Hello and welcome to the special Friday edition to the RSR Boxing Mailbag, hosted by me, Geno McGahee. I was thinking of odd sayings that we have here in the good ole U.S.A. The saying: ?Everything happens for a reason,? cannot be applied to every situation. For instance, if I walked up to a random person and kicked them in the grapes, the saying would probably just rub salt in the wound. I wonder if I could use that as a defense. ?Your honor, my client is innocent because everything happens for a reason.? ?Case dismissed!? Oh, that would be heavenly. How can you prevent something that happens for a reason? Don?t mind me, sometimes I just sit around and think and that saying came to mind. You will have to bare with me people?
Shannon ?The Cannon? Briggs is getting his title shot against Wladimir ?Dr. Steel Hammer? Klitschko. It should be an interesting match and considering the weak chin of Wlad, Briggs has a chance. I don?t know if that chance extends beyond the second round, but on November 11th, we will find out. I am slightly excited about this bout, and I am not surprised. The acceptance of this bout by Team Klitschko really shows the lack of confidence that they have in their man. I know that Wlad can fight, but I don?t believe that he has the ability to sustain. I believe that he is damaged goods and will lose if he?s up against a man that can take his punch and is aggressive.
Okay, movie review: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). This movie came out the year that I was born and is in my opinion the greatest horror film of all time. There has to be something to that. I?m a horror film maker/fan and the greatest movie ever was put out the same year. Okay, so you have this van full of teens driving through Texas and they end up coming across this house where a bunch of crazies reside. These aren?t your typical crazies that water their lawns in their tighty whities and wearing a propeller hat. These are cannibals and they begin to kill these teens one by one. This is a really disturbing flick that will have you jumping in your friend?s lap?you?ll be so scared. Tobe Hooper is the brain behind this movie and he deserves mad props for putting out a great horror film. Stay away from the remake and sequels. They blow.
Okay, onto the mailbag.
FIGHTS AT FITZY?S
Geno,
Glad to see the guy is making it after boxing. He had Duran beat, but got destroyed. He always seemed like a nice kid.
Gatti Rules
Gatti Rules,
Hey, how?s it going? I?ve seen Sean Fitzgerald work with this kid, Enrique Palau and I was really impressed, and the small show that he put together was impressive, especially when he revealed some of the obstacles that he had to go through just to get it off the ground. Fitzy is one of the nice guys in the game, really. I remember when he almost beat Roberto Duran and would have had he not ran out of gas, and he retired with his faculties together and is now passing on his knowledge to the younger fighters. I expect big things from Enrique and so too do most that have seen him in action. Fitzy?s got a really good fighter under his wing.
WINKY OR SWEET PEA
Hi Geno,
Good day!
Who do you think has the edge in terms of boxing style: Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker or Ronald “Winky” Wright? (I’m under the impression that they have the same style or thinking in ring generalship)
Thank you very much. More power to you and God bless.
Ian
Ian,
What is going on my friend? I am a fan of ?Winky? Wright, but he couldn?t carry Whitaker?s jock! Pernell ?Sweet Pea? Whitaker was the best boxer that I have ever seen. Nobody is even close. He was a throwback to the great Sugar Ray Robinson. Winky Wright is a great defensive fighter and has a lot of heart, but he is not an all time great. He defeated Tito Trinidad, and Shane Mosley and should have gotten the decision over Fernando Vargas, but he has never recorded a win over a great fighter in their prime, and if he faces Jermain Taylor again, he will most likely lose. Had Jermain Taylor been a lighter fighter and faced Pernell, it would have went the distance with Whitaker running away with it.
So, Whitaker is far better than Wright and outside of defensive skill, I don?t see much of a comparison. I also think that Whitaker was just smarter in the ring and nobody could find the guy. He took on all comers, all styles, in several different weight classes and always came out on top. When he was beyond his prime, he beat Oscar De La Hoya, but got robbed. As far as I?m concerned, he was the greatest fighter of all time, but keep in mind that I?m 31. So, I will say that he was the greatest fighter of my time.
AND THE NEW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD?
Geno,
I look forward to seeing you become heavyweight champ.
Jerry Giovinazzo
Jerry,
You have obviously heard of my backyard boxing exploits, and of course that qualifies me for a title shot and in this mediocre heavyweight division, I would probably be the favorite to defeat Wladimir Klitschko. I have elected not to vie for the title, mainly because I don?t like hurting people (and I don?t have a death wish). I have defeated so many men over the course of my backyard boxing career and some of them were actually under 70 years in age. I know that there are some people that state that boxing an elderly man isn?t fair, but think of the experience that they bring to the game and it?s hard to box somebody with that damn walker in the way! I have been retired for quite some time, but I am planning a return to the backyard ring, but I?m waiting for the right opponent. I was thinking of taking on Joe Siciliano, who is this big fat heavyweight with a record of 4-3, 2 KO?s, and the guy can?t fight. He slaps, but I still think that he could kick my ass, and that?s something that I would never live down. I will continue to be selective with who I fight. I?m like Roy Jones, JR. I?m just like him. We both have winning records, both are equally talented as far as rapping goes, and we both make excuses for our losses. When I?ve lost fights in the backyard, it was due to a severe groin pull. My doctor warned me about pulling my groin.
QUITE FRANKLY
What’s the deal Geno?
Great site! Your mailbag and columns get me through the week. If it weren’t for them, I would not be able to survive my incredibly boring, office-job. Here is my question…
How would you quantifiably attach any value to the status of “champion” nowadays? Back in the glory days you could address someone as “champ”, and thus bestowing upon him much honor and respect. I recently saw Stephen A. Smith’s (who is an absolute knob) show, “Quite Frankly” and he pontificated that Winky Wright is a cheapskate for not paying the full sanctioning fees for 2 of the 3 alphabet organizations before fighting Jermain Taylor. The fees were around the neighborhood of $2k. Stephen A. Smith then went on to endorse Taylor in the fight citing Wright’s “penny-pinching.” I observe this as a gross phenomenon in the wonderful sport of boxing. Stephen A. Smith, who is considered a mainstream, sports journalist, still attaches belts on a high pedestal, when presently, their actual status is in the toilet at my office’s employee bathroom. The end result is the cheapening of the sport, ala pro wrestling. My question to you, Geno, is, how can fans dictate a true, people’s champion? (with the bi-product being the best fighting the best). And, secondly, how long will it realistically take for these corrupt organizations to finally give way to a true system when fighters would have no choice but to fight the best?
Regards,
The Singapore Sling
Singapore Sling,
Thanks for the props my friend. Stephen A. Smith?where do I begin? This guy is a tool. He is a knob job. He is the new Arsenio Hall and I am shocked that ESPN is allowing this show to continue the way that it is. First, as a journalist, you should probably clean up the slang. I want to see Larry Merchant interview a fighter and say: ?Man, you really tore that up MF.? Do you think that he will do it? No, because he is a real journalist and handles himself accordingly. If Winky Wright was on ?Quite Frankly,? Smith would have been in Wright?s lap, telling him how great that he was and how horrible the sanctioning bodies were for trying to take his money. Why the hell is Smith on the air? This is mind-boggling. I heard him say: ?Now we all know that you ain?t gonna be cheap,? to some baseball player. Any journalist that uses the word ?ain?t? loses all credibility with me and that ain?t no joke!
The sanctioning bodies are a joke and to put any weight in the world titles when there are so many is absurd. I want a unified champion, but the WBA found a way to do the public dry when that happens. If you unify the titles, the WBA crowns you a ?Super Champion,? and then there are two champions in that division. So, I think that some journalists and I?m not naming anyone to be quite frank with you, do not understand the sport and do what they are told.
There has to be a change in the sport. There are so many things that can be done to make the sport better. If the managers, promoters, and networks got together to make the sport better, they would all be rolling in money instead of looking for the quick fix as they do with PPVs nowadays. If they put Hopkins-Tarver on ABC and promoted the heck out of it, they would make big money from the advertisers?you know what, forget the bigger names. What about a boxing tournament with the heavyweights that ABC or NBC or FOX puts on once a week? It would introduce news names to the world and the boxers would be interested because nothing is better than exposure. There would be money in it because of the advertisers, as it is with football and other sports that the networks take interest in, and boxing would come back. I know that it would beat the hell out of Nascar. Who cares if a car goes around and around and around?
So we need the bigwigs to work together for the better of the sport and the fans. If you continue to bend over the fans as HBO does, they are eventually going to move on. The casual boxing fans make the difference. If they feel ripped off, they will not watch anymore. They are on the fence and they have to be knocked into the world of boxing and will not if everything is a rip off. It?s not likely to change for the better, but we can dream about a better boxing world and if you can dream, things are possible. Isn?t that a saying of some sort? It has to be. Why else would I say it? I?m not some idiot that just pulls sayings out of the sky that aren?t established. How dare you imply that I?m an idiot that pulls things out of nowhere. Jerk. Take care Sling!
HEAVYWEIGHT ACTION
Hey Geno,
I’m not that interested with the heavyweight division right now but just want to ask you if Valuev and Sam Peter would be matched, who’d you go for? These two are huge but I’m more impressed with Peter when it comes to power.
Also, I read your article about David Rodriguez. Thanks for introducing him to the public. Perhaps I might be following the heavyweight topics from now.
Thanks Geno, have a nice day
Muhammad Al
Muhammad Al,
I don?t want to talk about Valuev-Peter. I want to talk about Mind Freak. How does he levitate like that? He floats from one building to another and I am in awe of this illusionist?but he?s not really doing magic. I have concluded that he is a superhero, but he doesn?t want to fight crime, so he pretends to be a magician. How the hell does he float? I rented a DVD showing how to levitate because I want to impress my buddies, but it was a freaking rip off. The guy just glued another sneaker to the sneaker on his left foot and just raised that leg, giving the impression that he was floating. Well, this @#$#head didn?t float in between buildings. He was a joke! Mind Freak is the man!
Okay, now I will talk about Valuev-Peter. I am now ready. I know that the gigantic Valuev takes a good punch and has been improving every time out. Sam Peter is one of the biggest punchers in the world and would test the WBA Heavyweight Champion, but he might not be active enough to stop the big man. So, my gut feeling is that Peter would win by KO, but my mind is for Valuev to retain by UD with that simple one-two and then a grab when Peter gets feisty.
David Rodriguez cannot levitate as far as I know, but he is launching his opponents into the air with his punches. He is a guy to watch in the heavyweight division for sure, but he is not a Mind Freak by any means. I love that show and I have to apologize for harping on it so.
INSULT A GUY AND THEN ASK A QUESTION
Geno “I Defeated Bulimio” McGahee,
What are your 5 favorite quotes from big time boxers? Also, give me your list of the 5 most memorable ring entrances.
Later bro.
Roscoe P. Coletrane
Roscoe,
I think that you wanted to say: ?I defeated Bulimia.? Next time that you flagrantly insult me when I never say a bad word about anyone, don?t misspell the word. Since you called me ?bro,? I am willing to forgive your jab at me because I know that you are just trying to be funny. I forgive your ignorance. Okay, you insult me and now a question? One of my favorite quotes is: ?Don?t email my bag again and insult me you jack off!?
Okay, the first ever countdown of the Geno Bambino 5 best quotes of all time.
1.?I don?t do interviews unless I fornicate with the journalist first.?—Mike Tyson (Note: I have been a little bit apprehensive about accepting an interview with Iron Mike, especially under those terms.)
2.?Buster Douglas ain?t nothing but a skinny old thing.?—George Foreman
3.?I got a question. Got any excuses tonight Roy?? —Antonio Tarver
4.?During the eighth round, I looked out at the audience and saw Hulk Hogan and I said to myself: I wish that this was a tag team match.?—George Foreman talking about his bout with Alex Stewart
5.?Thank you Ruddock Buttocks.?—How Ferdie Pacheco, after an interview with Riddick Bowe?very nice new nickname.
Geno Bambino 5 Best Ring Entrances
1.Mike Tyson?s storming to the ring in just a cut towel and black trunks. No glitz.
2.Bernard Hopkins in the executioner gear.
3.Kostya Tszyu coming to the ring lip syncing that horrible tune: ?I?m gonna knock you out tonight.?
4.Oliver McCall for both Lennox Lewis entrances.
5.Apollo Creed in Rocky. (Can I count that one?)
PBF VS. MARGARITO
Geno,
Congratulations for your entertaining answers. More power to you and your loved ones!
Please give your comments on why PBF seems to have been resorting to all kinds of excuses just to avoid slugging it out with our A. Margarito. I mean, don’t get me wrong I am a big fan of PBF and I want personally this fight to happen just to show that PBF is really the greatest and nobody in his weight class can defeat him at this point in his career. You know PBF is a very exciting fighter that I don’t want to miss any of his fights since I saw one.
Thanks,
Hermes
Hermes,
Thanks for the mad props my friend. I think that PBF is avoiding Antonio Margarito because he is the most amount of risk for the least amount of money. I am in the minority picking him to defeat the pound for pound king because of the size and effective aggression. If you watch the two Jose Luis Castillo efforts against Floyd, you can imagine what the bigger and more effective Margarito could do. I know that 8 million sounds like a lot of money and it is, but he is looking to get laid by the golden goose, if you understand. PBF is not afraid of Margarito, but he does not want to risk the De La Hoya payday. It is a business decision because if he loses to Margarito, it is a disaster. Should he win, so what? Outside of the people that follow the sport closely, there aren?t that many that know what Margarito is capable of. Most would make him a huge underdog, but I would make the odds nearly even. PBF would be a heavy, HEAVY favorite over De La Hoya. No way the Golden Boy wins that one.
SWEET PEA
Geno,
Good day my friend. I’m certainly inspired by reading all your answers in your mailbag and you’re the man to beat in boxing discussions. Well, I?m your fan now. I’m just curious when you said that Pernell Whitaker is simply the best in the 130-140 range division. I?m not a boxing enthusiast and that’s why I immediately checked his record in the boxrec.com and I noticed that he has only 17 KOs out of 40 wins and 4 losses. I supposed just by seeing his KO percentage I don’t think (just my opinion) he was close to Manny’s power. What’s your thought idol?
Sincerely,
Audie
Audie,
Thanks for the props and I appreciate you as a fan. Pernell Whitaker was not a big puncher. He was an unbelievable boxer and let me dissect those losses. Jose Luis Ramirez: Complete travesty of justice. Whitaker won nearly every round and fell victim to dirty judges, which was the first loss on his record. He came back and easily avenged it in the rematch. We can talk about the draw with Julio Cesar Chavez, which was voted almost unanimously as the worst decision of all time. Whitaker clearly won. The next blemish on the record was a unanimous decision loss to Oscar De La Hoya and I thought that ?Sweet Pea? clearly won. He landed the better shots, and knocked De La Hoya down, but the torch was going to be passed one way or another. Now, the only legitimate defeat was at the hands of Felix Trinidad, but personal problems and a long career catching up with Whitaker resulted in that defeat. Trinidad did not defeat a sharp or prime Whitaker. His last defeat at the hands of Carlos Bojorquez was the sad ending to a great career. In his prime, nobody could touch ?Sweet Pea.? He is the best fighter that I have ever seen and although he lacked power, he was still an exciting boxer that used showmanship and pure skill to entertain the crowds.
SECOND WIFE
Geno,
Hello Mr. Boxing Guru, it?s me again. I just like to ask where is this dirty fighter Agapito Sanchez? Sanchez remember was once the WBO Super bantamweight who fought Manny Pacquiao and they had a draw after a bloody fight.
Thank you so much Man, Had it not been that you were married, I would love to marry you. Peace for your wife!
DJ Bianca
DJ Bianca,
Thank you very much. All this time, the WBA Super Welterweight Champ, Jose Antonio Rivera was getting all the questions and comments from the women in his Monday ?Ask the Champ? mailbag, and he was, you know, sort of bragging about it. He was basically saying that he was the ladies man and that I could learn a thing or two from his style, if you will. Well, look at me now ?El Gallo.? Look at me now! DJ Bianca, thanks for the proposal and I?m very flattered.
Agapito Sanchez was gunned down and murdered last year. He was known to be a dirty fighter, but I don?t want to speak ill of the dead, and don?t feel bad because you didn?t know.
GENO, IT?S TIME FOR WINKY TALK
Oh la la Geno!
1. Why did Winky lose to Fernando Vargas then beat Trinidad who defeated Vargas?
2. Who will win if Mayorga fights Winky? By the way, do you think that Mayorga just shone in the limelight because of his lucky wins against Forrest?
Michelle Tamayao
Michelle,
Let?s talk about Winky.
1. In my opinion, Winky clearly beat Fernando Vargas in their bout, but Vargas was the man of the hour and probably had a few points going in. To answer your question the best that I can, I would tell you that styles make fights. Fighter A beats fighter B and fighter B beats fighter C, but fighter A isn?t guaranteed to defeat fighter C. It?s all about styles my friend.
2. Mayorga doesn?t have a prayer against Winky Wright. I think that the wins over Vernon Forrest were not so much a case of luck. It was just a combination of Forrest not being as good as everyone thought and the fact that he fought a stupid fight with Mayorga.
SOVIET INVASION
Hello Geno!
It’s me again! How are you doing? Hope everything’s ok =)
Geno, the Russians seems to be conquering the heavyweight division… I smell a SOVIET INVASION… do you think Shannon Briggs has enough arsenal on his Cannon to beat both Dr. Steel hammer and stop the invading Beast from the East? How about the rising Banker Calvin Brock?
Tye Fields seems to be a KO artist with 36 wins and 33 by KO?but he can he be de-railed in his own Railroad? Byrd already lost to Wladimir Klitschko…Rahman was already stopped by Oleg Maskaev and I cant see him beat Maskaev again…
Brewster can beat Wladimir Klitschko again but can he beat the Beast from the East? What do you think about Ruslan Chagaev… he seems to be a good prospect with a Badboy nickname “White Tyson”
And lastly… what do you think of this guy: Juan Carlos Gomez? He successfully defended his WBC Cruiserweight Title for an amazing 11 times and now he’s fighting at heavyweight… if he gets a belt at heavyweight this could mean another COLD WAR… with the SOVIETS and CUBANS dominating the heavyweight division. What do you think? Thanks and lots of power!
Bototoy
PS: if I see you in Manila on the PACMAN-LARIOS Fight I’ll treat you for a bottle of ice cold Red Horse Beer (Premium Philippine Strong Beer) and some popular Philippine “Street Food” = hot delicious yummy “BALUT” (hard-boiled duck eggs) and some tasty spicy “ISAW” (barbequed chicken/pork intestine)! You’ll love it man! He he he see you in Manila! Chow!
Bototoy,
The American heavyweights are no longer the force of the division. Back in the day, the heavyweights from the good old U.S.A. would be more than happy to face a European challenger. I think that Evander Holyfield was the first one to write the term ?LOL? on the contract when he signed to fight Francesco Damiani. Sure, the Damiani bout fell through and good thing for Evander. Francesco ain?t no joke and would have probably won that bout. One million Damiani maniacs can?t be wrong. For the uninformed, ?The Damiani Maniacs? are the fan club that I founded for the Italian superstar in 1991.
Shannon Briggs has the punch to knock anyone out?and there has to be some excitement going into this bout because of Wlad?s questionable chin. He will need to win in the first three rounds to have a chance in this bout. The longer it goes, the more likely it becomes that Briggs will take a vicious beating, leading to a late TKO. At this moment, I am leaning toward Wlad for various reasons. One of the biggest reasons is the soft competition that Briggs has been facing lately. No matter if you love Wladimir or you hate him, you have to admit that his level of opposition has been better than Briggs? recent opponents. He?s beaten Sam Peter and Chris Byrd, and those are two very good wins. The best win that ?The Cannon? has chalked up lately was a TKO win over the 45-year old, Ray Mercer. Briggs probably should have gradually stepped up the opposition going into this bout to increase his chances of victory.
Tye Fields is a prospect for sure, but his opposition has been less than fantastic. He got a KO win over the former WBA Heavyweight Champion, Bruce Seldon, but he was just a name at that point. Fields is big and hits hard, but there have been many big men that have been exposed when they are tagged on the chin. Bigger is not always better. I hope that my wife is listening. I look forward to seeing Fields step up the competition?but right now, he?s a mystery. He is just a big mysterious man. All he needs is a patch and he can be on a soap opera. I think that those are the two qualifications to get a job on ?Days of Our Lives.?
Hasim Rahman has to be favored to beat Oleg Maskaev because after all, he is America?s ?Last Line of Defense.? What a lame sell. This is still a winnable bout for Maskaev, but he is facing the same problems that Briggs is. He has ten straight wins, but the opposition has not been the best. Rahman has been facing better guys and that might tell the tale. The one big edge that Maskaev might have is the psychological edge. Remember, he launched ?The Rock? into orbit in their first encounter. This entire ?Last Line of Defense? way of reasoning isn?t really fair. I used to check in trucks and they said that I was ?the last line of defense.? So, if the guy that loaded it messed up, I was the one that they were going to blame if it left the gate. ?Geno, you were the last line of defense!!! The last @#$#@ line of defense!!!? Don?t ever let anyone label you that because all that means is the first one that they will blame if things are messed up.
Ruslan Chagaev wants to be known as ?The White Tyson,? which is probably better than ?The White Mitch Green.? He is a decent fighter from what I can tell, but he still has to step up the opposition as well.
I was one of the people that were very high on Juan Carlos Gomez, but then it came out that he was really high as well?okay, bad joke for sure. He has so much skill, but he didn?t have the drive to really push for the title. Now, he is 32 and if he is going to make his run, he?d better stay clean and go for it. Even though it was changed to a no contest when he reportedly tested positive for cocaine, he did nearly shut out former WBC Heavyweight Champion, Oliver McCall. He may be too small to compete with the monsters of the division, but he?d be a good match for any of the smaller guys.
Hook me up with that Balut and Isaw my friend and some Red Horse Beer. It?s a deal! When I eventually make my way down there, have that stuff ready for me!
POPULARITY CONTEST
Geno,
The fact is that you are quickly becoming more popular in the Philippines almost nearing Freddie Roach’s popularity… In due time, you are a threat to Freddie…
The question is, can you handle being popular
Boxer Shorts
Boxer Shorts,
Can I handle being popular? YES. I think that it?s great that people appreciate the mailbag and my articles and of course, it?s every writer?s hope that their work will get out there and people will respond positively to it. I had a boss that used to say: ?Do you know who I am?? He would scream that at people when they were in trouble. I always wanted somebody to respond: ?No, who are you?? I could just picture the lost look on the bloated face on my former boss. He wasn?t the brightest bulb on the tree. Well, the point is that I want to be able to say it and the response to be: ?Yeah, you?re Geno Bambino. You are the man!? That would be heavenly. I have been recognized a few times and it?s pretty amusing. I appreciate everything and even if I remain merely a D- celebrity of sorts, I will die a happy man. I would like to be classified higher than that guy who played ?Joey? on ?Full House.? If nothing else, I have to get more popular than that guy!
SOUTHPAWS
Hi Geno!
Keep up the good work. You?re a true master of the game, a dean I might say.
My question is why are southpaws considered difficult opponents for orthodox boxers? Can you enumerate the reasons for this? Also, with the Bobby Pacquiao/Kevin Kelley fight, I heard commentators saying that it is also difficult for a southpaw to fight another southpaw, why do you think they said that?
My prediction: PACMAN KOS LARRIOS IN 2.
Thanks and more power!
Joji D Pogi
Joji,
Thank you very much for the props my friend. Southpaws are considered difficult because they are typically harder to hit with the jab. Everything is completely opposite and the punches that normally work on an orthodox fighter will not work on a southpaw. That?s why many managers will avoid putting their boxer in there with a southpaw. Some boxers like George Foreman seem to do better with southpaws because they are open for the straight right hand and ?Big? George is great with that straight right hand. Southpaws facing each other face the same problem that orthodox boxers do facing southpaws. There aren?t many of them, so it is an unusual picture no matter how you cut it.
Good prediction and I agree give or take a round?
Okay, tomorrow I will see you all for Geno?s Boxing Mailbag: Saturday Edition, where no questions are off limits and everything will be answered? I also want to thank the people that purchased ?Evil Awakening? at www.xposse.com. It was the first X Posse Production and I am sure that there will be no refunds demanded. I encourage everyone to buy one too. Hey, you get a DVD, I get 10 bucks to put into the pot to put toward the budget of our next movie and we all win. We are all winners. What do you have to lose?
Now, don?t forget to tune in tomorrow for the Saturday mailbag, and don?t forget to check out our message board. There are all kinds of pleasant surprises and prizes that you can win. You can also talk to other boxing fans, and it?s nice to have friends. So take it easy one and all and I will catch you tomorrow.
