“At 126, I think right now, it’s a little too much for him”…”I’m not going to be like the history of Roy Jones”…”Every time he’s up to bat, he’s swingin’ for the home run”…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!
“I think at 118lbs, he would dominate, and perhaps he can do the same at 122lbs; but at 126, I think right now, it’s a little too much for him. Not only against me, but against Gamboa and against Salido. So far, he’s never felt a blow from a man 126 pounds. It’s not the same. Right now, I think he’s not ready (for featherweight).” – Juan Manuel Lopez on Nonito Donaire
Perspective: Short answer is….well…..he could be right! Nonito Donaire is the latest in the sport to take the world by storm, but as great as he is, and as talented as he is, a logical mind can’t help but wonder if we’re lighting the celebratory candles a bit too quickly!
For quite some time now, I’ve touted the ability of Donaire, even going as far as saying that I find him to be more fundamentally sound than congressman Manny Pacquiao, which is true; however, he simply hasn’t evolved enough to genuinely state that he truly is at the level some would like you to believe he is.
In the case of Manny Pacquiao, we saw how his evolution took place over the course of many years. We saw the KO losses and we saw him rise back up. We saw the Morales loss and we saw him rise back up.
But every step of the way, whether you saw the setbacks or not, what you literally couldn’t miss was his seed-to-harvest evolution, and the finished product has been a masterpiece. Many will quickly state that Donaire is on the same level, which is actually unfair to the young rising stud, because it adds an early and very false sense of pressure that he can simply do without!
There’s a very popular tribute to countryman Manny Pacquiao on Youtube boasting the Biblical verse of Matthews 23:12, which states “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, yet he who humbles himself shall be exalted”.
Donaire has aptly “humbled” himself, yet many around him seem to be inclined to “exalt” him prematurely. No question, he will one day sit atop the throne, but if we “exalt” him this soon, there’s only one ending possible and it could very well be “humbling”!
Every nature has its course….my wisdom says let his take its own….not the one we want to write! His day too shall come, but only when God says it’s time! Just a little somethin’ to think about!
“When I feel laziness in myself, and I’m trying to be lazy in training and jogging, maybe that’s the time to quit. I’m not going to be like the history of Roy Jones. Before, he beat his opponents easily. Then he was beaten, retired, and came back. I don’t want to allow anyone to beat me. If the time comes and I’m not excited anymore, then I will rethink my retirement.” – Manny Pacquiao on knowing when to end his career
Perspective: When you look at the respective careers of boxers around the globe, some are good and some are bad, but the one common ground that they all share is the fact that very few know when to say when. The good have too much heart to stop, and the bad have too much pride to accept their reality. In the case of Pacquiao, it’s easy to say that he’ll step away when it’s time to step away, but truth be known, perhaps that time has already come!
Pacquiao’s argument seems to center around leaving when he begins to feel “laziness in training,” but another major possibility is not so much one man’s lack of commitment to winning, but rather entering the ring against an opponent whose commitment just happens to be greater on that given night.
When you look at legendary figures such as Roy Jones, Manny Pacquiao, and Erik Morales, the thing that made them legendary is the very thing that prevent some from wanting to keep them in that status; that thing is “heart”.
The heart of a champion can be both a blessing and a curse, propelling one to uncharted heights one night, and miserable depths the next! Pacquiao may not feel “lazy” in his training, but standing across from him pretty soon will be a man by the name of Shane Mosley who lives a very different life. Pacquiao is being celebrated at every turn.
Such a life pales in comparison to a man who has seen his world shattered amidst old steroid allegations and a bitter divorce, as well as questions surrounding his ability to perform in his older age. When you look at this particular backdrop, is it really hard to imagine one man being just a little hungrier than the other?
In the media room following Pacquiao’s victory over Margarito, during a live interview (which can be found on Youtube) I stated that “there’s only one fight out there for Pacquiao” and basically everything else was a waste of time and simply another way to line his pockets. This type of dangerous fight is precisely why I made that statement. The world is essentially preparing for a showdown between two men that may never happen.
I’m not a betting man, but I bet you’d better think twice before believing those 7-to-1 odds! An unhappy man is an unpredictable man. Mosley isn’t too happy about losing the spotlight. Can we REALLY predict what he’s gonna do next? Just somethin’ to think about!
“Every time he’s up to bat, he’s swingin’ for the home run and you never know when he’s gonna hit one…..we don’t wanna be that particular night that he hits one! So, we plan to come prepared.” – Emanuel Steward on Ricardo Mayorga
Perspective: The words of legendary trainer Emanuel Steward could have never been any more accurate. In the wild and crazy career of Ricardo Mayorga we’ve seen him honed in enough to soundly defeat the late great Vernon Forrest (RIP), and we’ve seen him flat enough to get flattened by competition that was far less of a risk.
Truth is, you never know what to expect from someone like Mayorga, and because of this, it’s wise that Steward will bring Cotto “prepared” for anything. In a Mayorga fight, “anything” means “anything”! An elbow here, a punch behind the back there! All of these antics come with the territory in a Mayorga fight, but so do rapid combinations and powershots that you never saw coming.
Both Oscar Dela Hoya and Shane Mosley agreed in separate conversations that Mayorga has very little skill level, yet his power was enough to move them at almost every connect, which kept them out of rhythm as a result of a constant need to reset their position.
With Margarito looming in the backdrop for a potential Summer showdown in New York Giants stadium, this type of matchup is precisely what the doctor ordered (in terms of preparing Cotto for the style), but a bad night at the office could permanently halt any interest in such a fight.
In a recent interview with Steward at the Heavyweight Factory Gym in Hollywood, Florida, I addressed the very low reward in comparison to the relatively high risk, and simply asked him “why (Mayorga)?” In the end of this segment I part with the same question…..why? A loss in this fight could mean a turning point for his entire career. A victory won’t provide comparable compensation. Is it really worth it? If things don’t go according to plan, it’ll be something they wish they took the time to think about!
(Vivek Wallace can also be reached at [email protected], Youtube (VIVEK1251), Twitter (VIVEKWALLACE747), Skype (VITO-BOXING), Facbook, and Myspace)
