Boxing's Alive and Well

So did you hear about Manny Pacquiao? He got knocked out cold by a right hand from his arch nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez.

Of course you heard about it. It was literally the shot heard around the world. The fourth installment of the Marquez/Pacquiao saga was the most rewarding re-re-rematch we have ever seen. While most people complain about having to see the same guys fight for the fourth time, I was ranting and raving about it because I have never felt like I wanted my money back after watching one of their three previous fights. The two pugilists were made for each other just like peanut butter and jelly. The same way legions of fans were lined up for the fifth and final installment of the Twilight saga, I will line up and wait to see them go at it again.

It's a fight I will watch, even if they do it annually into their 70's, sure as night and day, you can expect fireworks when they meet. Marquez was determined to show the world he can beat Pacquiao, and Pacquiao was "determined" to prove to the world he hasn't lost a step. Has he lost a step? Sure he has, he has 17 years of professional bouts to his name, eventually skills begin to diminish. Not just is time a factor in Pacman's decline, but his focus is just so scattered around between being a congressman, his wife's political venture, his change on religion among other things. Now I'm not condemning Pacquiao for changing his ways for the sake of his family, but being a Boxer is a profession that requires undivided attention and dedication. He has seemed to have lost the fire in his eyes when he was mowing down fighters, pulverizing guys like my idol Erik Morales, Antonio Margarito, and Ricky Hatton.

As for the fifth fight, Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum has said there is a plan for another chapter to the rivalry in the works for possibly June or September.

June seems to be the more logical choice as Golden Boy Promotions and Floyd Mayweather have announced tentative dates for the Pound for Pound King to make his return to the ring in May and September. Top Rank can't afford to compete head to head with Floyd Mayweather's possible showdown with Saul Alvarez on one of Boxing's most important weekends, Mexican Independence weekend. Top Rank has also unofficially announced a September rematch between Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. There is too much going on in that month for a mega-fight between Pacquiao and Marquez to be showcased also, that is why the June date makes the most sense.

Pacquiao fought Tim Bradley in June this year and the PPV sold just under 1 million buys. There is no reason this fight can't hover around the 2 million buys after the world wants to see how Pacquiao will bounce back after brutally being knocked out. When Pacquiao was knocked out last week, so was everyone's hopes to see Pacquiao and Mayweather finally square off. The fight lost my interest years ago, it was clear the fight would never happen. I'm glad that can finally be laid to rest, well at least for the time being.

Back to Mayweather, the announcement of two fights in 2013 is odd to say the least. He hasn't fought twice in a year since 2007, let alone just four months apart. If the reports about this are true, I see an "eliminator" style card happening in May. Robert Guerrero will finally get his shot at Mayweather and on the same card Canelo will face somebody he can easily beat setting up the money showdown (no pun intended) in September between Mayweather and Alvarez.

Boxing is alive and well, Boxing will see a magnificent 2013. There are so many fights that we are primed to see. We will see a possible fight of the year candidate between Orlando Salido and up-and-coming Mikey Garcia, a heated showdown between Danny Garcia and Zab Judah, a likely rematch of the 2012 fight of the year between Mike Alvarado and Brandon Rios, Josesito Lopez is waiting in the wings for the winner of this week's bout between Amir Khan and Oscar Molina, and my favorite.... The return of the enigmatic Victor Ortiz and whomever he chooses to fight in his return to action since suffering a broken jaw at the hands of Lopez. Those are just the few fights or possible fights that come to mind now in anticipation of 2013.

2012 will end with a bang with a star studded Saturday afternoon and night of great fights.

As mentioned earlier, Khan will take on Molina is Khan's quest to bounce back after back to back losses to Lamont Peterson and being knocked out by Garcia this summer. Khan has since fired trainer Freddie Roach and has started working with Virgil Hunter (Hunter's most notable fighter is Andre Ward). Molina is a green unbeaten hometown fighter looking to make a name for himself when he will be on the big stage this Saturday on Showtime. Something tells me Khan will lose for the third time in the span of a full calender year as Molina drops him in the middle rounds, exploiting Khan's glass jaw and makes the Brit consider other options other than Boxing. Khan has his eye's on Paulie Malignaggi's WBA Welterweight championship, and may be looking past the hungry Molina. If Khan survives the fight a rematch for Malignaggi may be a reach with Malignaggi confirming that the rumors of a showdown against Shane Mosley are accurate and is being considered  for a April return to the Barclays in Brooklyn. Khan with a win on Saturday may find himself as a serious candidate to face Mayweather in May if Golden Boy chooses to skip on Guerrero.

Over on the HBO side of things, the replay of last week's Pacquiao/Marquez fight will air and so will the awaited bout between Nonito Donaire and Jorge Arce. We last saw Donaire in October and is making a quick return to fight the Mexican slugger "El Travieso". Arce's prime years are long behind him, but he is still a good fighter who has the will and courage to engage the Filipino Flash in a slugfest. Will Donaire masterfully outclass Arce? That seems likely, but I wouldn't be surprised if Arce gives him a run for his money in what could be a great bout.

Also on Saturday night, it will mark the end of an era. Longtime color commentator Larry Merchant will call his final fight for HBO. While the 81 year old Merchant didn't say he was retiring, rather he will take a break and consider other options. I have always liked Merchant's analysts, while sometimes quirky, but always on point with his words. He had a knack for bringing out the best of Mayweather as he did after his victory over Ortiz last year. How can we forget when he looked Mayweather in the eyes and said, "I wish I were 50 years younger, and I'd kick your ass". Merchant was great, and was a staple of my home on Saturday nights, but as we unfortunately lost another HBO voice in Emmanuel Steward, HBO will have an empty feel to it. That is not a knock on Max Kellerman, I love him, he is probably my favorite commentator, but I just grew up listening with Merchant, Steward, and Jim Lampley ringside.

Back in Action

"Camacho could fight. As a lightweight, he was blazing fast and he had great, great skills. People don't realize he was one of the signature guys that helped build the boxing brand back in the '80s. CBS loved him. Anybody he fought they put him on CBS, and he invariably got them good ratings." - Bob Arum (Source USA Today)

It's been a while since we here at TheSoCalSportsGuys have been active blogging. Truth be told I'm going through quick pace changes in my life. Started a new job, which is a challenge to say the least. I'm a new guy at a place with guys that have been there for years, and I have a bit of power over them. It's hard for them to take me serious only being there a couple weeks. Enough of that, I'm trying to escape all that by doing what I love. Write about sports. I'm still contributing my weekly fantasy column to the Daily Press, but this blog has taken a bit of a backseat to it all.

 

Since I last blogged, so much has happened in the world of Boxing. I might have last blogged when Emmanuel Steward passed. Since then, we have seen the tragic loss of one of the brightest and game changing individuals we have seen in the squared circle, Hector "Macho" Camacho. The former champion was wounded by a gunshot in his native Puerto Rico and had initially been expected to recover. Then we heard of spine damage and the chances of him being paralyzed. Then in a tragic turn of events we found out his own mother had to take him life support. 

A big loss to to the Boxing community, as he inspired so many of today's fighters. He was a cocky, arrogant, self centered, egoistical, flamboyant, the consummate guy you love to hate. Macho Camacho oozed of charisma, and it was evident when HBO aired clips of him as young champion on the broadcast of the Robert Guerrero/Andre Berto slug fest (which I will get to in a minute). Camacho's influence has been imprinted in guys like Roy Jones Jr, Naseem Hamed, Paulie Malignaggi, and hell even the ever so original Floyd "Money" Mayweather. It was one thing to be cocky and flashy with your craft in the ring, but Camacho had a swagger about him that you loved to hate. I for one didn't ever have the chance to see him fight, but I have seen enough videos of him on YouTube over the years to know he was one bad motherfucker. He was a tactician in the ring that wasn't afraid to brawl. He had heart, he had guts, he had the will to stare down somebody down and take whatever punishment they dished out. He was quick and effective with his craft, and had a chin that could withstand the blow of a sledgehammer. 

Steward said it best when he told Oscar De La Hoya he wouldn't knock him out when they fought in 1997 - "You are not going to knock him out, his chin is made of granite and his heart is twice the size."

That was Macho Camacho, the guy that people tuned into to see get his ass beat, but they wound up falling in love with after the show. Camacho was among the names in the 80's that boosted Boxing's popularity much like the UFC and MMA has experienced in the last decade. Boxing in the 80's was probably the best time to be a Boxing fan, Heavyweights weren't main attractions, guys like Camacho, Roberto Duran, Julio Cesar Chavez, Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler were gluing eyes to television sets across the world. What I would give to find Doc. Brown's Delorean and watch those prizefights in person. 

But Boxing is still alive and kicking. We have hit the final stretch of the year where great cards are on a week by week basis. Nov. 10 we were dazzled by Abner Mares' and Anselmo Moreno's display of courage in the ring. We saw the long anticipated showdown between them and it delivered and catered fans whom have been waiting for that fight to finally happen. It wasn't even the most anticipated Mares fight, we're still waiting for the day Mares and Nonito Donaire finally cross paths. And if De La Hoya (Mares' promoter) is sincere, we may just see this fight happen soon. He went to twitter saying that he is willing to work with long-time rival Bob Arum to make the fight happen. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one. 

November 17, we saw Adrien Broner take a leap in class and handles Antonio DeMarco with ease. Broner proved to the Boxing world he is for real, and much like people prayed to see Camacho get his arse kicked...... I'm waiting for the day somebody floors Broner. He has phenomenal talent, but has been sniffing too much of Mayweather's jock strap. His style in the ring is a come forward version of Mayweahter. Both use the same shoulder roll technique, both have quick hands, both have significant power, but Broner seems to love to brawl. His fights intrigue me, but his person is force fed as he tries way too hard to be a carbon copy of Mayweather, but this guy has what kids call "swag". 

This past weekend we witness the return of Ricky Hatton. Hatton made his return to the ring after a 3 and half year layoff riddled by drug and alcohol abuse and alleged suicide attempts. It was very heart warming seeing The Hitman get the kind of ovation he did in his hometown of Manchester. Listening to 20,000 Brits chanting in unison "There's only one Ricky Hatton" gave me goosebumps as Michael Buffer was doing the fighter introductions before his fight with Vyacheslav Senchenko. 

Hatton looked good for a pugilist that has been out of action for so long. He was quick and crisp with his combos, landing effective shots on Senchenko early. Hatton dictated the fight the first half of the 10 round bout. Then he seemed to hit a wall, the fatigue caught up to him, the long span of inactivity took a toll and Senchenko pulled up even in the second half of the fight. Then in the ninth round, Senchenko tagged Hatton with a liver piercing body shot that sent the former champion to his knees wincing in pain and could make the 10-count. After being counted out, he laid on the canvas still trying to recover from the picture perfect body blow by Senchenko. Hatton announced he was heading back to retirement after the fight, he said he felt he didn't have it anymore. I think that's crazy. He sure had it for five rounds. A tune up fight before a rematch against Malignaggi would certainly help him on his way back into the ring. I'm hoping Hatton fights again because he didn't look like just a fighter coming back for a paycheck. 

Later that night we saw Guerrero vs. Berto in what looked like a sure mismatch early in the fight. Berto was hurt, rocked, and hit the canvas twice in the first two rounds. It was a fight, the commentators said it reminded them of a street fight with the constant holding and semi-dirty antics each fighter used to gain the upper hand. Berto fought back valiantly also stunning Guerrero with heavy shots that didn't seem to phase his opponent. Berto's both eyes were swollen shut after being cut open in the second round but he willed his way through the fight. Guerrero himself had his lead right eye swollen shut also. This reminded me of a pit bull fight, as both mercilessly kept clawing until the end. If not for the Brandon Rios/Mike Alvarado fight from October, we might have called this the fight of the year. Guerrero proved he is a damn good Welterweight, he proved he has every right calling out Mayweather out by beating Berto. (I actually won a bet on this fight when I bet a certain someone that Guerrero would "whoop Berto's ass". I never win bets when it comes to Boxing. And to top it off, I still haven't collected my winnings.) Guerrero has been lobbying for a fight with the Pound for Pound Champ since early this year and was rumored to have his wish granted before Mayweather took the May showdown against Miguel Cotto. Guerrero cemented his status as a legit contender at 147 and has a bright road ahead of him. 

Speaking of Cotto, he is back in action this weekend against the up and coming Austin Trout. Trout is a young raw talent that pose a significant threat to Cotto. This is Trout's moment on the big stage as he has never been on HBO or Showtime, let alone a main event. Cotto had a small list of possible opponents after a very competitive fight against Mayweather in May. It seemed to be he would have his rematch with Manny Pacquiao, but negotiations fell through when an agreement couldn't be reached on the terms of weight. Cotto should win this fight at Madison Square Garden setting up a possible Cinco de Mayo weekend showdown against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. Tune in this Saturday on Showtime and enjoy the fireworks. 

---- Jose

The Break Up Heard Around the World

If you have any kind of social media, I'm sure you're aware of the Twitter and Instagram ramblings between former power-couple Floyd "Money" Mayweather and 50 Cent. The relationship is over, the honeymoon was been over since 50 has been in business talks with Mayweather's rival, Manny Pacquiao.

"Hello! Do you not see me standing right here?"

For the past month or so, it's been reported 50 and Pacquiao were in talks of starting SMS Promotions. The short lived TMT Promotions disbanded and rumors were running rampant about the drama between the best friends. Rumors of 50 sleeping with Mayweather's girlfriend "Miss. Jackson" during Money's incarceration was the topic of discussion on the internet. Nothing has been confirmed, we're still not sure exactly what happened between the two.
But Friday night, we were given a nice little viral squabble with 50 actually hinting that Money has been dodging Pacquiao all along. 50 even pleaded that Mayweather fight Yuriorkis Gamboa, here are the exact tweets.

- "Gamboa wants to fight Floyd. I will put up a extra 20 million for the winner. He don't like it that Floyd pulled out."
- "Ellerbee you a broke bum. Gamboa want to fight Floyd tell him lace up. Lol"
- "Gamboa is the truth, Floyd no that, stop tricking and fight"
- "If you say Floyd a kill Gamboa tell him fight."
- "Gamboa moving up in weight Floyd. You should have know not to go against me punk"
- "I can't hang with Floyd no more, I'm tired of running from Manny Pacquiao"

Strong words to say towards a former domestic partner. Mayweather responded with posting pictures of 50 with a few comebacks. In on picture, he called 50 a "male boxing groupie" as he posted pictures of 50 carrying his title belts and money. More nonsense ensued, I'm sure you get the point, but it had me scratching my head and wondering something.

We've seen this same thing happen before. Remember in Twilight when Bella was Team Edward and then she was Team Jacob?

No, I'm just kidding.

But I have seen this episode before, and I'm pretty sure it will end up happening as so. This whole situation has a WWE feel to it. 

Ironically enough, Mayweather has worked with WWE in the past when he had a short lived feud with the Big Show after legitimately breaking his nose a month before Wrestlemania 24.

This has a different Wrestlamania vibe to it. Back in 1998 Mike Tyson was still the baddest man on the planet, he made an appearance on WWE Raw and formed an alliance with D Generation-X. Shawn Michaels had Tyson in his corner heading into the big main event against Stone Cold Steve Austin.
On the night of Wrestlemania 14, Tyson turned his back on Michaels. The referee was knocked out and Stone Cold hit Michaels with the Stone Cold Stunner. Tyson hopped into the ring and hit a fast three count giving Austin the win. Everybody was shocked. As soon as Michaels got up, he got in Tyson's face and gave him a bit of a shove. Tyson did what he knew best, knocked Michaels out cold. 

So do you have a mental picture of what happened?

I personally wouldn't be surprised if this is all a plot to get Pacquiao and Mayweather in the ring. 50 and Mayweather are luring Manny into the fight and possibly will work out something to rid him of Bob Arum. If the fight happened, here's what you could expect to happen.... Unofficially.

If I was your best friend, I'd want you around me all the time.

Pacquiao and 50 build a friendship that goes past just the business partnership. 50 will be the quintessential male Boxing groupie that Mayweather called him. Mayweather will be the bad guy as always, using the same tired and rehearsed phrases. We can even do a over/under as to how many times Money will use phrases like; "Like I said before", "At the end of the day", "Helluva", "43 have tried, 43 have failed", or "43 had a game plan, all of those didn't work". I can even piece together a quote that you can expect Mayweather to say.

"At the end of the day, it's gon' be a helluva fight. Manny Pacquiao know he can get it. There ain't no blueprint to beat Floyd Mayweather. 43 had a game plan, none of those didn't work. 50 want it he can get it too. Like I said before, 43 have tried, 43 have failed."

Come fight night, Manny will have 50 escort him out and Bob Arum (let's call him Vince McMahon) will appoint 50 as the special enforcer, just as Tyson was. Floyd will have his posse of Justin Bieber and  in a eerily funny coincidence, former D Generation-X member Triple H.

The fight will start and for this comparison's sake, Pacquiao will have Mayweather in trouble through out the fight (I personally think Mayweather handles Pacquiao with ease). The drama will pick up in the 12th round, 50 Cent will hop into the ring with a steel chair in hand and act like he is going to hit Mayweather. As he goes to hit Floyd, he makes a full 180 and bashes Pacquiao over the head. Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman will go insane over the HBO broadcast, just like Jim Ross does for WWE. The world will be hit with that unexpected twist and Michael Buffer will announce Mayweather as the winner of the bout.
Obviously this is unlikely, but it would be entertaining to watch. All joking aside, I don't know how serious to take these latest turn of events. I don't know how credible SMS Promotions really is. At the end of the day, Mayweather Promotions was never really credible, it was a "company" that had a mere three fighters under it's belt. TMT Promotions didn't even put together a single card, most of it's action came on the internet with the rampant rumors of Curtis Jackson hooking up with Mayweather's girlfriend. I'm sorry Miss. Jackson *oooh* I am fo' real. 

- Jose

Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao

"Now you're unemployed, all non-void, walking 'round like you're Pretty Boy Floyd" - Grandmaster Flash

I absolutely hate the drama surrounding Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

I try not to follow it too much, because every time I buy into it, I wind up with a broken heart. Time after time, some kind of road block pops up and prevents the mega-fight from happening.

- For the record, I think Floyd would run circles around Manny and give him a Boxing lesson far worse than Juan Manuel Marquez has.

One thing about being a Boxing fan, we have to resort to the world of YouTube and internet blogs to find out the latest happenings. ESPN's coverage is weak. I love First Take, Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless make my mornings. But one thing I can't stand is when they talk Mayweather/Pacquiao. Stephen A. seems like he would die trying to defend Floyd's honor, and Skip is just your prototypical Pac-tard.

But as I watched this morning, Stephen A. has a new found respect for Pacquiao. Pacquiao and Marquez were on the set of the show yesterday. Of course Pacquiao was bombarded with Floyd Mayweather Jr. questions. What Manny said on national television pretty much made Floyd look like a bitch.

Manny said he will take a 45-55 revenue split in Floyd's favor. He said he would agree to drug tests right before, and right after the fight. Manny hysterically laughed in Stephen A.'s face when he told Manny, he thinks Floyd can beat him. Manny brought up something Floyd said during a phone call (Floyd offered Manny 40 million dollars to agree to a fight, but Floyd get's 100 percent of the revenue the fight brings in), Floyd uttered the words, "what if I lose?"

Whoa! If I'm the best boxer in the world, the pound for pound king, if I'm Floyd Joy Mayweather, I would never mention the words, "what if I lose".

Does Floyd not believe in his ability? Is Floyd Mayweather Jr. really worried Manny Pacquiao could beat him? I just want to know - why hasn't Floyd Mayweather Jr. addressed this via twitter? Floyd has called out Pacquiao on twitter before. Why wouldn't he do it again after Pacquiao called him out on national television?

I want this fight to happen no more than the average Boxing fan, but if this fight never happened, I would be okay with that. There's far too much behind-the-scene politics that play a huge role in Boxing that has drove fans away from the sport. One of the biggest issues that hasn't helped this fight see the light of day is the rivalry between promotion companies, Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions.

I could get into how the rival promotion companies are killing the sport of Boxing, but I will save that topic for another post in the future.

All I want to know is, what is Floyd Mayweather Jr. doing not addressing Manny Pacquiao? Will he stay quiet, and quietly show up ringside at the Pacquiao/Marquez IV fight in December? Will he go on  a twitter tirade again? What the heck is Money May going to do? Is Manny's recent visit to First Take the spark that will make this fight happen in 2013?

- Jose