Boxing Scribe Vivek Wallace brings his Left-Hook Lounge mailbag to FightHype.com, answering questions for fans and giving his own unique perspective on all the latest current events in boxing. This week, check out his response to fans as they discuss the controversial decision in Saturday’s Rios vs. Abril fight, recent comments made by Brandon Rios, the confidence of Miguel Cotto, and much more.
Carlton E. (Bronx, NYC): I saw your comments on your FaceBook page about it being virtually “impossible” to defeat a Top Rank fighter who they have big plans for without a KO, and how you think the Top Rank banner is corrupt. I understand based on the Rios fight, but aside from that, how would you support that statement?
Vivek W.: We continue to see Top Rank fighters get gift decisions and other unjustifiable actions, and to be quite frank, it’s getting old. I have great respect for Arum and what he brings to the sport, but lately, I don’t think anyone can support what’s happening. There have been many close, questionable calls, but in this case with Rios, it was clear robbery, yet Rios and Arum had the nerve to even go as far as coming out publicly blaming the referee for not “taking points”. They later tried to support this by saying that Abril “went backwards too much” and didn’t play the role of the aggressor. Is this sport called Boxing or Brawling? You mean to tell me a skilled fighter who isn’t there to be hit can’t get a nod now, despite landing the more effective blows?
Rios got his butt kicked from one end of the ring to the next, barely landed anything flush the whole night, and knew clearly that he had lost the fight, but in the end was able to walk out like a hero because his promoter has a vested (and invested) interest in him and his future. The sad part is that Rios will get another big money fight and enjoy more elevation in his career as a result of losing his title at the scale, failing to make weight again, and getting the nod in a fight that he clearly lost. What kind of message does this signal? A brief look in the Top Rank rear-view mirror tells us exactly what signal it sends. Just look at the history.
Abril was ripped off an additional $50K in incentive money that he should have won easily, yet Clottey earns an extra $1M for “a good effort” in a fight that many felt he didn’t even try to win (Pacquiao). Margarito had been banned from practically every jurisdiction in the sport, yet gets licensed by the same state (Texas) where Clottey was paid this extra million dollars to put on a show for the same company (Top Rank). Chavez Jr. gets a DUI only days before he steps in the ring for the same company and in that same state (TX) and receives no professional ramifications. Pacquiao gets beat from pillar to post in a fight that wasn’t even close (Marquez), yet gets the nod……the list goes on.
Now Rios fails to make weight twice, looks very marginal against both men, yet still remains on the brink of fighting the sports co-P4P leader? I’m sorry, but I can’t support this kind of stuff. Think about all the chaos surrounding the Top Rank stables. Everything from avoiding randomized drug testing to support a cleaner sport, to supporting criminal acts (Margarito) and questionable scorecards shows us precisely what we have on our hands…..and I hope there’s some soap in the building because this ‘grease’ is grimy and it will smear the name of the sport far easier than it will ever fade away.
I can’t speak for any other media members, but I’m just as comfortable watching a fight from my couch with my son and family as I am sitting on media row. I’d rather be hated for being honest than loved for lying. Keep your credentials! But don’t dare expect me to disgrace my name or my word by supporting this garbage! Bottom line: Top Rank is looking real criminal right now. The fact that we’re on the brink of getting Rios (vastly untested) against Pacquiao, yet couldn’t get Mayweather vs. Cotto until Cotto detached himself from the Top Rank stables, tells us exactly what’s going on behind closed doors, and it’s all driven by money and agenda-filled politics. I have no doubt in my mind that Top Rank is playing with a dirty deck. If you don’t see that, I can’t help you, my man!
Jesus N. (Rock Hill, SC): There were reports published about Rios’ response to the media members criticizing him about his weight. As a member of the media, what are your thoughts on the matter and what do you think this says about Rios?
Vivek W.: I like to look at all angles on any given topic, not just mine. Unfortunately in this case, neither of the angles I see support him or his position very well. In one breath, you wanna just say that he simply can’t make the weight, so it’s time to move forward. What makes it difficult for me to support him, however, is the fact that his attitude towards the matter was pathetic and I really think that it just adds a deeper element of disgust. Many through the years have talked about Floyd Mayweather and how he runs off at the mouth, but I’ve always maintained that when a man takes his craft as serious as Mayweather does and actually fine-tunes his talent so precisely to the point where he can actually back it up, I will gladly let him talk because there’s literally nothing you can say!
In the case of Rios, you have a fighter who has not only shown poor discipline by ballooning up in weight between fights, but has made poor business decisions on top of it. He failed to make weight once. Okay, cool. He has a date planned, the opponent backs out, so he needs a new dancing partner. There were men at 140 pounds just like at 135. If you know your opponent at the weight class you could barely make backed out, wouldn’t it be most logical to take this opportunity to simply move up to the comfortable weight and find a dancing partner there rather than attempt to do it again when you know you can’t?
Beyond that, he spent his entire camp talking about how great his training was, and how his new dietician was so instrumental in helping him understand how to eat better and still retain his speed, power, and energy. If the dietician and his training was working so well, how in the hell didn’t any of them realize he was not on target to shed the weight by weigh-in day? The fact that he spoke so confidently about making the weight, yet knew within his heart he wasn’t on target to do so, tells me that this is a man whose mouth is a lot more stable than his mind. For him to set the tone like everything was fine, fail at the scale, and then have the ‘cajones’ to curse out members of the media who question him is an absolute slap in the face.
Calling members of the media “fat mutha-f**kas”, and tearing down the same men and women who built him up……that kind of stuff coming from a man who has done absolutely nothing solid in the sport (but sign with the only promoter bizarre enough to support his antics) is unacceptable to me. I think Rios needs to do a little more in the ring before he tries to run his mouth on why members of the media need to support his cause. Until then, he’s just another face in the crowd. What he needs to do is give us action equivalent to his words. Until then, he’s all bark and no bite in my book. Nothing personal. I like his heart and his talk. I just want to see him back it up against real competition. So far, twice in a row he has looked quite ordinary against men many didn’t even know. Think about it……
Derrin L. (Atlanta, GA): There was a quiet confidence about Miguel Cotto that I was kinda feelin’ on the HBO 24/7 show. Last week on FightHype there was an interview posted where his team spoke about his chances and how confident he is. On the other hand I didn’t think Mayweather seemed to be taking him very serious on the show. Do you feel this was a good observation or not?
Vivek W.: I continue to say that, in my humble opinion, Cotto probably has more confidence now than he ever has. After learning that brawling isn’t the most efficient or smartest path to victory in the process of those losses, he has also developed a more intelligent style to combine with that confidence. I won’t go out on a limb and say that this means Cotto wins the fight, but I will say it certainly can’t hurt his chances. I don’t know if I understand your sentiment that Mayweather “isn’t taking Cotto seriously” though, especially considering the intensity in which he has trained thus far.
Don’t let the little skits with 50 Cent and the other usual suspects on HBO’s 24/7 fool you. Floyd Mayweather has taken everyone serious that he’s faced over the last 15 years. There’s no way in the world you take some of those cupcakes serious and somehow fall asleep at the wheel against one of the perennial figures of your era. Just doesn’t happen. Mayweather has been extremely sharp in the gym, and is coming off a fight just a few months ago.
His shape was already incredible, but staying close to the sport without another long intermission also does something for his overall skill and fluidity. I think some will be surprised at how well Mayweather handles himself at this weight, and how natural he looks at this size. I expect the absolute best Mayweather, and short of him peaking too soon, I’d say you can expect that too.
