Guerrero, Donaire FIGHTERS OF THE YEAR, The Readers Say

Guerrero, Donaire – All apologies to Donaire, who was all over TSS recently. Hope he doesn’t mind that we gave co-winner Guerrero a l’il love, letting him steal the photographic thunder in accompanying our readers’ choice for Fighter of the Year.

We have the best Forum in the business, according to my hugely biased self. Why? Because we have the most insightful posters, guys who consistently show off their wit and wisdom, and pleasing presentation, often to the point that it irks me, because fairly often they surpass what I do. That’s OK, my ego can handle it.

I posed a question, who is your fighter of the year, to the Forum a few days ago, and promised to collect the responses and share them with the wider world. So here goes…

Radam, the talented wordsmith with the touch of the mad poet in him, weighed in first. “My fighter of the year is Danny Garcia by a hair over Donaire and Marquez. Holla!”

South Paul, a relatively recent and most welcome addition to the mix, did indeed holla back. “A man loses his ability to walk but can still laugh, joke, smile,” he wrote. “That my friends deserves some sort of fighter of the year award. Paul Williams, a true living inspiration. Holla.”

Ali put in his three cents. “Radam, Danny Garcia beat Khan, I will give him credit for that but his win over an old Morales wasn’t a good win. I will have to go with Nonito Donaire for FOTY; he didn’t fight anybody elite but he did fight four times and all the guys he fought were solid.” Three respondents, three different picks, validity present in all three choices.

Our man Radam countered. “Virtually none of the experts gave Pretty Danny a chance against Morales I and/or Khan. TFF Donaire was a big favorite to win all four of his matches. Being fighter of the years needs a bit of intrigue and suspense in my opinion. And Danny knocking down Khan with a hook on the neck was oddity. How many times have you seem that? Holla.”

The mad poet came out in his next post.

“But one of the most bizarre pugilistic oddities of the year occurred in Puerto Rica at the late, great Hector Camacho’s Viewing/Wake. Missing now forever his love to charm, dames, dolls and damsels started straight-up wildin’ and cat fighting. And jive from nobody were they gonna take/Love him, or hate him! Nobody could bring the fun, drama and suspense like he could. See! “Harlem Hector,” aka “Macho Man” and “Macho Time” had it that way! Oh! Oh! Oh! What ya’ say/Even in death, Macho Time’s charisma was not lackin!’ Decked out and right from the his casket, he was still mackin/Macho Time STILL, babeeee! Until then! Holla!”

Another newish member of the Forum elite, Shoulder Roll Defense, tapped the Filipino Flash. “I have to give it to Donaire followed by Broner and Trout! All three had victories against the elite in their division. However, there is a argument for others such as Danny Garcia. Garcia’s two victories against Morales have to be put in proper perspective. Morales was a shell of himself athletically and in poor condition in both fights, which explains the problems he had making weight. Khan was made to order for Danny; over confident and the owner of a glass jaw. Danny is good boxer, but is essentially a one handed fighter (left hook). He will lose the first time he fights a savvy boxer with good ring generalship! Mayweather and Ward didn’t fight enough to make the list and Sergio needed another marquee fighter to go along with Chavez Jr. to be worthy of the FOY award.”

Can’t poke a hole in any of that logic, can you?

Scoring at home? That’s one vote for Garcia, one for Williams, two for Donaire.

The vaunted Brown Sugar, our 2012 TSS Reader of the Year, concurred with our David Avila with his FOTY pick. “Guerrero, the most underrated boxer on the planet,” he wrote. “An amateur standout, a six division champ, is quickly rising thru the ranks and he did it the hard way, by mugging Selcuk and liberally abusing Berto with the kind of fistic mayhem that brings a smile to any fight fans’ face. Guererro has no stamina deficiencies, no lack of a solid chin, and his toolbox is filled with multiple strategies he can transition into a one-size-fits-all offense, fit to accommodate all comers. As Mayweather grows long in the tooth, his skills slowly fading, Guererro looms increasingly larger as the boxer who is poised to either give Floyd the fight of his life, or commandeer his P4P crown outright. Get out of the way Canelo, Guerrero is about to dismantle the “MoneyTeam.”

A Forum strength was exhibited when S-Roll D countered Sugs, without resorting to incivility. “Come on B-Sug, you know better,” he wrote. “Guerrero isn’t about to “dismantle” the Money Team. This fight will be another UD for Mayweather unless he has truly grown old overnight. However, we might be witnessing another B-Hop because Money May can probably beat fighters the caliber of Guerrero on skills alone well into his 40s, but I hope he retires soon. It is the “skills that pay the bills” and Guerrero isn’t close to being in Mayweather’s stratosphere!”

The pugilistic poet entered the fray…”Don’t judge Money May by his bout with Miguel Cotto,” Radam wrote. “The moolah lover’s mind wasn’t fully on that fight. He had his mind on going to jail. And going to jail on his mind. He’d kayo the Cali Ghost’s behind. Holla!”

Solid-as-a-rock Amayseng seconded the Guerrero pick. “The Ghost for fighter of the year coming off a tough shoulder injury and long layoff and moving up two divisions to win fights he was picked to lose. However I am with the G as Mayweather is too accurate and sharp for the Ghost and after a tight six rounds, he pulls away with clarity.”

A delightful digression flourished, with Brown Sugar continuing to make a case for Guerrero’s chances against Mayweather. “Guerrero is not Hatton, a one dimensional rough-houser with limited technical skills, Guerrero is not Cotto, a guy who you can barely tell if he’s winning or losing a fight. Guerrero truly doesn’t give a damn about Floyd’s rank on the P4P list. Guerrero is at least equally as fit if not more fit than Floyd physically. Guerrero will not be intimidated like some starry eyed noob the way Ortiz was, beaten before he even entered the ring. This fight has potential upset written all over it. Guerrero is also a five time champion, not some fly by night journeyman looking for a paycheck. Don’t bet your vacation money of this fight…Floyd will be meeting another fighter who is determined, capable, adaptable, and doesn’t know the meaning of defeat.”

Maromero picked up the diverted thread, writing, “That’s what I’m thinking, Mayweather is about to get touched this year by one of those guys. I’m sure one of them is going to make him look old in there.”

Rightfully so, Radam had the last word. “I doubt it, Maromero. Those muthasuckas don’t have the mojo to put a pimp whuppin’ on Money May. Outside dat squared jungle with talky talk ain’t inside it with walky walk. Holla!”

Here’s a “holla.” Thanks guys for helping to differentiating TSS from the other fight sites. The variety of opinions are astounding, day after day, and I think it is appropriate that the top two vote getters in the thread were Guerrero and Donaire. Those two are our Co-Fighters of the Year, according to the Forum Elite.

Thanks for reading, and contributing, gang.

Guerrero, Donaire

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