posted at boxingcapital.com on 5 april 2009
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Eight years ago, people thought that then 33-0 Diego Corrales (40-5, 33 KOs) had a great chance of ending Floyd Mayweather's (39-0, 25 KOs) undefeated streak. The reason was that the crafty super featherweight was a dominant force in the ring who has yet to meet anybody who would give him a very tough night in the ring, while on the other hand, Floyd, although seen by many as a defensive wizard, was pretty much untested. At the end of the fight, Mayweather emerged victorious via a brutal tenth round KO win that saw Coralles hitting the canvass too many times for a supposedly dominant force.

A landmark win, Mayweather announced to the world that he was more than just a play it safe kind of fighter with 1001 ways to bore people to death. He was, okay, a complete fighter with brute power and a heavily fortified wall of defensive tricks and maneuvers characterized by lightning quick reflexes and unparalleled speed. The available adjectives may not even be enough to illustrate his talent that's so rare and mythical and was being described by seasoned observers as one that borders to perfection.

Beyond the apparent speed and reflexes he constantly exhibited from Corrales to Carlos Hernandez (43-7-1, 24 KOs) to Zab Judah (37-6, 25 KOs) to Oscar De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) and to Ricky Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs), was a very strong ring awareness and a masterful ability to shift game plans and execute the same with precision.

He was a legend in the making. He knows it and has even claimed his legendary status despite of the obvious lacking result to back it up. He has solid wins against Corrales, Hernandez, Jose Luis Castillo (57-9-1, 49 KOs), Arturo Gatti (40-9, 31), Judah, De La Hoya and Hatton but the reputation that followed some of his biggest win will continuously haunt his name and ultimately hold back his critics in recognizing his place among the legends.

His propensity to leave divisions without cleaning them up first and the tendency to take the path of least resistance will forever taint his resumé, until he acts and finally erase all doubts about his legacy. Good thing he's back, as claimed by numerous articles around the net, as he has the chance to steer his career towards that legendary legacy he wanted so badly that he even deluded himself into thinking that he already has it.

Sugar Ray Leonard (36-3-1, 25 KOs) has Roberto Duran (103-16, 70 KOs), Thomas Hearns (61-5-1, 48 KOs), Wilfred Benitez (53-8-1, 31 KOS) and Marvin Hagler (62-3-2, 52 KOs); Ray Robinson has faced everybody and defeated the best fighters in his time. Who has he got? An over the hill Gatti? An unmotivated Judah? A very limited Carlos Baldomir (record)? A good but past his prime Oscar who actually beat him? Hes a very promising all time legend but he just doesn't have the sufficient result to claim it. Hes undefeated with six titles in five divisions but that is not enough to finally seal the deal. Rocky Marciano's (49-0, 43 KOs) undefeated record is doomed to be placed in endless scrutiny precisely because of the shallowness of the competition found in his era; he may have wanted to be in a highly competitive bout but the best fighters available in his time were either past their primes or bloated heavyweights or both.

Something that goes in stark contrast with Mayweathers attitude as he had Miguel Cotto (33-1, 27 KOs), Antonio Margarito (37-6, 27 KOs), Paul Williams (36-1, 27 KOs), and 'Sugar' Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) -- the first three were all, and are still, in their prime while the last one was/is an anomaly in his biological age -- but he, well, simply snubbed the cries to fight any of them. That is what separates the other pound for pound kings of their times from him. Floyd can learn from De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) a thing about the heart of a true champion.

At the very least, Pacquiao and De La Hoya clearly edges Mayweather in terms of heart -- the willingness to take the most hazardous fights. This is prizefighting, and we gauge fighters not just by their talent and the numbers in the parenthesis that followed their last names. We also gauge them by the heart in facing the toughest competition available there in. The enthusiasm to face the best available out there and the eagerness to prove to the boxing world that you are the true and rightful owner of the throne, that is the heart of a true champion that seals legacy.

Going with the old cliché in boxing, in order to be the best, you have to fight and beat the best. In Mayweathers case, it is about erasing all doubts as to his supposed place among the all time greats. Leonard, Duran, Hearns and Hagler have called out and faced each other; Mayweather would retire before facing any of the top welters at that time. While it's true that none among Cotto, Margarito, Williams and Mosley hold a record that matches or comes close to his -- which might be giving Floyd a false notion that there is little to prove in fighting them -- they happen to be the most formidable fights for him then and now. And because Mayweather did not even bother to look at any of these names when he hung up the leather, calling himself as the greatest is an utter disrespect to the all time greats.

After a year and a half of self-imposed exile, Floyd is reportedly back and is now training secretly. He's reportedly eyeing Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KOs), Pacquiao, and Mosley among a host of others. Add Williams and Cotto to the list and take out Marquez (as he hasn't gone through junior welterweight yet) and Floyd have a list of formidable fights. Two wins against any of them surely silences his critics and ensures his place among the legends.

FIVE MOST EXCITING FIGHTERS

posted at boxingcapital.com
[link]

If you're buying the idea that the heavyweight division is the flagship of boxing, you've definitely been thinking that the sport is dying. The rationale is pretty much elementary. The health of the heavyweight division is supposed to dictate the health of the sport in its entirety. And what happens if you have a bunch of mediocre big guys that not only lacked the talent and power of the great heavyweights who have been considered as faces of boxing in their respective eras, but also the charisma (read: utmost machismo) that sells the sport even to novice bystanders? You have a sport that needs reviving, badly.

While I find the logic above to be a little bit ridiculous -- as the widely considered greatest of them all, Sugar Ray Robinson (173-19-6, 108 KOs), could only go and fight competitively as high as the middleweight -- I think the sport is losing popularity. It is not what it used to be like during the circa 70s and 80s when even casual pedestrians talk about Muhammad Ali (56-5, 37 KOs), George Foreman (76-5, 68 KOs), Ray Leonard (36-3, 25 KOs), and Marvin Hagler (62-3, 52 KOs) among a host of great others. For one, it now pales in comparison to the attractiveness and popularity that MMA fights have been gaining since its conception. Go check the PPV buys and you'll get a drift of what I'm talking about.

To hook others into the sport, we need them to see fighters who have the ferocity in the ring that spells excitement, the power that spells blood, and the talent that spells methodical violent end to the other guy in the ring. Here are my top five exciting fighters I greatly recommend to beginners (and none of them is a heavyweight):

5. Vic Darchinyan (32-1-1, 26 KOs) - A brutal power that sends people into coma, an unorthodox but very tentative lunging style and a glass jaw, Armenian Darchinyan by way of Australia is a highly entertaining fighter who can end a fight with just a swing, or a single whack in his chin. Put this super flyweight in the ring against somebody with a scary hook and you get an action packed thriller that you would wish it doesn't end early. But with his murderous power, weak chin and questionable defensive ability, the probability of his fights lasting the distance is very little.

But that's excitement: a huge left thrown from his unorthodox stance and its over; or a well-timed left hook connecting to his chin and it's all over. His last two fights though, which happen to be his career defining bouts, have been both entertaining and brilliant. His raw power and all-out offensive style have proved to be too much for Christian Mijares (36-5-2, 15 KOs) and Jorge Arce (51-5-1, 39 KOs), whom he was able to overwhelm with accurate punches from a variety of angles. It's important to note that those two he decidedly defeated by brutal stoppage are fighters of contrasting styles. One is a very quick and scientific operator; the other is a powerful brawler. That says everything about the new found talent of Vic Darchinyan which helped him become the first fighter in history to unify the three major belts of the super flyweight division. And yeah, I love the way he taunt his opponents by his awkward dances.

4. Miguel Cotto (33-1, 27 KOs) - A dangerous pressure fighter who throws bombs on both hands with pinpoint accuracy, this Puerto Rican welterweight will surely raise you on your seat when he steps on the gas and intensifies his aggression further. You know when he had his man hurt. He'll be all out on offense, throwing bombs after bombs, even trading huge punches at sometimes, and increasing the pressure even more by pressing it forward which leaves him open in the process. With his brute power, quick hands and accurate punching, he built his reputation as an aggressive pressure puncher by slashing through the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions and capturing and depending titles via brutal stoppages and action-packed but brilliant decisions until finally letting go the "O" in his record courtesy of the iron-chinned Antonio Margarito (37-6, 27 KOs).

Cotto is a talented and a very dangerous fighter that his ways of ending a fight ranges from a good boxing performance, to savage beating using barrages of punches, to a single body shot. Don't get deceive by his reputation of being a fighter-gentleman who exemplifies the true, the good and the beautiful about boxing. He can throw unintentional low blows too.

3. Ricky Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs) - A heavy hitter who never takes a backward step whenever he performs, the junior welterweight Hitman of Manchester, England, can only maneuver forward and he's very-very good at it. He loves to trade it off and he's not really hard to find, Hatton is excitement personified. His undefeated record at junior welterweight is a testament of his pressure punching prowess that takes it out of you even if you're a seasoned fighter ranked so highly in the pound for pound list. His landmark win against Kostya Tszyu (31-2, 25 KOs) can be described as both brilliant and ugly as he was able to overwhelm the elite fighter with his swarming offense while clinching a lot to prevent him from retaliating with his own. But one word never leaves when describing his performances: excitement.

You want to see an all out war? Put him in the ring against anybody of whatever styles and hell be charging forward in an all out action. His recent brilliant win against slick boxer Paulie Malignaggi (25-2, 5 KOs) has revealed something about his style. His quick left jab can catch you at any angle. That's great as he would be needing lots of it when he squares off against the reigning pound for pound king on May 2. By the way, you're forgiven if you call him a wrestler and Hatton is forgiven too for doing some clinching that sometimes borders to being excessive as his willingness to draw action, trade punches, and end a fight with a bang is his major trait.

2. 'Sugar' Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) - He's brilliant, relentless, powerful, very much willing to take a punch and he's 37 years old. Who says this Californian welterweight no longer has what it would take to beat a hard-nosed Mexican brawler in Margarito who was widely recognized as the one of the most avoided fighters? Well, he did not only beat him, he destroyed him! He treated him like a kid, spanking him with precision punches, took him to school with his superb ability to control distance with his beautiful jabs and footwork and eventually KOed him after a round after round of non-stop beating that saw a night raining with countless overhand right that would make Thomas Hearns (61-5-1, 48 KOs) damn proud, with Margarito unable to land anything meaningful. Even with his advancing age and despite of the many brutal wars he has endured, Mosley proved to the world that he's still the Sugarman we all remember trading punches at lightweight and mercilessly clubbing his man around the ring.

What I love the most about this guy is his willingness to stand toe to toe and trade punches off even with dangerous punchers yet we all know he can easily beat them with his lightning quick reflexes, excellent jabs and brilliant footwork. A purist with an insatiable desire for blood and action, I can't wait to see him back in the ring again, hopefully against his conqueror Cotto or against Floyd Mayweather Jr. (39-0, 25 KOs).

1. Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) - I can't remember seeing him giving us a dull fight, even during his OPBF (Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation) days. It's either its him getting rough-up by fighters with superior talent or its him delivering a violently overwhelming offense. Either way, the Filipino lefty thrills us with his capacity to end a fight with just a punch, especially during the early days of his championship career, as well as his trademark distance punches that none (so far) could handle. The guy who has journeyed through ten weight classes while twice leapfrogging divisions has vastly improved from Chatchai Sasakul (65-4, 40 KOs), to Marco Antonio Barrera (65-7, 43 KOs), to Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KOs) to Oscar De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs).

By learning how to combine patience and footwork with his ferocity, he has now fully upgraded himself from being a one handed fighter to an even more dangerous well-rounded fighter, which could only add up to the excitement he offers every time he steps into the ring. He belongs to a rare bred of fighters who constantly moves up in weight and yet exhibits a remarkable ability to carry his power and speed at each stops. The Filipino southpaw whose left hand was once described by his first trainer as "may sa demonyo" (literally translates to "possessed by the devil"), is such a very dangerous swinger that he delivers his goods with blinding speed and lethal power. That he was the first and only guy to floor and beat Erik Morales (48-6, 34 KOs) by stoppage, and the only guy to utterly dominate De La Hoya all through out the fight and eventually force him to quit on his stool tell all about it.

And whats more? He came as a heavy underdog on his biggest fights and greatest wins. Beat that.

Is Khan ready for Barrera

posted at boxing capital dot com on march 3, 2009

[link]

Name the tools: quick hands, footwork, power, ability to throw punches from a variety of angles-and this guy is easily the next big thing in lightweight. After all, he's an Olympic hero who performs explosively when he's laced up. Include in the list a sizeable quantity of fan base and its safe to say that he indeed has it all. Well, almost all.

Amir Khan (19-1, 15 KOs) is fun to watch. His talent alone, a delightful combination of fluid movements and quick short punches, spells bright future. We can't blame the boxing fans for elevating him to a status too high for his level and accomplishments. For he's a fine fighter and a thrilling performer that every time he steps into the ring, somebody gets hurt. And it's sometimes him.

Maybe the religious wise saying that you can't be blessed with everything suits Khan perfectly. He's cursed with a weak chin, a very-very weak chin. A hard jab and he's stunned. A huge overhand followed by a vicious hook and he's dead. It's foolish to believe you're untouchable with that kind of chin. Breidis Prescott (21-0, 18 KOs) made it clear to him on their fight September last year. And if the knockdowns he suffered against average punchers like Willie Limond (31-2, 8 KOs) and Michael Gomez (38-9, 25 KOs) earlier were any indications, he should have known he couldn't hold on with the "o" in his record for long. Not with the kind of chin and defence he has, no matter how seemingly fluid his footwork is. Those knockdowns have spelled out clearly not only the fact that he can't take a punch, but also the defensive flaws in his style.

If a wide punch can catch you clean on as early as the first 23-25 seconds of the opener, there's something wrong with your "D". The devastating and embarrassing first round knock out loss he suffered from the hands of Columbian Prescott has definitely put to rest any arguments there may still be about his chin. To say that his chin is average is a blasphemous overstatement. He has no chin at all, period. He can't take a punch, and that became a precise call after he tasted the first defeat of his well-hyped career at the hands of little-known and completely out-of-the-scene opponent. If it's any consolation, it's good to see him sticking his left guard where it should be whenever, on his last fight, Oisin Fagan (22-6, 13 KOs) throws a hail-mary right hand. It was a defensive adjustment he learned after the highly regarded Freddie Roach, his new trainer.

However, Fagan is not even a shadow of the kind of calibre that was Marco Antonio Barrera (65-6, 43 KOs). The Baby-Faced Assassin of Guadalajara, Mexico, despite of his advancing age and seemingly wearing body, is still better than any fighter Khan has ever shared the ring with. He may be past his best but he's far from being shot. He's faster, stronger, technically superior, smarter and more experienced than any names in Khan's resume. His losing efforts against current pound-for-pound elite Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4, 37 KOs) still speaks of the brilliance we all remember Barrera for. He can still pick his spots pretty well, slip precise counters, stand there at the middle and bang and he can send you to the canvass with just a short swing. His last two fights, of course, were made to keep him busy and maybe help him adjust his body to the lightweight class before taking on any big names.

If anything, the choice of fight for Amir Khan in Barrera on March 14, 2009 at Manchester, England rings as a shocker. There's a big risk written all over it. Barrera is past his best, old and dangerous while Khan is young, quick and china-chinned. It's hard to see where Khan is going if he lose this one. A Barrera defeat could send his career, as brilliant and promising at the onset, to spiral down the limbo. On the other hand, it can be said that Roach, the guy who has defeated the Assassin twice through his most prized fighter Manny Pacquiao (48-3, 36 KOs) may have seen something in Khan and Barrera that we don't know of. After he's proven the world wrong about his choice of fight for Pacquiao in Oscar De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) at welterweight, it's hard to argue against him.

One thing that's going their way is that Khan and Roach is fighting Barrera at lightweight, the division where Khan has made a name. Barrera, for his part, is practically a newcomer in the division, having fought only two short bouts at the weight, and against tomato cans.

Roach is obviously banking on two things: first, Barrera is on the slide; and two, Barrera is small at lightweight. While the first one is correct and precise, the second one remains to be seen. In the same manner as the efficacy of the defensive adjustments Khan would adopt for an offensive monster like Barrera, it remains to be seen. What doesn't need further assessment is how Khan's chin would react if it gets hit flush. Barrera has done it against a technically gifted Juan Manuel Marquez and the near shut down and one-sided beating he handed on Khan's compatriot Naseem Hamed (36-1, 31 KOs) on 2001 can still be as fresh as he would want it to be. To spell the fact once more: he's past it, but he's not over the hill yet. He's far from being shot. He is still dangerous.

Khan's pronouncements before the Prescott fight about him being untouchable is forgivable-no matter how incredible and amusing those words may sound to be-provided he proves his defence and chin against his most dangerous opponent yet two weeks from now. After all, it was the hard hitting Pacman himself who said that Khan has done well in their sparring sessions, where Khan has stated that he was never battered once.

Vic Dar: Of Metamorphosis

published at boxingcapital.com
[link]

Whoever said Vic "The Raging Bull" Darchinyan (now 32-1, 26 KOs) was still a one-dimensional fighter even after the Mijares fight and nothing more than a wild swinging lefty should now re-assess that view. With his incredible late-fight stoppage win over iron-chinned Jorge "El Travieso" Arce (now 51-5, 39 KOs) by systematically breaking him down throughout eleven rounds of solid action with a combination of never-before seen ring savvy and his trademark left hammer, the Armenian has announced to the world his new self a fine craftsman in the making.

While the Armenian super flyweight three-belt holder could not yet be mistaken as an excellent blend of a sweet boxer and a heavy puncher, Darchinyan showed remarkable improvements in his style and overall ring craft on Saturday night. For one, Darchinyan can now combine his left mallet with refined footwork, improved mobility, greater concentration and lots of patience - something he needs to rule the very competitive division furthermore and deliver his much publicised payback goods to his flyweight conqueror Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire (20-1, 13 KOs).

The way he hammered the Mexican - himself a ferocious puncher who won his previous fight via a brutal fourth round stoppage - into complete submission demonstrated the serious skills Darchinyan is honing. The last five rounds of the fight were a beauty to watch for the fans of the hard hitting Armenian. He took Arce to school by pummelling him with power shots from the outside, countering effectively and slipping gracefully behind the shots to deliver his vicious uppercuts. It was easily the best rounds in Darchinyan's entire career as he looked to be virtually unstoppable with his new found sweet footwork. On the other hand, Arce, who tried to press on the fight from round three onwards in a bid to force Darchinyan to commit a mistake, was rendered ineffective by Darchinyan's skills, tightened defence upstairs, surprisingly better lateral movement and improved combinations of punches and counter-punches.

The first two rounds of the fight were easily Darchinyan's rounds as he literally bullied Arce with big shots that forced the Mexican to backpedal. Round three was the most brilliant round for El Travieso, perhaps his only round in the fight, as he was able to connect with cracking left hooks that visibly hurt the Armenian who withdrew momentarily and went on the defensive. Arce had now discovered he could gain some success by pressing it onwards rather than fighting Darchinyan from distance. Arce tried to work out some inside game on the next two rounds but the guy who had been chasing him for three years proved to be too much for him, even during the inside exchanges. Darchinyan got the better of the exchanges during these close rounds.

Of course, there was still that awkward act of changing stance while lowering his guards to taunt his opponent, funny antics that could easily be exploited by quick swingers. But overall, it was a Darchinyan incarnate that we saw performing in a first defence of his undisputed WBA, WBC and IBF super flyweight belts Saturday night. All the judges scored the fight 109-100 for Darchinyan at the time of the stoppage; the ringside physician stopped the fight at the end of round 11 due to cuts on Arce's eyes.

The next logical step for Darchinyan to cement his current status as the top dog of the division was to fight Donaire next, a fight the fans could not see in the near future as Gary Shaw, Darchinyan's promoter was against it. "You don't reward disloyal people" Shaw referring to Donaire who decided to move out of his ward last year after the longest pause of his career which was an almost year round of inactivity.

Donaire, for his part, was not impressed by the apparent improvements in Darchinyan's game. He said in interviews that Darchinyan still "looked the same, fought exactly the same" and that the result should they fight again would probably go the same way as their previous encounter. Donaire sports a big knockout win against the Armenian southpaw, which happen to be the only lost in his career.

But no. While the Raging Bull was still very open on most angles and still reckless when charging in, he has vastly improved since his humiliating KO defeat against the Filipino punisher in July 2007. He has now revised his over-reliance on his left hand. He's now throwing more combinations, real combinations from both hands (not just a long left, followed by a long left and another long left). His uppercuts now look crispier and his left hooks are now sharper than before. And more importantly, he can now use angles to deliver his deadly bombs to better effects. That should make the Donaire rematch all the more interesting as the flashy Filipino has that beautiful counter punches perfect for anybody who lunges in too tentatively. Donaire, who is now currently preparing in the high altitudes of Baguio City, the Philippines for his March 22 outing against undefeated Texan Raul "Cobra" Martinez (24-0, 14 KOs), has stated several times his interest in fighting Darchinyan again.

Bad news as Gary Shaw won't let it happen.

Lightweight Pac shocks the world!

posted at boxing capital dot com
december 8, 2008
[link]

Chinibog ng buhay. He's got eaten alive. The flavour is totally lost in the translation, but the colourful Filipino phrase explains the manner in which Manny Pacquiao (now 48-3, 36 KOs) literally annihilated the much bigger Oscar De La Hoya (now 39-6, 30 KOs) in their welterweight bout Saturday night (6th December 2008). Pacquaio has not only eaten Oscar alive; he also made Oscar continually eat lots of his trademark straight lefts and every other punch in his repetoire.

This Pacquiao achieved in spite of leapfrogging a division and meeting De La Hoya at a weight class many believed too big for him. Everybody, this writer included, dismissed the fight beforehand as a huge mismatch and a farcical event not worthy of any attention. But, because of the manner in which the reigning pound for pound king systematically broke down and eventually disposed of his highly favoured opponent, the fight did not look anything remotely farcical; quite the contrary in fact. It was a brilliant exhibition of a game plan that was masterfully executed to perfection, nullifying the huge size advantage of one by exceptional fast hands and feet and tremendous heart by the other.

The boxing experts and self-styled critics were right in one thing though, that the fight was a huge mismatch. It did turn out to be a huge mismatch. Only, they were wrong about who was going to get outmatched badly.

The first round saw the two fighters sizing up each other. De La Hoya tried to establish his left jab, the respected launch pad of his attacks, while Pacquiao tried to measure his reach to that of De La Hoya's as well as the spaces he would need in launching his own attacks from a variety of angles. De La Hoya gained a little success in sticking his left jab early on the first round but failed to build from it as Pacquiao proved to be too slippery for him.

As De La Hoya miserably failed to set up his jab in the early going, Pacquio successfully established his trademark straight left during the first round, which would pose constant problems for De La Hoya throughout the fight. He had no answer to that beautiful roll of his little opponent-a swift straight left to his face, quickly followed by a side step to his right side and a pivot-when moving in, sometimes under his left jab.

That sublime movement simply dictated the complexion of the whole fight. Pacquiao was everywhere in the ring and De La Hoya never had a stationary target, save for very few occasions. After three rounds, where every indication that De La Hoya's legs weren't there and he was no match to his lightning quick opponent had all been laid-out and exposed totally, Pacquiao then stepped up his attack in the fourth.

He was all over the ring hitting De La Hoya with every kind of shot find in the book: a right jab, a double right jab, a quick left cross to the face, a right hook to the temple and everywhere else along with a barrage of lefts and rights to the body. The Pinoy whirlwind almost connected at will from every conceivable angle. The compubox statistics recorded his power punches connecting at an astonishing rate of 59% compared to 31% of De La Hoya. It was simply a demonstration of utter dominance.

De La Hoya for his part tried his everything to find Pacquiao with his left jab. But you can't hit somebody who is not there. Pacquiao was constantly moving all the time, side to side, repeatedly darting in and out of range and always keeping De La Hoya busy in finding his balance and the mark for his much vaunted left. But Pacquiao was as invisible as he was ferocious in his assaults. By round five, it appeared that Oscar was fighting a losing battle and by the sixth, he already lost it. He was being outclassed totally and the Pinoy lefty was all over him, pummelling him with everything from all angles. De La Hoya did have some moments against Pacquiao: two big straight rights, each in the third and the fourth in addition to three left hooks all to Pacquiao's head during the fifth. But aside from those De La Hoya's very few moments of success in the bout, it was all Pacquiao's show.

At the closing round of the first half of the bout, De La Hoya seemed to have lost his will to win and the threat of his left hook and him being a much bigger guy was gone. Oscar has no answer to the puzzle that was the beautiful straight left of his opponent. He'd already been defeated mentally and all resistance and threat he could pose had been nullified by Pacquiao's speed and brilliant game plan.

But the man who has faced the best fighters his weight reach could offer during his best years in boxing still fought gamely and courageously stood at the seventh round bell. The round that followed saw Oscar receiving the worst beating he had in his entire career. Anyone who has followed boxing for the last fifteen years would get a shock at witnessing the one-sided action orchestrated by Pacquiao in the ring, at the expense of the great De La Hoya. The Golden Boy, with 16 years of illustrious career that was built on facing the best of the best, has never been so hittable like that! It was target practice for Pacquiao and De La Hoya was not fighting back; he’d simply had enough. The fight should have been stopped right there. But his corner wanted another round to launch De La Hoya's last act of resistance as well as his final attempt to carry on his puncher's chance; they warned him they were stopping the fight if he didn’t start throwing punches.

However, the eight round, save for a weak flurry unleashed by De La Hoya in the opening seconds, was pretty much the same as the previous round with him getting the worst battering of his career. The fight was stopped at the end of round 8 at the advice of the ringside physician.

Shocking as it was, the brutal, one sided victory will be etched in the annals of boxing history as one of the astounding upsets and a great feat by a hugely underweight fighter. There is no need for a further debate; Pacquiao's name can now be mentioned in the same breath as Henry Armstrong (149-21, 101 KOs) and Roberto Duran (103-16, 70 KOs). Manny's total demolition of super welterweight Oscar in his tenth weight class was a first in history and will probably remain unequal for many decades to come.

A walk in the Pac for Oscar?

posted at boxingcapital.com [link-a walk in the pac]
December 1, 2009

Oscar has experienced it first hand and he himself was a victim of it. A younger, quicker and naturally smaller guy who tried his skills and luck against a naturally bigger opponent in Bernard Hopkins (49-5, 32 KOs) four years ago. Oscar’s skills enabled him to build an early lead until the then undisputed middleweight champion caught him with a big left hook to the solar plexus in round nine and the game was over.

Oscar couldn't breath and he couldn't stand, the boxing golden boy has learned it first hand: a good big guy will always beat a good little guy. That’s the age old saying in boxing. That was the reason why divisions were created. While there were reasons why Archie Moore (185-23, 131 KOs) dared to trade punches off with Rocky Marciano (49-0, 43 KOs) - his was an admirable journey into a higher level of competition from middleweight to heavyweight - the inherent danger in it tells all about the mismatch. Natural heavyweight Joe Frazier (32-4, 27 KOs) had a walk in park when light heavyweight Bob Foster (56-8, 46 KOs) dared to trade left hook with him.

4 inches taller, 6 inches longer and three divisions bigger, the size advantage goes all the way in favour of Oscar "Golden Boy" De La Hoya (39-5, 30 KOs). Add to that the fact that his December 6 opponent, Manny Pacquiao (47-3, 35 KOs), started his pro career at light flyweight while he, on the other hand, has campaigned as high as the middleweight and you'll see the word mismatch written all over it. Everything points to the bout as being a mere walk in the park for Oscar.

Freddie Roach would disagree to that, of course; he has too. The money on the line for the coming fight is just too great to ignore. For anybody who has taken time to campaign that Oscar can no longer pull the trigger will always weave arguments to trump up the mighty chance of his man. While it's hard to see how the Filipino whirlwind could take De La Hoya out and negate the obvious size discrepancy, it is interesting to see there were more people now who acknowledge the validity of Pacquiao's chance for an upset.

Yes, that chance is small, but very real.

While the size factor goes all the way in favour of the Golden Boy, the stamina factor goes Pacman's way. The Filipino knock-out artist is a rare breed of an athlete who fights harder and harder as the rounds go on. Pacquiao is a fierce warrior who throws hard combos after hard combos every round without having to worry about getting tired. Manny’s ferocious aggression is in a class of its own and his ability to carry-out fierce and non-stop offense all throughout the fight is extraordinary.

Oscar, on the other hand, has a history of getting tired during the later rounds of a fight. If Pacman can withstand the early assaults, expect him to get fiercer, stronger and faster during the second half of the fight and for Oscar to start to fade.

One of Pac's best weapons in this fight is Freddie Roach, who has the best comprehension of the strengths and weaknesses of the two warriors set to clash on December 6. Roach’s first hand knowledge of the flaws in De La Hoya’s offense and defense, as discovered up-close when he trained Oscar for his bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr. (39-0, 25) will certainly be a major advantage to Pacquiao. Roach knows what areas need to be covered. He knows when to get in under what kind of punches and when to get out after delivering the punches. De La Hoya's style is an open book to Roach.

Another thing that favours Pacquiao is the speed factor. Pacquiao's ability to carry his speed in his higher weights is supernatural. He seems to be very comfortable in whatever weight he jumps in. While other fighters slow down whenever they jump up a division, Pacquiao is such an anomaly that he gets even more relentless. The way he hammered David Diaz (34-2, 17) into complete submission, employing his vintage, violently overwhelming non-stop punching and fierce aggression, was a testament of how dangerous Pacquiao could be in his new, higher weight. Of course, Roach and Pacquiao know that the welterweight division is not the lightweight division and that it would take tremendous pounding to take De La Hoya down. And that's one area that Roach is going to cover, knowing that De La Hoya has had problems in dealing with fighters who have faster hands and feet than the Golden Boy himself.

While the weight factor favours De La Hoya greatly, the weight division they are set clash in may actually favour Pacquiao. Oscar has never fought as low as 150 lbs in the last seven years. This means he has to shed more body mass, including muscle, to make the weight. If luck is on Pacquaio's side, he'll be facing a weight drained opponent on December 6.

The factors that favour Pacquiao may give him a chance on December 6th. It may be a very small chance, but here is a guy who has built his career on beating heavily favoured opponents.

Of course, it is still hard to see how lightweight Pacquiao would be able to absorb super welterweight blows. At the end, Pacquiao fans may only be able to hope that Roach is right in saying Oscar can no longer pull the trigger.

Q&A with IBF-IBO World Flyweight Champ Nonito Donaire

published at boxing capital dot com
link

Donaire, of Filipino descent and now based in the States made waves last year when winning both of the aforementioned titles. His win over the fancied Vic Darchinyan (W TKO 5 – July 2007) was impressive enough to be bestowed with honours by Ring Magazine, such as ‘Knockout of the Year’ and ‘Upset of the Year’.

Nicknamed ‘The Filipino Flash’ Donaire is currently 19-1 (12 KO’s) and has made one defence since his stunning title winning victory – beating Mexican Luis Maldonado in an eighth round stoppage in December 2007.

Next up for Donaire is a title defence against South African, Moruti Mthalane, a challenger that brings a 22-1 (15 KO’s) record to the ring, in a fight taking place at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas.

BOXING CAPITAL: You haven't fought since December last year. Can you tell us the story behind this long inactivity?

Nonito Donaire: To make a long overdrawn story short, I was scheduled to fight in Dubai in April but due to financial reasons the promoter couldn't put it together. In addition, Gary Shaw, my promoter then was not able to provide the 4 fights in a year as stipulated by contract. So after giving him ample time to schedule me a fight, I decided to move my career forward with a new promoter - Top Rank.

BC: You are 25 right now. Can you say you are at peak?

ND: I feel that I am a lot stronger than before but only near my peak. It's just a matter of time until I get to my full potential.

BC: How are preparations going for the Mthalane fight?

ND: Great. I have had great sparring and have been running consistently. I'm mentally and physically prepared for this fight. I'm ready.

BC: While the papers are saying that Mthalane is a "worthy challenger," his record is not impressive at all. There are no notable names in his resume aside perhaps for Hussein who has fought only one fighter of top caliber in his entire career (that fighter was Arce who KO’d him twice). What are your thoughts about this?

ND: I didn't have any notable names in my record before I fought Vic Darchinyan. All I know is that he's gonna give it all he has because he has nothing to lose. I never underestimate anyone.

BC: Reports say that Mthalane has good hand speed, footwork and jabs. It seems he can also take big punches. How do you plan to fight him?

ND: I feel right now I am the strongest in the 112 division (flyweight). And as long as I can land my punch, I know I can take him out.

BC: Any predictions about your fight against the South African?

ND: I always try to go for an early knockout.

BC: Reports have it that you're planning to move up in weight after this fight. Assuming you beat Mthalane, who would you like to fight next at 115 (Super Flyweight)?

ND: There's a lot of big names in the 115. We have Arce, Mijares, Montiel.

BC: Your thoughts about the Mijares-Darchinyan bout?

ND: Mijares is too smart for Darchinyan.

BC: A boxing site has quoted Darchinyan into saying "when I knock out Mijares, line-up Donaire next. I owe him one." Any comments about this?

ND: I'll fight anybody but that really depends on my promoter. A fight with Darchinyan if he beats Mijares would be fun.

BC: We all know that you lost your Olympic stint to a Fellow Filipino-American, Brian Viloria, who is also an active fighter at the moment. Is there any chance you would share the same ring with Viloria once more?

ND: There's a possibility of that happening because we are under the same promoter, but really there is nothing I can gain from that fight at this time.

BC: Your take on the coming dream fight between Oscar De La Hoya and fellow Filipino, Manny Pacquiao?

ND: Manny Pacquiao! I have to admit that De La Hoya has the height and weight advantage but Pacquiao certainly has the speed advantage and however strong your opponent is, if he can't land that punch it's nothing. Besides, Pacquiao believes in himself 100% and that kind of determination wins fights.

BC: What do you want to say in closing for your fans?

ND: I want to thank all my fans for their continued support. Look forward to Nov 1 when I put it all in the ring. Mabuhay!

Hopkins schools Pavlik, silences critics

Posted at boxingcapital.com
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As the fight ended, Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins stared coldly to the members of the media in attendance. With sweat cascading down his grim face, The Executioner delivered a strong statement to the media—a great majority of whom had predicted that the night would see the closing of his career—that they were all wrong.

Dead wrong, to put it correctly.

The question of whether Hopkins’ 43 year old legs could still keep up with a much younger, hungrier and stronger fighter had just been answered emphatically. And Hopkins told the media in his act that he was not their grand ad with nothing left in his arsenal but phony tricks and other boring maneuvers. With his dominating performance, an accomplishment that “would give hope to the hopeless” as he put it before the fight, the aging future hall of famer has showed to the world that he was actually a 30 year old body with the superior ring intelligence of a 43 year old veteran.

Hopkins, who now improves to 49-5-1, 32 KOs, schooled Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik in a 12 round bout at a catch-weight of 170 lbs with his terrific hand speed, superior footwork, superb defense, and greater overall ringcraft. The lopsided Hopkins victory handed Pavlik, now 34-1, 30 KOs, the first loss of his career, which was built on terrorizing the middleweight division with his heavy right hand and knocking out opponent after opponent. This was the reputation dangerous puncher Pavlik was supposed to bring to the Hopkins fight, but failed to live up to.

The fight was very lopsided with the final scorecards of 118-106, 117-109 and 118-108 all in the favor of Hopkins. It was a very dominating performance for the aging veteran all through out the distance. It was a Hopkins show from round one to the final bell as Pavlik failed to deliver anything significant that would force Hopkins to abandon his game plan to suit his. The masterful display of boxing artistry and quick left hooks even silenced the pro-Pavlik crowd who were chanting his name in round two.

The complexion of the fight never changed from round one to round 12, aside from the occasional flurries Pavlik would let out, which, unfortunately for the Pavlik fans, were very few and far between. Pavlik would throw a left jab and Hopkins would either counter and hold or dance away after countering with a quick left or right.

From round one to four, Pavlik tried to catch Hopkins with his lead lefts and straight rights but failed to land anything of significance. He did connect with his left jabs several times in these rounds but never managed to build on it. Hopkins was simply masterful in his game of not getting hit while punishing Pavlik with his quick left hooks upstairs and one-two combinations everywhere else. The most notable actions in the first four rounds of the fight occurred during round two as Hopkins connected with a quick left hook to the chin that hurt Pavlik. A flurry followed and another hard left hook connected for Hopkins. Pavlik looked in trouble and Hopkins was poised to dictate the complexion of the game: beat Pavlik to the punch; don’t engage for too long; either hug or dance away quickly; and never let Pavlik finds comfort on working his way behind the left jab. Something Hopkins would execute masterfully until the final bell.

The story of schooling and manhandling continued during the second third of the fight as Hopkins proved to be too elusive for the Youngstown native. The target was there for the left jab, but Hopkins would no longer be available to receive the big right even before Pavlik unloaded it. It was very frustrating for The Ghost and the crowd were now chanting Hopkins name. The fight, however, had started to become interesting as Pavlik was now having success, albeit sporadic, in bringing the fight to Hopkins. Pavlik had increased his work rate and Hopkins has slowed down his pace. Could this be the point that the tide would turn to the favor of the youngster as said by some analysts who theorized that Hopkins legs would betray him at the second half of the contest?

However, Hopkins skills, intelligence and speed were simply several notches above Pavlik’s. There would be occasional roughhousing from rounds six to ten—a kind of fight that was supposed to favour Pavlik and his underrated uppercuts—but Hopkins would prove to be too slick and smart for him. The referee took away a point for Pavlik for hitting whilst holding during round eight only to even it for The Ghost as he deducted a point for Hopkins for holding in the following round.

Round 11 was the most interesting round for Pavlik as Hopkins turned to clinching. It was Pavlik’s best round. Hopkins would throw one and then clinch. But by doing that, he never allowed Pavlik to connect flush. He would give one, take one and hold. Was The Executioner now abandoning his brilliant game plan due to his supposed inability to mount a sustained offensive assault or was he feeling the power of Pavlik who had now connected with several telling shots to his body during the previous rounds? The answer would be neither; Hopkins was simply conserving energy as he planned to finish round 12 and the fight strongly, thereby proving all the media critics wrong – Hopkins was spitting defiance to all those who said he couldn’t last 12 rounds with a younger and supposedly stronger fighter.

Hopkins engaged, stood in front of Pavlik, exchanged flurries and mocked Pavlik, who just couldn’t connect with his much touted right hand. It was the most exciting round of the fight as Hopkins connected with some hard shots, rocking Pavlik. The action heightened with ten seconds left on the clock and the older Hopkins simply appeared to be the fresher of the two.

“Whoever I fight now, I’m going for the knock-out,” Hopkins said during the post-fight interview. He also said he wants to fight Joe Calzaghe and Roy Jones, Jr. again. As for Kelly Pavlik, it’s back to the drawing board.

Who is the boss at 175 now?

Posted at boxingcapital.com
link: click here

A breath of fresh hope for the light-heavyweight division was seen by the world of boxing last night in Nevada as Chad Dawson (27-0, 17 KOs) outworked, out-sped, out-jabbed and out-pointed Antonio Tarver (27-5, 19 KOs) for the IBF and IBO belts in a fight that could be summed-up by one word: speed. Though it is logical to conclude that the fight has not produced a king yet for the division that has been debased by senior fighters who loved to fight at an invented sub-division of catch-weight, there is no argument that we have witnessed (one of) the division’s future, who could lay strong claim to the throne in the near future.

While the light heavyweight division could not lay claim to being the most seeded, as such distinction belongs to either the welterweight or the lightweight divisions, it is a home to many great and borderline great names that could each make a case for them as being the leader of the division.
Joe Calzaghe (45-0, 32 KOs), Roy Jones Jr. (52-4, 38 KOs) and Bernard Hopkins (48-5, 32 KOs) —the veteran blood at 175lbs are always there ready to take on anybody who dare claim the mythical title. Adrian Diaconu (25-0, 15 KOs) and Kelly Pavlik (34-0, 30 KOs) — the fresh blood at 175lbs are also poised to claim the kingship after they are through with their forthcoming respective bouts. Of course Glen Johnson (47-12, 32), the guy who unofficially defeated Dawson, will always blot Dawson’s résumé until rematch is given. Tarver is out of the picture for now.

There will always be the case for Calzaghe who was ranked number one by the Ring Magazine after his successful first outing at light heavyweight. Calzaghe is fighting Jones next month in what will be his second fight at light heavyweight and reports that the Welsh southpaw is planning to retire after the Jones fight has only left a big question as to his supposed status as top dog. There are a lot of young good guys in the division who are aching to be given the chance for a career-defining fight.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. (39-0, 25 KOs), who was interviewed while watching the Tarver-Dawson bout at ringside, could make an argument about it all day and shout to the world that ‘Bad’ Chad is the current number one fighter in the mythical pound for pound rankings, but until some issues and unfinished business is settled, the division will remain what is it — a free-for-all division; and Mayweather, a retired loudmouth who should stay retired.

We are now looking forward for some good light heavyweight rumblings next year. In order for him to strengthen his standing at the light heavyweight ranking, Dawson should give Johnson a rematch and settle not only the issue about his chin, but more than that, the issue who really the better fighter is. He could also choose to fight first the winner of the upcoming Pavlik-Hopkins match next week and then share the ring once more with Johnson. Either way, it will be a tall line-up for the speedy boxer and a great treat for the boxing loving people.

It will be very hard for any knowledgeable boxing fans to take Dawson seriously knowing that Johnson has given him the worst beating he had in all his fight. There were several times in their fight where Dawson looked spent and ready to go. But how the judges scored the fight a big UD for him is a matter of mystery. Dawson simply has to settle the score.

Dawson could easily be the best overall fighter in the division today, but other top fighters in the division could give him some stylistic nightmares, given that he doesn’t have the power to deliver a stoppage or even just bother any of them with his light punches. Both Calzaghe and Roy Jones have the skills and reflex to cut his way off and tie him behind the ropes; Pavlik and Johnson are great swarmers; while the unbeaten dangerous puncher Diaconu could match him in a game of busy-punching and out-match him in a game of banging. A win against two of these guys would certainly solidify his status at light heavyweight. Especially if those wins were against Johnson and Pavlik. It is only then that we could take Mayweather’s pronouncement a little bit more serious and exclaim “we have a leader!”

The battle for light heavyweight supremacy rages on!

(A preview of the coming Dawson-Tarver bout)

Posted on boxingcapital.com
link: click here

He would badmouth ‘Bad’ Chad whenever he gets the chance and the youngster would strike back with his own words of wisdom to the guy he called “old news” by saying “your mouth can’t fight for you once you get in that ring.” The tactic for Antonio Tarver (27-4, 19 KOs) is very obvious; he wants to get into Chad Dawson’s (26-0, 17 KOs) head. Tarver was hoping for Dawson to lose his focus, forget about boxing and go all out and reckless on October 11.

The psychological ploy suits 39 year-old leftie Tarver perfectly as that the brightest spot for him to win the fight is to brawl, work the body and test Dawson’s chin. Considered by some as the future of the 175 division, ‘Bad’ Chad for his part, is expected to rely on his speed and busy punching to outwork the crafty veteran and hope for Tarver’s legs to go somewhere on the distance.

The question of age is there for Tarver hanging like a Damocles’ sword right above his head. If we are going to believe Dawson and the number, being 39, is indeed ‘old news’ especially in this combat sport where speed is an imperative skill to earn the ‘W’s’. By the looks of it, 26 year-old Dawson is very lucky he is fighting on Saturday night against an older version of the guy who destroyed the Roy Jones legend. Dawson is fast, can throw a variety of punches from many angles, and has a reliable straight shot. More than this; he’s a mean work machine and he can bang and brawl and box at the same time. He is bad news for a guy who is pushing 40. Or so it seems?

The question of age remains to be seen as Tarver looked like his old self in his last outing against Clinton Woods (41-4, 24 KOs) while Dawson looked terrible in his last fight against Glen Johnson (47-12, 32 KOs). ‘Magic Man’ Tarver may be old in number but people seemed to forget that he started his pro career at the age of 28. If their last performances against their respective opponents is any indication, Dawson is set to rendezvous with old but bad news come fight night on Palm’s Casino in Las Vegas. Bad Chad is fool to believe he would be facing a shot Tarver. Aged? Yes. But Tarver is still young.

Tarver possesses all the tools to make ‘Bad’ Chad look bad. He’s wily, skillful and experienced enough to weather whatever storm Dawson is planning to unleash in Nevada. His last three fights were a testament not only of his capacity to rebound in big leaps after a big defeat but also of his staying power in the ring. His KO4 win against Danny Santiago (29-4, 19 KOs), though certainly inferior and seemingly trivial compared to his signature KO2 win against Roy Jones, Jr. (52-4, 38 KOs), has an obvious story to tell; one well placed shot and you are in trouble. The way he hammered and sent Woods into submission also tell a similar story.

In his horrible performance on the Johnson fight, Dawson has exposed himself to the world that he is very beatable, even to an old man. The way he was hurt several times by Johnson in his last fight led to many to believe that his chin is weak and that he has the tendency to bow down under pressure. He was lucky enough to get away with a UD victory in a fight where many felt he lost. His mindset, motivation and confidence in this coming fight can also be questioned as he refused to rematch with Johnson and turned down a big payday fight against Romanian Adrian Diaconu (25-0, 15 KOs).

But yeah, Dawson is the better overall fighter between the two. He’s more complete though his capacity to adapt and reformulate his game to the other fighter’s offense is as questionable as his chin. But being the younger and certainly the faster fighter between the two, expect him to put on the pressure and bring the fight to Tarver early on in the fight. He would try to wear Tarver’s body and hope for the legs to go away along with it. He has the footwork and speed to confuse and beat Antonio to the punch. If Dawson can survive the first three quarter of the fight, there is a big chance for him to win by UD. Expect Tarver to welcome the aggression gladly as it would boost his chance to connect to the chin. If Dawson’s chin is really as weak as it seemed to be on the Johnson fight, then it’s over for him inside ten rounds.

It’s going to be an exciting fight between the two southpaws who will be battling for the IBO and IBF light heavyweight title.

Mosley KOs Mayorga one second before the final bell!

September 28, 2009
posted at boxingcapital.com
link: click here

It took ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley (45-5, 38 KOs) five rounds to finally get his rhythm and overwhelm Ricardo Mayorga (29-7-1, 23 KOs) with his slick boxing and roughhousing in a fight that punctuated by the 37 year old Mosley with a spectacular knock-out win one second before the final bell. While the fight was light-years away from the intensity and brilliance of the first Julio Cesar Chavez (107-6-2, 86 KO’s) - Meldrick Taylor (38-8-1, 20 KOs) contest, one could not help but draw a vague parallel between the two fights. Mosley beat Chavez by a single second in the record.

Mosley spent the first three rounds shaking-off ten months of ring rust and figuring out Mayorga and his right straights before he finally started to heat up with a one-two combination to open the fourth round. Mayorga ruled the first three rounds with his trademark antics and right leads.

The California native was for most of the first quarter well within the range of Mayorga and thus fell prey to straight rights which caught him clean several times. Mosley tried to box the Nicaraguan early in the first round but the guy who conquered his conqueror just kept landing his wild and wide straight rights. Mayorga surprisingly outworked the master craftsman on the first three rounds. Mayorga was even able to roll away beautifully with a straight right thrown by Mosley during the second round.

The all-American smile of Mosley’s was not there and he looked to be in a slight trouble as Mayorga was commanding the fight strongly. Mosley’s corner advised him to duck under Mayorga’s punches and work the body, which would eventually pay off for him midway onwards.

Ring rust now shaken off, the fourth round served to be his warm-up to the restoration (albeit not completely unlike his younger years) of his old rhythm on the fifth. He was now ready to get inside Mayorga's wild punches and dig downstairs and throw more upstairs. Also, he was now ready to take one in order to give two. Old Mosley was back.

The fourth and fifth rounds saw Mosley connecting with several hard shots to the head and body, which forced Mayorga to step inside and clinch. Mayorga was now too close for his wild but powerful straight rights to land. He was throwing away his only hope to win the fight against the future Hall of Famer. He was giving up the tool that overwhelmed the ferocious KO artist Fernando Vargas (26-5, 22 KOs) and the classy Vernon Forrest (41-3, 29 KOs).

Mosley didn't have to work hard ducking under the punches as Mayorga was clinching on several occasions during the middle rounds courtesy of different kinds of crushing punches he landed to the head and the body. The fight seemed to be a wrestling match as Mayorga continued to hold on in the sixth. Mayorga had now slowed down and Mosley landed a big three-punch combination that set the crowd roaring. Mosley was now the boss; he was baby-sitting the Nicaraguan loudmouth.

The infighting clinic continued to the seventh and eighth. Mayorga ate lots of left and right hooks and his body received similar punishment. Mayorga landed some of his own but the master craftsman Mosley was several notches above him in speed, defense and overall infighting ability. El Matador was visibly shaken off and tried to feign supremacy and control by raising his hands at the end of round eight but no one was buying, certainly not Shane.

Mayorga appeared to have caught his second wind at the ninth and tenth rounds. Mayorga was able to land some ugly punches to Mosley, who now seemed to be a little confused. Was it a sign of aging or the punches he was taking has now taken its toll on him? Probably both, as Mayorga closed the ninth round with a beautiful uppercut.

Mosley temporarily switched to the southpaw stance on the next round. It was either to confuse his opponent who was making a strong comeback or to shake-off his own confusion. But it paid-off as he was able to outwork Mayorga on the inside. Mayorga connected his own punches, but it was ‘Sugar’ Shane who got the better of the exchanges here. There was now fierce inside fighting between the two.

It was again an infighting lesson in the eleventh for Mayorga as Mosley connected with a beautiful right hand. The action was followed up by the two fighters by exchanging powerful body shots, culminating in both fighters being warned by the referee for low blows. Mosley connected flush with some clean head shots and Mayorga twice raised his hand to the crowd. Mayorga was projecting the usual bravado but who would buy it as Mosley was clearly winning most of the round?

Going into the twelfth and final round, Mosley was leading on the scorecards of two of the judges but his corner didn't want to take the chance. They wanted Mosley to mix it up and finish the fight in a strong fashion. This saw more wrestling and body shots for the two minutes of the round until Mosley caught his opponent with crushing right hands that shook the Nicaraguan terribly. A beautiful combination followed up and Mayorga crashed to the canvass with the clock now ticking down to the final seconds. With less than ten seconds left Mayorga got up but looked spent. A devastating left hook from Mosley sent Mayorga down again. He didn't bother to get up.

The official time of the stoppage was 2:59 seconds of the 12th round. It was a very impressive KO win for old Mosley, proving to the world he can still win a grueling fight with his strong chin and big punches despite his advancing years. An immediate fight with Antonio Margarito (37-5, 27 KOs) or a rematch with Miguel Cotto (32 -1, 26 KOs), would be very interesting, although it does seem remote possibility for now with their impending busy schedules.

The official scorecards of the three judges on the time of the stoppage were: 105-104 for Mayorga, 105-104 for Mosley and 107-102 for Mosley.

Pinoy lawmaker presses to stop Pac-Hoya

September 28, 2008
Posted on boxingcapital.com
link: click here

The whole country was startled last night by a rather unwelcoming news that a lawmaker has asked a Philippine sports regulating body to temporarily cancel the boxing license of Manny Pacquiao because of "a possible mismatch" in his coming bout against Mexican-American Oscar De La Hoya.

The report, which headlined a primetime news program of a major free-TV network in the country, said that Philippine lawmaker Rufus Rodriguez has asked the Philippine Games and Amusement Boards (GAB) to temporarily suspend the boxing license of the country's premier athlete.

The next morning, several newspapers have quoted Rodriguez into saying that Manny can't "even shake Oscar" and that he's "afraid that Oscar can hurt Manny very badly."

Rodriguez is pressing the GAB to immediately act to stop fight and "save Manny".

The lawmaker who described Pacquiao as a national treasure also said in interviews "the (Philippine) government will be put in a bad light" if "something bad happens to Manny in that fight." The fight, whose tickets were all sold out in just several hours upon availability, is scheduled on December 6 this year at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

GAB Chairman Eric Buhain clarified that Rodriguez is merely concerned over the safety of the country's boxing hero. "The GAB and the House of Representatives want Manny to be more cautious in this fight," said Buhain in interviews.

Pacquiao, who started his pro career at light flyweight, is viewed by boxing experts as an underdog in his coming welterweight fight against the boxing Golden Boy. De La Hoya, on the other hand, has fought as far as the middleweight in his career.

Experts were saying that the huge size discrepancy between the two is what making the fight a gross mismatch.

Buhain has clarified in recent interviews that GAB will not suspend or withdraw Pacquiao's license. The GAB chairman stressed however that the issues raised by Rodriguez is legitimate.

Last July, the GAB has passed a resolution to the Philippine House of Representatives, which expressed its opposition to the fight.

The GAB only stops fights when it sees a boxer is unprepared for the match according to Buhain.

Buhain has sent letters to Team Pacquiao asking the latter to give GAB regular updates on Manny Pacquiao's preparation in US.

In local politics, Rufus Rodriguez is a member of an opposition party while Pacquiao had just signed his membership to the ruling party several days after his victory over David Diaz.

Of Respect & Legacies

September 17, 2008
published at boxingcapital.com on september 19, 2008
link: http://boxingcapital.com/News_Article_190908Ofrespectandlegacies.html

Only but few give respect to the courage in facing greater odds. The fans, especially of this naturally brutal sport, tend to ridicule with sadistic tone the fighters who dare step into less explored terrains. The essential feature of the game that separates people of different sizes for safety purposes is one of these sacred grounds that nobody dared to mock. Until there was Henry Armstrong.

Nobody could argue against moving up in division to seek greater challenges and fatter bank accounts. It’s natural nowadays to see fighters capturing titles in three or even four divisions. But leapfrogging multiple divisions to fight much bigger guys is not natural. A featherweight titlist going up against a welterweight champion is simply crazy.

But Armstrong was both crazy and great. And only but very few could do what he managed to do: capture titles spanning three weight classes all at the same time, during an era when there were fewer divisions.

Boxing have never been friendly fans. They don’t welcome with open arms new ideas that mock the sport and its features. They mock you. They don’t roll out the red carpet for fighters who dare cross the line of widely accepted conventions. They roll litanies of contempt for you. They only become friendly when a feat of historic proportion is done. But then, there was Armstrong. Then, there was Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns and few others who have followed suit and set their own records in boxing history.

These fighters have had their own shares of critics and detractors. It’s never easy to win a great number of boxing loving populace if you’re not Jack Dempsey, Muhammad Ali or Ray Leonard. Taking on greater challenges and bringing your game to a new level may be a mark of a great fighter but there would always be some skeptics around. For one, it’s always stupid to take on bigger opponents when you can have plenty of them in your natural weight class. It’s not natural to take on guys who comfortably reside on several divisions north of yours. Oscar De La Hoya can only expect a lukewarm reception for his choice of fight in Manny Pacquiao on December 6. The gutsy Pinoy on the other hand, can never hope for a better audience aside perhaps for Freddie Roach, his legion of Pac diehards, and his beloved president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The reason being is that it’s not natural to do so.

But what is natural in boxing? Rocky Marciano carried lethal power into his unnaturally small hands. Thomas Hearns, who packed his right hand with vicious power, was an oversized welterweight and light middleweight. Sam Langford was known for his murderous power and long arms. Willie Pep was almost supernatural in his ability to get away from your line of sight in an instant. Ceferino Garcia could KO people with his long, swinging and wide uppercuts while other users of such technique could only dazzle their opponents with it. And of course, there was Muhammad Ali’s chin and body, which can absorb tremendous punishment that could immediately put lesser mortals in a body bag. Buster Douglas’ victory over Mike Tyson was not natural either.

Freaks of nature are a fixture of this sport. They happen to be the elite of the elites. Whoever believed Roberto Duran could beat Iran Barkley—the guy who twice beat Hearns who was the same guy he himself could not beat—at middleweight? Nobody in his right mind would place his bets on Duran considering that the bout was at Duran’s 9th weight class.

Thomas Hearns has set the benchmark for capturing titles in multiple divisions. He has set several firsts in this sport: the first guy who has ever won four titles in four divisions; the first guy who has ever won five titles in five divisions; the first guy who has ever won six titles in six different divisions.

De La Hoya was also a six division champ and Floyd Mayweather was a five division champion. Manny Pacquiao, on the other hand, has captured four titles (or five including the featherweight lineal title he earned by demolishing Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003) in a span of eight divisions.

It’s easy to see what motivates De La Hoya in picking the Pacquiao fight which is not worthy of his stature and legacy: money. Pacquiao may well be the best fighter in the pound for pound rankings today but the huge size discrepancy between the two is a huge turn-off.

But then again, freaks of nature are a fixture in this sport. Leapfrogging multiple divisions and winning titles was unheard of until there was Armstrong. Winning titles in a span of nine divisions is unheard of until there was Duran. Capturing four, five and six titles in four, five and six divisions was unheard of until there was Hearns. A former flyweight titlist winning belts in super-featherweight and lightweight was unheard of until there was Pacquiao.

While it’s hard to see how Pacquiao could pull-off a win against the much bigger Mexican-American, it’s laudable enough that he has enough balls to face De La Hoya in his 10th weight class. But who knows? Manny’s nickname wasn’t really “Pacman.” It’s “upset.”

Money defies logic

MONEY DEFIES LOGIC
Ericson Sarmiento Dela Cruz
erik_boxing@yahoo.com

posted at boxingcapital.com on 02 Sept 2008
link: http://boxingcapital.com/News_Article_DLHPac_Erik010908.html

Seven years and 25 pounds ago, he was at the undercard of the sports biggest star who was then fighting Javier Castillejo. It was the night when Manny Pacquiao announced his arrival to the US boxing scene by dispatching south African Lehlo Ledwaba with powerful, accurate and lightning fast combinations to win the IBF super-bantamweight title via six-round stoppage. That stellar win by the fiery Filipino knock-out artist was even magnified many times more by the amount of exposure he got for fighting that same night with his boyhood hero: the legendary Oscar De La Hoya.

Now, the Filipino speedster who was introduced to the world that night with his mispronounced name is set to fight the same guy who helped him banner his name and boost his marketability across the boxing world and business conglomerates. He was then a super-bantam; Oscar then was already comfortably fighting at the light-middleweight division. The 154 lb weight limit. It was six divisions north of Pacquiao’s 122 lb division. To even think of the possibility of a match-up between the two at that time was downright idiotic, if not complete lunacy.

But boy, here are the two biggest stars of boxing separated by many divisions set to clash on December 6 this year. Everything has reportedly been ironed-out, paving the way for what could be one of the richest fights in history.

On the surface, the biggest stumbling block that seemed keeping the much hyped fight from happening was the huge size discrepancy. Manny is (now) a small lightweight and Oscar has comfortably campaigned at light-middleweight for some years now. But no, size doesn’t matter when money talks. It was not the size, which, by logic and any philosophy should dictate match-ups. It was, unfortunately, the greed. Both camps had a hard time convincing the other to accept their offer and counter-offers about how the purse should be divided. A $100 million dollar fight is too lucrative for Oscar and Manny to just turn their back on.

When money talks, size doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter that the electrifying Pinoy performer has started fighting at 107 and the most celebrated figure in boxing at 130. It doesn’t matter that Pac is now a bloated lightweight and Oscar a bona fide junior middleweight. It doesn’t matter that Pac is fighting in his 10th weight class and Oscar is going back to the division he ruled some years ago. It doesn’t matter that Pac would report between 142-145 lbs come fight night and Oscar between 160-165 lbs. The size discrepancy is too huge. By logic, the fight is a total mismatch and should not happen. But here is where money comes to fix everything. The god money can defy logic. The god money can defy everything.

There are reasons for divisions; the same reasons why other safety measures were instituted to moderate the innate brutality of the sport. The same surgical brutality that impaired Freddie Roach speech. Roach should have known better when he called out the fight. He’d be putting his most prized fighter’s health and career in jeopardy! The sport is too brutal and the damages it inflicts to fighters are irreversible. Ray Robinson could only be so sorry for the life of Jimmy Doyle. But anyway, discounting death aside as it seemed to be a remote possibility on the Pacquiao-De La Hoya match, $20 million is a good figure to laugh your way to the hospital.

That would be a hell lot of money. But is it worth the damage he is going to take that could possibly end his illustrious career? Pac fans could only hope that Roach is not mistaken in thinking that Oscar can no longer pull the trigger as he once could.

People are using De La Hoya’s last ring action as a springboard for a rather outrageous claim that Pac could upset the Barcelona Olympic gold medalist. Roach even went further by saying that his guy could KO the man he helped shaped up against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Steve Forbes, a small guy hand picked to give Oscar some kind of a hard sparring session, was “surprisingly” able to redden the face of the Golden Boy. But Forbes was there to lose, and Oscar, with little respect to the sting of his opponents’ punches, left his face open in search for openings. To think that Oscar would do the same against the pound-for-pound king on December 6 was downright stupid. The 35 year old fighter who “unofficially” beat Floyd Mayweather last year was too smart of a fighter to let the most devastating puncher in the business nail him with flush clean shots. If there was something that Oscar was known for aside for his exquisite left, was his ring smarts and fight complexion awareness. The final scorecards of the De La Hoya-Forbes sparring were very telling: 120-108 and 119-109 twice. Its very lopsided and a testament of how De La Hoya merely toyed with the undersized and underpowered but very game Forbes. He can no longer pull the trigger? Pac fans could only wish Roach was correct.

Pac’s last outing, on the other hand, was a very electrifying performance and a complete dominance of his bigger opponent. He was all over Dangerous David in every seconds of every round nailing him with every kind of shots. The performance was too good that people have dreamed of the same outcome against lightwelter king Ricky Hatton and the legendary Oscar De La Hoya. But sorry to Pac’s legion of loyal fans, Oscar was no David. The difference between the two is wider than the pacific.

Oscar may already be past his best. The sting of his left hook may had already been diminished, his footworks many no longer be as flashy as before, and his defense may no longer be as solid as it was once, but his good chin and first-rate ring awareness were enough to beat a naturally smaller man, specially those who started their career at 107. The power of his left, diminished as it seemed, was more than enough to bother small guys. He may no longer be as effective as the Oscar before the Mosley fight, but he was still the same Oscar who was able to effectively close the gap between him and the flashy and defensive master Floyd.

The fight is too easy for businessman Oscar as it was too dangerous for lightweight Manny. It could be nothing more than a farcical exhibit of one guy trying to make it look competitive and the other guy trying everything to overcome the great odds.

Oscar had many choices of fights to close his 16 years of illustrious career—fights that could very well be risky but meaningful. There is no shame in losing to Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito or Paul Williams, especially at this advancing stage of his career. Unfortunately for true boxing fans, those fights just happen to be less profitable than the Pacquiao fight.

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FEEDING THE WOLVES

(April 8, 2008)

It wasn’t the usual hype that often characterizes an asian-latino antagonism in this sports; the usual hype that guarantees a massive sell-out. This one was worse than that. Drawing in to the core of the campaign a false sense of national pride and esteem, the promoters have successfully spelled the commercial success of the fight. A predetermined success that will keep boxing fans and bystanders mesmerized for weeks.

The selling line: Invasion: Philippines Versus the World, a spin-off of the Filipino-Mexican war in boxing which is actually a war for commerce inspired by the huge hit of Manny Pacquiao’s triumphant campaign in retiring Mexican greats. Again the people were at frenzy in (re)defining their phenomenal selves as their countrymen in gloves had clean swept the fight, thwarted the invasion, and kept the “supposed dominance” of Filipinos in divisions south of lightweight a clean mythical record.

There is this false sense of national pride and esteem created by the powerful manipulative media. Charmed by the victorious campaign against foreigners, the people have seemed forgotten the core values that once characterized the nobility of competition. Gambling, materialism, commercialism and politicking were simply everywhere ridiculing at face the people and the sports itself. Welcome to the world of professional boxing.

Equally detestable to these manipulations by the promoters is the design to boost the marketability of the fighters at all costs. The Golden Boy Productions who has invested lightly and cleverly into the project Invasion has now several bankable big names under its roof. The future is bright for these boys, especially in commercial terms. Of course, the future also promises to pad the bank accounts of the promoters.

And these couldn’t be made had not they fed the wolves with patsies. For one, mismatches were written all over the undercards as well as the main event.

Caril “El Raton” Herrera, who tested AJ “Bazooka” Banal in a super flyweight match, got totally destroyed by the Filipino in the fourth. People might think that Herrera was a worthy opposition to the fiery Filipino knock-out artist as he was donning an undefeated record going into the fight. Looking beyond his numbers, 21-0 (13KOs) going into the fight, one could wonder how on earth he got the ticket to take on Banal in his hometown. The level of his opposition was very poor to say the least. His supposedly tough reputation was built on feasting on class D-E fighters (most of whom have losing records). The best record of any opponent in his resume was 8-1-1. On the other hand, Bazookas record was a lot more respectable. He beat guys with decent records. He has two undefeated real fighters in his resume. Furthermore, Banal has already ventured outside his country unlike Herrera who has fought his entire career in his hometown Uruguay.

That Herrera was TKOed in the fourth without even putting on a decent fight says everything about the mismatch.

One could argue that anybody who could punch has a chance against Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista. That could very well be true as Boom Booms recent shocking lost was against a big puncher in the person of Ponce De Leon. Bautista’s bout could easily be picked as the closest among the bouts as Mexican Genaro “Duro’ Camargo was a puncher with notable KO record in his résumé. However, Camargos name was nowhere to be found in the top ten rankings of any boxing sanctioning bodies. Breaking down the departments: Power to power, punching technique and accuracy, Bautista was more talented than Camargo.

That Camargo was TKOed in the second without even putting on a decent fight says everything about the mismatch.

The main bout was the saddest among the bouts featured in the Invasion. Reigning WBO Bantamweight Champ Gerry Peñalosa put up a clinic and eventually dismantled in the eighth former WBO champ Ratanachai Sor Vorapin (72-10-0 going into the fight), the same guy he KOed in six rounds eight years ago. Despite of media blitz campaign by the Golden Boy Productions reconstructing Vorapin’s career as a formidable one, the outcome of the fight has still screamed of one clear thing: Vorapin doesn’t even have the right to be in the same ring (once again) with the iron-chinned, smooth tactician Filipino champion. The 31 year old Thai — whose 82-fight career speaks that he is a lot older than 36 year old Peñalosa — was grossly outclassed, totally outmaneuvered, completely out-jabbed and severely overmatched. Vorapin didn’t even win a single round in my scorecard.

That Vorapin was TKOed in the eight without even putting on a decent fight says everything about the mismatch.

Not to take anything from the Filipinos as they have trained well and valiantly fought for the country, for themselves and for the promoters, the fight had been a testimony of their spirit and readiness to take on bigger fights. Banal is now ready for a world championship fight. Bautista is back. And Gerry Peñalosa continuous to dominate the bantamweight division.

The fight over-hyped as Invasion: Philippines Versus the World has indeed bannered the name of these fighters across the boxing world and has increased their marketability. Everything at the expense of real fights and genuine sense of national pride and esteem.