This weeks email bag has a little of everything again from the diehard Manny Pacquiao fans, to George’s growing readers with a diverse group of questions. We even have two very funny emails that George and I received and no doubt, the writers of both, will be surprised they made the bag this week.
“Bad” Brad,
I am trying to find the Tunney Hunsacker piece I read on your site a couple of months ago by Brian Wilbur and really enjoyed it. Can you post a link to it?
Jay
Jay,
Glad you enjoyed it because I thought it was very heartfelt and any boxer who steps into the ring deserves to be remembered when we have the opportunity to do so. Here is the link to the tribute on Tunney.
www.ringsidereport.com/Wilbur4302005.htm Also, if you are ever trying to find an article on RSR, go to the bottom of the homepage and type in the search box which will pull it up on the site if you have it set for RSR.
Brad,
Back in 2000-2002, I used to see a lot of women’s boxing coverage done by you, but it seems you don’t cover that beat anymore. Being into the sport, I was wondering what happened?
Carol Wilkins Memphis, TN
Carol,
You’re totally correct that I was heavily involved with women’s boxing during that time frame. At that time, my buddy managed a former female champion, but since then, they partied ways which kind of took me out of seeing any women’s boxing in my area of the US. Also, I went overseas in 2002, and covered the Korean beat, but did have one or two female fights in that group that I reported back to the US on. Since then, as you know, I started RSR and had my book come out so I had to focus my time in other directions. Over the last year on RSR, we have had some coverage of women’s boxing and if one of our team members covers a fightcard with ladies on it, we are always going to report on them as well as the males.
BB,
I just read your interview with Pinklon Thomas and enjoyed hearing he was clean today and doing well. He should have been around as a champion a lot longer then just one successful title defense. I can always remember folks comparing his jab to Larry Holmes’. Who do you think had the better jab?
Dennis S. London England
Dennis,
Nice to see you guys across the pond are reading us at RSR. Yes, it was great to also hear Pinklon was doing well today and clean. I hear from him every couple of months and he is currently working on his autobiography.
You are correct that boxing people always talked about his and Larry’s jabs. My take is that Larry had the faster jab, but Pinklon had a harder one. They both were great and Pinklon really wanted to fight Larry Holmes back in 85, but the fight never came to be. Larry would lose his title as you probably know to Michael Spinks in late 85, and Thomas lost his to Trevor Berbick in early 86.
Brad,
I see in your site credit picture that it was taken at the Pentagon. Is that a fake shot or what? Come on, next you will tell me you work with the Secret Service.
Peter (Doubting you but seeing if you are going to put my question in your email bag.)
Peter,
I love a good joke, and the comment next to your name cracked me up this AM. You got me buddy, I don’t work at the Pentagon, but at the Public Library located in Pentagon, Ohio. LMAO!
Yes, I actually do work at the Pentagon and for you to have taken the time to look at my site credit picture and then write in, tells me you may be RSR’s biggest reader. I think that is great and encourage you to keep reading because in 12 months, I will be retiring from my job in the Pentagon and will have to change that picture that you seem to be in love with. When I do, make sure not to take it too hard.
Brad,
When is Ringside’s next contest?
Mike Probosky
Mike,
We have some very big things lined up, but I can’t give that info out yet until we get all the items in that we intend to giveaway. Keep reading and once you see a contest giveaway, get your answer in right away.
Brad,
I read your interview with Doug Dewitt and emailed him from the link you had up to his website in it but have not heard anything back from him. Do you have another way to reach him?
Al Simmons
Al,
I think on his website there is also a contact phone number for him, so try that. Doug is the type of guy who will get back to you once he gets your message, so try again.
George,
Do you think even though Tyson says he is retired, he will be lured out by large sums of money?
Bill
Absolutely Bill. Larger sums at this point can tempt even the cleanest guy on the pulpit. It might have been better for Tyson to make smaller amounts before McBride, but that’s all changed.
So my guess is as good as yours for what he’ll decide to do tomorrow.
George,
Now that Cotto has won yet again, do you see him knocking out both Ricky Hatton and Vivian Harris?
Lou
Lou, we should settle for just the win from either fighter at any point. These two you mentioned aren’t small potatoes. I’m happy just to see him fight one more at 140, then see his progression upwards to welterweight by the beginning of next year. So unless they want to fight him there, you won’t be able to see either one.
Though I’d tend to lean towards Harris taking a fight with him at a catch-weight, however never with Richard “The Hit Man” Hatton.
George,
I had Kid Diamond winning 115-113 on my card. What did you have and what do you think of him?
Paul Gergoisi
I thought Diamond got hit way too much coming in to win the fight, however Paul I did not think he had lost the fight to Casamayor either.
I wasn’t coming away too unhappy with the outcome from the judges who all did fantastic jobs. My score might’ve been exactly in reversed order from your score favoring Joel, and pretty closely subjective as far as the scoring went.
I thought the draw was the right way to go whenever agreeing to disagree makes the best sense to go. Judges see it pretty much alike.
George,
How could say Tyson should fight Byrd if he can’t even get past a bum in McBride?
Bernard Jones
You get Chris Byrd to sign to fight McBride, and there goes that premise.
I would wager that with Byrd making Six-Million fighting Iron Mike on a comeback, plus percentages he’ll get from the PPV earnings; will gross Tyson at least 4.5 million at the starting gate, besides an extra incentive undisclosed cash bonus if he so beats Byrd with those same people who say he’s a bum paying into it. Mike Tyson couldn’t wait to use more fascism to be happier.
George,
What do you hear about Manny Pacquiao’s next fight?
Jilly
His biggest fight he’s facing is in the courts right now, and that for me can only mean falling out of cue with boxing for a while if this whole thing drags.
George,
What do you think the outcome of the court case will be between Pacman and Murad Muhammad?
Barry
Barry,
I think it’ll be a 60-40, with the heavier chunk favoring Murad. Even though he’ll make his point, the ring entrances may not be there for this year to fight at all in high style profile. And if that were the case, a neat vacation with his family would do the trick to regain some of that hunger back to fight in 2006 with.
George,
I love both Rolando Navarrete and Manny Pacquiao who do you think wins in both their primes?
Jesse
It’s a great question in that they’d both do great at the home front for their first fight respectfully, and then go more internationally farther in the rematch.
These little titans would’ve been what comparably could be hailed as today’s modern day Gatti-Ward wars 1 and 3; no real losers, along really subjective arguments galore on penciled in points to figure out those equations round by round written down. Thanks for that exciting question Jesse.
George,
I heard my Grandpa the other day talking about a middleweight fighter from his time named Tony Zale and he sounded like he was very tough. What can you tell me about him?
Anthony “Fats” Torecilli
Anthony,
My grandfather who is alive and doing well today in his nineties talked about Zale too. I credit him for the sole reason I wrote the Ike Williams piece.
What more can you or I say about Tony Zale for his allegiance for being tough that grand dads hadn’t already known? It would be well worth the effort in obtaining any decently viewable fights about him these days.
Rocky Graziano fought Tony Zale from 1946 through 1948 for the greatest boxing trilogy known.
George,
Have you ever boxed and if so, in what weight class? I am thinking that I might want to box you for three rounds and if I beat you, you never write another article again! Deal?
Steven Tobias NYC
Steven,
It’s a pretty darned good waste of paper wishing for such a thing short of acquiring writers block, which I have never been diagnosed of having before.
Of course I’ve boxed before, and did so in two specific weight classes.
Do I get to choose from the six-ounce gloves or a good ole reliable six shooter now?
Note: When you send in your question, specify who you would like to answer it or they will be split up between George and I. Questions will be taken throughout the week and the cut off is Saturday evening. If you don’t make the cutoff, look for your question to be answered the following week. Send all questions to: [email protected]
