This week’s bag of bile and pockets of praise features Manny Pacquiao, who apparently is from the Philippines and is a good boxer, the Pac-Man’s rematch with Barrera, Arturo Gatti’s most recent opponent is rubbished plus we talk Green v Mundine and much more…
DAMGAARD WAS A JOKE OPPONENT FOR GATTI
First Name : Tony Last Name : Galindez Country : USA Your Question : No wonder H.B.O is second to SHO. Did you hear the Lamp Man try and sell the dane as a Legit opponent? Then he says Gatti will get a shot before Floyd which is terrible. Gatti is great against the club fighters but when he stepped up he got smashed. When is H.B.O going to start televising good fights and stop pushing Gatti and Taylor? (Vs. Soliman are you serious?)
CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Hi Tony. To be honest I genuinely thought that Thomas Damgaard was a good opponent and fancied him for the upset. I had seen the Dane live a few times and thought that he may just be too fresh for the shop worn Gatti. For the record I agree Arturo Gatti looks good against good club fighter material but not the very best of the division.
ANT EVANS ANSWERS: I am with Clive, I though Damgaard was a fine opponent for Gatti’s first match against a genuine welter. Remember, a lot of people thought Gatti was shot after his last fight and, bottom line, is that it was a good fight. And why shouldn’t HBO ‘push’ an undefeated, popular, undisputed middleweight champion?
PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Tony, I get your point, but I think we need to make a distinction between ‘good fights’ and the ‘best boxers’. Many people will agree that Arturo Gatti, because of his style, has more of a chance of being in ‘great’ fights. But that doesn’t mean he is one of the great boxers today. In my opinion, Floyd Mayweather Jr is the best boxer today, but that doesn’t mean he will be in ‘great’ fights either. HBO is in the business of entertainment and ratings. The fact is, Gatti sells. Mayweather, despite his obvious superior talents, does not. Of course, I agree with you, lets see the best boxers against the very best. But there will always be room for Arturo Gatti on television. My fellow editors may drop the ‘bias’ label on me, but after his performance against Winky Wright, I think Sam Soliman would give Jermain Taylor a lot of trouble. Wright is one of the best boxers in the world today and Sam’s volume punching made him work like he hasn’t in a long time. If you look at the ease with which Winky beat Trinidad and Mosley, Soliman was a revelation. Sam Soliman, in some ways like Gatti, makes for entertaining fights and that’s why the crowd at Wright-Soliman was booing the decision after the result.
PATRICK KEHOE ANSWERS: Well Tony, Gatti may not be a world beater any longer, but he’s been one of the undisputed champs of boxing when you look at the most exciting figures in the sport… and HBO love the guts and glory and gonged and gory nature of Arturo Gatti… which you undoubtedly know… Gatti with a legitimate win under his belt can – almost – pick his opponent… that’s the status he still holds as an economic force in boxing… with all of his flaws, all of his losses, the fans love the guy and pay to watch him… that’s boxing’s essential bottom line.
**** BARRERA WILL GET SMASHED BY PAC-MAN First Name : neil Last Name : sho Country : United Kingdom Your Question : Great site guys….I’m always excited when posting!!. Pac-Man v BarreraII is a fight i dont want to see again. as a huge MAB fan, i think he’ll get beaten up quite badly which would tarnish his legacy. MAB should leave the beating of Pac-Man to the likes of Marquez who obviously has the measure of him. Judah, oh Judah what can one say? One of my previous posts iterated that if this guy could forget about hype, image, bravado and instead focus on his art and heart he could be somebody to reckon with. I’m a fan and i hate to admit that if the fight against PBF is made, I’ll be watching from under a blanket cos it could be a thorough schooling and possibly the end for ZJ. I know i spoke of a scenario that sees ZJ beating PBF – but i saw some of PBF fights again this weekend especially against Gatti (who could propably beat ZJ) and the thought of seeing him in the ring against ZJ sent shivers down my spine. Is there anything that can be done to prevent this fight going ahead?
ANT EVANS ANSWERS: If – if – Marco beats Chavez next time out then he will have to fight Manny again or people will be asking him why he refused to have the rematch with the Pac-Man until the day he dies.
And, sorry to say, if Judah running like a woman for six rounds against Baldomir didn’t stop King, Arum and HBO from making the Mayweather fight there’s precious little you or I can do about this rubbish match-up.
CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Hi Neil. No, this fight is all but nailed on. For me Mayweather Jr is a big favourite. Zab is a nice boxer but lacks the necessary physical strength. Mayweather vs Judah may not be a big fight now but by the time promoters King and Arum and mega mouths Mayweather and Judah have finished talking they will have all of us thinking we are about to witness the greatest fight of the decade.
PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Pacquiao-Barrera II is one fight I definitely want to see in 2006 Neil. The question for me is, whether Manny has Marco’s number, or whether Marco just had an off night in their first fight? It is natural fight to be made, but Barrera won’t have it easy against Jesus Chavez in March either first. It has been an interesting series of fights involving Barrera, Pacquiao and Erik Morales. If Barrera-Pacquiao II doesn’t happen, I for one will be disappointed. As for Judah, it seems he is in for a very tough night against Mayweather and it could be a real car crash for him. But in another way, the pressure is now on Floyd because everyone expects him to take out Zab easy. If Mayweather doesn’t beat Judah as handily as Tszyu or Baldomir did, where does that leave the boxer many consider to be the pound for pound best?
PATRICK KEHOE ANSWERS: Neil, I am of the opinion that Marco MUST fight Pacquiao precisely because he lost the first fight and Pac-Man is the survivor against the great Morales… MAB cannot be called the best of this generation if he can’t down Pacquiao… Morales toasted Junior Jones busted up Barrera and he beat Pacquiao the first time… so Barrera’s got some proving to do… he’s in tough against Chavez though… Judah WANTS this fight and so does Floyd… this is a bad blood match-up with the two fighters having total disdain for each other… talk about two guys who want to prove something against each other…
**** GREEN v MUNDINE
First Name : david Last Name : downes Country : United Kingdom Your Question : I’ve been reading about the Aussie fight with Green and Mundine. I havn’t really seen much of these guys actually in action although I’ve read a lot about the rivalry over the last 12 months on this site. I believe Mundine is the favourite but Green seems to have the better boxing background. It would be good to hear what the experts think will happen in this one
CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: I think this is a great domestic fight between two very good pros. I cannot be sure because I’m not Australian but at a guess this is the most eagerly awaited clash between two Australians for a very long time. After all they are the two biggest names in Aussie boxing. What do you think Mr Upham?
PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Down here in Australia, Mundine is a betting favourite, but if you asked a lot of boxing fans, many would pick Green to win. Those picking Mundine to win say that his speed, movement and boxing skills will see him as too much for Green to handle and winning on points. Mundine fans point to Green’s second loss to Markus Beyer as evidence of this. Those picking Green to win say that his power and punching combinations will hurt Mundine and see him winning by knockout. Green fans point to Mundine’s knockout loss to Sven Ottke and him hitting the canvas against Yoshinori Nishizawa and Manny Siaca as evidence to this.
I think it is a great match-up and I can make a case for either man winning. In terms of hype, this will be the biggest fight in Australia for many, many years, It is being held outdoors in a football arena and the expectations are for a crowd over 40,000. I’m tipping Green to win on points, but I am also expecting a very close fight. It should be a great night for boxing.
PATRICK KEHOE ANSWERS: Well, Paul Upham is our Australian expert but I can tell you if Green has anything left he’s going to give Mundine a wicked fight… when Green was at his peek as in his hiding of Canuck Erik Lucas, he was a force… Mundine is quick and moves very well but he’s got the same problem his dad had, loads of talent but a suspect set of whiskers…
If Green can crowd him and get in somer serious exchanges, it won’t take Sugar Ray Robinson’s left hook against Gene Fullmer to stop Mundine… that’s for sure… a lot will be told during training… if Green committed 100% he’s going to be a nightmare for Mundine…
ANT EVANS ANSWERS: I’d love to be there for this one, with 40,000 fans expected. I think Mundine on points. I know getting KO’d by Ottke is embarrassing, but getting outboxed by Beyer is worse!
**** CONTENDER CONFUSION First Name : Alex Last Name : Pacey Country : Australia Your Question : Having moved to this stony outcrop a year ago, I am only now seeing “The Contender”. I have to say I’m impressed, but also a little confused. Some of the fighters are being talked about as “No. 3 ranked middleweight in the world” in the case of Peter Manfredo. I can’t find any of the guys in the rankings – am I losing my mind or it because of the delay in broadcasting it over here?
CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Hi Alex. No your not losing your mind. The broadcasters tried their very best to convince anyone that would listen that the best middleweights in the word were competing on the Contender series. The truth is, with all due respect, we were watching no more than fringe title contenders at the very best. With the best will in the world none of the boxers in The Contender series is ever likely to fair in the genuine world middleweight title shake up.
PATRICK KEHOE ANSWERS: Peter Manfredo, a year and a half ago, was a rising, undefeated middleweight contender, but that’s about it… he might have been #3 on someone’s rankings but in all seriousness he was never the third ranked middleweight, not in this dimension of time and space… No, Alex, you are not losing your mind!
ANT EVANS ANSWERS: I think I know which alternative universe that was in, too. It was the one where James Toney is a Noble Peace Prize winner and Boxingtalk’s editor is Poet Laureates!
**** GIVE PAC-MAN HIS CREDIT
First Name : Viel Mervic Last Name : Nuestro Country : Philippines Your Question : as maybe some boxing analysts are concerned, why do they consider the “winning” fights of Pac to be just luck? or by “off nights” of his opponents should i say? does it mean that every bout where Pac wins and dominate and clearly KNOCK his foes, will be just excuses for the other fighter?
i’m a boxing fan, and i’ve reviewed Pac’s fights, Barrera’s and Erik’s too. in the best fights of barrera or morales, their condition back then was’t SO different from the bout where they lost to Pac. maybe age was a factor, still that’s not an excuse. when morales won over pacquiao, and when barrera won over morales, they didn’t say “i’m OLDer that’s why i defeated him”, the analysts didn’t argue with that! man, give Pacman a credit! these mexican greats haven’t found a slugger and fighter who could defy their prowess until Pac showed up, and now just like in the movie, their making barrera or morales the hero who sometimes fall!unlike in the movies, this is boxing ladies and gentlemen! boxers here are already heroes! aren’t you sick and tired of some analysts saying those craps and excuses for barrera or morales? If they think Pac is just lucky then convince the two ‘greats’ if they were to call them (and if they are courageous enough), to fight the Pacman. and consider this, I think Barrera, Pacquiao, and Morales are the three epitome of what boxing is all about. So what i’m trying to say… stop excusing your men and give credit to the winner, whether it’s barrera, morales or pacquiao, since these 3 are the greats.
PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: You make some good points. I don’t think anyone is intentionally trying to diminish the impact of Pacquiao’s wins. While his win over Barrera and rematch win over Morales were very impressive, his draw with Marquez and his first fight points loss to Morales did hurt his reputation somewhat when it comes to measuring the best boxer in the world pound for pound. That then leads to people looking at the other side of the coin when he beat Barrera and Morales, as to what was wrong with them, instead of immediately declaring how great Pacquiao is. If Pacquiao were to beat Barrera again and then win a rematch with Marquez, for me, that would certainly ensure his status as one of the greats today.
PATRICK KEHOE ANSWERS: VM, truly Pacquiao deserves all the credit and applause a great champion deserves… we are only now putting into perspective Manny’s career, which is still unfolding… I totally agree with you about the Barrera knockout; he wasn’t given the kind of credit he deserved… in fact until Barrera steps up and takes on Pacquiao in a second fight, I think that’s a major blot on Barrera’s slate… and Pacquiao has proven his greatness with his two monster knockouts of Barrera and Morales, there’s no question about it… cheers to Manny!
***** ITV AND SKY TV IN UK
First Name : Declan Last Name : Cronin Country : United Kingdom Your Question : Hi guys! Just wanted to ask what you thought of ITV’s boxing coverage so far? Personally, I’m not really enjoying it. I know it’s great to have boxing back on terrestrial TV but Sky’s coverage was so much better I thought. ITV only show one or two fights when Sky used to show most of the undercard as well (time permitting) and the whole business of Barry McGuigan and Duke McKenzie debating is plain embarrassing! I miss seeing the young fighters on the big Frank Warren bills. Maybe it’s a trade-off to have boxing back on ITV. what are your thoughts?
CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Very good question Declan. Personally I do not like ITV’s coverage or Sky’s for that matter. I believe they very much see their respective boxers through rose tinted glasses. Lets be honest most genuine boxing fans know what they are looking at and know full well that most of these boxers on ITV and Sky are nowhere near as talented as the so experts would have you believe. Over the last few years how many have gone on to win genuine world titles?
ANT EVANS ANSWERS: I enjoy Sky’s programming and not just because I used to work on it, years ago. I think Ian Darke and Jim Watt are the best announcing team on the planet. I think Sky’s production values are almost always first-rate.
However, that being said, I cannot take Johnny Nelson seriously in the role of analysis. The worst most boring fighter just shouldn’t be able to pass comment on the likes of Barrera, Morales or even Clinton Woods, who apparently doesn’t impress Mr Nelson despite his fellow Sheffield achieving more in his one year reign as IBF champion as Nelson has in his entire career.
I think the Warren/ITV link is still finding its feet. Obviously, Warren wants more shows to feature his British level boxers and ITV wants as many Williams/Harrison ‘big ones’ as it can. I think things will settle down soon, and we hear ITV may be adding a weekly magazine show on ITV4.
However, they need to overhaul their production, which is rubbish. In December ITV never once showed replay Danny Williams falling to the canvas and twisting his ankle, despite it the obviousness of his distress for the next 10 rounds. In fact, they are big on replays, period, and that is unacceptable in 2006.
And – absolutely – that ‘Fighting Talk’ spot with McGuigan and McKenzie is just awful. “It is Amir’s speed that is so special” “Yes, the kid has it all” “What he done was so fast” “Yes, the kid is so fast” “He has it all” “The kid has it all” – hahahaha.
