Fights fans give their take on Saturday’s superbout between Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao. When the matchup was first made, PacMan was an early favorite among fans and media, but support for a Morales victory has been building as the fight nears and reports of El Terrible’s training camp (including surprise sparring partner Edwin Valero) have come out. Other subjects of this truly MASSIVE mail bag include: pro & con views of The Contender and Ishe Smith, Arce-Hussein, Castillo-Morel, Hasim Rahman, power punchers, distance fighters, and much, much more. Read on (it might take you a few hours) and enjoy.
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PULLING FOR PAC, BUT ‘TERRIBLE’ SHOULD WIN
What’s up Dougie, First let me thank you for posting my email in the mid week mail bag regarding Ponce De Leon. OK, onto the topic at hand. I’m pulling for the Pac Man, however, after really analyzing this from a neutral point of view and not a fan, I don’t think it’s going to be an easy task, or one that can happen. First, PM has never fought at 130, so who’s to say he can take a punch by the much heavier EM, who will really out weigh him on fight night. 2. We know Morales can take a punch at 130, all though his battle with MAB could have taken a toll with only 4 months to recover. 3. If JMM had PM on shaky legs a few times in their battle, EM hits a lot harder than JMM and is a true killer once he has his opponent hurt. So I’m still pulling for PM but once I looked at it, it’s going to be very very hard, but none the less should be an exciting fight. What do ya think Dougie? Pretty good analysis? Have a good weekend Dougie! – Jason
That’s a good analysis, Jason, and you might be right, but here’s another look at your points:
1)Yes, Pacquiao has never fought at 130 pounds before, but he starved himself to get down to 122 pounds and he had to “make” 126 pounds. I think he’s naturally grown into the junior lightweight division and he will be just as strong and fast at 130 as he was in lighter weight classes. And while Morales has been fighting at 130 pounds for more than a year now, he’s not a natural junior lightweight. He started at 122 pounds and he didn’t bring his junior featherweight punch up to featherweight or junior lightweight. If Pacquiao were fighting a natural 130-pound puncher like an Acelino Freitas or Diego Corrales I would agree that he would be out of his league.
2)Do we really know that Morales can take a punch at 130 pounds? What 130-pound punchers has he faced? Jesus Chavez? Carlos Hernandez? Those guys aren’t known for their punching power. And Chavez buzzed Terrible badly in the first round of their fight. What’s going to happen when PacMan jumps his ass? Pacquiao’s new to the 130-pound division, but he’s a real puncher. MA Barrera was able to hurt Morales with speedy combos and he’s not a real puncher like Pac.
3)I’m not so sure that Morales hits harder than JM Marquez. I think Marquez is the harder and much cleaner puncher. The only reason Morales has more KOs on his record is because he was a monster at 122 pounds and he has the kind of warrior’s mentality that makes him go for the knockout. Marquez has a boxer’s mentality – he’s got heart and desire, but his goal is to out-think his opponents, and that’s probably why he was able to go the distance with Pacquiao.
EL TERRIBLE VS. THE GYM LEGEND
Man you should send someone to the Ottomi mountains I heard Morales is sparring with your boy Edwin Valero!! I wonder what happened? – Christian
You and I both wonder, Christian. Shoot, had I known “the monster” was up there a week ago, I would have gone myself. Hopefully, Valero and Terrible just worked and didn’t engage in any gym wars. I want Morales to be fresh for Pacquiao, if that’s possible at this stage of his career.
MORALES IN A THRILLER
Doug, Have you heard anything from Mexico on how Morales is looking? I don’t think he’s stupid, he’ll be training hard and looking to box Pacquaio – at least early. I think he’ll try to utilize his superior height and reach, but you know Morales, he likes a tearup. I guess it depends how much punishment Morales takes early because if he can fight smart early, I think he can have Manny backing up in the mid/late rounds unless he takes too much punishment early.
I’m picking Morales in a thriller, its pretty much 50-50, the only thing guaranteed is an instant classic, better than anything we’ve seen since Morales/Barrera I. – Chris Smith
I hope you’re right, Chris. You’re thoughts on Morales-Pacquiao seems to be the common analysis on the fight: Terrible’s got to survive Manny’s early rounds blitz by boxing smart and then take PacMan into deep waters to drown him. It makes sense, but this boxing and this sport has a way of throwing its fans curve balls. Who’s to say that Morales won’t come out bombing in the first round and catch and hurt the hard charging Filipino with uppercuts and right hands? And who’s to say that Pacquiao won’t make adjustments mid-way through the bout use his quick jab and footwork to befuddle Morales? You never know with boxing. However, even if both guys decide to come out and box cautiously early, I’m confident that their warrior nature will take over at some point and fans will see the firefight they paid to witness.
‘MANILA ICE’, VALERO, CUTS & DELEON
Hey Doug what’s up bro? I love the site; I cant get enough of it, I am a boxing junky. Hey are the rumors true that Pacman knocked James Toney down with ultra fast rock hard hands? Or that he gave the Green Machine a beating? LOL! I was watching the sparring video and who are these guys he is sparring with but D level fighters at that?
I saw some footage of Terrible going a couple round with Edwin Valero and a couple of other sparing partners on a Mexican news channel. Hey I see a huge cut stopping this fight due to the way Pacman jumps in and out. Remember Barrera got sick of the head and the ass whooping he took and tried to hit Manny with his own head butt. Yeah Pacman is fast, yeah he has a good left but look at what Marquez did to Manny after he got his senses together and took Manny’s left hand away from him. Terrible in 9, baby.
Is there any news on De-Leon coming back to the ring? Do you think this loss will humble him and make him stronger or how do you see it affecting him? Keep up the good work guys, later. – Alfonso
I can see this fight being stopped on cuts, but something tells me it’ s El Terrible who’s going to be busted up. It’s true that JM Marquez handled Manny after his head cleared, but JMM is a better technician than Morales and a more disciplined boxer. I don’t see Morales being content to merely outpoint Pacquiao, but I could be wrong.
I take it you’re not buying the hype on PacMan’s dreaded “Manila ICE” right hook. There’s no truth to anything you’ve heard about Manny pistol whipping James Toney or Danny Green “the ice” in sparring (although I wouldn’t be surprised if Filipino newspapers actually printed such nonsense). However, those guys you saw him spar with were not D-level fighters. I recognize one (the first guy in the first video, I can’t recall his name) but I know he’s a solid 140-pound prospect; and that’s just what Pacquiao needs – solid but not spectacular sparring partners who are bigger, taller and rangier than he is. PacMan needs only work on his overall game in the gym; he doesn’t need to be getting into fights every time he spars.
I don’t think it’s always a good idea to have “name” sparring partners. Morales sparring with Steve Luevano and Edwin Valero shows us he’s serious about getting ready for this fight, but two things bother me about these reports out of Mexico:
1)Luevano and Valero are left-handed fighters, but they don’t have Pacquiao’s style at all. PacMan is an explosive fighter who fights in bursts. Luevano and Valero are primarily boxers/counter punchers (don’t let Valero’s record fool you – he takes his time in the ring). Also, Luevano and Valero are not built like the small and compact Pacquiao. They are taller and rangier.
2)Sparring with Valero is seldom just “gym work”, although the Venezuelan holds back in the gym, he still throws major heat with both hands and he attacks the entire body of the other man, striking the body, hips, shoulders and biceps. I’m not sure if sparring with a little monster like Valero is what Morales needs at this stage of his career. He’s taken enough punishment in the ring. I think he needs to be as fresh as he can be when he steps into the ring vs. Pacquiao. On many occasions, I’ve seen world-class fighters leave their fight in the gym when they employed undefeated young talents as sparring partners instead of sturdy journeymen or fringe contenders. I’ll give you an example: Antonio Margarito was doing just fine in his camp for Daniel Santos last year by sparring with a tough Canadian kid who was 0-1 as a pro and an old veteran fighter. But when his management brought in Paul “the Punisher” Williams, a young 23-0 power-puncher, Margarito’s sparring sessions became mini-fights. I was hearing reports that Margarito and Williams were dropping each other in sessions and all kinds of crazy stuff. That wasn’t good for Margarito who looked strained and over-trained when he stepped between the rope in Puerto Rico.
DeLeon will probably be back on an April 29 card, perhaps in Laredo, Texas, in a Telefutura-televised show. He’s always been humble, the kid just needs to learn not to walk right into punches and to put his shots together. I think he will, and he’ll be back on the world-class scene soon.
EL TERRIBLE’S SPARRING PARTNERS
What’s up Dougie, I know you are favoring Pacquiao over Morales next weekend; however, I’ve read that Morales has been training with much tougher sparring partners. Whereas, Pacquiao has been beating up a small Israel Vasquez and other nondescript prospects, Morales has been sparring with your boy Edwin Valero, Steven Luevano, Johnny Tapia and Victor Polo in the Otomi mountains. If these reports are true, Pacquiao might be in some serious trouble. Factoring all the distractions Pacquiao faces everyday at the wild card gym, a motivated Morales might possibly destroy the perceived invincibility of the Philippine. When motivated, Morales really separates himself from other fighters in his weight class. I think Morales will once again prove why he is one the best fighters of my generation. Thanks – Daniel
You’re right about El Terrible, when he’s motivated and ready, he’s a truly great fighter – one you can’t count out of any fight. And though I am slightly favoring Manny Pacquiao in this contest, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Morales KOs the Filipino bomber. I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: Erik Morales is the purest warrior in all of boxing. However, if he’s showing the same warrior spirit in the gym that he shows in the ring, he could be further taxing a body that has endured more than its share of punishment.
And here’s another point that I mentioned above, Luevano and Valero are talented prospects, Polo is a veteran contender, and Tapia is a great fighter, but none of these guys fight like Manny Pacquiao. So how are these dudes getting him ready for what Pacquiao will present in the ring this Saturday? Only Valero shares PacMan’s awesome speed and power (and I’d say PacMan is faster than the V-man). But is sparring with punisher like Valero a good thing? I guess it depends on how many they go. (By the way, and this is for the record, you guys can stop calling Valero “my boy”. I am not his father. I even passed a blood test that confirmed this recently. Seriously, if he was my boy, I would not let him spar unless medical tests and specialists absolutely confirmed that there wasn’t an increased risk of his suffering a head injury.)
BOXING POTPOURRI
A few random questions for you:
1) Who do you like in the undercard (Arce vs. Hussein; Castillo vs. Morel) of this week’s big fight? 2) Does Max Kellerman have any association with Maxboxing (the dude rubs me the wrong way)? 3) Why can’t Valero fight in other countries while he awaits his case to be heard / overturned in the US? 4) Who is the longest reigning champ in boxing history? I thought Finito Lopez made this claim (surpassing Joe Louis) before he retired.
Thx loco. I would love to read your responses in this week’s MMMB.
Over ‘n’ Out. – Richibanker
1)I’ve never seen “Hussi” Hussein fight before, so I can’t give you a prediction on the Jorge Arce fight, which looks like a good scrap on paper. Arce is a longtime 108-pound champ with skill and heart, while Hussein is an up-and-comer with a 27-1 record (the only loss being a decision to longtime WBC flyweight titlist Pongsaklek Wonjongkam, a guy I have in my top 20 pound-for-pound list. Hussi is a Jeff Fenech fighter, so I’m pretty sure Hussein will be well conditioned and tough – you gotta figure that he’s had some good work with IBF flyweight king Vic Darchinyan in Fenech’s gym – but will he freeze under the bright lights of Las Vegas the way his brother, Nedal, did vs. Oscar Larios? Another factor to think about in this matchup is size. It looks like Hussein is the naturally bigger man – he’s fought many of his fights around the junior bantamweight limit. However, the last time I saw Jorge Arce (in Las Vegas around the time of the Hopkins-De La Hoya fight), the TJ native looked like he was walking around at a 140 pounds, and it’s no secret that he’s had to struggle very hard to make 108 pounds for his last five title defenses.
I have seen Martin Castillo and Eric Morel fight many times, and what a treat this fight might turn out to be. Morel is a veteran former champ with mad boxing skills, who I think will be stronger at 115 pound than he was at 112, but Castillo is one of the best all-around technicians in the ring today. The little Mexican is just as versatile in the ring as Bernard Hopkins or Floyd Mayweather. Morel’s hand speed, height and reach will give Castillo trouble early on, but I think the Mexico City native will make adjustments, apply pressure in the middle to late rounds and pound out a close decision win.
2)Max Kellerman has no affiliation with MaxBoxing.com, but we consider him a friend and respect his accomplishments in broadcasting. You say he rubs you the wrong way? That’s good. Many great broadcasters rubbed fans the wrong way. Howard Cosell rubbed me the wrong way when I was a kid and as much as I like Larry Merchant and Jim Lampley, they often piss me off during HBO broadcasts, but I can’t deny their talent or professionalism. If Kellerman keeps at it, he might take Merchant and Lampley’s place one day in front of the camera.
3)I’ve heard rumors that Valero was considering continuing his career in Mexico. However, if he does that, he’ll be all but banned from ever fighting in the U.S. Before he fights again, I’d like to see the medical evidence supporting and denying his fight to regain a boxer’s license in the U.S. I’d love it if his management would have Dr. Margaret Goodman examine him and present the evidence to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, a boxing regulatory body that I and many others have a lot of respect for. But hey, Edwin is just a guy I’ve written about a few times, he’s not my fighter (or my son – I will continue to deny all rumors).
4)I think Louis beats Lopez out by a matter of days. Lopez was a champ, uninterrupted, from Oct. 25, ’90 to Sept. 29, ’01 (roughly 35 days short of 11 years). Louis was heavyweight champ from June 22, ’37 to June 25, ’48 (three days shy of 11 years). However, if you’re a prideful Mexican fan you can always point out that Louis was inactive from late ’42 to late ’46 while he served the U.S. armed forces in World War II).
THE CONTENDER IS OVER-EDITED
While the show is ok I sure could do without some of the editing though. I mean come on showing sly and sugar during the fight scenes reacting to the fighters punches instead of focusing on the fight is ridiculous and looks very contrived. I could do without the OVER editing. What do you think? – Colin
I think there is too much editing in the fight scenes (which are my favorite parts of the show, by the way), but I understand that the shows producers’ goal is to create drama, not broadcast five rounders between prospects, fringe contenders and journeymen middleweights, so I expected the type of boxing action I usually see in movies. The only difference is that the action between The Contender participants is unscripted. I could do without Sly and Sugar Ray, but I don’t mind cut-aways to the boxer’s family and teammates. They are part of the story the show is trying to tell.
However, while the editing can add to the excitement or tension, it can also create false impressions of the fight, for instance making a one-sided fight look competitive for the sake of the show. That’s not “reality” TV.
WHY IS RAHMAN FIGHTING FOR A TITLE?
Hey Dougie Thanks for the reply about Chi-Town. Question of the day why in the f— is that chump Rahman or what ever in the hell is his name getting a title shot. Rahman couldn’t beat the Quiet Man Ruiz and looked bad against a good club fighter; get real. Aren’t there any other fighters more worthy of a title shot Dougie? PLEASE let me know what do you think of this mess.
Rahman also had the nerve to complain about the purse. Some nerve, this is boxing version pork barrel fat, and corporate welfare run amuck. – eduardo
Rahman shouldn’t complain about anything. He’s led a charmed life since he landed that perfect punch vs. Lennox Lewis in South Africa (a fight he reportedly was paid $1.5 million) back in ’01. He got a $5 million signing bonus from Don King ($500,000 up front in cash), and a guaranteed $5 million (plus a percentage of the pay-per-view upside) for the Lewis rematch. After he was cold cocked by Lewis, King put him in with Evander Holyfield (which was a WBA title eliminator) and he somehow let the old man out-work him before the fight was stopped because his head ballooned up. Then he got David Tua in an IBF title eliminator in his very next bout. I thought he won the fight, which ended up a draw, but he could have made it a much clearer decision if he would have showed up in shape instead of a bloated 245 pounds. OK, so now Rock is 0-2-1 in his last three fights, but he gets to fight for the WBA “interim” title vs. John Ruiz in his very next fight. Somehow, some way, Rock blows the fight. So he finally does the right thing and goes back to the drawing board by staying active vs. easy opposition, but the fact is, he struggled against a shot former cruiserweight titlist in Al Cole (6 rounds to 4 across the board), then he knocks off three journeymen in a row before he beats up fringe contender Kali Meehan last November. How does that warrant a title shot? It doesn’t, Eduardo. Rahman’s just a lucky SOB. However, in this era of mediocre heavyweights, he’s as good a title defense for Vitali than anyone. The only guys who deserve a shot at the WBC/The Ring champ more than Rahman are the other title holders, Chris Byrd and John Ruiz. I also think a case could be made for Monte Barrett.
FORMER FIGHTER LIKES THE CONTENDER
Like you, I think Jackie Kallen’s role in The Contender should be out in the open by now. What is it??? I met her before; the lady knows boxing and she helps and can continue helping bringing female and male audiences to boxing. The Contender holds my interest much better than the Next Great Champ does, I couldn’t get into TNGC, maybe because I can beat half the guys on the show. The Next Great Champ will come out of The Contender not De La Hoya’s sucker punch of a show that was cancelled midway through the series. I am a former fighter and a hardcore fan and I wasn’t able to watch the show anymore. The Contender, I can’t wait for the next episode. – Don
There’s no doubt that The Contender is better produced and has more talented participants than the Next Great Champ, but that’s like telling a young fighter that he has more promise than Bruce “the Mouse” Strauss.
PROPS TO SLY
What’s good, Doug? Nothin much here. I watched Contender for the first time last night, and even though I’m not a big fan of the show, I’m really glad it’s out there. Big props to NBC, who actually have been doing a lot for boxing the past couple years with their Main Events series that they had been showing and now this. I agree that a lot of the show is kinda cliche and Stallone’s speeches are kinda whack, but I gotta give him the most props, cuz without him this would not have worked. Props to the fighters too, because a lot of them (like Ishe Smith) put it on the line just to be on the show. One. – Kenneth, Pittsburgh, PA
Stallone makes me roll my eyes every time he’s on screen, but there’s no doubt that he helped popularize boxing in the late ’70s and early ’80s when Muhammad Ali was on his way out and ring deaths and bad boxing politics had many people calling for the sport’s abolition. Maybe The Contender will get some curious observers to check out un-edited boxing on ESPN, Fox, Showtime, HBO and even pay-per-view shows this year. If that happens, I too will give Sly his props. ‘Till then, I’ll probably keep rolling my eyes.
TONEY VS. STONEY
They’re gonna have to put the press conferences for Ruiz-Toney on pay-per-view….I can’t wait, lol. (And hopefully Toney disposes of Ruiz). – Mohammed, Toronto.
I agree. Before the fight the promoters should award a belt to the guy who talked the most s__t during the press tour, I like Toney over Stoney by split decision. I also think he’ll stop Ruiz late if he can stay healthy during his training.
DISAPPOINTED IN ISHE SMITH
Dougie, Ishe is on the contender for the money otherwise he would have fought Ahmed. I have to say he had me hyped up that the west coast won the comp and I thought he and Ahmed would get down. Disappointing to say the least. – Daniel
Well, people in the boxing industry – primarily Smith’s former promoter (Gary Shaw) and co-managers (Shelly Finkel And Mike Levy) – will tell you that Smith does a lot of disappointing things in his own interest. What will be interesting is if the Ishe Smith we will watch on The Contender (the one that is “disillusioned with boxing”) will turn out to match the negative stories boxing insiders tell of him, just the opposite or somewhere in-between.
BIGGEST PUNCHERS
Hey Dougie Im interested in who you think are the 10 biggest punchers in boxing pound for pound Me and a friend of mine are always arguing over tito and kostya Tszyu me saying tito and him saying Kostya i have also thought aturo gatti and acelino freutis punch really hard but they just don’t have the pin point accuracy that has a big impact on how powerful a puncher someone is.
Something about Felix Sturm impresses me I think he beats Taylor. What do you think Dougie? – Maxboxing member Trent from Australia
Something about Sturm impresses me too, Trent. I think Taylor-Sturm is an even fight. The edge in technique and mobility goes to Sturm. The edge in speed and power goes to Taylor. It would be a great middleweight fight.
My top five punchers goes like this: Rafael Marquez, Manny Pacquiao, Felix Trinidad, Diego Corrales, and Samuel Peter. The second five includes Kostya Tszyu, Kelly Pavlik, Mikkel Kessler, Jeff Lacy, and Rocky Juarez. Honorable mention: Vitali Klitschko, Wayne Braithwaite, Ricardo Mayorga, Acelino Freitas and Joe Calzaghe.
HAPPY SMITH
Good story on Ishe Smith. Is this “Happy” Smith? He doesn’t seem too happy in the first two episodes.
Two upsets in the first two fights sure help this show. Thanks for pointing out Prentis Byrd (whom I met with Emmanuel Steward), Dub Huntley (former fighters) and Macka Foley.
Even though they are the worst fighters to watch (except for more KOs) I wondered if they did this show with 16 young heavies from around the world how it would go over. Maybe next show. – Ken
Yuck. I think a Contender featuring heavyweights would look something like that God-awful pay-per-view elimination tournament that Cedric Kushner put on a few years ago, the ‘Fist Full of Dollars’ “event” that was more like a face full of doo doo.
Hopefully, we’ll get to see and hear more from Byrd, Huntley, Foley, Williams and Kallen in future shows. As for “Mr. Happy”, Ishe Smith, don’t forget the shows we are seeing were taped mid last year. He sounded pretty happy on the phone last week, so maybe he did well in the elimination tournament. We’ll see.
TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT “IS__T”
Obviously you do not know anything about Ishe Smith’s character, or you don’t care. To present him as the “caring” boxer so disillusioned with the sport, after his own reprehensible behavior is irresponsible. I suggest you reach out for his former manager, Shelly Finkel and his former promoter Gary Shaw, in order to learn a thing or two about Mr. Smith. – Sey
You know what, Sey? It’s a combination of both. I don’t know Ishe (beyond one phone call and what I’ve seen on TV) and I don’t care that much about his past – at least as far as the story I wrote last week is concerned.
I set out to write a story about Smith’s view on the welterweight division and his thoughts on whether or not he felt it was a mistake to participate in The Contender. That’s all. It was not a story about his past business history with specific people in the boxing industry. Do you know why? Because outside of the people in the industry, and a select group of mental patients on message boards, nobody cares about a fighter’s business dealings outside of the ring.
I didn’t ask Smith about Shaw or Finkel and he didn’t say anything about them. Had he mentioned his own business past or mentioned them by name, it would be a different story. Do you understand that, Sey? If Smith made any sort of direct negative comments or allegations against Shaw or Finkel, I would have contacted them for their side of the story; or I would have cut that part of the interview out of the article if I didn’t want my story to turn into an online pissing contest between a fighter and his former co-manger and promoter.
By the way, I didn’t “present” Smith as a “caring” boxer “disillusioned” with the sport, he presented himself that way. Whether it’s a truthful depiction, or only partially true, or completely false remains to be seen. But the truth about a fighter’s character always comes out sooner or later, and it’s up to the public to either accept or reject that fighter based on that evidence.
One more point, I don’t think I have to recall a fighter’s negative past every time a write a story on him (unless that story is specifically about his past). If I write about Oscar De La Hoya I don’t think I have to mention that he dissed Shelly Finkel (who reportedly paid for his mother’s hospital bills and funeral expenses) and signed with Robert Mittleman and Steve Nelson out of the amateurs. (I don’t think I have to mention that he bolted from Mittleman and Nelson after 10 fights, either). If I write a story on Hasim Rahman I don’t think I have to go into how he jumped from Cedric Kushner to Don King as soon as he won the heavyweight title that Kushner helped guide him to. I don’t think I have to mention that Mike Tyson is a convicted rapist every time I write a story about him. I don’t think I have to mention that Diego Corrales was sentenced to two years in jail for beating his pregnant wife every time I write a story about him. I can go on and on, and the same deal applies to promoters and managers. Do I have to mention Don King’s jail time for manslaughter every time I write about him? Do I have to mention that Bob Arum, Cedric Kushner and Dino Duva admitted to paying off former IBF president Bob Lee (to move certain fighters up the sanctioning organization’s ratings) every time I write about them?
Do you “suggest” that I call up Lou and Dino Duva and get their side of their split with Main Events every time I write a story that involves Gary Shaw? Do I have to call up Al Marquez and Joe Hernandez ask them about Francisco Bojado’s defection every time I write a story on Shelly Finkel? I don’t think so, Sey.
SMITH SEEMS LIKE A “REAL HOMIE”
Dear Doug, I enjoyed the Contender this past week. I am glad that these fighters are going to get coverage. Boxing is the best sport hands down. I thought Smith was real and just like one of my homies I know. I hope Smith wins and gets his shot at a title. I have to wait until May to find out. (P.S. I think Estrada will lose to Shane because Shane is hungry and on a comeback trail. He only takes on top ten fighters. You do the math…) – Aaron
You obviously have not talked with Gary Shaw and Shelly Finkel regarding Ishe Smith, Aaron. He’s not “real” at all according the sport’s insiders, he’s just a BAAAAAAAD man. LOL. Just kidding, “homie”. I think Smith has got to be considered a favorite to win it all, along with Sergio Mora, but we’ll see. There have already been two upsets in a row to start the series out.
You gotta favor Mosley versus David Estrada based on his talent and experience, but Estrada is just as hungry as Shane, in fact, he’s probably hungrier. Shane’s been to the mountain top a few times now, Estrada has not. I think Mosley-Estrada could turn out to be the best fight of the night on Main Event’s ESPN pay-per-view card and that’s saying a lot considering that show is headlined by Margarito-Cintron.
THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE MONSTER
Hey Dougie, Just read an article at boxrec.com that Erik Morales is using Edwin Valero as a sparring partner. Any reports on how those gym wars have gone? Keep up the great work. – Ray
What gives with Edwin Valero, folks? When I wrote about him and MaxBoxing did a few Gym Wars on the Venezuelan prospect, I got all this negative s__t from fans who claimed I was hyping up a make-believe fighter and how I was riding his d__k and “nut hugging” all that silly message board trash talk, but now I’m inundated with emails about this “urban myth” I supposedly created sparring with El Terrible and some fans want to know if I think Morales will win Saturday’s fight based on this. To quote ‘Lil John: WHAT!?!?
BOGUS NYC BOXING PROMOTION
Dougie, I hope you publish this because we need to expose the seedy classless promoters who are absolutely destroying the sport. Last night, I attended a local promotion called BOX-NYC, which held a card with Dmitry Salita in the main event. His opponent had a record of 11-12-1 and had lost 10 of his last 12. That’s generally a recipe for disaster, but it was even made worse because the guy plainly took a dive. Maybe I was naive to think those days of boxing are over. This was especially egregious, because if you don’t know who Dmitry is, he’s an orthodox Jew who has a decent following in New York. Most of the people who attended last night were people who’ve never been to boxing matches before. Well, now they have every reason to believe that boxing is corrupt. And of course, it is. The co-feature involved a local fighter (“chin checker”) Curtis Stevens who also “knocked out” his opponent with a phantom punch. Salita’s and Stevens’ opponents were such poor actors that it was obvious to everyone.
While these clubfights are a way to build the sport by garnering a local following and promoting local talent, in the wrong hands, they can destroy it. These guys just don’t care about the sport of boxing and are just looking to make a quick buck. I’ve paid a lot more money to see other boxing matches, but never felt this cheated. It was an absolute disgrace. Maybe I’m just naive, but I’m going to write John McCain to give him another good reason to push forward his boxing bill to clean up the sport. Maybe something will get done, and bogus promoters can find some snake oil to sell or something. They ought to have some respect for boxers and the sport and stop leeching off the public. – Eric
While I realize that finding opponents for popular, undefeated young fighters is both difficult AND expensive, you are absolutely right that nothing hurts boxing more than the perception that fights are fixed. And non-competitive club fights do nothing to help the young fighter develop, plus they turn off the audience (unless they are spectacular KOs of an opponent who actually tried to fight back).
I don’t know if McCain’s bill will do anything to keep poor club shows from going on. Anyone with enough money can get a promoter’s license and attempt to put on a show. People think it’s easy, but it takes a tremendous amount of time, organization, coordination and of course, boxing knowledge (the thing most observers lack) to do it right. Many fly-by-night promoters think they can do the job of a good matchmaker and this just isn’t the case.
CHI-JUAREZ & 15-ROUND FIGHTERS
Hey Doug,
I was a little surprised to see you and Steve give unequivocal backing to Rocky Juarez if he gets to fight Injin Chi, who I think is one of the more underrated champs in the game. I’d say that was a 50:50 fight – although Rocky no doubt has more explosive power, Chi has a great chin and is one of those guys who gets stronger as a fight goes on. Rocky’s made early work of his recent fights but I can see a Chi fight going into the longer rounds, so it will be interesting to see how Juarez deals with that.
Kind of brings me onto my question – who, of the current fighters, do you think would be best suited if championship fights went back to the 15 round format? Castillo would have to be a top 5 PFP fighter if this happened. (PS – Love the Pac-man sparring. He looks in such good shape, I’m sure he’ll outwork Morales.) – All the best, Rob, New Zealand
Check out the new video we have on PacMan, Rob.
Juarez might not cold cock Chi with one punch, but I can see his accurate punches and powerful left hooks cutting up the Korean’s face and swelling his right eye shut. We’ll see what happens. I think it’s going to be a great fight.
The current fighters who would best be suited for 15 round fights are probably Castillo, Bernard Hopkins, Felix Trinidad (he would have caught De La Hoya if he had three more rounds), Chris Byrd (he’d probably knock some of these giants out if he had a few more rounds to peck at the tiring behemoths), Glen Johnson, Kassim Ouma, and Antonio Margarito.
