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Fantasy Fisticuffs: The Late Edwin Valero vs. Vasyl Lomachenko. Who Wins?

Coulda, shoulda, woulda. It is the stuff dream fights are made of. What would have happened had Jack Dempsey fought Rocky Marciano, prime on prime

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Published

7 years ago

January 9, 2018

Bernard Fernandez

Coulda, shoulda, woulda. It is the stuff dream fights are made of. What would have happened had Jack Dempsey fought Rocky Marciano, prime on prime? Or a Smoke and Iron pairing of Joe Frazier vs. Mike Tyson? Muhammad Ali against three-time Olympic champ Teofilo Stevenson? Sugar Ray Robinson vs. Sugar Ray Leonard from the deliciously rich, high-calorie dessert menu?

The possibilities are endless. How any of us imagine the outcomes is, of course, a matter of speculation, personal flights of fancy that might be 180 degrees different than the opinion held by a neighbor, relative or the guy sitting on the bar stool next to you at your favorite watering hole.

In many instances the fantasy matchups are forever theoretical because the would-be participants are from well-separated eras, and if they weren’t, their best years did not intersect. Others involving contemporaries failed to become reality for various reasons, which is why we never saw Riddick Bowe share the ring with Tyson, his Brooklyn homeboy, or as a pro with Lennox Lewis. Larry Holmes still mentally mixes it up with George Foreman in an oldies-but-goodies clash that never got off the drawing board.

Fight fans that focus on the possible instead of the impossible are doing a lot of theorizing these days when it comes to WBO super featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko. If “High-Tech” moves up to lightweight or maybe even higher, as seems likely eventually, will he get it on with Top Rank stablemate Terence Crawford? (Unlikely, at least in the immediate future; Crawford, now the undisputed junior welterweight champ, seemingly is committed to his own step up, to 147 pounds.) How about similarly intriguing showdowns with Mikey Garcia or Jorge Linares?

For purposes of this story, however, let’s play another round of what-if, and the proposed opponent is someone whose meteoric rise to superstardom was cut short by tragic circumstances, some of which were of his own doing and some which perhaps owe to reasons beyond his control.

Golden Boy Promotions president Eric Gomez, for one, holds firm to the belief that the late Edwin Valero, the Venezuelan knockout artist who won all 27 of his pro bouts by knockout, the first 18 of which came in the first round, not only could defeat Lomachenko, but would lay him out.

“Oh, it wouldn’t be that competitive a fight,” Gomez replied when asked to weigh in on a stylistic delight that never can happen, but would have been cause for debate if it ever could have been made. “Valero would knock Lomachenko out. Valero was a truly special fighter, a special talent. He was very, very strong. He had raw power, incredible power, and in both hands. If he hit you, you were out of there, and he hit everybody. Every fight a win, every fight a knockout.”

Like Tony Ayala Jr., whom the late Lou Duva insisted would have been as good or better than the 1980s Big Four of Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns had not “El Torito” not lost his prime to drugs, impulsive, destructive behavior and a long prison stretch, Valero’s otherwise praiseworthy career – he held titles at super featherweight and lightweight, in addition to his unbroken knockout streak – has not apparently negated his many out-of-the-ring missteps. For high crimes and misdemeanors in his personal life, Valero in death remains a virtual pariah to many, better forgotten than feted.

Neither Valero nor Ayala — who did 17 years hard time after been found guilty of a brutal sexual assault — have ever been on the ballot as candidates for induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, although the IBHOF’s hallowed walls are not exclusively reserved for choirboy types. The late Sonny Liston passed muster in Canastota, N.Y., despite having been arrested 19 times, including a couple of felonies, and an inductee whose life and career track closely parallels Valero’s, the superb Argentine middleweight champion Carlos Monzon, was convicted for murdering his wife in 1989 and yet was a charter inductee into the IBHOF a year later. Like the 28-year-old Valero, who hung himself in his jail cell on April 19, 2010, one day after being arrested for suspicion of murdering his wife, Monzon died relatively young, at 52, on Jan. 8, 1995, in a car crash while on furlough from prison.

Official immortalization for Monzon and permanent scarlet letters of shame for Valero and Ayala might suggest a double standard on the IBHOF’s part, but in any case there are no etched-in-stone criteria which spell out who is or isn’t eligible for consideration. The Baseball Hall of Fame in nearby Cooperstown, N.Y., for instance, has forever banned gambling-tainted Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose, whose statistics are more than Hall-worthy, but suspected if verifiably unproven steroid abusers such as Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Roger Clemens remain on the ballot, if nebulously, un-enshrined but with ever-climbing vote totals.

The IBHOF’s lack of specific do’s and don’ts are troublesome for Kevin Iole, of Yahoo!Sports, but his favorable impressions of Valero are as indelible as those shared by Gomez.

“If you haven’t seen Valero, think of a young Mike Tyson … The Venezuelan fights with a fury,” Iole wrote in 2007. “Remember Tyson’s famous quote about wanting to drive his opponent’s nose into his brain? That’s the kind of fighter Valero is.”

“I don’t know if what he did should preclude him from consideration for the Hall of Fame,” Gomez said. “What I do know is this: he certainly was a great talent and there’s no telling how far he would have gone in his career had things not happened the way they did in his personal life. The crime he committed probably does outweigh his accomplishments in the ring. It’s a good question because it’s open for debate.

“We – Golden Boy – worked with him when he first came to the United States. I made something like five of his matches, until we found out he had had brain surgery in Venezuela.”

Valero, a three-time Venezuelan national champion as an amateur, was raised in poverty on the gang-controlled streets of his hometown of Merida. He was fleeing from police on a stolen motorcycle when it crashed on Feb. 5, 2001, leaving the helmetless driver with a fractured skull and necessitating an emergency operation to remove a blood clot. Nineteen months later Valero, having been cleared to fight in his home country, turned pro with a first-round blowout of Eduardo Hernandez. His reign of terror inside the ropes had begun.

As opponent after opponent failed to make it out of the opening round, Valero, by now managed by Oscar De La Hoya’s father, Joel Sr., came north under the auspices of Golden Boy to make himself better known to American fight fans. But would his run of quickie stoppages continue against a better grade of competition? Even Gomez wasn’t sure that would be the case.

“I put him in with a couple of decent guys and he knocked them out in the first round, too,” Gomez continued. “I then matched him with a veteran fighter from Colombia, Roque Cassiani, who was known for having a really good chin. Cassiani was as tough as nails. I figured there was no way Edwin could take him out in one round. But Edwin flattened Cassiani, and fast. I mean, the guy was out. That’s when I told myself, `We got something special here.’”

The plan called for Valero to reach a wider audience in New York, in the main event of Golden Boy’s Boxing Latino series. This time it was Valero that was kayoed, by a more comprehensive medical exam than he had received for his three fights in California.

“I remember telling Kery Davis (then a senior vice president of HBO Sports), `We got this kid, he’s incredible, he’s going to be a world champion,’” Gomez recalled. “Edwin had passed all the tests he had taken in California, but in New York you had to take an eye test, an MRI, an EKG. I mean, everything. We didn’t expect any problems there.

“Then I get a call from the commission physician, Dr. (Barry) Jordan. They had recently had a tragedy there with a fighter (Beethaeven Scottland) who died after an ESPN fight on a battleship (actually a World War II decommissioned aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Intrepid, docked in New York Harbor), so there was a lot of scrutiny on the boxing medicals. Dr. Jordan told me, `Edwin Valero didn’t pass his MRI. He has a hole in his head. There’s a part of his skull that’s missing. In my opinion, this kid should never fight again.’”

Gomez sent Valero for another MRI at a facility unrelated to the commission and the result was the same. “I went to Edwin’s trainer and he told me the kid didn’t want to say it, but had brain surgery in Venezuela a few years earlier. We released him because, really, what choice did we have? If he’s suspended in New York, he’s not going to get licensed anywhere else in the U.S., including California.

“Edwin tried to get reinstated in the U.S. for two years, but it wasn’t going to happen. Not then, and probably never. He went back to Venezuela and later was signed by Mr. (Akihiko) Honda, who brought him to Japan where he was allowed to fight. I don’t know how he got cleared there, but he was, and he won a world title (on a 10^th-round TKO of WBA super featherweight champ Vicente Mosquera on Aug. 5, 2006, in Panama City, Panama) and retained it three times.”

Moving up to lightweight, Valero won the vacant WBC title on a second-round stoppage of Antonio Pitalua on April 4, 2009, in Austin, Texas – he was licensed in that state on March 25, 2008 – and defended it twice before he was arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife, Jennifer Carolina Viera de Valero, in a hotel in the Venezuelan city of Valencia. She had been stabbed three times. Valero understandably was an immediate suspect, having been arrested before on alleged assaults of his wife, mother and sister.

Was Valero’s lack of impulse control, which served him so well as a fighter, caused, at least in part, by the head injury he incurred in 2001? It is a question without a conclusive answer as he also had been a relentless aggressor as an amateur.

“I’ve thought about that,” Gomez said. “If you’re missing part of your skull and you’re getting hit in the head, not just in fights but in sparring, it has to affect you somehow. Some of the stories I heard toward the end from people who were close to him made it sound like he became, I don’t know, paranoid or schizophrenic. He’d say he thought he was being followed, that people were following him. It’s not normal.”

So, could Valero’s power have been a match, or more, for Lomachenko’s precision? If a poll were being conducted today, the likely consensus would be that Loma, already hailed as a master of his craft and with the likelihood to continue to add to his legacy for years to come, would have bewitched and bewildered Valero just as he has most everyone else he has faced. Then again …

“Edwin Valero could have been great,” Gomez reiterated. “The sky was the limit for him. We’ll never know just how great he could have been, and the same goes for Tony Ayala Jr.

“I’ve always believed that punchers are born, not made. It might have to do with quick-twitch muscles, like some people say. But for whatever the reason, Edwin was a natural-born puncher. It’s a gift, and it isn’t always about who has the biggest muscles. There are a lot of skinny guys who were terrific knockout artists. Tommy Hearns was one. Alexis Arguello was another.”

TSS’ resident fight analyst, Frank Lotierzo, weighed in on the Lomachenko vs. Valero hypothetical, and although he’d go with Loma, he didn’t discount the possibility of Valero, who would always have a puncher’s chance against anyone he was in with.

“I think so,” Lotierzo said when asked if Valero might have been able to pull off the upset. “I think Lomachenko is magnificent. He’s brilliant. He’s definitely a special fighter, although I think the praise being heaped upon him now might be a little premature. What don’t we know about the guy? We don’t know how he can take a big punch because he hasn’t really been hit by one. We don’t know how he could recover if he gets knocked down or cut. For anybody to think that’ll never happen to him, that’s crazy. We saw Tyson and we saw (Roy) Jones, and during their primes it seemed like they might never lose. So what happens? We found out that Tyson didn’t handle adversity well and Jones doesn’t have a first-tier chin.

“We still don’t know any of that about Lomachenko. He could make Valero look bad because he’s a much better boxer, but Valero might catch him with that big shot because he had major power. Nobody’s ever seen Lomachenko really cracked as a pro.”

So there you have it, TSS Nation. Let your imaginations run wild and weigh in with your opinions.

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Bernard Fernandez

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The BWAA Shames Veteran Referee Laurence Cole and Two Nebraska Judges

Published

6 years ago

August 2, 2018

Arne K. Lang

In an unprecedented development, the Boxing Writers Association of America has started a “watch list” to lift the curtain on ring officials who have “screwed up.” Veteran Texas referee Laurence Cole and Nebraska judges Mike Contreras and Jeff Sinnett have the unwelcome distinction of being the first “honorees.”

“Boxing is a sport where judges and referees are rarely held accountable for poor performances that unfairly change the course of a fighter’s career and, in some instances, endanger lives,” says the BWAA in a preamble to the new feature. Hence the watch list, which is designed to “call attention to ‘egregious’ errors in scoring by judges and unacceptable conduct by referees.”

Contreras and Sinnett, residents of Omaha, were singled out for their scorecards in the match between lightweights Thomas Mattice and Zhora Hamazaryan, an eight round contest staged at the WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa on July 20. They both scored the fight 76-75 for Mattice, enabling the Ohio fighter to keep his undefeated record intact via a split decision.

Although Mattice vs. Hamazaryan was a supporting bout, it aired live on ShoBox. Analyst Steve Farhood, who was been with ShoBox since the inception of the series in 2001, called it one of the worst decisions he had ever seen. Lead announcer Barry Tompkins went further, calling it the worst decision he has seen in his 40 years of covering the sport.

Laurence Cole (pictured alongside his father) was singled out for his behavior as the third man in the ring for the fight between Regis Prograis and Juan Jose Velasco at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans on July 14. The bout was televised live on ESPN.

In his rationale for calling out Cole, BWAA prexy Joseph Santoliquito leaned heavily on Thomas Hauser’s critique of Cole’s performance in The Sweet Science. “Velasco fought courageously and as well as he could,” noted Hauser. “But at the end of round seven he was a thoroughly beaten fighter.”

His chief second bullied him into coming out for another round. Forty-five seconds into round eight, after being knocked down for a third time, Velasco spit out his mouthpiece and indicated to Cole that he was finished. But Cole insisted that the match continue and then, after another knockdown that he ruled a slip, let it continue for another 35 seconds before Velasco’s corner mercifully threw in the towel.

Controversy has dogged Laurence Cole for well over a decade.

Cole was the third man in the ring for the Nov. 25, 2006 bout in Hildalgo, Texas, between Juan Manuel Marquez and Jimrex Jaca. In the fifth round, Marquez sustained a cut on his forehead from an accidental head butt. In round eight, another accidental head butt widened and deepened the gash. As Marquez was being examined by the ring doctor, Cole informed Marquez that he was ahead on the scorecards, volunteering this information while holding his hand over his HBO wireless mike. The inference was that Marquez was free to quit right then without tarnishing his record. (Marquez elected to continue and stopped Jaca in the next round.)

This was improper. For this indiscretion, Cole was prohibited from working a significant fight in Texas for the next six months.

More recently, Cole worked the 2014 fight between Vasyl Lomachenko and Orlando Salido at the San Antonio Alamodome. During the fight, Salido made a mockery of the Queensberry rules for which he received no point deductions and only one warning. Cole’s performance, said Matt McGrain, was “astonishingly bad,” an opinion echoed by many other boxing writers. And one could site numerous other incidents where Cole’s performance came under scrutiny.

Laurence Cole is the son of Richard “Dickie” Cole. The elder Cole, now 87 years old, served 21 years as head of the Texas Department of Combat Sports Regulation before stepping down on April 30, 2014. At various times during his tenure, Dickie Cole held high executive posts with the World Boxing Council and North American Boxing Federation. He was the first and only inductee into the inaugural class of the Texas Boxing Hall of Fame, an organization founded by El Paso promoter Lester Bedford in 2015.

From an administrative standpoint, boxing in Texas during the reign of Dickie Cole was frequently described in terms befitting a banana republic. Whenever there was a big fight in the Lone Star State, his son was the favorite to draw the coveted refereeing assignment.

Boxing is a sideline for Laurence Cole who runs an independent insurance agency in Dallas. By law in Texas (and in most other states), a boxing promoter must purchase insurance to cover medical costs in the event that one or more of the fighters on his show is seriously injured. Cole’s agency is purportedly in the top two nationally in writing these policies. Make of that what you will.

Complaints of ineptitude, says the WBAA, will be evaluated by a “rotating committee of select BWAA members and respected boxing experts.” In subsequent years, says the press release, the watch list will be published quarterly in the months of April, August, and December (must be the new math).

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Popo vs. “La Hiena”: Blast From the Past – Episode Two

Published

6 years ago

July 30, 2018

Ted Sares

When WBA/WBO super featherweight champion Acelino “Popo” Freitas met Jorge Rodrigo “Il Hiena” Barrios in Miami on August 8, 2003, there was more on the line than just the titles. This was a roughhousing 39-1-1 Argentinian fighting an equally tough 33-0 Brazilian. The crowd was divided between Brazilian fans and those from Argentina. To them this was a Mega-Fight; this was BIG.

When Acelino Freitas turned professional in 1995, he streaked from the gate with 29 straight KOs, one of the longest knockout win streaks in boxing history. He was fan-friendly and idolized in Brazil. Barrios turned professional in 1996 and went 14-0 before a DQ loss after which he went 25-0-1 with 1 no decision.

The Fight

The wild swinging “Hyena” literally turned into one as he attacked from the beginning and did not let up until the last second of the eleventh round. Barrios wanted to turn the fight into a street fight and was reasonably successful with that strategy. It became a case of brawler vs. boxer/puncher and when the brawler caught the more athletic Popo—who could slip and duck skillfully—and decked him with a straight left in the eighth, the title suddenly was up for grabs.

The Brazilian fans urged their hero on but to no avail as Barrios rendered a pure beat down on Popo during virtually the entirety of the 11th round—one of the most exciting in boxing history. Freitas went down early from a straight right. He was hurt, and at this point it looked like it might be over. Barrios was like a madman pounding Popo with a variety of wild shots, but with exactly one half of one second to go before the bell ending the round, Freitas caught La Hiena with a monster right hand that caused the Hyena to do the South American version of the chicken dance before he went down with his face horribly bloodied. When he got up, he had no idea where he was but his corner worked furiously to get him ready for the final round. All he had to do was hang in there and the title would change hands on points.

The anonymous architect of “In Boxing We Trust,” a web site that went dormant in 2010, wrote this description:

“Near the end of round 11, about a milli-second before the bell rang, Freitas landed a ROCK HARD right hand shot flush on Barrios’ chin. Barrios stood dazed for a moment, frozen in time, and then down he went, WOW WOW WOW!!!! Barrios got up at the count of 4, he didn’t know where he was as he looked around towards the crowd like a kid separated from his family at a theme park, but Barrios turned to the ref at the count of 8 and signaled that he was okay, SAVED BY THE BELL. It was panic time in the Barrios corner, as the blood continued to flow like lava, and he was bleeding from his ear (due to a ruptured ear drum). In the beginning of round 12, Freitas was able to score an early knockdown, and as Barrios stood up on wobbly legs and Freitas went straight at him and with a couple more shots, Barrios was clearly in bad shape and badly discombobulated and the fight was stopped. Freitas had won a TKO victory in round 12, amazing!!!!”

Later, Freitas tarnished his image with a “No Mas” against Diego Corrales, but he had gone down three times and knew there was no way out. He went on to claim the WBO world lightweight title with a split decision over Zahir Raheem, but that fight was a snoozefest and he lost the title in his first defense against Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz.

Freitas looked out of shape coming in to the Diaz fight and that proved to be the case as he was so gassed at the end of the eighth round that he quit on his stool. This was yet another shocker, but others (including Kostya Tszyu, Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya and even Ali) had done so and the criticism this time seemed disproportionate.

Popo had grown old. It happens. Yet, against Barrios, he had proven without a doubt that he possessed the heart of a warrior.

The Brazilian boxing hero retired in 2007, but came back in 2012 and schooled and KOd the cocky Michael “The Brazilian Rocky” Oliveira. He won another fight in 2015 and though by now he was visibly paunchy, he still managed to go 10 rounds to beat Gabriel Martinez in 2017 with occasional flashes of his old explosive volleys. These later wins, though against lower level opposition, somewhat softened the memories of the Corrales and Diaz fights, both of which this writer attended at the Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut. They would be his only defeats in 43 pro bouts.

Like Manny Pacquiao, Freitas had a difficult childhood but was determined to make a better life for himself and his family. And, like Manny, he did and he also pursued a career in politics. Whether he makes it into the Hall will depend on how much a ‘No Mas’ can count against one, but he warrants serious consideration when he becomes eligible.

As for the Hyena, on April 8, 2005, he won the WBO junior lightweight title with a fourth round stoppage of undefeated but overweight Mike Anchondo. In January 2010 he was involved in a hit and run accident in which a 20-year-old pregnant woman was killed. On April 4, 2012 Barrios was declared guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced to four years in prison. He served 27 months and never fought again, retiring with a record of 50-4-1.

Ted Sares is one of the oldest active full power lifters in the world. A member of Ring 10, and Ring 4’s Boxing Hall of Fame, he was recently cited by Hannibal Boxing as one of three “Must-Read” boxing writers.

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The Avila Perspective Chapter 6: Munguia, Cruiserweights and Pacman

Published

6 years ago

July 18, 2018

David A. Avila

Adjoining states in the west host a number of boxing cards including a world title contest that features a newcomer who, before knocking out a world champion, was erroneously categorized by a Nevada official as unworthy of a title challenge.

Welcome to the world of Mexico’s Jaime Munguia (29-0, 25 KOs) the WBO super welterweight world titlist who meets England’s Liam Smith (26-1-1, 14 KOs) at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 21. HBO will televise

Back in April when middleweight titan Gennady “GGG” Golovkin was seeking an opponent to replace Saul “Canelo” Alvarez who was facing suspension for performance enhancement drug use, it was the 21-year-old from Tijuana who volunteered his services for a May 5^th date in Las Vegas.

Bob Bennett, the Executive Director for Nevada State Athletic Commission, denied allowing Munguia an opportunity to fight Golovkin for the middleweight titles. Bennett claimed that the slender Mexican fighter had not proven worthy of contesting for the championship though the tall Mexican wielded an undefeated record of 28 wins with 24 coming by knockout.

To be fair, Bennett has seen many fighters in the past with undefeated records who were not up to challenges, especially against the likes of Golovkin. But on the other hand, how can an official involved in prizefighting deny any fighter the right to make a million dollar payday if both parties are willing?

That is the bigger question.

Munguia stopped by Los Angeles to meet with the media last week and spoke about Bennett and his upcoming first world title defense. He admitted to being in the middle of a whirlwind that is spinning beyond his expectations. But he likes it.

“I’ve never won any kind of award before in my life,” said Munguia at the Westside Boxing Club in the western portion of Los Angeles. “I’ve always wanted to be a world champion since I was old enough to fight.”

When asked how he felt about Nevada’s denying him an attempt to fight Golovkin, a wide grin appeared on the Mexican youngster.

“I would like to thank him,” said Munguia about Bennett’s refusal to allow him to fight Golovkin. “Everything happens for a reason.”

That reason is clear now.

Two months ago Munguia put on a frightening display of raw power in knocking down then WBO super welterweight titlist Sadam Ali numerous times in front of New York fans. It reminded me of George Foreman’s obliteration of Joe Frazier back in the 1970s. World champions are not supposed get battered like that but when someone packs that kind of power those can be the terrifying results.

Still beaming over his newfound recognition, Munguia has grand plans for his future including challenging all of the other champions in his weight category and the next weight division.

“I want to be a great champion,” said Munguia. “I want to make history.”

The first step toward history begins on Saturday when he faces former world champion Smith who was dethroned by another Mexican named Canelo.

Cruiserweight championship

It’s not getting a large amount of attention in my neighborhood but this unification clash between WBA and IBF cruiserweight titlist Murat Gassiev (26-0, 19 KOs) and WBC and WBO cruiserweight titlist Oleksandr Usyk (14-0, 11 KOs) has historic ramifications tagged all over it.

The first time I ever saw Russia’s 24-year-old Gassiev was three years ago when he made his American debut at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello. It’s a small venue near East L.A. and the fight was attended by numerous boxing celebrities such as James “Lights Out” Toney, Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera and Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. One entire section was filled by Russian supporters and Gassiev did not disappoint in winning by stoppage that night. His opponent hung on for dear life.

Ukraine’s Usyk, 31, made his American debut in late 2016 on a Golden Boy Promotions card that staged boxing great Bernard Hopkins’ final prizefight. That night the cruiserweight southpaw Usyk bored audiences with his slap happy style until lowering the boom on South Africa’s Thabiso Mchunu in round nine at the Inglewood Forum. The sudden result stunned the audience.

Now it’s Gassiev versus Usyk and four world titles are at stake. The unification fight takes place in Moscow, Russia and will be streamed via Klowd TV at 12 p.m. PT/ 3 p.m. ET.

Seldom are cruiserweight matchups as enticing to watch as this one.

Another Look

A couple of significant fights took place last weekend, but Manny Pacquiao’s knockout win over Lucas Matthysse for the WBO welterweight world title heads the list.

Neither fighter looked good in their fight in Malaysia but when Pacquiao floored Matthysse several times during the fight, it raised some red flags.

The last time Pacquiao knocked out a welterweight was in 2009 against Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas. Since then he had not stopped an opponent. What changed?

In this age of PEDs there was no mention of testing for the Pacquiao/Matthysse fight. For the curiosity of the media and the fans, someone should come forward with proof of testing. Otherwise any future fights for the Philippine great will not be forthcoming.

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