Opinion: Pacquiao - Margarito

This weekend, the best pound for pound fighter in the game (you heard me Ilai!) and current WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao takes on former welterweight champion and Eddie Guerrero doppelganger Antonio Margarito. Fighting for a vacant junior-middleweight strap (but fought at a 150 pound catchweight), this is by far the most difficult fight of their respective careers. The overwhelming favourite going in, a win for Pacquiao would only further cement his place in boxing history and, arguably, prove him to be the greatest pound for pound fighter ever. Comparatively, Margarito’s reputation as a fighter crumbled after he was found to have loaded his handwraps before his January 2009 knockout loss to Sugar Shane Mosley. If Margarito is able to upset Pacquiao, then it may lend some validity back to his career and prove that his biggest wins could possibly have been legitimate.


Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs)

STRENGHTS

Pacquiao’s main weapon in his ascent thought the weight divisions has been his speed. It magnifies his power and, by using his great footwork, he creates angles where his opponents either don’t expect to be hit from or simply can’t do enough to stop it. We only need to look at his sustained beat down of Miguel Cotto to see that, although he was the smaller fighter, he was still the one coming forward and appeared stronger throughout. Margarito has trouble with guys who can box and move, as shown in the first half of his bouts with Paul Williams and Cotto. Albeit, “The Punisher” is much taller, which would make boxing easier, however Pacquiao is twice as fast with far better footwork. And, although Pacquiao began as a pure puncher, under the tutelage of Freddie Roach, his boxing skills are very well rounded.

On top of his speed, Pac’s stamina makes him an absolute buzzsaw who fights just as furiously in the last round as he did in the opening. He is straight going after you son. In his last bout, against a covering Joshua Clottey, Pacquiao could have easily tapered off his attack and simply won rounds due to activity. This was not to be as “The Pac Man” threw over 1,200 punches endlessly trying to get him out of there.

Pacquiao also has the greater activity of late, fighting three guys (in Clottey, Cotto and Hatton) who were considered in the top five of their division at the time. In each case, he completely dominated them (especially his dicknailing of Ricky Hatton) without them so much as causing Pacquiao any type of concern.



WEAKNESSES

Since being voted into a congressman in his native Philippines, Pacquiao has had to try and balance his responsibilities as a statesman with his career as a professional fighter. A lot of the talk coming directly out of the Pacquiao camp, is that Pacquiao has been distracted and not looking nearly in the form that he exhibited in previous camps.

Even though Pacquiao performed admirably against a large welter in the form of Joshua Clottey and stopped Oscar De La Hoya, he still hasn’t had anyone of size that brings the fight to him. This is EXACTLY what Margarito will do and we really haven’t seen Pacquiao have to fight going backwards in, well, as long as anyone can remember.

Compounding this is the fact that Pacquiao has never fought at a weight as high as 150, which is a lot of have to pack on a 5’6 ½’’ frame. So we don’t really know what that extra weight will do to his speed. He is certainly a small welterweight and hasn’t really fought a natural welter who will bring the fight to him. Now, he is fighting a natural 154 pounder who only knows how to bring the fight to you.


Antonio “The Tijuana Tornado” Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs)

STRENGTHS

Don’t expect anything fancy from Margarito, just for him to come at you. Guys have tried to box him, guys have tried to punch him but, with exception of Sugar Shane (and that bout must be viewed with an asterisks), nobody has been effective at keeping him off. Miguel Cotto boxed well for 5 rounds before Margarito was able to walk him down and simply break his will. Let me make this clear, Margarito broke Cotto with his pressure. To the point where Cotto twice took knees in order to stop the constant barrage that he was being put under.

Margarito’s chin has also been one of the best in the business. His knockout loss to Shane Mosley (probably) also had something to do with the fact that he, before the fight, had been busted with illegal handwraps. Facing the certainty of a (possible lifetime) ban, it is more than probably than he was completely distracted. Otherwise, he has simply walked through punchers such as Cotto, Kermit Cintron and Paul Williams without being in the faintest bit of trouble. Even though Pacquiao is a great puncher, he is small compared to what Margarito has been dealing with previously.

Further to this, Margarito was a large welter who really had to cut down to make 147. Expect him to be a lot stronger at 150 and he looks to be in fantastic condition. The only real concern is that he has overtrained for the bout.


WEAKNESSES

A slow starter, Margarito has been known to give away the first half of the fights before his punch output accelerates. In the first round of the Cotto fight, Margarito threw 57 punches. By the ninth, he was throwing about 100 punches per round (including an incredible 130 shots in the seventh). He also holds the compubox record for punches thrown with 1,675 against Joshua Clotty but, as Shane Mosley has shown, if you attack him early (and to the body) you have a chance of getting him out of there.


Margarito has the hand and foot speed of an Egyptian mummy. He isn’t about to box you, will stand right in front of you and he should have a massive problem against a guy who has respectable power and can keep him on the move. It must also be noted that Margarito telegraphs his punches and anyone who can move effectively with decent hand speed, SHOULD be able to win the exchange before the “Tijuana Tornado” has even uncorked a shot.

Going back to the handwrap scandal, we must also speculate that this was a strategy employed by Margarito for the entirety of his career. Certainly, what he did to Cotto was inhuman and only adds fuel to the fire as well as the fact the Margarito seems to get stronger (as the plaster hardens) as the fight progresses. At this point, it is difficult to give Margarito credit for any of the wins he has accumulated and this fight will be the ultimate litmus test. The subsequent long layoff, due to suspension, should factor as Margarito has only one fight in close to two years in looking relatively unimpressve against C-list opposition Robert Garcia. This ring rust could be disastrous, as Pacquiao is likely to start fast and not let up.



PREDICTION

My early draft of this read ‘Margarito KO’, and this is hard to deny. He is bigger, stronger, in shape and seemingly impossible for a guy Pacquiao’s size to keep off. BUT, much of Margarito’s career has been tarnished by the handwrap scandal – which looks to be a completely logical explanation for his performances. Even though Margarito is in shape, it is entirely possible that he has overtrained (and Manny has undertrained). Pacquiao should be able to pile up points early, move his way around the ring and use his hand speed to offset the oncoming pressure from Margarito (which will be great in the later rounds) on his way to a clear decision win.

Pacquiao UD.

Opinion: Molsey-Mora

It’s been a long time since you heard from “The A-Fist-ionado”. And with good reason, recent events have meant that my mind hasn’t been doing much ramblin’ at all. Well, at least not boxing rambling. Maybe my confidence has been dented, for I’ve gone 2-4 in my calls this year. Anywhos….

This Sunday (NZ time), three-division former champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley takes on former 154 pound titlist Sergio Mora in a junior middleweight bout. We last saw “Sugar” Shane in a lop-sided decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May. Although he severely hurt Money May in the second, Mosley didn’t seem to have the gas to close the show and lost almost every other round. Comparatively, Sergio Mora jumped up to 160 in April to (actually) stop Calvin Green in seven. Although massively derided by the press, this is really a crossroads bout for both fighters, with the loser being forced to retire or into ‘journeyman’ status.

“SUGAR” SHANE MOSLEY (46-6, 39 KOs)

STRENGTHS

“Sugar” Shane Mosley is one of best pound for pound fighters of our generation. His brand of power-boxing brings both the speed to dazzle and the power to turn out the lights. Although he has fought almost every top fighter from 135-154, he has never been stopped and only off his feet in the first bout against Vernon Forrest.

Mosley always has a massive advantage in opposition fought. His record reads like a ‘who’s who’ of both the welter and junior-middle divisions over the last ten years. Names like Oscar De La Hoya (twice), Vernon Forrest (twice!), Winky Wright (twice!!), Fernando Vargas (twice!!!), Luis Collazo, Miguel Cotto, Ricardo Mayorga, Antonio Margartio and Floyd Mayweather all grace his record and only four have prevailed.

Coupled with this impressive record is the fact that Mosley has never lost to a fighter of Mexican decent. In fact, “Sugar” Shane has been turning Mexicans away worse than the state of Arizona. If the fight is coming toward Shane Mosley, then it should also be prepared to be falling backwards.

WEAKNESSES

Shane looked every bit of his 38 years of age against Floyd Mayweather. Even after cold rocking Floyd to his shoes in the second round, he just couldn’t find the gas to close the show and was huffing air between rounds. And that was only in round two! Given, he had been out of the ring for 15 months and complained of a neck injury after the fight but even my tank can go two rounds (albeit with the gas-light on!). Hopefully the ring time with Money May will have gotten rid of any rust.

Mosley is a supremely talented boxer who can CHOOSE to fight any way he likes. He just has the gifts to back them up. However, of late, Mosley has seemed a little one-dimensional in attack. His jab has been reduced to a flick and he is far too reliant on landing his right hand. Mosley also has a dynamite lead hook, like the one he used to dispatch Fernando Vargas, but he has hardly deployed it all. He is also there to be hit, as evidenced by his nose, and Mora throws punches in bunches.

Fighters who are naturally bigger, as is Mora, and use their height or have an awkward style, as does Mora, are always going to give Mosley trouble. Forrest was able to bully him in their first bought and guys like Wright, Mayorga and Mayweather gave him all kinds of problems. Expect Mora to emphasize his jab, have a lot of output and move his feet to give Mosley angles.

SERGIO “THE LATIN SNAKE” MORA (22-1, 6KOs)

STRENGTHS

The winner of the first season of the contender showed smooth boxing skills and has used the experience and exposure to full effect. At 6’0’’ he is a tall junior-middle and utilizes his size well whilst using his long arms to his advantage. Mosley had a hell of a time against Vernon Forrest the first time out and, it is generally held, that if you have a long, heavy jab and are strong enough to tie him up, you have a good shot of giving Mosley a good fight. Whilst Mora’s jab isn’t particularly heavy, it can be snakey (think Larry Holmes) and it helped to control Peter Manfredo in both of their bouts.

A big part of Mora’s strength is his activity and combination punching. He has really well educated hands and is generally a busy fighter with good footwork. He beat Vernon Forrest mostly with his activity and movement and Mosley has issues with both. Even though they were smaller, both Cotto and Mayweather did great jobs of boxing Sugar Shane without getting drawn into unnecessary firefights. At this point in time, Mora is the far superior boxer.

WEAKNESSSES

Although a great boxer, Mora’s meagre six stoppages in 22 wins means really means he is throwing fast handbags. Although he scored a stoppage over Calvin Green in his last fight it, was fought at middleweight, was from activity rather than a single shot and Calvin Green gets stopped by anything more offensive than a wet fart. If you are going to deter Mosley from wanting to engage, you better hope you have some stopping power in your arsenal and the fact of the matter is – Mora simply doesn’t.

Compounding this is the fact that Mora can get drawn into slugging relatively easily. Vernon Forrest drew him in during their rematch as did Peter Manfredo, who was unlucky to walk away with a split decision loss. He can’t afford that kind of pride against Mosley, who will straight stretch you out.

The quality of Mora’s opposition is also very questionable. The reality is that his only quality opponent has been Vernon Forrest and, although Forrest dominated Mosley on two occassions, he seemed very unmotivated in the first Mora outing (and made excuses about weight troubles) and won a very wide decision in the return.

PREDICTION

Although I think “Sugar” Shane is already a wide betting favourite, much will depend on their weights the day before the fight. If Mora can make 154 comfortably, then he has a very legitimate shot. If, however, there are any troubles with the weight, then I think he will be too drained for an (already) more powerful fighter. Most are picking Mosley for the stoppage, but I think Mora’s style will pose some problems for “Sugar’ Shane and he should get up via comfortable decision.

Mosley UD.

Opinion: Tua - Barrett

This Sunday (NZ time) we see heavyweight David "The Tuamanator" Tua take on former world title challenger Monte "Two Gunz" Barrett. Tua has been relatively active since October ’09 after a two year absence from the ring due to legal and managerial issues. This will be his third comeback bout which included a second round destruction of heavyweight countryman Shane Cameron and a decision win over the granite chinned Friday Ahunanya. A win for the WBO #2 ranked Tua would mean that he would inch closer to a title shot (David Haye also used Barrett as a springboard) however he would have to do so emphatically. A loss for either man would spell the end of their respective careers as both are inching closer to 40 and Monte Barrett, in particular, will be trying to halt a three fight skid.

DAVID TUA 51-3-1 (43 KOs)

STRENGTHS

We all know how David Tua rolls – left hooks to the dome. In fact, he seems to do so with such success that it seems to be his only major offense. And, hell, why not? If nobody can stand up to it then is there really any need to develop anything further? Of late, however, Tua’s offense seems a lot more well rounded as anything he threw put Cameron on the mat and he varied his attack in his last bout with Ahunanya. That left hand still has ‘kefe’ written all over it, as shown against Mexican Heavyweight Champion Saul Montana.

Tua also seems to have a lot more momentum going in. A draw with Hasim Rahman in March ’03 is the only blight on his ledger since he was outboxed by Chris Byrd way back in August of 2001. That’s almost nine years without a loss. Since his career “went to the Byrds” Tua has stopped the undefeated Fres Oquendo, former heavyweight titlist Michael Moorer, and contenders such as the aforementioned Cameron and Ahunanya. Sandwiched between these bouts, however, are some truly awful opponents and Barrett will be the most credible foe he has faced in a number of years.

"The Tuamanator's" chin and defense has always been completely underrated. He was knocked down after the bell at the end of his draw with Rahman but, being completely unprepared to take a punch, Tua was undoubtedly going to react. Before that incident, the last time Tua touched down was when he was stopped by three time Olympic champion Felix Savon at the 1991 World Amateur Championships. He has never been seriously hurt in a bout and hardly ever takes a backward step, which is also due to his head movement and parrying ability.

WEAKNESSES

Tua's condition has been unreliable at best. For someone who first turned pro weighing 200 pounds, he has ballooned up to as much as 253 and not looking in the best condition. These fluctuations put a serious damper on Tua’s productivity and, at the worst of times, he has looked like a world class puncher who doesn’t want to throw a punch. To his credit, Tua has been under 240 for his last four bouts and, the last two in particular, have seen Tua put massive emphasis on his physical conditioning. This focus on conditioning seems to have drained Tua of some of his power and his shots are not landing with the same force we have come accustomed to but, if he is throwing more of them, then at least a proactive style will mean he is not in a position where he is behind on the cards and has to look for a stoppage late in the bout. It is exactly this position which has forced him into seeking desperate late knockouts over the likes of Oleg Maskaev, Hasim Rahman and Fres Oquendo.

As much people love to talk about Tua’s left hand, we must note he has been almost entirely reliant on it which has made him rather one-dimensional. Anyone with any semblance of a jab and the movement to stay out of the way of the left has a better than average chance of coming out on top. Barrett is a tall heavyweight and, if he can assert any kind of stick and move and control the distance, may just be all Tua can handle.

MONTE BARRETT 34-9 (24 KOs)

STRENGTHS

At 6’3’’, Barrett will be the tallest opponent Tua has faced in a long time. At (a billed height of) 5’10’’, Tua has massive problems with taller fighters who can establish the jab and control the distance. Hell, Tua only scraped by with a split decision over the 6’4’’ Cisse Salif in October of ’05 as he had difficulties trying to get inside and when he could, he just couldn’t dent him. However, to date, of Salif’s 17 losses only one has come via the short route and Barrett’s chin is certainly not of that calibre.

Barrett also has the edge in competition faced of late in facing a bevy of the heavyweight elite. True, most of these were in losing efforts however has notable wins on his ledger including stoppages of the then undefeated Owen Beck, overhyped challenger Tye Fields and a decision win over former contender Dominic Guinn. His notable losses have been against Odlanier Solis, David Haye, Nikoly Valuev, Hasim Rahman and Wladimir Klitschko. The 2008 first round stop of Tye Fields is his best win of late.

Although not a legitmate show-stopper, Barrett has a pretty hard uppercut. If Tua does manage to get inside of him then there will be plenty to think about before letting his hands go. This tool may be vital in controlling distance with Tua, which is the time-tested method to beat him.

WEAKNESSES

The most glaring of all Barrett’s weaknesses is his obvious lack of punch resistance. Five of his nine losses are by stoppage with two of his last three ending with him on his back. Albeit these were to two big punchers in the form of Solis and Haye however Valuev, who has only moderate power, stopped in 11 rounds in defending his WBA strap in ’06 and the 25-12-2 Cliff Couser decked him in 2 rounds in the very next fight. Against a world class power puncher like Tua, Barrett has no chance of withstanding the heavy exchanges and would hope to keep himself at a distance.

Although against decent opposition, Barrett is 3-5 in his last 8 bouts and 4 of those 5 losses have ended with Barrett unable to make it back to his feet. At 39 years old, Barrett is a shadow of the second tier contender that he was in his prime. True, Tua is 38 also but there is relatively little wear on Tua in comparison and he certainly hasn’t been knocked out four times in the last four years.

PREDICTION

Even with a solid game plan, there just doesn’t seem to be a way for Barrett to win. He simply isn’t physically able to withstand what he is undoubtedly going to eat. Failing sudden cardiac death, spontaneous combustion and alien abduction, Tua should walk through Barrett with relative ease. Doing so impressively should help further thrust him into the heavyweight title picture.

Tua KO

‘Boxing is Dead’ and other such fallacies: A reply

Boxing is dead. Or Dying. Such is the claim from the throngs of MMA fans with skulls on their t-shirts. So widespread is this claim, in fact, that these sentiments are echoed by ESPN’s resident MMA fanboi Jake Roosen and C-List celebrity and MMA commentator Joe Rogan. Hell, UFC president Dana White went on record and declared, among other things, that the UFC was bigger than boxing and the WWE combined (Dude, one of your major drawcards came from the WWE)!

I would like to go on record to state that, although I am fanatical about my love of the sweet science, I have a very healthy respect and love for MMA. On any given Sunday, it is the better match-up that will get the pay-per-view dollars and being a reasonable and logical individual, I am prepared to be objective about both.

MMA has done a fantastic job as establishing itself as a legitimate sport. From brutish beginnings its rate of technical advancement is unparalleled in the sporting world. The same skill set that dominated in the mid-90s will get you stopped in today’s contests. Since inception, the UFC has been brilliant in promoting its product with its pay-per-view events now rivalling boxing. UFC 100 had 1.6 million ppv buys, which is an outstanding figure. However, with its rise in popularity, there seems to be a schism between the two fraternities.

The division between, and the derision from, both camps seem illogical considering their genesis. A little research shows evidence of fistic sports appear in Sumerian relief carvings that date back to 3000BC. Evidence of gloved contests appear a millennium later in the Sardinian statues in the Prama mountains. Officially installed as an Olympic sport in 688BC, Homer’s Iliad (ca 675BC) contains the first account of a match. Disappearing after the fall of the Roman Empire, it wasn’t until 1743 that Broughtan’s rules , which were aimed more at the gambling fraternity that came with this illegal sport, that a clear set of unifying rules became apparent. Though still illegal in much of the Western world, The London Prize Ring Rules (1838) went further to define the sport, which still involved elements of grappling. It wasn’t until 1867, and the introduction of The Queensberry Rules (which included the use of gloves and weight classes), that the modern, civilised sport of the boxing existed.

It is generally held that the forms of ‘pankration’, a blend of boxing and wrestling, existed as far back as the second century BC and refined and introduced as an Olympic sport in 648BC. Abolished in 393AD (along with most gladiatorial combat and pagan rituals), it wasn’t until the 1880s that no-holds-barred type events resurfaced and stylistic match-ups were popular during the early 1900s. ‘Vale Tudo’ (Portuguese for “anything goes”) events existed in Brazil during the 1920s and mixed martial arts contests were being held in Japan in the 1970s. Mixed Martial Arts, as we know it, started in 1993 with the UFC and Pride promotions.

So, as you can see, it really wasn’t until the introduction of the Queensberry Rules that there was a clear separation between the two styles.

It seems strange that two sports, which are really brothers from different mothers, would have such a rivalry. Both sides seem fairly dismissive, however, the amount of smack being talked by the MMA fraternity is, at best, misguided and, at worst, obsessive. Being that most of the opinions are based in equal parts delusion and bullshit, I have decided to shed a little light on the major claims.

Claim 1: UFC is bigger than boxing and the WWE combined – Dana White

I really like Dana White, for it seems like he genuinely cares about his sport and he tries to make the best match ups possible. But, in this instance, I really want whatever drug he is on.

A look at PPV buy rates for 2009 does show that UFC 100 came out on top with 1.6 million buys and that, for that year , the UFC held 6 of the top 10 PPV events. However, this event also featured two of the sports top drawcards (in the form of Brock Lesnar, and George St. Pierre) in separate bouts. Brock Lesnar was also in a rematch after being upset by Frank Mir at UFC81. If you look at this in a similar context Tyson-Holyfield II (also a rematch between heavyweights after an upset) did 1.99 million ppv buys, without any type of co-feature. UFC 100 also fell well short of the ppv record, which was set in 2007, the 2.14 million ppv buys set by Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather.

Boxing has put on 11 events with over one million ppv buys. Two bouts featuring Ricky Hatton, against Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, was the only instances where there were more ppv buys in the British market as opposed to the United States.

In comparison, the UFC has four events with over one million ppv buys (UFC 100, 66, 91, 92) since 2006. However, ALL of these events contained more than one headlining bout which is a testament to the great cards that the UFC puts on but, if the UFC was truly bigger than boxing and the WWE combined, wouldn’t they be able to get the same amount of buys with less?

Also, last September UFC103 conflicted with the Mayweather-Marquez bout. Which did better ppv numbers? The best count is Mayweather winning by 2:1.

And, after this, when UFC113 was due to conflict with the Mayweather-Mosley bout, what did Dana White do? Rescheduled it for a week later and gave some bogus excuse regarding a hand injury to Lyoto Machida. What kind of hand injury, the type that would keep you out of a major fight, would be fully healed in exactly seven days?

That’s right, bitch.

Then, instead of being graceful about it all, Dana took a cheap shot at boxing.

Whilst the UFC puts out cards with a more constant buy rate, boxing is like having a pet anaconda, it only occasionally will eat a big rat but, if you sleep on it, it may take one of your children.

Claim 2: Too much buildup in boxing/it doesn’t live up to the hype – Dana White

And that’s not true for any other professional sport on the planet?

How about one of the most hyped bouts in UFC history in Rampage-Rashad? And, barring the Forrest Griffin fight, anything Anderson Silva has been involved in over the last few years? Isn’t he your pound for pound king, one of the top draws and, arguably, the face of the sport??

Being that performance in sporting events are not constant, as they depend wholly on the style of the competitors, it would be irresponsible to single out boxing for a variable which factors into every single sporting contest

Claim 3: There are too many sanctioning bodies and politics, you never really know who the champ is

I agree that there are too many sanctioning bodies, it is really just a way for people to charge their champions a fee to hold and compete for their belt.

At current count, there are 76 sanctioning bodies, with the four main ones (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) counted as legitimate whilst the rest are lightly regarded (if at all) and make up the ‘alphabet soup’

Although not a sanctioning body, The Ring magazine usually provides the best ranking system.

But…..

Hold on. Who are the two best heavyweights in MMA? General opinion points to Fedor Emelianenko and Brock Lesnar. Ok. Well, if MMA is so fair and transparent, how come these two don’t just fight each other for heavyweight supremacy? Oh, that’s right, mixed martial arts doesn’t actually have one universal sanctioning body. So Strikeforce guys can’t fight UFC guys and so forth.

In what other professional sport in the world can the two best competitors not face each other? Yes, the two generally accepted best heavyweights in boxing won’t face each other either. But, they are brothers and are purely acting on the wishes of their mother.

Boxing can be awfully political and a champion, if he manoeuvres well enough, can successfully avoid challengers but, at least, champions can face each other (as long as the money is right).

Claim 4: Boxing is all about money

Umm…yeah. It’s a professional sport. Aside from that, issues of money have plagued what could have been the biggest match ups in the game (Pacquiao-Mayweather for one). It is a really shitty thing and a problem that mixed martial arts seems to have bypassed.

However, to say that it is not all about money is wrong.

Look at every UFC event, advertising is everywhere. Everywhere. It’s just a product of professionalism. Not only that, but fighters partake in the rank consumerism by wearing the latest UFC endorsed clothing line (“bogan couture”) during every one of their ring walks. As fighters are introduced, their corners hold up massive banners complete with all of their sponsors’ names on it. For what pray tell? Money.

Given, money can get in the way of match-ups in boxing but its combatants are generally free and aren’t corporate shills for the organisation.

Claim 5: Fighters control boxing whereas the MMA controls fighters

Agreed and I don’t really have much of an argument here.

If certain match-ups need to be made in the UFC, then it is almost a certainty that they will be made. Boxing, with it’s multiple sanctioning bodies, only tends to make the match-ups that the fighters agree to (which mostly involves the right money). If Pacquiao and Mayweather were in the UFC, it would be said and done by now.

There is only one major drawback……

It is exactly this sense of anticipation that makes boxing that much more exciting! If Tyson had fought Holyfield or Lewis in his prime then there would be no way it would sell that many tickets (although the result MAY have been slightly different). Ditto Mayweather-Mosley.

Can you honestly say that the success of UFC100 wasn’t partially due to the fact the Mir had beaten Lesnar (who was now champion) before? Same thing with UFC66, Chuck stopped Tito at UFC47 and won the Light Heavyweight title two fights later. Fans will then assume one of two things;

1. One of the fighters will have improved since their first time out.

2. With a title on the line, the outcome has the possibility to be dramatically different.

So even though the politics can be prohibitive, it makes the big matchups even bigger.

Claim 6: Boxing is boring, there is too much holding

What?! The same people who think boxing is boring are the kind of people who watch rugby or rugby league (most likely rugby league) for the fights and motorsport for the crashes. Straight bogans. Some people just have a different style, which doesn’t mean that they have an inferior skill level just that certain strategies better fit their strengths or their opponent’s weaknesses.

As the old adage goes, styles make fights.

There are many ‘lay and pray’ fighters in mixed martial arts i.e. guys who work into dominant positions but do not attempt to end the fight. Their style is nowhere near aesthetically pleasing but it wins fights within the rules of their sport. Even fighters who rely on their dominant wrestling to control their opponents provide mostly boring contests. In the end, aren’t they just ‘holding’ anyways?

I hate to reiterate a point but Anderson Silva’s bouts of late have been anything but exciting. In fact, as illustrated in his last bout, he hardly even engages his opponents and throws tantrums when they won’t fight his fight.

UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar utilises his size to smother opponents and hammer people out, which is really just a show of size over skill, is not at all aesthetically pleasing and is as less as a spectacle as the Klitchkos using their size.

A very close friend of mine was watching a boxing fight when the fighters clinched. He exclaimed, “why doesn’t he just choke him out”? The very obvious answer is that IT ISNT IN THE RULES OF THE SPORT. It would be just like watching mixed martial arts and, when faced with a grappling stalemate, asked “Why doesn’t he just shoot him with a gun?”

The extra dimensions that mixed martial arts provide do open new offensive opportunities and avenues to win the contest, but there still going to be instances when a fighter is going to disrupt his opponents offence by providing no opportunity to progress.

Claim 7: MMA has made Boxing (as a skill set) obsolete

The introduction of grappling and a ground game has made MMA the only mainstream multi-dimensional combat sport there is. The proficiency in wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai and boxing make mixed martial artists the most skilled and, probably, the most highly conditioned athletes on the face of the planet.

But to say that it has made boxing obsolete?

Then why is the corner stone of every fighter’s stand up still boxing?

Why are the pound for pound best mixed martial artists hiring boxing trainers instead of mma striking coaches? Yup, B.J. Penn, Anderson Silva, George St. Pierre (that’s the top three pound for pound fighters in the sport), Andrei Arlovski, Tito Ortiz (among others), ALL have enlisted the help of boxing trainer Freddie Roach.

And why, if their skillset is that bad, is a 48 year old boxer, with NO MMA EXPERIENCE AT ALL (whose last significant fight was in 2002) able to knock a former (as recent as 2007) UFC heavyweight champ out cold (COLD!) despite the fact they have no grappling skill whatsoever? Would that, at least, point to the fact that boxing is still a competitive form of striking….just not a multi-dimensional form of combat.

Yep, Sylvia was severely out of shape and past his used by date. But, Ray Mercer was 15 years older and had been out of the competitive fight game for a lot longer. To date, this remains the only knockout (due to strikes) on Sylvia’s ledger.

Claim 8: MMA has better cards

This is one point that I simply can not argue. The UFC puts out consistently strong cards. These are also great value for money as, although there may be 5-6 main bouts, if any of these end early the UFC places an (originally) non-televised bout to fill in the time. Compare this to boxing (with 4-5 televised bouts) whom only show the intended fights without any supplementation if one finishes early.

The major problem seems to be the money involved. The majority of the revenue generated is split between the headlining combatants with little left for the undercard fighters. The disparity between the headliners and undercard fighters revenue is far more pronounced in boxing than in MMA. But, as a sport, boxing is a lot deeper due to its history and, the more competitive something gets through increased participation, the more this disparity is going to exist.

There is certainly ignorance from both camps, from some high profile people who should really be a lot smarter. Why you can’t concurrently be pro-MMA and pro-boxing is beyond me. For, it just seems like one-eyed ignorance as most of the problems highlighted by their proponents exist in their own, if not every, sport. Both are such great sports and we must be in a unique time in history when combat sports are so available. I guess it’s easier just to hate on boxing these days, there is always generational defiance and boxing may seem like an institution of our fathers whilst MMA became professional in our generation. Like an adolescent teen, there seems to be resentment toward where things all came from. But, wearing a ‘Tapout’ shirt (or a black zip up hoodie with a skull on it) and sitting in your room listening to nu-metal doesn’t make you an expert on these things and, all I ask, is that people grow up and educate themselves to a point where they can appreciate a skill set without having to be diametrically opposed to something which is so closely related. It doesn’t make you less of an MMA fan if you appreciate boxing, it makes you more of a sports fan.

Opinion: Mayweather - Mosley

May 2 sees pound for pound kings and certain hall of famers Floyd “Money” Mayweather and “Sugar” Shane Mosley collide at the MGM Grand. This fight has been brewing since Mosley was lightweight champ and Mayweather ruled 130 over a decade ago. All in all Mayweather has collected six titles in five division whilst Mosley has amassed five in three. Although undefeated, Mayweather has never faced anybody of the calibre of Mosley, has ducked most of the tough welterweights and, in reality, cherry picked smaller opponents. With Mosley at $4.20 at the TAB, I don’t think people are really embracing how much of a close contest this will be. This sentiment was echoed by hall of fame trainer Emanuel Steward and was bound to rub flomos and gayweathers the wrong way.

Mayweather last fought in September ’09, when he straight outclassed Juan Manuel Marquez. Although dominating technically, Money May was the far larger fighter and refused to come in under the weight limit. The bout marked the return of Mayweather since he retired at the end of 2007 and he certainly made a statement to the boxing community. A massive underdog, Mosley jacked Antonio Margarito for his title on the way to a 9th round stoppage in January ’09, sending a shockwave through the division. At 38 years old, time is fast running out for Mosley and there are questions on whether he can still pull the trigger for his biggest bout to date.


FLOYD “MONEY” MAYWEATHER (40-0, 25 KOs)

STRENGTHS
If boxing is to be defined as a system of self defence or martial art, then Floyd “Money” Mayweather is the square root of that. The best defensive fighter since Pernell Whitakker, Mayweather has the speed, movement and timing to turn defence into offence. He has only touched down once (unofficially against Judah) and his speed, especially, is blistering. Although guys like Judah and De La Hoya have done well, Mayweather is simply quicker than anyone he has ever faced.

In December ‘07, Mayweather came up against undefeated junior-welterweight champ Ricky Hatton. Although this was fought at 147, Mayweather made Hatton look crude before depositing him on the canvas with a sweet check hook. With this timing and defensive acumen, Mayweather’s awkward style has been too much for everyone he has faced. Mosley doesn’t always cope well with guys who can move and Money has more moves than a bowl of jello.

What ties this all together is his psychological warfare. Mayweather talks so much smack before a fight that he steps across the line. Habitually. He’s a habitual line stepper. By the time the bout rolls around, his opponents are usually so eager to shut him up that they wade into any of the great counters that he has used the bout to set up.


WEAKNESSES
For an undefeated fighter who is ranked, by some, as the best pound for pound fighter in the world, Floyd Mayweather sure hasn’t fought many good welterweights. Of his six fights at 147:

Sharmbra Mitchell - Moved up from 140 and no really notable wins.
Zab Judah - Was a great win against a legitimate welterweight, not a great welterweight.
Carlos Baldomir - Already had nine losses (and six draws) when he fought Mayweather.
De La Hoya - Was actually at 154, however Mayweather only won a split decision against a guy more thoroughly dominated by Mosley.
Hatton - Although unbeaten, was a blown up 140 pounder with a suspect chin.
Marquez’s best weight is easily 130 and he was forced to fight at 144. Mayweather came in two pounds over despite only have to drop three.

So Mayweather only has a single win against a naturally larger foe and has generally avoided the toughest fighters until they are deemed “safe enough” for him to face. De La Hoya (who is 5’11’’) utilised his jab and gave Mayweather all he could handle. Mosley comes with a far better arsenal than De La Hoya and is in far better condition than Oscar was when he fought Floyd. Judah won a good portion of the first few rounds using speed and a good jab. Sugar Shane has mo’ speed than a stripper and jabs well when he chooses to shift into boxer mode.


“SUGAR” SHANE MOSLEY (49-5, 39 KOs)

STRENGTHS
A power-boxer, Mosley combines equal parts speed and power with silky skills. Whether it be stopping the iron-chinned Antonio Margarito or just straight shutting a guy out, as he almost did to Luis Collazo, Sugar Shane has the goods. He can punch in combinations smoothly one second and separate you from your senses with precision like accuracy the next. This unique skill set has allowed him the advantage of being able to transition between being a boxer or a puncher, as he showed in the two De La Hoya bouts.

Sugar Shane is a warrior. Period. He fights everyone. When no one would go near the Vernon Forrest, who did? Mosley. Forget that he lost (twice), he was the welterweight champ and was out to fight the toughest opposition out there. Ditto Winky Wright at junior-middleweight. Of Mosley’s five losses, four have come against these two naturally larger foe. His other loss, against Cotto, was when Sugar Shane was on the eve of a divorce. Don’t get me wrong, Cotto fought a great fight, but even with those negative external factors Cotto only won by 115-113 on two of the cards. After Margarito straight beat Cotto up and generally put fear into the division, who was the first guy to put his name on the dotted line – Sugar Shane. That’s right, bitch. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Mosley has fought the best guys at welterweight since he first beat De La Hoya in 2000.

Mosley also has that innate ability all greats have in being able to step up a gear when it is needed. Sugar Shane can often surge during the later rounds as he did in the bouts with De La Hoya, in stopping Mayorga and Cotto was only just able to hold him off. I once heard that big players made big plays in big games, and this is certainly true of Mosley. In fact, the tougher the challenge, the more he rises. How else can you explain him having a difficult time with guys like Mayorga and Vargas and dominating Collazo, Margarito and DLH?


WEAKNESSES
Although a great boxer at 135, age and a rise in weight has seen Mosley becoming more of a puncher. Sometimes unneccessarily. For a period of time, Sugar Shane’s jab all but disappeared from his arsenal as he looked to land left hooks and overhand rights. He can’t afford to be sloppy at all against Mayweather, who will make you pay for every mistake. He also needs the jab to be in full effect.

At 38 years of age, there also must be some questions about how many more big fights Mosley has in him. True, he totally decimated Margarito, but he didn’t look great in stopping Mayorga and had been decisioned by Cotto the fight before that. The Margarito bout was 15 months ago and, although Shane is always in shape, he can’t afford to let ring rust (a factor that could be compouned by age) affect him.

Sugar Shane can also have problems with boxers who move and have a great jab or have awkward styles. Forrest used that big strong jab and strength on the inside to bully Mosley, whilst Wright’s defence gave Sugar Shane fits. Hell, he was only just up on the scorecards at the time of the Mayorga stoppage. Mayweather has far better defence than Winky Wright and is far more awkward than Mayorga.



PREDICTION
Money is one of the best fighters of this generation, his outstanding skills coupled with a great mind has meant that he has been able to be triumphant over every foe he has ever faced professionally. The big variable here is the fact that he just hasn’t fought anyone of quality his own size or larger. Sugar Shane, on the other hand, and although he has losses, has faced some of the best competition in the world at welter for the last decade. This is about as close as it is going to get and I wouldn’t be all that surprised at a draw but……


….Sugar Shane ftw (decision).

Opinion: Pavlik - Martinez

It’s about time. The first quarter of 2010 has been a relative grindfest as far as competitive fights go. In fact, the super six tournament aside, there has hardly been any pure contests. Thank L Ron. for Pavlik-Martinez.

This Sunday we see the middleweight king Kelly Pavlik, square off against the #1 ranked junior-middleweight Sergio Martinez. Fought at 160, this will be Pavlik’s fourth defence of his lineal World Middleweight crown.

The last we saw Pavlik was in crushing overmatched Miguel Angel Espino and this bout would be his first real contest since he was battered from post to post by Bernard Hopkins in a catchweight bout in October 2008. “The Ghost” recently had a ten month layoff to recover from a staph infection in his knuckle which threatened his career and “forced” him to pull out of two proposed bouts with Paul Williams. Strangely enough, the man who replaced Pavlik in the second proposed Williams bout will be the man facing him Sunday. In December, Martinez was unfortunate to receive narrow majority decision loss to Paul Williams in a ‘fight of the year’ candidate. This loss did nothing to drop Martinez’s stock however, as he gave as good as he got and managed to drop Williams hard in the first round.

Pavlik, who is 6-foot-2, is the naturally bigger and stronger fighter compared to the 5-11 Martinez, 34, who is a southpaw and faster. This bout sees a classic style matchup with puncher-boxer Pavlik and boxer-puncher Martinez.


KELLY PAVLIK (36-1, 32 KO)

STRENGTHS
At 6’2’’, Pavlik is a tall middleweight. He utilises his height and massive 75-inch reach well and throws mostly straight shots. He has a clear 3-inch height advantage over Martinez and should look to keep him on the end of that rattling jab.

You better pack a lunch, cause Pavlik will drop the one-two all day. Although mechanical, his right is an authentic show-stopper. By being adept at the most basic fundamentals of the sweet scientce he was able to pulverise the then undefeated Jermain Taylor to relieve him of his title and forced the corner of, the normally undentable, Marco Antonio Rubio to throw in the towel after 9. He also blasted the dangerous and exciting Edison Miranda in 7, barely losing a round. Pavlik has world class power at 160 and it will be interesting to see how Martinez will react.


WEAKNESSES
Pavlik only really comes at you one way, he stands right in front of you and throws straight shots to the dome. For all of Pavlik’s power, it must be noted that his punches can be seen by smoke signal. This lack of hand speed may hurt him against the quicker Martinez. I think it is also safe to say that Pavlik won’t be making a cameo on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ as he has genuine “white people feet” and can be plodding. I mean, really, how many (straight) white dudes can dance?

The Hopkins fight also showed us that it is possible for Pavlik to be bullied. Hopkins continually had Pavlik on the back foot where “The Ghost” could not uncork the one-two. By continually giving Pavlik angles and moving to his right, Hopkins also took away the right hand. Martinez certainly has the movement to give Pavlik all kinds of trouble but whether he can back him remains to be seen.


Sergio Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KO)

STRENGTHS
Martinez is a terrifically skilled guy who is fast and tough. He proved against Williams that he could compete against the most avoided fighter in the sport and was terribly unlucky in losing the decision. Martinez’s main strength is his speed, footwork and southpaw style. If he is able to frustrate Pavlik early and take the fight to him, then he may be able to unsettle him.

Although not a heavy puncher, Martinez sat down on his punches during the Williams fight and seriously hurt him in the first round. That is quite a feat from such a seemingly feather-fisted guy. Remember, Jermain Taylor had Pavlik down.


WEAKNESSES
There must be concerns regarding Martinez’s chin. He was stopped by Margarito at 147 and put down by Williams at 160. Although they are both big punchers, both are naturally larger welters who, because of their size, are able to jump up classes with relative ease. Martinez has never caught wreck from a naturally larger fighter and Pavlik has the boom to keep him down.

Keeping with the issue of size, Martinez does not have the strength to be able to push Pavlik back. His fight with “The Punisher” was also at 160 however, as previously stated, P-Will is a natural welter. Pavlik is a full sized middleweight at 6’2’’ whilst Martinez is a fairly average 154-pounder at 5’11’’.

Coupled with this natural disadvantage is the fact that Martinez is all of 35 years old. This is very much a “do or die” fight against his 28 year old opponent. Pavlik also, has seen criticisms over his last couple of performances and will be hungry to put on a dominant performance.



PREDICTION
Although Williams-Martinez was a terrific stoush, the style match up with Pavlik just seems too difficult. He is coming in against a larger, younger, more powerful opponent and I just don’t think Martinez will be able to back him up. He should frustrate Pavlik with his movement but I think “The Ghost” needs this more. Even when he was losing with Hopkins, Pavlik never stopped trying and he is bound to catch Martinez.

Pavlik KO10

Opinion: Tua - Ahunanya

Tonight, former heavyweight title challenger and the #3 ranked heavyweight by the WBO, David “The Tuamanator” Tua faces former challenger, and also Shane Cameron head-splitter, Friday “The 13th” Ahunanya. This is the first fight for Tua since he dismantled Shane Cameron in just over a round last October and a continuation of what must be his last shot at heavyweight glory. The bout, at the Waitakere Trusts Stadium (chur!), is surely a ‘must win’ for both and a loss would signal an affective end to their professional careers.

Boxing, is not a sport of logic. For instance, if A beats B and B beats C then surely A must beat C? Not so. Take the welterweight division. Miguel Cotto decisioned Sugar Shane Mosley, Cotto was then stopped by Antonio Margarito. Margarito was, of course, then heavily favored over Mosley. The result? Sugar Shane ftw. Illogical. So, after Ahunanya TKO’d Cameron in the last round in what was a “fairly even” contest then Tua beat Cameron like he stole something, then it must go that Tua would wax Ahunanya. Relativity. However, let’s take a closer look….


DAVID TUA 50-3-1 (43 KOs)

STRENGTHS
The only way to begin to talk about Tua’s strengths is in highlighting the left hand. Tua’s left hook has closed the show on many credible heavyweights including the 19 second dicknailing of John Ruiz. That’s right. Bitch. Despite fighting most of the best heavyweights over the past decade (and being a two time titleholder) this remains the only stoppage loss on Ruiz’s ledger. This weapon ranked Tua as the 48th greatest puncher of all-time (all-time!!) according to Ring Magazine.

Tua’s chin has also been the divisions best for a long time. The last time Tua was off his feet officially in a contest was when he was stopped by Cuban legend, and three time Olympic gold medallist, Felix Sevon at the 1991 World Amateur Champs. He has weathered punchers such as Ike Ibeabuchi, Lennox Lewis and Hasim Rahman all whilst never taking a backwards step.

Tua also has the edge in competition faced over his career with a bevy of former, future and one present champs faced. His only losses have come at the hands of Ike Ibeabuchi, Lennox Lewis (for the title) and Chris Byrd (a titlist). He drew in the return Rahman (also a titlist) fight but had stopped him in the first.


WEAKNESSES
Tua’s major problem has been his inactivity, whether it takes him a couple of years to comeback and face a standing corpse or whether he stands in the ring not throwing anything. His laziness is well documented and his physical condition can be suspect at best. He first turned pro weighing 200 pounds however he has come in as high as 253 and shaped like a bag of water. He officially weighed in at 240 but looks a lot harder than he did in his last bout against Cameron where he weighed 237. 240 is heavy for Tua, how effective that 240 is remains to be seen.

Even though he possesses one of the best left hands ever, Tua is one-dimensional and can be easily out-boxed. As previously noted, because of the condition he comes into fights in, he can also have problems catching opponents that can move around the ring (although he does carry his power late).

Currently, Tua is ranked 3rd in the world by the WBO, it must be noted that the WBO isn’t all that credible. I could be ranked by the WBO, if I wanted to. It’s just that I don’t wanna.


FRIDAY AHUNANYA 24-5-3 (13 KOs)

STRENGTHS
Outstanding defence seems to be the calling card of fighters from Africa and it is no different in Ahunanya. A great chin (never knocked out), from a guy who holds his hands high and has some decent head movement, is always going to be a tough cookie to crack. Even when he appeared to be wobbled by Cameron, Friday just wouldn’t sit down. Apparently Tua and Ahunanya have sparred before and Tua was only able to floor him once and never hurt him. If Saturday night is just all right for fighting then Friday must have been born to take a punch.

Although he is defensively weighted, Ahunanya possesses a strong jab and is an effective counter puncher. Even though he appeared overmatched against Cameron, he countered him silly before turning out the lights.

Friday’s training camp also seems like it was better than Tua’s. For instance, Tua sparred with second tier heavy Israel Garcia whilst Ahunanya sparred with former champs Sam Peter and Hasim Rahman. Compounding that, even though he hasn’t fought in nearly two years, is the fact that Friday has a far better recent resume of opponents. Never mind the fact that he lost to everyone that mattered. His last two bouts were wins against undefeated opponents (Alonzo Butler and Cameron).

The quality of Ahunanya’s RECENT opponents trumps Tua’s, by a long shot. Tua’s last bout against good opposition was a 2003 draw against Hasim Rahman. Since 2003, Friday has faced names which include Dominick Guinn, Sultan Ibragimov and Alexander Povetkin. However, it must be noted that he hasn’t won against a top-tier decent opponent. Neither Cameron nor Butler are world class and his best result was the 2005 draw with Guinn.


WEAKNESSES
Ahunanya can be a little defensive for his own good. He likes to counter punch out of the guard and can look unwieldy when aggressive. Against Tua, he can not afford to be sloppy or overly defensive. A fraction of a second is all it takes to put your fuse out.

Despite being a physical strong guy Ahunanya’s power is not intimdating. His stoppage of Cameron aside, he has never stretched out anyone of note. Friday is more likely to be the end of your week than the end of your night.



PREDICTION
By fighting in Tua’s hometown, and considering the state of boxing judging in New Zealand, it would be hard to imagine Ahunanya winning a decision. Despite countering Cameron for a good portion of the fight, he was still behind on the cards. Unlike the cars I drove when I was a teenager, you just not gonna be able to dent either Tua nor Ahunya. No matter how recklessly you drive. Which “logically” means this fight will go to the cards.

Tua decision.

Opinion: Cameron - Hopoate

Next Thursday’s showdown between cardboard heavyweight Shane Cameron and former league international and sexual assault enthusiast (yes, violating someone without their consent is considered sexual assault) John Hopoate is a joke. A BAD joke. Unfortunately, this is a fight for the bogans with neither competitor being skillful and both just running on faded name. I can’t tell you how much this kind of ‘circus fight’ disgusts me. I would rather take a sharp kick in the pills than have to pay the $24.95 necessary to watch this bullshit. Bullshit!! If you are excited for this fight then you truly have no appreciation for boxing skill and clearly just like fighting. I am willing to bet that your favourite part of a rugby or (most likely) rugby league game is when they actually stop playing the game you are watching to fight. Which constitutes cheating and requires no skill. Classless. For shame.

Blah blah blah March 18th at the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.


SHANE CAMERON: (23-2, 20 KOs)

STRENGTHS
Cameron really has no outstanding attributes, he has ok power but tends to wear guys down rather than being able to out and out blast someone. When he has someone hurt, he can always find another gear to put them away and he is always in good condition.

The Mountain Warrior’s body attack has been his biggest development of late with him able to straight rip Robert Davis (the last opponent has was able to throw a punch against) to the mid.

Although only a comparative strength, he has faced far better opposition than Hopoate with most of his wins being over mid-range journeymen. His stoppage over Bob Mirovic was impressive although Hopoate has also stopped and decisioned the same opponent


WEAKNESSES
Cameron has middle of the road skills which are only saved by his conditioning and his belief that he is better than what he really is. I have never seen a fighter dupe a public so bad into believing they were going to be something. Unfortunately, the bogan public are only too willing to believe that a white fighter is going to be great. He truly is “The Great White Hope for the Great White Dopes”.

Coupled with his average skills, Cameron’s punch resistance falters somewhere after something stronger than a wet fart. Ahunanya was able to counterpunch Cameron well and just wore him out with only mild power. Tua, although one of the most powerful heavyweights ever, barely even set his feet when he punched and Cameron was on the deck. He was lucky to escape the first round. If that isn’t bad enough, Cameron bleeds in strong winds and has been fortunate on a couple of occasions not to be stopped on cuts.

Anyone who tells you that Cameron is anything more than a one-dimensional journeyman is a delusional fool.



JOHN HOPOATE (12-4, 11 KOs)

STRENGTHS
Hopoate’s major attribute is his power, although he just blows everything in the first couple of rounds. He tends just to bull people around the ring, relying on his early strength.

Other than this, well….um….he was Australian Heavyweight Champ, which is something (I guess?).


WEAKNESSES
Hopoate’s record is a complete illusion. Complete. Don’t believe me? Well, let’s “break it down one time”. The overall record of Hopoate’s beaten opponants stands at 107-109-9, not even a winning record and includes four guys who had never even won a fight. That’s not even the worst news, of all of Hopoate’s conquerers (with an accumulated 86-38-2 record), only two have a winning record. He lost a decision to the 1-4-1 Brian Fitzgerald and then was ktfo’d in one round by a fighter on debut (although he was the former Australian kickboxing champ). That’s right. Bitch.

Hoppa’s power is also deceptive as he tends just the blow out early, he only has one stop after five rounds and Colin Wilson, who knocked him on his face last October, only had to survive the opening three before he could blast his poorly conditioned foe.

Aside from never beating anyone of note and having “bully power”, Hoppa’s chin is equally as crap. Of four losses, he has been stopped in three with 45 year old Oliver McCall the only notable conquerer.



PREDICTION
If Cameron can’t blast Hoppa out within a couple, then he is worse than I give him credit for. Hopoate’s name isn’t even synonymous with boxing and presents an uncouth bully with no skill to speak of. Cameron’s grit and (comparative) class shouldn’t see this one go further than the third round.

Opinion: Mayweather-Marquez

This….really caught me off guard. It always seemed like the return of “Money May” was just a matter of time and now it is only hours away. For undisclosed reasons, my lyrical badness has been on hiatus.....

September 19th marks the return to the ring of “Pretty Boy” Floyd “Money” Mayweather, who must be the only fighter in the modern era to have more than one ring name. Since last dropping Ricky Hatton 21 months ago, Floyd has stayed actively in the spotlight. Stints in the WWF, Dancing with the Stars and his general diva persona has meant that he has been consistently on our radar. Which is good, for him, as now he returns without losing any real public exposure, which will undoubtedly help him make “that money” and solve his issues with the taxman. Now, Money May is ending the nearly two-year retirement few thought would last in order to face lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez at a catch weight of 144 pounds Sept. 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Marquez comes with it. Since drawing with Pacquiao in mid 2004 he has fought a veritable who’s who of the feather/super feather divisions including wins of Barrera, Juarez, Casamayor, Juan Diaz with only disputed losses to Pacquiao and Chris John. The winner of this fight is sure to face the winner of Pacquiao-Cotto in establishing the best fighter at 147.


FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR (39-0, 25 KOs)

STRENGTHS
Mayweather is a once in a generation fighter. Stupid fast, superb technically, fantastic defensively and with a great boxing mind. He has won titles in five divisions (130-154) and was long considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the game. His speed and movement make him a pure boxer, who can still be the aggressor when backed into the ropes. In fact, so schooled is he in the noble art of self defense that he can turn your aggression against you and make those who come to fight look crude. These qualities couldn’t be more apparent when you look at his extraordinary efficiency. He counters well which limits his opponents offense and he is strategic in setting them up. Although behind, Ricky Hatton wasn’t being outclassed until Money May caught him wading in with a left hook that signalled the beginning of the end. In saying all this, it must noted that Mayweather only has 2 stoppages in his five fights above 140. He also has an excellent chin and has only been taken off his feet officially once by Carlos Hernandez (he touched down against Judah but it wasn’t counted) but this is probably more indicative of his defensive skills.

Although Floyd is coming off a 21 month layoff, he never strays too far from his fight weight, is always active, has stamina to boot and always in great shape.


WEAKNESSES
Rather than any glaring technical weaknesses, Floyd seems to have been hampered by the toll boxing took on his body itself. Nagging hand and should injuries have had time to heal during his “retirement” however, (supposedly) injuring his ribs in training may provide Marquez with a target. Zab Judah showed us that constant pressure and some body work were a way to go forward and De La Hoya, when he used it, jabbed effectively and ended up losing a split decision.

Roger Mayweather’s (his uncle and trainer) legal issues may have been a distraction but, really, when aren’t the Mayweathers involved in some kind of shit?

Watching Money May get pedicures and hearing him play the race card isn’t really endearing him to anyone. He also dodges any legit welters, he would NEVER fight Mosley, P-Will, Margarito or Cotto. Maybe Cotto now, but never the pre-Margarito pressure machine that Cotto was. On top of all of this, whilst I respect him as an athlete, he just comes off as pompous and as someone who has no respect for the gentlemanly aspects of the sport. So take that Floyd! Craig doesn’t like you!!…and that's officially a weakness….



JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ (50-4-1, 37 KOs)

STRENGTHS
Marquez is a great counter puncher who is versatile in being able to also initiate the action, has fast hands, stamina to boot and an iron constitution. You only had to watch him drag himself off the canvas three times in the opening stanza in his first meeting with Pacquiao to know he is tough and an embodiment of that fierce Mexican fighting spirit. So much so that he is jumping up two weight divisions to fight somebody who is, arguably, still the best fighter in the sport today. Marquez is a good technician with a remarkable boxing brain as he is able to adjust his game plan mid-round without any intervention from his corner. He also packs a bit of power in his fists, although he jumped up a division in his last two bouts, they were both stoppage wins.

Although with four losses on his ledger, he has never been stopped and can weather a storm when needed (previously stated Pacquiao bout and the Diaz stoush are great examples). Both the Pacquiao fights were highly controversial and could have gone Marquez’s way.

The postponement of the fight, due to Mayweather injuring his ribs, was only ever good for Marquez. Trainer Nacho Beristain stated that there was no way Marquez was ready by that point and his body has now grown into a legit welter’s. Marquez has not made it a secret that he will look to be aggressive to the body.

Watch out Mayweather – this guy drinks his own pee!


WEAKNESSES
Jumping up a class is always a big ask. Jumping up two, to fight perhaps the best boxer in the world, is epic. How this weight gain has affected his speed remains to be seen as it is entirely plausible that it has slowed him down some. Something which Marquez can’t afford to have happen. Coupled with this, although Marquez is a complete fighter in his own right, he isn’t exceptional in the same way Money May is. So he will be coming into it being smaller, slower, weaker and older…and not as smart according to Floyd Sr. His (supposed) tactic of chasing Mayweather down will leave him open to quicker, more powerful counters.

Even though Marquez has a good chin, it needs to be noted that he is hittable has never been hit by a legit 147 pounder. Even someone as relatively feather fisted as Mayweather. Mayweather has taken shots from guys his size but never the other way round. He would also need to impose himself physically which he looks far too small to do. There is no way he could rough him up inside.



PREDICTION

In order for Marquez to have a shot, he needs to take advantage of Mayweather’s ring rust and press early. He simply does not have the power to stop him however and would need to be progressive in his game plan, adding wrinkles as the bout progressed and keeping him off balance. This looks terribly unlikely and it really is too much to ask him to beat a bigger, younger, quicker, stronger and (now) rested fighter at a weight 9 pounds above his heaviest (at which he had one fight).

Money May to win, but whether he can be emphatic in doing so will be the real question. He has the skill set to exert the pressure or, like usual, pick him apart. It should only take a couple of rounds but it is entirely possible that he could stop Marquez. If I was pushed to narrow it down, I think he will win a comfortable decision.

Opinion: Pacquiao-Cotto

Even though I have already touched on the subject of this fight, with it now a reality, I thought it may deserve more in-depth analysis. I mean, do you take a woman back home with the intention of cuddling and hearing her hopes and dreams? No freaking way, you go in there to turn that thing inside out! So......scheduled for November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto will square off in a match between two of the sports biggest stars in it's best division. Both fighters have a huge fan base as Pacquiao has reached demi-god type status in his native Philippines after becoming the first fighter in history to win titles in six divisions whilst Cotto is the current pride of Puerto Rico and carries a lot of clout in New York.

Although classed as a welterweight fight, it is being fought at a catch weight of 145 pounds. This is wrong. Really wrong. If Pacquiao wants to lay claim to being a welterweight champion then he should be fighting at the 147 pound limit...like everyone else. What this reduced weight clause really says to the world is that Pacquiao is not prepared to fight real welterweights at their peak condition (or even Shane Mosley at 140). Weak sauce dude, weak sauce. You could argue that he started at 106 pounds and is therefore naturally smaller but, if that is the case, what the H.E double-hockey-sticks are you doing campaigning at welter? It would be like me going to fight a heavyweight and stipulating that they could only use one hand (they would still win...by quick stoppage...Craig's opponent ftw!).


MANNY PACQUIAO (49-3-2, 37 KOs)

Strengths
Pacquiao's major strength is his speed, which is absolutely blistering and has magnified his power as he has came up through the weight classes without losing any his quickness. He is a whirlwind of activity in that he can fight the last round just as hard as he fought the first.

Pacquiao comes out to throw and his left hand, from his southpaw stance, is dangerous as hell. You only have to watch the footage of him hitting the snooze button on the lovable-but-limited Ricky Hatton to see what it is capable of. Earlier in his career this was all he was looking to land but, under new trainer Freddie Roach (three time Trainer of the Year), he has developed into a complete boxer who can throw the right hook almost as well as the left hand and jab, counter and throw straight shots should the situation call for it. He has also improved in every fight and beat the top guys in every division he has competed in. His wins against Hatton, De La Hoya and Diaz were magnificent displays of dominance. Furthermore, Roach is a superb tactician who was, in no doubt, somewhat responsible for Pacquiao's biggest wins of late.

Defensively, Pacquiao is very good having only been stopped once (when he was struggling to meet the 112 pound flyweight limit) and lost just once in the last ten years. He has excellent head movement and foot speed to boot.

Weaknesses
Pacquiao has been known to struggle against counter-punchers. Juan Manual Marquez held him to a draw and a split decision, both of which were debatable. Cotto can be slick and counter punch well but whether he can hang with Pacquiao's speed remains to be seen. Having started his professional career age 16 at 106 pounds, there must also be questions of how he is going to handle a real welter as opposed to a faded De La Hoya. The way to beat Cotto is to put him on the back foot and I don't know if Pacquiao has that kind of strength.


MIGUEL COTTO (34-1, 27 KOs)

Strengths
Cotto is a precision puncher who viciously works the body before turning out the lights. He throws the straight right like he is trying to knock your head off your shoulders and hits like a sledgehammer when going to the slats. Boxes and moves excellently, the first six rounds of the Margarito bout were fantastic displays in the art of hitting and not being hit. Aggressive as all hell, he brings a lot of pressure and, even if there is only a slight disparity in skill between the fighters, Cotto’s pressure will make it all the more apparent.

He has also faced some of the top fighters the division has to offer in Mosley, Margarito and Clottey. All these fights were tough with Cotto enduring a (probable) glove loading by Margarito and fighting through a nasty cut with Clottey. Both these fighters are huge welterweights who could bounce up to 154 without a problem, which is the reason they could back Cotto up and Pacquiao just doesn’t seem strong enough to do so. Against smaller fighters like Judah (who is more relative in size to Pacquiao), Cotto was far stronger and could exert his will.

Weaknesses
The big question that hangs over Cotto is how he will respond to a big test like Pacquiao after his loss to Margarito. Cotto has seemed less confident following this and, when faced with a stern test, he abandons the body attack all together. Why? I mean, your one of the best body punchers in the game and, against Pacquiao, you are gonna need to try and slow him down.

The 145 pound weight limit will be the lightest Cotto has weighed in at for more than three years and he was struggling (and subsequently seemed drained) in his final junior-welter bouts. If he is drained at 145, it is severely going to affect his ability to throw and apply pressure. Cotto wins by applying pressure.

Pacquiao’s work rate may also give Cotto fits as he can throw all night. We have seen Cotto fade late in his three biggest bouts (Mosley, Margarito, Clottey) which will play right into Pacquiao’s favour.


Prediction

Both fighters come to swing, both have great chins and if Pacquiao wants to trade early it will be to his detriment. Freddie Roach won't let this happen. I still think Pacquiao will start fast but he will look to box and counter until the middle rounds. Cotto can't match Pacquiao's speed and should go the body early, if he can pin him down. This approach will leave him wide-open upstairs. Cotto will be stronger over the first half of the fight with Pacquiao darting in and out with lightning combinations. After six we should see Pacquiao become a whole lot more aggressive and Cotto start to fade. Cotto won’t be able to back up or move out of the way and will start getting caught by left hands only to capitulate inside of 10.

Opinion: The Welter-Wait

The welterweight division is arguably boxing's premier division. Since the retirement of Lennox Lewis (and probably much before) the heavyweight division has been parched of great matchups, dynamic fighters and excitement in general. The cruel illusion of it as the measuring stick of the sport has long been debunked. Really, when was the last time you saw a legitimately great heavyweight stoush? If your answer contained Lewis and either the names Holyfied or Tyson then you need to get your head checked out. Watching Lewis beat up on faded names does not a good bout make.

I could complain about the heavies all day long but the bottom line is that 147 is stacked with fighters, all of whom want a crack at each other. Not only that, but it epitomises the spirit of the sport. The art of hitting someone and not being hit. Most boxing bogans (or sports bogans in general) only want to see the brutish elements. Crushing knockouts, crashes in motorsport, rugby league. Sure these elements may be visually appealing but in all instances they are not in the real essence of what is trying to be accomplished. Cheap thrills for the great unwashed and those too ignorant to appreciate the finer points. This is where the 'real' divisions come in. I mean, what kind of division is 'heavyweight' anyways? " Oh...I'm big and my fights are three rounds of winging awkward punches and seven rounds of clinching". At least that is the way it is these days....

Aside, with the huge movements in the welterweight division within the last year only too apparent, I have compiled a list of fights that have to happen. I realise my tastes aren't for everyone (they're better! ROFLcopter) so I have divided them into;

Have to Happen: Big names, great matchups and, in a sport with three major sanctioning bodies, help to clear the picture a little

I'd like to see: Matchups that satisfy my morbid curiosity for such bouts (and Paul Williams).

Certain fights: Bouts that are bound to happen, and are good matchups, but are missing something



Have to Happen

Cotto-Margarito II

Their first fight was an instant classic. After boxing strongly in the first six rounds, Margarito seemingly got stronger as the fight progressed and chased Cotto round the ring banging him like a drum on his way to an 11 round TKO win. After Margarito's glove loading came to light, and the way this fight played out, it is entirely probable that he did load his gloves for this fight. The other side of the coin is that we have seen Cotto fade severely also in his fights with Mosley and Clottey which could mean that the rematch will play out exactly the same. This is unlikely due to the fact that I believe Cotto will be fairly enraged by the supposed glove loading of their first fight and would probably triumph in the return.


Pacquiao-Mayweather

The fight the world wants to see. Pacquiao, after career defining stoppage wins of De La Hoya and Hatton, is now the king of the sport, a title Mayweather used to hold. Mayweather, in signalling his return to the ring, says he wants Pacquiao, Cotto and Mosley however the latter is unlikely to happen soon as he would want a tune-up bout and probably to wait for Mosley to get a little older. Both fighters are stupid quick however Pacquiao is out there to sling leather whilst Mayweather boxes from the outside and uses his astounding defence when in tight. In my eyes, a Pacquaio win and very possibly a stoppage.


Mosley-Pacquiao

The fight I really wanna see and probably the biggest fight in the game as far as legit fight fans are concerned. Mosley has done everything to make this happen; said he would drop weight, gave Pacquiao 60 percent of the purse and even went so far as to give him a rematch clause. You gotta love Sugar Shane, for he wants to fight everyone and will do what it takes to make it happen. Unfortuantely he seems to be too big, too small or too good for his contemporaries. God I hope Pacquiao just sucks it up and fights him at 147. Sugar Shane FTW!


Mosley-Mayweather

This fight has been brewing since the late 90's when Mosley was lightweight champ and Mayweather ruled the junior-lightweights. Mayweather talks, and cries..then does some more talking but the bottom line is that he knows he is in for a 'L' on his record. If Mayweather cared about actually being the best rather than just maintaining an unbeaten record (so he can pose as the best) then this fight would have happened some time ago.



I'd Like to See

Williams-Clottey

Williams is an absolute anomaly. This huge welter has a reach longer than the Klitchko's and throws more shots than a lightweight. So good is Williams - that no one from 147 to 160 wants a bar of him. Bring in Clottey, who has two gritty and disputed losses to both Cotto and Margarito and needs someone who will want to take the big risk-small reward payoff of meeting him, and this is definitely a fighters fight between two guys no one wants to face. Williams should really dominate anyone from 147-160 (how he lost to Cintron is beyond me).


Berto-Collazo II

Berto, the heir apparent of the welterweight division, owns a close and highly disputed win over Luis Collazo. Before he gets in with the big names of the division he needs to dominate the contenders. A rematch should see him do so more convincingly.


Williams-Mayweather

I just want this to shut Mayweather up. It would never happen (and not because of Williams).


Williams-Pavlik

I know - this is not a welterweight fight. This, at 160, would be awesome. Both are huge guys with long arms who look to throw shots. The clinches would resemble some kind of spaghetti dinner and I'm sure each fighter could still land jabs from the other side of the ring. Williams to outhustle.



Certain Fights

Berto-another undersized welter

Step up and face an adult Andre! Dominating Steve Forbes at 147 isn't quite the accomplishment Oscar De La Hoya makes it out to be. If you want to be a force in the division then you are gonna have to collect the scalp of someone reputable.


Cotto-Pacquiao

This fight is now being slated for November and looks to be a very good fight however better could be made. Whilst Pacquiao has looked mercurial in despatching De La Hoya and Hatton, Cotto has looked uncertain in crushing the overmatched Michael Jennings and barely outlasting Joshua Clottey. The loss to Margarito clearly did something to Cotto's head and, unless he can fix it, he looks to suffer a mid round KO at the hands of the PacMan. If Cotto had never lost to Margarito then it could go either way.


Mayweather-Marquez

Originally scheduled for July, Mayweather’s injury has now pushed this back to September. Originally seen as a comeback fight and a warmup for Mayweather, durable counterpuncher Marquez may just prove to be too stiff a challenge for “Money” who has set this bout at 144 (the highest Marquez would have ever weighed). As great as this fight should be, both are counterpunchers and this fight could become a grindfest if both revert to it. Mayweather will get the decision regardless of who deserves it.

Opinion: The Prospect of Tua-Cameron

With heavyweight contender Shane Cameron’s 11th round stoppage over the ordinary Robert Davis still fresh in our memory (as opposed to David Tua’s last fight which seems to have happened somewhere before Christ). The much hyped and anticipated showdown with former heavyweight contender David Tua is now a reality. First, let’s get this straight, although their (slated for) June contest should be a good bout by two fighters who are bound to go at it, it is no where NEAR the international boxing community’s radar. New Zealand fight fans? Sure….but it’s effect on a division desperately searching for it’s savior? Barely a ripple…

The New Zealand public is just fiercely divided over the outcome. Being a man of logic and reason I threw together the following analysis.


SHANE CAMERON: (23-1, 20 KOs)

STRENGTHS
Cameron is not an overly big heavyweight and usually comes in around 230. This is always a good 230 and we are yet to see him out of shape or fat. He has 20 stops in 23 wins in which he has just worn down his opponents before turning out their lights. When he hurts an opponent he knows to turn it on, once your tagged it’s pretty much a guarantee that he is gonna get you out of there. Bob Mirovic (Cameron’s biggest win to date) was punished then straight stretched out by a left hook. Even if it is late in the bout he knows how to rally for the stop. His body attack of late has been most impressive as he is just punishing the mid, as shown in his last bout against Robert Davis.


WEAKNESSES
As terrible as this sounds…well….Cameron is a white heavyweight. I know, I know. Fighters from the former Soviet Bloc (also white) have stamped their mark on the division of late and are currently holding all the belts. Cameron is a prototypical white heavyweight, little lateral movement, bleeds when exposed to open air and has a suspect chin (as shown by Ahunanya ) which can be magnified by his average defense. When Cameron bleeds it’s like someone burst a dam and there is no way he is going to be able to stand right in front of Tua. Although his stoppage of Mirovic was impressive, he does not possess one punch knockout power and relies on wearing people down with a bombardment of hooks both upstairs and down. His strategy just seems to be about getting people out of there and, when faced with stern opposition, he can look lost.


DAVID TUA (49-3, 42 KOs)

STRENGTH
Tua’s left hand must as or, if not, close to as destructive as Mike Tyson’s in his prime. If he lands it, it means someone is getting stretched out. He possesses late power and has a string of late round knockouts of some credible heavyweights (Maskaev, Rahman, Oquendo..). He has also fought much better opposition than Cameron and, more often than not, proved himself in these contests. Tua’s chin has been the best in the heavyweight division for a long time and he has never been seriously wobbled or down (the after the bell knockdown by Rahman doesn’t count) which is also tribute to his not-often-discussed head movement and defense.


WEAKNESSES
For all of Tua’s power, he is rather one-dimensional and even fighters with moderate boxing skills, who are smart enough to stay away from the hook, can frustrate him as Chris Byrd showed us. Tua can also come in seriously out of shape and this has shown in his punch output. In fact, Tua’s punch output has been on the decline in general. This puts him in a very precarious position of being a world class puncher who doesn’t want to punch. When Tua fights Cameron he will be close to 37 years of age which can be old for a fighter and ancient for a slugger, take your Holyfield/Foreman/Hopkins arguments elsewhere, these people are freaks. Tua has also been relatively inactive, not having a fight since blowing out poor Cerrone Fox in September of ’07. Although he did have three fights that year, he has since done nothing.


PREDICTION

You’re not going to be able to stand toe-to-toe with Tua. There is a book on how to beat him; stay on the end of the jab, move around so he can’t set his feet, stay away from the left and tie him up on the inside. Simple. Unfortunately Shane Cameron has never shown us that he is remotely capable of doing this and just bores straight in - this will be his downfall. You hope that this fight is going to be two-sided slugfest but the harsh reality is that it is entirely possible, if Tua lets his hands go, that Cameron won’t even get the chance to bleed. Like all of New Zealand, I want to believe in Cameron – I really do, however, unlike the rest of New Zealand, I deal in reality.

Tua KO.