Friday, January 15, 2010

Dougie's FAT Friday Mailbag

OH GOODY, MORE PAY PER VIEWS!

Hey Dougie,
The sport of boxing just keeps giving and giving to us fans in 2010. Even ignoring the negotiation and PED drama, it now looks like we have four PPVs on the horizon. Mayweather v. Bum of the Month. Pacquiao v. Happy to get Some Money Clottey. JMM v. I Bleed a Lot Katsidis. And the gem we've all been eagerly waiting for - RJ v. Hopkins.

From all of the recently published recap-of-2009 stories, the consensus seemed to be that it was a great year for boxing - in big part because of selective PPVs. I sincerely hope I speak for the majority of the fans here, but I am not planning on buying any of the four PPVs listed above, not because I don't want to see at least some of them, but to convey a message to the promoters, the networks, the fighters, and their respective braintrusts. Shame on them.

I don't mean to be so negative - if you can point out any hidden silver linings in all of this, I'd appreciate it. Also, will you be on the East Coast for the Lopez-Luevano? -- B. (NYC)

I will not be making the trip to NYC for the Lopez-Luevano/Gamboa-Mtagwa doubleheader, but I will be watching with interest. If Lopez and Gamboa win (not givens) and Bob Arum matches them in June, the day before the Puerto Rican parade, you can be sure that I will be ringside for that one. If you go to MSG to see next Saturday’s show say hello to THE RING’s managing editor Joe Santoliquito, who will be providing the deadline coverage for RingTV.com.

Regarding all the pay-per-view shows that have already been scheduled for the first half of 2010, you are absolutely right when you point out that the U.S. powers-that-be have completely forgotten the lesson learned in 2009 -- less is more! I guess it’s up to the fans to remind them in the only manner that will grab their attention. Pass on the shows and deliver a hard Mike McCallum-inspired body shot to their pocket books.

If I were a fan (which I am, but I’m also a member of the media who gets paid to cover these events) I would skip the Mayweather show unless Money finds the balls to fight Tim Bradley or Kermit Cintron. I would gladly buy Mayweather-Bradley. Mayweather-Cintron would need a strong undercard to entice me (and I’m guessing Golden Boy will try their best to deliver one). I would be on the fence for Pacquiao-Clottey. I think that’s a good fight. Clottey presents certain strengths and style quirks that could make things difficult for the Pac-monster, but I have no desire to sit through another doo-doo undercard from the Big Bob Man. Margarito vs. Carson Jones, Jose Luis Castillo-Alfonso Gomez (a Has-been vs. Never-will-be matchup if there ever was one), and prospect Robert Marroquin ain’t quite doin’ it for me. (At least Arumageddon isn’t forcing Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. down our throats -- yet.) I think Marquez vs. Katsidis is a can’t-miss thriller. I would love to watch this bout -- ON HBO CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING. The only way I’d part with money to watch this fight live is if the undercard was absolutely stacked with even-money action matchups (I’m talking about fights like Marcos Maidana vs. Lucas Matthysse; Daniel Ponce-DeLeon vs. Antonio Escalante; Daniel Jacobs vs. Enriquez Ornelas). Hopkins-Jones II? Forget about that. That card would need an undercard that rivaled Don King’s classic “Revenge: The Rematches” for me to even mention it.

VANES MARTIROSYAN

I haven't seen Vanes fight on TV for a while now, but from what I remember a few years ago - when he was fighting on Top Rank shows on Vs. network, he looked sort of like a poor man's Oscar de la Hoya.

Has his style or technique changed much since then? -- gopal rao

This is the problem with pay-per-view shows, especially the small ones that Senor Scare’um specializes in. Promising young fighters, like Martirosyan, who fight on those independent PPV shows disappear from the general public. It’s only the hardcore heads who buy “Latin Fury,” “Pinoy Power,” and whatever the Kelly Pavlik PPV shows will become (“White Lighting?”).

Martirosyan fought four times last year, but his two best performances -- vs. Andrey Tsurkan and Willie Lee -- were on Top Rank PPV shows. If you would have purchased those shows you would have seen that Vanes is sticking and moving (and doing major damage to his opponents) like a pro. He’s developed his own style and it’s not a cheap Golden Boy imitation.

I’m glad the young man is fighting on Fox Sports Net tomorrow night. He deserves the exposure (as does the world-class likes of Nonito Donaire and Brian Viloria, and hot prospects like Mikey Garcia and Brandon Rios). Garcia is also on tomorrow’s FSN broadcast and Rios will headline one next month. The great news for real fans is that Top Rank is putting the young guns in tough. Let’s hope they keep this formula up through the two-year deal they have with the network and resist the urge to bring back Tye Fields.

A WELTERWEIGHT FIGHT THAT’S HAPPENING

Hi Doug,
With all the attention being paid to a fight that may never happen, I started thinking about Berto-Mosley and how important a fight this is for Mosley. How he went from destroying Margarito to…well, nothing…is just a shame. January 30th looms large for Mosley because I see him having a whole lot more on the line than Berto. If Berto loses, it’s ‘hey, he lost to a future hall of famer,’ and ‘it was his biggest jump in talent of opponent.’ He’s only 26 and has a long road in front of him. Mosley is 38 years old and on top of that, he just lost an entire year. If Mosley were to lose, then what? After crushing the welterweight champ, potentially huge fights with Pacquiao, Cotto, and Mayweather became in reality nothing more than a wish-list. If those type of fights didn’t happen before, where would a loss to Berto leave Shane?

A year has passed and now Mosley has to deal with a risky, lower-reward fight, the kind of fight that he probably couldn’t foresee happening after a huge win. And don’t you think that a certain boxer from Michigan (now living in Las Vegas) is hoping, wishing, and dreaming that Berto comes out on top? You know, so we can all be told that Shane Mosley was a bum and wasn’t worth fighting all along. Thanks. -- Jesse, New Jersey

There’s no doubt that Berto is a high-risk, low-reward opponent for Mosley. There’s no doubt that if Mosley even struggles with Berto, nitwit fans and a certain Las Vegas-based Michigan boxer will dismiss him, but that’s why Sugar Shane is one of my favorite fighters. He’s not afraid to take risks.

It’s very possible that Mosley’s age and inactivity from the past year could catch up with him against a strong, young boxer-puncher who may have superior reflexes, but that’s why the fight is worth watching in my opinion. Even if Mosley does get old overnight, or is a bit rusty, I still believe he will prevail in a good fight. And if he does, he makes a good case for being the top welterweight in the game, having also been in with THE RING-rated likes of Collazo, Cotto, and Margarito in recent years (and giving them all hell).

GOOD MOVE BY TAYLOR

I'm glad Jermain Taylor is taking some time off. Didn't wan't to see him get beat up.

I think Shane vs Berto is going to be a barn burner. -- Big Swa

Not only is Mosley-Berto going to be good, the ENTIRE undercard for that Jan. 30 main event is going to kick ass. I can’t wait to cover it. The light heavyweight co-main event that pits former champ Glenn Johnson against young boxer-puncher Yusaf Mack is a classic crossroads matchup. The 140-pound matchup between Lucas Matthysse and Vivan Harris is also crossroads fight and probably more of a shootout (while it lasts) than Johnson-Mack.

Sergio Mora returns to action against tough Canadian journeyman Jason Naugler, who could prove to be more difficult than usual considering “Snake” hasn’t fought since his rematch with the late Vernon Forrest in September of 2008. Naugler presses guys who can punch, so he figures to get down and dirty with Mora, who isn’t exactly known as the 160-pound Valero.

I think the surprise fight of the night will be the 130-pound matchup between unbeaten Eloy Perez (my pick as the top junior lightweight prospect of 2009) and once-beaten fringe contender David Rodela. That fight pits boxer (Perez) vs. fighter (Rodela) but I think Perez, who’s very crafty for a guy his age, will gradually let loose as the bout goes on and the much-taller Rodela will be more than happy to oblige him.

The undercard also features two undefeated prospects worth watching, middleweight Edwin Rodriguez and lightweight Carlos Molina. My hat is off to Golden Boy Promotions and DiBella Entertainment for this one. For the first time in I don’t know how long, I’ll actually be sitting ringside as soon as the card begins.

Regarding Taylor, I’m also happy to hear that he’s going to withdraw from the Super Six tournament and give his body some much-deserved rest. If he decides to come back in a year, let’s hope he does so carefully. But I’m hoping that he decides that he doesn’t have anything left to prove or accomplish and moves on with his life.

THE BOXING GODS MUST BE CRAZY

Whatup big Doug?
Boxing has lost its mind. Two weeks ago the biggest fight in boxing history was practically done. The fight blows up when everyone involved gets in a "who's got the bigger d__k" contest, much of it centering around peripheral players who know more about c__k rings than boxing rings.

I remember when proving you were tough meant proving it in the ring, not in the press. It sucks that it isn't happening, but at least Pac had the dangling marbles to agree to fight a dangerous foe. Shockingly, Pink is planning to trot out a smaller fighter as his next opponent, in order to retain his position of pretend dominance. Bart Barry said it best....."I can't believe we once called this guy the Welterweight Champion of the World." It's funny that the world is ready to believe that Pac is dirty, based on no evidence whatsoever, but a huge cross stitch of boxing fans refuse to believe that Pink is a ginormous snootch, even though there is eight years of hard evidence to support that stance. P-Will is the Welterweight Champion of the World, and, of the huge group of welters that is afraid to fight him, Shane has proven himself to be the best.

When did Paulie Malinaggi become relevant? So Paulie thinks Pac is on roids. Of course he does. What is he supposed to think after Pac brutally ko'd a fighter that mastered Paulie? Pac is a 106 pounder that has learned to knock out welters. Paulie is a welter who cant knock out 106 pounders. This is a lot like Bobby Czyz talking about Julio Cesar Chavez, and it bears repeating one of boxing golden rules... average fighters should not comment on great fighters.

Today I wake up to the news that Hopkins vs Jones is signed? What? Do the powers that be really believe that anyone wants to see this fight? I suspect that the sales of Geritol and prune juice are going to spike in their respective home towns. I would rather make soup out of Gary Shaw’s underwear than be forced to watch this fight!

Last year it seemed that boxing had learned some hard lessons concerning it's competition, the economy, and the marketplace, which left me feeling good about boxing’s general direction in the upcoming year. Yet, here we are, in the first month of the new year, and already a fight everyone wants to see is in shambles, and a fight nobody wants to see is being pushed down our throats. When did boxing become a sellers market? When will Golden Boy learn how to promote? When will Floyd fight a fighter in his respective weight class?

Love, Peace, and Hair Grease my friend. -- Kirk

Kirk, next to Bart Barry (the excellent 15rounds.com writer who had the best take on the Mayweather-Pacquiao fallout), YOU, my friend, are my favorite boxing columnist. Making “soup out of Gary Shaw’s underwear” -- how do you come up with this s__t!?

This was a cold-ass line, too: “Pac is a 106 pounder that has learned to knock out welters. Paulie is a welter who cant knock out 106 pounders.”

Anyway, I wish I had answers for all those questions at the end of your email.

Boxing is not a sellers market. It never has been. Someone needs to remind the major U.S. promoters of this fact. That “someone” is the fans.

It seemed as if Golden Boy had learned something last year. It appeared that the company was positioning itself well for life after Oscar with excellent non-PPV events and co-promotions (with Top Rank) that were staged outside of Las Vegas (Margarito-Mosley in L.A., Marquez-Diaz in Houston, Kirkland-Julio in San Jose), but here we are in 2010, and it looks like the Top Rank cold war is back on again and most of GBP’s “big fights” that are made so far are B.S. matchups (except for Mosley-Berto) and are taking place in Vegas. What gives!?

If Floyd allowed Pacquiao’s stance on blood testing to scuttle their bout I think it’s safe to say that he will never fight a legit welterweight contender. As far as he’s concerned Pac-man and Sugar Shane are on the juice. Cotto and Clottey have the wrong the promoter. P-Will is too big and in the (Al Haymon) family. Cintron is too big, but not a big enough playa. Maybe Floyd will fight Berto if the young gun springs the upset on Jan. 30. But if Dre looks too good… well, you know.

The only advice I have for fight fans who are rightfully outraged by the actions (and inactions) of the sport’s power brokers in the U.S. is to focus on the positive things that have occurred and the good matchups that have been made this year. Top Rank’s new deal with Fox Sports Net looks real good so far. GBP renewed it’s Fight Night Club series with the same basic cable network. This will give the up-and-comers of the sport the exposure they deserve. The Lopez-Luevano/Gamboa-Mtagwa B.A.D is exactly the kind of double header the series was created for. That’s a good thing. Mosley-Berto should be a fun fight. The fact that the undercard is absolutely stacked is a good thing. Valero fighting on Showtime, and vs. a darn good fighter (Antonio DeMarco), is a good thing. Jermain Taylor pulling himself out of the Super Six is a good thing. Froch-Kessler, Abraham-Dirrell and Ward vs. the Green-Bika winner are all good things

JONES-HOPKINS 2...

In related news….. a tree fell in the woods. -- Tony, LA

Well said.

YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!

I thought the loss of the Pacquiao/Mayweather fight would be the most ridiculous thing that could happen in boxing this year. Now I hear that Jones/Hopkins is actually going to happen on, get this, pay-per-view. I already checked...it's not April 1st. -- MT

If it was a joke, it would be a sick one. Just be glad you don't have to cover it.

HOPKINS-JONES II?

Give me a f___ing break! How is this fight credible as anything more then the two of them looking for one last payday (moreso Jones then Hopkins). You know why Jones wants the fight, he needs the money and he wants to regain credibility. But for BHOP, come on man, you are fighting a guy who was KTFO in the first round in his LAST FIGHT!!! Now you want to somehow sell this as some superfight grudge match? Are we supposed to be stupid and believe what we saw? Jones can be KTFO with any solid punch at this stage of his career. Tarver II, Johnson, and even during Tarver III Jones was on queer street but survived because Tarver was gassed, but was there for the taking, and now shockingly against Green. Jones has not beat anybody of note since Tarver in the first fight (one many believe he lost), that was what, 2003? He has lost to everybody with a chance of beating him.

BHOP should be ashamed of himself (I am a BHOP guy, I'm from PA). If he wanted to prove something he would have fought Green, but he didn't, why? Because of money. He could have fought Dawson, but won’t because of money. Could have fought Adamek, who has since moved on, but won’t because of money. Could have fought Bute, but money, once again.

There is nothing wrong with getting paid, I work in finance so I understand. But this fight after the loss is just s__t! Yes, they have the whole Ali/Frazier angle that the two of them are so competitive against one another, but none of those fights were immediately after a 1 round KTFO.

I hate to say this, but I hope the promotion is a flop, same goes for Mayweather if he tries to fight Malignaggi or Campbell. I hope not only don't they make money, but I hope they go into the hole and actually lose money for trying to f___ the fans. -- JB

I agree with you on both the Mayweather PPV (if he fights Paulie or Nate) and Hopkins-Jones II PPV. I disagree as to the reason the fight is happening. I don’t think Jones needs the money. I think his ego was always out of control and now it might get him seriously hurt. And I believe that a victory over Jones -- even at this sad stage of his career -- still means something to Hopkins. The first loss is a thorn in his side and he wants to pull it out. He’s a very proud, stubborn man, and maybe a little bit crazy, but that’s who he is. The Bernard that wears the promoter hat wants this rematch to make money and he’ll do what he can to create interest leading into the fight, but once he starts his training camp in earnest, he’ll drop the promoter hat and once again become all-fighter, and the fighter doesn’t give a s___ if the promotion makes money. The fighter just wants to beat Roy’s ass. Oh well, at least Hopkins will get what he wants.

But what about the fans? They didn’t ask for this rematch. That’s something Golden Boy Promotions has to realize. It’s a free country, so Jones and Hopkins are free to beat on each other if they want, and fans are free to ignore them. The only thing I’ll ask of Hopkins (and the esteemed editorial board at THE RING) is to drop from that No. 2 spot in the magazine’s 175-pound ratings. I don’t want to diss Glen Johnson, but part of me is rooting for Yusaf Mack to win their fight on Jan. 30, so the Road Warrior will drop from the No. 3 spot. That way, if No. 4-rated Tarver doesn’t fight by mid-May, he’ll be dropped for being inactive for one year and there’s a possibility that the proposed summer matchup of Dawson and Jean Pascal could be for the vacant RING light heavyweight title.

Fight fans deserve a real light heavyweight showdown and a real 175-pound champ. Dawson-Pascal could give us both.

ROBERTO GARCIA ARTICLE

Nice article on Roberto Garcia. Thank you for giving Robert some “props!” He’s a great guy who has gone through some challenges, and maintains a great attitude and his integrity. -- Mark, Oxnard, Calif.

It was an absolute pleasure interviewing Robert at his new gym in Oxnard and being around the energy and enthusiasm of his fighters (Brian Viloria, Steven Luevano and Brandon Rios were all there when I talked to “Grandpa”) and the kids that also train there.

Garcia was one of the first world-class fighters that I wrote bout when I began covering boxing on a semi-regular basis in 1996 and 1997 and it makes me feel good about our sport to see him in such good health and spirits, and doing so well at his new profession.

I think by the middle of the new decade, fans and media might be talking about Garcia the way they talk about Freddie Roach now.

MAYWEATHER-SPINKS

Hey dougie
How about Mayweather vs Spinks for Spinks title at 154, i always wanted to see that fight, but doubt the hardcore fans will like that, but the Fight will sell big in st louis, and if you factor in Don king promoting two big Afrcan American names in boxing, we could have a bockbuster on our hand. Although i am a Mayweather fan, Pacquiao is showing balls taking on Clottey (a dangerous fight) and if Floyd wants to fight Pacquiao after Clottey makes him look bad win or lose, i am not buying. Having said that, Clottey was choosen by Arum who is turning out to be the master evil genuis in this whole fiasco because Clottey knows how to lose the big ones, his mental make up is not enough to get past the elites (his hand in the Magarito fight and his knee in the Cotto fight all points to one who doesn't want to win by all means). Arum also hopes to have Magarito on the undercard to that fight in hopes of matching him with Pacquiao later this year, before sacrificing him to Mayweather. Despite the troubles Mayweather has with southpaws as you duly noted, I believe he will embrass Pacquiao and not because all the other southpaws are more counter punchers than Pacquiao but because we doubt him. Nobody is going to beat an ultra focused Mayweather on a night when the whole world wants him beat, nobody. -- William

I think Pacquiao is a much better fighter than the southpaws that troubled Mayweather (Judah and Corley) and I believe he can do real damage in the early rounds of the fight to the extent that he either A) stops Mayweather or B) (the more likely scenario) convince him to box so defensively that he's able to go the distance but not win a decision.

I'm not doubting Mayweather at all. I’ve never underestimated his ability and I’ve never picked against him. I even thought the won the first fight with Jose Luis Castillo (albeit by one point). However, if a fight with Pacquiao is ever made, I'm going with the Pac-monster. I also believe Shane Mosley can beat Mayweather.

I agree that Mayweather-Spinks would be an interesting fight (now that Cory has slowed down and engages more) and could be made into an attraction in St. Louis (and also have appeal some nationwide appeal among African-American fans). I like Mayweather in that fight, but I think Spinks would do well over the first half of the bout.


“D__K MOVE” BY GBP

Hi Doug,
It's pretty disgusting how ironic is the world we live in today. I almost puke when I read GBP CEO Richard Schaefer's comment about NO Golden Boy fighters from now on will fight Pacquiao if Manny does not go through blood tests as ordered by Commisioner Floyd. Schaeffer goes on by saying even Shane Mosley will require PAC to do dope testing.

Unfreakin'believable IRONY... The known steroid user obliging a very clean and never before tested positive for PED fighter to undergo testing??? You don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize these are all pure harassment of Manny Pacquiao. Dick should be castigated for this unruly comment. I wonder if The Ring editors really are not bound by De La Hoya and GBP execs. Starting from you Doug, you can show the fans that the Magazine is really unbiased in its editorials. -- Rommel

Calm down and take an English class, Rommy. So what if Schaefer said that? Do you really think Mosley would turn down a chance to get in Mayweather’s ass no matter what the little s__t demanded? Get real.

If Mosley-Pacquiao is ever made and Shane demands random drug testing you better believe that Michael Rosenthal and I will write columns pointing out the irony. But the truth is that any talk of Mosley fighting anyone is premature. He’s got a fight with hungry young lion on Jan. 30. Berto is not a “gimme.”

Seriously, dude, tell me why fight fans jump out of their seats after every stupid thing promoters say? (I’m not just talking about Richey Rich and Badass Bobby; I mean all of ‘em.)

If you read on butt-wipeboxing.com that Schaefer plans to kick Pacquiao's ass in the street the next time he sees the Filipino icon, would you believe that statement? Would you try to contact Freddie Roach to warn him? Would you call the cops?

Come on, people. Mellow out and move on. There’s more to boxing than Mayweather, Pacquiao, Arum and Schaefer.

Source: ringtv.com

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