Maybe boxing will be able to heal the wounds to its goodwill following the disintegration of the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight faster than we thought. First Manny agreed to face Joshua Clottey, and now Floyd's bout with Shane Mosley is all but a done deal.
Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Mosley has signed his contract to fight Mayweather on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Iole's piece states that Leonard Ellerbe expects Floyd to sign his contract ASAP, and that a press conference will take place in New York to announce the fight within the next few days.
I've used some space elsewhere to spell out my complete feelings on this announcement, but suffice it to say that I'm impressed that Mayweather agreed to the bout. Yes, Shane is no spring chicken and has been inactive for over a year. But if you don't think Mosley poses at least some danger as a foe for Floyd, your opinion of him must be pretty low indeed.
My early gut feeling says Mayweather will win the fight because his defense will trump Mosley's offense. But I'll be pulling for Sugar Shane since he's a personal favorite of mine.
Does the fact that Floyd is facing the man many consider to be the next best guy make Manny look worse? Not really, because Mosley wasn't available when he was putting together a fight - Andre Berto hadn't pulled out of his fight with Shane at that point - and Clottey is no pushover.
It's certainly a good look for Mayweather and a nice situation for Mosley to get at least one more big payday before he calls it a career. And who knows, perhaps victories by Floyd and Manny will have them revisiting their negotiations for later this year.
I don't know anyone who would be opposed to that.
Posted by The Franchise
Showing posts with label shane mosley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shane mosley. Show all posts
4.1.10
Top 10 Pound-For-Pound Boxers: BoxingWatchers.com End of 2009 List
Yes, we're a few days into 2010 now, but sometimes it takes some time to have all the BoxingWatchers give some input on... well, anything really.
Anyhow, we only do a pound-for-pound list at the end of each calendar year, because things don't generally change too much in any given month to be worth voting again. After 12 months though? That's a different story.
For starters, we lost several men from our end of list. Joe Calzaghe retired, and Antonio Margarito lost his only 2009 fight and got suspended for cheating.
A notable addition to the top 10 is Floyd Mayweather, who was still "retired" at this time last year. And the rest of the deck has been shuffled somewhat as well.
Based on nothing but our own opinions, here's our list:
BoxingWatchers.com Top 10 Pound-for-Pound Boxers - End of 2009
(End of 2008 rank in parentheses)
1. Manny Pacquiao (Last year: 1)
2. Floyd Mayweather (NR)
3. Bernard Hopkins (3)
4. Shane Mosley (NR)
5. Juan Manuel Marquez (4)
6. Israel Vazquez (5)
7. Chad Dawson (NR)
8. Paul Williams (6)
9. Arthur Abraham (NR)
10. Timothy Bradley (NR)
Also receiving votes: Nonito Donaire
Dropped out: Joe Calzaghe (retired, last year: 2), Antonio Margarito (7), Kelly Pavlik (8), Ivan Calderon (9), Rafael Marquez (10)
Posted by The Franchise
Anyhow, we only do a pound-for-pound list at the end of each calendar year, because things don't generally change too much in any given month to be worth voting again. After 12 months though? That's a different story.
For starters, we lost several men from our end of list. Joe Calzaghe retired, and Antonio Margarito lost his only 2009 fight and got suspended for cheating.
A notable addition to the top 10 is Floyd Mayweather, who was still "retired" at this time last year. And the rest of the deck has been shuffled somewhat as well.
Based on nothing but our own opinions, here's our list:
BoxingWatchers.com Top 10 Pound-for-Pound Boxers - End of 2009
(End of 2008 rank in parentheses)
1. Manny Pacquiao (Last year: 1)
2. Floyd Mayweather (NR)
3. Bernard Hopkins (3)
4. Shane Mosley (NR)
5. Juan Manuel Marquez (4)
6. Israel Vazquez (5)
7. Chad Dawson (NR)
8. Paul Williams (6)
9. Arthur Abraham (NR)
10. Timothy Bradley (NR)
Also receiving votes: Nonito Donaire
Dropped out: Joe Calzaghe (retired, last year: 2), Antonio Margarito (7), Kelly Pavlik (8), Ivan Calderon (9), Rafael Marquez (10)
Posted by The Franchise
22.9.09
Franchise Thoughts: If Manny Pacquiao Isn't Next for Floyd Mayweather, Then Who Is?
I have a confession to make: I haven't seen the Mayweather-Marquez fight.
It's not because I didn't want to, as I really was curious about how Floyd would look coming off his hiatus. I had to work, though, and had to head in right after the John-Juarez bout.
I've heard from several reliable sources that I missed nothing. Money was too good - on top of being too big - for JMM. End of story.
Even before Saturday's fight, fans and media members alike have been speculating about the possibility of Mayweather facing Manny Pacquiao some time next year. That talk is accelerating now, with some folks acting like it's practically a done deal.
I'm not as certain of that. For starters, Pac-Man has a big fight of his own coming up in November against Miguel Cotto, and even though I favor him to win, I wouldn't bet the ranch on it. Cotto is tough, craftier than he's often given credit for, and there's an excellent chance he'll be the strongest man Pacquiao has ever fought. I'll be surprised if Cotto wins, but I won't be shocked.
For what it's worth, if Cotto does beat Pacquiao, I think Mayweather may re-injure his ribs running to sign to face him. That's because Cotto is a big draw, meaning big bucks, and yet I could see Floyd seeing him (perhaps incorrectly) as an easy puzzle to solve. A large payday and a perceived low risk? That's right up Money May's alley.
Speaking of money, the sheer amount to be made from a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight means it makes the most sense for both parties if Manny gets by Miguel - but it could easily prove a sticking point too. Each man is going to see himself as the A side and negotiations aren't going to be easy. Bob Arum has already made that pretty clear with some of his comments.
Weight is another potential hurdle, as Team Pacquiao isn't going to allow the same hijinks that the JMM camp agreed to. Or, if you believe this guy, perhaps Freddie Roach will just throw up his hands, say "We can't beat him!" and that will be that.
Obviously, Mayweather isn't planning on heading right back into retirement, so if he doesn't agree to a fight with Pacquiao (or Cotto), what's his next move? Tim Starks recently laid out some possibilities at TQBR, but he's almost using too much logic in doing so, and we all know logic and the sweet science have a connection that's tenuous at best.
Because of that, I can't rule out Mayweather fighting yet another guy coming up in weight, though there isn't as obvious a candidate as Ricky Hatton or JMM once were. Assuming he's actually on fighting a welterweight at 147 pounds (crazy idea, I know), here are three names I'd expect to see kicked around, along with my thoughts on their chances of actually stepping in the ring with Floyd:
Shane Mosley: Sugar Shane just went from figuratively begging for a fight with Mayweather to literally begging for one. It was uncharacteristically crass for Mosley, and that's coming from one of his biggest fans.
Mayweather would probably let that affront slide if Shane was a big draw, but history has suggested that he's not. On top of that, for reasons Starks explains in that post I linked to above, Mosley is still good enough to pose at least a bit of a challenge for Floyd.
Shane probably didn't help his chances with his post-fight stunt, but I could still see this one coming together. Yet I could also see Mayweather pushing it off until Mosley is another six months to a year older.
Paul Williams: Even if The Punisher wasn't scheduled (I guess) to fight Kelly Pavlik in December, do you really think Floyd wants to subject himself to fighting someone with a ten-inch reach advantage who throws 100-plus punches a round? Williams is also even less of a household name than Mosley, despite his talent.
I'll never say never in boxing, especially after some of the match-ups we've seen over the past few years, but I'm not going to hold my breath for this one. I love Williams and would be thrilled if he got the shot, but in this case I wouldn't even fault Floyd for thinking the risk/reward ratio was all wrong.
Andre Berto: I'm surprised he isn't getting more consideration. Yes, he's less established than even Mosley and Williams, but he's likely to be considered less of a threat than either of them while still having accomplished enough to appear a credible opponent. In Floyd's world, those things count for a lot.
As the youngest fighter on this list, I'd guess Berto would be the most amenable to a lopsided split in favor of Money May, so if Floyd feels like his name would sell the fight (and really, that's not much of a stretch) he'd be okay with getting a super-sized slice of whatever pie there would be. If the Pacquiao-Cotto winner is out, Andre could get himself in the mix.
I honestly don't see anyone else at 147 who jumps out. If you think I've missed someone obvious, leave a comment and enlighten me.
Posted by The Franchise
It's not because I didn't want to, as I really was curious about how Floyd would look coming off his hiatus. I had to work, though, and had to head in right after the John-Juarez bout.
I've heard from several reliable sources that I missed nothing. Money was too good - on top of being too big - for JMM. End of story.
Even before Saturday's fight, fans and media members alike have been speculating about the possibility of Mayweather facing Manny Pacquiao some time next year. That talk is accelerating now, with some folks acting like it's practically a done deal.
I'm not as certain of that. For starters, Pac-Man has a big fight of his own coming up in November against Miguel Cotto, and even though I favor him to win, I wouldn't bet the ranch on it. Cotto is tough, craftier than he's often given credit for, and there's an excellent chance he'll be the strongest man Pacquiao has ever fought. I'll be surprised if Cotto wins, but I won't be shocked.
For what it's worth, if Cotto does beat Pacquiao, I think Mayweather may re-injure his ribs running to sign to face him. That's because Cotto is a big draw, meaning big bucks, and yet I could see Floyd seeing him (perhaps incorrectly) as an easy puzzle to solve. A large payday and a perceived low risk? That's right up Money May's alley.
Speaking of money, the sheer amount to be made from a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight means it makes the most sense for both parties if Manny gets by Miguel - but it could easily prove a sticking point too. Each man is going to see himself as the A side and negotiations aren't going to be easy. Bob Arum has already made that pretty clear with some of his comments.
Weight is another potential hurdle, as Team Pacquiao isn't going to allow the same hijinks that the JMM camp agreed to. Or, if you believe this guy, perhaps Freddie Roach will just throw up his hands, say "We can't beat him!" and that will be that.
Obviously, Mayweather isn't planning on heading right back into retirement, so if he doesn't agree to a fight with Pacquiao (or Cotto), what's his next move? Tim Starks recently laid out some possibilities at TQBR, but he's almost using too much logic in doing so, and we all know logic and the sweet science have a connection that's tenuous at best.
Because of that, I can't rule out Mayweather fighting yet another guy coming up in weight, though there isn't as obvious a candidate as Ricky Hatton or JMM once were. Assuming he's actually on fighting a welterweight at 147 pounds (crazy idea, I know), here are three names I'd expect to see kicked around, along with my thoughts on their chances of actually stepping in the ring with Floyd:
Shane Mosley: Sugar Shane just went from figuratively begging for a fight with Mayweather to literally begging for one. It was uncharacteristically crass for Mosley, and that's coming from one of his biggest fans.
Mayweather would probably let that affront slide if Shane was a big draw, but history has suggested that he's not. On top of that, for reasons Starks explains in that post I linked to above, Mosley is still good enough to pose at least a bit of a challenge for Floyd.
Shane probably didn't help his chances with his post-fight stunt, but I could still see this one coming together. Yet I could also see Mayweather pushing it off until Mosley is another six months to a year older.
Paul Williams: Even if The Punisher wasn't scheduled (I guess) to fight Kelly Pavlik in December, do you really think Floyd wants to subject himself to fighting someone with a ten-inch reach advantage who throws 100-plus punches a round? Williams is also even less of a household name than Mosley, despite his talent.
I'll never say never in boxing, especially after some of the match-ups we've seen over the past few years, but I'm not going to hold my breath for this one. I love Williams and would be thrilled if he got the shot, but in this case I wouldn't even fault Floyd for thinking the risk/reward ratio was all wrong.
Andre Berto: I'm surprised he isn't getting more consideration. Yes, he's less established than even Mosley and Williams, but he's likely to be considered less of a threat than either of them while still having accomplished enough to appear a credible opponent. In Floyd's world, those things count for a lot.
As the youngest fighter on this list, I'd guess Berto would be the most amenable to a lopsided split in favor of Money May, so if Floyd feels like his name would sell the fight (and really, that's not much of a stretch) he'd be okay with getting a super-sized slice of whatever pie there would be. If the Pacquiao-Cotto winner is out, Andre could get himself in the mix.
I honestly don't see anyone else at 147 who jumps out. If you think I've missed someone obvious, leave a comment and enlighten me.
Posted by The Franchise
4.9.09
Report: Kelly Pavlik-Paul Williams Rescheduled for Dec. 5, Shane Mosley to Fight Joshua Clottey on Christmas Weekend?
We've heard this one before, so we'll have to take it with at least a tiny grain of salt. But ESPN's Dan Rafael reported in his Notebook column today that Bob Arum expects the on-again-off-again-on-again fight between Kelly Pavlik and Paul Williams to take place on December 5 in Atlantic City.
Hopefully it sticks on that date longer than last time, when the scheduled date of October 3 lasted roughly a week before Pavlik's staph infection, a problem that's been lingering pretty much all year, forced it to be pushed back. On a personal level, I'm happy that the fight will likely still be in A.C., as that is within driving distance of BoxingWatchers HQ. You'll have to excuse me if I don't rearrange my schedule at my day job just yet though.
You may recall that HBO was originally thinking Shane Mosley would fight someone in Las Vegas on Dec. 5, assuming he could get someone to fight him. Sugar Shane's name had been mentioned in conjunction with just about every possible opponent around his weight, and he even campaigned publicly - and unsuccessfully - to try to land Manny Pacquiao.
The ever-hustling Rafael has news on that too, getting Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer to state that he's given up that date for Pavlik-Williams and is looking to possibly match Mosley with Joshua Clottey in Los Angeles on December 26. Though Rafael correctly expresses surprise at that date, I think it could be a stroke of genius. People are always looking for things to do after they've finished their family obligations on the holiday weekend, and though there are college football bowl games going on, it's still well before the important ones.
I like Mosley to beat Clottey, especially if it's the same Sugar Shane that showed up in the Antonio Margarito fight, but it won't be an easy night. I'm also an unabashed Mosley fan and will readily admit to having trouble keeping my personal bias out of the mix.
Is fighting Clottey really just Shane settling for whatever he could get? There certainly seems to be at least a little truth to that, but at least one man whose opinion I really respect - Tim Starks at The Queensberry Rules - says Mosley has never been afraid to fight dangerous opponents for less money than he would prefer.
Posted by The Franchise
Hopefully it sticks on that date longer than last time, when the scheduled date of October 3 lasted roughly a week before Pavlik's staph infection, a problem that's been lingering pretty much all year, forced it to be pushed back. On a personal level, I'm happy that the fight will likely still be in A.C., as that is within driving distance of BoxingWatchers HQ. You'll have to excuse me if I don't rearrange my schedule at my day job just yet though.
You may recall that HBO was originally thinking Shane Mosley would fight someone in Las Vegas on Dec. 5, assuming he could get someone to fight him. Sugar Shane's name had been mentioned in conjunction with just about every possible opponent around his weight, and he even campaigned publicly - and unsuccessfully - to try to land Manny Pacquiao.
The ever-hustling Rafael has news on that too, getting Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer to state that he's given up that date for Pavlik-Williams and is looking to possibly match Mosley with Joshua Clottey in Los Angeles on December 26. Though Rafael correctly expresses surprise at that date, I think it could be a stroke of genius. People are always looking for things to do after they've finished their family obligations on the holiday weekend, and though there are college football bowl games going on, it's still well before the important ones.
I like Mosley to beat Clottey, especially if it's the same Sugar Shane that showed up in the Antonio Margarito fight, but it won't be an easy night. I'm also an unabashed Mosley fan and will readily admit to having trouble keeping my personal bias out of the mix.
Is fighting Clottey really just Shane settling for whatever he could get? There certainly seems to be at least a little truth to that, but at least one man whose opinion I really respect - Tim Starks at The Queensberry Rules - says Mosley has never been afraid to fight dangerous opponents for less money than he would prefer.
Posted by The Franchise
4.7.09
Franchise Thoughts: The Best American Boxers Today
To all of our U.S. readers, a very happy Independence Day. This year's July 4th weekend leaves us without any major boxing action to speak of, but we hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday nonetheless.
It seems only natural to use some of my space today to examine the strength of American pro boxers as a group. While the death of boxing in the U.S. has been exaggerated (ad nauseam) by a number of sources, any rational fan would agree that the sport has fallen a long way from its peak domestic popularity during the 20th Century.
Still, the biggest bouts are still held primarily in the U.S., and American-born fighters continue to have a significant presence among the top levels of most divisions. Who are the best? Glad you asked, because I'm going to lay them out as I see them.
Two notes before I start. First, even though weight classes are becoming less important for purposes of making good fights, they're still useful for the sake of organizing fighters. For simplicity's sake, I'm placing each guy in the division in which he's ranked on BoxRec.com.
Also, I know that people born in Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens. But Puerto Rican fighters and fans tend to identify along ethnic lines, so I'm not including them with boxers born in the States. Obviously, adding the likes of Miguel Cotto and Juan Manuel Lopez would bolster America's ranks significantly.
Starting with the big guys and working down...
Heavyweight - Top American: Chris Arreola - This was a tough call, because the crop of U.S. heavyweights is both aging and, well, not very good as a whole.
It remains to be seen if Arreola has the stamina and defensive skills to truly compete with the Klitschko brothers and other top big men, but he certainly can bring it and he's yet to taste defeat. Plus his career is still on the rise and he's on the right side of 35, which is more than can be said of John Ruiz, Lamon Brewster and Hasim Rahman.
A bit of love also goes out to Eddie Chambers, who's also under 30, has lost just once and is actually fighting tonight in Germany.
Cruiserweight - Top American: Steve Cunningham - The cupboard is also pretty bare for American cruisers too, but Cunningham gets the nod as a former titlist who gave a pretty fair account of himself against the division's current top dog, Tomasz Adamek.
It's tempting to tout BJ Flores as a future hope in this weight class, but he's too old to be a prospect and hasn't exactly pushed himself to find the best fights. I like his announcing work though.
Light heavyweight - Top American: Bernard Hopkins - Until he officially retires, The Executioner remains one of the top U.S. boxers at any weight. His accomplishments speak for themselves, and he's still formidable at age 44.
Since B-Hop floats around in weight to fight so often, the real American champ at 175 could be Chad Dawson, depending on how he fares in his rematch with Glen Johnson. Big names Roy Jones Jr. and Antonio Tarver are still holding on, but just barely.
Super middleweight - Top American: Andre Ward - This was my first difficult decision, as Ward has yet to really cement himself as a top contender. He certainly looks to have all the tools necessary for future success.
If Ward is No. 1, then Andre Dirrell is 1A, and he also could very easily be a star in the making. BoxRec ranks Jermain Taylor ahead of both Andre's, but he's lost three of his last four and is just 1-1 at 168.
So there's hope for Americans in this division, but for right now the top guys (like Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler) clearly reside overseas.
Middleweight - Top American: Kelly Pavlik - This was one of the easiest calls, as the Pride of Youngstown has settled in as middleweight champ. He did get schooled by Hopkins, but that was a few pounds north of here.
BoxRec rates Daniel Jacobs in this division even though he's fought above 160 for most of his fights, so I'll go ahead and say he's the future for the U.S. if he actually can make middleweight. Other than The Ghost and the Golden Child, there's not much else near the top.
Super welterweight - Top American: Paul Williams: The Punisher exemplifies today's trend of floating around between weights, and he's made it very clear he'll fight anyone between 147 and 160. BoxRec places him here and so will I. He's one of the best boxers in the world and easily takes the top spot with his work rate, height and underrated power.
The U.S. is fairly deep at 154 aside from Williams. Vernon Forrest and Cory Spinks have been around for a while but don't look finished yet. And the beginning of the next decade looks promising thanks to James Kirkland (assuming he gets himself straightened out) and Deandre Latimore.
Welterweight - Top American: Shane Mosley - It's pretty much a two-man show at 147, but it's a good two. Sugar Shane showed he still has plenty left in the tank by beating down Antonio Margarito, even if that hasn't resulted in the big paydays he's been seeking.
The other half of the duo is Andre Berto, who has his doubters but just keeps winning. He's young enough to force bigger names to fight him in the next few years if he keeps it up.
Super lightweight - Top American: Timothy Bradley - Though he's kind of an unlikely champion, Bradley has a title and an undefeated record for now. It's tough to say if he's really great at any one aspect of the game, but he's solid in everything.
I almost gave the nod to Nate Campbell here but decided to wait until he actually had a fight under his belt at 140. It's against Bradley, by the way.
The U.S. is loaded in young talent here too, as Devon Alexander, Victor Ortiz (yes, despite his recent loss) and Lamont Peterson are all 25 and under.
Lightweight - Top American: Juan Diaz - The Baby Bull wins this almost by default as others have moved out of this weight class. Despite some rough outings over the past few years, I'd still watch him fight any time, and that counts for something.
Memphis' Anthony Peterson is the one to watch as we roll into and past 2010.
Super featherweight - Top American: Robert Guerrero - The pickings are slim for U.S. fighters at 130, and the "other" Ghost's last fight was at lightweight. His upcoming August bout with Malcolm Klassen is for a super featherweight title though, so he counts here.
Featherweight - Top American: Steven Luevano: This was a tough call. I went with Luevano for his excellent record against some pretty good opponents, but we'll see what he's made of when he fights Bernabe Concepcion in August.
The coin flip loser was Rocky Juarez. I think Rocky is talented, but he's come up short in his biggest fights and was fortunate to earn a draw against Chris John last time out.
Below featherweight - Top American: Brian Viloria: If the U.S. isn't cranking out too many excellent big men, it really isn't developing many top contenders at the lower weight classes. The weight classes below featherweight are almost completely devoid of top talent.
You have to go all the way down to light flyweight to find a notable exception. Hawaiian Punch has been rolling since a 2007 loss to Edgar Sosa, and he gets bonus points for being a frequent and often insightful Twitterer.
Posted by The Franchise
It seems only natural to use some of my space today to examine the strength of American pro boxers as a group. While the death of boxing in the U.S. has been exaggerated (ad nauseam) by a number of sources, any rational fan would agree that the sport has fallen a long way from its peak domestic popularity during the 20th Century.
Still, the biggest bouts are still held primarily in the U.S., and American-born fighters continue to have a significant presence among the top levels of most divisions. Who are the best? Glad you asked, because I'm going to lay them out as I see them.
Two notes before I start. First, even though weight classes are becoming less important for purposes of making good fights, they're still useful for the sake of organizing fighters. For simplicity's sake, I'm placing each guy in the division in which he's ranked on BoxRec.com.
Also, I know that people born in Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens. But Puerto Rican fighters and fans tend to identify along ethnic lines, so I'm not including them with boxers born in the States. Obviously, adding the likes of Miguel Cotto and Juan Manuel Lopez would bolster America's ranks significantly.
Starting with the big guys and working down...
Heavyweight - Top American: Chris Arreola - This was a tough call, because the crop of U.S. heavyweights is both aging and, well, not very good as a whole.
It remains to be seen if Arreola has the stamina and defensive skills to truly compete with the Klitschko brothers and other top big men, but he certainly can bring it and he's yet to taste defeat. Plus his career is still on the rise and he's on the right side of 35, which is more than can be said of John Ruiz, Lamon Brewster and Hasim Rahman.
A bit of love also goes out to Eddie Chambers, who's also under 30, has lost just once and is actually fighting tonight in Germany.
Cruiserweight - Top American: Steve Cunningham - The cupboard is also pretty bare for American cruisers too, but Cunningham gets the nod as a former titlist who gave a pretty fair account of himself against the division's current top dog, Tomasz Adamek.
It's tempting to tout BJ Flores as a future hope in this weight class, but he's too old to be a prospect and hasn't exactly pushed himself to find the best fights. I like his announcing work though.
Light heavyweight - Top American: Bernard Hopkins - Until he officially retires, The Executioner remains one of the top U.S. boxers at any weight. His accomplishments speak for themselves, and he's still formidable at age 44.
Since B-Hop floats around in weight to fight so often, the real American champ at 175 could be Chad Dawson, depending on how he fares in his rematch with Glen Johnson. Big names Roy Jones Jr. and Antonio Tarver are still holding on, but just barely.
Super middleweight - Top American: Andre Ward - This was my first difficult decision, as Ward has yet to really cement himself as a top contender. He certainly looks to have all the tools necessary for future success.
If Ward is No. 1, then Andre Dirrell is 1A, and he also could very easily be a star in the making. BoxRec ranks Jermain Taylor ahead of both Andre's, but he's lost three of his last four and is just 1-1 at 168.
So there's hope for Americans in this division, but for right now the top guys (like Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler) clearly reside overseas.
Middleweight - Top American: Kelly Pavlik - This was one of the easiest calls, as the Pride of Youngstown has settled in as middleweight champ. He did get schooled by Hopkins, but that was a few pounds north of here.
BoxRec rates Daniel Jacobs in this division even though he's fought above 160 for most of his fights, so I'll go ahead and say he's the future for the U.S. if he actually can make middleweight. Other than The Ghost and the Golden Child, there's not much else near the top.
Super welterweight - Top American: Paul Williams: The Punisher exemplifies today's trend of floating around between weights, and he's made it very clear he'll fight anyone between 147 and 160. BoxRec places him here and so will I. He's one of the best boxers in the world and easily takes the top spot with his work rate, height and underrated power.
The U.S. is fairly deep at 154 aside from Williams. Vernon Forrest and Cory Spinks have been around for a while but don't look finished yet. And the beginning of the next decade looks promising thanks to James Kirkland (assuming he gets himself straightened out) and Deandre Latimore.
Welterweight - Top American: Shane Mosley - It's pretty much a two-man show at 147, but it's a good two. Sugar Shane showed he still has plenty left in the tank by beating down Antonio Margarito, even if that hasn't resulted in the big paydays he's been seeking.
The other half of the duo is Andre Berto, who has his doubters but just keeps winning. He's young enough to force bigger names to fight him in the next few years if he keeps it up.
Super lightweight - Top American: Timothy Bradley - Though he's kind of an unlikely champion, Bradley has a title and an undefeated record for now. It's tough to say if he's really great at any one aspect of the game, but he's solid in everything.
I almost gave the nod to Nate Campbell here but decided to wait until he actually had a fight under his belt at 140. It's against Bradley, by the way.
The U.S. is loaded in young talent here too, as Devon Alexander, Victor Ortiz (yes, despite his recent loss) and Lamont Peterson are all 25 and under.
Lightweight - Top American: Juan Diaz - The Baby Bull wins this almost by default as others have moved out of this weight class. Despite some rough outings over the past few years, I'd still watch him fight any time, and that counts for something.
Memphis' Anthony Peterson is the one to watch as we roll into and past 2010.
Super featherweight - Top American: Robert Guerrero - The pickings are slim for U.S. fighters at 130, and the "other" Ghost's last fight was at lightweight. His upcoming August bout with Malcolm Klassen is for a super featherweight title though, so he counts here.
Featherweight - Top American: Steven Luevano: This was a tough call. I went with Luevano for his excellent record against some pretty good opponents, but we'll see what he's made of when he fights Bernabe Concepcion in August.
The coin flip loser was Rocky Juarez. I think Rocky is talented, but he's come up short in his biggest fights and was fortunate to earn a draw against Chris John last time out.
Below featherweight - Top American: Brian Viloria: If the U.S. isn't cranking out too many excellent big men, it really isn't developing many top contenders at the lower weight classes. The weight classes below featherweight are almost completely devoid of top talent.
You have to go all the way down to light flyweight to find a notable exception. Hawaiian Punch has been rolling since a 2007 loss to Edgar Sosa, and he gets bonus points for being a frequent and often insightful Twitterer.
Posted by The Franchise
29.6.09
20/20 Hindsight: When Annointing Someone the Next Big Thing Goes Awry, Plus What to Do About Arthur Abraham
In case you missed Saturday's HBO broadcast of Boxing After Dark, you owe it to yourself to catch a replay. Soon. You won't be disappointed.
Victor Ortiz and Marcos Maidana threw the concepts of feeling each other out and establishing the jab right out the window, deciding early on to just wing power shots early and often. The ensuing collision lasted six rounds, and three of them (Rounds 1, 2 and 5) made this writer yell out loud even though I was watching the fight alone.
It's not very often that you see someone get knocked down three times in the first round and come back to win by TKO, but Maidana pulled it off. Ortiz brought the more well-rounded game to the fight, but the Argentinian had more heart and the better chin. Those qualities plus a wild yet devastating right hand turned out to be enough (barely) to carry the day.
Much of the analysis over the last day or two has focused on what Ortiz did wrong, that he fought the wrong fight and caved when the going got really tough. There's definite truth in the former and perhaps in the latter as well, though it's always easy for us to demand that fighters show the willingness to get carried out on their shields from the safety of our own seats or couches.
Regardless, it was hard to listen to Ortiz's post-fight interview and not feel some sympathy for how discouraged he sounded. Here was a man suggesting that he might have to think hard about continuing his boxing career - and at all of 22 years of age and two career losses.
The unspoken context was that Ortiz felt disappointed not only in his performance, but that he had let so many other people down. This was a boxer who, despite his youth, was getting a massive push from Golden Boy Promotions to become the sport's next huge star.
It's not hard to see why. As Max Kellerman opined in the aftermath of the fight, Ortiz almost seemed too good to be true: touching personal story, skill and power in the ring, good looks, engaging and well-spoken personality. The phrase "total package" may be a cliche, but if Ortiz doesn't qualify, no one does.
Golden Boy's anxiousness is easy to see too. It's three biggest draws, Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley, are all retired or headed that way. A company passing of the torch is in order soon.
Despite all that, we were reminded once again that all of the star-making plans in the world can quickly come apart in the ring. Whether it's Alfredo Angulo's lateral mobility issues or Ortiz's shaky chin, boxing can expose any flaws in its crop of young up-and-comers.
Actually, expose may not be the right word, because we're not talking about guys who are finished products. The conclusion is the same, though: in boxing, it's the results in the ring that will ultimately determine who will be the big names in the sport over the next decade.
It's definitely still possible for Ortiz to be one of those names. Maybe now the hype behind him will die down a bit and he'll be able to get back on track toward that goal with a little less pressure.
ELSEWHERE...
Arthur Abraham didn't exactly thrill the pants off of viewers with his tenth-round TKO of Mahir Oral on Saturday, but he did what he needed to do. He took his time and played defense until he figured out Oral couldn't hurt him, and he turned up the power in the middle rounds until his opponent couldn't take any more.
King Arthur also said all the right things after the fight about wanting to fight in the U.S. against Kelly Pavlik or any of a number of guys at 168, and he even showed some personality. I'm not sure if that was just for show or if his management is the problem, but it would be really nice to see Abraham in some bigger fights while he's still in his prime.
With his high guard and slow starts, he's not the most exciting fighter around, but he certainly goes for the kill when he senses an opening. He didn't deny that he's having a tough time making 160, so a fight with Pavlik would have to be made pretty quickly.
On the other hand, I can see why Team Pavlik wouldn't be chomping at the bit to put their guy in against Abraham. King Arthur has some holes, but it would take a skilled counterpuncher to best exploit them, and that's not really The Ghost's specialty. Since Abraham doesn't have the name value to help sell tickets in the States, it could seem like the risk/reward ratio just isn't there.
So we might be down to hoping Abraham agrees to fight Pavlik in Ohio or simply announces he's headed for super middleweight right away. He might not be the best boxer in the world, but he's good enough that it would be a shame to see him continue to fight in relative obscurity.
Posted by The Franchise
Victor Ortiz and Marcos Maidana threw the concepts of feeling each other out and establishing the jab right out the window, deciding early on to just wing power shots early and often. The ensuing collision lasted six rounds, and three of them (Rounds 1, 2 and 5) made this writer yell out loud even though I was watching the fight alone.
It's not very often that you see someone get knocked down three times in the first round and come back to win by TKO, but Maidana pulled it off. Ortiz brought the more well-rounded game to the fight, but the Argentinian had more heart and the better chin. Those qualities plus a wild yet devastating right hand turned out to be enough (barely) to carry the day.
Much of the analysis over the last day or two has focused on what Ortiz did wrong, that he fought the wrong fight and caved when the going got really tough. There's definite truth in the former and perhaps in the latter as well, though it's always easy for us to demand that fighters show the willingness to get carried out on their shields from the safety of our own seats or couches.
Regardless, it was hard to listen to Ortiz's post-fight interview and not feel some sympathy for how discouraged he sounded. Here was a man suggesting that he might have to think hard about continuing his boxing career - and at all of 22 years of age and two career losses.
The unspoken context was that Ortiz felt disappointed not only in his performance, but that he had let so many other people down. This was a boxer who, despite his youth, was getting a massive push from Golden Boy Promotions to become the sport's next huge star.
It's not hard to see why. As Max Kellerman opined in the aftermath of the fight, Ortiz almost seemed too good to be true: touching personal story, skill and power in the ring, good looks, engaging and well-spoken personality. The phrase "total package" may be a cliche, but if Ortiz doesn't qualify, no one does.
Golden Boy's anxiousness is easy to see too. It's three biggest draws, Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley, are all retired or headed that way. A company passing of the torch is in order soon.
Despite all that, we were reminded once again that all of the star-making plans in the world can quickly come apart in the ring. Whether it's Alfredo Angulo's lateral mobility issues or Ortiz's shaky chin, boxing can expose any flaws in its crop of young up-and-comers.
Actually, expose may not be the right word, because we're not talking about guys who are finished products. The conclusion is the same, though: in boxing, it's the results in the ring that will ultimately determine who will be the big names in the sport over the next decade.
It's definitely still possible for Ortiz to be one of those names. Maybe now the hype behind him will die down a bit and he'll be able to get back on track toward that goal with a little less pressure.
ELSEWHERE...
Arthur Abraham didn't exactly thrill the pants off of viewers with his tenth-round TKO of Mahir Oral on Saturday, but he did what he needed to do. He took his time and played defense until he figured out Oral couldn't hurt him, and he turned up the power in the middle rounds until his opponent couldn't take any more.
King Arthur also said all the right things after the fight about wanting to fight in the U.S. against Kelly Pavlik or any of a number of guys at 168, and he even showed some personality. I'm not sure if that was just for show or if his management is the problem, but it would be really nice to see Abraham in some bigger fights while he's still in his prime.
With his high guard and slow starts, he's not the most exciting fighter around, but he certainly goes for the kill when he senses an opening. He didn't deny that he's having a tough time making 160, so a fight with Pavlik would have to be made pretty quickly.
On the other hand, I can see why Team Pavlik wouldn't be chomping at the bit to put their guy in against Abraham. King Arthur has some holes, but it would take a skilled counterpuncher to best exploit them, and that's not really The Ghost's specialty. Since Abraham doesn't have the name value to help sell tickets in the States, it could seem like the risk/reward ratio just isn't there.
So we might be down to hoping Abraham agrees to fight Pavlik in Ohio or simply announces he's headed for super middleweight right away. He might not be the best boxer in the world, but he's good enough that it would be a shame to see him continue to fight in relative obscurity.
Posted by The Franchise
26.6.09
Officially Official: Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez Rescheduled for Sep. 19
Rib injuries, a postponement and whispers of slow ticket sales had become the stories, but boxing fans can take heart that Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez will finally be getting down to boxing each other this fall.
The date rumored to be in the works since the initial July date was pushed back was made official today, as Mayweather-Marquez will take place on Sep. 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
With Mexican Independence Day taking place on Sep. 16 and Mexican fans accustomed to seeing Oscar De La Hoya in action around that time, the new weekend makes perfect sense. Some pundits have also pointed to the difficulty of selling a fight in the desert in the middle of the summer, and getting it out of the 100-plus degree heat has to be a relief for fans thinking about watching in person.
But was slow business at the gate at least partially responsible for the move (the official reason remains Floyd's rib cartilage injury)? Shane Mosley recently suggested it was, but the AP story contains a flat out denial by Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer. Both men have vested interests in their versions of the story, so the truth may be somewhere in-between.
This also means that fans hoping for a Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao clash will have to wait until spring of next year at the earliest. There was a school of thought that maybe Floyd would try to wriggle out of facing JMM to go for the truly huge money against Pac-Man, but that's dead now.
Assuming Mayweather defeats Marquez and Pacquiao finalizes plans to meet Miguel Cotto in November, we won't be seeing a Floyd-Manny bout until at least April 2010.
Posted by The Franchise
The date rumored to be in the works since the initial July date was pushed back was made official today, as Mayweather-Marquez will take place on Sep. 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
With Mexican Independence Day taking place on Sep. 16 and Mexican fans accustomed to seeing Oscar De La Hoya in action around that time, the new weekend makes perfect sense. Some pundits have also pointed to the difficulty of selling a fight in the desert in the middle of the summer, and getting it out of the 100-plus degree heat has to be a relief for fans thinking about watching in person.
But was slow business at the gate at least partially responsible for the move (the official reason remains Floyd's rib cartilage injury)? Shane Mosley recently suggested it was, but the AP story contains a flat out denial by Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer. Both men have vested interests in their versions of the story, so the truth may be somewhere in-between.
This also means that fans hoping for a Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao clash will have to wait until spring of next year at the earliest. There was a school of thought that maybe Floyd would try to wriggle out of facing JMM to go for the truly huge money against Pac-Man, but that's dead now.
Assuming Mayweather defeats Marquez and Pacquiao finalizes plans to meet Miguel Cotto in November, we won't be seeing a Floyd-Manny bout until at least April 2010.
Posted by The Franchise
1.6.09
20-20 Hindsight: Cintron Not Done Yet, Berto Needs to Find Balance
Going into this weekend's Boxing After Dark card on HBO, it was easy to see Kermit Cintron as someone being served up as a credible opponent for Alfredo Angulo to beat as he continued his evolution into a rising Mexican star.
Cintron was, after all, just 1-1-1 in his previous three fights, including a vicious knockout at the hands of Antonio Margarito and a draw against Sergio Martinez in a fight that many people - myself included - thought he deserved to lose.
As we all know, though, boxing often doesn't play out according to the script. The Angulo-Cintron fight was proof of that, as the previously floundering veteran emerged looking like a new man and the no longer undefeated young gun was left searching for answers.
Cintron looked so sluggish against the mobile Martinez back in February that one expected he'd be there for Angulo's power to find its mark. He was definitely the bigger man, but after fighting most of his career at 147, it wasn't out of the question to wonder if 154 was just too heavy for him.
Yet there he was, flipping the script and becoming the one moving well and setting up power shots with the jab - the very things he was unable to do last time out. The pressure that Angulo usually applies wasn't a factor against someone he couldn't pin down, though Perro had his moments in the later rounds.
What made it all the more unlikely is that we'd heard Cintron declare that he'd be making these adjustments before. He had me convinced before his rematch with Margarito that he'd be a different fighter than the one who got starched the first time, and if anything, he was even less effective in the second bout.
Kermit has always been an excellent athlete, but it took a while for his overall package of boxing skills to develop. They came together at the best possible time on Saturday, and his future suddenly looks much brighter.
It's not like the loss will ruin Angulo either, as he's young enough to rebound. He simply needs to make the same adjustments that other fighters have made (Manny Pacquiao, for one) once they start running into foes they can't beat by constantly coming forward.
Dougie Fischer summed it up best, as usual, on The Ring Blog: it was too early to expect Alfredo to carry the flag for Mexican fighters. He may get to that point someday; until then, that duty may still fall back on Juan Manuel Marquez - especially if he upsets Floyd Mayweather this summer.
I did not get a chance to catch Andre Berto's easy decision win over Juan Urango, but apparently I didn't miss much. Though my fellow BoxingWatchers were as impressed as ever with AB's blazing fast hands ("He's faster than Mayweather," texted Spartan117), they were also frustrated with what they saw as excessive and unnecessary amounts of running and holding.
The last thing Berto wants to do is turn into another Chad Dawson, even if there's something to be said for being smart enough to realize a Luis Collazo-style war every time out isn't a bright idea. Fortunately, there is a happy medium between a total slugfest and a fight plan that's overly cautious.
Andre just needs to find it, and the sooner, the better. The big name welterweights aren't going to be around for rich fights forever.
As a final thought for today, I'd like to recommend Steve Kim's latest on MaxBoxing.com, as he chats up Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy CEO, to get more insight into the next move for Shane Mosley. Sugar is now on the record as saying he'd fight Pacquiao at a catch weight, but does that mean we'll actually see it happen?
The answer is... maybe. It could be Mosley and Pac-Man, or a rematch with Miguel Cotto, or a fight with Floyd Mayweather. But it's apparently big money fights or bust for Sugar Shane.
Posted by The Franchise
Cintron was, after all, just 1-1-1 in his previous three fights, including a vicious knockout at the hands of Antonio Margarito and a draw against Sergio Martinez in a fight that many people - myself included - thought he deserved to lose.
As we all know, though, boxing often doesn't play out according to the script. The Angulo-Cintron fight was proof of that, as the previously floundering veteran emerged looking like a new man and the no longer undefeated young gun was left searching for answers.
Cintron looked so sluggish against the mobile Martinez back in February that one expected he'd be there for Angulo's power to find its mark. He was definitely the bigger man, but after fighting most of his career at 147, it wasn't out of the question to wonder if 154 was just too heavy for him.
Yet there he was, flipping the script and becoming the one moving well and setting up power shots with the jab - the very things he was unable to do last time out. The pressure that Angulo usually applies wasn't a factor against someone he couldn't pin down, though Perro had his moments in the later rounds.
What made it all the more unlikely is that we'd heard Cintron declare that he'd be making these adjustments before. He had me convinced before his rematch with Margarito that he'd be a different fighter than the one who got starched the first time, and if anything, he was even less effective in the second bout.
Kermit has always been an excellent athlete, but it took a while for his overall package of boxing skills to develop. They came together at the best possible time on Saturday, and his future suddenly looks much brighter.
It's not like the loss will ruin Angulo either, as he's young enough to rebound. He simply needs to make the same adjustments that other fighters have made (Manny Pacquiao, for one) once they start running into foes they can't beat by constantly coming forward.
Dougie Fischer summed it up best, as usual, on The Ring Blog: it was too early to expect Alfredo to carry the flag for Mexican fighters. He may get to that point someday; until then, that duty may still fall back on Juan Manuel Marquez - especially if he upsets Floyd Mayweather this summer.
I did not get a chance to catch Andre Berto's easy decision win over Juan Urango, but apparently I didn't miss much. Though my fellow BoxingWatchers were as impressed as ever with AB's blazing fast hands ("He's faster than Mayweather," texted Spartan117), they were also frustrated with what they saw as excessive and unnecessary amounts of running and holding.
The last thing Berto wants to do is turn into another Chad Dawson, even if there's something to be said for being smart enough to realize a Luis Collazo-style war every time out isn't a bright idea. Fortunately, there is a happy medium between a total slugfest and a fight plan that's overly cautious.
Andre just needs to find it, and the sooner, the better. The big name welterweights aren't going to be around for rich fights forever.
As a final thought for today, I'd like to recommend Steve Kim's latest on MaxBoxing.com, as he chats up Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy CEO, to get more insight into the next move for Shane Mosley. Sugar is now on the record as saying he'd fight Pacquiao at a catch weight, but does that mean we'll actually see it happen?
The answer is... maybe. It could be Mosley and Pac-Man, or a rematch with Miguel Cotto, or a fight with Floyd Mayweather. But it's apparently big money fights or bust for Sugar Shane.
Posted by The Franchise
4.5.09
20-20 Hindsight: Pac-Mania Sweeps Boxing World, Will Hatton Call It Quits?
There was a fairly big upset in the sports world on Saturday. Unfortunately for Ricky Hatton's legions of loyal fans, it happened in Louisville and not Las Vegas.
With a thunderous left hand that looked like something out of the Fight Night series of video games instead of a punch delivered by an actual human being, Manny Pacquiao silenced Hatton's boisterous fans, his outspoken trainer and, one suspects, any remaining critics he may have had.
While Pacquiao was the betting favorite and just about every boxing pundit picked him to win, even he was surprised that the end came so quickly. Hatton was out so cold that no count was necessary, and he wasn't available for a post-fight interview because doctors were still checking him out.
Now that the dust has settled from his explosive victory, it's hard to find anyone who doubts whether Pac-Man is one of the best boxers alive at any weight. Even BoxRec.com, which hasn't been as kind to him in its pound-for-pound rankings, has moved him up to No. 2 behind Bernard Hopkins.
It's hard to imagine a better boost to one's career than to win in spectacular fashion on a huge stage. Manny is truly in the driver's seat of the sport right now, it's biggest star and top practitioner rolled into one, at least for the time being.
And yet there's no guarantee that we, the boxing fans, will get to enjoy him for too much longer. Trainer Freddie Roach has spoken more than once about his wish to see Manny retire soon, and Pacquiao's desire to help his Filipino people may lead him into politics or other ventures.
As for his immediate in-ring future, here are some quick thoughts on some possible opponents being tossed around in the media:
Floyd Mayweather Jr. - Now that Money has officially unretired, this is the fight that the boxing world is clamoring for the loudest. Many are suggesting that it's not a matter of if the bout will happen, but when.
Though it would undoubtedly be a huge event and I'd like to see it as much as anyone, I don't think it's the slam dunk others are making it out to be. Floyd has been known to be slightly, shall we say, risk-averse in the past, and there are weight questions too, with Roach hinting that Manny won't go back above 140.
Mayweather also has to get past Juan Manuel Marquez first. He should, but JMM is talented enough that it's not guaranteed.
Miguel Cotto - I can't find the quote, but I believe Bob Arum has already suggested this as a possibility. It would be easy to do with Top Rank promoting both fighters, and it could be a chance to bring the Pac-Man show to the East Coast at a venue like Madison Square Garden.
Cotto has fought exclusively at 147 since June 2006, so who knows whether he could reasonably come down to 140? He also has an opponent who's no slouch coming up in June in Joshua Clottey, and if he loses, I think he can kiss a Pacquiao fight goodbye.
Shane Mosley - Sugar Shane is definitely in the "make as much money as possible before retiring" phase of his career, and he'd jump at the chance to face Pac-Man. His stock is high after he took apart Antonio Margarito and his dance card is currently clear.
Weight would be the biggest issue here, as Mosley has been fighting at 147 or higher for a decade. At age 37, even asking him to cut to a catch-weight between junior welterweight and welterweight may be a stretch.
Juan Manuel Marquez - JMM has made no bones about the fact that he wants a third shot at Pacquiao. He clearly feels the two of them have unfinished business and has even insinuated that Manny is ducking him.
But Marquez's case for a third fight may not be as strong as he thinks. Despite fighting Pacquiao closely enough the observers thought he may have won either or both of their first two fights, the fact remains that Pacquiao emerged 1-0-1. He's also the smallest draw on this list - HBO would need to do a 24/7 series just to tell casual fans who JMM was.
In any case, he'd need to upset Mayweather to have a serious shot at getting his wish.
As bright as the near future looks for Pacquiao, it appears equally grim for Hatton. There's talk of Amir Khan, which would no doubt electrify the U.K.
That's a minority opinion though, as you can find writers and editors and fans saying Hatton should retire. (But really, Carl Froch, who asked you?) People close to him have said he doesn't need to keep fighting for the money, so we'll see if he listens to his head or his heart.
If Saturday was the last time we see the Hitman in the ring, he'll be remembered as an A-level attraction and a really good fighter who just didn't have the natural ability to match up with the very best boxers of his era.
Posted by The Franchise
With a thunderous left hand that looked like something out of the Fight Night series of video games instead of a punch delivered by an actual human being, Manny Pacquiao silenced Hatton's boisterous fans, his outspoken trainer and, one suspects, any remaining critics he may have had.
While Pacquiao was the betting favorite and just about every boxing pundit picked him to win, even he was surprised that the end came so quickly. Hatton was out so cold that no count was necessary, and he wasn't available for a post-fight interview because doctors were still checking him out.
Now that the dust has settled from his explosive victory, it's hard to find anyone who doubts whether Pac-Man is one of the best boxers alive at any weight. Even BoxRec.com, which hasn't been as kind to him in its pound-for-pound rankings, has moved him up to No. 2 behind Bernard Hopkins.
It's hard to imagine a better boost to one's career than to win in spectacular fashion on a huge stage. Manny is truly in the driver's seat of the sport right now, it's biggest star and top practitioner rolled into one, at least for the time being.
And yet there's no guarantee that we, the boxing fans, will get to enjoy him for too much longer. Trainer Freddie Roach has spoken more than once about his wish to see Manny retire soon, and Pacquiao's desire to help his Filipino people may lead him into politics or other ventures.
As for his immediate in-ring future, here are some quick thoughts on some possible opponents being tossed around in the media:
Floyd Mayweather Jr. - Now that Money has officially unretired, this is the fight that the boxing world is clamoring for the loudest. Many are suggesting that it's not a matter of if the bout will happen, but when.
Though it would undoubtedly be a huge event and I'd like to see it as much as anyone, I don't think it's the slam dunk others are making it out to be. Floyd has been known to be slightly, shall we say, risk-averse in the past, and there are weight questions too, with Roach hinting that Manny won't go back above 140.
Mayweather also has to get past Juan Manuel Marquez first. He should, but JMM is talented enough that it's not guaranteed.
Miguel Cotto - I can't find the quote, but I believe Bob Arum has already suggested this as a possibility. It would be easy to do with Top Rank promoting both fighters, and it could be a chance to bring the Pac-Man show to the East Coast at a venue like Madison Square Garden.
Cotto has fought exclusively at 147 since June 2006, so who knows whether he could reasonably come down to 140? He also has an opponent who's no slouch coming up in June in Joshua Clottey, and if he loses, I think he can kiss a Pacquiao fight goodbye.
Shane Mosley - Sugar Shane is definitely in the "make as much money as possible before retiring" phase of his career, and he'd jump at the chance to face Pac-Man. His stock is high after he took apart Antonio Margarito and his dance card is currently clear.
Weight would be the biggest issue here, as Mosley has been fighting at 147 or higher for a decade. At age 37, even asking him to cut to a catch-weight between junior welterweight and welterweight may be a stretch.
Juan Manuel Marquez - JMM has made no bones about the fact that he wants a third shot at Pacquiao. He clearly feels the two of them have unfinished business and has even insinuated that Manny is ducking him.
But Marquez's case for a third fight may not be as strong as he thinks. Despite fighting Pacquiao closely enough the observers thought he may have won either or both of their first two fights, the fact remains that Pacquiao emerged 1-0-1. He's also the smallest draw on this list - HBO would need to do a 24/7 series just to tell casual fans who JMM was.
In any case, he'd need to upset Mayweather to have a serious shot at getting his wish.
As bright as the near future looks for Pacquiao, it appears equally grim for Hatton. There's talk of Amir Khan, which would no doubt electrify the U.K.
That's a minority opinion though, as you can find writers and editors and fans saying Hatton should retire. (But really, Carl Froch, who asked you?) People close to him have said he doesn't need to keep fighting for the money, so we'll see if he listens to his head or his heart.
If Saturday was the last time we see the Hitman in the ring, he'll be remembered as an A-level attraction and a really good fighter who just didn't have the natural ability to match up with the very best boxers of his era.
Posted by The Franchise
1.5.09
Pacquiao vs. Hatton: Live Weigh-In
The show is on at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mario Lopez is the master of ceremonies. He opens the show to pump up the crowd and now hands the mic over to Michael Buffer. Buffer is doing well. He makes some jokes about the swine flu. The crowd is really pumped up. It sounds like they are mostly there for Ricky Hatton.
They start the weigh-in with the the first undercard fight between two young super middleweights. Buffer hands the mic back over to Lopez. He says there are three more to go before the main event weight-in. The second undercard fight that weighs in has the first stare-down. Lopez now hands the mic over to Richard Schaefer and Bob Arum. Arum says something in Tagalog and receives a lot of boos from the pro-Hatton crowd. Schaefer says "There's only one Ricky Hatton!"
They now use some footage from Hatton and Pacquiao's training and press conferences for filler. The footage has ended and Lopez says that Bernard Hopkins, Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley will be on the stage momentarily. Here's some more banter from Arum and Schaefer. Arum says that all Mexican fighters will be rooting for Manny Pacquiao. Schaefer says that that's enough from Bob.
Sugar Shane comes on the stage first. He says the weigh-in is an impressive show of fandom. It sounded like a pretty pro-Mosley crowd.
They jump from Mosley right into the weigh-in of Michael Walker vs. Daniel Jacobs at middleweight. Jacobs looks to be in great shape. The crowd is pretty quiet now. Jacobs is a few inches taller than Walker.
Right into some more filler of Freddie Roach and Floyd Mayweather Sr. from a press conference.
Hopkins is on the stage now. Wow, the crowd is a seriously hating on B-Hop. They let him have it with a loud chorus of boos. He looks a little bigger than usual, not fat, but mostly muscle. Bernard says he's picking Hatton because "he's with us," meaning Golden Boy. He doesn't sound too convinced with his decision.
It's now time for the Humberto Soto vs. Benoit Gaudet weigh-in. They both make weight and look to be in good shape.
Juan Manuel Marquez and De La Hoya take the stage now. They both get a lot of cheers. Oscar put on a lot of weight. He's certainly not in boxing shape, but I guess he doesn't need to be. The British fans start a Ricky Hatton song. Amir Khan follows De La Hoya on the stage. Khan says that it's going to be a great fight. Juan Diaz, the Baby Bull, is in attendance. They show the crowd and it is truly amazing - thousands and thousands of fans.
Now it's time for the main event weigh-in. Buffer introduces Manny first. Hatton's British band is really going nuts. Hatton comes on now. The crowd goes crazy as expected. Manny is going to take the scale first. Manny looks to be in amazing shape.
Manny weighs in at 138 pounds.
Hatton follows and also looks to be in stellar shape. He looks a little thinner than Pac-Man.
Hatton weighs in at 140 pounds.
Manny and Hatton are all smiles. They pose for some pictures. Now it's time for the stare-down. It looks like there is no height difference between them. They both look like they trained hard, but Manny looks like he has more muscle on him.
Hatton says he kept in shape and he has never had a problem making weight. He sounds confident. It sounds like his game plan is to counter punch, which will be interesting to see. Manny is on the mic now. He says he feels strong and hungry to fight. Roach says that Hatton's game plan will play right into Manny's hands and they will pick Hatton apart once he reverts to his old ways.
Hatton and Manny close the show and thanks all of the fans for traveling such a long distance to see the fight. Manny does the same and says that nobody knows what's going to happen, except God.
That's it. The weigh-in has me excited for tomorrow night. One more day!
Posted by spartan117
They start the weigh-in with the the first undercard fight between two young super middleweights. Buffer hands the mic back over to Lopez. He says there are three more to go before the main event weight-in. The second undercard fight that weighs in has the first stare-down. Lopez now hands the mic over to Richard Schaefer and Bob Arum. Arum says something in Tagalog and receives a lot of boos from the pro-Hatton crowd. Schaefer says "There's only one Ricky Hatton!"
They now use some footage from Hatton and Pacquiao's training and press conferences for filler. The footage has ended and Lopez says that Bernard Hopkins, Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley will be on the stage momentarily. Here's some more banter from Arum and Schaefer. Arum says that all Mexican fighters will be rooting for Manny Pacquiao. Schaefer says that that's enough from Bob.
Sugar Shane comes on the stage first. He says the weigh-in is an impressive show of fandom. It sounded like a pretty pro-Mosley crowd.
They jump from Mosley right into the weigh-in of Michael Walker vs. Daniel Jacobs at middleweight. Jacobs looks to be in great shape. The crowd is pretty quiet now. Jacobs is a few inches taller than Walker.
Right into some more filler of Freddie Roach and Floyd Mayweather Sr. from a press conference.
Hopkins is on the stage now. Wow, the crowd is a seriously hating on B-Hop. They let him have it with a loud chorus of boos. He looks a little bigger than usual, not fat, but mostly muscle. Bernard says he's picking Hatton because "he's with us," meaning Golden Boy. He doesn't sound too convinced with his decision.
It's now time for the Humberto Soto vs. Benoit Gaudet weigh-in. They both make weight and look to be in good shape.
Juan Manuel Marquez and De La Hoya take the stage now. They both get a lot of cheers. Oscar put on a lot of weight. He's certainly not in boxing shape, but I guess he doesn't need to be. The British fans start a Ricky Hatton song. Amir Khan follows De La Hoya on the stage. Khan says that it's going to be a great fight. Juan Diaz, the Baby Bull, is in attendance. They show the crowd and it is truly amazing - thousands and thousands of fans.
Now it's time for the main event weigh-in. Buffer introduces Manny first. Hatton's British band is really going nuts. Hatton comes on now. The crowd goes crazy as expected. Manny is going to take the scale first. Manny looks to be in amazing shape.
Manny weighs in at 138 pounds.
Hatton follows and also looks to be in stellar shape. He looks a little thinner than Pac-Man.
Hatton weighs in at 140 pounds.
Manny and Hatton are all smiles. They pose for some pictures. Now it's time for the stare-down. It looks like there is no height difference between them. They both look like they trained hard, but Manny looks like he has more muscle on him.
Hatton says he kept in shape and he has never had a problem making weight. He sounds confident. It sounds like his game plan is to counter punch, which will be interesting to see. Manny is on the mic now. He says he feels strong and hungry to fight. Roach says that Hatton's game plan will play right into Manny's hands and they will pick Hatton apart once he reverts to his old ways.
Hatton and Manny close the show and thanks all of the fans for traveling such a long distance to see the fight. Manny does the same and says that nobody knows what's going to happen, except God.
That's it. The weigh-in has me excited for tomorrow night. One more day!
Posted by spartan117
13.4.09
20-20 Hindsight: After Watching Winky's Beatdown, Who Wants to Fight Paul Williams Now?
When Winky Wright actually admits he's been beaten, that's saying something.
I had to leave for work right after the tenth round of the Paul Williams-Winky Wright fight on Saturday, but I had seen enough by then. As I walked out the door, I told my brother Spartan117 that I already knew what was going to happen: Williams was going to win by decision and Wright was going to complain about it.
Turns out I only got the first part right. The man AP writer Greg Beachem correctly pegged as a "notoriously sore loser" wasn't sore at all (except in the face, probably), admitting that the lopsided scores turned in against him by the judges were correct.
Wright was flummoxed by punches thrown from impossible angles. At one point, Williams threw a left uppercut under his own right arm, which was being held by his foe. The ref was so taken aback that he instinctively issued a warning to Williams.
Winky also acknowledged that while he was ready to face a lot of punches, he didn't understand it was going to be quite that many. The volume that Williams delivers really needs to be seen to be believed.
Before we get too carried away, I should stop short of making it seem like Williams is invincible. I'd stop way short of saying what promoter Dan Goossen said when he called his fighter the best in the world, regardless of weight.
His defense is a little sloppy, for one thing. Though he's quite capable of enough head and leg movement to prove evasive at times, Williams got tagged a number of times by a fighter nearly ten years his senior. He seems to have a sturdy chin but hasn't exactly faced tons of noted one-punch KO artists.
That's nitpicking though. Williams' blend of activity, offensive variety and conditioning are tough enough, even without considering his freakishly long reach and the fact that he's a lefty.
He comes across as likable as well, so he should be on his way to becoming a true star. One problem: most boxing scribes agree (as do I) that his near blanking of Wright isn't likely to make other top boxers want to fight him - which was already difficult before Saturday.
One thing Williams does have going for him is that he seems like he will actually be able to pull off his team's plan to fight anywhere between 147 and 160. With that in mind, I've brainstormed some possible opponents at welterweight, junior middle and middleweight and separated them by likelihood:
147 pounds:
Intriguingly possible - Miguel Cotto - He seems like the kind of guy who would relish the challenge, and if he convincingly gets past Joshua Clottey, his stock will be back on the rise. Cotto is also a big enough star to sell tickets if the fight is held in the right place (say, NYC).
Doubtful - Shane Mosley - Sugar Shane supposedly already nixed fighting Williams in the past. He's close to the end of his career and wants to take only the biggest money fights, which probably rules out The Punisher.
No freaking way - Antonio Margarito - He's suspended, and he's already lost to Williams once.
154 pounds:
Intriguingly possible - James Kirkland - Perhaps enough of a badass to say to himself, "I don't give a f---" and just wade through punches to go after Williams. Hard-hitting Alfredo Angulo may fit that description too, but he's less likely to be ready for such a big step up.
Doubtful - Vernon Forrest - The Viper just pulled out of a fight due to injury and is even older than Wright. Plus even he is shorter than Williams.
No freaking way - Oscar De La Hoya - It's funny just to think about the Golden Boy facing down 100-plus punches a round.
160 pounds:
Intriguingly possible - No one comes to mind, unless Bernard Hopkins jumps in a time machine and rewinds the clock by about ten years.
Doubtful - Kelly Pavlik - Team Pavlik seems to be content with a safer path for Kelly for the time being. If he and Williams cross paths, I'm guessing it will be a couple years down the road.
No freaking way - Arthur Abraham - Right now it's tough to get him to come across the pond to fight the much more conventional Pavlik. Think he's going to do it to try to solve Williams? Me neither.
Posted by The Franchise
I had to leave for work right after the tenth round of the Paul Williams-Winky Wright fight on Saturday, but I had seen enough by then. As I walked out the door, I told my brother Spartan117 that I already knew what was going to happen: Williams was going to win by decision and Wright was going to complain about it.
Turns out I only got the first part right. The man AP writer Greg Beachem correctly pegged as a "notoriously sore loser" wasn't sore at all (except in the face, probably), admitting that the lopsided scores turned in against him by the judges were correct.
Wright was flummoxed by punches thrown from impossible angles. At one point, Williams threw a left uppercut under his own right arm, which was being held by his foe. The ref was so taken aback that he instinctively issued a warning to Williams.
Winky also acknowledged that while he was ready to face a lot of punches, he didn't understand it was going to be quite that many. The volume that Williams delivers really needs to be seen to be believed.
Before we get too carried away, I should stop short of making it seem like Williams is invincible. I'd stop way short of saying what promoter Dan Goossen said when he called his fighter the best in the world, regardless of weight.
His defense is a little sloppy, for one thing. Though he's quite capable of enough head and leg movement to prove evasive at times, Williams got tagged a number of times by a fighter nearly ten years his senior. He seems to have a sturdy chin but hasn't exactly faced tons of noted one-punch KO artists.
That's nitpicking though. Williams' blend of activity, offensive variety and conditioning are tough enough, even without considering his freakishly long reach and the fact that he's a lefty.
He comes across as likable as well, so he should be on his way to becoming a true star. One problem: most boxing scribes agree (as do I) that his near blanking of Wright isn't likely to make other top boxers want to fight him - which was already difficult before Saturday.
One thing Williams does have going for him is that he seems like he will actually be able to pull off his team's plan to fight anywhere between 147 and 160. With that in mind, I've brainstormed some possible opponents at welterweight, junior middle and middleweight and separated them by likelihood:
147 pounds:
Intriguingly possible - Miguel Cotto - He seems like the kind of guy who would relish the challenge, and if he convincingly gets past Joshua Clottey, his stock will be back on the rise. Cotto is also a big enough star to sell tickets if the fight is held in the right place (say, NYC).
Doubtful - Shane Mosley - Sugar Shane supposedly already nixed fighting Williams in the past. He's close to the end of his career and wants to take only the biggest money fights, which probably rules out The Punisher.
No freaking way - Antonio Margarito - He's suspended, and he's already lost to Williams once.
154 pounds:
Intriguingly possible - James Kirkland - Perhaps enough of a badass to say to himself, "I don't give a f---" and just wade through punches to go after Williams. Hard-hitting Alfredo Angulo may fit that description too, but he's less likely to be ready for such a big step up.
Doubtful - Vernon Forrest - The Viper just pulled out of a fight due to injury and is even older than Wright. Plus even he is shorter than Williams.
No freaking way - Oscar De La Hoya - It's funny just to think about the Golden Boy facing down 100-plus punches a round.
160 pounds:
Intriguingly possible - No one comes to mind, unless Bernard Hopkins jumps in a time machine and rewinds the clock by about ten years.
Doubtful - Kelly Pavlik - Team Pavlik seems to be content with a safer path for Kelly for the time being. If he and Williams cross paths, I'm guessing it will be a couple years down the road.
No freaking way - Arthur Abraham - Right now it's tough to get him to come across the pond to fight the much more conventional Pavlik. Think he's going to do it to try to solve Williams? Me neither.
Posted by The Franchise
20.3.09
Franchise Thoughts: Floyd Mayweather Returning... But to Face Who?
Now that everyone is reporting the least surprising news in boxing - namely, that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is looking to end his retirement as soon as this July - it's time to give some more serious consideration to who Money might be fighting when he returns.
For the sake of argument, I'm assuming that Mayweather is going to be fighting a serious opponent right out of the gate even though the ESPN story raises the specter of a tune-up fight. As a fan, I sure wouldn't support the idea of a tune-up, because, let's face it, he wouldn't need one if he wouldn't have voluntarily taken the last 15 months off.
Without straining myself too hard, here's a short list of people Floyd could reasonably face before the year is out:
Juan Manuel Marquez
Why It Could Happen: JMM's stock has never been higher, and he's already made it abundantly clear he wants to fight Mayweather. Even though he went to war with Juan Diaz, he could reasonably be ready to go by July 11. His age and relatively small size might make him seem like a ripe target for Floyd.
Why It Might Not Happen: Despite his undeniable skills, Marquez doesn't have name recognition outside of hardcore boxing fans and may not seem like a marquee attraction who can sell tickets and/or pay-per-view buys. JMM also has yet to fight above 135, so he arguably adds the least to the Mayweather legacy with a Floyd win and detracts the most with a loss.
Manny Pacquiao
Why It Could Happen: Assuming Manny gets by Ricky Hatton, this is the biggest fight that could be made in the sport - exactly the kind of thing that should get an undefeated champion to come out of retirement. Pacquiao is thought of by many as the current pound-for-pound king but has fought most of his career at lower divisions than Mayweather, so the risk/reward ratio seems right.
Why It Might Not Happen: Team Pacquiao is unpredictable, to say the least, when it comes to negotiations, so financial issues could always be a factor. And Manny could lose to Hatton, which would torpedo this idea pretty quickly. There's also no way this would take place on July 11 - think fourth quarter 2009.
Ricky Hatton
Why It Could Happen: No doubt Mayweather would love it if Hatton wins on May 2 after handling him fairly easily the first time they met. The Hitman brings plenty of loyal fans to the party and has made enough strides over the past year and a half that he'd look like a more credible threat in a rematch, at least on paper.
Why It Might Not Happen: Put simply, I think Hatton is going to lose to Pacquiao, robbing this match-up of any potential luster. Again, it would have to be scheduled for the fall and not mid-summer.
Shane Mosley
Why It Could Happen: Sugar Shane is riding a wave of momentum after stopping Antonio Margarito and would certainly be up for fighting Mayweather. He's obviously still in possession of most of his skills, but it's not hard to see Floyd looking at his age and thinking he would be easy pickings.
Why It Might Not Happen: Mosley has never been a huge draw but has occasionally lost sight of that fact himself. Wrangling over the purse split looms as a potential hurdle.
Andre Berto
Why It Could Happen: Berto may not be ready for this kind of challenge at this stage of his career, but it's hard to see him turning a Mayweather fight down if one was offered. His status as WBC welterweight champion would allow Floyd to sell the idea (probably successfully) that it would not be a tune-up fight.
Why It Might Not Happen: With even less name recognition than Marquez and less pound-for-pound support than all the men listed above, it could be that Berto simply isn't on the radar for the Mayweather camp. Since Andre is young and potentially still improving, he's also more an unknown quantity than the 30-and-over crowd, and that's something that Floyd never seems to like.
Oscar De La Hoya
Why It Could Happen: It may have the slimmest of chances, but if you aren't cynical enough to think it could happen, then you're probably new to the sport. Welcome. The Golden Boy is certainly capable of duping... um, I mean, convincing people he just wasn't himself when he stunk up the joint against Pacquiao, and we'd hear about the narrow split decision from his first fight with Mayweather ad nauseum to reinforce that line of thinking.
Why It Might Not Happen: If there is indeed a benevolent higher power, He simply won't allow it.
Looking over this short list, I think Mosley would be the leader in the clubhouse if Mayweather and company are married to the July date, with the Pacquiao-Hatton winner even more likely if Floyd is willing to take a lesser fight first and wait until the fall for a huge one.
Posted by The Franchise
For the sake of argument, I'm assuming that Mayweather is going to be fighting a serious opponent right out of the gate even though the ESPN story raises the specter of a tune-up fight. As a fan, I sure wouldn't support the idea of a tune-up, because, let's face it, he wouldn't need one if he wouldn't have voluntarily taken the last 15 months off.
Without straining myself too hard, here's a short list of people Floyd could reasonably face before the year is out:
Juan Manuel Marquez
Why It Could Happen: JMM's stock has never been higher, and he's already made it abundantly clear he wants to fight Mayweather. Even though he went to war with Juan Diaz, he could reasonably be ready to go by July 11. His age and relatively small size might make him seem like a ripe target for Floyd.
Why It Might Not Happen: Despite his undeniable skills, Marquez doesn't have name recognition outside of hardcore boxing fans and may not seem like a marquee attraction who can sell tickets and/or pay-per-view buys. JMM also has yet to fight above 135, so he arguably adds the least to the Mayweather legacy with a Floyd win and detracts the most with a loss.
Manny Pacquiao
Why It Could Happen: Assuming Manny gets by Ricky Hatton, this is the biggest fight that could be made in the sport - exactly the kind of thing that should get an undefeated champion to come out of retirement. Pacquiao is thought of by many as the current pound-for-pound king but has fought most of his career at lower divisions than Mayweather, so the risk/reward ratio seems right.
Why It Might Not Happen: Team Pacquiao is unpredictable, to say the least, when it comes to negotiations, so financial issues could always be a factor. And Manny could lose to Hatton, which would torpedo this idea pretty quickly. There's also no way this would take place on July 11 - think fourth quarter 2009.
Ricky Hatton
Why It Could Happen: No doubt Mayweather would love it if Hatton wins on May 2 after handling him fairly easily the first time they met. The Hitman brings plenty of loyal fans to the party and has made enough strides over the past year and a half that he'd look like a more credible threat in a rematch, at least on paper.
Why It Might Not Happen: Put simply, I think Hatton is going to lose to Pacquiao, robbing this match-up of any potential luster. Again, it would have to be scheduled for the fall and not mid-summer.
Shane Mosley
Why It Could Happen: Sugar Shane is riding a wave of momentum after stopping Antonio Margarito and would certainly be up for fighting Mayweather. He's obviously still in possession of most of his skills, but it's not hard to see Floyd looking at his age and thinking he would be easy pickings.
Why It Might Not Happen: Mosley has never been a huge draw but has occasionally lost sight of that fact himself. Wrangling over the purse split looms as a potential hurdle.
Andre Berto
Why It Could Happen: Berto may not be ready for this kind of challenge at this stage of his career, but it's hard to see him turning a Mayweather fight down if one was offered. His status as WBC welterweight champion would allow Floyd to sell the idea (probably successfully) that it would not be a tune-up fight.
Why It Might Not Happen: With even less name recognition than Marquez and less pound-for-pound support than all the men listed above, it could be that Berto simply isn't on the radar for the Mayweather camp. Since Andre is young and potentially still improving, he's also more an unknown quantity than the 30-and-over crowd, and that's something that Floyd never seems to like.
Oscar De La Hoya
Why It Could Happen: It may have the slimmest of chances, but if you aren't cynical enough to think it could happen, then you're probably new to the sport. Welcome. The Golden Boy is certainly capable of duping... um, I mean, convincing people he just wasn't himself when he stunk up the joint against Pacquiao, and we'd hear about the narrow split decision from his first fight with Mayweather ad nauseum to reinforce that line of thinking.
Why It Might Not Happen: If there is indeed a benevolent higher power, He simply won't allow it.
Looking over this short list, I think Mosley would be the leader in the clubhouse if Mayweather and company are married to the July date, with the Pacquiao-Hatton winner even more likely if Floyd is willing to take a lesser fight first and wait until the fall for a huge one.
Posted by The Franchise
29.1.09
Report: California Suspends Margarito Until Hand Wraps Tested
Apparently I just needed to wait a few days until the controversy over the "plaster-like substance" found and removed from Antonio Margarito's gloves before his fight with Shane Mosley took off.
ESPN boxing guru Dan Rafael is reporting that the California State Athletic Commission has suspended Margarito and trainer Javier Capetillo until the substance found in the wraps can be fully analyzed. Hey, I hear Gil Grissom is available!
All joking aside, I raised the issue of whether or not Miguel Cotto's camp would wonder whether Margarito and Capetillo did something similar before their fight. In the same vein, Rafael notes that people representing Kermit Cintron and Joshua Clottey - two relatively recent Margarito victims - are watching the developments in the hand wrap saga carefully.
And while Yahoo's Steve Cofield may be overstating things (no surprise there) when he wonders if this may spell doom for Margarito's career, it's more understandable to read that Mosley trainer Nazim Richardson is outraged - both for the potential danger posed to his man and the pall it could cast over the sport if it's decided that Margarito and company were knowingly cheating.
Boxing fans don't agree on much, but I think most would concur that there is a portion of the media and the sports-watching public just waiting for any opportunity to pile on boxing. Here's hoping this gets resolved quickly and decisively.
ESPN boxing guru Dan Rafael is reporting that the California State Athletic Commission has suspended Margarito and trainer Javier Capetillo until the substance found in the wraps can be fully analyzed. Hey, I hear Gil Grissom is available!
All joking aside, I raised the issue of whether or not Miguel Cotto's camp would wonder whether Margarito and Capetillo did something similar before their fight. In the same vein, Rafael notes that people representing Kermit Cintron and Joshua Clottey - two relatively recent Margarito victims - are watching the developments in the hand wrap saga carefully.
And while Yahoo's Steve Cofield may be overstating things (no surprise there) when he wonders if this may spell doom for Margarito's career, it's more understandable to read that Mosley trainer Nazim Richardson is outraged - both for the potential danger posed to his man and the pall it could cast over the sport if it's decided that Margarito and company were knowingly cheating.
Boxing fans don't agree on much, but I think most would concur that there is a portion of the media and the sports-watching public just waiting for any opportunity to pile on boxing. Here's hoping this gets resolved quickly and decisively.
27.1.09
20-20 Hindsight - Margarito-Mosley Aftermath Edition: What Makes an Upset, Hand Speed and Handwraps, Props and Disses
Now that a couple of days have passed since Shane Mosley's impressive knockout of Antonio Margarito, it's been interesting to watch the reaction of media and fans. Since Mosley was a 3-t0-1 underdog, was seven years older and was up against Margarito's aura of invincibility, many latched onto Sugar Shane's victory as a big upset.
Indeed, all three of us here at BoxingWatchers.com picked Margarito to win. After the fact though, it's hard to see history looking back at this as an upset at all.
Mosley is a multi-divisional champion who has been fighting top level competition for over a decade. Margarito's list of wins is impressive but much shorter, and he entered Saturday's fight only three fights removed from his last loss.
Nazim Richardson, who rightfully was given much of the credit for cooking up the winning plan of attack, practically begged reporters to keep billing Margarito as a monster to ensure his fighter got the credit he deserved. Shane will get his due, for sure, but my guess is the result of this fight will seem a lot less stunning as time goes by.
Speaking of Richardson, while his game plan may have won the day, even he was quick to say it would not have worked without an athlete of Sugar Shane's caliber. Mosley looked lightning fast in every exchange, and it became clear very early on that he had a big edge in hand speed while Margarito had... well, as The Ring's Dougie Fischer said, he had his chin, but that wasn't nearly enough.
If there's a common thread between the most recent outings of the Golden Boy Trinity (Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins and Mosley), it's that the man with a significant hand speed advantage won each won. Conclusive evidence that hand speed trumps all? Of course not, but at least in the case of Pavlik-Hopkins and Margarito-Mosley, we can definitely say that hand speed trumped pressure.
Finally, every media outlet covering Saturday's fight picked up on the story that Richardson asked for Margarito's hands to be rewrapped after spying what was described as a hard, plaster-like substance being inserted. What hasn't received as much play is how this revelation casts at least a bit of a pall over some of Tony's previous wins - especially, in this observer's mind, of his knockout of previously unbeaten Miguel Cotto.
Did Margarito receive some plaster-aided assistance against Cotto? We don't know, and probably never will.
But at the very least, if the expected Cotto-Margarito rematch takes shape, it's going to give Cotto a bit of a psychological boost thinking that he may have been up against literally harder punches the first time.
Props:
Disses:
Indeed, all three of us here at BoxingWatchers.com picked Margarito to win. After the fact though, it's hard to see history looking back at this as an upset at all.
Mosley is a multi-divisional champion who has been fighting top level competition for over a decade. Margarito's list of wins is impressive but much shorter, and he entered Saturday's fight only three fights removed from his last loss.
Nazim Richardson, who rightfully was given much of the credit for cooking up the winning plan of attack, practically begged reporters to keep billing Margarito as a monster to ensure his fighter got the credit he deserved. Shane will get his due, for sure, but my guess is the result of this fight will seem a lot less stunning as time goes by.
Speaking of Richardson, while his game plan may have won the day, even he was quick to say it would not have worked without an athlete of Sugar Shane's caliber. Mosley looked lightning fast in every exchange, and it became clear very early on that he had a big edge in hand speed while Margarito had... well, as The Ring's Dougie Fischer said, he had his chin, but that wasn't nearly enough.
If there's a common thread between the most recent outings of the Golden Boy Trinity (Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins and Mosley), it's that the man with a significant hand speed advantage won each won. Conclusive evidence that hand speed trumps all? Of course not, but at least in the case of Pavlik-Hopkins and Margarito-Mosley, we can definitely say that hand speed trumped pressure.
Finally, every media outlet covering Saturday's fight picked up on the story that Richardson asked for Margarito's hands to be rewrapped after spying what was described as a hard, plaster-like substance being inserted. What hasn't received as much play is how this revelation casts at least a bit of a pall over some of Tony's previous wins - especially, in this observer's mind, of his knockout of previously unbeaten Miguel Cotto.
Did Margarito receive some plaster-aided assistance against Cotto? We don't know, and probably never will.
But at the very least, if the expected Cotto-Margarito rematch takes shape, it's going to give Cotto a bit of a psychological boost thinking that he may have been up against literally harder punches the first time.
Props:
- To the "old men" at Golden Boy. As mentioned above, the members of the Trinity all stepped in against younger men and went 2-1 over the last four months. Not too shabby.
- To HBO. As Kvin Iole points out, the network is off to a great start to 2009. And it is resisting putting as many fights on pay-per-view, which is a blessing to boxing fans in the current economy.
Disses:
- To Jim Lampley's nutritionist. I watched Saturday's fight with two of the Official Parents of the BoxingWatchers, and both of them said the same thing: Lampley looks like he's ballooned up since we last saw him on TV.
- To Larry Merchant. He must have had his reasons for claiming Affliction was paying De La Hoya $5 million to appear at the co-promoted MMA event in Anaheim instead of watching Mosley in L.A. But with multiple sources giving better reasons for the Golden Boy's absence and quoting flat-out denials from Richard Schaefer and Tom Atencio, it sure looks like Merchant let his distaste for MMA sway him into presenting rumor as fact.
24.1.09
Margarito vs. Mosley: Round By Round
It's a brand new look for HBO's World Championship Boxing to kick off 2009. Tonight's fight is a welterweight championship fight between Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley in front of an impressive crowd of more than 20,000 fans at the Staple Center in Los Angeles.
Jim Lampley runs down the list of current welterweight champions and contenders. Interestingly, he includes Manny Pacquiao, the weight-hopping Paul Williams and the currently still retired Floyd Mayweather.
Earlier in the night, Larry Merchant sat down with Margarito. Tony says he did a lot of sparring and prepared properly for the fight. He says Mosley will be looking to do more boxing and less brawling than Miguel Cotto. Margarito also feels like tonight's fight will be a big one for his fans and his career.
Lampley and Emanuel Steward discuss some of the similarities between Mosley and Cotto. Steward thinks Shane has learned from watching Cotto's fight with Margarito.
Next up is Merchant's interview with Mosley, and Shane is honest in saying that while he feels great right now, he'll evaluate how much he still has left after tonight's fight. Mosley thinks using his jab may be the key to his chances to win. He talks a little bit about ignoring outside distractions, and a video package goes into more detail about Shane's BALCO-related troubles, his split with his father and his divorce.
The tale of the tape shows a two-inch height advantage for Margarito but a slight edge in reach for Mosley. Tony is 30 years old, while Shane is 37.
Sugar Ray Leonard, Mark Wahlberg, Joe Pesci and Sylvester Stallone are among the celebrities in attendance. Oscar De La Hoya is not in the house, as he is in Anaheim at the Affliction MMA pay-per-view.
Mosley comes out to "Live Your Life" By T.I. and Rihanna. It's his first fight with trainer Nazim Richardson, who is best known for helping train Bernard Hopkins. Margarito gets a huge crowd reaction as he enters to some traditional Mexican music.
Michael Buffer handles the introductions and we're all set to go.
Round One
Mosley looks like he has plenty of pep early on as he takes the fight to the champ. He lands some nice shots to the body and ties up. Now Margarito comes forward a bit. Shane digs in with an uppercut and there's more wrestling. Mosley really looks committed to a body attack. Mosley shows some good hand speed in tight and Tony throws right back. The ref is really busy right now. Nice left to the head by Margarito.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Two
Mosley starts the second working jabs. Margarito tries to go to the body but they immediately clinch. Shane is really making it ugly, which is to his benefit. Both men try to work from very close range. Tony just misses with a big right. Shane lands a quick combo and backs away. The fans express their displeasure with Shane's holding. Margarito lands a couple of shots but Shane fires right back. The ref warns Mosley for leading with his head.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Three
The fight has been fought at Mosley's pace so far. Shane backpedals quickly as Margarito digs in. Both fighters take some good swings in the middle of the ring. Tony lands an uppercut and complains about a headbutt again. Mosley lands a flashy combo with a nice right hand. He lands another good right but Margarito smiles. Tony goes back to his jab, which has been his main weapon so far. Mosley lands a hard right and a left before the bell, but Margarito seems unfazed.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Four
Harold Lederman has given all three rounds to Mosley so far. Jabs both ways open this round. Shane locks up to avoid Tony's shots along the ropes. Margarito lands a nice uppercut, but Mosley is clinching whenever he can. Mosley jabs and Margarito covers to block the follow-ups. Right-left combo as Tony comes forward. Left to the body and a big right upstairs by Mosley. That flurry may have won him this round. Another big right right at the bell for Shane.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Five
Margarito is bouncing around but he hasn't been comfortable on offense yet. He lands some jabs and tries the body. Left hook to the head by Mosley. Margarito reaches down for a combo and Shane attempts to respond. Right hook upstairs by Shane. Nice shots land for both men. Margarito really seems bothered by the wrestling. Left to the head brings blood from Tony's mouth, and Shane lands to the body as well.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Six
Tony's corner is begging him to work more. Shane lands a right to the head and circles away. He's getting in some sharp shots that are scoring even if they aren't slowing Margarito down. Every exchange is going at least slightly in Mosley's favor right now. Shane backs Tony up into the ropes and lands several big right hands. It's strange to see Margarito back on his heels.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Seven
Steward says Mosley can't miss with his right hand right now. He's measuring shots in the middle of the ring, though the ref has to stop it for a moment to fix Shane's glove. To his credit, Margarito is still standing and trying to throw. They battle hand to hand in the center. Jabs are followed by a sharp right to the head for Mosley. Both fighters score with left hands along the ropes. Tony shows a nice flurry and comes forward for his best offense in a while. The fans boo loudly as the ref warns Margarito for low shots. That may have been the closest round so far.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Margarito
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Eight
Let's see if Tony can carry over some momentum. Back to jabs for both men. Right hand upstairs for Shane. A left hand backs up Mosley for a second. Nice right hand for the champ in response to numerous jabs. Tony gets hit by another right as he comes in. The crowd is really trying to will Margarito back into the fight. Mosley lands a huge left-right combo and Tony is stunned. Shane pours it on and Margarito goes down! He wobbles to his feet just before the bell but he doesn't look too good.
Franchise: 10-8 Mosley
Uatu: 10-8 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-8 Mosley
Round Nine
We'll see what Margarito has left in the tank. Mosley is landing some mean shots right now. The ref steps in just as Tony goes down again, and it's all over.
The winner by TKO at 0:43 of Round Nine... and new WBA welterweight champion of the world... "Sugar" Shane Mosley.
Merchant asks Mosley if all of the distractions may have actually helped him. He gives a lot of credit to Richardson for coming up with a winning game plan. Shane says he knew Margarito was going to come forward and thus, the plan wasn't that complicated. When asked if he thought he could knock Margarito out, he simply replies that he always goes for the KO.
Turning to an obviously distraught Margarito, Merchant asks him what happened. He gives the credit to Mosley, and says even though his corner wanted to stop the fight after the eighth, he refused. As expected, he says Shane was bothering him by clinching on the inside. He also says Mosley studied him well. Asked about the possible Cotto rematch, he doesn't really answer, but says he'll raise his hands as the champion once again.
The announcers discuss the hand wrap controversy with Margarito before the fight. Apparently state athletic commission officials found a "hard plaster shell" being inserted into Margarito's glove after Richardson caught it and asked for it to be removed. Tony had to have his hands wrapped three times before everything was found to be kosher.
Jim Lampley runs down the list of current welterweight champions and contenders. Interestingly, he includes Manny Pacquiao, the weight-hopping Paul Williams and the currently still retired Floyd Mayweather.
Earlier in the night, Larry Merchant sat down with Margarito. Tony says he did a lot of sparring and prepared properly for the fight. He says Mosley will be looking to do more boxing and less brawling than Miguel Cotto. Margarito also feels like tonight's fight will be a big one for his fans and his career.
Lampley and Emanuel Steward discuss some of the similarities between Mosley and Cotto. Steward thinks Shane has learned from watching Cotto's fight with Margarito.
Next up is Merchant's interview with Mosley, and Shane is honest in saying that while he feels great right now, he'll evaluate how much he still has left after tonight's fight. Mosley thinks using his jab may be the key to his chances to win. He talks a little bit about ignoring outside distractions, and a video package goes into more detail about Shane's BALCO-related troubles, his split with his father and his divorce.
The tale of the tape shows a two-inch height advantage for Margarito but a slight edge in reach for Mosley. Tony is 30 years old, while Shane is 37.
Sugar Ray Leonard, Mark Wahlberg, Joe Pesci and Sylvester Stallone are among the celebrities in attendance. Oscar De La Hoya is not in the house, as he is in Anaheim at the Affliction MMA pay-per-view.
Mosley comes out to "Live Your Life" By T.I. and Rihanna. It's his first fight with trainer Nazim Richardson, who is best known for helping train Bernard Hopkins. Margarito gets a huge crowd reaction as he enters to some traditional Mexican music.
Michael Buffer handles the introductions and we're all set to go.
Round One
Mosley looks like he has plenty of pep early on as he takes the fight to the champ. He lands some nice shots to the body and ties up. Now Margarito comes forward a bit. Shane digs in with an uppercut and there's more wrestling. Mosley really looks committed to a body attack. Mosley shows some good hand speed in tight and Tony throws right back. The ref is really busy right now. Nice left to the head by Margarito.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Two
Mosley starts the second working jabs. Margarito tries to go to the body but they immediately clinch. Shane is really making it ugly, which is to his benefit. Both men try to work from very close range. Tony just misses with a big right. Shane lands a quick combo and backs away. The fans express their displeasure with Shane's holding. Margarito lands a couple of shots but Shane fires right back. The ref warns Mosley for leading with his head.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Three
The fight has been fought at Mosley's pace so far. Shane backpedals quickly as Margarito digs in. Both fighters take some good swings in the middle of the ring. Tony lands an uppercut and complains about a headbutt again. Mosley lands a flashy combo with a nice right hand. He lands another good right but Margarito smiles. Tony goes back to his jab, which has been his main weapon so far. Mosley lands a hard right and a left before the bell, but Margarito seems unfazed.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Four
Harold Lederman has given all three rounds to Mosley so far. Jabs both ways open this round. Shane locks up to avoid Tony's shots along the ropes. Margarito lands a nice uppercut, but Mosley is clinching whenever he can. Mosley jabs and Margarito covers to block the follow-ups. Right-left combo as Tony comes forward. Left to the body and a big right upstairs by Mosley. That flurry may have won him this round. Another big right right at the bell for Shane.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Five
Margarito is bouncing around but he hasn't been comfortable on offense yet. He lands some jabs and tries the body. Left hook to the head by Mosley. Margarito reaches down for a combo and Shane attempts to respond. Right hook upstairs by Shane. Nice shots land for both men. Margarito really seems bothered by the wrestling. Left to the head brings blood from Tony's mouth, and Shane lands to the body as well.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Six
Tony's corner is begging him to work more. Shane lands a right to the head and circles away. He's getting in some sharp shots that are scoring even if they aren't slowing Margarito down. Every exchange is going at least slightly in Mosley's favor right now. Shane backs Tony up into the ropes and lands several big right hands. It's strange to see Margarito back on his heels.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Seven
Steward says Mosley can't miss with his right hand right now. He's measuring shots in the middle of the ring, though the ref has to stop it for a moment to fix Shane's glove. To his credit, Margarito is still standing and trying to throw. They battle hand to hand in the center. Jabs are followed by a sharp right to the head for Mosley. Both fighters score with left hands along the ropes. Tony shows a nice flurry and comes forward for his best offense in a while. The fans boo loudly as the ref warns Margarito for low shots. That may have been the closest round so far.
Franchise: 10-9 Mosley
Uatu: 10-9 Margarito
Spartan117: 10-9 Mosley
Round Eight
Let's see if Tony can carry over some momentum. Back to jabs for both men. Right hand upstairs for Shane. A left hand backs up Mosley for a second. Nice right hand for the champ in response to numerous jabs. Tony gets hit by another right as he comes in. The crowd is really trying to will Margarito back into the fight. Mosley lands a huge left-right combo and Tony is stunned. Shane pours it on and Margarito goes down! He wobbles to his feet just before the bell but he doesn't look too good.
Franchise: 10-8 Mosley
Uatu: 10-8 Mosley
Spartan117: 10-8 Mosley
Round Nine
We'll see what Margarito has left in the tank. Mosley is landing some mean shots right now. The ref steps in just as Tony goes down again, and it's all over.
The winner by TKO at 0:43 of Round Nine... and new WBA welterweight champion of the world... "Sugar" Shane Mosley.
Merchant asks Mosley if all of the distractions may have actually helped him. He gives a lot of credit to Richardson for coming up with a winning game plan. Shane says he knew Margarito was going to come forward and thus, the plan wasn't that complicated. When asked if he thought he could knock Margarito out, he simply replies that he always goes for the KO.
Turning to an obviously distraught Margarito, Merchant asks him what happened. He gives the credit to Mosley, and says even though his corner wanted to stop the fight after the eighth, he refused. As expected, he says Shane was bothering him by clinching on the inside. He also says Mosley studied him well. Asked about the possible Cotto rematch, he doesn't really answer, but says he'll raise his hands as the champion once again.
The announcers discuss the hand wrap controversy with Margarito before the fight. Apparently state athletic commission officials found a "hard plaster shell" being inserted into Margarito's glove after Richardson caught it and asked for it to be removed. Tony had to have his hands wrapped three times before everything was found to be kosher.
Live Margarito-Mosley Updates Tonight
What's not to like about a pay-per-view caliber fight on free (well, not really free, but less expensive) television tonight? It's a welterweight showdown between two talented and likable fighters as Antonio Margarito clashes with Shane Mosley from Los Angeles.
Can't get to a TV with HBO tonight? No problem - that's why we're here. Bookmark our main page at www.boxingwatchers.com and stay up on the action with live round by round updates and scoring from the BoxingWatchers crew.
Join us at approximately 10 pm EST tonight!
Can't get to a TV with HBO tonight? No problem - that's why we're here. Bookmark our main page at www.boxingwatchers.com and stay up on the action with live round by round updates and scoring from the BoxingWatchers crew.
Join us at approximately 10 pm EST tonight!
Antonio Margarito vs. Shane Mosley: Predictions
The Franchise says...
Last week's Andre Berto-Luis Collazo fight kicked off the major 2009 boxing "season" with a bang, so as fans, we simply have to cross our fingers and hope this fight keeps the momentum going. It's an intriguing match-up between an aging former champion and a younger fighter riding a wave of momentum, and as we saw last year with Pavlik-Hopkins and Pacquiao-De La Hoya, these can go either way.
It's not too often that a fight comes around where both men may be their own worst enemies, but I think that may be the case here. The only fight I've ever seen Margarito lose was against Paul Williams, and in that one it was simply a case of him not turning up the pressure early enough and waiting too long to get going. If he does that here - perhaps looking ahead to a rematch with Miguel Cotto - he may find himself getting outpointed in a fight logic suggests he should win.
By the same token, Mosley seems like he could have enough speed and skill left to pull off one more (and possibly final) big win. But that would seem to hinge on him pulling off a plan of attack that includes a lot of hitting and running or grabbing, and it's very likely that Sugar Shane will simply be lured into standing and trading at some point.
I have a lot of admiration for Margarito and will certainly be wishing him well in future fights, but Mosley has been a long-time favorite of mine and I will be rooting for him tonight. My head is overruling my heart here though, and while I think Tony will find Shane too cagey and tough to KO, my pick is Margarito by unanimous decision.
Spartan117 says...
I am one of the few boxing fans who has yet to be blown away by an Antonio Margarito performance. His fight against Cotto, although very exciting to watch, didn't show me that he was the best boxer at his weight class. He did, however, show me that he has an excellent chin and top-notch accuracy.
Sugar Shane hasn't impressed me enough in his recent fights for me to believe that he can pull off a victory. In his match with Mayorga, he had one more second before that fight would have gone to decision. It should not take a boxing tactician like Mosley all 36 minutes in the ring to finish a sloppy swinger like Mayorga. It only took De La Hoya six rounds. Mosley did show that his speed is still his number one weapon.
It would be nice to see the older Mosley shock the world tonight, pull off an upset, and show the world that he still has what made him a great fighter of his generation. I just can't see it happening though. I see this fight being similar to Cotto v. Margarito. Margarito will wear down Mosley and the punches will add up in the later rounds. Mosley won't have enough power to keep Margarito at a distance. Margarito by late round TKO.
Uatu says...
Margarito by TKO in the 10th Round.
Last week's Andre Berto-Luis Collazo fight kicked off the major 2009 boxing "season" with a bang, so as fans, we simply have to cross our fingers and hope this fight keeps the momentum going. It's an intriguing match-up between an aging former champion and a younger fighter riding a wave of momentum, and as we saw last year with Pavlik-Hopkins and Pacquiao-De La Hoya, these can go either way.
It's not too often that a fight comes around where both men may be their own worst enemies, but I think that may be the case here. The only fight I've ever seen Margarito lose was against Paul Williams, and in that one it was simply a case of him not turning up the pressure early enough and waiting too long to get going. If he does that here - perhaps looking ahead to a rematch with Miguel Cotto - he may find himself getting outpointed in a fight logic suggests he should win.
By the same token, Mosley seems like he could have enough speed and skill left to pull off one more (and possibly final) big win. But that would seem to hinge on him pulling off a plan of attack that includes a lot of hitting and running or grabbing, and it's very likely that Sugar Shane will simply be lured into standing and trading at some point.
I have a lot of admiration for Margarito and will certainly be wishing him well in future fights, but Mosley has been a long-time favorite of mine and I will be rooting for him tonight. My head is overruling my heart here though, and while I think Tony will find Shane too cagey and tough to KO, my pick is Margarito by unanimous decision.
Spartan117 says...
I am one of the few boxing fans who has yet to be blown away by an Antonio Margarito performance. His fight against Cotto, although very exciting to watch, didn't show me that he was the best boxer at his weight class. He did, however, show me that he has an excellent chin and top-notch accuracy.
Sugar Shane hasn't impressed me enough in his recent fights for me to believe that he can pull off a victory. In his match with Mayorga, he had one more second before that fight would have gone to decision. It should not take a boxing tactician like Mosley all 36 minutes in the ring to finish a sloppy swinger like Mayorga. It only took De La Hoya six rounds. Mosley did show that his speed is still his number one weapon.
It would be nice to see the older Mosley shock the world tonight, pull off an upset, and show the world that he still has what made him a great fighter of his generation. I just can't see it happening though. I see this fight being similar to Cotto v. Margarito. Margarito will wear down Mosley and the punches will add up in the later rounds. Mosley won't have enough power to keep Margarito at a distance. Margarito by late round TKO.
Uatu says...
Margarito by TKO in the 10th Round.
23.1.09
It's On! Weigh-in Report: Margarito vs. Mosley
Streaming live on hbo.com.
It's 5:52 eastern time in the US, and surprisingly the weigh-in has already begun streaming. Lately hbo.com has started their streaming right on time and no one is there yet to weigh-in. Today, they are already weighing fighters by the time I check out their site.
Hopefully, this is just the prelim fighters. Other weigh-ins have led off with the main event and worked backwards, while some have built upwards to the main event.
They are going with the digital scale. I prefer the drama of the beam type where some guy actually has to move those indicators on the scale and watch the arm actually balance. Here it is just people reading a scale on the floor, which of course we can not see whatsoever.
The omnipresent Bernard Hopkins is on stage, which is to be expected at a Golden Boy fight. He is going with jeans in an expensive casual look. Bob Arum going with a classic turtleneck, blazer and dress pants affair. Excuse me, it looks like that might be a tight, bright red t-shirt under the blazer for Arum.
They declare 30 seconds until they are on the air. So thankfully I did not miss the main event. The streaming public on hbo.com are now being shown a slickly produced commercial for the fight, with an orchestral score over highlights.
And we are formally welcomed to the Nokia Theatre at LA Live.
They are expecting a sell out of over 20,000 at the Staples Center. And now another commercial. This in the voice-over on top of highlights style.
I am not sure how many of these I have watched over the years on TV and the web, but they are mostly the same. A lot of waiting around for little excitement. But, in the events where there is a buzz, the weigh-ins really get you pumped up to watch the fights. A loyal national crowd usually helps.
And here... we... go!
Shane Mosley and crew have reached the stage. Antonio Margarito has arrived too. Both men are going the custom track suit route.
Shane: 147 even. He is looking super lean, supper ripped, with the body of a 20-year old.
There's some jawing and arguing going on. There are a bunch of people on the stage making the stage uneven. Now they announce 147.2.
Tony: 145.8! Tony is looking all kinds of muscular too. The camera actually did cut to a shot of the digital reading, so that problem was solved. Thank you hbo.com
Now they are deciding if Shane needs to get back on. It is announced that Shane will step away and get back on later. They are going to take the picture for the fight, and then Shane will try again.
Face to face, Tony is taller, but he doesn't dwarf Shane as much as I would have thought. Bernard always gets his picture in between for these events and he is much taller than both men.
An interview with Tony, which is a nice surprise for the streaming public. Tony is asked about his weight. He says it is not a problem for him. He has to make that weight and he does.
He says LA will be his house, and you can see all the fans out here to support him, and he will make them proud.
Will it be like the Cotto fight? How does he see it turning out?
Yes, Shane has a lot of experience so they prepared so hard.
On a side note, the reporter was also the interpreter, which makes the interaction between the two much cleaner and shorter than the usual interview across languages.
Another commerical is shown.
The commissioner is being interviewed. The commissioner defers to the man conducting the weights with the scale. He is asked who requested the re-weigh-in. The scale stopped at 147 for a brief moment and then moved to 147.2. He stepped on again and it read 147.2. So he has to lose that weight. He has two hours.
B-Hop gets interviewed.
Is it hard to lose 0.2 pounds?
Bernard says he could stand up here and talk and lose the weight. He says the underwear probably weighs 0.1. He personally thinks the first number of 147 should count. Then people moved around and affected the number.
Bernard says Tony is a great person and fighter and it will be tough. Last year showed that just because a fighter is supposed to win doesn't mean he will. Golden Boy and Top Rank will continue to put on great fights.
He says that Shane isn't really going into Tony's territory being that Shane is from the area, has fans in the area, and Mexicans love him too.
Shane is back up... 147.
Shane says he is in great shape and ready to go. He didn't have to struggle to make weight so this extra weighing was no big deal. He's ready to go. He sounds excited. He says it wasn't hard to make 147, he says it was actually very easy, he just scaled it wrong today.
That's all, that's it.
It's 5:52 eastern time in the US, and surprisingly the weigh-in has already begun streaming. Lately hbo.com has started their streaming right on time and no one is there yet to weigh-in. Today, they are already weighing fighters by the time I check out their site.
Hopefully, this is just the prelim fighters. Other weigh-ins have led off with the main event and worked backwards, while some have built upwards to the main event.
They are going with the digital scale. I prefer the drama of the beam type where some guy actually has to move those indicators on the scale and watch the arm actually balance. Here it is just people reading a scale on the floor, which of course we can not see whatsoever.
The omnipresent Bernard Hopkins is on stage, which is to be expected at a Golden Boy fight. He is going with jeans in an expensive casual look. Bob Arum going with a classic turtleneck, blazer and dress pants affair. Excuse me, it looks like that might be a tight, bright red t-shirt under the blazer for Arum.
They declare 30 seconds until they are on the air. So thankfully I did not miss the main event. The streaming public on hbo.com are now being shown a slickly produced commercial for the fight, with an orchestral score over highlights.
And we are formally welcomed to the Nokia Theatre at LA Live.
They are expecting a sell out of over 20,000 at the Staples Center. And now another commercial. This in the voice-over on top of highlights style.
I am not sure how many of these I have watched over the years on TV and the web, but they are mostly the same. A lot of waiting around for little excitement. But, in the events where there is a buzz, the weigh-ins really get you pumped up to watch the fights. A loyal national crowd usually helps.
And here... we... go!
Shane Mosley and crew have reached the stage. Antonio Margarito has arrived too. Both men are going the custom track suit route.
Shane: 147 even. He is looking super lean, supper ripped, with the body of a 20-year old.
There's some jawing and arguing going on. There are a bunch of people on the stage making the stage uneven. Now they announce 147.2.
Tony: 145.8! Tony is looking all kinds of muscular too. The camera actually did cut to a shot of the digital reading, so that problem was solved. Thank you hbo.com
Now they are deciding if Shane needs to get back on. It is announced that Shane will step away and get back on later. They are going to take the picture for the fight, and then Shane will try again.
Face to face, Tony is taller, but he doesn't dwarf Shane as much as I would have thought. Bernard always gets his picture in between for these events and he is much taller than both men.
An interview with Tony, which is a nice surprise for the streaming public. Tony is asked about his weight. He says it is not a problem for him. He has to make that weight and he does.
He says LA will be his house, and you can see all the fans out here to support him, and he will make them proud.
Will it be like the Cotto fight? How does he see it turning out?
Yes, Shane has a lot of experience so they prepared so hard.
On a side note, the reporter was also the interpreter, which makes the interaction between the two much cleaner and shorter than the usual interview across languages.
Another commerical is shown.
The commissioner is being interviewed. The commissioner defers to the man conducting the weights with the scale. He is asked who requested the re-weigh-in. The scale stopped at 147 for a brief moment and then moved to 147.2. He stepped on again and it read 147.2. So he has to lose that weight. He has two hours.
B-Hop gets interviewed.
Is it hard to lose 0.2 pounds?
Bernard says he could stand up here and talk and lose the weight. He says the underwear probably weighs 0.1. He personally thinks the first number of 147 should count. Then people moved around and affected the number.
Bernard says Tony is a great person and fighter and it will be tough. Last year showed that just because a fighter is supposed to win doesn't mean he will. Golden Boy and Top Rank will continue to put on great fights.
He says that Shane isn't really going into Tony's territory being that Shane is from the area, has fans in the area, and Mexicans love him too.
Shane is back up... 147.
Shane says he is in great shape and ready to go. He didn't have to struggle to make weight so this extra weighing was no big deal. He's ready to go. He sounds excited. He says it wasn't hard to make 147, he says it was actually very easy, he just scaled it wrong today.
That's all, that's it.
22.1.09
Antonio Margarito Vs. Shane Mosley: In-Depth Preview
"The Tijuana Tornado" Antonio Margarito
Birthplace: Torrance, CA
Resides: Tijuana, Mexico
Height: 5' 11"
Reach: 73"
Current Titles Held: WBA Welterweight (147 lbs.)
Former Titles Held: WBO, IBF Welterweight
Professional Record: 37-5, 27 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 10-2 (8 KOs), 1 No Contest
Record at 147 lbs.: 17-2, 1 No Contest
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 2-1
Notable Wins: TKO11 Miguel Cotto, KO6 Kermit Cintron II, UD12 Joshua Clottey
Notable Losses: UD12 Paul Williams, TD10 Daniel Santos
"Sugar" Shane Mosley
Birthplace: Lynwood, CA
Resides: Pomona, CA
Height: 5' 9"
Reach: 74"
Current Titles Held: None
Former Titles Held: WBC, WBA Light Middleweight (154 lbs.), WBC Welterweight, IBF Lightweight (135 lbs.)
Professional Record: 45-5, 38 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 14-5 (11 KOs)
Record at 147 lbs.: 9-3
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 4-5
Notable Wins: TKO6 Fernando Vargas II, UD12 Oscar De La Hoya II, SD12 Oscar De La Hoya I
Notable Losses: UD12 Miguel Cotto, UD12 Winky Wright I, UD12 Vernon Forrest I
Analysis:
It sure seems like the boxing world has been full of "last chance" fights for former world champions over the past year or two, and this one qualifies as well. Mosley has proven he still belongs in the upper echelon of current fighters, but at age 37, this may be his final shot at another title and (perhaps most importantly) a continued presence in big money fights.
He's got a difficult task in front of him in the form of welterweight champion Margarito, who made the most of his biggest bout to date with a thrilling eleventh-round TKO of Miguel Cotto last year. The Tijuana Tornado isn't the busiest or most powerful fighter, but he puts those two traits together to form a relentless style that simply wilts opponents as the rounds go by.
Margarito's biggest foe could be complacency. He's thrived on the underdog role for so long, it's hard to say for certain how he'll handle life as one of the top dogs. With a Cotto rematch on the horizon and a seemingly bright future, the danger is that he'll look past Mosley.
That would be a mistake, as there's every reason to believe Mosley still has what it takes to pull of an upset. He won't be fighting from huge disadvantages in height and reach like some of Margarito's foes, and his hand speed and ability to pick spots to throw multi-punch flurries could still pose problems if the champ fails to bring his 'A' game.
One thing that would be a surprise is seeing either man knocked out. Mosley has never been down for the count in 53 professional fights, many of which came against world class competition, and Margarito has a well-deserved reputation for possessing an iron chin.
Margarito's Winning Strategy: Get Started Early
Though it's not impossible to see Margarito winning by KO - he did, after all, get to Cotto eventually - he certainly doesn't want to bank on it against Mosley, so it's important for him to make sure he's winning rounds. Even though his tireless work ethic suits itself to coming from behind, he doesn't want to have to dig himself out a hole against an opponent also known for coming on late.
Margarito waited too long to get started against Paul Williams in 2007 and it cost him. Mosley fights more in spurts now than he did in his younger days, so if the champ gets in a mindset to outwork him from the beginning, he should be able to pull it off.
At the same time, he doesn't want to simply throw caution to the wind against a boxer as seasoned as Mosley. Cotto was able to box Margarito effectively for the first half of their fight, but he couldn't keep it up for 12 rounds. If Tony gets going early and is prepared to go the distance at the same pace, he'll be nearly impossible to beat.
Mosley's Winning Strategy: Hit and Run
Hopefully Mosley took notes when his business partner Oscar De La Hoya was getting outclassed by Manny Pacquiao, because he'll have to do something similar to what Pacman did last December. That means using his footwork to get in and out effectively, circling away when the pressure gets too intense.
Mosley can still crack pretty hard for a welterweight, but he can't afford to fall in love with standing in front of Margarito, as that's a recipe for disaster. Fortunately, the gameplan he needs to follow dovetails pretty well with his preferred pace at this point in his career, which is to throw punches in short bursts.
He's certainly outgunned if the match turns into a continuous firefight. But if Mosley is savvy enough to pick his spots, getting off first and then getting away, he may be able to give Margarito more of a challenge than many are expecting.
19.1.09
Shane Mosley on Jim Rome is Burning on ESPN
Sugar Shane Mosley will be on Jim Rome is Burning today on ESPN. Rome himself is not on the show, and it is being hosted by Jason somebody. I am not familiar with this person that is filling in for Rome today. Shane is coming on to promote his big fight with Antonio Margarito this weekend. A report on his appearance is forthcoming. The questions are paraphrased to the best of my ability.
Apparently it is a gentleman named Jason Smith who is hosting today. He can be heard on ESPNRadio, and I have heard his show on ESPN Radio, All Night, on several occasions. I have no idea what kind of boxing knowledge he brings to the table. We shall see.
Here we go.
Smith asks Shane about the fact that Shane has said that he is worried about his overconfidence in the fight.
Shane answers something to the effect that he has great movement, speed, power. It was sort of an awkward question and answer there.
They move on to the wildlife in Big Bear. What does Shane think about seeing bears, deer, etc along the roads when he is running?
Shane doesn't worry about the wildlife. The bears actually run away from him when they see him. Right now it's winter so the bears are hibernating. Smith makes a joke that they should promote the fight saying that bears are afraid of Shane. Shane says they are out of his weight class.
A question about dropping his father as trainer and its effect out of the ring.
Shane says their relationship is exactly the same.
A question about the health of the sport.
Shane points to the awesome fight between Berto and Collazo. Shane says he still has three or four more years himself as well.
How old is too old to keep fighting?
Shane says only if you are getting hit with too many shots. He mentions Bernard and says if he can, he will fight as long as Bernard has. (Personal aside, I believe that Shane gets hit with more shots than Bernard does.)
What about the economy?
Shane touts the fact that he and Margarito have sold out despite the economy. Everyone is coming to the fight.
Smith asks a steroid question. What does Shane think about the fact that people may now always equate him with steroids?
Shane says people that know him in the boxing world know he is a clean person. Maybe outside of the boxing world people may think he is into it. He says that is not him. He lives clean, he is a clean person. He is not into that type of stuff, it is not his forte.
What's the hardest he has ever been hit?
He says Vernon is the only one to rock him so it's Forrest. He says he has been hit hard a number of times. Shane says what was going through his head was to get back up and knock Vernon out.
What does Barack mean to him?
Shane says it's a great thing. Obama brings together all nationalities and makes the world and country a better place.
Overall good stuff. Shane is a nice guy and not one for being flamboyant, and he's honest in interviews. It won't change my opinion on the fight.
Apparently it is a gentleman named Jason Smith who is hosting today. He can be heard on ESPNRadio, and I have heard his show on ESPN Radio, All Night, on several occasions. I have no idea what kind of boxing knowledge he brings to the table. We shall see.
Here we go.
Smith asks Shane about the fact that Shane has said that he is worried about his overconfidence in the fight.
Shane answers something to the effect that he has great movement, speed, power. It was sort of an awkward question and answer there.
They move on to the wildlife in Big Bear. What does Shane think about seeing bears, deer, etc along the roads when he is running?
Shane doesn't worry about the wildlife. The bears actually run away from him when they see him. Right now it's winter so the bears are hibernating. Smith makes a joke that they should promote the fight saying that bears are afraid of Shane. Shane says they are out of his weight class.
A question about dropping his father as trainer and its effect out of the ring.
Shane says their relationship is exactly the same.
A question about the health of the sport.
Shane points to the awesome fight between Berto and Collazo. Shane says he still has three or four more years himself as well.
How old is too old to keep fighting?
Shane says only if you are getting hit with too many shots. He mentions Bernard and says if he can, he will fight as long as Bernard has. (Personal aside, I believe that Shane gets hit with more shots than Bernard does.)
What about the economy?
Shane touts the fact that he and Margarito have sold out despite the economy. Everyone is coming to the fight.
Smith asks a steroid question. What does Shane think about the fact that people may now always equate him with steroids?
Shane says people that know him in the boxing world know he is a clean person. Maybe outside of the boxing world people may think he is into it. He says that is not him. He lives clean, he is a clean person. He is not into that type of stuff, it is not his forte.
What's the hardest he has ever been hit?
He says Vernon is the only one to rock him so it's Forrest. He says he has been hit hard a number of times. Shane says what was going through his head was to get back up and knock Vernon out.
What does Barack mean to him?
Shane says it's a great thing. Obama brings together all nationalities and makes the world and country a better place.
Overall good stuff. Shane is a nice guy and not one for being flamboyant, and he's honest in interviews. It won't change my opinion on the fight.
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