What’s wrong with Mosley”…”He lies about everything”…””Tim fought a guy with a trumped record”…all recent comments made by some of the biggest names in the sport. Looking back at this week’s key quotes of note, Boxing Scribe Vivek Wallace offers his own unique perspective, giving fight fans “a little something to think about”. Check it out!
“What’s wrong with Mosley? Mosley is a very talented fighter who has power in both hands. I mean, when you look at it, Manny has taken on larger opponents ever since Oscar De La Hoya, and it has taken a toll at times. Mosley damn near knocked out Floyd Mayweather jr. I think that during rounds one through five, Mosley is a very, very dangerous opponent.” – Michael Koncz on Team Pacquiao’s decision to face Shane Mosley
Perspective: To be one of the most amazingly talented men to ever grace the sport, Manny Pacquiao certainly hasn’t shown the same potential when it comes to picking the right team to guide his career.
Most of the strife encountered by Pacquiao has come due in part to poor management decisions, and this statement highlights a number of those errors. Example: Koncz says “Manny has taken on larger opponents ever since Oscar De La Hoya and it has taken a toll at times”.
Not a very intelligent thing to say when you consider that Andre Berto is a smaller welterweight and Juan Manuel Marquez is virtually a lifetime lightweight!
If facing “larger opponents” is the core issue, why go after a former jr. middleweight when you have two available candidates ready and willing, one who happens to be a Mexican that would have loved to sit center stage the weekend of Cinco De Mayo, which happens to be the weekend of Pacquiao’s next scheduled fight?
Secondly, Koncz says: “I think during rounds one through five, Mosley is a very, very dangerous opponent”. Call me crazy, but if you’re trying to sell the public on the notion that your man only faces the best, it probably isn’t a great idea to point out the fact that you just put him in against a man that can’t go the distance.
Again, in the end analysis, no matter how great Pacquiao looks inside the ring, this type of repeated P.R. blunder certainly raises questions about him outside of it.
To bring it all full circle, you have to ask yourself would a fighter who has been little short of amazing his entire career suddenly find himself surrounded by questions had his stubborn P.R. team not forced him to start his now infamous “say-no-to-drug (testing)” campaign? Just a little something to think about…….
“He lies about everything. People should stop believing his bullshit. He’s gonna retire because he says he has a great legacy? What legacy? Who has he beaten?” – Wladimir Klitschko on David Haye
Perspective: In an era of the sport where “legacy” is said to be the guiding light which drives the “good” to be “great” and the “great” to be the “best”, one can’t help but analyze how much of a “legacy” any of the three men at the center of this debate truly have.
Earlier this week, I posted a question on my FaceBook account about this situation which clarified my position, and ultimately, may help clarify yours as well.
And I quote:
“David Haye says the K-Bros need him to cement their legacies, while the K-Bros say Haye needs them to cement his. I think they need each other and here’s why…..When we define other Hall-of-Fame fighters, we can definitively say _____ beat _____ and _____ which is why most believe he deserves to be a Hall-of-Famer. Who could you really insert in those blanks to cement the legacy argument of either Haye or the K-Bros at this current time?”
Vitali’s best fight was a loss to Lewis. Some will say Wladimir stood the test of time, but critics remind us that his dominance took place during the weakest point in time (for the division).
Haye unified the cruiserweight division, but most would be hard-pressed to name 3 people he defeated there without the aid of Boxrec.com; And as a heavyweight, his “Sr. Tour” resume, in the minds of most, leaves quite a bit to be desired.
So, you have to ask yourself what has any of the three men done to truly cement their legacy as sure Hall-of-Famers? It was one mans question, but like many things in life, the truth comes when you apply it to everyone! Just a little something to think about…….
“Let’s talk about both guys’ last opponents (since you brought it up). Devon’s opponent, Kotelnik, has credentials and accomplishments. What accomplishments did Abregu have? Devon fought a guy with accomplishments who was a former Olympic Silver Medalist and former world championship. Tim fought a guy with a trumped record with no accomplishments.” – Kevin Cunningham (Devon Alexander’s Trainer)
Perspective: Leading up to the highly anticipated showdown between jr. welterweight Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley, it seems the court of public opinion has come to a verdict, and the general consensus seems to lean towards Timothy Bradley.
Not too long ago that consensus was different, however, within recent months that all changed.
The point Cunningham spoke of in his excerpt is one that I’ve raised quite a few times myself, and it basically comes down to an age old adage that has been around the sport from day one……”Styles make fights”!
Few seem to remember that Kotelnik was an Olympic medalist with great skill, and the only person to ever truly make him look less than stellar was a man whose size and style (Khan) was all wrong for the set of attributes Kotelnik brings to the table.
Abregu was a solid puncher, but a come straight ahead fighter like him who was also a great puncher failed to go the distance against Alexander only a few months prior (Urango). Again, “Styles make fights”.
In the end, this isn’t to say that Alexander will defeat Bradley, or that it’ll be an easy night for him, but it is to say that “styles make fights”.
Alexander has faced Bradley’s type. Can Bradley handle his type? Remember, “Styles make fights”! Again, just a little something to think about……..
(Vivek Wallace can also be reached at [email protected], Youtube (VIVEK1251), Twitter (VIVEKWALLACE747), Skype (VITO-BOXING), Facbook, and Myspace)
[EDITOR’S NOTE: FightHype would like to welcome the very talented Vivek Wallace to the team.]
