Give 'Em Five, Pacquiao-Marquez V Will Be Coming This Fall

Published

11 years ago

May 19, 2014

Willie Pep had Sandy Saddler (4 times), Sugar Ray Robinson had Jake LaMotta (6x's) and Muhammad Ali had Joe Frazier (3x's).

They are just three rivalries and six all-time great fighters whose names will be forever linked together in fistic history.

Today, we have Manny Pacquiao 56-5-2 (38) and Juan Manuel Marquez 56-7-1 (40) who have fought each other four times and had the eyes of the boxing world focused on them every time. Pacquiao and Marquez don't need anything to build up a fight between them. Four fights=four great fights. Each one had fireworks, each one was close, each was hard to predict. And there's no reason why the fifth wouldn't continue the tradition.

Of the four fights between them, the first three resulted in very close and controversial decisions. Their first fight was a draw and Pacquiao was the benefactor in the second and third meetings via a split decision in fight II and a majority decision in fight III. In their last meeting, the fourth between them, Marquez, who was trailing at the time, won the only non controversial bout between the duo when he knocked Pacquiao out with one punch with only seconds remaining in the sixth round.

And that brings us to why there will most likely be a fifth and final meeting between these two future hall of famers this coming November.

For starters, there is nobody substantive left for them to fight with something significant to gain other than Floyd Mayweather. Marquez had his shot at Mayweather and was jobbed on the scales at the weigh in when Mayweather came in above the contract weight and had to cough up a lot of dead presidents. But Floyd didn't care and was happy to buy the advantage. In the ring that night it looked like a welterweight versus a lightweight and Marquez didn't compete. Although Marquez would probably like another shot at Mayweather, there's no way that happens because Floyd would have nothing to gain by fighting him again. Sure, the boxing world would love to see Mayweather and Pacquiao fight, and it will happen, but not this year, so forget about it for now. There's another formidable terror out there named Ruslan Provodnikov 23-2 (16), who is promoted by Bob Arum who would love to fight either Pacquiao or Marquez. However, he's too dangerous for both of them. His style, toughness and aggression would make it really tough for Marquez to overcome at age 40. Perhaps Pacquiao's unorthodox style and speed would lead Provodnikov into walking into a killer shot that he didn't see. But Ruslan's chin has shown to be upper-tier and very sturdy.

Provodnikov beat up and hurt Timothy Bradley much more than Marquez did when they fought and more than Pacquiao did in two fights against him. Forget either Manny or Juan going near Provodnikov. They have nothing to gain by fighting him and it could easily end badly for both. Something else to keep in mind is the names Pacquiao and Marquez matched together can't miss as a draw. Boxing fans know when they share a ring they'll see professional fighting exhibited at its highest level. The fight will have many ebbs and flows with the outcome being in question until the very end. And the stakes and bragging rights on the line in a fifth fight between them will be monumental. How can it not be? Marquez handed Pacquiao the most devastating and humiliating defeat of his career a year and a half ago. Manny was out, face down, on the canvas for over a minute. After the fight his wife pleaded with him to retire from boxing. Since the last Marquez fight, Pacquiao has fought twice. He won a lopsided decision over a limited tough guy in Brandon Rios and then out thought and out boxed Timothy Bradley in their rematch. But he didn't look spectacular in either bout and it's obvious to anyone who knows what they're watching that Manny doesn't carry the same punch he used to – nor is he the non-stop punching machine he was going back just three or four years ago. That said, there's no way in the world I could be convinced that Pacquiao doesn't want Marquez one more time.

He was beating Marquez up, leading in the bout and had his face a mess when he let his guard down for a second and got nailed and put to sleep by the best right hand Marquez ever landed. And if we know nothing else, it's that Manny has not suffered any residual effects from that knockout and certainly isn't glove shy as a result of it.

As for Marquez, he's fought twice since beating Pacquiao. He lost a decision to Timothy Bradley in his next fight, but that was more of a style conundrum than it was Bradley being the better fighter. For the better part of 12 rounds Bradley used his better hand and foot speed to do just enough to win a couple more rounds than Marquez en-route to a split decision victory. And this past weekend Marquez won a lopsided unanimous decision over Mike Alvarado 34-3 (23), who was coming off a stoppage loss to Provodnikov in his last fight. After beating Alvarado, Marquez said he wants to be the first Mexican fighter in boxing history to win a world title in five different weight classes. Guess who holds the WBO welterweight title? Yep, Manny Pacquiao. What could be sweeter for Marquez than winning his fifth title and further enhancing his legacy at Pacquiao's expense?

Think about the drama/soap opera and back story attached to Pacquiao-Marquez V. Manny wants to avenge being knocked out by Marquez and Juan wants to make history and solidify himself historically as being Pacquiao's superior. If Pacquiao were to knockout or beat Marquez convincingly in their fifth meeting, most would look back at his knockout loss to him as being a fluke. That would give him a 3-1-1 advantage head to head and the debate as to who got the better of whom between them would be settled. On the other hand, if Marquez stopped Pacquiao again or beat him beyond question in a fifth meeting, the series would be 2-2-1. And most would say that Marquez deserved at least one of the two decisions he lost to Manny, and he scored the only clear cut wins between them – so Marquez would be thought of as the superior fighter between them, at least in a head to head comparison.

If Pacquiao and Marquez meet a fifth time they would both make a ton of money. One of them will enhance their legacy and the loser will not be shamed one bit by losing to the other. And even though Pacquiao is 35 and Marquez is 40, it's not an old-timers fight, it's a top of the contemporary era's best match-up even now.

After beating Alvarado this past weekend, Marquez was very coy when asked about fighting Pacquiao for a fifth time in his next fight. He wouldn't commit to anything but left the door open. He no doubt did that because he doesn't want to seem too anxious and wants to strengthen his financial interest if the fight comes to fruition. Marquez knows that Pacquiao wants a chance to make the boxing public forget about their last fight and just might be willing to make a few concessions in order to make the fight that he normally might not if that's what it takes to get him in the ring again. It was smart of Marquez to answer the question regarding Pacquiao the way he did for business reasons.

And it's smart for Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach to have recently said to Michael Woods that he's considering letting Provodnikov fight Pacquiao, giving Marquez a dose of his own medicine. Both Pacquiao and Marquez have nothing to gain fighting a dangerous guy like Provodnikov, who lost to Timothy Bradley, and they have everything to lose.

Rest assured, Marquez and Pacquiao know they'll be seeing each other again one more time later this year in China. And boxing fans can also rest assured that if nothing else big happens this year in professional boxing, at least they have Pacquiao-Marquez V to look forward to this coming fall.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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Skylar Lacy Blocked for Lamar Jackson before Making his Mark in Boxing

Published

3 days ago

January 19, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Skylar-Lacy-Blocked-for-Lamar-Jackson-Before-Making-his-Mark-in-Boxing

Skylar Lacy, a six-foot-seven heavyweight, returns to the ring on Sunday, Feb. 2, opposing Brandon Moore on a card in Flint, Michigan, airing worldwide on DAZN.

As this is being written, the bookmakers hadn’t yet posted a line on the bout, but one couldn’t be accused of false coloring by calling the 10-round contest a 50/50 fight. And if his frustrating history is any guide, Lacy will have another draw appended to his record or come out on the wrong side of a split decision.

This should not be construed as a tip to wager on Moore. “Close fights just don’t seem to go my way,” says the boxer who played alongside future multi-year NFL MVP Lamar Jackson at the University of Louisville.

A 2021 National Golden Gloves champion, Skylar Lacy came up short in his final amateur bout, losing a split decision to future U.S. Olympian Joshua Edwards. His last Team Combat League assignment resulted in another loss by split decision and he was held to a draw in both instances when stepping up in class as a pro. “In my mind, I’m still undefeated,” says Lacy (8-0-2, 6 KOs). “No one has ever kicked my ass.”

Lacy was the B-side in both of those draws, the first coming in a 6-rounder against Top Rank fighter Antonio Mireles on a Top Rank show in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and the second in an 8-rounder against George Arias, a Lou DiBella fighter on a DiBella-promoted card in Philadelphia.

Lacy had the Mireles fight in hand when he faded in the homestretch. The altitude was a factor. Lake Tahoe, Nevada (officially Stateline) sits 6,225 feet above sea level. The fight with Arias took an opposite tack. Lacy came on strong after a slow start to stave off defeat.

Skylar will be the B-side once again in Michigan. The card’s promoter, former world title challenger Dmitriy Salita, inked Brandon Moore (16-1, 10 KOs) in January. “A capable American heavyweight with charisma, athleticism and skills is rare in today’s day and age. Brandon has got all these ingredients…”, said Salita in the press release announcing the signing. (Salita has an option on Skylar Lacy’s next pro fight in the event that Skylar should win, but the promoter has a larger investment in Moore who was previously signed to Top Rank, a multi-fight deal that evaporated after only one fight.)

Both Lacy and Moore excelled in other sports. The six-foot-six Moore was an outstanding basketball player in high school in Fort Lauderdale and at the NAIA level in college. Lacy was an all-state football lineman in Indiana before going on to the University of Louisville where he started as an offensive guard as a redshirt sophomore, blocking for freshman phenom Lamar Jackson. “Lamar was hard-working and humble,” says Lacy about the player who is now one of the world’s highest-paid professional athletes.

When Lacy committed to Louisville, the head coach was Charlie Strong who went on to become the head coach at the University of Texas. Lacy was never comfortable with Strong’s successor Bobby Petrino and transferred to San Jose State. Having earned his degree in only three years (a BA in communications) he was eligible immediately but never played a down because of injuries.

Returning to Indianapolis where he was raised by his truck dispatcher father, a single parent, Lacy gravitated to Pat McPherson’s IBG (Indy Boxing and Grappling) Gym on the city’s east side where he was the rare college graduate pounding the bags alongside at-risk kids from the city’s poorer neighborhoods.

Lacy built a 12-6 record across his two seasons in Team Combat League while representing the Las Vegas Hustle (2023) and the Boston Butchers (2024).

For the uninitiated, a Team Combat League (TCL) event typically consists of 24 fights, each consisting of one three-minute round. The concept finds no favor with traditionalists, but Lacy is a fan. It’s an incentive for professional boxers to keep in shape between bouts without disturbing their professional record and, notes Lacy, it’s useful in exposing a competitor to different styles.

“It paid the bills and kept me from just sitting around the house,” says Lacy whose 12-6 record was forged against 13 different opponents.

As a sparring partner, Lacy has shared the ring with some of the top heavyweights of his generation, e.g., Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. He was one of Fury’s regular sparring partners during the Gypsy King’s trilogy with Deontay Wilder. He worked with Joshua at Derrick James’ gym in Dallas and at Ben Davison’s gym in England, helping Joshua prepare for his date in Saudi Arabia with Francis Ngannou and had previously sparred with Ngannou at the UFC Performance Center in Las Vegas. Skylar names traveling to new places as one of his hobbies and he got to scratch that itch when he joined Whyte’s camp in Portugal.

As to the hardest puncher he ever faced, he has no hesitation: “Ngannou,” he says. “I negotiated a nice price to spend a week in his camp and the first time he hit me I knew I should have asked for more.”

Lacy is confident that having shared the ring with some of the sport’s elite heavyweights will get him over the hump in what will be his first 10-rounder (Brandon Moore has never had to fight beyond eight rounds, having won his three 10-rounders inside the distance). Lacy vs. Moore is the co-feature to Claressa Shields’ homecoming fight with Danielle Perkins. Shields, basking in the favorable reviews accorded the big-screen biopic based on her first Olympic journey (“The Fire Inside”) will attempt to capture a title in yet another weight class at the expense of the 42-year-old Perkins, a former professional basketball player.

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Mizuki Hiruta Dominates in her U.S. Debut and Omar Trinidad Wins Too at Commerce

Published

4 days ago

January 18, 2025

David A. Avila

Mizuki-Hiruta-Dominates-in-her-U.S.-Debut-and-Trinidad-Wins-Too-at-Commerce

Japan’s Mizuki Hiruta smashed through Mexico’s Maribel Ramirez with ease in winning by technical decision and local hero Omar Trinidad continued his assault on the featherweight division on Friday.

Hiruta (7-0, 2 KOs), who prefers to be called “Mimi,” made her American debut with an impressive performance against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez (15-11-4) and retained the WBO super flyweight world title by unanimous decision at Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

The pink-haired Japanese southpaw champion quickly proved to be quicker, stronger and even better than advertised. In the opening round Ramirez landed on the floor twice after throwing errant blows. On one instance, it could have been ruled a knockdown but it was not a convincing blow.

In the second round, Ramirez again attacked and again was met with a Hiruta check right hook and down went the Mexican. This time referee Ray Corona gave the eight-count and the fight resumed.

It was Hiruta’s third title defense but this time it was on American soil. She seemed nervous by the prospect of getting a favorable review from the more than 700 fans inside the casino tent.

For more than a year Hiruta has been training off and on with Manny Robles in the L.A. area. Now that she has a visa, she has spent considerable time this year learning the tricks of the trade. They proved explosively effective.

Though Mexico City’s Ramirez has considerable experience against world champions, she discovered that Hiruta was not easy to hit. Often, the Japanese champion would slip and counter with precision.

It was an impressive American debut, though the fight was stopped in the eighth round after a collision of heads. The scores were tallied and all three saw Hiruta the winner by scores of 80-71 twice and 79-72.

“I’m so happy. I could have done much more,” said Hiruta through interpreter Yuriko Miyata. “I wanted to do more things that Manny Robles taught me.”

Trinidad Wins Too

Omar Trinidad (18-0-1, 13 KOs) discovered that challenger Mike Plania (31-5, 18 KOs) has a very good chin and staying power. But over 10 rounds Trinidad proved to be too fast and too busy for the Filipino challenger.

Immediately it was evident that the East L.A. featherweight was too quick and too busy for Plania who preferred a counter-puncher attack that never worked.

“He was strong,” said Trinidad. “He took everything.”

After 10 redundant rounds all three judges scored for Trinidad 100-90 twice and 99-91. He retains the WBC Continental Americas title.

Other Bouts

Ali Akhmedov (23-1, 17 KOs) blasted out Malcolm Jones (17-5-1) in less than two rounds. A dozen punches by Akhmedov forced referee Thomas Taylor to stop the super middleweight fight.

Iyana “Roxy” Verduzco (3-0) bloodied Lindsey Ellis in the first round and continued the speedy assault in the next two rounds. Referee Ray Corona saw enough and stopped the fight in favor of Verduzco at 1:34 of the third round.

Gloria Munguilla (7-1) and Brook Sibrian (5-2) lit up the boxing ring with a nonstop clash for eight rounds in their light flyweight fight. Munguilla proved effective with a slip-and-counter attack. Sibrian adjusted and made the fight closer in the last four rounds but all three judges favored Munguilla.

More Winners

Joshua Anton, Tayden Beltran, Adan Palma, and Alexander Gueche all won their bouts.

Photos credit: Al Applerose

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Published

6 days ago

January 16, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 309: 360 Promotions Opens with Trinidad, Mizuki and More

Best wishes to the survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires that took place last week and are still ongoing in small locales.

Most of the heavy damage took place in the western part of L.A. near the ocean due to Santa Ana winds. Another very hot spot was in Altadena just north of the Rose Bowl. It was a horrific tragedy.

Hopefully the worst is over.

Pro boxing returns with 360 Boxing Promotions spotlighting East L.A.’s Omar Trinidad (17-0-1, 13 KOs) defending a regional featherweight title against Mike Plania (31-4, 18 KOs) on Friday, Jan. 17, at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif.

“I’m the king of L.A. boxing and I’ll be ready to put on a show headlining again in the main event. This is my year, I’m ready to challenge and defeat any of the featherweight world champions,” said Trinidad.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the Hollywood Night fight card that includes a female world championship fight and other intriguing match-ups.

Tom Loeffler heads 360 Promotions and once again comes full force with a hot prospect in Trinidad. If you’re not familiar with Loeffler’s history of success, he introduced America to Oleksandr Usyk, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and the brothers Wladimir and Vitaly Kltischko.

“We’ve got a wealth of international talent and local favorites to kick off our 2025 in grand style,” said Loeffler.

He knows talent.

Trinidad hails from the Boyle Heights area of East L.A. near the Los Angeles riverbed. Several fighters from the past came from that exact area including the first Golden Boy, Art Aragon.

Aragon was a huge gate attraction during the late 1940s until 1960. He was known as a lady’s man and dated several Hollywood starlets in his time. Though he never won a world title he did fight world champions Carmen Basilio, Jimmy Carter and Lauro Salas. He was more or less the king of the Olympic Auditorium and Los Angeles boxing during his career.

Other famous boxers from the Boyle Heights area were notorious gangster Mickey Cohen and former world champion Joey Olivo.

Can Trinidad reach world title status?

Facing Trinidad will be Filipino fighter Plania who’s knocked off a couple of prospects during his career including Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer and Giovanni Gutierrez. The fighter from General Santos in the Philippines can crack and hold his own in the boxing ring.

It’s a very strong fight card and includes WBO world titlist Mizuki Hiruta of Japan who defends the super flyweight title against Mexican veteran Maribel Ramirez. It’s a tough matchup for Hiruta who makes her American debut. You can’t miss her with that pink hair and she has all the physical tools to make a splash in this country.

Mizukii Hiruta

Two other female bouts are also planned, including light flyweight banger L.A.’s Gloria Munguilla (6-1) against Coachella’s Brook Sibrian (5-1) in a match set for six rounds. Both are talented fighters. Another female fight includes super featherweights Iyana “Right Hook Roxy” Verduzco (2-0) versus Lindsey Ellis (2-1) in another six-rounder. Ellis can crack with all her wins coming via knockout. Verduzco is a multi-national titlist as an amateur.

Others scheduled to perform are Ali Akhmedov, Joshua Anton, Adan Palma and more.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

Boxing and the Media

The sport of professional boxing is currently in flux. It’s always in flux but no matter what people may say or write, boxing will survive.

Whether you like Jake Paul or not, he proved boxing has worldwide appeal with monstrous success in his last show. He has media companies looking at the numbers and imagining what they can do with the sport.

Sure, UFC is negotiating a massive billion dollar deal with media companies, as is WWE, both are very similar in that they provide combat entertainment. You don’t need to know the champions because they really don’t matter. Its about the attractions.

Boxing is different. The good champions last and build a following that endures even beyond their careers a la Mike Tyson.

MMA can’t provide that longevity, but it does provide entertainment.

Currently, there is talk of establishing a boxing league again. It’s been done over and over but we shall see if it sticks this time.

Pro boxing is the true warrior’s path and that means a solo adventure. It’s a one-on-one sport and that appeals to people everywhere. It’s the oldest sport that can be traced to prehistoric times. You don’t need classes in Brazilian Jiujitsu, judo, kick boxing or wrestling. Just show up in a boxing gym and they can put you to work.

It’s a poor person’s path that can lead to better things and most importantly discipline.

Photos credit: Lina Baker

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