Hello people and welcome once again to the RSR mailbag, where I attempt to answer all of your questions. This week, as usual, the questions and comments were fantastic. As Arsenio would say, back in the day, they made me go “HMMM.” I think that Aresenio Hall was the first man in Hollywood to give the world a hummer and I’m pleased to bring it back. Has Arsenio ever done anything that was remotely amusing? He was in “Coming to America,” but he wasn’t good in that, and do you remember when he made a rap CD under the name Chunky A? I guess it was supposed to be funny, but it wasn’t…far from it in my opinion.
I watched the replay of De La Hoya vs. Mayorga and did you notice how Larry Merchant and Jim Lampley were double-teaming poor Emanuel Steward? During the broadcast, Steward was stating his opinion that De La Hoya didn’t look great and that Mayorga was carefully selected because of his shortcomings in the ring. Now, as we know, De La Hoya is Lampley’s favorite fighter and nobody’s going to talk smack about him when he’s around, but Larry Merchant joined in too. I was in agreement with Steward, although I thought that it was an impressive win and a dangerous opponent, but I wouldn’t have jumped down his throat the way that the HBO Duo did. I guarantee you that during the round break, when there was a moment of silence, Lampley told Steward to “shut the F up.” Maybe not, but in the last round, Steward changed his tune and conformed a bit. Was it peer pressure? Was he threatened? I don’t know, but I have never seen an argument like that before on HBO.
Now before I begin answering questions, I want to give big props to Floyd Patterson, the former first 2-time Heavyweight Champion of the World. Unfortunately, he passed away this week and I want to give my condolences to his family and to say that it was a big loss to the boxing world. In his prime, he was incredibly quick and talented and had all the heart in the world. At one time, Cus D’Amato was refusing to allow his champion, Patterson, face the #1 contender, Sonny Liston due to the mob ties and criminal record, but Patterson demanded the bout. He wasn’t satisfied just having the title. He wanted to defend against the best and if he lost, so be it. He was a true champion and gentleman and I am a big fan of his, both as a person and a fighter.
RUBBER MATCH
Geno,
GREAT SITE!!! I love it. You are definitely one of the brighter boxing minds out there and I appreciate what you offer us by way of articles and input.
I was wondering what you think of the War To Settle The Score June 3rd? Who do you like and why?
I am going with Corrales on this one. To be honest I picked Corrales on the first two, and just think he will pull it out this time. I think since Castillo has to make weight this time (as opposed to his last two fights) that it will take more out of him than it has Corrales, who has been making that weight for some time. In my humble “couch” expert opinion, I think Goosen is going to have him try to box on the outside with a stiff fast jab until he can get a little deeper in the rounds and take Castillo out. BUT my main concern is that Corrales is a warrior and I think when the bell rings, all strategy will be out the window and he will want to go to war…
What do you think and who are you picking in the epic trilogy?
Thank you for your time,
Mr. Sweet Science
Mr. Sweet Science,
I am happy that you enjoy the site and I appreciate the props. I have been using the term “props” a lot lately because I don’t want to seem older. I’m 31 years young and certain terms seem to age you, if you know what I mean. For instance, if I were to say: “cool beans,” people would snicker because it is way out of date. In order to stay young, you must think young, and that’s why I appreciate the mad props. If I had any advice for people my age, I would tell them to keep up on the modern day slang because if you’re repeating lines from “Wayne’s World” and saying: “cool beans,” you will not be taken seriously.
Okay, on to business. I am picking Jose Luis Castillo big time in this one, although I am a huge Diego Corrales fan. No matter what adjustments are made, Corrales has this one flaw that cannot be fixed. He is susceptible to left hooks as proven in his PBF bout and the two Castillo matches. The game plan for the more durable Castillo has to be to go left hook crazy. Every time that he is on the inside, expect to see that short left hook being thrown. I think that despite the weight in the rematch, Castillo realized the error in his ways and was probably kicking himself for not throwing the left hook in the first bout as much as he should. The added pounds may have helped to keep Corrales on his back and out of the fight, but it doesn’t change the fact that “Chico” has a blind spot and he hasn’t been able to fix it as of yet, so I don’t think that we will see a miracle and a defensive win in the rubber match. Rubber match…who came up with that term?
SUPERMAN RETURNS
Geno,
That was a nice fight report and great fight. Jose just in my humble opinion fought the best and won the biggest fight of his life against Garcia. Who do you think he should fight next? With him being 33, there can’t be much left but it would be nice to see him go out with some money.
Who do think wins with Tarver vs Hopkins? Why is this a PPV?
Bob
Bob,
That night in Worcester was fantastic. The crowd of five thousand, or so were so loud and supportive of Rivera that it must have been intimidating for Garcia. I remember when I was a youngster and I was all set to fight this fat kid…he was really fat. Well, when I went to face him, he had brought several of his friends to root him on and that was intimidating, but I scored a big win just like Rivera did (Note: I actually lost badly). As for future opponents, I would like to see him get the big payday against a De La Hoya, Mosley, or Vargas, but they are going to find other things to do. Rivera, as great as he is, isn’t that well known and without the public demand, the big names will probably not give him the chance. I would like to see him face the winner of the Vernon Forrest-Ike Quartey bout. That would make sense all the way around.
Hopkins and Tarver facing each other on PPV is absurd. “The Magic Man” can’t sell. He has a chance to prove me wrong here, but I don’t think that the public has ever warmed up to him because his style just isn’t exciting. Bernard Hopkins is doing this for the money regardless of this “place in history” spin that HBO is putting on it. “He wants to do what Sugar Ray Robinson wasn’t able to do.” When I heard that I wanted to puke in my suit. Hopkins was a great fighter for certain, but he is in it for himself, just as much as RJJ. Ray Robinson fought often and against the best because he wanted to be the best, not have the biggest bank account. The comparison to sell the fight is disgusting because it is a lie. Throwing a fifty dollar price tag on this garbage fight is a slap in the face of every boxing fan, and I hope that it bombs, which it most likely will. As for my prediction, I am going with Tarver by UD. Insomniacs are the only people that I suggest should rent this one because you are going to be cured.
I WANT A HARD ONE
Geno,
Hey Geno, really love your site! If your mailbag were a forum, I would have spent 24 hours a day here!
Can you come up with a top-ten list of the top hard-hitting boxers of all time at any weight division? I just think that it’s a nice topic to think of. More power!
Dan
Dan,
I’m happy that you dig the site and we try hard to bring you the reader the best. We don’t conduct interviews with boxers, asking the same five questions to each and every one and then place a monthly price tag on it. Who starts an interview with “what’s good?” I want to see the new Pope interviewed and the first question has to be: What’s good? I’m sorry…it’s a pet peeve of mine. When I go to a site that advertises an interview and not one good question is asked, I get offended, especially when boxing fans are emptying their wallets to read some of this garbage. If you are going to charge, let’s come up with something better than “what’s good,” okay?
Top ten list of punchers, in no particular order here my friend.
1. Mike Tyson: A devastating puncher with either hand that was a real menace when he was in his prime and terrified almost everyone he faced.
2. George Foreman: The Punching Preacher destroyed the toughest guys out there because he hit that hard. Ken Norton and Joe Frazier were left in a heap and he nearly launched Gerry Cooney into orbit with an uppercut. What a puncher!
3. Thomas Hearns: What other fighter can say that they leveled Roberto Duran? He utterly destroyed him, which is amazing to me, and then for him to move up to cruiserweight and carry the punch with him shows just how powerful he truly is.
4. Lennox Lewis: Hasim Rahman’s head had to be retrieved from the tenth row and re-attached after their rematch. The Lion was a huge puncher and when he was on his game, he would dispatch of his opposition before that final bell. He was clearly avoided by Riddick Bowe who knew about the powerful Brit.
5. Earnie Shavers: One of the best punchers ever to live and if his chin and stamina matched his punch, he would have never lost.
6. Joe Louis: He had a jab that was as powerful as the right cross of many fighters and his right hand was a wrecking ball that destroyed whatever it hit.
7. Sonny Liston: He was another great jabber with enormous power in his punches. Liston was also very feared and with good reason. He would punish whomever he faced.
8. Julian Jackson: Although his chin wasn’t the greatest in the world, he delivered a knockout punch like no other.
9. John Mugabi: The dreaded beast of boxing ran over everyone until he faced the iron-chinned Marvin Hagler. He had scary power even as he got up there in years.
10. Edwin Rosario: He was the man that forever changed the career of Hector Camacho, SR. with his powerful right hand. Camacho was never the same after feeling that power.
Okay, Dan, there’s my list. That is what’s good.
MAN VS. MACHINE
Hi Geno,
I just like to know your pick for the upcoming fight between Anthony Mundine and Danny Green in Australia. Also, do you think speed is more important than power for a boxer?
V Man
V Man,
I think that speed is more important because speed beats power, but timing will tell the tale. I know that I speak a lot about timing, and some people just don’t get it, but a slower guy can catch a speedster if he can time them well. Cus D’Amato was able to hit a prime Ali, which shocked “The Greatest.” Ali went on to ask Cus’s secret and he said: “timing.”
Okay, for my prediction. I am picking Green by late TKO over Mundine. It’s a pretty even contest and I wouldn’t be surprised if Mundine pulls it out, but how can you vote against a man known as “machine?” I love that nickname.
THE HAWK AND THE PITTSBURGH KID
Hey man, what’s up? Do you have an issue? Can you really afford viagra? Did you know that rabbits prefer to live in tiny holes dug up in the ground? What’s up man?
I like that. What’s up, hey you: What’s up? It’s a very uppy type of question, you know, like everything’s going up. It’s like asking Lennox “Annie” Lewis how he felt after getting knocked the f#@k out by Hasim “One Punch Wonder” Rahman. Hey Annie, what’s up? What you doing on the canvas man? See any rabbits in there? Ok, enough of that.
I’m just wondering what happened to Aaron Pryor? I heard he was supposed to be the best but didn’t quite reach his potential. Also , what ever happened to Paul “Spaddy ” Spadafora . I heard he’s in jail. How would he have done in today’s lightweight picture?
Thanks man. Keep it uppity-up. If you cant do it for yourself, do it for them rabbits.
Jan Michael
Jan Michael,
What’s up? What’s up! Not much. I’m just chilling and doing the mailbag. Do I have an issue? I have many issues, but I care not to discuss them. This bag isn’t about me anyway. It’s about the RSR readers who ring in with their questions. Can I really afford Viagra? No. With the gas prices, I cannot afford much. I want to create a car that runs on something other than gasoline…perhaps it could run on Viagra. I can’t believe that they want three dollars a gallon for gas. What is this country coming to? People, this week, we need to ban together and hit the oil companies where it counts. If we don’t use any gas for just one week, they will lower the prices and we will win. So, starting now, you must either use a pogo stick or unicycle to go to work and don’t forget to use hand signals when you change lanes on the highway. If you do that, we got them…WE GOT THEM!!!!
When you call Lennox Lewis: “Annie,” are you referring to Little Orphan Annie? Lennox is ten feet taller than Annie and a good three feet taller than Daddy Warbucks. Do you remember in the movie when Warbucks said: “I wanted a boy!” Where was Dateline when we needed them? Did you see when they got these child molesters that were looking for love on line from little kids? Dateline will hopefully keep it up. Candid Camera has nothing on them. I don’t know why Lennox Lewis doesn’t get the respect that he deserves. He was fantastic! Match any of the all time greats against him and he will meet, match, and probably beat the majority.
Aaron Pryor. Here is what my boss, “Bad” Brad Berkwitt said: “Aaron is clean and sober now for many years…. He is happily married living in Cincinnati, Ohio and is a Deacon in his church. He also still works with boxers.” Pryor was ducked by many because he was just that good. He had a mix of speed and power and would never quit. He knocked out the great Alexis Arguello twice and would have been a handful for “Sugar” Ray Leonard. He did let his personal demons get the best of him, but he has his life together now and I’m happy to see it.
Paul Spadafora I was never impressed with despite his undefeated record. He isn’t in the same league as PBF, and would not stay undefeated if he moved beyond the Angel Manfredy’s of the world. As far as I know, he is still in jail. He has had nothing, but trouble with the law, ranging from attempted murder, and alcohol and drug abuse. He even attempted suicide at one time and thankfully failed, but he is a tragic story.
I will keep it “uppity up,” but there’s no reason for it…I’m married. Do it for the rabbits? What the hell does that mean? Every morning, my backyard is full of rabbits that eat my grass and live peacefully. Outside of the occasional piles of rabbit turds, I welcome their presence. If you are referring to my fuzzy guests in the morning, I will gladly do anything for them. If I could just get about fifty more, I would never have to mow my lawn.
TOP 20 FIGHTS OF ALL TIME?
Geno,
Just wondering if you had seens ESPN Classic’s Top 20 fights of all time list a few weeks back. This is the list which is not in order because apparently ESPN’s website is embarrassed about their pathetic list so I had to find it somewhere else, which is why it is not in order.
Jack Dempsey-Luis ‘Angel’ Firpo — Sept. 14, 1923
Gene Tunney-Jack Dempsey (II) — Sept. 22, 1927
Joe Louis-Max Schmeling (II) — June 22, 1938
Joe Louis-Billy Conn (I) — June 18, 1941
Tony Zale-Rocky Graziano (I and II) — Sept. 27, 1946 and July 16, 1947
Willie Pep-Sandy Saddler (II) — Feb. 11, 1949
Sugar Ray Robinson-Jake LaMotta (VI) — Feb. 14, 1951
Rocky Marciano-Jersey Joe Walcott (I) — Sept. 23, 1952
Carmen Basilio-Tony DeMarco (I and II) — June 10, 1955 and Nov. 30, 1955
Archie Moore-Yvon Durelle (I) — Dec. 10, 1958
Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier (I) — March 8, 1971
Muhammad Ali-George Foreman — Oct. 30, 1974
Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier (III) — Oct. 1, 1975
George Foreman-Ron Lyle — Jan. 24, 1976
Larry Holmes-Ken Norton — June 9, 1978
Sugar Ray Leonard-Tommy Hearns (I) — Sept. 16, 1981
Aaron Pryor-Alexis Arguello (I) — Nov. 12, 1982
Marvin Hagler-Tommy Hearns — April 15, 1985
Evander Holyfield-Riddick Bowe (I) — Nov. 13, 1992
Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo — May 7, 2005
A requirement to be on this list apparently is ESPN has to have the right to the fight film. I think 18 of the 20 fights they do. Notable obvious misses… Gatti-Ward, Barrera-Morales, Tyson-Douglas, Hagler-Mugabi…they only have one fight listed that takes place after 1994. What a horrible list…what do you think?
Jon
Jon,
Without question, Tyson-Douglas belonged on the list because of its impact on boxing. Nobody thought that Tyson could lose and when he was knocked out, everyone was shocked. We could probably knock Bowe-Holyfield off of the list. It was a great fight, but it is not one of the greatest of all time, I don’t think. What about Foreman-Moorer? That was a huge moment in boxing history. I do think that there is a motivation for ESPN to place fights they own on the list so they can run a program concerning the greatest fights of all time. Also, you have to remember that ESPN owns a huge amount of fights…HUGE! So, I don’t know if that was a huge factor going into making the list, but it probably had some affect.
GENO, GIVE ME SOME SUGAR
Geno,
Did Sugar Ray win 6 world titles, as opposed to successfully defending the titles? I believe he won and retained welterweight title until he left the division. Who did he beat for the title?
Did he win middleweight title 5 separate times and who and when did he win against?
Did he attempt to fight at Light heavy or Cruiserweight and again who did he fight?
Gerald
Gerald,
He defeated Tommy Bell for the Welterweight Title on December 20, 1946. He retained the title and moved up to middleweight, where he would hold the title five times. He would win it against: Carl Olson, Jake Lamotta, Randy Turpin, Gene Fullmer, and Carmen Basilio.
He moved up to light heavyweight and challenged Joey Maxim, but the heat of the arena was far too much for him and he wasn’t able to answer the bell in the fourteenth round. He was well ahead on the cards at the time of the stoppage.
JUST A COMMENT
Geno,
Keep answering because your answers are, in my view, forthright and balanced. r> Mike
Mike,
Thank you very much for the props. I try my best and I appreciate the recognition. Keep reading my friend.
A WEIGHTY ISSUE
Geno,
I was wondering what your thoughts are on the current weigh in system…I made a thread about it, but would like to ask you directly.
Do you think boxers should have to weigh-in the day of or even a few hours before a fight to be sure they actually are in the division of which they are fighting, or do you have no problem with the current system, which allows boxers to put on anywhere from 10-20lbs from the time they make weight, and when they actually fight?
Thank you for your time,
Mr. Sweet Science
Mr. Sweet Science,
I first want to thank you for your support and contributions to our message board. Stick with us bro! I do think that boxers should weigh in the day of the fight because of the disparity that can sometimes lead to horrible results. Remember Joey Gamache when he faced Arturo Gatti? That was horrible and disgusting. The weight limits are there for a reason, but too many people manipulate them. Sure, there is the concern that a fighter that sweats off all that weight the day off the fight may put himself at more risk, but there’s going to be risk no matter what. This is a sport where people hit other people as hard as they can…IN THE HEAD! There will always be safety issues with this sport, but I think that we can fix some of them by going old school, and doing the weigh ins the day of the fight.
THE PAC SACK
Geno,
This is my second question to you. Thanks. I was wondering what you think about Larios because he’s saying Pacquiao is underestimating him but he’s the one who’s talking so much. Calling Manny a name like “chubby face” is going to get him knocked out. He’s doing what Mayorga did to De La Hoya, but he’s the one who got knocked out after talking a lot of sh%t.
My second question: I haven’t seen Larios fight. Is he really that of a good fighter? Is he better than EM and MAB?
The third and final question: Is it possible for Pacman to move up to 135 next year and fight other big name in 135 and 2 years from now go to 140 and fight Hatton. Thank you, Geno. I hope that I get a response from the expert.
Rjay
Rjay,
Welcome back! I don’t think that calling Pacman: “Chubby face” isn’t nearly as bad as what Mayorga was saying. The perfect response to that is: “Here’s your chubby,” but I don’t think that Manny said that. Boxing is a game where you are supposed to say things against your opponent to boost the gate and it makes it more interesting. When two good fighters battle, it’s great, but when there’s bad blood, it’s that much better. Larios is playing the game and he may as well run off at the mouth while he can because he is the heavy underdog going into this bout, and will most likely be disposed of quickly.
Larios is not as good as EM or MAB. He’s gutsy and has a lot of heart, but he isn’t a huge puncher and doesn’t have the best chin in the world either. Pacman should win this one big time. You can bet your chubby on it.
Lastly, I don’t like the idea of Manny moving up and especially moving up to fight a guy like Hatton. The Pacman should stay where he is and dominate, although a bout with Diego Corrales would be fun. Take care and thanks for the “expert” label. You are an expert and recognizing experts in my opinion.
Geno,
Pacman has been skipping training and has been hard headed and big headed as well. You see he did not listen to Roach anymore when he visits the Philippines last May 2 and persuade him to train in LA. He’s been doing a lot of commercial and T.V. appearances and so forth. In your expert opinion, do you think this will be the start of his crumbling boxing career? Does Chololo have what it takes to capitalize on this?
El Kantutero
El Kantutero,
Any time that a boxer at the top of his game begins to take things lightly and doesn’t train the way that he should, his game will slip as it has been shown in the past with fighters like Mike Tyson. Larios has the heart and ambition to pull out an upset if Pacman comes in out of shape and underestimating him. If Pacman doesn’t take the sport seriously, he will lose his place on the P4P list for sure. I hope that the reports about sub-par conditioning aren’t true. Pacman is one of the most exciting fighters in the game, and I want to see him do his best.
Geno,
It’s me again Geno. Yes, I agree with your statement about HBO guy protecting their fighter: “This is our guy. Support our guy. Say good things about our guy.” The feeling is they’re over protecting their fighter to the extent that they become unprofessional? They’re great and well respected, no doubt about it, but I wonder like that when Erik hit hard even just throwing a single jab Jim Lampley screams at the top of his voice. And what they always notice on Manny’s part are his weaknesses. During the fight Emanuel Steward keeps mentioning Manny’s balance. In round 7 or 8 when EM is fading he concluded that it is also because of the rough fight that he has been in. As if no credit was given to Pacquaio. Is it something to do with respect? I think HBO commentators with the exception of Larry Merchant deserve this description.
Thanks! God bless and More Power
Reno
Reno,
Welcome back! There is no doubt that there is an agenda that HBO has and there has to be instructions to the commentators to sell the product. Lampley is the cheerleader for HBO, and especially for Oscar De La Hoya, but I also enjoy a lot of his commentary. Emanuel Steward’s observation regarding EM’s past bouts having an effect on his Pacman loss…well, I agree with to a certain extent. The Morales that Pacman defeated was not the same guy that we saw in the first MAB bout, but he was still one tough guy and I can’t think of anyone else that would have stopped him. Pacman definitely has a lot going for him and they could have focused on the good instead of the bad for sure. I don’t think that you can call the commentators unprofessional because they are paid for their opinions on what they see and even though we disagree with it, it is still difficult to call it unprofessional.
Okay, people, I will see you next week. I hope all of our readers Mother’s had a great Mother’s Day this past Sunday.
