LS: Everyone knows that a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather would be huge for boxing. There would be people watching that fight who haven?t watched a boxing match in years, or maybe ever. Just how big an affect do you think it could have?
RM: I don?t know how big the long-term impact would be, but the impact for what it would mean immediately would be just staggering. It?s not just the biggest grossing fight in terms of what it would bring in revenue, but the biggest conversation fight that we?ve had. You know, there are certain eras where there were fights that just seem to have to be made ? that the public called for them. You think back, and there aren?t that many. In the last 10 years, maybe, I can?t think of any that would approach this. The last fight that everybody was screaming for, and wanted to have made was probably Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya. Before that, it was Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns. Then the generation before that, it was Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. This fight is on that kind of level where it would just have to be made. Everybody wants to see it. Every fighter wants to see it. Every fan would want to see it. Non-fans would want to see it, and that?s the point that you were getting to. It?s really amazing because here?s a fight that has to be made that might not get made. All those other ones happened. (laughs)
LS: For me, it goes beyond just wanting to see these two guys fight. It?s the fact that it?s great for the sport that we love.
RM: Oh yeah. Believe me, I love it when we?re in a situation where people you know who aren?t big boxing fans, or people you run into, they want to talk about that fight. That just doesn?t happen that often. We don?t have a fight that often that transcends the sport totally, where the whole world seems to stop. This would be that kind of fight ? where the whole world would seem to stop in anticipation of it, and watching it.
LS: Well, since it doesn?t look like Mayweather is going to be available for a while?
RM: (Breaks in) Yeah. He?s got these legal problems, and I hate to say it, but I think Floyd seems to be spinning out of control, and I don?t know why those around him would allow that to happen, but that seems to be what is happening with him. I think Mike Tyson kind of went down the same road ? where he was spinning out of control. I?d hope that either Floyd can kind of look at himself in the mirror and realize that, or others around him can have some kind of intervention, but I think Floyd?s his own boss, and he does what he wants. I don?t think anybody really has much of an influence on him.
LS: And it?s tragic, just like it was tragic with Tyson. Floyd?s a great boxer. On that, everybody can agree.
RM: I?ve heard that Floyd believes that he would beat Manny Pacquiao, so why not have the fight? I think he?s a bit concerned that the zero on the end of his record might turn to one. But I don?t think he?s physically afraid of Manny Pacquiao. I think he?s very confident that he would be the winner, but all of these things are just happening to conspire to not make (the fight) happen. I hope it does. I really hope it does. Maybe somehow, some way, it?ll get made, maybe for the end of next year. It would just be such an electrifying evening, and not just the evening, but the last few weeks leading up to the fight would be tantalizing the way that it was before Ali fought Frazier. People were arguing, people were waiting and people were conversing about it, and even the mainstream media people were talking about it.
LS: Who would you like to see Pacquiao fight next?
RM: Well, on a personal basis, I?d like to see him finish this thing with Juan Manuel Marquez. I don?t know if that?s the direction that they?re moving in. I kind of don?t think so. It sounds to me like they are moving more in the direction of Shane Mosley. But personally, I went to the first two fights, and I broadcast both of the two fights, and I think that in my opinion, you know, when I totaled up my scorecards at the end of each of those fights, I had Juan Manuel Marquez winning each fight by one point. I think there are a lot of people who think that Marquez won at least one of those fights. To me (Pacquiao vs. Marquez 3) makes sense. Now, I don?t count nickels and dimes, so I don?t know what Pacquiao?s advisors are looking at in terms of money, or what promoter Bob Arum is looking at. They seem to think, from what I?ve read and heard that Mosley would be the biggest revenue generator as far as an opponent is concerned. But strictly from a boxing standpoint, I?d like to see Marquez and Pacquiao get in the ring for a third time because even if you don?t think Marquez won at least one of the fights, there?s no disputing the fact that they were extremely close, extremely exciting and they were intense battles. Every great fighter seems to have that one guy out there who kind of confounds him a little, even if he can beat him. Muhammad Ali, for example, might be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, but he never could figure out Ken Norton. They had three fights, and they were all pretty tight, and for me, Juan Manuel Marquez, for whatever reason, has those kinds of stylistic idiosyncrasies that seem to give Manny Pacquiao a heck of a time. I think everybody would love it if they met for a third time. It makes a lot of sense from the sport?s standpoint, and from the competitive standpoint, but again, maybe financial sense works in Mosley?s favor.
LS: Who are some up and coming boxers who are going to be great for the future of the sport?
RM: Well, Juanma Lopez, to me, is a completely emerging superstar. I see him being a really powerful champion for years to come. He?s exciting, he?s charismatic and I think he?s got everything going for him. He is my top up and comer that I think is just a can?t-miss guy. His fights are always exciting. They generally end within the distance, and he?s a little bit vulnerable. (laughs)
LS: Yeah. That?s part of what makes him exciting.
RM: That makes it exciting too, but you know, that?s what made Corrales exciting. A little bit vulnerable? Might get dropped? You?re holding your breath with every punch. So for me, the superstar of the future right now looks to be Juanma Lopez. I think Nonito Donaire is not too far behind in that regard. I think Nonito?s got a lot going for him. I don?t know if you saw the pay-per-view show that we did last week in Anaheim, but he was a pretty spectacular winner ? stopping his opponent (Volodymyr Sydorenko) in four rounds. He?s just kind of got the look. As he?s getting older, he?s handling these assignments easier. He?s getting bigger, and his rises up the divisions do not seem to be either, one: slowing him down, or two: taking away from his power. Those two guys are kind of the top guys on my radar right now. Also, I want to see this fight with Amir Khan and Maidana because if Amir Khan, if he wins this and comes through on this, he might be a guy who enters into that kind of echelon as well.
LS: Absolutely. Khan is going to try to prove to a lot of people that he has a good enough chin to keep it up.
RM: Well, I think if Maidana hits him, it will test his chin. That little guy can bang. (laughs)
LS: (laughs) You?re right about that. Tell the readers where they can hear your show, and your commentating.
RM: Well, unfortunately I had to give up the radio show, The Neutral Corner, after its eleven-year run because I took on the Top Rank Live boxing series. But, here in America, boxing fans can hear my commentary on Fox Sports Net TV ? Barry Tompkins and myself calling the fights. Those are on Saturday nights. We also do fights that are taped. We do one fight a month that?s live on Fox Sports Net, and then we do two other fights a month that are taped, and air various places and times, depending on who?s got games in whatever regions because it?s a regional network. You have to check your guide to see when those fights are coming on.
LS: I want to thank you for taking the time to talk with me, and again, congratulations on your award.
RM: Thank you very much. It means a lot to me. It?s not very often that people who are in boxing get honored by those that are outside of boxing. Sometimes we honor our own, but to have the Sportscasters Association in Las Angeles bring me into the Sportscasters Hall of Fame was quite a shock for me, and I?m very happy, and a little bit stunned about it, but I?ll take it. (laughs)
