Countdown To Mayweather-Pacquiao: Why Bother Asking Star Fighters For Their Pick

Published

9 years ago

March 30, 2015

There used to be a time when star fighters had no qualms about giving their true thoughts as to who they felt would win in an upcoming super fight. Before the super fight by which all are measured, “Frazier vs. Ali,” back in 1971, Jerry Quarry and Oscar Bonavena were the two most recent opponents of both “Smokin” Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, and neither hesitated as to who they were picking to win the much ballyhooed clash?

Quarry, who lost to Frazier in seven rounds in 1969 and Ali in three rounds in 1970, was adamant that Joe was too tough and rugged for Ali and would most likely stop him inside of 10 rounds.

Bonavena, who went the distance twice with Frazier in 1966 and 1968, and was stopped by Ali in the 15th round in 1970 saw it differently. Oscar said Ali was the true champion and the better fighter and picked him to beat Frazier without any reservation. Since Joe beat Muhammad the first time out, chalk one up for Quarry for picking the correct winner.

Today both Oscar and Jerry would hedge their pick for reasons that didn’t exist for big time fighters during the sixties, seventies, eighties and even the nineties. In 2015 they’d phrase their pick something like this, “if it ends inside of eight rounds, Frazier will be the winner – but if it goes the distance, than Ali will be the victor.” And the reason for that is, a lot of ex-star fighters make a lot of their post-fight money doing commentary, personal appearances and all sorts of different media work for what to them has to be considered easy money. So there are business reasons for them to circumspect. That’s why it’s so hard to gauge their true feelings about how a particular big fight might go between two of their colleagues. They’re not likely to let their real opinion get in the way of friendships and business dealings that go on indefinitely. Celebrity fighters all know each other and swim in the same waters year after year. They’re professionals.

The ‘hedge your pick’ practice is not limited to just fighters, it also applies to commentators and analyst too. I remember when Mr. “Tell It Like It Is” Teddy Atlas was asked who was going to win between heavyweight contenders David Tua and Michael Moore back in 2002, he essentially said he didn’t know, and that it could go either way (Tua knocked Moorer out 30 seconds into the first round in what was a very easy fight to handicap before the fact). After the fight, Atlas said he knew all along that Tua was going to destroy Moorer, but that, because Moorer was his friend, he lied to his entire listening audience so that he wouldn’t upset Michael.

Of course, for “Mr Ethics” “I Never Pull My Punches” Atlas, what he did was inexcusable. But for guys whose bread and butter are maintaining good diplomatic relationships, their caution isn’t surprising. And if the press is too stupid not to catch on, that’s their problem.

When it comes to asking fighters who will win a certain fight between two superstars, don’t ask other superstar fighters or fighters who fought both guys. Because most of the time they have an agenda and something to protect, they’ll seldom if ever convey their true feelings.

The below fighters are all former title holders and in Cotto’s case a current title holder. They’re well known and have fought both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in high profile PPV bouts. Here are some of the things they’ve said when asked for a prediction on the upcoming fight.

Ricky Hatton: …..”Either side could win as well as lose in the bout deemed as the “Fight of the Century.” That’s certainly not a pick. Hatton was stopped by both Pacquiao and Mayweather. If you’re Hatton, it makes you look better if Mayweather wins because you can say you were in the fight with him, and justify that you just got caught by Pacquiao. If Mayweather retires undefeated Hatton looks better.

Miguel Cotto: …..Says having Freddie Roach in his corner is a big plus and will ultimately result in a Pacquiao win. Cotto was stopped by Pacquiao and lost a decision to Mayweather, and is trained by Roach. If you’re Cotto, it makes you look better if Pacquiao wins because he beat you worse than Mayweather did. And there’s no way Cotto is going against his trainer’s fighter.

Shane Mosley: …..Has been all over the place picking the winner. Depending on the day, you’ll get a different answer. Mosley lost a decision to both Mayweather and Pacquiao. However, Shane is in a tough spot. He probably hurt Mayweather more than any other fighter ever did to date, but he basically mailed it in when he fought Pacquiao. Shane can finagle whoever wins into somehow making himself look better. If Mayweather retires undefeated, it will always be remembered that Mosley landed the best punch any fighter ever did on Floyd.

Oscar De La Hoya: …..Has picked Pacquiao, but when it comes to Mayweather, Oscar is about as objective as ESPN’s Skip Bayless. In other words objectivity is a foreign word to both of them regarding Floyd. De La Hoya lost a decision to Mayweather and was stopped by Pacquiao. Oscar really gave Floyd a close fight, but was taken apart by Pacquiao. However, he can claim he was drained from dropping too much weight when he fought Pacquiao, which is somewhat plausible. However, Oscar is less of a rival to Pacquiao than he is Mayweather, so there’s less bad blood between them. I don’t think De La Hoya, inside, has any love for either, but I doubt he wants to see Floyd retire undefeated.

Juan Manuel Marquez: …..Like his trainer Nacho Beristain, he is all over the place too, and depending on the day you get a different answer. Marquez is 1-2-1 against Pacquiao and lost a lopsided decision to Mayweather. If you’re Marquez, you want Pacquiao to win because of the four fights you’ve had against him. And it also makes you look better if your career rival, who you knocked dead the last time you fought, wins the biggest fight in the last 25 years. That, and you can justify losing the decision to Mayweather since he beat you at the weigh-in by coming in over the contracted weight.

The above illustrates just how common opponents, at least during this era, cannot be objective when it comes to them saying what they really think will happen between Mayweather and Pacquiao on May 2nd.

Then there are the star fighters who seem to hedge almost as much.

Sugar Ray Leonard: …..Said he gives the edge to Mayweather because he’s undefeated. I’m guessing that’s a hedge pick in favor of Mayweather. Some insight from arguably the best p4p fighter since 1980: I’m certain Leonard appreciates Mayweather’s style more than he does Pacquiao’s. But there are some dynamics in play between Leonard and the Mayweather’s, being that Ray knocked out Floyd’s father in 1978 when Jr. was a year old, and Leonard is often asked how he’d do against Floyd Jr.

Thomas Hearns:…..Said people are crazy if they believe Mayweather or Pacquiao could’ve competed with Ray, Marvin and myself during our era. Well, he didn’t make a pick on the fight, but you can’t dispute what he said. Is there any doubt that when Hearns watches Mayweather and Pacquiao fight, he believes that he would’ve beaten them both on the same night one after the other.

Marvin Hagler:…..Said Mayweather-Pacquiao is the biggest fight in boxing history. Again, no pick, but from a money generating standpoint, he’s right. Also, Hagler probably sees a lot of Sugar Ray Leonard in Mayweather and some of himself in Pacquiao. I believe deep down inside Marvin is rooting for Pacquiao to win.

Mike Tyson:….Thinks Manny’s aggression will test Floyd’s toughness like it’s never been tested before. And recently has said Manny’s perpetual motion will be too much for Mayweather. Sounds like a hedge towards Pacquiao? You know deep down inside Tyson likes Pacquiao’s style and approach to fighting more than he does Mayweather’s. I don’t think Tyson really cares who wins because he likes and respects all fighters.

Evander Holyfield:….Thinks Pacquiao will win because boxing doesn’t want Mayweather to retire undefeated. Well, at least he made a pick; I have to give him that. His reasoning is a little twisted, but I’ll take it. I guess boxing didn’t want him to lose the first time he fought Lennox Lewis. Just ask Eugenia Williams.

Bernard Hopkins:…..Mr. Inconsistent said Pacquiao’s KO at the hands of Marquez in 2012 has residual effects for the next 10 fights. A week later he said burn the tape it means nothing, Manny had a momentary lapse and got caught. No big deal. Oh, he also said if Mayweather survives the first three rounds, he’ll dominate Pacquiao the last six rounds. Not sure who Bernard picked, but I believe he sees more of himself in Mayweather than he does Pacquiao. I believe if pushed I think he’d pick Mayweather.

Roy Jones:…..Has said Floyd is smarter and better now in his advanced age because of all his experience. Is that a pick for Mayweather? Like Hopkins, I believe Roy sees more of himself in Mayweather than he does Pacquiao, but maybe like some others, Roy would like to see Mayweather lose once and not retire undefeated. If push comes to shove I believe Jones favors Mayweather to win.

As far as I’m concerned, you can keep all of their picks and shove ’em where the sun doesn’t shine, because not one of them is worth a damn. They weren’t the least bit forth-coming. And the reason for that is because they all have skin in the game for various reasons already mentioned.

If you want to hear from fighters who know what they’re talking about and who will give you an informed and honest opinion as to who will win the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, I suggest you go into any good boxing gym, and ask veteran fighters with no horse in the race, and you’ll get solid predictions. Forget the stars above; I want to hear who Paulie Malinaggi thinks is going to win. Actually, I believe he’s on record picking Mayweather without hedging a bit, which isn’t the least bit surprising. I bet ex-fighters/title holders like Joe Calzaghe and Charles Brewer could provide well thought-out and honest opinions as to whom and why they favor a particular side in the upcoming Mayweather-Pacquiao bout.

I say why bother asking star fighters, past opponents or celebrities from the acting and music industries for their pick as to who will on May 2nd. The star fighters are judicious in their words because of friendships and business relationships, so they won’t be honest. The ex-opponents have a rooting interest so they won’t be forth coming, and the celebrities will pick their friends. I mean really, does Justin Bieber picking Mayweather or Tim Tebow picking Pacquiao really matter to you? It sure doesn’t to me!

Perhaps by the time this runs the above may have made a more authentic pick, but you can believe they’re not really giving you their true thoughts, for the reasons stated above and some that I didn’t even touch on.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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Frank Lotierzo

Avila Perspective, Chap. 254: Canelo vs Jermell Charlo in a Battle of Undisputed Champions

Published

10 hours ago

September 29, 2023

David A. Avila

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LAS VEGAS-Less than the usual massive crowd gathered for boxing kingpin Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Jermell Charlo in the desert heat outside of the T-Mobile Arena on Friday afternoon. Usually the weigh-ins are slightly bigger for Mexico’s idol.

Is the declining crowd an indicator of Alvarez fans ebbing belief in his abilities?

Still, on Saturday night, two undisputed world champions from differing divisions will collide as Guadalajara, Mexico’s Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs) meets Houston’s Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) at T-Mobile Arena for the super middleweight world championship. PPV.Com will stream the clash of champions.

This year has seen a hyper-speed uptick in champions fighting other champions, perhaps the result of watching their female counterparts Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor produce the biggest fight of 2022. This year several marquee collisions were spawned from lightweights to heavyweights.

Or maybe the pandemic lull created a twitch panic among the elite.

Charlo was one of those who had been sidelined while others like Gervonta “Tank” Davis, Naoya “Monster” Inoue and Canelo Alvarez filled their pockets with cash. And others like Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez gained undisputed glory.

Instead of watching on the sidelines, Charlo decided to make his move for greater glory by attempting to dethrone one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, if not the kingpin of boxing when it comes to money.

“If I accomplish this massive goal, it will be hard to top,” Charlo said a few weeks ago during his media workout. “I’ll be in the record book with the greats of boxing for a long time.”

Risks brings rewards.

Canelo, long a member of the boxing elite, has held his position as the box office king for many years now by taking the daunting risks throughout his boxing life.

“Jermell is right, I have nothing to prove. But this time I have something to prove to him,” said Alvarez while in Las Vegas on Wednesday. “He never believed in my skills. He’s been calling me out. Now I have an opportunity to show him my skills.”

Undisputed super welterweight will challenge undisputed super middleweight in a two-division jump not often seen, except for Henry Armstrong, Roberto Duran and Sugar Shane Mosley. It’s the road taken by those who seek to be great.

Both are 33 but the redhead Alvarez has been fighting professionally since he was 15. That’s a lot of bullets in the chamber he has already used. Charlo has height, speed and the ability to adapt to different styles. Stylistically, it’s a battle that makes even the skeptics take pause.

It all depends on Alvarez’s resiliency. Charlo has ring rust, while Alvarez seemingly has lost the hunger. Whose weakness will prove the greater?

“Now is the time for this fight. We’re in our primes and at our best,” said Charlo. “I wanna shake the doubters off and prove to the world why I”m in this position. There’s a reason I made it this far.”

Alvarez remembers being as hungry as Charlo.

“I never overlook any fighter,” Alvarez said. “I know what he’s going to bring and I’m ready.”

Undercard

Several other notable bouts are included on the pay-per-view card.

Former world titlists and current welterweight contenders Yordenis Ugas (27-5) and Mario Barrios (27-2) battle for an interim title set for 12 rounds.

Super welterweights Jesus Ramos (20-0, 16 KOs) and Erickson Lubin (25-2, 18 KOs) match skills in a match that pits a southpaw veteran against an undefeated southpaw from Arizona. For the past three years Ramos has been moving up the ladder and was last seen pounding out highly-touted Joey Spencer. Can he survive Lubin who nearly toppled Sebastian Fundora?

Doors open at T-Mobile Arena at 2 p.m. Pacific Time.

Lampley is back

Legendary HBO announcer Jim Lampley was hired along with ace reporter Lance Pugmire who will co-host the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez versus Jermell Charlo showdown via viewer chat live on PPV.com.

It’s the same concept used by Monday Night Football that features former quarterback greats Peyton Manning and Eli Manning in alternative programming.

Lampley returns to boxing after a five-year absence following HBO’s yanking of the popular program that vaulted elite boxing to the top behind the likes of George Foreman, Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao.

The veteran announcer will be live streaming all the action on media platforms before and during the fight action. He was sorely missed by all who follow the sweet science.

Photo credit: Al Applerose

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Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk a Go for Saudi Arabia: Date TBA

Published

17 hours ago

September 29, 2023

Arne K. Lang

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It is now official. Representatives of WBC and Lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and WBO/WBA/IBF title-holder Oleksandr Usyk have come to terms. The Fury-Usyk fight will be staged at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on a date to be determined. (Speculation centers around Dec. 23.)

Fury vs Usyk is the latest addition to Riyadh Season, a months-long, state-sponsored, city-wide entertainment and sports festival that commences this year on Oct. 28 with the fight between Tyson Fury and MMA star Francis Ngannou serving as the centerpiece of the grand opening ceremony.

A point that will be central to the pre-fight hype is that more than three decades have passed since boxing had a unified heavyweight champion. The last man to be recognized as such was Lennox Lewis who unified the title in November of 1999 when he won a unanimous decision over Evander Holyfield at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. Lewis entered the contest sporting the WBC belt whereas Holyfield held the WBA and IBF diadems.

As noted in boxrec, the vacant IBO heavyweight title was also at stake, a fact acknowledged in most British pre- and post-fight reports, but largely omitted from stories in American papers. As for the WBO, which was born the same year as the Florida-based IBO and came to leapfrog past it in credibility, it was out of the loop. Their heavyweight champion was Vitali Klitschko who had won the belt from Herbie Hyde.

The Lewis-Holyfield fight in Las Vegas was a rematch. They had fought eight months earlier at Madison Square Garden. That fight was ruled a draw, a decision deemed so unjust to Lennox Lewis that it spawned a federal investigation.

The tentative Dec. 23 date for Fury-Usyk would be a quick turnaround for the Gypsy King but would give him two months to heal in the event that he emerges from his non-title fight with Ngannou with a facial cut or another issue requiring medical attention. As noted in a story in the London Mirror, the date of Dec. 23 has also been bandied about as the likely date for the resurrection of the aborted fight between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn. Something would have to give and it wouldn’t be Fury-Usyk.

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Atlantic City Welcomes the 7th Annual Boxing Hall of Fame Weekend

Published

1 day ago

September 28, 2023

Luis A. Cortes III

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While the world of boxing will be focused on Las Vegas and the mega showdown between two undisputed champions, across the country Atlantic City will play host to the seventh annual Hall-of-Fame Induction Weekend. This year’s festivities are highlighted by the celebration of heavyweight boxers that once helped make Atlantic City the leading destination for “big time” fights. At the top of this year’s class are names like George Foreman, David Tua, Shannon Briggs, and Pinklon Thomas. With names like these, it’s easy to understand why this year’s Induction Weekend, now a staple of the city’s entertainment calendar, figures to be the best ever.

Ray McCline, a lifelong boxing fan, is the brainchild behind the event which has matured beyond the infancy stage. For McCline (himself a 2022 inductee into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame), creating an entire weekend around the sport in a way that could also benefit the city financially was a no-brainer.

“It’s great to see what this weekend has become. It’s been a long road from the original idea, but with great support and partnerships, it’s been possible,” states McCline.

In the past the ACBHOF has had to be as nimble as some of the fighters that they’ve honored to continue making sure the weekend wasn’t lost in the shadows of a city that has dealt with economic struggles. McCline and his staff at the ACBHOF have done an excellent job integrating the history of boxing with the history of Atlantic City. They’ve done this by offering fans the opportunity to spend more than just one evening immersed in the culture of the sport.

“It continues to grow and get better and that’s what it’s all about; making this the type of weekend that boxing fans mark on their calendars each year. This year we’re fortunate to partner with Hard Hitting Promotions to provide a great night of live professional boxing for fans as well,” says McCline. It’s the type of addition to an already full weekend schedule that only strengthens the ACBHOF brand.

A partnership with the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino has also been a key to recent enhancements for the weekend of events.

After years of having to adapt the schedule to the schedules of their host properties, having this partnership with Hard Rock has allowed for the ACBHOF to lock in the final weekend of September or first weekend of October which is important because it allows fans to plan out their post summer and pre-holiday schedules without having to skip their trip to Atlantic City. “A major bonus,” says McCline. “It was one of the major hurdles that we had to jump over. Integrating Hard Rock and their established relationships in the world of entertainment only benefits both parties.”

It’s a fact that isn’t lost when you see crowds of concert-goers and people arriving in the city for other events enter the Free Fan Expo that takes place prior to the award ceremony.

Which brings us to this year’s schedule of events. Tomorrow (Friday, Sept. 29) will be the customary V.I.P opening cocktail reception followed by the live fights at Bally’s Casino. On Saturday at Hard Rock is the free Fight Fan Experience which allows fans to interact with legends of the sport from the past and fighters of today and tomorrow. During the evening hours. the actual awards and induction ceremony will take place at the Hard Rock. The weekend activities culminate in a legends brunch on Sunday morning at the Blue Water Grille at the Flagship Hotel.

What’s going on in Las Vegas isn’t lost on McCline. “This year is going to be great for those attending the induction ceremony at the V.I.P. level. We were able to set up our post ceremony cocktail reception in conjunction with showing the Canelo-Charlo fight. At the end of the day, we’re all fans of the sport so why miss a historic fight?”

Just listening to the joy that springs from the voice of Ray McCline when discussing both this year’s event and plans for the future is refreshing, especially when one considers all of the roadblocks that he’s overcome to bring his vision to reality in the form of a full weekend of celebration.

Note: The main event of the boxing show on Friday is a 10-round contest between super lightweights Branden Pizarro (18-1-1) and Esteban Garcia (16-2). For more information on event tickets, room reservations, and weekend schedules, visit the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame website at: www.acbhof.com

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