Hello and welcome to this week’s RSR Mailbag. This week, I first want to congratulate Jose Antonio Rivera for his WBA Junior Middleweight Championship in a bout that I was able to watch live at the DCU Center. It was amazing. I was impressed once again with the questions that I received. You people are actually putting some thought into it, and challenging me at times. Sure, I have to BS sometimes and cross my fingers, hoping that you bought it. At times, I even know what I’m talking about. So, it evens out.
I saw something funny a couple days ago. I checked out another email bag out of curiosity and to compare. Well, there is this writer that runs his own bag and actually challenges the readers in a physical way. He tells them that he would laugh in their face and choke them with his stockings or whatever he said…I forget. Anyway, I didn’t know what was worse, the people writing in knowing that they are going to get insulted or the writer himself. I surely want to keep this anonymous. So, I had to make a decision. Either challenge everyone that emails me to a fight or try to be constructive. Since I would probably only win 10% of the fights that I demanded and I am banking on a 10% no-show percentage, I went with the latter.
So it will be business as usual people and I am now giving out the “Geno Bambino Question of the Month Award,” to the question that I deem to be the best out of the bunch. It will be awarded at the end of each month. Now, what do you get if you are chosen for this honor? Nothing really, but you could brag about it…right? So, send me your questions and as that old man had said in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: “Choose wisely MF.” I added the “MF” part because it would have made the movie that much better.
So with no further delay, here are your questions and my answers.
HE MUSTA FORGOT
Geno,
RJJ was and I repeat was one of the greats. Why is this fool coming back after getting his butt handed to him by Tarver and Johnson, then just being happy he went 12 with Tarver in the third fight and almost got knocked out again.
Rafael
Rafael,
RJJ is one of the greats and had a great career. He was the light heavyweight division for years and defeated a lot of good fighters. Had his butt handed to him? “Here you go Mr. Jones. Here is your missing ass.” I never understood that saying. I know that there are many crazy sayings out there that really don’t make much sense. Such as “She wouldn’t say poop if she had a mouthful.” I would wager that she would probably say much worse and how did she get the mouthful? This entire “handing the butt” thing bothers me. I’ve been beaten up before, but I have never had my butt handed to me. I am tempted to end this segment right here because I’m so bothered by this phrase. To get back to RJJ’s butt handing…I mean, to get back to RJJ: I think that he should stay retired because his career cannot end well if he maintains this course. I am probably not alone when I say this: I never want to see Jones, JR. have his butt handed to him.
JUST A THOUGHT
Geno,
The more I read your stuff, the more I enjoy it. You interject a terrific sense of humor in your writing in addition to being objective, honest, and calling it like you see it.
Hey, I thought I was the only backyard boxing king around. Maybe we ought to get together and unify the title, but in a neutral back yard, and Murad Muhammad as the promoter is out !!
Anyway, I saw Brian Minto the other night and he, unfortunately is not impressive at all. He simply lacks the skills to take it to the next level. Haven’t seen Tye Fields, but am anxious to see what he’s got. Take care and keep up the good work!
Gary
Gary,
Objective. Honest. Call it the way that I see it. I can’t argue with that, although my constant jabs at Butterbean may rattle that objective thing. I was beaten up once by a big fat slob of a guy and perhaps I was scarred by that and have treated Butterbean unfairly. Why does he wear those American flag trunks? Those colors don’t run, but holy sh*t, do they go on forever. Considering that 70% of our country is overweight, Butterbean probably is a good representative. We could send a picture of him around the world and say: “Yeah, this is us, and?”
Do you understand just how bad I am? I was undefeated at backyard boxing and I took on all challengers (that were over the age of sixty). I remember that right hand that I landed on the chin of old Mr. Deck, my eighty-year old, next door neighbor. Oh, he had a hard time boxing and using a walker at the same time, but he was a good challenge. That was my favorite first round knockout. Wait a minute. Was he even wearing boxing gloves? Did he even know he was boxing? It was a long time ago…never mind.
I think that Brian Minto is a prospect and he’s consistent and consistency is something that the heavyweight division doesn’t have a lot of. He may not be the flashiest, but he has certain skills that will give some of the big names some trouble. There are many fighters that don’t always seem impressive, but are technically sound and surprise us all with an upset win. For instance, Serguei Lyakhovich’s win over Brewster was a major surprise because the “White Wolf” was so unimpressive prior to his WBO challenge. Minto is a better fighter than he seemed to be against Zumbrun, but it is still to be determined whether or not he can excel in the divison.
Tye Fields is huge and has a big punch. He is still a mystery, but he is cutting through his opposition like a hot knife through butter and even though his opponents aren’t the greatest, he is disposing of them a lot quicker than most heavyweight contenders have done. He is a guy to watch.
HOLD ON FOR ONE MORE DAY
Geno,
Raheem looked bad in wrestling with Freitas. Don’t you think rules should be more stringent against clinching the way John Ruiz, W.Klitschko (against Sam Peter), Calzaghe (against Lacy) and Hatton all do?
Noypi
Noypi,
Mills Lane would not put up with John Ruiz’s antics. I remember when he refereed the bout between Henry Akinwande and Lennox Lewis. He actually disqualified Akinwande for excessive holding. He was basically saying: “Snuggle with Lennox on your own time. I came here for boxing, not skinamax.” Holding in boxing is becoming commonplace and isn’t being punished anymore. I blame John Ruiz for this. He has made the boxing establishment so frustrated that they have just thrown up their hands and said: “The hell with it. Let him hug all night! He’s not going to listen to us anyway.”
I didn’t think that Calzaghe and Hatton have held excessively. Sure, Ricky Hatton is a rough guy with a brawling style that isn’t pretty. Ruiz and Raheem when he faced Freitas turn boxing into a farce and drive the casual boxing fan away. Holding is a part of the game, but when it becomes more prominent then the fighting itself, it’s a disservice to the boxing fan. Where is Mills Lane? Is he still doing that horrible People’s Court rip off? He should teach the new referees how to deal with the difficult situations.
One last thing and I know that I’m beating a dead horse here, but Akinwande, if he’s like me, knows what “get it on” means. When Lane screamed: “Let’s get it on,” Akinwande apparently tried and all he was doing was obeying the referee’s commands which his essential in boxing, and he should have never been DQ’d.
KING OF THE RING
Geno,
I’ve watched the fight of these two bums and honestly speaking, this is the worst fight that I have ever seen in my entire life. Too many hugs rather than throwing punches and I suggest that since we always have fight of the year and upset of the year awards, why don’t we have WORST FIGHT OF THE YEAR? This is to alarm those fighters that boxing is a sport where in you have to throw punches. If I were the judge on that Freitas-Raheem fight, I would have disqualified both fighters for being so boring to watch. I think watching nickelodeon is far more entertaining than that fight.
Atong
Atong,
I do RSR’s Year in Review and I usually award a “Worst Fight of the Year” or “Cure for Insomnia” Award. I hate to break this to you my good friend, but judges don’t have the authority to disqualify a fighter. They could, theoretically, run into the ring and hit one of the boxers with a steel chair or possibly cause a disqualification, or more likely, end up in prison where they would fall victim to some hugging of their own. I hate how people complain about what goes on in prison. It’s prison! It’s supposed to be hard! No pun intended.
Nickelodeon…I remember Double Dare with that idiot host that used to plaster the parents of the children on the show with green goop. I have a one-year old son and I would never agree to go on a show where the purpose is to insult and humiliate the parent. “Dad, I need you to go on this show called: kicked in the grapes,” I could picture my son asking and I would never do it. As a parent you have to be careful. Don’t ever go on one of those shows and don’t ever do a talk show. It can never turn out well.
RAY OF JOSE
Geno,
Back in April of 1997 I promoted a double world championship at the Springfield civic center where Jose Antonio Rivera won the IBO Welterweight Title. My question is this how did that title get vacated, and what big money fights do you see Jose Possibly getting?
Michael Mann
Michael,
I was at that card in 1997. It was a great show with the exception of the Ray of Elvis performing for an hour as some pre-fight bonus. All of these fat women that sat next to me were going nuts over this guy and were driving me mad. I think that Elvis was the greatest singer of all time, and this guy did a fair job of impersonating him, although his jumpsuit was a smidge too tight for my taste, but this is boxing. Great job on the card though. To be honest, I have no idea what happened with the IBO Welterweight Title.
I would love to see Jose cash in against a De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, or Fernando Vargas, but I don’t see them taking the risk. I think that the winner of the Ike Quartey-Vernon Forrest would be great and would be a great win for Rivera. Once again, great work on that promotion. You brought boxing to Springfield, Massachusetts and I hope that it happens again. With the current gas prices, I have been getting pumped, if you follow me.
WHATCHA THINK?
Geno,
I was wondering whether you have had a chance to look at Isaac Hlatshwayo (South Africa) in the lightweight division. His recent outing was a victory over Nate Campbell. If you have, I’d like to know how do rate him in the division and what are his chances against the champions?
Thanks and keep well.
Mzukisi Lukhuzo
Mzukisi,
Hlatshwayo is big and skilled and has never lost a bout. He definitely defeated Nate Cambell and although he is not the most exciting fighter in the world, he is consistent in the ring and I would like to see him face Acelino Freitas. He would definitely have a big chance in that fight. I couldn’t see him beating a guy like Corrales though. When you look at his opposition though. There is very little padding. He is fighting exclusively good boxers, which will help him on his way to a title. I like his chances to become a champion. I may be surprised if he doesn’t.
PAC SACK
Geno,
Who, in your opinion, is the best Junior Lightweight in boxing today?
Slappy
Slappy,
Slappy? I never met anyone by the name of “Slappy” before, but I love it. My next son will be named Slappy McGahee. Anyway, there is no question that the Pacman is the best thing going in that division today as proven by his track record. With wins over Morales and Barrera and a great performance over Marquez, it’s tough to justify ranking somebody higher.
Geno,
During the Pacman-Morales 2 showdown, in the 2nd round Manny hit Morales hard on the jaw and almost knocked him down but Morales is wise enough to grip the rope preventing him from going down. What is the ruling there? Can it be counted as a knock down? Again in round 6, same thing happened: Morales managed to use the rope when he was about to fall down. In my viewpoint, it should have been counted as a knock down. I find it vague when Harold Lederman was explaining the rule, disagreeing that it should have been a 10-8 round in favor of Manny. Perhaps, HBO commentators are BIAS. Their inclination for Morales is very obvious.
Reno
Reno,
When a boxer would have fallen down due to a punch, but uses the ropes to stay on his feet, it is a knockdown. Of course, this is up to the referee’s discretion. I think that HBO commentators aren’t necessarily bias, but they are taken aside and told: “This is our guy. Support our guy. Say good things about our guy.” That is why they scream louder when Wladimir Klitschko lands a punch or wins a fight. I’m waiting for the day when Jim Lampley starts dancing after a De La Hoya win, if he hasn’t already. So regardless of bias or bad officiating, Pacman left no doubt in the end.
Geno,
Just want to ask you. How long will still Manny be an icon in boxing? He is now 27 years old. As for your analysis, what is the average boxing age a jr. lightweight will retire? I am a Pacfan and does not mean I want him retire.
Dan
Dan,
The age of 27 is around the peak of a fighter and I see a few more good years for the Pacman. He will probably be on the top of his game for the next 5 or so years, but it’s hard to tell considering just how many wars he’s been in. Many boxers have gotten old early due to outside interferences and ring wars and it’s really anyone’s guess when it will hit the Pacman. I am a fan of his as well and he always brings excitement to the game.
Geno,
What’s up man? I have two questions concerning my idol: Manny “The Legend Killer” Pacquiao.
First, how did Manny develop a world-class chin? Pacman before had a suspect chin. His first loss was via knockout when he was caught on the chin by an ordinary fighter. Now, even the Mexican triumvirate of Morales, Barrera and Marquez had never really damaged Manny when they went for his chin.
Secondly, please give me your expert opinion regarding Pacman’s upcoming bout with Larios. Do you think Chololo could really carry his power and speed as he said despite moving up two divisions for the first time in his career?
Thanks and more power,
Boogie
Boogie,
What’s up? Not much. I bet a man that has an issue and can’t afford Viagra gets very offended at that question. Hey man, what’s up? “You insensitive jerk!” I can’t stand people that say: “the sky,” when asked that question. How the hell is that funny? Then again, there are a lot of lame people out there, and perhaps that is why it is used so much. Look at the facts: people pay to see Carrot Top and he is not remotely funny. His next stop will probably be to host Family Feud. That’s where many of these annoying people go. Why they are popular is beyond me. Have you seen that Home Improvement guy hosting the feud now? It’s painful.
Anything can happen in boxing and ordinary or not, a punch can land and change history. I don’t think that Pacman has ever had a suspect chin. He just got caught one night and has adjusted his style and his focus. If you see the punches coming, you can take them much better and I think that is why Pacman has improved. He sees the punches coming and is motivated to remain on top. Cus D’amato once said: “If a man gets knocked out, it’s because he wanted to,” or something like that. That guy just rambled on and on and on.
Larios doesn’t have much of a chance, unless Pacman completely underestimates him and allows him to score.
Geno,
I have one question for you Geno: Who is the best of these three super featherweight superstar boxers: Manny “the destroyer” “the merciless” “super pacman” Pacquiao or Erik “el terrible” Morales? And what about Marco Antonio “the baby faced assassin” Barrera?
Rommel
Rommel,
I think that you want me to pick Pacquiao. Call me crazy, but when you put three nicknames up there and only gave MAB and EM only one each, it tells me that you are trying to sway me. The best right now has to be the Pacman, but when you talk in terms of all time accomplishments, I would have to say MAB has done more at this time.
Geno,
We know that PAC and MAB will collide again. In your own opinion and forecast, who do you think will win? They say that they will be showing a very different MAB.
Kanor
Kanor,
I forecast rain. LOL. I really didn’t intend that to be funny, but there are some people out there with strange sense of humors that like jokes like that and I want to please everyone. I’m sure that I will receive an email from some guy saying: “What a joke…LOL!” Anyway, there are very few fighters that can come back from a one-sided beating like the one that Pacman gave to MAB. If they meet again, the Pacman takes it, regardless of what Barrera shows up. A late stoppage for Manny.
Geno,
What are your thoughts on PacMan versus Wilfredo Gomez (in his prime)? Thanks a lot and more power!
Crtzjd
Crtzjd,
This is a tough bout to call, but I would go with Gomez. He hit so hard and with Pacman being such an aggressive boxer, I would lean toward the Puerto Rican superstar by a stoppage. More power to you as well.
Geno,
In as much as you have conceded to the fact that Manny Pacquiao is one of the best boxers of this age, I am wondering why he’s still not on the banner of this website? I am a fan, you see.
Frank
Frank,
Our website banner changes from time to time and at one time, the Pacman was right there. I’m sure that he will return one day.
Hey Mr. Geno,
I just wanted to tell you something. I heard that Pacman’s trainer Freddie Roach was saying something about PBF. In the near future Pacman and Floyd will meet in the ring. Is that possible? Do you believe that?
Crasherwiz
Crasherwiz,
It’s possible, but unlikely because of the weight disparity. PBF would be too big and too adjusted at fighting at a higher weight and it would be too much for Pacman. I don’t see it happening.
Geno,
Geno,
How do you think the Pacman will fare against Chris John? Although it wasn’t televised, reports say that Chris John’s win against JMM was not a hometown decision. Was John really that good, judging from his record of 37 wins with 20 KOs, he seems to have some power. Also, he’s about an inch taller than Pacman.
I think that pacman should also consider fighting Injin Chi. This should also be a great fight with Chi going the distance but absorbing and giving lots of punishment. Chi is a tough guy and I don’t thin Pacman can knock him out.
I’d rather see the Pacman fighting other Asian boxers rather than Mexicans. Now that the Pacman has crowd drawing power, he should consider facing other Asian boxers. This will showcase the vast talent of Asian boxer and would be able to shed some rich purses to Asian boxers.
Thanks again
Joji d Pogi
Joji d Pogi,
Chris John would be a good challenge for the Pacman. Anytime when you get an undefeated fighter with many good wins under his belt, he will be a challenge for anyone. I don’t see Chi winning against the Pacman under any circumstances. I don’t care who fights who as long as the fight is good.
Alright people. I’m out! Don’t forget to send your questions and comments my way and guess what: I will answer them, and please don’t use all caps. Anyway, take care and I’ll see you next week.
