiled down to Marquez being in a better condition (and being slightly more aggressive) than Casamayor in the later rounds. What was your score card going into round 11?
Mora vs. Forrest: Forrest was right. He just had a bad night during their 1st encounter. I remember Mora said in the 1st match post-fight interview that he didn’t even give his 100% performance that night. We all saw in the rematch that even if Mora gave his 110% against a well-prepared Forrest he wouldn’t have a chance. As Vernon said, “it was boxing 101” night for him. His jab was the key.
On a side note, Joan Guzman blew his great chance at the big leagues… sheesh. He seriously needs to change his in-between-fight lifestyle if he wants to get in contention again. If it was true that he ballooned to 175 lbs before the Campbell match, can he still fight as a lightweight? I seriously doubt it. Maybe he’ll return as a light welter next time. I could just imagine how hard it is to try and lose 40 lbs before a fight. You’d really have to kill yourself to lose that much weight. It just shows his great lack of discipline with his food intake.
-Joopabs
Joopabs,
Casamayor didn’t dominate the early rounds against Marquez. All of those were very close, competitive rounds. I can understand you having Casamayor ahead by a couple of points at the mid point, but to say that he dominated is a gross overstatement. I had Marquez ahead by a point or two at the time of the stoppage. As always, he had his better rounds once he was able to feel out his opponent and adjust his tactics. Marquez truly is a master boxer; a thinking man?s fighter. He improves as time goes on in a fight and based on how much he knows about his opponent.
Mora got worked, and I guess it does validate everything that Vernon Forrest said leading up to the fight; all of the stuff that I discarded as nonsense trash talk. Forrest looked like he should have hung up the gloves for good after his first fight with Mora. He was out of breath in the championship rounds and had no zip on his punches. And to let an amateurish fighter like Sergio Mora to outpoint you…I thought we had seen the last of Forrest. Then Vernon puts out a vintage performance in his rematch with Mora. You can only wonder if that was a former great boxer?s one last great performance or if the old Forrest is really back in business ready to go on a run. We’ll see.
I hadn’t heard that Guzman ballooned up to 175 pounds after his last fight. If that is true then no wonder he was unable to make weight against Campbell. For someone who has recently made weight to fight at 122 pounds I am optimistic that if he properly trains that Guzman will be able to fight at lightweight in the near future. Perhaps a longer training camp is all he needs. Or better yet, show up to training camp in shape.
Marquez vs. Diaz and Campbell
Hello Brian. After seeing JMM vs. Casamayor, what can you say about a potential match between JMM vs. Juan Diaz and JMM vs. Campbell? With JMM winning against Casamayor and ?The Ring? lightweight title, does that make him the best lightweight and even better than Pacman?
-Vinjo Uy
Vinjo,
Marquez and Pacquiao are neck and neck right now (just like they are when they fight each other) but I still barely have Pacquiao ahead of Marquez because of his body of work and quality of opponents is better. Juan Manuel Marquez’ pound for pound standing increases with his KO over Casamayor to where he is probably number two only behind Pacquiao. But Marquez is not the best lightweight in the world in my eyes. That title is disputed between Marquez, Pacquiao, Campbell, and Juan Diaz.
So that leads us to your other question regarding Marquez vs. Diaz and Marquez vs. Campbell. My thoughts on those fights are that I would love to see them; either or both of them. They are necessary to determine who truly is the best and champion at lightweight. If you are wondering who I would lean towards I would slightly favor Marquez over Campbell and slightly favor Diaz over Marquez but both are terrific and evenly matched bouts.
Marquez is great a making people miss and then making them pay with counter punches. But against Juan Diaz, who throws so many punches it would be very hard for Juan Manuel to match him punch for punch. That is a great styles match up. Marquez is sometimes boring against other defensive boxers and is at his best and is the most fun to watch when someone is very aggressive coming at him. Juan Diaz would come at him guns blazing.
I like Marquez over Campbell because I don?t think Campbell is mentally tough enough to deal with someone like Juan Manuel Marquez. Marquez is frustrating to fight because he makes you miss and then punishes you when you miss. Campbell has not shown that he can handle adversity very well and he would encounter quite a bit against Marquez.
Diaz Equals Pacquiao Against Marquez
Hello again. If Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz were to happen, wouldn?t it be just like Pacman vs. JMM all over again? Because like Pacman, Juan Diaz will always be coming forward and he will be hit with multiple counters from JMM.
And Diaz isn?t a strong puncher like Pacman so that would make JMM a lot more confident to counter than when he fought Pacman.
-Vinjo Uy
Vinjo,
Well, not exactly because Manny Pacquiao and Juan Diaz are different types of fighters with different strengths. The biggest similarity is that they are both offensive fighters, but the similarities end there. Pacquiao is faster and has that KO punch but Diaz is bigger, stronger, has better stamina, and throws more punches. There is a difference between punching power and strength and neither is fun to be countered with.
But even if this match up was the same thing as Marquez vs. Pacquiao, that wouldn?t be a bad thing! Pacquiao vs. Marquez, both fights, were terrific to watch. Their styles meshed perfectly so if Juan Diaz vs. Juan Manuel Marquez is anything like those fights then the fans are in for a treat!
Fans Have Right To Be Mad At Guzman
Hi Brian, it’s so unfortunate that Campbell-Guzman was busted at the last minute. Though I would really delight your assessment as to how you think JMM-Guzman bout would play out, I’m afraid the fight between them might never happen. Not only because Guzman, as one writer puts it, made new meaning to the phrase “hungry fighter” who ruined his rare chance to shine through, but, by all likelihood, he might campaign at Jr. welter or welterweight class next time.
I must say though that the fans have all the right to get mad at Guzman not being able to show up and fight Campbell as scheduled last Sept 13. Yes, he went to the hospital as the last resort to save the fight, but, if indeed he showed up at training camp 6 weeks prior weighing about 170lbs., then if he thought and felt like he could no longer squeeze himself to a lightweight limit, he should have dropped the idea altogether of making a move to the lightweight and make some nonsense and futile noise to belittle Campbell and prevail over him as a prelude to hopefully landing a shot at Pacquiao. Guzman is plainly unprofessional by virtue of a 135-lb wishful thinking. He should have gone straight to challenge top guys at 140 or 147 instead of ruining the fans, and most importantly, ruining the 3-belted champ who grinded his ass in training to prepare and ensure success in defending his titles.
-Karl Quizon
Karl,
I don?t think that he should have gone straight to 140 pounds. For a guy who was recently making 122 pounds without much trouble, Guzman can make 135 pounds. What he did wrong was balloon up to 170 pounds and not have a long enough training camp to shed the excess weight off. He has made his public apology so, to me, that means that he knows what he did wrong and will remediate those habits in the future.
A Second Go Around
Hi Brian, I am a boxing fan from the Philippines and I loved the Saturday night’s boxing (Sunday morning here) between Casamayor and Marquez. These two fighters treated us to a fight that was not of the ordinary; a chess match that was worth watching. Kudos to the two great fighters, however, I have seen some lapses between the two fighters. JMM lost a bit of his speed while Casamayor’s punches seemed to lose their old spice even he landed cleanly to JMM’s swollen face many times. It’s just to say that the two fighters were already past their primes (Casamayor too far, Marquez a little bit).
Now here are the questions: (1st) How did you score the fight before the KO? Because I scored it even.
(2nd) Does Casamayor deserves a rematch because of his terrific showing? He really fought well and brought Dinamita to deep waters.
(3rd) This is quite hypothetical; Can Manny Pacquiao beat the JMM that showed Saturday night? It seems he slowed.
And lastly (a weird question) I have to ask this to end all senseless debates in PACLAND, who is more better of a fighter Casamayor or David Diaz (I’m referring to the present because Casamayor’s past is too good). On the other hand, it’s hard to believe that Guzman wasn’t able to make the weight. He wasted a lifetime opportunity and put his status into jeopardy. Campbell-Guzman should have been a hell of a fight and a winnable fight for Guzman. Regards again from the Philippines and looking forward for your reply.
-Bertz*
Bertz*,
Marquez vs. Casamayor was a fine display of boxing that had a satisfying ending. The fight was more entertaining than I thought it would be; a purists’ delight. To answer your questions:
1. I didn’t write down my scores but in my mental tally I recall having Marquez ahead slightly, by a point or two.
2. Casamayor is getting old and is past his best so I am not sure if a rematch is in order here. Perhaps he should retire or if he continues fighting I think he should take a step down in class.
3. The version of Marquez that showed up against Casamayor looked like the same fighter that Pacquiao fought last March, so yes he can beat him although it will be difficult and he will need a bit of luck on his side, just like last time.
4. Joel Casamayor, now or in the past, is/was a better fighter than David Diaz ever was and ever will be. Even at Joel’s advanced age he is one of the best technicians around. Whereas Diaz was lucky to have won a title belt and I look at his as nothing more than a glorified club fighter.
Gushing Over Pacquiao Injustice
When Manny Pacquiao beat Barrera in 2003, writers concluded in unison that the Mexican was either shot or had an off night. A year later, he beat Morales in a thrilling rubber match after falling behind in the early rounds. When Pacman beat Morales in their rematch, writers were again saying that the Mexican was shot because of too many wars. Prior to the final match of their trilogy, Morales was already dismissed as a damaged good. Whether it was a case of a fighter on his peak battering a fading fighter on his way out, Morales was clearly not the same as he once was in spite of his gallant stand.
Same things were said of his rematch win with Barrera. Oscar Larios was declared old and “shot” too when Manny schooled him for 12 rounds. Thereafter, Jorge Linares beat Larios; Linares was hailed as the new sensation. And lately, Pacman beat the weakest, outclassed titleholder in lightweight, David Diaz…
These rehashed old stories came in the wake of Juan Manuel Marquez’s victory over Joel Casamayor, declaring him as the top dog in the Lightweight Division. Why is it that Juan Manuel Marquez gets more credit in beating a shot Barrera and aging Casamayor? Of course, Manny has his shares of accolades being the top p4p right now, but he never seems to get the same credit and respect unless he puts a brutal closure to Marquez himself.
Is it the case of Manny, being the most exciting fighter in the world today, his style has become his own curse and it failed to negate the truth that he beat the greatest Mexican warriors of his era who are more well-schooled? Do you think some writers are a little bit hard on Asians who made it big? What would Manny do to please you and other critics and put them to rest? What do you think those critics will say 10 years from now in the era of Barrera-Morales-Marquez-Pacquiao?
-Helven
Helven,
First off, I agree with almost nothing that you said. Even if some writers believe that some of his opponents were not at their best, they still give Manny full credit for the wins. Pacquiao is widely hailed as the best pound for pound fighter in the world because of those wins. Not every writer thought that Barrera just had an off night against Pacquiao. Not every writer thought Larios was shot. The reason that people cared when Jorge Linares beat Oscar Larios was because Linares disposed of Larios easily and more impressively than Pacquiao.
The only reason that some are calling Juan Manuel Marquez the Lightweight Champion is because he won the ?Ring Magazine? belt by beating Casamayor. Don?t read any more into that than there is.
Morales was done by the time the third fight with Pacquiao came along as he proved in his loss to the abysmal David Diaz. But perhaps Pacquiao ruined Morales? Maybe Pacquiao was so ferocious that he took the fight out of the great warrior? That is a viable argument; therefore Pacquiao gets full credit for besting Morales in their trilogy. I haven?t seen one writer who doesn?t.
You have picked and chosen only negative stories associated with those fights. Manny Pacquiao is almost unanimously declared the best fighter of his generation. Yet you think the critics are under appreciating him? I don?t understand your logic.
Here are my answers to your questions:
Pacquiao would not be nearly as popular if he had a boring, safety-first fighting style. Manny gets credit, tons and tons of credit, for beating the three Mexicans. Less credit for beating Marquez granted, because both were very close fights and the scoring is debatable. But you can make no mistake about it that Pacquiao trounced Barrera and Morales two times apiece.
Maybe some writers are harder on Asian fighters, I don’t know. I am not, and I can say that confidently. I am a tough critic of every active boxer, regardless of his background or nationality.
The question is what would Manny have to do to please me and put me and other critics to rest. Critiquing fighters is what I do and no matter what Pacquiao or any other fighter does I will always give my thoughts on what they did right, wrong, and what they could or should do better. No fighter is above criticism and that is the way that it should be. But to appease you, this is what I think Pacquiao should do. He should settle down on one weight class, say lightweight, and clean it out. If he soundly beats Juan Diaz, Nate Campbell, Edwin Valero, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Joan Guzman one after the other there would be very little for me to criticize. If Pacquiao did that he would be doing it old school and he would be doing it right.
In the future, boxing critics will look at the Marquez-Morales-Barrera-Pacquiao era as a golden age for featherweights. Pacquiao will likely be considered the best of the four unless Marquez does something spectacular in the last couple years of his career.
Sugar Shane In The Pacquiao Sweepstakes
Brian, Greetings. I have been reading your mailbag for some time now. I find your answers to boxing fans honest, noteworthy and enlightening.
I read from some interview recently where Sugar Shane Mosley said Oscar De La Hoya is very big for Manny Pacquiao to fight. He said he knew first-hand how it is to be fighting bigger opponents.
However, if I remembered right, during the Pacquiao-Barrera II fight, Shane Mosley was interviewed by one of the Filipino sports journalists and he said he would like to fight with Manny Pacquiao. Sugar Shane is a legitimate welterweight and Manny Pacquiao was Super Featherweight at that time. He may have said it in jest before HBO commentator Larry Merchant dreamed of the De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao fight, a true welterweight in the name of Sugar Shane Mosley, who incidentally won twice against Oscar, did mention of fighting Manny Pacquiao. Of course, Sugar Shane may have thought it would be an easy fight for him.
Do you think Manny Pacquiao would be more competitive against Mosley than against De La Hoya? Thank you and more power.
-Jay Ari Yin
Jay,
Mosley vs. Pacquiao is equally as big of a mismatch compared to De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao. I look at Mosley and De La Hoya as pretty much equals even though Shane is 2-0 against him. Oscar and Shane are different in their skills and what they bring to the table. Both have granite chins and above average power. Mosley has the edge in speed and combination punching whereas Oscar has a better jab and boxing ability. Both would be far too big for Pacquiao. If Mosley did say that he wanted to fight Pacquiao I am sure it was because he wanted a big payday for a low risk fight.
The only hope for Pacquiao would be for Mosley or De La Hoya to get old overnight. I know that is hard to swallow for many Pacquiao fans but I strongly believe it to be true. Size matters in boxing, especially when talking about extremely skilled, hall of fame caliber, bigger fighters like De La Hoya and Mosley.
Lightweight Matchups
Brian, I have a few questions:
1. How will Juan Manuel Marquez fare in a fight against Juan Diaz? Who do you think will win?
2. Who do you think is the best in the lightweight division?
3. Who do you think would win between David Diaz and Michael Katsidis?
4. How about a fight between David Diaz and Casamayor, who will win?
5. Who would win in a Pacquiao vs. Juan Diaz match-up?
6. What are your thoughts about the knockout of Casamayor? If he had fought Pacquiao, how many rounds would he have lasted?
7. Who is your favorite among the lightweights now?
-Ismael Boglico
Ismael,
1. I give the slight edge to Juan Diaz. Marquez is a master boxer but the way to get the best of a defensive boxer is to overwhelm him with more punches than he can keep track of. There is no better volume puncher in boxing to day than Juan Diaz. I have him winning by decision.
2. Hard to say. It is a four way tie between Nate Campbell, Manny Pacquiao, Juan Diaz, and Juan Manuel Marquez. They need to settle this in the ring to determine who really is the best in the lightweight division.
I say that all of those four are equal in rank and none has the right to call themselves the best. But if they all had a round robin I will go out on a limb and say that Manny Pacquiao would come out on top. But I would not be surprised if any of the four would come out on top though, they are that close.
3. I would pick Michael Katsidis over David Diaz. Katsidis, even though he is 0-2 against top lightweights, performed pretty well in those fights. The Casamayor fight was his until that shocking KO. He also gave Juan Diaz a pretty good fight that was more competitive than expected. David Diaz is a second rate fighter so I would expect Katsidis to handle him.
4. Casamayor, again because his boxing skills are light years ahead of anything that David Diaz has. Even at Joel?s advanced age and deteriorating skills Casamayor would win handily.
5. I like Juan Diaz in this one. Now I know what you are going to say, how can you pick Diaz over Pacquiao but still have Pacquiao as my answer to question #2? The answer is that I don’t think that any of the fighters above would go 3-0. I picked Pacquiao because I think he would beat Nate Campbell and Juan Manuel Marquez in a rematch (mainly because Marquez is a bit older and Manny is still in his prime) but lose to Diaz. I would pick Diaz over Marquez and Pacquiao but we’ve seen that Campbell gives him problems. And I give Manny the edge because I think he would do better against Juan Diaz than Diaz would do against Campbell.
6. I was impressed because nobody had ever beaten Casamayor definitively like that. Marquez matched him talent for talent (which is extremely tough to do against Joel) and also matched him with respect to mental determination (ever tougher to do against Joel). That culminated in a great KO. Pacquiao would have fought Casamayor in a completely different way so I don’t know how many rounds that fight would have lasted. I could see Manny winning by mid round KO just as easily as I could see it going the distance.
7. I don’t have a favorite fighter at the moment, and I am very thankful for that because it allows me to be completely objective. Last time I had a favorite fighter at lightweight was when Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo were top dogs. I was torn in that one because both were my favorites but during the fights I found myself pulling for Chico.
Pseudo-Religious Pacquiao Fans
Hi Brian, you may recall that I did the preview and report for Marquez-Casamayor, a match not even involving Pacman? Well, following those features I have been inundated by Pacquiao fans writing to berate Marquez and tell me that he has never beaten Pacman and doesn’t deserve a third fight and is not the best lightweight in the world etc etc etc… They were not willing to concede any credit to Marquez who is, unquestionably, a great fighter. Surely, by slagging Marquez off, they denigrate their own guy because Manny-Marquez’ two fights have been very evenly matched affairs.
Now I know that you have suffered a similar backlash to your considered, logical and moderate comments on the forthcoming Oscar-Manny fight. My question for you Brian is: in your opinion, are many Manny Pacquiao fans the least objective fans in boxing history and have they taken their adoration of a great fighter to a pseudo-religious level at which it has become a matter of blind faith? I think they have but I will be interested in your response.
-Peter Stitt
Peter,
Some Pacquiao fans are every bit as bad as you describe. But to categorize all of them together would be unfair. For every email that I get that berates me for not saying that rainbows blow out of Manny’s backside, I get one that says something like “I know that the odds are stacked against Manny and he will probably lose but I am still rooting for him”.
The angry emails that say that I should have more “faith” in Pacman kind of scare me, but those aren’t the norm.
I have many regular emailers, including Nonong Tools, Karl Quizon, and Jason Calara among others, who are huge Pacquiao fans yet remain objective. I can feel like I can have a realistic and reasonable boxing discussion with them.
And for the other part of your question, no, I don’t think Pacquiao fans are the least objective in history. Boxing history spans an incredibly long time. They are only the least objective at the moment.
Every few years or so a boxer turns into a phenomenon and their fans become obsessive. Looking back as little as ten years ago I can say with hesitation that Roy Jones Jr. fans, Mike Tyson fans, and Felix Trinidad fans were equally as bad or worse. I remember talking to a Trinidad fan who unabashedly had Trinidad beating Oscar De La Hoya by a score of 118-110!
Pacnuts Driving Him Nuts
I?m a Pacman fan but not a fan of the Pacman fans. Many Pacman fans are so delusional, so irritating, so disrespectful that I spent each day debating at them in forums, they say Marquez is bum, well I thought Marquez won their two fights. I saw Marquez winning more rounds negating the effect of every knockdown he took from Pacman, any thoughts on this?
-Ed
Ed,
I have encountered some of the Pacman fans that you say so I know where you are coming from. Many Pacquiao fans have the mentality that if you don’t agree with them then you are wrong. They refuse to hear any other stance except their own and that kind of mentality, that ignores logic or reason, is impossible to have a discussion with. Some fans take Manny so seriously that they attack any person or position that is even mildly negative towards him. I am sure that if I wrote that a prime Mike Tyson would KO Manny Pacquiao I would get hate mail saying that I was wrong and that Pacquiao could beat anyone.
Not all of them are like this but there is no excuse for the ones who are disrespectful. The particular fans that you describe and Peter described in the email above should be ashamed of themselves because they are doing Manny Pacquiao more harm than good by damaging his reputation.
For the record I had Marquez slightly ahead in each fight but think that two draws as the outcome of their fights would probably have been justice.
Pacquiao vs. Marquez The Third
Hi Brian, I?ve been reading your mailbag since Geno left it. It?s been very entertaining, informative, and intellectual. I like how you analyze your given comments and predictions you?ve been given.
I know that you, like me, are also hoping for the 3rd fight between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. After Marquez beat Casamayor, many people are urging Manny to fight Marquez again. Pacquiao said in a news article:
?No problem,? Pacquiao countered. ?I can fight with anybody. But he (Marquez) must agree to my offer because I will be the promoter of that fight,? added Pacquiao. I won?t agree to it if I?m not (the promoter). If he agrees to my small offer, then he really wants to fight me, but if he won?t then it means he?s only after the money.?
Now my question to you: Is Marquez really wanting to fight Pacman given these terms? Or does he really want more money like other boxers calling Pacquiao for a fight?
-jr2quiapo
jr2quiapo,
Marquez wants to fight Pacquiao and get paid if it is not too much to ask for both! Boxing is Marquez’ job so I know for a fact that he does not want to fight for charity or fight for a pittance, nor should he. Marquez vs. Pacquiao III is one of the biggest fights that can be made in any weight class. Why would Marquez expect any money less than what he deserves, or at least what he made in the rematch?
But for a matter of pride Marquez wants to fight Pacquiao. He would not be there to collect a paycheck like most of the others calling out the Pacman. Marquez would come to fight and come to win. In his heart he feels like he won both fights, just like Pacquiao feels like he won both fight.
There is still unfinished business here. Juan Manuel wants to prove to himself, and the world, that he can beat Manny Pacquiao. But again, even though I am sure Marquez wants this badly, it would be foolish for him to allow Pacquiao to take advantage of him by making him fight for less money than he is worth. I think it was unfair of Pacquiao to make that comment.
What? A Non-Pacquiao Question?
Hi Brian, What?s your take on Kelly Pavlik vs. Bernard Hopkins? Thanks.
-ianOdinar
ianOdinar,
Bernard Hopkins is never an easy out for anybody. He is too savvy and his boxing intelligence is off the charts. Hopkins knows exactly what he is doing and no motion is wasted when he fights which is why he can still compete into his mid 40?s.
But I am taking Kelly Pavlik here because he is a young bulldog in the prime of his career. Pavlik has a very good jab, throws a lot of punches, and throws those punches with power and accuracy. This is too much for a fighter at Hopkins? advanced age to overcome. I see Pavlik taking a decision because Hopkins will not take the necessary chances.
Give Pacquiao Respect
When Manny fought Marco Antonio Barrera the first time and KO?d him out in the 11th most critics said that Barrera was over the hill. Same with Erik after he beat him in their rematch in the 10th round.
Meanwhile JMM beat MAB (who was elite at that time) in a highly disputed decision to win the WBC Super Feather belt. After that Pacman beat MAB (who was already over the hill again at that time) via a convincing decision.
Recently, Pacquiao KO?d David Diaz literary separating his spirit from his body and the critics are saying that Diaz is just a paper champion. JMM KO a 37 y/o champion in Casamayor (who many still think as the elite lightweight at that time) and JMM receives a lot of accolades like he is the first man to ever KO Casamayor that big punchers like the late Diego Corrales, Castillo and Freitas could not do. Come on Casamayor is already 37 (is he over the hill? they said not!!!)
My point is who cares about being the pound for pound king, Manny deserves more credit for beating those legends at their peak and still at the elite level. He is always being labeled as the devil-may-care whirlwind fighter from the Philippines who just happened to beat a lot of over-the-hill Mexican legends.
Give Erik respect… Give Marco respect… Give Manny the respect he deserve…
By the way I am a Pinoy and I love your mailbag thanks!!!
-Moi
Moi,
This is very similar to Helven?s email earlier in the mailbag. All I can say is that you are over exaggerating and I disagree with your thoughts that Manny Pacquiao is being unfairly picked on or is underrated in any way.
I am not going to point/counterpoint ever sentence in your email but there are a couple things in particular that I have a problem with.
First, David Diaz was a paper champion. I said that before Pacquiao was ever considering Diaz as an opponent. I said it when Diaz was chosen as Manny?s lightweight debut. I said it after Pacquiao crushed him as expected. I was 100% against picking David Diaz as an opponent for Pacquiao because that fight proved absolutely nothing. If you check back on my old columns you?ll see that I was very vocal about this. The promoters were insulting boxing fans by trying to pass that off as a competitive fight.
Second, I don?t think there was ever any question that Joel Casamayor was past his prime. He was not at his best but he was not completely out of gas either. He proved that with his KO of Katsidis and his going even up with Marquez until the final round. Marquez gets credit for beating Casamayor, but not nearly as much as he would have received by beating a prime Casamayor.
Third, who is not giving the said fighters respect? I have nothing but respect for Morales, Barrera, and Pacquiao and what they accomplished against each other and in their careers.
I will end on that note, giving much respect to the great featherweights of this generation. Get in your questions for next week if you would like to have your boxing question answered and be featured in Brian?s Boxing Mailbag. Thanks everyone, I will see you next time.
