“The Coach” checks in with FightFan.com and talks James Toney vs. Sam Peter, Diego Corrales’ weight problems, and Pacquiao vs. Morales III. Only on FightFan.com!
FF: Russ thanks for checking in with us to holler at all the fans at FightFan.com. The last time we caught up with you was prior to the James Toney vs. Sam Peter fight. Can you let us know what your take on the fight was?
RA: I thought Toney got jobbed personally. I thought he won the fight. I really think the boxing world is going to miss James Toney when he’s gone and that we don’t really appreciate his talent or his abilities enough. A lot of people laugh at him as somebody that’s overweight, but I thought he clearly won the fight.
There’s no doubt the harder shots were landed by Peter, but I think there were enough illegal blows and boxing skill and savvy that Toney should have earned the decision. But unfortunately he didn’t get it. But hey, he’s getting a rematch.
FF: We felt the same way, but the part that got me was that two judges scored the fight 9 rounds to 3 scored in Peter’s favor. That really leaves me speechless…..How?
RA: You know what, it seems like every time we see a fight like this you hear words like robbery and I really can’t remember a time like the last little while where we’re seeing so much controversy in scoring. It seems to me we have the same judges now that have been around for a long time so maybe at some point they lose touch with reality.
I don’t know what it is or why there’s so much incompetence. A vast majority of people see the fight one way and two judges see it the complete opposite. And with scores of 9 rounds to 3 you’d think it wasn’t even a fight. I can’t explain it and I feel like if I wasn’t involved in the sport the way I am I’d be one of the guys heading the charge crying out about how things are fixed.
FF: The only conclusion I can come to is that they were scoring for the bigger punches that Peter occasionally landed, but his clean and flush punches were few and far between so I just can’t figure out what they were scoring for.
RA: That’s the real question. What are they scoring? What instructions are they following and who gave them? Are there guidelines that they are following? Because trust me I have an intimate friendship with Guy Jutras who’s renowned as one of the best judges and in his day was one of the best referees I ever had the pleasure of watching work. He and I have talked about it many times and some of these other judges have no idea what they’re doing. They have no background, they don’t know what they’re looking for, they go to one convention and are told to look for one thing and they go to another convention and are told to look for another… Guy said they’re trying to make it rocket science and it’s not rocket science. He doesn’t understand what the problem is either.
In this day and age we seem to have complicated things and have just got away from following clear guidelines. You’d think by now people would be listening to Harold Lederman and the same old spiel he gives every time out. (Russ does a great Harold Lederman impression) I just don’t understand it.
FF: What did you think of the WBC ordering a rematch?
RA: In my heart of hearts I was happy to see Toney get the rematch. Toney deserves it, but by the same token what they’re saying is the judges they chose in the first fight weren’t competent and that there needs to be a rematch. That’s not good and it’s not healthy for the sport when they can’t trust their own appointed judges. That shows some instability in their organization.
FF: Russ, who do you like in the Toney Peter rematch?
RA: I don’t ever like to pick anyone over James Toney. You know I love the fat guy (laughs). It goes back to what we were saying. All this fixation on looks and the perfect body. There’s nobody around that’s going to hit 90 something fights, that’s going to show that kind of durability, nobody that I can see in the next 20 years that’s going to come up from middleweight and should be the Heavyweight Champion of the World.
FF: Russ after everything that happened over the last year with Jose Luis Castillo, what did you make of Diego Corrales failing to make weight for the Casamayor rubber match?
RA: This is another thing. Do epidemics start with one guy doing something and then all of a sudden it goes around and becomes rampant? I don’t understand these guys. I mean Corrales has been around a long time and all of this business with the weight… Can you remember a time, like I’m thinking back to the 70’s when I started getting involved, but I don’t ever remember a bunch of champions leaving their titles on the scale.
It’s like “What are you talking about?” You’ve had months to make weight, your last fight was supposed to be at this weight… Why couldn’t you have said something about it before? And it’s not like he was 135 and a half or 136… He was FIVE pounds over. I’m telling you this as a trainer. The week before the fight, he was weighing 147lbs.
Certainly he looks bad. You don’t throw stones in a glass house.
FF: Russ we wanted to get your thoughts on Pacquiao Morales III…
RA: I’m thinking Pacquiao’s just too hot right now. And the photos I see of Morales, he looks heavy and I think it might be a case of Morales knowing this is where he can cash in on one more big payday. I would be shocked if he managed to beat Pacquiao.
I think Pacquiao hurt him last time and that Pacquiao knows how to get to him. I think Morales will make a game effort like he always does, but I think he’s going to come up short like he did in their last fight. He’s going to start running into some hammers and it’s going to hurt.
FF: Russ when Manny came on the scene with that destruction of Barrera he considered a one dimensional fighter of sorts. He was very left hand happy and in his last few fights he seems to have added some elements to his game. Do you see any growth there as a fighter?
RA: You know I do a little bit. I used to see him as a left handed puncher and if you neutralized that and you were in good condition you may be able to beat him. But I think he’s evolved and throws well with both hands now. He’s still very explosive and that’s a big key. He was explosive with the left and now with the right… you do the math. He’s doubly dangerous.
FF: Manny’s up from 108 and he’s now fighting at 130, but there’s talk if he wins this fight he could potentially look to fights at 135. What’s your take on that?
RA: Maybe with 135, but it depends on who. I just can’t see him beating a Juan Diaz. That starts to be too big, too intense, too strong. You know from 108 to 130 there’s somewhat of a natural progression, but after that the guys who fight at 135 are dropping down from 150 to fight at that weight and there’s a big difference brother. A big difference.
FF: Russ if Manny gets by Morales, is it a good idea for Marco Antonio Barrera to look for a Pacquiao rematch?
RA: I think Barrera is still going to have trouble with him. Barrera is a warrior and he learns, but I still think Pacquiao’s style is just all wrong for him. Manny’s too quick and too sneaky, the southpaw stance… There’s too many factors going against the grain that don’t bode well for Marco Antonio Barrera in that fight. I’m a big Barrera fan, but he’s just one second behind in that fight. One second behind.
FF: Russ as always, thanks for taking the time to check in with the fans here at FightFan.com. We’ll look forward to catching up with you in November.
RA: Okay, take care fellas, I look forward to doing it again soon!
