Boxing News Thread
- Thread starter heyzel
- Start date
Camp Pacquaio Decision Time
By Vitali Shaposhinikov: According to numerous reports, Freddie Roach once again confirmed that a Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight against Manny Pacquiao may have to wait, as they feel that team Marquez deserves another fight to try and solidify their three questionable results.
Roach also mentioned that ultimately, it is Bob Arum who decides where Pacquiao ends up next; as if we didn’t already know that. Of course Arum will do all in his power to avoid Mayweather Jr., but this time, if he decides to take alternate routes he might get caught with his lies exposed.
Having said that, and understanding that a fight again Floyd Mayweather Jr. is something that boxing simply requires, I also acknowledge that Juan Manuel Marquez needs another shot more than Mayweather Jr. deserves it.
An army of boxing fans and journalists feel that Marquez won the last fight, including myself, which makes team Pacquiao a bit cornered. If they fight Marquez, they are ‘avoiding’ Mayweather Jr., but if they decide to place Floyd ahead of Maruqez on their timeline, well than the same scenario builds up. Not a great place for team Pacquiao nowadays.
It seems as though a Mayweather Jr. fight is a better way to go, as it will skyrocket Pacquiao’s stock back up, that is if he is able to defeat Money May.
Anyway, Arum will know just what to do: he will find another ‘definite win’ opponent for Manny Pacquiao.
By Vitali Shaposhinikov: According to numerous reports, Freddie Roach once again confirmed that a Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight against Manny Pacquiao may have to wait, as they feel that team Marquez deserves another fight to try and solidify their three questionable results.
Roach also mentioned that ultimately, it is Bob Arum who decides where Pacquiao ends up next; as if we didn’t already know that. Of course Arum will do all in his power to avoid Mayweather Jr., but this time, if he decides to take alternate routes he might get caught with his lies exposed.
Having said that, and understanding that a fight again Floyd Mayweather Jr. is something that boxing simply requires, I also acknowledge that Juan Manuel Marquez needs another shot more than Mayweather Jr. deserves it.
An army of boxing fans and journalists feel that Marquez won the last fight, including myself, which makes team Pacquiao a bit cornered. If they fight Marquez, they are ‘avoiding’ Mayweather Jr., but if they decide to place Floyd ahead of Maruqez on their timeline, well than the same scenario builds up. Not a great place for team Pacquiao nowadays.
It seems as though a Mayweather Jr. fight is a better way to go, as it will skyrocket Pacquiao’s stock back up, that is if he is able to defeat Money May.
Anyway, Arum will know just what to do: he will find another ‘definite win’ opponent for Manny Pacquiao.
Brandon Rios wants Marcos Maidana to be first fight at 140
By Lisa Madeina: It’s no secret to why Brandon Rios is one of the most exciting prospects in the world. According to Yahoo sports, Rios was quoted saying “he wants Maidana, he wants war!” Rios also went on to say he’ll take on Juan Manuel Marquez and wants war with Gamboa. Rios claims he tells his trainer every day that he wants the same war that Castillo and Corrales once had. But is Rios biting more than he could chew challenging Maidana?
I think it’s safe to say Maidana is a high risk decent reward kind of fighter. But on the other hand this fight does have fight of the year written all over it. Wouldn’t you agree? If Brandon could carry weight properly at 140 then sky’s the limit. Right? I think he can. If they match him carefully and keep him away from some one who can out box him, keep him in wars, the type of fights he likes by the way, he’ll go as far as he can take his self.
If Khan sticks around the division, the public would demand this fight [Khan-Rios]. But in all honesty I see a draw if they do tangle. In my opinion. Khan doesn’t take his time when he fights and flurry’s every time he gets the chance. He also has bad corner instructions. In the Khan-Maidana fight, when Amir dropped Maidana vicious body shots, instead of Freddy Roach telling Khan to go back down to the body he never told him to do so. Khan could ended the fight early.
Brandon Rios is a force to be reckon with. And whether people think he’s limited or not, he’s still a problem for anybody from 135 to 140. Even 147 if possible. Maybe Ortiz?
By Lisa Madeina: It’s no secret to why Brandon Rios is one of the most exciting prospects in the world. According to Yahoo sports, Rios was quoted saying “he wants Maidana, he wants war!” Rios also went on to say he’ll take on Juan Manuel Marquez and wants war with Gamboa. Rios claims he tells his trainer every day that he wants the same war that Castillo and Corrales once had. But is Rios biting more than he could chew challenging Maidana?
I think it’s safe to say Maidana is a high risk decent reward kind of fighter. But on the other hand this fight does have fight of the year written all over it. Wouldn’t you agree? If Brandon could carry weight properly at 140 then sky’s the limit. Right? I think he can. If they match him carefully and keep him away from some one who can out box him, keep him in wars, the type of fights he likes by the way, he’ll go as far as he can take his self.
If Khan sticks around the division, the public would demand this fight [Khan-Rios]. But in all honesty I see a draw if they do tangle. In my opinion. Khan doesn’t take his time when he fights and flurry’s every time he gets the chance. He also has bad corner instructions. In the Khan-Maidana fight, when Amir dropped Maidana vicious body shots, instead of Freddy Roach telling Khan to go back down to the body he never told him to do so. Khan could ended the fight early.
Brandon Rios is a force to be reckon with. And whether people think he’s limited or not, he’s still a problem for anybody from 135 to 140. Even 147 if possible. Maybe Ortiz?
Froch says Bute isn’t on his or Ward’s level
By Lisa Madeina: Carl Froch was on Sky Sports stating what he thought of IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute. And here’s what he had to say: “After my fight with Ward, one of us will be the WBA WBC Super middleweight champion of the world. Bute is next. But he isn’t one of the best in the world like myself or Ward.” Froch also went on to say he took on some of the best of his division and when their fight [Froch-Ward] fight is over, it’ll be no question that he’s the best in the world at 168.
But all of that talk didn’t sit well with Lucian Bute’s promoter. He was quoted saying this “Froch wanted to unify the titles. But after the Johnson-Bute fight now we get mixed messages. He’s only avoiding Bute like Mikkel Kessler did in March. They’re avoiding Lucian at all cost. Ward is a former Olympian and a man of his word who takes on all challenges. His resume speaks for itself. That’s the fight we expect.”
Wow tough words. But Froch has a very good resume. Froch has took on the likes of Jermaine Taylor, Mikkel Kessler, Andre Dirrell, Glen Johnson, Jean Pascal, Arthur Abraham, and soon to be Andre Ward. Froch resume speaks for itself and that’s a fact. On paper Ward should be able to outbox him easily, but in the sport of boxing one hit can change everything.
Who ever Bute faces at 168, if he wins, the boys in the light heavyweight division will definitely be waiting. Chad Dawson maybe? Jean Pascal? Travoris Cloud? Maybe even old champion Hopkins. 2012 looks bright for the super middleweights. It’s many fights to be made. So much bad blood.
Be Sociable, Share!
By Lisa Madeina: Carl Froch was on Sky Sports stating what he thought of IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute. And here’s what he had to say: “After my fight with Ward, one of us will be the WBA WBC Super middleweight champion of the world. Bute is next. But he isn’t one of the best in the world like myself or Ward.” Froch also went on to say he took on some of the best of his division and when their fight [Froch-Ward] fight is over, it’ll be no question that he’s the best in the world at 168.
But all of that talk didn’t sit well with Lucian Bute’s promoter. He was quoted saying this “Froch wanted to unify the titles. But after the Johnson-Bute fight now we get mixed messages. He’s only avoiding Bute like Mikkel Kessler did in March. They’re avoiding Lucian at all cost. Ward is a former Olympian and a man of his word who takes on all challenges. His resume speaks for itself. That’s the fight we expect.”
Wow tough words. But Froch has a very good resume. Froch has took on the likes of Jermaine Taylor, Mikkel Kessler, Andre Dirrell, Glen Johnson, Jean Pascal, Arthur Abraham, and soon to be Andre Ward. Froch resume speaks for itself and that’s a fact. On paper Ward should be able to outbox him easily, but in the sport of boxing one hit can change everything.
Who ever Bute faces at 168, if he wins, the boys in the light heavyweight division will definitely be waiting. Chad Dawson maybe? Jean Pascal? Travoris Cloud? Maybe even old champion Hopkins. 2012 looks bright for the super middleweights. It’s many fights to be made. So much bad blood.
Be Sociable, Share!
Cotto vs Margarito: NYSAC "Under Pressure" to Keep the Fight at MSG
There may be hope out there for those who want to keep the December 3 fight between Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito at its original venue. Chris Mannix reports that there's political pressure being poured on the New York State Athletic Commission to license Margarito, and to allow the fight to stay at Madison Square Garden:
According to sources close to the process, the NYSAC has been under enormous pressure in the last 24 hours to approve Margarito. Cotto-Margarito means big business in New York. Tickets for the Dec. 3 show were more than 90 percent sold. The influx of cash from ticket sales, concessions and revenue generated by businesses around the Garden would be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more. Not to mention that the impact of the NBA lockout has already caused the Garden and the surrounding businesses a lot of money. Since Thursday night, sources say, representatives from the city, state and MSG have lobbied the commission to push the license through.
The pressure put the commission in a precarious position. Politics was suddenly a major factor. Their doctors believe Margarito should not be licensed, that his cataract injury puts him at risk for greater, possibly permanent, damage. So they compromised, essentially saying that if an independent, NYSAC-approved doctor clears you, so will we.
Today's hearing had the air of a boxing match itself, starting with the commission demanding that Margarito come back to New York for a NYSAC-approved doctor examination, and ending a couple of hours later with chairperson Melvina Lathan thunderously dominating a conversation with Margarito's lawyer, which wound up with the agreement that Margarito would meet a NYSAC doctor halfway in terms of travel for an additional exam.
In between, during a recess, it was reported that promoter Bob Arum insists that the NYSAC doctor be approved by both parties. Basically, it's New York saying they won't trust just Margarito's doctors, and Top Rank saying they won't trust only the New York doctor. Arum plans to have Margarito's doctors weigh in on the choice.
I can only imagine Top Rank going through with this if they're confident that the exam will lead to Margarito being licensed, and the fight staying at Madison Square Garden. Even if they have a solid backup plan in place, the process of selling tickets to a new venue would need to start immediately. If they feel as though they won't get a license in New York, and they go through with a few more days of this, they're putting themselves in a bad position.
There may be hope out there for those who want to keep the December 3 fight between Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito at its original venue. Chris Mannix reports that there's political pressure being poured on the New York State Athletic Commission to license Margarito, and to allow the fight to stay at Madison Square Garden:
According to sources close to the process, the NYSAC has been under enormous pressure in the last 24 hours to approve Margarito. Cotto-Margarito means big business in New York. Tickets for the Dec. 3 show were more than 90 percent sold. The influx of cash from ticket sales, concessions and revenue generated by businesses around the Garden would be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more. Not to mention that the impact of the NBA lockout has already caused the Garden and the surrounding businesses a lot of money. Since Thursday night, sources say, representatives from the city, state and MSG have lobbied the commission to push the license through.
The pressure put the commission in a precarious position. Politics was suddenly a major factor. Their doctors believe Margarito should not be licensed, that his cataract injury puts him at risk for greater, possibly permanent, damage. So they compromised, essentially saying that if an independent, NYSAC-approved doctor clears you, so will we.
Today's hearing had the air of a boxing match itself, starting with the commission demanding that Margarito come back to New York for a NYSAC-approved doctor examination, and ending a couple of hours later with chairperson Melvina Lathan thunderously dominating a conversation with Margarito's lawyer, which wound up with the agreement that Margarito would meet a NYSAC doctor halfway in terms of travel for an additional exam.
In between, during a recess, it was reported that promoter Bob Arum insists that the NYSAC doctor be approved by both parties. Basically, it's New York saying they won't trust just Margarito's doctors, and Top Rank saying they won't trust only the New York doctor. Arum plans to have Margarito's doctors weigh in on the choice.
I can only imagine Top Rank going through with this if they're confident that the exam will lead to Margarito being licensed, and the fight staying at Madison Square Garden. Even if they have a solid backup plan in place, the process of selling tickets to a new venue would need to start immediately. If they feel as though they won't get a license in New York, and they go through with a few more days of this, they're putting themselves in a bad position.
De La Hoya: Canelo vs. Chavez Jr. only at 156 lbs
By Chris Williams: If Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and his fighter WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (44-0-1, 31 KO’s) want a piece of WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez (38-0-1, 28 KO’s) next year it’s going to have to occur at a catch weight of 156 pounds, says Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions. Speaking on twitter, De La Hoya said “Only if it’s 156.”
That certainly makes sense because Alvarez is only 5’9” compared to the 6’0” Chavez Jr., and Alvarez doesn’t come into his fights weighing anywhere near as much as Chavez Jr. does. I’m not sure how much Chavez Jr. weighed last night in beating challenger Peter Manfredo Jr. by a 5th round stoppage, but my guess is Chavez Jr. looked to be at least 170 lbs at the minimum. In his fight before this one, he scaled 180 lbs the night of his fight with Sebastian Zbik last June. I don’t think Chavez Jr. came in as heavy last night, but he still looked like a huge 170. You can’t have Alvarez facing a guy that big unless you’ve got a catch weight to even things up a little.
Chavez Jr. changed his game around completely last night, showing a lot of movement in the first four rounds before he started to tire in the 4th. The movement pretty much stopped in the 4th, as Chavez Jr. became more stationary and started to mix it up. He got hit with a few really good shots from Manfredo in that round and showed some really poor defense. I gave that round to Manfredo. In the 5th, Chavez Jr. nailed Manfredo with a right hook while he was coming forward. The shot staggered Manfredo, causing him to back up against the ropes. Chavez Jr. then went after him and landed a flurry until referee Lawrence Cole halted the fight just at the moment that Manfredo finally started to clinch. I thought it was a bad stoppage but it really didn’t matter much. Manfredo Jr. was going to lose the fight anyway, as he wasn’t throwing enough punches and just looked slow.
The win puts Chavez Jr. and his promoter Arum in a bind. They can’t keep facing B level fighters like Manfredo Jr. because the WBC supposedly told Sergio Martinez that he’ll be facing Chavez Jr. next. I seriously doubt that’s going to happen, because Chavez Jr. will be destroyed by Martinez. However, Chavez Jr. is going to have to fight someone good like Alvarez or Marco Antonio Rubio. Those guys would be a lot of trouble for Chavez Jr., even with his new style of fighting. He can’t circle the ring for 12 round continuous rounds without exhausting himself, and his defense is just as horrible as it’s always been. We already saw that Chavez Jr. was running out of gas against the B level Manfredo last night. Can you imagine what would have to Chavez against someone that actually punches back at him with good power? I don’t think Chavez Jr. would finish on his feet against either Alvarez or Rubio, and Martinez would annihilate him. Like I said, Arum and Chavez Jr. are kind of in a bind right now unless they can convince the WBC to allow for another opponent in the same quality range as Manfredo. I don’t know how long Chavez Jr. can be maneuvered around the better fighters without it becoming a total joke. Guys like Peter Quillin, Andy Lee, Rubio and Matthew Macklin can’t be avoided forever, and neither can Martinez. If I’m Arum, I’d do anything possible to get Chavez Jr. the fight with Alvarez so that I could cash out before Chavez Jr. gets beaten by one of the better middleweights in the division. Once he’s beaten, his earning potential will likely drop thereafter. That’s why you’ve got to get Chavez Jr. in against the biggest name possible before he’s whipped by a good fighter. He’s fought pretty much exclusively B level fighters his entire career and he’s got to fight the best fighter possible before he’s destroyed.
By Chris Williams: If Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and his fighter WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (44-0-1, 31 KO’s) want a piece of WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez (38-0-1, 28 KO’s) next year it’s going to have to occur at a catch weight of 156 pounds, says Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions. Speaking on twitter, De La Hoya said “Only if it’s 156.”
That certainly makes sense because Alvarez is only 5’9” compared to the 6’0” Chavez Jr., and Alvarez doesn’t come into his fights weighing anywhere near as much as Chavez Jr. does. I’m not sure how much Chavez Jr. weighed last night in beating challenger Peter Manfredo Jr. by a 5th round stoppage, but my guess is Chavez Jr. looked to be at least 170 lbs at the minimum. In his fight before this one, he scaled 180 lbs the night of his fight with Sebastian Zbik last June. I don’t think Chavez Jr. came in as heavy last night, but he still looked like a huge 170. You can’t have Alvarez facing a guy that big unless you’ve got a catch weight to even things up a little.
Chavez Jr. changed his game around completely last night, showing a lot of movement in the first four rounds before he started to tire in the 4th. The movement pretty much stopped in the 4th, as Chavez Jr. became more stationary and started to mix it up. He got hit with a few really good shots from Manfredo in that round and showed some really poor defense. I gave that round to Manfredo. In the 5th, Chavez Jr. nailed Manfredo with a right hook while he was coming forward. The shot staggered Manfredo, causing him to back up against the ropes. Chavez Jr. then went after him and landed a flurry until referee Lawrence Cole halted the fight just at the moment that Manfredo finally started to clinch. I thought it was a bad stoppage but it really didn’t matter much. Manfredo Jr. was going to lose the fight anyway, as he wasn’t throwing enough punches and just looked slow.
The win puts Chavez Jr. and his promoter Arum in a bind. They can’t keep facing B level fighters like Manfredo Jr. because the WBC supposedly told Sergio Martinez that he’ll be facing Chavez Jr. next. I seriously doubt that’s going to happen, because Chavez Jr. will be destroyed by Martinez. However, Chavez Jr. is going to have to fight someone good like Alvarez or Marco Antonio Rubio. Those guys would be a lot of trouble for Chavez Jr., even with his new style of fighting. He can’t circle the ring for 12 round continuous rounds without exhausting himself, and his defense is just as horrible as it’s always been. We already saw that Chavez Jr. was running out of gas against the B level Manfredo last night. Can you imagine what would have to Chavez against someone that actually punches back at him with good power? I don’t think Chavez Jr. would finish on his feet against either Alvarez or Rubio, and Martinez would annihilate him. Like I said, Arum and Chavez Jr. are kind of in a bind right now unless they can convince the WBC to allow for another opponent in the same quality range as Manfredo. I don’t know how long Chavez Jr. can be maneuvered around the better fighters without it becoming a total joke. Guys like Peter Quillin, Andy Lee, Rubio and Matthew Macklin can’t be avoided forever, and neither can Martinez. If I’m Arum, I’d do anything possible to get Chavez Jr. the fight with Alvarez so that I could cash out before Chavez Jr. gets beaten by one of the better middleweights in the division. Once he’s beaten, his earning potential will likely drop thereafter. That’s why you’ve got to get Chavez Jr. in against the biggest name possible before he’s whipped by a good fighter. He’s fought pretty much exclusively B level fighters his entire career and he’s got to fight the best fighter possible before he’s destroyed.
Is boxing a dying sport?
By Dominic Sauboorah: Throughout the 20th century boxing was considered to be one of the biggest attractions in the history of sport. Not just the fact that thousands of people from around the globe had the opportunity to witness two warriors clobbering one another in a somewhat barbaric and even inhumane fashion; however there is a more in depth reason.
Boxing to many is considered an art that only the most skilled of people can master. The way in which a boxer fights in the ring is more complicated and complex than just throwing punches in bunches, which is what the typical uneducated, mainstream fan of the sport would come to think. There have been many superb boxing technicians in the 20th century. The likes of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Marco Antonio Barrera; these fighters are to be considered legends of the sport. Not so much because they knew how to throw big punches or fast combinations, but more due to the fact that they had that belief and desire, so were therefore extremely entertaining to watch. Nowadays however, boxing is anything but the same.
Ever since the new Millennium, boxing has gone through some drastic changes. We don’t have as many flash or brash boxers in the ring. We are lacking in someone like a Sugar Ray Leonard, who would throw large and ridiculously quick combinations, a Marco Antonio Barrera, who would have that typical Mexican spirit by taking a barrage of punches and then refusing to go down and a Muhammed Ali, who brought a style of fighting that only he could emulate. His influential truffle shuffle changed the sport of boxing for decades. Despite this, boxing is a dying sport. The main reason for this today is due to the pre-fight hype, whereby boxers simply aren’t living up to the expectations that they set themselves as well as the fans.
There are far too many boxers who are “all bark and no bite.” One perfect example could be the Grudge Match on May 21st, 2011 between stable mates George Groves and James DeGale. The fight was scheduled to take place at the 02 Arena, London and there was a serious sense of animosity between the two boxers. Both were constantly slating each other off in somewhat immature yet entertaining fashions. Both Groves and DeGale, immaturely and unrealistically, predicted that they would win the fight within four rounds. Many pundits and fans from around Britain expected a tear-up; however would they expect the pair of them to respect one another? No. In fact the total opposite. Many were expecting anger and serious determination to play a big part in the fight between two men that appeared to show a vast amount of hatred for one another. Groves was quoted as saying “After I beat him, it will end James’s career.” Slightly ironic. James DeGale now has an up and coming European title fight. I wouldn’t exactly call that ending a career. Nevertheless there’s no excusing James DeGale as he said “you’re going to see the best James DeGale, guaranteed” and yet he loses. Now as far as I’m aware if you lose a fight, then you clearly weren’t at your best. The main fact that both fighters predicted that they would blow each other away within four rounds was simply a lie. The reason the fight was deader than a funeral service was down to only one of the fighters and that fighter is ‘Saint’ George Groves. Now to call him a ‘Saint’ is slightly bizarre in my opinion, due to the fact that you normally associate that term with honesty and good heartedness, yet pre-fight time he was extremely antagonistic towards James DeGale, mocking the way he boxed and was even quoted as saying that James DeGale will never beat me.” Fortunately for George Groves he wasn’t criticized after the fight, instead he was announced Best Young Fighter of the Year for 2011. Unfortunately the majority of the wider public were oblivious to the fact that Groves promised a tear up and what did they get? They got George Groves running around the ring like a sissy school girl. He fought like a coward. Like someone who never had the courage to fight with that sense of pride. A fighter, who simply couldn’t live up to his own hype. He said he would go toe-to-toe with James DeGale and from the word go you could sense that DeGale wanted a war to commence, yet George Groves never allowed for that to materialize. He isn’t a fighter, he’s a business man. He wanted to get the job done. He did that. He won the fight fair and square. Too bad he made himself out to look like a complete fool when he promised to go into the trenches with DeGale, yet decided to give the fans a sneak preview of him training for the London Marathon. He relied upon hype, hype that he failed to live up to.
Floyd Mayweather Jnr. Despite his undefeated record and the fact that he’s considered to be one the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet, his pre-match hype has rarely lived up to expectation. He’s a very defensive boxer who is too much of a coward to trade blows with a fighter and would rather instead let his endurance get him through a 12 round tickle fight and leave it up the judges, knowing that he’s most likely won all the rounds, because you can’t beat what you can’t hit and to land combinations on Floyd Mayweather is an impossibility. Oscar De La Hoya fought Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada and Mayweather made clear that he was going to “kick his ass.” Yet, without much surprise, the fight went the 12 round distance and there wasn’t one instance when De La Hoya looked hurt or as if he was going to hit the canvas.
Boxing is a dying sport, due to fighters such as these. Fans don’t want to see fighters doing well in their careers, earning a lot of money, remaining undefeated or relying on pre-fight hype that they know will never come to fruition. The fans want to see excitement, entertainment, passion, desire, all the words that you can think of that don’t relate to boredom. The fans want to see boxers going toe-to-toe, showing the public exactly why they are boxers. Fighters, to me, are supposed to be brave, yet you don’t see much of that from Floyd Mayweather who’s constantly landing single punches and practically running away from his opponents to avoid getting hit. That’s not bravery. Many boxers, in this era, might box well, but that doesn’t mean they’re true fighters, which is what the sport is lacking in. That’s why I believe boxing is a dying sport, because there are too many “fighters” who are fighting for their careers, hyping up a fight so that it gains more money from fans, thereby benefiting them. Boxers should be fighting for pride and the idea that they are actually giving the fans what they want by living up to pre-fight hype. From the 20th century to the new Millennium boxing has changed drastically and, unfortunately, it might never be the same.
By Dominic Sauboorah: Throughout the 20th century boxing was considered to be one of the biggest attractions in the history of sport. Not just the fact that thousands of people from around the globe had the opportunity to witness two warriors clobbering one another in a somewhat barbaric and even inhumane fashion; however there is a more in depth reason.
Boxing to many is considered an art that only the most skilled of people can master. The way in which a boxer fights in the ring is more complicated and complex than just throwing punches in bunches, which is what the typical uneducated, mainstream fan of the sport would come to think. There have been many superb boxing technicians in the 20th century. The likes of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Marco Antonio Barrera; these fighters are to be considered legends of the sport. Not so much because they knew how to throw big punches or fast combinations, but more due to the fact that they had that belief and desire, so were therefore extremely entertaining to watch. Nowadays however, boxing is anything but the same.
Ever since the new Millennium, boxing has gone through some drastic changes. We don’t have as many flash or brash boxers in the ring. We are lacking in someone like a Sugar Ray Leonard, who would throw large and ridiculously quick combinations, a Marco Antonio Barrera, who would have that typical Mexican spirit by taking a barrage of punches and then refusing to go down and a Muhammed Ali, who brought a style of fighting that only he could emulate. His influential truffle shuffle changed the sport of boxing for decades. Despite this, boxing is a dying sport. The main reason for this today is due to the pre-fight hype, whereby boxers simply aren’t living up to the expectations that they set themselves as well as the fans.
There are far too many boxers who are “all bark and no bite.” One perfect example could be the Grudge Match on May 21st, 2011 between stable mates George Groves and James DeGale. The fight was scheduled to take place at the 02 Arena, London and there was a serious sense of animosity between the two boxers. Both were constantly slating each other off in somewhat immature yet entertaining fashions. Both Groves and DeGale, immaturely and unrealistically, predicted that they would win the fight within four rounds. Many pundits and fans from around Britain expected a tear-up; however would they expect the pair of them to respect one another? No. In fact the total opposite. Many were expecting anger and serious determination to play a big part in the fight between two men that appeared to show a vast amount of hatred for one another. Groves was quoted as saying “After I beat him, it will end James’s career.” Slightly ironic. James DeGale now has an up and coming European title fight. I wouldn’t exactly call that ending a career. Nevertheless there’s no excusing James DeGale as he said “you’re going to see the best James DeGale, guaranteed” and yet he loses. Now as far as I’m aware if you lose a fight, then you clearly weren’t at your best. The main fact that both fighters predicted that they would blow each other away within four rounds was simply a lie. The reason the fight was deader than a funeral service was down to only one of the fighters and that fighter is ‘Saint’ George Groves. Now to call him a ‘Saint’ is slightly bizarre in my opinion, due to the fact that you normally associate that term with honesty and good heartedness, yet pre-fight time he was extremely antagonistic towards James DeGale, mocking the way he boxed and was even quoted as saying that James DeGale will never beat me.” Fortunately for George Groves he wasn’t criticized after the fight, instead he was announced Best Young Fighter of the Year for 2011. Unfortunately the majority of the wider public were oblivious to the fact that Groves promised a tear up and what did they get? They got George Groves running around the ring like a sissy school girl. He fought like a coward. Like someone who never had the courage to fight with that sense of pride. A fighter, who simply couldn’t live up to his own hype. He said he would go toe-to-toe with James DeGale and from the word go you could sense that DeGale wanted a war to commence, yet George Groves never allowed for that to materialize. He isn’t a fighter, he’s a business man. He wanted to get the job done. He did that. He won the fight fair and square. Too bad he made himself out to look like a complete fool when he promised to go into the trenches with DeGale, yet decided to give the fans a sneak preview of him training for the London Marathon. He relied upon hype, hype that he failed to live up to.
Floyd Mayweather Jnr. Despite his undefeated record and the fact that he’s considered to be one the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet, his pre-match hype has rarely lived up to expectation. He’s a very defensive boxer who is too much of a coward to trade blows with a fighter and would rather instead let his endurance get him through a 12 round tickle fight and leave it up the judges, knowing that he’s most likely won all the rounds, because you can’t beat what you can’t hit and to land combinations on Floyd Mayweather is an impossibility. Oscar De La Hoya fought Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada and Mayweather made clear that he was going to “kick his ass.” Yet, without much surprise, the fight went the 12 round distance and there wasn’t one instance when De La Hoya looked hurt or as if he was going to hit the canvas.
Boxing is a dying sport, due to fighters such as these. Fans don’t want to see fighters doing well in their careers, earning a lot of money, remaining undefeated or relying on pre-fight hype that they know will never come to fruition. The fans want to see excitement, entertainment, passion, desire, all the words that you can think of that don’t relate to boredom. The fans want to see boxers going toe-to-toe, showing the public exactly why they are boxers. Fighters, to me, are supposed to be brave, yet you don’t see much of that from Floyd Mayweather who’s constantly landing single punches and practically running away from his opponents to avoid getting hit. That’s not bravery. Many boxers, in this era, might box well, but that doesn’t mean they’re true fighters, which is what the sport is lacking in. That’s why I believe boxing is a dying sport, because there are too many “fighters” who are fighting for their careers, hyping up a fight so that it gains more money from fans, thereby benefiting them. Boxers should be fighting for pride and the idea that they are actually giving the fans what they want by living up to pre-fight hype. From the 20th century to the new Millennium boxing has changed drastically and, unfortunately, it might never be the same.
^^That was the wackest boxing article I read in a long time. So boxing is dying because people want to watch two non-defense having fighters go at it until someone gets kO'ed. I love the art of boxing, you know the art of hitting and not getting hit in return. Lol. So now having defensive skills and making your opponent miss punches, is considered running away and not being brave?? The dude that wrote this is a fucking moron.
Roger Mayweather: “I want Floyd to fight Manny Pacquiao! Pacquiao
Roger Mayweather: “I want Floyd to fight Manny Pacquiao! Pacquiao has been the one who beat the same guys that my nephew beat, too. So let’s see!
by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - This week’s 150th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured an exclusive interview with highly regarded trainer Roger Mayweather, who currently trains arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, his nephew Floyd Mayweather Junior. Mayweather shared his views on a variety of topics, including Manny Pacquiao’s controversial victory against Juan Manuel Marquez, his nephew’s recent knockout victory over a Victor Ortiz, a potential fight between his nephew and Pacquiao, Olympic style drug testing, and other possible opponents for his nephew including Amir Khan, Sergio Martinez, and Marcos Maidana. Here is a complete transcript from that interview:
JENNA J: It is time for our final guest of this week’s show. He is a returning one now making his seventh appearance on our program. We are joined by the Uncle and trainer of Floyd Mayweather Junior. We are joined by Uncle Roger Mayweather. How’s everything going today Roger?
ROGER MAYWEATHER: Oh, everything is well.
JENNA: Alright well Roger, there’s been a lot of interesting things going around boxing now and one involved your nephew. He’s mentioned in the press that he may be coming back on May 5 or even as early as February, and people are starting to suggest that maybe he’ll fight Pacquiao then. What have you heard?
MAYWEATHER: He’ll come back in February or May. Either way he’ll be much sharper. The more often he fights he’ll be much sharper, but that’s not to get sharp. Pacquiao’s going to get his ass whopped anyway. Marquez just did that.
JENNA: Now do you think that fight was as controversial as people are saying?
MAYWEATHER: The fight was very close. I mean I thought Marquez could have won. They could have gave him the decision, but the fight was very close anyway. The fight was very close but regardless of how close the fight was, he ain’t going to be able to do sh*t with my nephew, period. Especially when they make him take that test, when they make him take that test he’s going to get his whopped. That’s it. It’s going to be a mismatch anyway.
JENNA: But Roger, do you think after what you saw this past weekend that Pacquiao doesn’t even need to take a test for your nephew to whop him?
MAYWEATHER: No, he’s going to take a test! It ain’t about if he needs to take a test. He’s going to take the test. All fighters take the test. Who is he? Who is he not to take the test? He ain’t no mother f*cking body! He already got his ass whopped by Erik Morales. He got his ass whopped by—what’s that other Spanish boy’s name?
JENNA: Marquez?
MAYWEATHER: No, no, no, no. He got his ass whopped. He got knocked out twice at 105 pounds in the Philippines. He got his ass whopped by Erik Morales and he got his ass whopped by the other Mexican—Barrera! Now that’s six mother f*cking losses! He got six f*cking losses, so how in the f*ck is he going to beat my nephew? And those weight classes are at like 120-something pounds. Then all of a sudden he’s beating guys 150. Huh? He got his ass knocked out twice at 105 pounds. How in the world does a guy all of a sudden become so amazing whopping guys at 147-150 pounds? Tell me! You know why? Everybody knows why. Everybody ain’t no fool. Here’s a guy that just struggled. He just struggled with Marquez. That’s the third time.
JENNA: But why did he struggle with Marquez? That’s the question, though. Why did he struggle with Marquez?
MAYWEATHER: He struggled with Marquez three times, period. He fought him a draw one time, he fought him a split decision one time, and that fight right there was a draw. So what does that tell you? What can Marquez do with my nephew? Nothing! My nephew was laid off 18 months when he fought Marquez.
JENNA: Yep, but that’s what I’m asking you Roger. If Pacquiao looked so dominant the last few years, and you’ve stated multiple times on our show that you thought Pacquiao was doing something—
MAYWEATHER: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. He fought De La Hoya at 145 pounds. My nephew whopped De La Hoya at 154 pounds.
JENNA: Yep, there’s no doubt there Roger. But what I’m asking you is, is with Pacquiao looking so good the last few years, why is it that he looked so poorly against Marquez?
MAYWEATHER: Listen! I’m going to tell you about boxing. Boxing is this. You can have one guy whop a guy ten times, but for whatever reason there is one guy that he’s going to have problems with every time they fight regardless of what he’s got in him. That guy got his number. The guy that he has to struggle with has his number. So whether he has sh*t in him or not, Marquez knows how to fight him and that’s why they have close fights all the time. It’s just that styles make fights. Ali had more trouble with Joe Frazier than he had with any other fighter. Him, and he had trouble with Kenny Norton.
JENNA: But Roger, with Pacquiao struggling the way he did this past weekend do you think it takes away a little of the luster of a Pacquiao versus Mayweather fight?
MAYWEATHER: I’ll tell you this. Everybody says what Pacquiao’s going to do, Pacquiao did this, Pacquiao did that. Pacquiao beat the same guys my nephew beat. Remember, he beat the same guys my nephew beat but he ain’t never took a test to beat them. He ain’t never took a test to beat them guys! He beat them, but he ain’t never took a test to beat them. Now remember, he’s going to have to take a test to fight my nephew. Then we’ll find out how good he can really f*cking fight! Obviously he can’t fight that good. He got his ass whopped twice at 105 pounds, he got his ass whopped by Erik Morales, he got whopped by the other guy. What’s the guy? The Spanish guy? Barrera! Do you think Barrera could whop my nephew?
JENNA: Well Roger. I got to stop you there. Pacquiao twice dominantly beat Barrera.
MAYWEATHER: No, no! He’s been knocked out twice at 105 pounds. I know that.
JENNA: Yeah when he was younger, but he didn’t get whopped by Barrera. Barrera he beat twice.
MAYWEATHER: He got whopped by Erik Morales!
JENNA: Yes, by Erik Morales.
MAYWEATHER: Listen! When Morales fought on my nephew’s show, they said he was one of the first guys from the States to beat Pacquiao. Morales. Erik Morales. He was knocked out twice in the Philippines. You mean to tell me he’s beating guys at 150 pounds? 147 pounds? Please! He got his ass knocked out at 105 pounds. What’s he going to do with a guy 150 pounds? And I’m sure they fought better than the guys at 105 pounds.
JENNA: Roger, but there is also an argument to be made that Pacquiao started his career without much amateur experience.
MAYWEATHER: But listen, listen! That has nothing to do with anything. No matter how he started his career, that’s his career. Nobody is worried about that. But they’re trying to talk about whether he had amateur fights or whether he don’t have amateur fights. The bottom line, he has been knocked out twice at 105 pounds. So what does that mean? Okay then! He got whopped by Erik Morales whether he had any experience or not. Here all of a sudden without any experience he’s beating guys like Shane Mosley. He’s beating guys like De La Hoya. How in the hell could that be when he’s been knocked out twice at 105 pounds. Twice! Tell me how good could he be to beat an elite fighter like De La Hoya. De La Hoya was an Olympic Gold Medalist!
JENNA: Roger, fighter do improve, like Marquez. Marquez actually lost his first professional fight.
MAYWEATHER: No, no! Let me tell you something! I know about boxing! I’ve been boxing since I was a little kid! Period! There ain’t no guy who has been knocked out at 105 pounds twice at 105 beating guys at 150! There ain’t no damn way unless he’s got something in him! If he ain’t got nothing in him, he ain’t getting knocked out at 150 pounds and he’s been knocked out twice at 105 pounds! You mean to tell me he’s that good? Is that what you’re trying to tell me? I know! I’ve been a fighter for twenty-one years professionally. So tell me how a guy comes from 105 pounds beating a guy at 150 pounds? You ever seen anybody else do it?
JENNA: Well not exactly at that weight, but I’ve seen similar. Henry Armstrong got knocked out at 120 pounds and ended up fighting for the middleweight title.
MAYWEATHER: So Henry Armstrong did it. He came from 126 pounds. He didn’t come from 105 pounds. We’re talking about a guy coming from 105 pounds who’s been knocked out twice who’s beating guys that are 150 pounds! 26 pounds to 35 pounds to 47, I mean you have De La Hoya. De La Hoya did it! De La Hoya started at 30 pounds, 35 pounds, 40 pounds. My nephew did that! So it ain’t no big thing, but my nephew didn’t start at no 105. My nephew won titles at 30, 35, 40, 47, and 54.
JENNA: Yeah, but Pacquiao’s never weighed more than 145 pounds for any professional fight.
MAYWEATHER: Wait, wait, wait! We ain’t talking about that. We talking about the weight that he started out and the weight that he got knocked out at. He got knocked out twice at 105 pounds. How in the hell does a guy beat an elite fighter at 150 pounds? The only he’s whopping any mother f*cking body, everyone knows what that is and I ain’t got to say it. Everybody knows exactly what he’s got in him, period! But regardless of what the case is, I guarantee you this. If Pacquiao fights my nephew when he takes that test, he ain’t even going to make five rounds, period! He won’t even make five rounds. He won’t make five rounds and then you’ll see that he’s got that sh*t in him, because if he ain’t got that sh*t in him he’s going to get his ass whopped, period! Ain’t nobody got to tell me about boxing. You seen my nephew fight Victor Ortiz? You know how much Victor Ortiz weighed?
JENNA: Yeah, I do. He weighed 165 pounds on fight night.
MAYWEATHER: He weighed 165 pounds! My nephew didn’t cry about the weight was. He still whopped his ass! So is a guy that small right there, talking about Pacquiao, even going to deal with my nephew, period? Once Pacquiao takes that test he’s going to get his ass whopped and the fight ain’t going to go five rounds. The fight may not even go four! Period.
JENNA: So you believe your nephew will knockout Pacquiao early?
MAYWEATHER: Yeah. He’s going to knock him out anyway, period! He’s going to knock him out anyway, and then the question you asked me is the same question everybody is going to ask: How did Pacquiao get his ass knocked out so quick? Because you know why? Because he took that test! And since he took that test, he knows what time it is. When he takes that test and they take all that blood and that sh*t that he got in him, he’s going to get his ass whopped and the fight won’t last no more than four or five rounds at most.
JENNA: Alright well Roger, we’re also on the line with my Co-Host Geoff.
GEOFFREY CIANI: Hey Roger. It’s a pleasure to speak to you again.
MAYWEATHER: Hey what’s up, man?
CIANI: Not much Roger. You mentioned before how Marquez and Pacquiao have now had three really close fights, but I’m curious going into this third fight, were you expecting it to be another close fight?
MAYWEATHER: Styles make fights. A fighter always has a guy who will give him trouble. That’s just the way of boxing. Some guys you could knockout. Boom! It can be easy. But there’s one guy that will give the guy trouble. The guy who gave Tommy Hearns trouble, do you know the guy who gave Tommy Hearns trouble was?
CIANI: Barkley.
JENNA: Iran Barkley.
MAYWEATHER: Alright then. The guy who gave him trouble was Barkley. The guy who gave Ray Robinson trouble was who?
JENNA: LaMotta.
MAYWEATHER: Alright then. He only gave him trouble because of the weight difference between LaMotta and Ray Robinson. Okay, but you got another guy and that’s Marquez and Morales. Those guys are made for one another. Regardless to what Pacquiao has in him, that guy knows how to fight him because he fought him too many times. Remember the first time they fought he was dropped twice in the first round.
CIANI: Now Roger, given the fact that they had another close fight do you think that Pacquiao is even going to want to fight your nephew in May?
MAYWEATHER: Well, he’s going to want to fight because any time a guy is getting this kind of money, why wouldn’t he want to fight somebody? Even if he gets his ass whopped it wouldn’t make no difference, because he’s probably going to get his ass whopped anyway regardless of the case. The case is that here’s a guy that’s going to get this kind of money. I mean here’s a guy that don’t even take tests and he’s getting this kind of money. It don’t even make sense to me! But regardless of what the case is, I seen the fight the other day and there ain’t no way in the world he’ll whop my nephew. The only way he could ever whop my nephew is he would have to have all the drugs in the world, because right now there ain’t no way. He won’t even make five rounds with my nephew, period! He won’t make five rounds with him. That’s what I’m talking about. The minute they tell him to take that test, boom! That’s going to be it right there.
CIANI: So did anything about the Pacquiao fight and his performance surprise you at all?
MAYWEATHER: No. Hell no. There ain’t nothing that surprised me. That guy right there showed you how to beat him anyway. Morales showed you how to beat him. Remember, you got to understand. Pacquiao ain’t beating these guys on his ability. He sure in the f*ck ain’t beating De La Hoya and Shane Mosley on his boxing ability. Everybody knows what that is. Ain’t nobody no fool. When was the last time you see a guy 105 pounds go up to 150 and whop somebody. Tell me! When was the last time you seen it?
CIANI: I haven’t seen it.
MAYWEATHER: Alright then. So that means if you haven’t seen and I know I’ve been in boxing, I haven’t seen it. So how does a guy from 105 pounds who’s been knocked out twice beating guys 150, elite fighters? Tell me!
CIANI: Well let me ask you this Roger. Since a lot of fans think Pacquiao lost this fight to Marquez—
MAYWEATHER: Oh I thought he lost, too!
CIANI: So now a lot of fans that were interested in seeing your nephew fighting Pacquiao, they’re not as interested because now a lot of people are starting to believe what you have been saying all along—that Pacquiao is not in Floyd’s league. Are you at all nervous that he might lose this super fight that could have been a career defining fight for your nephew?
MAYWEATHER: No, no, no, no, no. It’s not that he’s going to lose it, because number one, he still get the decision. He still got the decision, and all the elite fighters that my nephew had beaten, Pacquiao stopped them. Remember? He stopped De La Hoya. He beat Shane Mosley. He beat all these other guys. He beat all these other elite fighters so ain’t nobody mesmerized that Pacquiao can’t compete with my nephew, because people don’t believe what everybody knows about Pacquiao. People don’t believe it anyway, because people don’t think. People think Pacquiao can really fight and he’s beating these guys on his ability. I have never ever seen a guy 105 pounds beat a guy 147 pounds, 150 pounds, 140 pounds. I have never seen it! Tell me in history where they’ve done that. In the history of boxing, tell me where a guy 105 pounds been knocked out twice beat a guy 147 pounds. Tell me! Where? The last great fighter ever to step from 135 pounds to win a middleweight title is who?
CIANI: Is it De La Hoya?
MAYWEATHER: No. It’s Roberto Duran. Let me ask you this question: When have you seen a guy 105 pounds beat a guy 150 pounds. Tell me!
CIANI: No, I haven’t seen that. I told you that already.
MAYWEATHER: Alright then. You ain’t never seen it in history, have you?
CIANI: No.
JENNA: Roger, can I step in here real quick? There have been fighters in history that have gained over 50 pounds and been effective. I can give you one—Guillermo Jones. He was 154 pound fighter and he got knocked out at 154 pounds, and now he’s the cruiserweight champion and has fought at heavyweight.
MAYWEATHER: Wait, wait, wait. You said a guy at what weight? What weight was it?
JENNA: Guillermo Jones, he was originally a 147 pound fighter. He got knocked out at 154, but now he’s a cruiserweight champion.
MAYWEATHER: But wait, wait, wait! Listen! That ain’t much difference in weight. 47 and 54, that ain’t much difference in weight.
JENNA: I’m saying right now, he’s knocking out people at cruiserweight.
MAYWEATHER: Listen! We’re talking about a guy 105 pounds fighting a guy 150 pounds. You ain’t never seen it in history. Now tell me! There’s two guys that ever went up that high in weight to fight, anyway! One of them is Henry Armstrong, the other one is Roberto Duran, and the other one is Oscar De La Hoya. At that higher weight class, you never saw nobody at 105 pounds beating a guy 150 pounds. Sh*t!
JENNA: Roger, give me a second here. I just mentioned an example of a fighter who got knocked out at 154 who’s now a reigning cruiserweight champion of the world knocking out people at 200 pounds.
MAYWEATHER: Well that’s no big thing. That’s like Roy Jones coming from middleweight and winning a heavyweight title. Listen! We’re talking about a guy that started at 105 pounds. He’s been knocked out twice at 105. Okay? Now here’s a guy who goes from 105 to 150 pounds. That’s a lot of weight difference in weight class.
CIANI: Well Roger, going back to what I was saying before. If Pacquiao decides not to fight your nephew and kind of takes that super fight away from Floyd, then there’s only really one fight out there that the fans would consider to be a real challenge for your nephew, and that would be against middleweight champion Sergio Martinez.
MAYWEATHER: My nephew ain’t got to fight Sergio Martinez, remember the fight is with Pacquiao and if Pacquiao turns the fight down with my nephew do you know how much money he will have lost and do you know how the fans will respond to him? Here’s a guy who beat Shane Mosley, De La Hoya, this guy, that guy, this guy, that guy, and you mean to tell me he don’t want to fight my nephew? Then what’s that tell you? If that’s the biggest fight, and right now that’s the biggest fight in history. Not the biggest fight now, that’s the biggest fight in the history of boxing right now. The other fight that was the biggest fight in the history of boxing was De La Hoya and my nephew. That fight grossed more money than any other fight in history. Now how in the world is a guy who beat all these guys at 47 and 50 pounds, beat all the guys my nephew beat, why wouldn’t he fight my nephew? That proves that he’s the best! If you don’t fight Floyd then you may as well step away from boxing right now.
CIANI: Well what if he did that, though? What if for whatever reason he didn’t fight Floyd if he fought Marquez again?
MAYWEATHER: Well if he don’t fight Floyd people are going to know what he’s got in his ass, because number one—there ain’t no way in the world a guy getting close to $100 million ain’t going to fight a guy from the biggest fight in the history of boxing, period. What do you box for? What do fighters fight for? You fight to get the opportunity to be one of the best in the history of boxing. That’s what boxing is about. That’s why people make those big fights. That’s how you get paid for the big fights. So why wouldn’t he want to fight Floyd? He just fought Marquez, didn’t he?
CIANI: What if he fought Marquez again next May?
MAYWEATHER: Everybody don’t want to see that. There ain’t nobody who wants to see that. People want to see one thing. They want to see Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. That’s what the world was waiting for. There ain’t nothing else they’re waiting for. That is the biggest fight in the history of boxing to this do. So boom! If he takes that test, the fight is going to happen. The only reason the fight ain’t going to happen is because he don’t want to take that test. Now if you don’t want to take that test, that already tells you about him anyway! It tells you he got that sh*t in him! That’s what! How in the world are you not going to take a test if you’re getting damn near $100 million?
CIANI: But Roger, if he doesn’t take the test and he doesn’t want the fight with your nephew—
MAYWEATHER: Then that tells you he’s a fag and he never wanted to fight my nephew, anyway!
CIANI: But who would you want your nephew to fight in the event—
MAYWEATHER: I want Floyd to fight Manny Pacquiao! Pacquiao has been the one who beat the same guys that my nephew beat, too. So let’s see! Let’s see. I mean hey! That’s what people want to see. It ain’t what I want to see. That’s what the world has been waiting for! That’s what! Any other fight don’t make sense. The only fight that makes sense is Floyd and Pacquiao. That’s it. And if Pacquiao won’t take that fight then he’s got to be a fool, anyway!
CIANI: But what other opponents are out there for Floyd would you look at if Pacquiao doesn’t come to the table on this? Would you look at a guy like Amir Khan?
MAYWEATHER: Amir Khan ain’t sh*t! I don’t see no other one. Pacquiao is the one.
CIANI: So if Pacquiao doesn’t fight, do you think there’s a possibility Floyd might not fight in May?
MAYWEATHER: If he don’t fight, people are going to respond to his ass the way they should have responded to him a long time ago. He wasn’t sh*t anyway! How in the world are you talking about you want to fight my nephew. You beat this guy, you beat that guy, and you won’t fight my nephew. Everybody is going to know what time it is. Everybody is going to know and respond to him like they should have responded to his ass before. He ain’t going to fight my nephew because. That’s why, and everybody knows what I’m talking about. So Amir Khan don’t mean sh*t! He can’t drill my nephew. Pacquiao is the fight. That’s what makes money. That’s what makes sense. That’s the biggest fight in history. If he don’t take that he has to be a fool.
CIANI: So do you think if he doesn’t take it there’s a chance your nephew will retire?
MAYWEATHER: It could be. It could. He could retire, but my nephew don’t worry about retirement. My nephew takes the test so he don’t worry about that. This mother f*cker, he don’t take no test. Pacquiao don’t take no mother fucking test. He don’t take sh*t! My nephew is the one who can make him take a test, though!
CIANI: Roger changing things up here, in your nephew’s last victory against Victor Ortiz he was coming off of a fairly long layoff. Not as long as some of his layoffs, but you as his trainer, did you see any ring rust from Floyd in his victory against Victor Ortiz during those early rounds?
MAYWEATHER: Did I see any ring rust? Nope. Nope, because Victor Ortiz came out my nephew and he threw a bunch of punches. He wasn’t really hitting him. He was hitting his arms, but you got to remember one thing. The fight didn’t go that long for my nephew to be laid off that long. So my nephew needs to come back and fight right back, because the fight went about four or five rounds. Boom. That’s it. Remember, my nephew don’t fight no fighters at this catch weight sh*t like Pacquiao makes them do. Oh! You can’t weigh no more than 144, you can’t weigh no more than 145, and stuff like that. My nephew beat his ass at 162 pounds. That’s the difference between Pacquiao and my nephew. So if my nephew whopped Victor Ortiz’s ass at 160-something pounds, what in the world do you think he would do with Pacquiao? Oh I can’t fight you at 45! You got to weight 44. You got to weigh this. You got to weight that. You fight what you weigh.
JENNA: Alright well Roger, I have just a couple of more questions before I let you off the line. We were talking about Victor Ortiz a second ago. Some people give Floyd slack for the way that fight ended. Do you think he deserves any at all?
MAYWEATHER: He got knocked out. The referee said, “go”. That’s all. It ain’t Floyd’s fault, The referee’s the one who ruined the fight. He said, “go”. Boom. He got knocked out, period. He was going to get knocked out anyway. He was going to get knocked out one way or the other. Whether Floyd knocked him out then or whether Floyd knocked him out a round from then, he was going to get knocked out anyway. It didn’t make no difference. He was going to get knocked out, anyway.
JENNA: Alright but that leaves the question, for the fans that were upset about it, do you think they buy pay-per-views to see Floyd Mayweather Junior lose? Or do you think they tune in to see his skills?
MAYWEATHER: They are going to buy pay-per-views because Floyd is the best fighter in the world right now in the history of boxing, period. That’s why they’re going to buy the pay-per-views. I don’t know if they buy them to lose, or buy them to see him fight, but whatever the case is they’re going to buy it anyway. They’re going to buy it because of the way my nephew performs, and there wasn’t anything difficult about the fight that says Victor Ortiz got knocked out. He got knocked out anyway doing all this mother f*cking hugging, this hugging and kissing. This is boxing. This ain’t going on no mother f*cking date. He head-butted my nephew twice, anyway.
JENNA: Roger, let’s turn things to you for a second. What other fighters are you working with today that people might not know about and should be able to look out for?
MAYWEATHER: I work with so many, and I work with young kids as well. I mean I got a little kid Anthony Sims. He’s about an 8-time national amateur champion. The kid is about 16, but he’s boxing like a pro. I work one other kid that’s named DJ, but he’s still young, like 8 or 9 years old. There’s another kid I’m working with now. He’s a youth champion and I’m working with the guy that’s boxing him like Tyron and a guy named Kevin. Both of them are pretty good fighters. They’re young but they work with pros. You know, so they work with this guy who’s a junior youth champion from Canada. He’s 140 pounds and I got guys working with him right now.
JENNA: Alright Roger, I have one final question. On May 5, 2012, who do you expect to be standing across the ring from Floyd Mayweather Junior? Do you think it will be Manny Pacquiao?
MAYWEATHER: Do I think Pacquiao will be his next fight? I think my nephew will probably have one more tune-up fight first. He’ll probably fight, I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s Maidana. I don’t know. I think he’ll fight probably a guy of that nature, somewhere around there. The only way the fight won’t happen with Pacquiao, is because hey! Everybody knows. The only reason the fight won’t happen with Pacquiao is because Pacquiao is going to refuse to take the test, and if he refuses to take a test to get damn near $100 million then tells you how big a fool he is.
JENNA: So Roger, what you’re saying is it’s going to Manny Pacquiao on May 5 unless Pacquiao decides not to take a test, and then in that case Floyd will be taking a tune-up fight? That’s what you’re saying?
MAYWEATHER: That’s right. Right. Floyd is going to get another tune-up fight is what I’m saying, but by that time Pacquiao should have enough balls for him to fight Floyd, and hey! We won’t be talking about Floyd and Pacquiao no more. Would you turn down a fight for damn near $100 million?
JENNA: No, I’d fight your nephew for $100 million. (laughs)
MAYWEATHER: Okay then. That means hey! $100 million is $100 million. I don’t care how you slice it. Everybody ain’t going to boo Floyd. They going to boo him so they were thinking he was so good and he’s beating these guys way over his weight class. Let’s see! Let’s see what he can do. A guy 147 pounds, Floyd could make 145. It don’t make no difference. Let’s see what he can do.
JENNA: Well Roger, it’s been a pleasure having you back on our show and I think it’s been like the seventh time we’ve had you on, so I thank you for giving us all that time and I look forward to seeing you back in the ring regardless.
MAYWEATHER: No big thing. Hey! When you want me, call me again because this fight is going to happen. It’s going to be moving closer.
JENNA: Alright. Excellent! Thanks again, Roger.
MAYWEATHER: Remember, the only way the fight ain’t going to happen is because this guy has to be a fool to not fight Floyd for all that money. So we’ll see.
CIANI: Well we’re definitely looking forward to seeing it Roger. It’s been a long time in the making.
MAYWEATHER: Alright, have a good day!
CIANI: Thank you. Take care.
MAYWEATHER: Alright! Be good.
JENNA: Thanks. Bye.
Roger Mayweather: “I want Floyd to fight Manny Pacquiao! Pacquiao has been the one who beat the same guys that my nephew beat, too. So let’s see!
by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - This week’s 150th edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured an exclusive interview with highly regarded trainer Roger Mayweather, who currently trains arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, his nephew Floyd Mayweather Junior. Mayweather shared his views on a variety of topics, including Manny Pacquiao’s controversial victory against Juan Manuel Marquez, his nephew’s recent knockout victory over a Victor Ortiz, a potential fight between his nephew and Pacquiao, Olympic style drug testing, and other possible opponents for his nephew including Amir Khan, Sergio Martinez, and Marcos Maidana. Here is a complete transcript from that interview:
JENNA J: It is time for our final guest of this week’s show. He is a returning one now making his seventh appearance on our program. We are joined by the Uncle and trainer of Floyd Mayweather Junior. We are joined by Uncle Roger Mayweather. How’s everything going today Roger?
ROGER MAYWEATHER: Oh, everything is well.
JENNA: Alright well Roger, there’s been a lot of interesting things going around boxing now and one involved your nephew. He’s mentioned in the press that he may be coming back on May 5 or even as early as February, and people are starting to suggest that maybe he’ll fight Pacquiao then. What have you heard?
MAYWEATHER: He’ll come back in February or May. Either way he’ll be much sharper. The more often he fights he’ll be much sharper, but that’s not to get sharp. Pacquiao’s going to get his ass whopped anyway. Marquez just did that.
JENNA: Now do you think that fight was as controversial as people are saying?
MAYWEATHER: The fight was very close. I mean I thought Marquez could have won. They could have gave him the decision, but the fight was very close anyway. The fight was very close but regardless of how close the fight was, he ain’t going to be able to do sh*t with my nephew, period. Especially when they make him take that test, when they make him take that test he’s going to get his whopped. That’s it. It’s going to be a mismatch anyway.
JENNA: But Roger, do you think after what you saw this past weekend that Pacquiao doesn’t even need to take a test for your nephew to whop him?
MAYWEATHER: No, he’s going to take a test! It ain’t about if he needs to take a test. He’s going to take the test. All fighters take the test. Who is he? Who is he not to take the test? He ain’t no mother f*cking body! He already got his ass whopped by Erik Morales. He got his ass whopped by—what’s that other Spanish boy’s name?
JENNA: Marquez?
MAYWEATHER: No, no, no, no. He got his ass whopped. He got knocked out twice at 105 pounds in the Philippines. He got his ass whopped by Erik Morales and he got his ass whopped by the other Mexican—Barrera! Now that’s six mother f*cking losses! He got six f*cking losses, so how in the f*ck is he going to beat my nephew? And those weight classes are at like 120-something pounds. Then all of a sudden he’s beating guys 150. Huh? He got his ass knocked out twice at 105 pounds. How in the world does a guy all of a sudden become so amazing whopping guys at 147-150 pounds? Tell me! You know why? Everybody knows why. Everybody ain’t no fool. Here’s a guy that just struggled. He just struggled with Marquez. That’s the third time.
JENNA: But why did he struggle with Marquez? That’s the question, though. Why did he struggle with Marquez?
MAYWEATHER: He struggled with Marquez three times, period. He fought him a draw one time, he fought him a split decision one time, and that fight right there was a draw. So what does that tell you? What can Marquez do with my nephew? Nothing! My nephew was laid off 18 months when he fought Marquez.
JENNA: Yep, but that’s what I’m asking you Roger. If Pacquiao looked so dominant the last few years, and you’ve stated multiple times on our show that you thought Pacquiao was doing something—
MAYWEATHER: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. He fought De La Hoya at 145 pounds. My nephew whopped De La Hoya at 154 pounds.
JENNA: Yep, there’s no doubt there Roger. But what I’m asking you is, is with Pacquiao looking so good the last few years, why is it that he looked so poorly against Marquez?
MAYWEATHER: Listen! I’m going to tell you about boxing. Boxing is this. You can have one guy whop a guy ten times, but for whatever reason there is one guy that he’s going to have problems with every time they fight regardless of what he’s got in him. That guy got his number. The guy that he has to struggle with has his number. So whether he has sh*t in him or not, Marquez knows how to fight him and that’s why they have close fights all the time. It’s just that styles make fights. Ali had more trouble with Joe Frazier than he had with any other fighter. Him, and he had trouble with Kenny Norton.
JENNA: But Roger, with Pacquiao struggling the way he did this past weekend do you think it takes away a little of the luster of a Pacquiao versus Mayweather fight?
MAYWEATHER: I’ll tell you this. Everybody says what Pacquiao’s going to do, Pacquiao did this, Pacquiao did that. Pacquiao beat the same guys my nephew beat. Remember, he beat the same guys my nephew beat but he ain’t never took a test to beat them. He ain’t never took a test to beat them guys! He beat them, but he ain’t never took a test to beat them. Now remember, he’s going to have to take a test to fight my nephew. Then we’ll find out how good he can really f*cking fight! Obviously he can’t fight that good. He got his ass whopped twice at 105 pounds, he got his ass whopped by Erik Morales, he got whopped by the other guy. What’s the guy? The Spanish guy? Barrera! Do you think Barrera could whop my nephew?
JENNA: Well Roger. I got to stop you there. Pacquiao twice dominantly beat Barrera.
MAYWEATHER: No, no! He’s been knocked out twice at 105 pounds. I know that.
JENNA: Yeah when he was younger, but he didn’t get whopped by Barrera. Barrera he beat twice.
MAYWEATHER: He got whopped by Erik Morales!
JENNA: Yes, by Erik Morales.
MAYWEATHER: Listen! When Morales fought on my nephew’s show, they said he was one of the first guys from the States to beat Pacquiao. Morales. Erik Morales. He was knocked out twice in the Philippines. You mean to tell me he’s beating guys at 150 pounds? 147 pounds? Please! He got his ass knocked out at 105 pounds. What’s he going to do with a guy 150 pounds? And I’m sure they fought better than the guys at 105 pounds.
JENNA: Roger, but there is also an argument to be made that Pacquiao started his career without much amateur experience.
MAYWEATHER: But listen, listen! That has nothing to do with anything. No matter how he started his career, that’s his career. Nobody is worried about that. But they’re trying to talk about whether he had amateur fights or whether he don’t have amateur fights. The bottom line, he has been knocked out twice at 105 pounds. So what does that mean? Okay then! He got whopped by Erik Morales whether he had any experience or not. Here all of a sudden without any experience he’s beating guys like Shane Mosley. He’s beating guys like De La Hoya. How in the hell could that be when he’s been knocked out twice at 105 pounds. Twice! Tell me how good could he be to beat an elite fighter like De La Hoya. De La Hoya was an Olympic Gold Medalist!
JENNA: Roger, fighter do improve, like Marquez. Marquez actually lost his first professional fight.
MAYWEATHER: No, no! Let me tell you something! I know about boxing! I’ve been boxing since I was a little kid! Period! There ain’t no guy who has been knocked out at 105 pounds twice at 105 beating guys at 150! There ain’t no damn way unless he’s got something in him! If he ain’t got nothing in him, he ain’t getting knocked out at 150 pounds and he’s been knocked out twice at 105 pounds! You mean to tell me he’s that good? Is that what you’re trying to tell me? I know! I’ve been a fighter for twenty-one years professionally. So tell me how a guy comes from 105 pounds beating a guy at 150 pounds? You ever seen anybody else do it?
JENNA: Well not exactly at that weight, but I’ve seen similar. Henry Armstrong got knocked out at 120 pounds and ended up fighting for the middleweight title.
MAYWEATHER: So Henry Armstrong did it. He came from 126 pounds. He didn’t come from 105 pounds. We’re talking about a guy coming from 105 pounds who’s been knocked out twice who’s beating guys that are 150 pounds! 26 pounds to 35 pounds to 47, I mean you have De La Hoya. De La Hoya did it! De La Hoya started at 30 pounds, 35 pounds, 40 pounds. My nephew did that! So it ain’t no big thing, but my nephew didn’t start at no 105. My nephew won titles at 30, 35, 40, 47, and 54.
JENNA: Yeah, but Pacquiao’s never weighed more than 145 pounds for any professional fight.
MAYWEATHER: Wait, wait, wait! We ain’t talking about that. We talking about the weight that he started out and the weight that he got knocked out at. He got knocked out twice at 105 pounds. How in the hell does a guy beat an elite fighter at 150 pounds? The only he’s whopping any mother f*cking body, everyone knows what that is and I ain’t got to say it. Everybody knows exactly what he’s got in him, period! But regardless of what the case is, I guarantee you this. If Pacquiao fights my nephew when he takes that test, he ain’t even going to make five rounds, period! He won’t even make five rounds. He won’t make five rounds and then you’ll see that he’s got that sh*t in him, because if he ain’t got that sh*t in him he’s going to get his ass whopped, period! Ain’t nobody got to tell me about boxing. You seen my nephew fight Victor Ortiz? You know how much Victor Ortiz weighed?
JENNA: Yeah, I do. He weighed 165 pounds on fight night.
MAYWEATHER: He weighed 165 pounds! My nephew didn’t cry about the weight was. He still whopped his ass! So is a guy that small right there, talking about Pacquiao, even going to deal with my nephew, period? Once Pacquiao takes that test he’s going to get his ass whopped and the fight ain’t going to go five rounds. The fight may not even go four! Period.
JENNA: So you believe your nephew will knockout Pacquiao early?
MAYWEATHER: Yeah. He’s going to knock him out anyway, period! He’s going to knock him out anyway, and then the question you asked me is the same question everybody is going to ask: How did Pacquiao get his ass knocked out so quick? Because you know why? Because he took that test! And since he took that test, he knows what time it is. When he takes that test and they take all that blood and that sh*t that he got in him, he’s going to get his ass whopped and the fight won’t last no more than four or five rounds at most.
JENNA: Alright well Roger, we’re also on the line with my Co-Host Geoff.
GEOFFREY CIANI: Hey Roger. It’s a pleasure to speak to you again.
MAYWEATHER: Hey what’s up, man?
CIANI: Not much Roger. You mentioned before how Marquez and Pacquiao have now had three really close fights, but I’m curious going into this third fight, were you expecting it to be another close fight?
MAYWEATHER: Styles make fights. A fighter always has a guy who will give him trouble. That’s just the way of boxing. Some guys you could knockout. Boom! It can be easy. But there’s one guy that will give the guy trouble. The guy who gave Tommy Hearns trouble, do you know the guy who gave Tommy Hearns trouble was?
CIANI: Barkley.
JENNA: Iran Barkley.
MAYWEATHER: Alright then. The guy who gave him trouble was Barkley. The guy who gave Ray Robinson trouble was who?
JENNA: LaMotta.
MAYWEATHER: Alright then. He only gave him trouble because of the weight difference between LaMotta and Ray Robinson. Okay, but you got another guy and that’s Marquez and Morales. Those guys are made for one another. Regardless to what Pacquiao has in him, that guy knows how to fight him because he fought him too many times. Remember the first time they fought he was dropped twice in the first round.
CIANI: Now Roger, given the fact that they had another close fight do you think that Pacquiao is even going to want to fight your nephew in May?
MAYWEATHER: Well, he’s going to want to fight because any time a guy is getting this kind of money, why wouldn’t he want to fight somebody? Even if he gets his ass whopped it wouldn’t make no difference, because he’s probably going to get his ass whopped anyway regardless of the case. The case is that here’s a guy that’s going to get this kind of money. I mean here’s a guy that don’t even take tests and he’s getting this kind of money. It don’t even make sense to me! But regardless of what the case is, I seen the fight the other day and there ain’t no way in the world he’ll whop my nephew. The only way he could ever whop my nephew is he would have to have all the drugs in the world, because right now there ain’t no way. He won’t even make five rounds with my nephew, period! He won’t make five rounds with him. That’s what I’m talking about. The minute they tell him to take that test, boom! That’s going to be it right there.
CIANI: So did anything about the Pacquiao fight and his performance surprise you at all?
MAYWEATHER: No. Hell no. There ain’t nothing that surprised me. That guy right there showed you how to beat him anyway. Morales showed you how to beat him. Remember, you got to understand. Pacquiao ain’t beating these guys on his ability. He sure in the f*ck ain’t beating De La Hoya and Shane Mosley on his boxing ability. Everybody knows what that is. Ain’t nobody no fool. When was the last time you see a guy 105 pounds go up to 150 and whop somebody. Tell me! When was the last time you seen it?
CIANI: I haven’t seen it.
MAYWEATHER: Alright then. So that means if you haven’t seen and I know I’ve been in boxing, I haven’t seen it. So how does a guy from 105 pounds who’s been knocked out twice beating guys 150, elite fighters? Tell me!
CIANI: Well let me ask you this Roger. Since a lot of fans think Pacquiao lost this fight to Marquez—
MAYWEATHER: Oh I thought he lost, too!
CIANI: So now a lot of fans that were interested in seeing your nephew fighting Pacquiao, they’re not as interested because now a lot of people are starting to believe what you have been saying all along—that Pacquiao is not in Floyd’s league. Are you at all nervous that he might lose this super fight that could have been a career defining fight for your nephew?
MAYWEATHER: No, no, no, no, no. It’s not that he’s going to lose it, because number one, he still get the decision. He still got the decision, and all the elite fighters that my nephew had beaten, Pacquiao stopped them. Remember? He stopped De La Hoya. He beat Shane Mosley. He beat all these other guys. He beat all these other elite fighters so ain’t nobody mesmerized that Pacquiao can’t compete with my nephew, because people don’t believe what everybody knows about Pacquiao. People don’t believe it anyway, because people don’t think. People think Pacquiao can really fight and he’s beating these guys on his ability. I have never ever seen a guy 105 pounds beat a guy 147 pounds, 150 pounds, 140 pounds. I have never seen it! Tell me in history where they’ve done that. In the history of boxing, tell me where a guy 105 pounds been knocked out twice beat a guy 147 pounds. Tell me! Where? The last great fighter ever to step from 135 pounds to win a middleweight title is who?
CIANI: Is it De La Hoya?
MAYWEATHER: No. It’s Roberto Duran. Let me ask you this question: When have you seen a guy 105 pounds beat a guy 150 pounds. Tell me!
CIANI: No, I haven’t seen that. I told you that already.
MAYWEATHER: Alright then. You ain’t never seen it in history, have you?
CIANI: No.
JENNA: Roger, can I step in here real quick? There have been fighters in history that have gained over 50 pounds and been effective. I can give you one—Guillermo Jones. He was 154 pound fighter and he got knocked out at 154 pounds, and now he’s the cruiserweight champion and has fought at heavyweight.
MAYWEATHER: Wait, wait, wait. You said a guy at what weight? What weight was it?
JENNA: Guillermo Jones, he was originally a 147 pound fighter. He got knocked out at 154, but now he’s a cruiserweight champion.
MAYWEATHER: But wait, wait, wait! Listen! That ain’t much difference in weight. 47 and 54, that ain’t much difference in weight.
JENNA: I’m saying right now, he’s knocking out people at cruiserweight.
MAYWEATHER: Listen! We’re talking about a guy 105 pounds fighting a guy 150 pounds. You ain’t never seen it in history. Now tell me! There’s two guys that ever went up that high in weight to fight, anyway! One of them is Henry Armstrong, the other one is Roberto Duran, and the other one is Oscar De La Hoya. At that higher weight class, you never saw nobody at 105 pounds beating a guy 150 pounds. Sh*t!
JENNA: Roger, give me a second here. I just mentioned an example of a fighter who got knocked out at 154 who’s now a reigning cruiserweight champion of the world knocking out people at 200 pounds.
MAYWEATHER: Well that’s no big thing. That’s like Roy Jones coming from middleweight and winning a heavyweight title. Listen! We’re talking about a guy that started at 105 pounds. He’s been knocked out twice at 105. Okay? Now here’s a guy who goes from 105 to 150 pounds. That’s a lot of weight difference in weight class.
CIANI: Well Roger, going back to what I was saying before. If Pacquiao decides not to fight your nephew and kind of takes that super fight away from Floyd, then there’s only really one fight out there that the fans would consider to be a real challenge for your nephew, and that would be against middleweight champion Sergio Martinez.
MAYWEATHER: My nephew ain’t got to fight Sergio Martinez, remember the fight is with Pacquiao and if Pacquiao turns the fight down with my nephew do you know how much money he will have lost and do you know how the fans will respond to him? Here’s a guy who beat Shane Mosley, De La Hoya, this guy, that guy, this guy, that guy, and you mean to tell me he don’t want to fight my nephew? Then what’s that tell you? If that’s the biggest fight, and right now that’s the biggest fight in history. Not the biggest fight now, that’s the biggest fight in the history of boxing right now. The other fight that was the biggest fight in the history of boxing was De La Hoya and my nephew. That fight grossed more money than any other fight in history. Now how in the world is a guy who beat all these guys at 47 and 50 pounds, beat all the guys my nephew beat, why wouldn’t he fight my nephew? That proves that he’s the best! If you don’t fight Floyd then you may as well step away from boxing right now.
CIANI: Well what if he did that, though? What if for whatever reason he didn’t fight Floyd if he fought Marquez again?
MAYWEATHER: Well if he don’t fight Floyd people are going to know what he’s got in his ass, because number one—there ain’t no way in the world a guy getting close to $100 million ain’t going to fight a guy from the biggest fight in the history of boxing, period. What do you box for? What do fighters fight for? You fight to get the opportunity to be one of the best in the history of boxing. That’s what boxing is about. That’s why people make those big fights. That’s how you get paid for the big fights. So why wouldn’t he want to fight Floyd? He just fought Marquez, didn’t he?
CIANI: What if he fought Marquez again next May?
MAYWEATHER: Everybody don’t want to see that. There ain’t nobody who wants to see that. People want to see one thing. They want to see Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. That’s what the world was waiting for. There ain’t nothing else they’re waiting for. That is the biggest fight in the history of boxing to this do. So boom! If he takes that test, the fight is going to happen. The only reason the fight ain’t going to happen is because he don’t want to take that test. Now if you don’t want to take that test, that already tells you about him anyway! It tells you he got that sh*t in him! That’s what! How in the world are you not going to take a test if you’re getting damn near $100 million?
CIANI: But Roger, if he doesn’t take the test and he doesn’t want the fight with your nephew—
MAYWEATHER: Then that tells you he’s a fag and he never wanted to fight my nephew, anyway!
CIANI: But who would you want your nephew to fight in the event—
MAYWEATHER: I want Floyd to fight Manny Pacquiao! Pacquiao has been the one who beat the same guys that my nephew beat, too. So let’s see! Let’s see. I mean hey! That’s what people want to see. It ain’t what I want to see. That’s what the world has been waiting for! That’s what! Any other fight don’t make sense. The only fight that makes sense is Floyd and Pacquiao. That’s it. And if Pacquiao won’t take that fight then he’s got to be a fool, anyway!
CIANI: But what other opponents are out there for Floyd would you look at if Pacquiao doesn’t come to the table on this? Would you look at a guy like Amir Khan?
MAYWEATHER: Amir Khan ain’t sh*t! I don’t see no other one. Pacquiao is the one.
CIANI: So if Pacquiao doesn’t fight, do you think there’s a possibility Floyd might not fight in May?
MAYWEATHER: If he don’t fight, people are going to respond to his ass the way they should have responded to him a long time ago. He wasn’t sh*t anyway! How in the world are you talking about you want to fight my nephew. You beat this guy, you beat that guy, and you won’t fight my nephew. Everybody is going to know what time it is. Everybody is going to know and respond to him like they should have responded to his ass before. He ain’t going to fight my nephew because. That’s why, and everybody knows what I’m talking about. So Amir Khan don’t mean sh*t! He can’t drill my nephew. Pacquiao is the fight. That’s what makes money. That’s what makes sense. That’s the biggest fight in history. If he don’t take that he has to be a fool.
CIANI: So do you think if he doesn’t take it there’s a chance your nephew will retire?
MAYWEATHER: It could be. It could. He could retire, but my nephew don’t worry about retirement. My nephew takes the test so he don’t worry about that. This mother f*cker, he don’t take no test. Pacquiao don’t take no mother fucking test. He don’t take sh*t! My nephew is the one who can make him take a test, though!
CIANI: Roger changing things up here, in your nephew’s last victory against Victor Ortiz he was coming off of a fairly long layoff. Not as long as some of his layoffs, but you as his trainer, did you see any ring rust from Floyd in his victory against Victor Ortiz during those early rounds?
MAYWEATHER: Did I see any ring rust? Nope. Nope, because Victor Ortiz came out my nephew and he threw a bunch of punches. He wasn’t really hitting him. He was hitting his arms, but you got to remember one thing. The fight didn’t go that long for my nephew to be laid off that long. So my nephew needs to come back and fight right back, because the fight went about four or five rounds. Boom. That’s it. Remember, my nephew don’t fight no fighters at this catch weight sh*t like Pacquiao makes them do. Oh! You can’t weigh no more than 144, you can’t weigh no more than 145, and stuff like that. My nephew beat his ass at 162 pounds. That’s the difference between Pacquiao and my nephew. So if my nephew whopped Victor Ortiz’s ass at 160-something pounds, what in the world do you think he would do with Pacquiao? Oh I can’t fight you at 45! You got to weight 44. You got to weigh this. You got to weight that. You fight what you weigh.
JENNA: Alright well Roger, I have just a couple of more questions before I let you off the line. We were talking about Victor Ortiz a second ago. Some people give Floyd slack for the way that fight ended. Do you think he deserves any at all?
MAYWEATHER: He got knocked out. The referee said, “go”. That’s all. It ain’t Floyd’s fault, The referee’s the one who ruined the fight. He said, “go”. Boom. He got knocked out, period. He was going to get knocked out anyway. He was going to get knocked out one way or the other. Whether Floyd knocked him out then or whether Floyd knocked him out a round from then, he was going to get knocked out anyway. It didn’t make no difference. He was going to get knocked out, anyway.
JENNA: Alright but that leaves the question, for the fans that were upset about it, do you think they buy pay-per-views to see Floyd Mayweather Junior lose? Or do you think they tune in to see his skills?
MAYWEATHER: They are going to buy pay-per-views because Floyd is the best fighter in the world right now in the history of boxing, period. That’s why they’re going to buy the pay-per-views. I don’t know if they buy them to lose, or buy them to see him fight, but whatever the case is they’re going to buy it anyway. They’re going to buy it because of the way my nephew performs, and there wasn’t anything difficult about the fight that says Victor Ortiz got knocked out. He got knocked out anyway doing all this mother f*cking hugging, this hugging and kissing. This is boxing. This ain’t going on no mother f*cking date. He head-butted my nephew twice, anyway.
JENNA: Roger, let’s turn things to you for a second. What other fighters are you working with today that people might not know about and should be able to look out for?
MAYWEATHER: I work with so many, and I work with young kids as well. I mean I got a little kid Anthony Sims. He’s about an 8-time national amateur champion. The kid is about 16, but he’s boxing like a pro. I work one other kid that’s named DJ, but he’s still young, like 8 or 9 years old. There’s another kid I’m working with now. He’s a youth champion and I’m working with the guy that’s boxing him like Tyron and a guy named Kevin. Both of them are pretty good fighters. They’re young but they work with pros. You know, so they work with this guy who’s a junior youth champion from Canada. He’s 140 pounds and I got guys working with him right now.
JENNA: Alright Roger, I have one final question. On May 5, 2012, who do you expect to be standing across the ring from Floyd Mayweather Junior? Do you think it will be Manny Pacquiao?
MAYWEATHER: Do I think Pacquiao will be his next fight? I think my nephew will probably have one more tune-up fight first. He’ll probably fight, I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s Maidana. I don’t know. I think he’ll fight probably a guy of that nature, somewhere around there. The only way the fight won’t happen with Pacquiao, is because hey! Everybody knows. The only reason the fight won’t happen with Pacquiao is because Pacquiao is going to refuse to take the test, and if he refuses to take a test to get damn near $100 million then tells you how big a fool he is.
JENNA: So Roger, what you’re saying is it’s going to Manny Pacquiao on May 5 unless Pacquiao decides not to take a test, and then in that case Floyd will be taking a tune-up fight? That’s what you’re saying?
MAYWEATHER: That’s right. Right. Floyd is going to get another tune-up fight is what I’m saying, but by that time Pacquiao should have enough balls for him to fight Floyd, and hey! We won’t be talking about Floyd and Pacquiao no more. Would you turn down a fight for damn near $100 million?
JENNA: No, I’d fight your nephew for $100 million. (laughs)
MAYWEATHER: Okay then. That means hey! $100 million is $100 million. I don’t care how you slice it. Everybody ain’t going to boo Floyd. They going to boo him so they were thinking he was so good and he’s beating these guys way over his weight class. Let’s see! Let’s see what he can do. A guy 147 pounds, Floyd could make 145. It don’t make no difference. Let’s see what he can do.
JENNA: Well Roger, it’s been a pleasure having you back on our show and I think it’s been like the seventh time we’ve had you on, so I thank you for giving us all that time and I look forward to seeing you back in the ring regardless.
MAYWEATHER: No big thing. Hey! When you want me, call me again because this fight is going to happen. It’s going to be moving closer.
JENNA: Alright. Excellent! Thanks again, Roger.
MAYWEATHER: Remember, the only way the fight ain’t going to happen is because this guy has to be a fool to not fight Floyd for all that money. So we’ll see.
CIANI: Well we’re definitely looking forward to seeing it Roger. It’s been a long time in the making.
MAYWEATHER: Alright, have a good day!
CIANI: Thank you. Take care.
MAYWEATHER: Alright! Be good.
JENNA: Thanks. Bye.
THE TOP 10 PERFORMANCES OF THE PAST DECADE
By John McCormick
Often in life we are somewhat curtailed of the true beauty that's occurring right before our very eyes. In the moment, we rarely appreciate what we are being given. It is not until the moment is long gone, that we look back and not only appreciate it, but wish we could go back, and relive the moment. Boxing is no different. A decade seems like an eternity when you are living within it, but once it passes we see just how quickly time flies. I've compiled the following list of the best boxing performances of the past decade. The list is not necessarily made up of Fight of the Year candidates. Instead, it is composed of how important the fight was at that time, how important it was in that specific division; the impact that it left on both fighters careers; and the dominance that one fighter showed over the other.
10] Joe Calzaghe UD 12 Jeff Lacy (March 4 2006)
Going into this bout, both men were undefeated, Super Middleweight title holders. The fight was named "Judgment Day", and it's name couldn't have fit any better. I recall many prematurely comparing Jeff Lacy to Mike Tyson, and claiming he would easily knock Joe Calzaghe out, ending his undefeated streak. Boy, were they wrong. Calzaghe punished Jeff Lacy for 12 rounds with right hooks, straight left hands, left uppercuts, all while barely getting hit. The win brought Calzaghe into the mainstream light, and landed him on HBO in his future bouts with Mikkel Kessler, Bernard Hopkins, and Roy Jones Jr. The loss for Lacy ended up being a detrimental to the rest of his career, losing 3 of his next 7 fights, and never again regaining a championship.
9] Bernard Hopkins UD 12 Kelly Pavlik (October 18 2008)
Prior to this fight, Kelly Pavlik seemed unstoppable. He had beaten the man who beat Hopkins twice [Jermain Taylor], and looked as if he was going to steamroll through the Middleweight division with ease. Bernard Hopkins was coming off of a close decision loss to Joe Calzaghe. It appeared to many that Hopkins' old age would finally catch up to him when he stepped in the ring with Pavlik. The odds favored Pavlik to knock Hopkins out, despite the fact that Hopkins had never been knocked out in his career. B-Hop ended up putting on one of his best performances ever, dominating Kelly Pavlik, winning every round, and even hitting him with a taunting bolo punch in the 8th round. The win made Hopkins relevant in the boxing world again, brought him up a few spots on many experts' pound for pound lists, and has enabled him to still compete with the top Light Heavyweights today. Although the loss didn't cost Pavlik his middleweight championship [bout was fought at a catch weight of 166 lbs], he was never the same. The fight gave Sergio Martinez a blueprint to snatch the Middleweight crown from Pavlik, which put the nail in the coffin. Pavlik is no longer even mentioned while discussing the 160 pound scene today.
8] Shane Mosley TKO 9 Antonio Margarito (January 24 2009)
Similar to the Pavlik-Hopkins bout, many experts picked Antonio Margarito to knock Shane Mosley out. Shane's best days seemed to be behind him, while Margarito's were just getting started. Antonio almost looked super-human in his prior bout with Miguel Cotto, he took everything Cotto could offer with a smile, and ended up knocking him out. Minutes before the fight, Mosley's corner discovered the infamous hand wrapping techniques of Team Margarito. The bout still went on, and Margarito didn't look like the same man that was in the ring with Miguel Cotto, 6 months prior. He wasn't in the fight at all, and received his first knockout loss at the hands of Mosley in the 9th round. The win made Mosley important in the welterweight division again, securing him fights with Floyd Mayweather Jr, and Manny Pacquiao later on. The discovery before Margarito's entrance to the ring mixed with the results in the ring resulted in an embarrassing loss and his boxing license being suspended in California, making it hard for him to be approved to fight anywhere else. Mosley's dominating performance outshined the controversy that night, as it seemed to be karma in its purest form.
7] Erik Morales UD 12 Manny Pacquiao (March 19 2005)
Unlike the other fights that made this list, Erik Morales did not necessarily dominate Manny Pacquiao in their first bout. This fight made the list for another reason. This was the last bout in which we saw the Erik Morales that we all knew. Going into the fight, Manny Pacquiao had given Juan Manuel Marquez the fight of his life the year prior, as well as conquering Morales' long time rival Marco Antonio Barrera. Morales was the underdog, and proved the critics wrong. Morales kept the fight at his pace, out boxing Pacquiao, and in the 12th round, turned southpaw and went toe to toe with Manny on the way to winning a Unanimous Decision. The win ended up being counterproductive for Morales, as he went on to lose to Zahir Raheem, and get knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in his next 3 fights. The first fight with Pacquiao proved to be Erik Morales' "last hurrah". Manny, on the other hand, used the loss to motivate him into correcting his flaws. After this fight, Pacquiao's right hand, defense, and footwork all improved dramatically, making him the fighter we all know today. In this case, the "winner" is today's "loser" and the "loser" is today's "winner".
6] Marco Antonio Barrera UD 12 "Prince" Naseem Hamed (April 7 2001)
In April of 2001, when Marco Antonio Barrera moved up to challenge for the lineal featherweight title against unbeaten "Prince" Naseem Hamed, the odds were 3-1 against him. In the fight, Barrera put on an amazing boxing clinic. "The baby faced assassin" circled to the left, worked the body and head, and took Hamed's signature lefts away from his arsenal as a result of great defense. Although some moments in the fight could have been confused with a WWE match, Barrera totally outclassed Hamed and exposed him. The win gave Marco a lot of credibility in the boxing world, as well as a rematch against Erik Morales. The "Prince" was never the same, only competing once more as a professional.
5] Vernon Forrest UD 12 Shane Mosley (January 26 2002)
In January 2002, Shane Mosley was considered by many to be the number one Pound for Pound fighter in the world. Even while taking into account that Mosley had lost to Vernon Forrest in the amateurs, many experts believed Shane had evolved into a complete fighter by the time these two met professionally. It turned out to be the same old story, as Forrest shocked the world, and upset Mosley. The unbeaten Vernon Forrest still had Shane Mosley's number, and he was dialing in all night on his way to a unanimous decision. Vernon was able to repeat six months later in the rematch as well. The win brought Vernon Forrest worldwide recognition, unfortunately it was short lived, as Vernon went on to lose two consecutive fights to the wild Ricardo Mayorga. Shane Mosley lost a lot of steam with the two losses to Forrest, and went on to lose a pair of fights to Ronald "Winky" Wright as well. Mosley was able to catch a second wind later in his career, and become relevant again. Vernon Forrest was murdered in Atlanta on July 25 2009. R.I.P Vernon.
4] Manny Pacquiao TKO 11 Marco Antonio Barrera (November 15 2003)
This performance made the list because it is viewed as the "coming out party" of Manny Pacquiao, and I believe it has defined his career. Had Manny been out boxed by Barrera like Hamed was, I'm sure we wouldn't be demanding a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr now, 8 years later. The fight was Manny's first at Featherweight, and was his first true test in the United States. Manny ended up being too much for Barrera to handle, and his corner stopped the fight in the 11th round. The win gave Pacquiao his third world title in as many weight divisions, and the lineal featherweight title. It also set the stage for all the mega fights Manny has been a part of up to now. The loss was devastating for Barrera, but he was able to bounce back, and find success in the super featherweight division.
3] Floyd Mayweather Jr TKO 10 Diego Corrales (January 20 2001)
Arguably Floyd Mayweather's best performance of his career. Going into the fight the late Diego "Chico" Corrales was 33-0, knocking out almost every fighter put in front of him, and on the top five of many experts Pound for Pound lists. Mayweather put on a brilliant performance of speed, defense, ring generalship, and power. The result? Mayweather knocked Corrales down five times on his way to a tenth round TKO. Chico landed single digit punches in every round. The win boosted Floyd to the top of Pound for Pound rankings and played a huge role in making Mayweather who he is today. The loss didn't take Corrales' heart away. Diego went on to continue to be a fan favorite, participating in bouts against Joel Casamayor, Acelino Freitas, and the unforgettable Jose Luis Castillo I bout. Unfortunately, Diego never reached the superstardom that Mayweather did. Corrales passed away on a motorcycle accident in 2007. He’ll always be remembered for his heart in the ring. R.I.P Chico.
2] Roy Jones UD 12 John Ruiz (March 1 2003)
On March 1st 2003, Roy Jones Jr became the first former middleweight champion to win a heavyweight title in 106 years. Roy looked amazing that night. He out boxed and outsmarted a much bigger John Ruiz. The win made Roy Jones a guaranteed hall of famer, and put the icing on his legacy. Unfortunately, Roy moved back down to light heavyweight, and we all know how that story ended. Ruiz continued to fight after the bout, and reclaimed the WBA Heavyweight Title once again. Roy Jones' legacy would mean so much more today, had he retired that night.
1] Bernard Hopkins TKO 12 Felix Trinidad (September 29 2001)
Bernard Hopkins came out of the dark and into the light after the best performance of his career against Felix "Tito" Trinidad. The fight was originally scheduled for September 15th 2001 at New York City's Madison Square Garden, but was postponed due to the September 11th attacks. The fight gave Americans a distraction in a time of confusion, and uncertainty. Hopkins was the underdog for the first time in a long time against the heavy hitting, undefeated Felix Trinidad. With this in mind, "B-Hop" bet $100,000 on himself. Bernard gave Tito a front row seat in boxing 101. Hopkins was able to win every round, while taking Trinidad's left hook away from him, and finishing him off in the last round. The win made Hopkins the first Undisputed Middleweight Champion of the world since Marvin Hagler in 1987. It also made showed the world the brilliance of Bernard Hopkins, moved him to the top of the Pound For Pound rankings, and landed him big pay days in the future. Trinidad's career continued but all of the momentum of his career got sucked out that night. Felix was never the same.
EDITORS NOTE: Where is Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo I ??
Honorable mention:
Ronald Wright UD 12 Shane Mosley
Ronald Right UD 12 Felix Trinidad
Bernard Hopkins UD 12 Antonio Tarver
Floyd Mayweather Jr TKO 10 Ricky Hatton
Manny Pacquiao TKO 10 Eric Morales
Kelly Pavlik TKO 7 Jermain Taylor
By John McCormick
Often in life we are somewhat curtailed of the true beauty that's occurring right before our very eyes. In the moment, we rarely appreciate what we are being given. It is not until the moment is long gone, that we look back and not only appreciate it, but wish we could go back, and relive the moment. Boxing is no different. A decade seems like an eternity when you are living within it, but once it passes we see just how quickly time flies. I've compiled the following list of the best boxing performances of the past decade. The list is not necessarily made up of Fight of the Year candidates. Instead, it is composed of how important the fight was at that time, how important it was in that specific division; the impact that it left on both fighters careers; and the dominance that one fighter showed over the other.
10] Joe Calzaghe UD 12 Jeff Lacy (March 4 2006)
Going into this bout, both men were undefeated, Super Middleweight title holders. The fight was named "Judgment Day", and it's name couldn't have fit any better. I recall many prematurely comparing Jeff Lacy to Mike Tyson, and claiming he would easily knock Joe Calzaghe out, ending his undefeated streak. Boy, were they wrong. Calzaghe punished Jeff Lacy for 12 rounds with right hooks, straight left hands, left uppercuts, all while barely getting hit. The win brought Calzaghe into the mainstream light, and landed him on HBO in his future bouts with Mikkel Kessler, Bernard Hopkins, and Roy Jones Jr. The loss for Lacy ended up being a detrimental to the rest of his career, losing 3 of his next 7 fights, and never again regaining a championship.
9] Bernard Hopkins UD 12 Kelly Pavlik (October 18 2008)
Prior to this fight, Kelly Pavlik seemed unstoppable. He had beaten the man who beat Hopkins twice [Jermain Taylor], and looked as if he was going to steamroll through the Middleweight division with ease. Bernard Hopkins was coming off of a close decision loss to Joe Calzaghe. It appeared to many that Hopkins' old age would finally catch up to him when he stepped in the ring with Pavlik. The odds favored Pavlik to knock Hopkins out, despite the fact that Hopkins had never been knocked out in his career. B-Hop ended up putting on one of his best performances ever, dominating Kelly Pavlik, winning every round, and even hitting him with a taunting bolo punch in the 8th round. The win made Hopkins relevant in the boxing world again, brought him up a few spots on many experts' pound for pound lists, and has enabled him to still compete with the top Light Heavyweights today. Although the loss didn't cost Pavlik his middleweight championship [bout was fought at a catch weight of 166 lbs], he was never the same. The fight gave Sergio Martinez a blueprint to snatch the Middleweight crown from Pavlik, which put the nail in the coffin. Pavlik is no longer even mentioned while discussing the 160 pound scene today.
8] Shane Mosley TKO 9 Antonio Margarito (January 24 2009)
Similar to the Pavlik-Hopkins bout, many experts picked Antonio Margarito to knock Shane Mosley out. Shane's best days seemed to be behind him, while Margarito's were just getting started. Antonio almost looked super-human in his prior bout with Miguel Cotto, he took everything Cotto could offer with a smile, and ended up knocking him out. Minutes before the fight, Mosley's corner discovered the infamous hand wrapping techniques of Team Margarito. The bout still went on, and Margarito didn't look like the same man that was in the ring with Miguel Cotto, 6 months prior. He wasn't in the fight at all, and received his first knockout loss at the hands of Mosley in the 9th round. The win made Mosley important in the welterweight division again, securing him fights with Floyd Mayweather Jr, and Manny Pacquiao later on. The discovery before Margarito's entrance to the ring mixed with the results in the ring resulted in an embarrassing loss and his boxing license being suspended in California, making it hard for him to be approved to fight anywhere else. Mosley's dominating performance outshined the controversy that night, as it seemed to be karma in its purest form.
7] Erik Morales UD 12 Manny Pacquiao (March 19 2005)
Unlike the other fights that made this list, Erik Morales did not necessarily dominate Manny Pacquiao in their first bout. This fight made the list for another reason. This was the last bout in which we saw the Erik Morales that we all knew. Going into the fight, Manny Pacquiao had given Juan Manuel Marquez the fight of his life the year prior, as well as conquering Morales' long time rival Marco Antonio Barrera. Morales was the underdog, and proved the critics wrong. Morales kept the fight at his pace, out boxing Pacquiao, and in the 12th round, turned southpaw and went toe to toe with Manny on the way to winning a Unanimous Decision. The win ended up being counterproductive for Morales, as he went on to lose to Zahir Raheem, and get knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in his next 3 fights. The first fight with Pacquiao proved to be Erik Morales' "last hurrah". Manny, on the other hand, used the loss to motivate him into correcting his flaws. After this fight, Pacquiao's right hand, defense, and footwork all improved dramatically, making him the fighter we all know today. In this case, the "winner" is today's "loser" and the "loser" is today's "winner".
6] Marco Antonio Barrera UD 12 "Prince" Naseem Hamed (April 7 2001)
In April of 2001, when Marco Antonio Barrera moved up to challenge for the lineal featherweight title against unbeaten "Prince" Naseem Hamed, the odds were 3-1 against him. In the fight, Barrera put on an amazing boxing clinic. "The baby faced assassin" circled to the left, worked the body and head, and took Hamed's signature lefts away from his arsenal as a result of great defense. Although some moments in the fight could have been confused with a WWE match, Barrera totally outclassed Hamed and exposed him. The win gave Marco a lot of credibility in the boxing world, as well as a rematch against Erik Morales. The "Prince" was never the same, only competing once more as a professional.
5] Vernon Forrest UD 12 Shane Mosley (January 26 2002)
In January 2002, Shane Mosley was considered by many to be the number one Pound for Pound fighter in the world. Even while taking into account that Mosley had lost to Vernon Forrest in the amateurs, many experts believed Shane had evolved into a complete fighter by the time these two met professionally. It turned out to be the same old story, as Forrest shocked the world, and upset Mosley. The unbeaten Vernon Forrest still had Shane Mosley's number, and he was dialing in all night on his way to a unanimous decision. Vernon was able to repeat six months later in the rematch as well. The win brought Vernon Forrest worldwide recognition, unfortunately it was short lived, as Vernon went on to lose two consecutive fights to the wild Ricardo Mayorga. Shane Mosley lost a lot of steam with the two losses to Forrest, and went on to lose a pair of fights to Ronald "Winky" Wright as well. Mosley was able to catch a second wind later in his career, and become relevant again. Vernon Forrest was murdered in Atlanta on July 25 2009. R.I.P Vernon.
4] Manny Pacquiao TKO 11 Marco Antonio Barrera (November 15 2003)
This performance made the list because it is viewed as the "coming out party" of Manny Pacquiao, and I believe it has defined his career. Had Manny been out boxed by Barrera like Hamed was, I'm sure we wouldn't be demanding a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr now, 8 years later. The fight was Manny's first at Featherweight, and was his first true test in the United States. Manny ended up being too much for Barrera to handle, and his corner stopped the fight in the 11th round. The win gave Pacquiao his third world title in as many weight divisions, and the lineal featherweight title. It also set the stage for all the mega fights Manny has been a part of up to now. The loss was devastating for Barrera, but he was able to bounce back, and find success in the super featherweight division.
3] Floyd Mayweather Jr TKO 10 Diego Corrales (January 20 2001)
Arguably Floyd Mayweather's best performance of his career. Going into the fight the late Diego "Chico" Corrales was 33-0, knocking out almost every fighter put in front of him, and on the top five of many experts Pound for Pound lists. Mayweather put on a brilliant performance of speed, defense, ring generalship, and power. The result? Mayweather knocked Corrales down five times on his way to a tenth round TKO. Chico landed single digit punches in every round. The win boosted Floyd to the top of Pound for Pound rankings and played a huge role in making Mayweather who he is today. The loss didn't take Corrales' heart away. Diego went on to continue to be a fan favorite, participating in bouts against Joel Casamayor, Acelino Freitas, and the unforgettable Jose Luis Castillo I bout. Unfortunately, Diego never reached the superstardom that Mayweather did. Corrales passed away on a motorcycle accident in 2007. He’ll always be remembered for his heart in the ring. R.I.P Chico.
2] Roy Jones UD 12 John Ruiz (March 1 2003)
On March 1st 2003, Roy Jones Jr became the first former middleweight champion to win a heavyweight title in 106 years. Roy looked amazing that night. He out boxed and outsmarted a much bigger John Ruiz. The win made Roy Jones a guaranteed hall of famer, and put the icing on his legacy. Unfortunately, Roy moved back down to light heavyweight, and we all know how that story ended. Ruiz continued to fight after the bout, and reclaimed the WBA Heavyweight Title once again. Roy Jones' legacy would mean so much more today, had he retired that night.
1] Bernard Hopkins TKO 12 Felix Trinidad (September 29 2001)
Bernard Hopkins came out of the dark and into the light after the best performance of his career against Felix "Tito" Trinidad. The fight was originally scheduled for September 15th 2001 at New York City's Madison Square Garden, but was postponed due to the September 11th attacks. The fight gave Americans a distraction in a time of confusion, and uncertainty. Hopkins was the underdog for the first time in a long time against the heavy hitting, undefeated Felix Trinidad. With this in mind, "B-Hop" bet $100,000 on himself. Bernard gave Tito a front row seat in boxing 101. Hopkins was able to win every round, while taking Trinidad's left hook away from him, and finishing him off in the last round. The win made Hopkins the first Undisputed Middleweight Champion of the world since Marvin Hagler in 1987. It also made showed the world the brilliance of Bernard Hopkins, moved him to the top of the Pound For Pound rankings, and landed him big pay days in the future. Trinidad's career continued but all of the momentum of his career got sucked out that night. Felix was never the same.
EDITORS NOTE: Where is Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo I ??
Honorable mention:
Ronald Wright UD 12 Shane Mosley
Ronald Right UD 12 Felix Trinidad
Bernard Hopkins UD 12 Antonio Tarver
Floyd Mayweather Jr TKO 10 Ricky Hatton
Manny Pacquiao TKO 10 Eric Morales
Kelly Pavlik TKO 7 Jermain Taylor