This weekend, we will see Manny Pacquiao return to the ring against the unheralded challenger, Oscar Larios. This is one of those bouts that seem like a foregone conclusion, but this is boxing and as Larry Merchant always says: It is the theater of the unexpected. This is a very important bout for the Pacman and it is one that he can lose if he doesn?t take the challenge seriously. When and if the Pacman wins, the future is very bright with many key challengers awaiting a shot. He is one of the money makers in boxing. He puts people in the seats and boxing is a cash sport, which places Pacquiao in a very good position. All of that will be in jeopardy should he lose to Oscar Larios.
So, welcome to everyone and this is the Thursday Pac Sack, where it is all Manny Pacquiao, all of the time. As you can tell, this is my first mailbag of the week. Due to technical difficulties, the hump day version of the bag will be pushed to Sunday, which is now fun-day because of my glorious bag. It will be a weekend of fun, fun, fun, until your daddy takes your computer away?if your dad is that big of a jerk. This week, like last week, was a very good one and I believe that this version of the RSR mailbag will be around for a long, long, time. I am still debating whether or not to rent the upcoming Pac fight. I heard that it was 40 bucks. If it were 20, I would probably put my hard earned money down, but 40 bucks? That?s a little steep, especially since the wife and I are trying to save money. It?s that ?just in case? fund that usually is entitled ?vacation fund,? but with two cars and a house, you know and something is bound to go wrong. I remember a time when the wife and I were going to go to Las Vegas and we had the money all set, we had our tee shirts that said ?Viva Las Vegas? on, but the day that we went to go and purchase the tickets my 1997 Chevy Corsica would not start. We spent close to 800 smackers to get it going again and Las Vegas was postponed.
So, we eventually made it to the ?City of Sin? and even got married there. Our marriage is official in Massachusetts too. I thought that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Shouldn?t I only be officially married in Las Vegas? Isn?t my wife out of her jurisdiction? I know that I am rambling a bit, but I am a rambling man?well, I got one other thing to talk about before I begin answering questions. In the Philippines are there telemarketers? I was trying to sleep this morning after a very late night at work? Well, I got three calls that continued to interrupt my sleep. One was a call to add some things to my Verizon cell phone, just in case I wasn?t paying enough already. The second was for a Police Man?s charity. They?re not getting a dime from me after all the speeding tickets that they have wrongfully sent my way. If they spent more time arresting criminals and less time haggling over 10 miles over the limit with a good guy like me, there would be less crime. Finally, I get a call from one of my credit cards that I completely paid off. I paid them in full, but they called me because I owe $2.11 in some sort of closing the account charge. So, three interruptions to my sleep and I was not pleased. I apologize for the non-boxing related venting, but I?m a boxing guy, so isn?t anything that I say, technically boxing related? I think so too.
PACMAN PPV
Geno,
I found your article very an exciting read. Especially your article on HBO’s trashy pay per view(Geno?s Boxing Corner). Specifically those PPVs of over-the-hill fighters like Hopkins, Tarver, Vargas, Mosley, etc, etc. But I found your comment on the PacMan vs. Larios fight very generous.
Honestly, that match also doesn’t deserve a PPV status. Should have been a HBO’s Boxing-After-Dark kind of thing. But you know what? I just bought or subscribed to that PPV simply because of the PacMan!
Well, I am a PacMan fan and still think that this fight shouldn’t have a PPV at all but I am still willing to shelve Can $40 just to watch the PacMan. I will keep on reading your good articles. More power to you…
Arnulfo Cruz
Arnulfo,
I really see it as an unfortunate thing that HBO and Golden Boy Promotions insist that every card with even a somewhat recognizable name makes its way onto PPV. In this day and age, with the economy not being the best and some people barely making it by, for the bigwigs that control the game to say: ?We want you to subscribe to HBO for the best in boxing for the last 30 years or so, but every fight that is remotely interesting will be placed on PPV.? I pay about 100 bucks for this ?MVP Pack? from my cable provider and I get something like 10 HBOs, and 10 Starz, and the Movie Channels and so on and so forth. I get those medical channels where you can watch a woman give birth if that is your thing. I can watch the goriest horror film, but keep those medical channels away from me.
Now, if I am such an ?MVP,? shouldn?t I get those PPV fights included in the deal? I have seen so many commercials showing what happens to guys that steal cable, but I am tempted. Isn?t it theft to trick the casual boxing fan into thinking that Hopkins-Tarver is going to be exciting? It is false advertisement when everyone and their uncle knew that it was a turd to begin with. So Boxing is still the only sport that does the PPV thing and I can understand it once in a while. When HBO and Showtime got together for the Lewis-Tyson bout, or the De La Hoya-Trinidad affair. Fine, I will pay the 50 dollars. But you want to charge me the same for Barrera-Fana? Thanks, but no thanks. HBO can shove that PPV up their?. I won?t say it because I am a gentleman.
I am happy that you enjoyed ?Geno?s Boxing Corner,? and that you didn?t mind my ranting and raving about pay per screws. They are nickel and diming us to death people!!!
PAC VS. VALERO
Geno,
Pitting E. Valero versus PACMAN next year is a high risk-low reward proposition. Average boxing fans don’t know who Valero is because he has not had any exposure on PPV.
Valero has to climb up the ranks just like Manny and make a name for himself so that at the right point in time this fight can become a mega money blockbuster for all concerned.
Primo
Primo,
You are one hundred percent correct. At this time, it is way too soon to put Valero in there with the Pacman, but the excitement is building. It?s a buzz?and where there is a buzz, the honey pot is around the corner and Valero will probably emerge as a very big star. He is brining that KO punch with him and that is what sells tickets. It is very hard for a guy without a big punch to be a ticket seller. You never saw Paul Spadafora selling out arenas?he put me to sleep every time.
So, you?re 100% right. Are you cool with that? If this were an exam, I would give you a gold star for sure?or a happy face?or some coupons to McDonalds, but since this is only a mailbag, you will have to be satisfied with a ?good going dude!?
NICKNAME OR MISTAKE
Hello Genny,
This is a first for me in your distinguished forum. What do you think is the foremost change/ improvement that Manny needs? Daghang Salamat
Gary
Gary,
I have never been called ?Genny? before, and I have to assume that it is a typo, or a possible new nickname. Okay, I welcome you aboard. Now, onto the question? I think that there isn?t much that Manny needs to improve on. He?s got one hell of a trainer in Freddie Roach and has started using the right hook and body attack, which were criticisms that I have had in the past about his performances. So, I think that the 2nd Morales bout, we saw the best of the Pacman and if he maintains that level, he is going to be very hard to beat. I wouldn?t change a thing at this point. Daghang Salamat right back! I know that Salamat means thank you, but Daghang?I?m not sure? I hope that it?s not dirty. When a guy calls me ?Genny,? I worry?
MISCALCULATION
Geno,
Hello sir and good day to you. I?ve been reading this site for months now and I came to liking it. You’re really a guru. Anyways, my question is: Why if there?s a miscalculation some of the decisions change and some not? Like Barrera versus Juarez and Pacman versus JMM? What is your opinion on that? Hope the guru will have a reasonable answer
Fallen Demon
Fallen Demon,
Can a demon be a ?fallen demon?? I don?t mean any disrespect, but they are in hell, right and if they fall, it won?t really be that far?more like a trip. I understand that a fallen angel has fallen from heaven?up in the sky and onto earth or hell or wherever. Point is he fell downward. Now, if you were ?Fallen Demon off Trampoline,? it would make a world of sense because you can fall off of a trampoline.
I might be wrong here, but I think that the JMM vs. Pacman judge admitted error in judgment on a round or two, which would have made the difference in the fight as opposed to the addition being incorrect as it was for the Juarez-MAB bout. It is like a court case. If you find a person innocent and then say after that you made the wrong decision, they are going to tell you to sit on it. So the judge that recanted his decision cannot change the end result, regardless. I thought that the Pacman won the bout and in the end, the draw didn?t hurt his career. Whenever you see the highlights of that bout, you see JMM hitting the canvas three times and most people realize that the bout was declared a draw, but Pacman got the best of it. So, I think that we are talking about apples and oranges or bananas and grapes if you prefer those fruits. One had to do with addition and the other had to do with a change of heart.
THE PAC SACK
Geno,
Is this going to be every Thursday now? Good. It will somehow quench the thirst for a Manny Pacquiao news item.
Mike
Mike,
You can bet your bloomers that every Thursday, the ?Pac Sack? version of Geno?s Boxing Mailbag will be released. I came to the decision that the amount of questions and comments that I was receiving about Manny Pacquiao were so many that it merited it?s own bag and I?m glad that I separated it, although Geno?s Boxing Mailbag: The Saturday Edition will have some of the overflow of Pacman questions. So, keep reading all three mailbags and Geno?s Boxing Corner. I heard that that was pretty good too.
THE MAJESTIC CHRONICLES
Good Day Geno!
Since I started watching the fights of Manny Pacquiao, I did fall in love with boxing. So, PacMan gets me excited every time he fights on the canvas… yes it’s truly electrifying experience?he is my Man!
He is also a good representative/ambassador from the Philippines huh.
My question is “When he reach the age 30, do you think he had the same power to fight?? I just want your opinion/analysis towards him or any boxer who reached the age 30.
Thank you very much and may God Bless You & your family as well.
Mike
Mike,
Unfortunately, as time goes on, the great boxers that have that timing and reflexes begin to gradually lose it. Roy Jones, JR., is a good example of a big puncher that relied heavily on his reflexes and when he began to creep over 30 years in age, he began to lose some of the greatness that had brought him that far. Mike Tyson is another example. The power is the last thing to leave a boxer, but Pacman doesn?t rely solely on his power. He has timing like Felix Trinidad did. It wasn?t always the punch. It was the timing and placement of that punch. Should that begin to dwindle, Manny may be in for some defeats, but he 27 right now and in the prime of his career. I think that he will be able to maintain this level for at least 5 more years, but once he begins to get beyond 34, you will probably see a decline in his performance. He?s only human and boxing is a cruel game. Very few great fighters leave the game with a string of victories.
Thanks for the blessings my friend and likewise.
WORDS FROM WINSTON
Geno,
The reason why you got a lot of responses from Filipinos is because your site or most specifically, your comments are posted on the PACLAND website. Well you have to give credit to that. I guessed you have to post the PACLAND site too in your column just to get even, lol. But with due respect, I think that the reason why a lot of Filipinos love your write-up is because you are very appreciative.
You never got to their nerves yet for them to freak out. You have a very intelligent write-up and you always answer them in a more diplomatic way. That’s the reason why a lot of them are offering you a seat to the Presidency, lol. Well I’m a Filipino too. But my level of understanding and patience is always fair especially in sports. I do welcome constructive criticism. Everyone has the right to express his opinion. That?s what democracy is all about. The real essence of sport by the word itself (“SPORT”), is to be humble. Win triumphantly and accept the agony of defeat.
I remember one time when Pedro Fernandez of ringtalk.com posted in his site some negative comments and criticism about Pacman before. His column was bombarded by lots of hate emails and his site was flooded by lots of bad mouthing comments from the Filipino readers. One way or another it made his site so more popular too, lol. Here in the Philippines, majority of the fans are too much in idolizing a person. And if you are a popular celebrity or sportsman, then you can easily win an election provided that there are no cheating. And Pacman can easily win an election even for the Presidency based on his tremendous popularity.
But sorry to say that I will not vote for him in any public office that he may run because I always select my choice based on qualification and knowledge in running public office and I don?t bite on popularity. But I admit though that I’m a Pacman die hard fan.
Expect a lot of politician to climb the ring again after Pacman wins his fight against Larios. These monkey politicians always want to share limelight. They don?t even care if they are being booed. How I wish to see you Geno climb to the ring after Pacman wins. I?m sure you will not be booed instead you will be the most applauded one simply because you won the heart of many Filipinos. But Geno, please do post some negative feedback and criticism in your site. Make it more balance. Believe me it will add more color and make your site more popular, lol.
Thanks for reading my novel. It’s just only part one of many things to come.
WINSTON
Winston,
How are you doing my friend? The Philippines is not the only place that would put people into office based on popularity. We have the ?Terminator? as the Governor of California, and we just voted him in because he was Arnold. He turned out to be quite the idiot and is completely out of touch. He called the unemployed that were complaining about the job market: ?Girly Men,? but this is coming from a billionaire. He has no idea what the market is like because he is so rich. Gasoline being $3.50 a gallon doesn?t matter to him. It could be $500.00 a gallon and he?d still tell everyone to quit bitching. He makes great movies, but that?s where it ends.
To be honest Winston, every email that I get, good or bad, goes up in my mailbag. I haven?t got any bad ones in a long time. There was this one guy that told me to get ?more smarter? and I tore into him, and I think that has made many people weary of sending me a nasty email. I wrote an article about Ricky Hatton a while back and got some nasty emails, but my people came to my defense and beat them all off. I couldn?t beat them all off myself. So, what you see is what you get, Winston. Feel free to email me a nasty email. You could say: ?Geno?s Boxing Corner, more like Idiot?s Boxing Crapper.? It needs work, but you get the point. I can only put up what I get my friend. I have known other writers to create letters to themselves and then answer it and I just can?t do that. Honesty is the best policy?for sure!
Politicians are basically worthless. They are some of the biggest liars on the planet and when you get a guy that has access to all that money and power, he?s bound to start thinking selfishly. I love the movie ?Bulworth? with Warren Beatty. It gets you behind the scenes and shows you in a comical way what the politicians are all about. I also love the Daily Show on Comedy Central. I don?t know if you get any of this over there in the Philippines, but if you do, you know what I?m talking about?
I would love to climb into the ring and have the crowd erupt in applause. It would be much better than when I attend a family get together and get kicked out because they can?t handle my sense of humor. It?s a party, isn?t it? They wouldn?t know a party if it kicked them in the grapes.
I?m glad that you?re coming back Winston?I enjoyed your comments.
GENO, EXPLAIN YOURSELF!
Hey Geno,
Thanks for doing this.
You said that don’t be misled by the performance of Barrios against Nagy. Why do you say that?
What do you think will happen in PACMAN – BARRIOS bout?
Thanks man,
Vhob
Vhob,
You are quite welcome my friend. When I said ?Don?t be misled by the win over Nagy,? I was stating that Barrios did not defeat a world class opponent. Nagy could fight a little, but he didn?t belong in the ring with a guy that could punch like Barrios. It was really a showcase fight for him and he went in there and plowed over his opponent as he was supposed to do. Records can be padded and you are only as good as the opposition that you have faced and defeated. Look at Peter McNeeley. The guy couldn?t really box, and he wasn?t much of a fighter, but he accumulated over thirty wins because he found people that knew less about the sport than he does. That is an accomplishment in and of it self. So, don?t be misled by records. They are often manipulated.
I would pick Pacman to find that suspect chin of Barrios? sooner or later in that bout. Barrios is being pushed because of his personality and power, and they are downplaying that he does not take the best punch in the world. They will build him up to a payday or two and then he will fade away.
POUND FOR POUND
Hey Geno,
Congratulations on the successful mailbag! We at the PACLAND love your column. My question is: Since there has been many matches this year already like PBF vs. Zab, Winky vs. Taylor etc. Can you give us your top 10 pound for pound list and why they are on that list. Thanks Man! RSR Rocks!
POGISAM
Pogisam,
There will be an article released in the near future that I did, stating my picks for the top 12 Pound for Pound best in the game and why. So, I will give you my top 10 out of that 12, but you will have to read my upcoming article to find out all of the specifics. Okay, here we go?
1.Floyd Mayweather, JR.
2.Manny Pacquiao
3.Jermain Taylor
4.Winky Wright
5.Joe Calzaghe
6.Ricky Hatton
7.Diego Corrales
8.Antonio Margarito
9.Marco Antonio Barrera
10.Miguel Cotto
That is my top 10 right now, although MAB is hanging by a thread. I expect him to lose to Rocky Juarez in the rematch. Thank you for the mad props and RSR does Rock! I also want to say that Pacland and the Pacfans are the bomb!
GREAT MAN
Hello there great man Geno!!!
It is my 3rd email for your mailbag and I just want to thank you for believing on Manny and the rest of Pinoy boxers out there who wants to prove the world that Filipinos are also one of the greatest little fighters in the world…thank you for giving Pinoy a big time on your mailbag…
You?re just simply…great…what do you think? Is the Philippines reaching the golden era on boxing?
Thanks
Joara
Joara,
How are you doing? Thank you very much for the compliment and I am a fan of Manny Pacquiao, and I try to keep an eye on the entire world of boxing and the Philippines is coming on strong for sure. With Ray Bautista, Malcolm Tunacao, Z Gorres, and the Pacquiao brothers, it is probably fair to say that the Philippines are putting out a good product to take on the world of boxing. I am happy to see you back Joara?keep reading and writing my friend!
SPARRING SESSION
Geno,
Hey, now I know that Manny is going to kick Larios?s ass because he?s sparring with guys bigger than him at 135- 140 and Larios is sparring with guys smaller than him 122 pounds?.he?s dead
Rjay
Rjay,
Great to hear from you as usual. I would call him ?Dead Meat? but my grandfather would never forgive me?hits too close to home. I won?t go into it any more than that because I respect my gramps. The Pacman is a 7-1 favorite to win and I think that that is about right. I certainly expect him to win this thing in 3 rounds. I think that there will be a celebration in the Philippines for sure.
Okay, Pacfans?if you didn?t get your fill, or even if you did, tune in on Saturday and Sunday when the rest of the mailbag will be unleashed on the public. Saturday?s bag is where anything goes. Saturday is when Geno Bambino goes crazy and all sorts of questions are answered. So I will see you on the weekend my friends and don?t forget to check out our message board.
