Today, Thanksgiving Day in the United States, is future Boxing Hall Of Famer Ronald “Winky” Wright’s 38th birthday.
While I am sure that you join me in wishing this talented and gentlemanly boxer many happy returns, you might be surprised to hear that Wright has a gift for Pinoy Idol Manny Pacquiao.
Wright has never been a Pacman critic but he admits to having been a doubter. No more, Wright told me, no more.
I spoke to Wright as he began to put the finishing touches on his training for a comeback bout on PPV TV from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Dec. 11 against rugged Grady “Bad Boy” Brewer.
Sensing that Wright was in a good mood, I needled him for public forecasting that Miguel Cotto would be too strong for Pacman.
“Oh man, I got that one wrong, I really did,” the fighter whose has two victories over Sugar Shane Mosley and one over Felix “Tito” Trinidad said. “I don’t know if he can beat Floyd Mayweather but I do know one thing, I won’t bet against Pacquiao.
“I thought Cotto would stop Pacquiao because of his physical strength. I bet against him when he fought Oscar de la Hoya. Like I say, I don’t know if he will beat Mayweather but I do know this, it won’t be any walkover for Floyd.
“It’s no easy fight for Floyd. It’s amazing what this guy does, he started out so small but he punches very strong. And he and Freddie (Roach), they always have a game plan and they always stick to that game plan . This guy is a great little fighter.”
Lest we be too critical of Wright’s fight handicapping skills, he pointed out that he was 100 percent correct on Andre Ward, the American Olympic gold medalist who just trounced WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler on Saturday in Ward’s hometown of Oakland.
More info on the Brewer-Wright PPV TV card:
The event also marks the return of esteemed Puerto Rican champion, Alex “el Nene” Sanchez. El Nene held the WBO light flyweight Champion title in 2004. He is forward to a return to the ring and is excited about fighting in front of his hometown people again.
“Boxing is my life and I feel confident that I can get back to the top of my game with a win December 11,” said Sanchez “To fight one more time for my people on the same card as the great champion Winky Wright and to do it at the Coliseo is a blessing I will never forget.”
In addition to island favorite Sanchez, the undercard will also features Felix “Tito” Trinidad’s undefeated welterweight prot?g? Eliezer Gonzalez (6-0/3 Kos) and Golden Boy’s Puerto Rican combatant twins Juan Carlos Velasquez (9-1/5 KOs) and Carlos Ivan Velasquez (11-0-1/9 KOs).
The fight will take place at Coliseo de Puerto Rico, the state-of-the art premier events center on the island located in the heart of San Juan’s financial district, and also shown live on pay-per-view in the United States. Tickets are available now at www.TicketPop.com, with the pay-per-view available on traditional PPV distribution channels for $29.95 (check your local cable operators).
Additional information about the event and photos from the press conference are available at www.KnockoutSeries.com.
