Hello fight fans. Over the weekend we saw a variety of notable fights. In a rematch battle between former potential Manny Pacquiao opponents, Paulie Malignaggi earned a decision over Juan Diaz. The second fight was similar to the first, thus Paulie should probably have two wins over Diaz. Paulie set himself up for another 140 pound title shot in the near future, perhaps against top dog Timothy Bradley, fresh off of his impressive win over previously unbeaten Lamont Peterson.
In the biggest fight of the weekend, WBC Heavyweight Champion Vitali Klitschko successfully defended his belt. He was able to nearly shut out American contender Kevin Johnson over twelve rounds. Johnson, though he put up very little resistance, can at least claim to be only the second boxer to reach the final bell against Vitali. After the match Klitschko was disappointed that he was unable to land the KO, even though he felt like he won every round.
You can’t fault Vitali for the lack of excitement or the failure end the fight early since Johnson was clearly just fighting to survive instead of trying to win. Kevin was content throwing nothing more than a few defensive jabs here and there.
Vitali has his sights set on the WBA belt to achieve the Klitschko goal of having both brothers hold two belts a piece. That means that Vitali will try to secure a fight with the winner of John Ruiz vs. David Haye next, although Haye has been a tricky opponent to get into the ring thus far for the Klitschkos.
Another aging Soviet heavyweight, Oleg Maskaev, was in action over the weekend. Maskaev was blasted out early against the previously unknown Nagy Aguilera. I had always liked Maskaev for his crowd-pleasing fighting style during his glory years. Oleg had world class power, good boxing skills, the ability to counter punch, and was aggressive by nature. His Achilles heel had always been his chin. Combine a weak chin and a super aggressive heavyweight and you get a guy who will either knock you out or get knocked out. Unfortunately for Oleg, he was knocked out more than he would have liked and this most recent one likely signals the end of his career. All seven of his losses were due to crushing, highlight reel knockouts. He was still able to reach high peaks in the glamour division and gave the fans many thrilling outings, so for that I thank him for a terrific career.
Despite all of the action over the weekend, the main topic on everybody’s mind is still the huge mega fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, which appears good to go for March 13th unless the rug is pulled out from under Bob Arum.
Enjoy the mailbag and be sure to email me your thoughts and questions.
Mayweather to Frustrate Pacquiao
Personally I can’t stand Mayweather, as a boxer or as a person. I would love nothing more than for Pacquiao to humble this *sshole by KO’ing him but sadly I think it will end the other way around. As good as Manny’s offense is, the best offense is a defense. Mayweather’s defense is the best ever. He will win by making it a boring and frustrating fight, limiting the engaging and eventually KO’ing the smaller Pacquiao. Damn I hope I’m wrong!!!
-Ant
Ant,
Well I wouldn’t go so far as to say that Floyd Mayweather has the best defense ever. He has a damn good defense, probably the best of his generation, but, all time greats like Willie Pep and Pernell Whitaker have him beat in the defense category by a pretty significant margin.
Even with that said, I agree with most of what you say. I also would like to see Mayweather humbled. What a sight that would be! I wonder what excuse he would come up with for losing. I can just imagine. Unfortunately, a truly excellent defensive fighter like Mayweather does not get steamrolled. He is going to make it very tough and frustrating for Manny, even if Pacquiao finds a way to win.
Rooting For Pacquiao
Brian.
Thank you for answering all of our questions. Sometimes, crazy Pacfans like me get to be overboard at times and for that, I hope you be more patient. Your feedback regarding Money winning against Manny is very objective. You are also case in point when you responded to one of the questions that Mayweather will only win by going through intelligent fighting, hence, boring the fans to death (new and casual fans alike).
If I were a purist, yeah it’s Floyd who keeps his O, but I’m a fan, so I go for Manny. I just wish that Manny will defy logic once more and win again!
Keep on keeping on!
-Rotciv54
Rotciv54,
Thanks for chiming in, always a pleasure to hear your point of view. I am also rooting for Manny Pacquiao to win (even though I am picking Mayweather) because I want to see elite greatness in my lifetime. As I said in a previous response, I think that Manny Pacquiao is top 10 all time pound for pound material if he beats Mayweather convincingly.
And obviously, Pacquiao is a much more exciting fighter than Mayweather, so I root for the guy who makes the fight because a win for him is better for the sport. Just look at how much fame Ricardo Mayorga got for one win over Vernon Forrest all because he was exciting and charismatic.
Manny Defies Logic
Brian you always forget that Manny is an incomparable boxer. You cannot gauge him by comparing him to other boxers that Money beat. Do you think Manny will not hit the Money for 12 rounds? If your answer is “yes” then I don’t know how you got your job. But if your answer is “no” then Money is in big trouble.
Remember this also: Manny defies logic. Several so called “boxing experts” like you lost their credibility (if they ever had any) because they forget this simple fact.
-Danny
Danny,
Of course Manny will be able to hit Mayweather. Even Juan Manuel Marquez was able to hit Mayweather during their fight. The question is whether or not Pacquiao will be able to hit Mayweather hard enough and/or often enough to win the fight. I am not so sure about that and am leaning towards no (although I see the fight as about as close to 50/50 as a fight can be). I would predict a draw but there would be no fun in that.
One reason why I am going with Mayweather is looking at the styles of Pacquiao’s recent opponents. They were not defensive fighters by nature and their game plans were not defensive. Oscar De La Hoya, David Diaz, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto all came to fight and attempted to bully or attack Pacquiao. They were there to be hit and Pacquiao pounced, recording his stellar historic wins.
However if you look back a little farther to, say the Marco Antonio Barrera rematch or the Juan Manuel Marquez rematch, you saw two fighters who were more defensive minded. Pacquiao, though he won both, was not this unstoppable juggernaut that defied logic in those fights. Against a defensive minded boxer who is extremely skilled, like Mayweather, Pacquiao will not have that easy of a time teeing off. He will land and have good moments I am sure, but it will not be as easy as it has been in his last few fights.
How Will Pacquiao Overcome?
Dear Wilbur,
If I remember it right, you gave Mayweather the chance to beat Pacman, 52/48, meaning it’s just a matter of 3 points to tip the outcome the other way. So what does it take for Pacman to overcome those 3 points?
I heard Pacman is taking this fight a little personally because of the baseless doping accusation of Floyd Sr. against him. Do you think this matter will give Pacman extra incentive to work harder to beat Floyd Jr.? Or this will work against him because the personal thing will lessen his professional approach to their fight? Will Pacquiao’s warning give jitters to Money Mayweather?
-Nuj
Nuj,
I don’t think that any of those incentives you list will give Pacquiao an edge. What helps him is his passion for fighting and love for the sport of boxing. He trains as hard as he can for every big fight. The fights against Marquez, Hatton, Cotto, etc. were not personal and he performed great and had legendary training camps. They are playing up the Mayweather/Pacquiao rivalry for promotional purposes only.
The real edge that Pacquiao needs is a tactical one. He needs to fight a way to outsmart Mayweather, perhaps finding a way to break his defense. Perhaps his speed will allow him to do things that other Mayweather opponents were unable. I can’t wait to find out what he and Freddie Roach have in store as far as strategy is concerned.
Pacquiao’s Ring IQ
Hi Brian,
I’m Pinoy and yes I’m a Pacfan. I just realized something, why is it that most boxing writers, sometimes including you, think that Pacquiao has a low Ring IQ. I mean, I’ve have always followed Pacquiao’s fights from the hype, the training, until fight night, and most “boxing experts” always tend to put ring smarts as an advantage of Pacquiao’s opponent.
When I was reading articles about Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton before their fight, boxing writers said that one of Hatton’s advantages was that he was smarter than Pacquiao. They said that when Pacquiao fought Miguel Cotto too, and I bet “boxing writers” will say that Barrera, Morales, and Marquez are way smarter than Pacquiao. I mean, what the hell, how do you define ring smarts/ ring intelligence anyway?
Please don’t use the Freddie Roach factor here, because if a new boxer were to try to match Pacquiao’s achievements, his dream will not be answered by Freddie Roach alone. What I mean is that people always say that Pacquiao is nothing without Freddie but they won’t say that Marquez is nothing without Nacho Beristain, or Floyd is nothing without Roger. NO!
All I’m saying is that someone has got to be a genius (like you call Mayweather) to be able to even get close at Pacquiao’s achievements.
-Dstacia Amigo
Dstacia,
I never thought that Pacquiao had a low ring IQ. You don’t reach Manny’s level of greatness without being a smart fighter. However, I admit that I thought some of his previous great opponents had an edge on him in that department. Guys like Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales were extremely clever boxers.
My opinion of Pacquiao’s ring IQ has increased since his fight with Miguel Cotto. Going with the rope-a-dope without Freddie Roach’s prompting was an impressive improvisation by Manny. He found himself in a hostile situation where his original plan was not working as expected. He assessed the situation, adapted, and executed a new game plan on the fly. That is the essence of ring smarts. Pacquiao is a very intelligent fighter, no question about it.
What makes Mayweather so “smart” is a fighter is his vision. He sets traps. He makes you think he is doing one thing and then does another. He looks at how you are throwing punches and quickly figures out how to avoid, counter, and make you pay for being aggressive. This is why many of his opponents are shut down. They are discouraged to go on the offensive in fear of falling into another trap or being out-smarted again.
Following Logic Regarding All Time Greatness
Dear Brian,
You mentioned that in your opinion Pacquiao’s and Mayweather’s place in ATG (all time great) rankings were top 30 and top 80-90 respectively. You also concluded that in case Pacquiao beats Mayweather he will be in top 10. How come beating a fighter who ranks top 80-90 will put him in top 10? This is nonsense. Pacquiao gains nothing from beating Mayweather if I follow your thinking.
-Litoman
Litoman,
Every boxer in the top 25 pound for pound all time are either dead or retired. According to your logic, there is no possible way for anyone to ever make it into the top 25 pound for pound ever again!
Of active fighters, the two greatest all time pound for pound are Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. Anytime you beat a fellow great opponent, whether they are top 10, top 50, top 100, top 300, or whatever, your ranking is going to improve. You judge boxers based on the quality of their resume in regards to the era that they fight in. There is nobody else who Pacquiao could beat that would increase his greatness more than a win over Floyd Mayweather. Pacquiao becomes an all time great for fighting the best opposition possible in a very good era.
Sugar Ray Robinson did not become the greatest boxer of all time by beating one guy who used to be the best of all time. Elite greatness is not attained from one fight. He did so by putting together a stellar career defeating numerous great fighters year after year.
Juiced Up Pacquiao?
Brian,
In one of your replies last week, you retorted that you’re too naive to know when a fighter is “juiced-up”. FYI, it is a medical fact that when a person is on steroids, the muscles tend to appear bulky not ripped. Pacquiao looks Bruce Lee-like ripped to me. He is definitively not on any kind of performance enhancing drugs.
Floyd Sr. insinuated that Pacquiao’s head is too big like steroids users. My head is too big too but I’m not a juicer! IMO, Pacquiao’s detractors just can’t accept his unbelievable performances since moving up in weight are all natural. If I were Pacquiao, I’ll take it as a compliment.
But if this issue causes him to lose sponsorships, then he should sue them.
BTW, I think it is effective to hit the shoulders and arms of boxers who use the shoulder roll defense? Rocky Marciano used to do just that to counter that defense. What do you think?
Thanks,
-Tito
Tito,
Thanks for your two cents on the steroid issue. I say he is innocent until proven guilty and there is no shred of evidence to suggest that he is guilty.
Yes, hitting the arms and shoulders is a good way to combat the shoulder roll defense. You have to have bone-crunching power though. Rocky Marciano was one of the hardest pound for pound punchers of all time, so if he hit you anywhere, even in the pinky toe, it would hurt bad.
Mayweather’s small edge in size versus Pacquiao could allow him to absorb those shots better than Marciano’s opponents did. Body shots are easier to absorb with size advantages more so than head shots. Still, it is not a bad idea to try it out if there is nothing else there to be hit.
Verdict on Paul Williams
Dr. Pugilist,
You’ve always played it straight and told it like it really is. So let’s do away with all of the in vogue premature flattery everyone has been spewing over the last two years and take a look at where Paul Williams REALLY is today.
The guy gets cut on a regular basis and damn near had his block knocked off a half dozen times against Sergio Martinez. His defense isn’t what it ought to be and frankly, I was just waiting for one of those big Martinez punches to knock him out all throughout their terrific match. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t hoping for it, just expecting it based on round one. Truthfully, I was shocked at his poor defense…and not all of it had to do with how good Martinez is.
Do you think that his odometer rolled ahead more than it should have on December 5th? Do you think Williams has a long future at the top subsequent to that showing, fun as it was? Some have been calling him an all-timer in the making – how about you?
Personally, I have him down now as “suspect”.
That said, he’s a favorite, just not necessarily a long-term proposition.
-Rubber Warrior
Rubber Warrior,
I’ve never been 100% on the Paul Williams bandwagon, although I was extremely impressed with the way he handled Winky Wright. I have always thought that Williams was an intriguing fighter due to his unique physical structure. He is tall and has a large reach advantage over any other top ranked welterweight or super welterweight. His punch rate is also top notch. That package all together means that with the reach advantage, he can hit you from a distance and you can’t hit him back, and he is going to hit you often because he throws often. That threatening combination is especially tough because opponents have never fought anybody like Williams before so there is no way to prepare. Paul benefits because he is different, much like southpaws benefit compared to orthodox fighters.
But like you said, once you get past the reach and use some skill to get inside, Williams is nothing special. Neutralize what makes him special and he turns into an ordinary boxer. We saw against Carlos Quintana, Sergio Martinez, and in the latter half of the Antonio Margarito fight that Williams does not have great defense. Feint, counter, or step on the gas and you will be able to find Williams and hit him hard.
I have a feeling that Paul Williams will end up like King Hippo from the video game Punch Out. At first he looks invincible, but once you figure out the puzzle he is a piece of cake. I still think that his unique set of skills and physical attributes present will present match up problems for anyone; but he is certainly beatable.
Questionable Judging
In light of recent horrible judging (Ali Funeka vs. Joan Guzman; 119-111 score for the Punisher against Martiez), do you know if judges get punished and/or the individual who appointed them to the fight is held accountable? I still think this is the biggest reason boxing loses fans or would be fans.
-Richie Ledesma
Richie,
There is some minor overseeing of the judges in boxing by the commissions. They attempt to only assign the most experienced and “best” judges to the big fights, but somehow they never seem to get it right.
But to be honest, I have seen how this works and awful judges still keep getting big assignments if they come up with any excuse as to how they got their score. In reality, the biggest punishment that comes from a bad scorecard is the public criticism. Eugenia Williams stopped judging (by choice) for about 4 years after the lambasting she received after her scorecard for Lennox Lewis vs. Evander Holyfield I.
Recent UFC Rehashing
The Fat Guy who won in the Octagon the other weekend, I had a dream about that fight the night before, where he threw a jumping, spinning roundhouse kick and won by KO and sure enough, on the actual fight, the Fat Guy did win by KO. How about that?
Kimbo Slice just reminded me of the second-coming of the third-coming of Mark Coleman. I think, a decade ago Kimbo would’ve been a force, and probably a champion too in UFC’s heavyweight division, now he’s simply in the wrong time.
Here’s a jab at the Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather bit:
They’re fighting on March 13th, next year? Manny’s body might not recover in just over a month of rest before training starts. Sure, he took Cotto’s punches courageously but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t affected. Cotto hammered his body to a good extent and it was evident after the event and in the days that followed. Manny’s rushing into this showdown to make it in time for the local election. Not good. Even coach Freddie has already condemned the March 13th date. I can just picture Pacquiao’s battered body being pushed like a wild man for two months. Who knows what condition he’ll be in come fight night. Mayweather is not to be taken lightly.
All the best, Happy Holidays!
-SJ
SJ,
You are probably right about Kimbo. Back in the old days of the UFC it was kind of like a Toughman contest. Someone like Butterbean could clean house and be the undefeated champion even though he wouldn’t last 10 seconds against the real heavyweight champions.
Kimbo, even though he sucks and his last few fights were boring, he can still pull in a bigger crowd and generate more revenue than the biggest star in the UFC. Good for him.
I also worry about Pacquiao not having enough time to fully recover. Four months is not a very long time in between super fights. Usually for a fight of this magnitude, boxers have six months or more to rest then train to ensure that they are 100%. We’ll see how Manny can handle it.
Boxing’s Survival Depends on Mayweather vs. Pacquiao
Judging like we saw in Ali Funeka vs. Joan Guzman and Paul Williams vs. Sergio Martinez is killing the sport I love. I really don’t know why these judges are hired when they really don’t know anything about how to do their jobs.
Manny Pacquiao is the only reason why this sport is surviving, but like you predicted, if Floyd Mayweather just throws pot shots then runs, it will kill the sport completely. That is why I don’t like this fight. I know that this fight will have to be done but I can’t see that this will be a competitive or fan pleasing fight because of styles. I would rather want to see a Shane Mosley vs. Manny Pacquiao or Manny Pacquiao vs. Edwin Valero fight.
-Mule
Mule,
Oh man, that 119-110 scorecard for Paul Williams by Pierre Benoist might be the worst scorecard I have ever seen. Judges are wrong so often and I have addressed this in previous columns before but ultimately I don’t think the powers that be care enough to reform the scoring situation in boxing.
At least Williams vs. Sergio Martinez was a good action fight, competitive, and very exciting. At the end of the day, the fans got their money’s worthy even if the decision left a bad taste in their mouths. I would much rather see a great fight with a bad decision than a bad fight with a just decision. Bad decisions hurt boxing’s credibility, but not enough to kill the sport in my opinion. The young boxers who are at the wrong end of controversial decisions aren’t hurt that bad, especially in high profile fights. The public support in favor of the wronged fighter is often even more than it would have been if he had simply won. I have seen plenty of occasions where a young boxer gets a title shot because he lost a controversial decision.
Like you, I truly fear that Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao will not be a fan-friendly fight because it will be a serious blow to the sport. But then again, I realize that it has to be made because of their combined marketability. The other match ups that you propose would be fun, but would not nearly reach the audience that Mayweather vs. Pacquiao would.
I think what you are suggesting is to have Pacquiao duck the defensive masters who might beat him in order to keep him on top as the cash cow. This might be good for a short time because it would give the fans good fights and it would keep boxing alive with a handful of Pacquiao wins every year. However this would eventually hurt Pacquiao’s legacy. Ducking Floyd Mayweather would be a huge disservice to boxing fans who are dying to see the best fight each other.
I’ll end here fight fans. Be sure to send in your emails to be used for next week. Have a great week everyone.
