“We’re trying to make Manny that rock star”…”There’s no fighter as quick as me”…”you will be thinking about retiring when I am done with you”…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!
“We felt there was an advantage for the fact that CBS has an audience base of over 100 Million [viewers]. We feel it’s worth a chance and worth the change, because we’re trying to make Manny that rock star……that crossover star. In order to do that, we need to get him exposure outside of the hardcore boxing fan.” – Michael Koncz on Manny Pacquiao coming to Showtime/CBS
Perspective: The more we hear about this channel shift, the more we realize there’s more to it than we’ll probably ever know. An underground buzz maintains that HBO was finally fed up with the level of opposition chosen by Team Pacquiao and finally said “the buck stops here!” Others have stated (in accordance with Team Pacquiao) that it’s simply the best move to be made for the best chance of growth.
It’s hard to say what’s fact from fiction, and unless you were behind the lines, you’ll probably never know. But, what we do know is this: Yes, CBS is the ultimate wildcard for Showtime, as they do open doors which lead to over 100 Million living rooms across America, which has to be a plus. However, the X-Factor here comes in the fact that it’s not as simple as having availability to these households, as anyone can reach the doorstep, yet not everyone will enter!
In order to truly appeal to the viewers in this 100 Million plus households, Arum and Team Pacquiao will have to do something that they haven’t done. Moments after the Pacquiao/Margarito showdown, when prompted, I responded in saying that there is “only one fight left in the sport for Manny Pacquiao, and that’s Floyd Mayweather Jr.”
Unfortunately for Team Pacquiao, most of the world feels this way too. Shane Mosley is an incredible talent and future Hall-of-Famer, but truth be told, PPV #’s in the past have never really supported his greatness, so if the hardcore fight fans have never really shelled out to see him in record numbers when he was in his prime, what’s gonna change with a new market of non-hardcore fans with him well beyond it?
Even the great Manny Pacquiao won’t be enough to carry this card to the record PPV #’s it probably deserves. And this is no knock on the two men. It’s simply acknowledging the fact that we have one of the most storied men in the history of the sport facing an oldie-but-goodie, rather than the man the world truly wants to see him face.
The sad part is that this particular matchup will be far more entertaining, but in the end, it’s hype that sells fights, not efforts to make men “cross over appeals” at the expense of someone with one foot in and one foot out of the sport. 2+2 equals 4 all day long. Numbers don’t lie, and on May 7th, only few will buy!
“There’s no fighter as quick as me! That’s a fact! Floyd, Manny Pacquiao, anyone!” – Amir Khan on his speed
Perspective: An old adage has it that “ego can often breed confidence, and that confidence can typically breed success.” For a young lion on the rise, there’s no greater attribute than confidence. In the case of Amir Khan, however, it seems more and more that such a blessing could also one day serve as a curse.
Only a few years ago, we saw the torn and mentally battered Amir Khan leave the ring humbled by Colombian Breidis Prescott. Since then, the career path of the two men went in vastly different directions as Prescott fell under the radar and Khan rebuilt an image which now plays well above the rim.
Literally overnight, it seems Khan took a spark of confidence (instilled by trainer Freddie Roach) and somehow created an uncontained wildfire which rages out of control, as evidenced by such a statement. The true point of contention is not so much the words themselves, but the truth, or lack thereof, found within them.
At the end of the day, Khan has shown great strides of progress, but the reality is that he has yet to defeat the best of his own class, so the recent verbal slants at today’s monumental figures such as Pacquiao and Mayweather are not only a bit premature, but in many respects, disrespectful.
Team Pacquiao opened the door to Khan to serve as an inspiration, but in light of the continuous statements about him (Khan) being “better”, one has to wonder how soon will this welcome become worn out?
A victory over the Bradley/Alexander winner could potentially bring Khan closer to what he feels is his ultimate destiny against either Mayweather or Pacquiao. Sounds good in theory, but as another old adage states: “be careful what you ask for…….you just might get it”!
“I have been watching all of your fights the past two months. You are punch drunk. You can’t take a punch anymore, and I will retire you. Like (Antonio) Margarito after the (Manny) Pacquiao fight, you will be thinking about retiring when I am done with you.” – Ricardo Mayorga on Miguel Cotto
Perspective: Ricardo Mayorga has always been known for his theatrics, and every time you see him, they get wilder and wilder. For the longest, he was perceived as simply another lunatic with the spotlight, but somehow I get the impression that this particular script could be far more intriguing.
If I can add a little humor, in an odd way, I’m beginning to see Mayorga (in this particular fight) a bit like ‘crazy Ralph’ from the old-school horror movie “Friday the 13th.” Many horror fanatics probably remember this half-drunk character who frequently popped up out of nowhere when you least expected him, saying things that no one believed until it was too late!
As much as we laugh at the cigar-smoking, anger-provoking Nicaraguan, a deeper look into his words provide more truth than half the people out there that write about him!
None of us can deny, Miguel Cotto of today isn’t the pre-Margarito Miguel Cotto. And the post-Margarito Miguel Cotto has been stripped of any confidence that did remain in the pre-Manny Pacquiao era.
The X-Factor here is Emanuel Steward, but really, how much can anyone on the outside of the ring do when highly reminiscent bombs start landing ‘cross the chin inside the ring?
I would like to think that similar to ‘crazy Ralph’, Mayorga will meet an unexpected end on this particular night. But truth is, I’m not so sure!
This is one of those odd matchups where you don’t know what to expect until it happens. No one can deny that Cotto has far less in the tank than he once did. Perhaps the million dollar question is “will whatever he has left be enough to get him across the finish line?” Can’t wait to find out!
