Countdown To Mayweather-Pacquiao: Legit Super Fight Or Manufactured One?

Published

9 years ago

March 3, 2015

Starting with this column I’ll be doing one article per week, Countdown To Mayweather-Pacquiao, until the fight, examining it from different angles. I’ll cover their best fights, what a win or a loss means for each fighter, who will win and why, and more.

Is the upcoming spectacle between welterweight title holders Floyd Mayweather 47-0 (26) and Manny Pacquiao 57-5-2 (38) a legitimate Super Fight? The obvious answer to that has to be yes since it will no doubt be the highest grossing fight in fistic history. And a lot of that has to do with the fact the bout is happening during a time when social media and fan access is exploding. Fans can follow and communicate with star athletes today more than any other time in history via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and whatever else comes online between now and May 2, 2015. And nobody manipulates and tweaks via social media better than Mayweather.

The standard in which all modern Super Fights are measured by is the first meeting between undisputed heavyweight champion “Smokin” Joe Frazier 26-0 (23) and former undisputed champ Muhammad Ali 31-0 (25). It was accurately billed the “Fight of The Century” and took place on March 8th 1971 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. And you better believe to those who are fortunate enough to be living through the experience of both events…May 2, 2015 is certainly no March 8, 1971.

The first Frazier-Ali bout along with Leonard-Duran I, Leonard-Hearns I, and Hagler-Hearns were more authentic in that they featured two fighters where it was hard to picture either losing at the time of the bout, something that isn’t anywhere near the case regarding Mayweather-Pacquiao.

When Frazier fought Ali in 1971, Joe had succeeded Muhammad during his forced 43 month exile from boxing. And let there be no doubt about it, Frazier looked every bit as impressive going through the heavyweight division as Ali had four years earlier. When Leonard defended his welterweight title against Duran in 1980, Leonard was in the midst of surpassing Duran as the biggest star fighter in boxing who wasn’t a heavyweight. Duran entered their bout 71-1 (57) while Leonard was undefeated 27-0 (18). Five years after Leonard-Duran I, Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns met for the undisputed middleweight title. Sugar Ray Leonard was retired at the time and the winner between Hagler and Hearns would determine who boxing’s biggest star was.

The fights above evolved through a natural progression, unlike Mayweather-Pacquiao.

The ballyhoo for Floyd vs. Manny was manufactured via Mayweather refusing to fight Pacquiao for five and a half years. Pacquiao really didn’t enter the picture as far as being a threat to Mayweather until he knocked out Ricky Hatton in two rounds in May of 2009. It reached a fever pitch six months later when Manny took apart and stopped Miguel Cotto, who at the time was on the list of fighters that most fans and media felt Mayweather avoided. After Pacquiao beat Cotto the drumbeat started for him to fight Mayweather, only Floyd’s outward reluctance projected the thought that perhaps Pacquiao is the guy who can take Mayweather down. And the longer the fight was delayed the more Pacquiao became the peoples’ hope and choice to beat Mayweather.

The fact that Manny was out-boxed by Erik Morales and lost, didn’t look so terrific losing a dubious decision to Timothy Bradley, and was knocked out cold for two minutes by Juan Manuel Marquez didn’t matter. All that mattered was Mayweather won’t fight Pacquiao….so he must be afraid of losing to him. And it’s that false narrative that made the fight the blockbuster it now is. Had Floyd and Manny fought in 2010 it wouldn’t be the monster fight it is today. After five plus years fans are dying to see if Pacquiao is/was the fighter to bring Mayweather down.

The drama attached to Mayweather-Pacquiao is simply because Mayweather’s perceived fear of Pacquiao deemed Manny to be the only guy capable of erasing the 0 from the right side of Floyd’s record, nothing more. Had these two fought in 2010 when it was a more even match up, it’s no more anticipated than De La Hoya-Trinidad was in 1999. But Mayweather, by allowing the masses to think he feared Manny, led everybody to latch onto the hope that he was the only guy who could beat him. Finally, after running out of opponents that the public wanted to see them fight, they’re going to fight each other. And with Mayweather agreeing to the fight, the threat of Pacquiao winning lives on.

The other difference between the Super Fights above and Mayweather-Pacquiao is, everybody was split as to who would win them before the fight. And that’s what made them much more authentic and genuine. The fact that it was easy to find someone who would bet you even up that Frazier was going to beat Ali or the reverse fostered the anticipation. And the same was true regarding Leonard-Duran I, Leonard-Hearns I and Hagler-Hearns. If you thought Leonard was going to beat Duran, it was easy to find someone who would be glad to bet you even up that Roberto was the better fighter and would come out as the victor (Leonard was a 9-5 favorite). Mike Tyson was a 4-1 favorite over Michael Spinks when they fought in June of 1988. I had no doubt that Tyson was going to win before the fight, but even as a huge underdog it was easy to find guys who were willing to wager on Spinks even up. The same held true for the Hagler-Leonard bout. Marvin was a 4-1 favorite over Ray, but there were more than a few out there who were picking Leonard to win.

Last week I contacted 14 writers and friends whose opinion I value most when it comes to boxing. I asked them who they were picking to win the fight. Only one of 14 picked Pacquiao, and his reasoning for that was…”Manny would win a gift decision so there would be a rematch.” If Mayweather-Pacquiao is being sold as the can’t miss fight of the last quarter century, why do those who know see it so lopsidedly for one side? So much for the anticipation regarding the outcome!

As for national pundits, only Skip Bayless of ESPN so far has picked Pacquiao to win without reservation. However, that shouldn’t even count because Bayless is the least objective talking sports head in history. He is blinded by the disdain he harbors for Mayweather. Even if inside he believes Mayweather is going to win, he can’t back off of what he’s been saying for at least two years that I know of. Also, did you ever hear Skip discuss the sport of professional boxing? It isn’t pretty! I’d say its equivalent to listening to Sugar Ray Leonard instruct Smokey Robinson on how to sing, or Smokey trying to teach Sugar how to throw a punch.

This past weekend I was at a sports bar that has already begun advertising that they’re showing the fight. I purposely asked 10 male patrons who they were picking to win between Mayweather and Pacquiao? Nine of them said Mayweather. I asked the one who picked Manny if he was willing to meet me back there on May 2nd and make a wager on the fight where I have Mayweather and he has Pacquiao? He said, “I’ll meet you back here to watch the fight, but I’m not sure enough to bet you.” I replied, I’ll give you the Vegas line, 2 1/2 to 1. He said, “No thanks.”

Floyd Mayweather dictated the narrative that Manny Pacquiao is the only guy who has a chance to shut him up, and regardless of the anticipation for the fight, nobody believes him. And if you doubt that, see how many pundits and fans are willing to outright pick Pacquiao to beat Mayweather without hedging. Oh, they’ll give you the story about how he can win, but their convictions are very brittle as opposed to those picking Mayweather to win.

Yes, from a monetary vantage point Mayweather-Pacquiao is a legitimate Super Fight. And of course Pacquiao has a chance to upset Mayweather. It’s not like Manny is some no hope challenger. But for such an historic fight that is so highly anticipated, why is everybody picking the same side to come out victorious? That to me takes away the drama. Unlike the other Super Fights, I can easily envision either Mayweather or Pacquiao losing on May 2nd. I saw Jose Luis Castillo beat Mayweather in the ring and get robbed out of the decision the first time they fought, and Mayweather had his hands full with a wild and crude brawler named Marcos Maidana in his last two bouts……As for Pacquiao, he’s been defeated five times previously. What makes it such a big deal if Mayweather is the sixth to accomplish what five others have already done, and did so at a time when Manny was closer to his peak and fighting at his most optimal weight?

Fans clamored to see Frazier fight Ali because it was too tough to pick the winner, and it was hard to picture either of them losing to anybody at the time. Ditto that for Leonard vs. Duran I, Leonard vs. Hearns I, and Hagler vs. Hearns. Today fans are clamoring to see Mayweather vs. Pacquiao because by Floyd never fighting Manny, Manny became the “it” guy. The before mentioned fights were put together quickly as the public demand escalated. And that was even the case for Frazier-Ali I as well. Ali met Joe five months after his boxing license was re-instated after not fighting for 43 months. The Super Fights mentioned here didn’t need five plus years of hype. The hook for the upcoming Mayweather-Pacquiao clash was driven by Mayweather stringing the public along, wondering will he or won’t he ever fight Pacquiao.

From a perception perspective, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is one of the most lopsided Big Fights in boxing history going in. And a lot of that has to do with almost everyone agreeing on who will win it. The upcoming Mayweather-Pacquiao bout will garner professional boxing its biggest stage in nearly a quarter of a century, and that’s because the bout is a manufactured event via team Mayweather and a complicit boxing media. Together, they forged one of the greatest marketing campaigns ever. That said, it does have the making of being a very fan friendly and drama-filled bout regardless of who wins.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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Frank Lotierzo

Ramirez Outpoints Barthelemy and Vergil Ortiz Scores Another Fast KO in Fresno

Published

2 hours ago

April 27, 2024

David A. Avila

Ramirez-Outpoints-Barthelemy-and-Vergil-Ortiz-Scores-Another-Fast-KO-in-Fresno

Northern California favorite Jose Ramirez avoided an upset and knockout artist Vergil Ortiz destroyed his opponent on Saturday to set up a showdown with Australia’s power-punching Tim Tszyu.

After a 13-month layoff Ramirez (29-1, 18 KOs) shook off ring rust and avoided an upset by Cuba’s Rances Barthelemy (30-3-1, 15 KOs) in a battle between former world champions at Save Mart Center in Fresno.

It was Ramirez’s first bout under Golden Boy Promotions and he was nearly derailed by the slick counter-punching southpaw in the third and six rounds with laser left counters that connected every time. Though he was floored in the third round it was ruled a push down by referee Jack Reiss.

Fans gasped.

“He throws that left hand and I got hit with it in one round,” Ramirez said. “It motivated him.”

Once Ramirez figured out the remedy, he kept the fight inside and attacked the body and head. Barthelemy was unable to uncork one of his long lefts at close distance.

From the seventh round on the former super lightweight champion took control and kept the Cuban fighter against the ropes and unloaded shots to the body and head. He nearly forced a stoppage in the 11^th round.

Barthelemy survived but all three judges scored it big for Ramirez after 12 rounds: 119-109 twice and 118-110.

Vergil KOs Number 21

Knowing a win sets up a massive showdown against Aussie slugger Tim Tszyu, the Texas slugger Vergil Ortiz (21-0, 21 KOs) wasted no time in blasting out Puerto Rico’s Thomas Dulorme (26-7-1, 17 KOs) with a perfectly placed left hook to the body. Dulorme collapsed to the ground in agony.

Referee Tom Taylor stopped counting at 2:39 of the first round.

“It was a very calculated punch,” Ortiz said.

It was a commanding one round performance that sets up the showdown against the equally powerful Tszyu who despite losing a split decision to Sebastian Fundora last month by split decision, retains his reputation as a dangerous puncher.

Ortiz, who has 21 knockouts in 21 fights, will probably be fighting Tszyu in Los Angeles on June 1 if all negotiations go smoothly.

“Tim (Tszyu) I know you are watching the fight,” said Ortiz. “I’m ready. Let’s put on a great performance.”

Other Bouts

Oscar Duarte (27-2-1, 22 KOs) proved his knockout loss against Ryan Garcia would not stop him from improving as he defeated Jojo Diaz (33-6-1) by knockout at 2:32 of the ninth round in a super lightweight match. Referee Michael Margado wisely stopped the bludgeoning as a towel came flying in almost simultaneously.

It was the first time Diaz was ever defeated by knockout, though he never touched the canvas. It was also the first time Duarte trained with Robert Garcia and the difference was notable as he repeatedly walked through incoming fire and attacked the smaller fighter continuously.

“I want to fight the best in the world,” Duarte said.

Female Title Fight

A rematch battle for the flyweight championship saw Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz (15-1) defeat Marlen Esparza (14-2) this time with a two-fisted attack to win by split decision after 10 rounds.

Esparza failed to make weight and walked in three pounds overweight and Alaniz took advantage to win the WBA, WBC, and WBO flyweight titles in the rematch. Once again the scores were puzzling but this time in favor of Alaniz 97-93, 96-94, and 92-98.

Alaniz now holds the WBO, WBA, WBC flyweight world titles.

Welterweights

Mexico’s Raul Curiel (15-0, 13 KOs) busted body shots on Jorge Marron Jr. (20-5-2) and floored him twice in the first round. The second body blow left Marron paralyzed and unable to continue at 1:31 of the first round as referee Thomas Taylor counted him out.

Curiel, who is managed by Frank Espinoza and son, proved he’s ready for the upper levels of the welterweight division.

“I think I’m ready for the bigger names,” Curiel said. “You see the results.”

Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 282: Ryan’s Song, Golden Boy in Fresno and More

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 282: Ryan’s Song, Golden Boy in Fresno and More

Don’t call it an upset.

Days after Ryan Garcia proved the experts wrong, those same experts are re-tooling their evaluation processes.

It’s mind-boggling to me that 95 percent thought Garcia had no chance. Hear me out.

First, Garcia and Haney fought six times as amateurs with each winning three. But this time with no head gear and smaller gloves, Garcia had to have at least a 50/50 chance of winning. He is faster and a more powerful puncher.

Facts.

Haney is a wonderful boxer with smooth, almost artistic movements. But history has taught us power and speed like Garcia’s can’t be discounted. Think way back to legendary fighters like Willie Pep and Sandy Sadler. All that excellent defensive skill could not prevent Sadler from beating Pep in three of their four meetings.

Power has always been an equalizer against boxing skill.

Ben Lira, one of the wisest and most experienced trainers in Southern California, always professed knockout power was the greatest equalizer in a fight. “You can be behind for nine rounds and one punch can change the outcome,” he said.

Another weird theory spreading before the fight was that Garcia would quit in the fight. That was a puzzling one. Getting stopped by a perfect body shot is not quitting. And that punch came from Gervonta “Tank” Davis who can really crack.

So how did Garcia do it?

In the opening round Ryan Garcia timed Devin Haney’s jab and countered with a snapping left hook that rattled and wobbled the super lightweight champion. After that, Garcia forced Haney to find another game plan.

Garcia and trainer Derrick James must have worked hours on that move.

I must confess that I first saw Garcia’s ability many years ago when he was around 11 or 12. So I do have an advantage regarding his talent. A few things I noticed even back then were his speed and power. Also, that others resented his talent but respected him. He was the guy with everything: talent and looks.

And that brings resentment.

Recently I saw him and his crew rapping a song on social media. Now he’s got a song. Next thing you know Hollywood will be calling and he’ll be in the movies. It’s happened before with fighters such as Art Aragon, the first Golden Boy in the 50s. He was dating movie stars and getting involved with starlets all over Hollywood.

Is history repeating itself or is Garcia creating a new era for boxing?

Since 2016 people claimed he was just a social media creation. Now, after his win over Devin Haney a former undisputed lightweight champion and the WBC super lightweight titleholder, the boxer from the high desert area of Victorville has become one of the highest paid fighters in the world.

Ryan Garcia has entered a new dimension.

Golden Boy Season

After several down years the Los Angeles-based company Golden Boy Promotions suddenly is cracking the whip in 2024.

Avila

Vergil Ortiz Jr. (20-0, 20 KOs) returns to the ring and faces Puerto Rico’s Thomas Dulorme (26-6-1, 17 KOs) a welterweight gatekeeper who lost to Jaron “Boots” Ennis and Eimantas Stanionis. They meet as super welterweights in the co-main event at Save Mart Arena in Fresno, Calif. on Saturday, April 27. DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card live.

It’s a quick return to action for Ortiz who is still adjusting to the new weight division. His last fight three months ago ended in less than one round in Las Vegas. It was cut short by an antsy referee and left Ortiz wanting more after more than a year of inactivity in the prize ring.

Ortiz has all the weapons.

Also, Northern California’s Jose Carlos Ramirez (28-1, 18 KOs) meets Cuba’s Rances Barthelemy (30-2-1, 15 KOs) in a welterweight affair set for 12 rounds.

It’s difficult to believe that former super lightweight titlist Ramirez has been written off by fans after only one loss. That was several years ago against Scotland’s Josh Taylor. One loss does not mean the end of a career.

“My goal is to get back on top and to get all those belts back. I still feel like I am one of the best 140-pounders in the division,” said Ramirez who lives in nearby Avenal, Calif.

An added major attraction features Marlen Esparza in a unification rematch against Gabriela “La Chucky” Alaniz for the WBA, WBC, WBO flyweight titles. Their first fight was

a controversial win by Esparza that saw one judge give her nine of 10 rounds in a very close fight. Those Texas judges.

In a match that could steal the show, Oscar Duarte (26-2-1, 21 KOs) faces former world champion Jojo Diaz (33-5-1, 15 KOs) in a lightweight match.

Munguia and Canelo

Don’t sleep on this match.

Its current Golden Boy fighter Jaime Munguia facing former Golden Boy fighter Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in a battle between Mexico’s greatest sluggers next week at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on May 4.

“I think Jaime Munguia is going to do something special in the ring,” said Oscar De La Hoya, the CEO for Golden Boy.

Tijuana’s Munguia showed up at the Wild Card Boxing gym in Hollywood where a throng of media from Mexico and the US met him.

Munguia looked confident and happy about his opportunity to fight great Canelo.

“It’s a hard fight,” said Munguia. “Truth is, its big for Mexico and not only for Mexicans but for boxing.”

Fights to Watch

Fri. DAZN 6 p.m. Yoeniz Tellez (7-0) vs Joseph Jackson (19-0).

Sat. DAZN 9:30 a.m. Peter McGrail (8-1) vs Marc Leach (18-3-1); Beatriz Ferreira (4-0) vs Yanina Del Carmen 14-3).

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Vergil Ortiz (20-0) vs Thomas Dulorme (26-6-1); Jose Carlos Ramirez (28-1) vs Rances Barthelemy (30-2-1); Marlen Esparza (14-1) vs Gabriela Alaniz (14-1).

Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy Promotions

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Ramon Cardenas Channels Micky Ward and KOs Eduardo Ramirez on ProBox

Published

3 days ago

April 24, 2024

Arne K. Lang

Ramon-Cardenas-Channels-Micky-Ward-and-KOs-Eduardo-Ramirez-on-ProBox

The Wednesday night bi-monthly series of fights on the ProBox TV platform is the best deal in boxing; the livestream is free with no strings attached! Tonight’s episode was headlined by a super bantamweight match between San Antonio’s Ramon Cardenas and Eduardo Ramirez who brought a caravan of rooters from his hometown in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico.

Cardenas, coached by Joel Diaz, entered the contest ranked #4 by the WBA. He was expected to handle Ramirez with little difficulty, but this was a close, tactical fight through eight frames when lightning struck in the form of a left hook to the liver from Cardenas. Ramirez went down on one knee and wasn’t able to beat the count. It was as if Cardenas summoned the ghost of Micky Ward who had a penchant for terminating fights with the same punch that arrived out of the blue.

The official time was 1:37 of round nine. Cardenas improved to 25-1 with his14th win inside the distance. Ramirez, who was stopped in the opening round by Nick “Wrecking” Ball in London in his lone previous fight outside Mexico, falls to 23-3-3.

Co-Feature

In an upset, Tijuana super welterweight Damian Sosa won a split decision over previously undefeated Marques Valle, a local area fighter who was stepping up in class in his first 10-round go. Sosa was the aggressor, repeatedly backing his taller opponent into the ropes where Valle was unable to get good leverage behind his punches.

The 25-year-old Valle, managed by the influential David McWater, was the house fighter. This was his 10^th appearance in this building. He brought a 10-0 (7) record and was hoping to emulate the success of his younger brother Dominic Valle who scored a second-round stoppage of his opponent in this ring two weeks ago, improving to 9-0. But Sosa, who brought a 24-2 record, proved to be a bridge too high.

The judges had it 97-93 and 96-94 for the Tijuana invader and a disgraceful 98-92 for the house fighter.

Also

In a fight whose abrupt ending would be echoed by the main event, 34-year-old SoCal featherweight Ronny Rios, now training in Las Vegas, returned to the ring after a 22-month hiatus and scored a fifth-round stoppage over Nicolas Polanco of the Dominican Republic.

A three-punch combo climaxed by a left hook to the liver took the breath out of Polanco who slumped to his knees and was counted out. A two-time world title challenger, Rios advanced to 34-4 (17 KOs). Polanco, 34, declined to 21-6-1. The official time was 0:54 of round five.

—

The next ProBox show (Wednesday, May 8) will have an international cast with fighters from Kazakhstan, Japan, Mongolia, and the United Kingdom. In the main event, Liverpool’s Robbie Davies Jr will make his U.S. debut against the California-based Kazakh Sergey Lipinets.

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