Pacquiao Perfection?

During the undercards on Saturday night, Miguel Cotto sat ringside with his family, preparing for the inevitable battle that awaited. Hardening himself, the WBO welterweight champion probably didn't anticipate confessing to the world, “Manny is one of the best fighters of all time.”

The fight correctly dubbed “Firepower” became a firing squad for Pacquiao, and an utter cease-fire for the former champion Cotto. Pacquiao connected 49% of power shots, landing largely as he pleased throughout the fight. Cotto made it through the first round brilliantly, boxing and counter-punching effectively, keeping Pacquiao at a surprised distance with his solid jab. However, Pacquiao planted Cotto on the canvas in round three, distracting Cotto with a right hand feint, landing a straight left to the body, followed by a blinding right hook to Cotto's temple, finished with a left uppercut on the way down, just for good measure.

Against Freddie Roach’s advice, Pacquiao languished on the ropes a bit, testing Cotto's punching power. And that question seems to be answered: Manny Pacquiao can take the best punches from a full-fledged welterweight—he walked through the “stronger man's” best shots for twelve rounds. In the fourth round, Pacquiao landed a brilliantly placed left uppercut, penetrating Cotto's guard, his eyes rolling back as he stumbled to the canvas for the second time.
Cotto won round five with effective jabs and a measured attack, Pacquiao taking a rest after two consecutive 10-8 rounds. However, from round six on, Pacquiao controlled the fight, thrashing Cotto with blistering combinations from all angles. Pacquiao boxed on his toes beautifully early on and hunted flat-footed relentlessly to close the show. Pacquiao seemed to debilitate Cotto, the infamous body puncher, with every blow downstairs. In full retreat, the fight could have been justifiably called in the ninth round, Cotto back-pedaling from corner to corner, unable to adjust to the fight Manny dictated; Cotto’s wife and son left the arena before the bell ended the round.

Chief second Joe Santiago gave no technical advice to his fighter between rounds. Instead, a sense of mayhem and desperation ensued; Miguel even kissed his father between rounds, as if to say 'I will weather this...' But the Pacquiao-storm continued. Pacquiao grinned when hit flush by Cotto, beat his gloves together as he methodically stalked the defending champion, and often stopped in frustration, as if to say 'I thought this was a fight...' Even so, Cotto showed his true courage and warrior's heart as he stayed on his feet until Kenny Bayless waived the fight in the last round. Out-classed and aware of the outcome that loomed ahead, Miguel Cotto demanded to go out on his own terms.

In the aftermath of the most-anticipated fight of the year, a new welterweight champion has emerged. All questions regarding Pacquiao's previous victories over De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton should be laid to rest. All doubts regarding Manny's abilities against a legitimate welterweight champion have been undeniably removed. And the case for Pacquiao's pound for pound supremacy continues to solidify, a debate that Freddie Roach wants resolved in 2010.

Manny Pacquiao continues to exceed all expectations, winning a record-breaking and historical seven championship belts in seven different weight classes, solely responsible for carrying the hopes of a burdened nation, continually dominating bigger opponents in scintillating fashion. The popular question seems to be “Is Manny Pacquiao good enough to beat Floyd Mayweather?” But after making yet another career-defining emphatic statement in the middle of the ring, Pacquiao clearly states, “Is Floyd Mayweather good enough to beat me?” Fans of the Sweet Science eagerly wait with baited breath for the answer they deserve.

"Pac" Backpedaling

By nature, humans are brash and outspoken, boldly predicting what looms ahead with confident conviction. But time tends to clean the lens: hindsight provides 20/20 vision. And with that in mind, I thought back to the eager anticipation, the unwavering predictions from Manny Pacquiao's last two mega-fights--"contests" which are now brought into question, even disregarded after the impossible was accomplished.

Disclaimer: I am not denying that Oscar De La Hoya was weight drained on December 6th, 2008. However, we seem to forget the unanimous predictions that were shouted across the boxing board. Thomas Hauser, famous boxing writer and analyst, wrote "The disparity in weight between De La Hoya and Pacquiao has led to complaints that boxing's Golden Boy is buying a gold-plated mismatch. Oscar is in danger of being seen as a school-yard bully who, after having lost to fighters his own size, is now picking on tough little guys." Even fellow welterweights Paul Williams and Antonio Margarito blasted De La Hoya for fighting a lightweight, predicting a third round KO for the Golden Boy.

And now that the dust has settled and De La Hoya is throwing promotional punches full-time, the world seems to forget the way it was "supposed" to go. In factual comparison with all bias aside, Mayweather himself challenged a tough lightweight in Juan Manuel Marquez, at a catch-weight of 144 lbs (although Mayweather ignored the limit). With the blue-print of Pacquiao/De La Hoya scrapped and the finished product cemented, some were giving Marquez a fighting chance, largely due to his blood-and-guts wars with Pacquiao, the new Pound for Pound king.

But unlike the "Dream Match," the fight followed the predicted script, with the bigger and stronger Mayweather soundly beating a "tough little guy." Meanwhile, Mayweather's iconic rival went on to assassinate the bigger Hitman inside of two rounds. Roach predicted a KO inside of three rounds, which many scoffed at during the prelude to the fight. And although Manny was the betting favorite following his Goliath-like slaying of De La Hoya at 147 lbs, he was facing a prime RING champion in his own 140 lb weight class.

But boxing has no season, and as the fight calendar moves forward and new anticipations are found, fans tend to forget that Manny Pacquiao is defying the odds. De La Hoya writes in his exclusive RING blog that Pacquiao never hurt him with any punches, yet his swollen face and post-hospital visit beg to differ. And while Mayweather stays busy fighting radio DJ's like RA the Rugged Man, Pacquiao prepares for the fight of his career in Miguel Cotto. Much like his fight against the bigger and stronger Hatton, Pacquiao is already a 2-1 favorite over the bigger, stronger, prime, and natural welterweight. Some have stated in the aftermath that Pacquiao "cherry-picked" Oscar and Ricky, weight-drained and overrated, although both defeated foes were the one's to challenge the newly-crowned king. And in challenging Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao is doing what Mayweather should have done, and may be favored by odds-makers and sports-betters, but at least one boxing purist views this fight as even. Anyone who disagrees is seriously underestimating both warriors.

On the morning of November 15th, listen to the whispers around the boxing world. Will they say "Miguel Cotto was damaged goods," even after boldly predicting an end to Pacquiao's reign? Or will Cotto emerge victorious and restore logical thinking, executing the predicted-ending that was written off and forgotten after Pacquiao shocked the world? Maybe RA the Rugged Man can challenge the winner after his TKO of Mayweather. No matter the outcome, fight fans can rejoice, witnessing the best fight the best. All predictions, heated debates, and personal opinions aside, we should embrace the winner and finally give them the credit he deserves. If Pacquiao's hand is raised, we will know that Pacquiao bested a prime, welterweight champion, and all other squabbles about Oscar's weight and Hatton's lack of skills should be left behind. And if the Caguas Crusher celebrates in victory, he will have beaten Manny Pacquiao, the man that defied the odds. As fight fans of the Sweet Science, back-pedaling to excuses is trivial, yet some writers continue to live in the past. I for one am looking forward to the future, and an entire year of new anticipations to discover.

Worn with Pride.

We are ten days away from the fight of the year: Cotto vs. Pacquiao, November 14th. I recently ordered this shirt online (compliments of Ariel Payopay) to be worn on fight night. The bottom inside of the shirt flips up to read "VICTORY."

Pacquiao's keys to victory:

• constant in-and-out movement
• use uppercuts and angles to break the "ear-muff" defense
• fighting and counter-punching off the back foot early
• get Cotto's respect early, land blows often
• let Cotto assume the aggressor role, but jump on him when he starts to fade

Cotto's keys to victory:

• use the right hand lead followed by the left hook
• attack the body early and often
• use timing to offset speed (Mosley, Judah)
• use ring generalship to make Manny move
• find Pacquiao in the corner and against the ropes

In the last two mega-fights of Manny Pacquiao's career, I have always felt that twinge of uncertainty as the fight draws near...De La Hoya was a 2-1 favorite over the "little man," and while Hatton was the underdog, he blindly believed in his strength and power. And even though I feel confident that Pacman will make history that night, the looming size and natural weight of Cotto brings a shade of doubt; anything can happen in a fight.

I loved RA the Rugged Man's phone interview with Floyd Mayweather. Even though the interview was meant to get Money worked up, I loved how every question had no legitimate answer. Here is what we found out, compliments of Floyd Mayweather:

1. Weight doesn't matter in boxing (referring to Floyd choosing a chubby 36 y/o Marquez to move up and fight him)
2. Legacy doesn't pay the bills (referring to Floyd caring more about the payday than the quality of opposition, even though he maintains his mansion is paid in cash)
3. Boxing dies if I leave (maintaining that he alone is the star draw in the sport of boxing, despite the new-found fame and success of Manny Pacquiao)

Sergio Martinez vs. Paul Williams is a good secondary following another Pavlik pull-out. It would be sad if Kelly was stripped of his lineal titles in February if he doesn't make a defense...

I'm sick of Antonio Margarito even being mentioned. If he wants to fight, he should get in there with countryman Alfredo Angulo at 154 and find out how a proud Mexican warrior fights.

It's funny how Mayweather wants to be loved for his undefeated record, not his resume of opponents. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is undefeated. Need I say more?

Expectations.

When Ricky Hatton made his second attempt to gain P4P supremacy on May 2nd, the burden of proof fell on the Hitman to make it through the early rounds, which would have given him a chance to make the fight a brawl in the later rounds. Manny put Hatton to sleep before he had the chance...

The same burden of proof fell on undefeated Cris Arreola, who needed to eat enough punches to get inside and brawl with Vitali Klitschko, the heavyweight champ with the highest KO percentage in boxing history, now 38 wins by 37 KO's.

But the Mexican-American fell short. He did last 10 rounds, which is more than the majority of Klitschko's other opponents can say. Vitali simply changed up his game-plan to frustrate the inexperienced challenger, using that huge reach advantage to maintain distance with the jab, conserving energy by throwing mostly "arm" punches, which seem to do as much damage as any other fighter who turns his weight into his punches.

Although I was hoping that Arreola could make it a dog fight while it lasted, I knew without question that the fight would end this way, though I didn't envision Arreola weeping...

The same goes for last week's fight with Mayweather taking on Marquez. Although I hoped the older, smaller fighter would be able to capitalize on enough of Mayweather's disadvantages (his long layoff, his injured ribs, the extended training camp, etc.) to make a difference, clearly these hopes were pipe-dreams.

And that seems to be my biggest reason for anticipating the November 14th showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto: there is no easy pick.

Sure, Manny has the P4P throne, the speed, footwork, and angles. But Cotto brings his destructive power, infamous body punches, ring generalship and offensive pressure. Plus he's the naturally bigger and stronger man--a natural welterweight.

In a fight with so many factors, it would be irresponsible for anyone to predict the winner before the bell sounds. And that's what excites me--what excites any true boxing fan. Pitting the best one man can give against another, forced to expect the unexpected.

Pre-Destined.

The King has been challenged.

Mayweather ended his 21-month layoff showing no signs of rust or age, dismantling the technical veteran Juan Manuel Marquez in 12 one-sided rounds. The former pound-for-pound king made Marquez look like a sparring partner, rolling his shoulder and dancing away from punches. Money landed close to 50% of total punches, while Marquez was only able to land an embarrassing 12%, with only 21 jabs throughout the 12 round fight.

Although Marquez went down on a lazer-left hook in the 2nd round, he proved irrefutably that not only does he have heart, but also that Floyd is no powerhouse.

The fight went exactly as planned, following the blue-print to the letter. There was talk of Mayweather wanting the knockout, but coasting to a comfortable UD over a smaller man defines his style.

After the fight, Marquez drew some comparisons in the P4P debate, stating "They have different styles. Floyd is very clever. He’s a defensive fighter 100 percent. He’s a good counter puncher. [But] Pacquiao is a guy who likes to fight."

That seems to be the answer to the P4P debate: Mayweather is the best BOXER. But Pacquiao stands alone as the best FIGHTER.

People didn't love Arturo Gatti because of his slick style or technical gifts: they loved him because he dug down deep, found a hidden reservoir of talent and heart, and came back swinging for the fence. Mayweather will be unable to develop that kind of following until he is stuck in a war that forces him to dig...We all know there's talent there, waiting. But is there heart?

All roads seem to be leading to Pacquiao/Mayweather. But not if Shane Mosely can throw up a road block. In Kanye West-esq fashion, Mosley interjected into Floyd's post fight interview with Max Kellerman, taunting the victor a little, saying "this is the fight the fans want to see." Floyd, complete with entourage and guest WWE star Triple H, did not welcome the interruption.

Shortly after Kellerman tried to calm the peace, he shouted the only name that could silence Floyd: "Manny Pacquiao!" And after Floyd gave his usual "I need to talk with Leonard Ellerbe and Al Haymon" (Floyd's advisors), Kellerman had to cut the interview short to avoid Sugar Shane and B-Hop from tag-teaming Floyd and Triple H...

What I've come to realize is this possible mega-match between two P4P kings is comparable to the Cold War: Floyd and Manny are in an arms-race. Pacquiao beating Cotto will give him 7 titles in 7 weights classes, something no other boxer has accomplished, even with all the ridiculous belts and titles. Pacquiao will also have beaten a top-10 P4P fighter, as well as an undisputed welterweight champion. But Floyd brings his perfect record, his self-proclaimed superstar draw, and now an easy victory over the man that took Pacquiao to the limit. Even with Manny's blowouts of De La Hoya and Hatton, you know that Marquez will now factor into the monetary debate.

Like the Cold War, this battle of "World Superpowers" may never even come to fruition. The United States and Russia prepared vigorously for a war that seemed inevitable, but ultimately never took place. Thankfully, the world was not forced to witness such a potentially horrific battle of military superpowers. But hopefully, the world WILL be privileged enough to witness such a potentially terrific battle of two of boxing's greatest superstars, something that seems inevitable--pre-destined.

It's Only Just Begun.

Fight season is finally here.

I honestly won't be upset whoever wins either fight, Mayweather/Marquez or Pacquiao/Cotto. If Mayweather wins, we are one step closer to the biggest fight in boxing--the fight that would do guaranteed record-breaking numbers: Pacquiao/Mayweather.

But if Marquez pulls the upset and hands Money his first defeat, who the hell can complain about a Marquez/Pacquiao III? Maybe Marquez gave Pacquiao a run in their first two wars, but Pacquiao wins in dramatic fashion if a 3rd fight is made. These two guys were made to wage war...

And if the underdogs pull out the victories? I'll settle for Marquez/Valero and Cotto vs. the winner of Mosley/Berto.

Props to Cotto and Pacquiao both. I don't know who has more guts: Pacquiao for fighting the bigger, stronger man--a true welterweight champion. Or Cotto, a favorite fighter of mine since watching him demolish Zab Judah at the Garden, continuing his commitment to only fight the best opposition in challenging the best P4P fighter in the world.

I'm glad to hear that the rumors surrounding Arreola and his lack of training for his Sept. 26th fight against Dr. Ironfist, Vitali, are un-true. Nightmare is looking reasonably fit and ready for the chance of a life-time: become the first Mexican-American heavyweight champion of the world.

Why the hell are Mat Korobov and John Duddy's fights UN-TELEVISED on Top Rank's Latin Fury 12 PPV Card??? Those will be the two best fights of the night. Mark my words: Korobov is the truth.

Did anybody else think of the Ortiz/Maidana fight when watching the entertaining FNF headliner with punchers Urango and Bailey? Why not make Maidana/Urango...eh?

The only competition on tonight's Showtime Super Six preview, feat. Kessler and Ward making their respective mandatories, will be who blows out their opponent faster.

Also LOVE the idea of bringing the Mayweather/Marquez, Pacquiao/Cotto winners to fight next year at Yankee Stadium, where Joe Louis and Max Schmelling drew a crowd of 70,000 people for their heavyweight fight. It's time for America to remember it's true past-time...

If Pavlik pulls out of another fight because of staph infections, I think he should be forced to fight Paul Williams with one hand...new date tentatively set for December 5th.

This change in the HBO schedule pushes Mosley/Berto back to January 30th. Mosley was originally settling for Clottey on December 26th, but HBO came to it's senses and refused a card so close to Christmas. Since Mosley would have to wait until 2010, this solved the money problem which brought Berto back into the equation for a unification fight. Clottey, already training in Las Vegas, was silenced by giving him a slot on the Pavlik/Williams undercard. This pushes B-Hop's (possibly last) fight back to February, after his 45th birthday, which the wily veteran is not so pleased with.

Get all that?

Boxing: Hit or Miss

"Boxing is bullshit." -Paulie Malignaggi after losing a unanimous decision to Juan Diaz in Houston Saturday night.

Although I do not like the fast talking, flamboyant Paulie Malignaggi, I felt he deserved the nod against Juan Diaz in Diaz's hometown of Houston. Gale Van Hoy had the fight marked 118-110 for Diaz, which I'm sorry to say is pretty impossibe; both fighters fought well, but Malignaggi seemed to dictate the pace, keeping the Houston native off-balance with his best punch: the left jab.

However, every time Diaz seemed to land a significant punch, the crowd would roar and chant their fighter's name, "DIAZ, DIAZ, DIAZ!!!"

In the end, Juan Diaz received a hometown decision and a chance to rebound from his stiff losses to Nate Campbell and Juan Manuel Marquez. Malignaggi's complaining continues as he moves further into the "opponent" category, creeping ever closer to the stepping stone status he seems destined for.

Props to Robert Guerrero for stepping up and taking an alphabet title in a new weight class. In my opinion, Guerrero has been taking an unfair amount of heat lately, being labeled a "coward" and a "quitter" after admitting to the referee he was having trouble seeing against Yordan earlier in the year after an accidental headbutt. However, the Ghost has seemingly exorcised any haunting memories, fighting through both a bad cut and a broken left hand to beat South Africa's Malcolm Klassen for his 130 lb title.

And on the undercard, Ishe Smith threw repeated and intentional shots after the bell multiple times, including pushing his forearm into the throat of prospect Danny Jacobs, forcing Jacobs to lean back against the ropes until the ref decided to finally take action. The ref finally deducted a point from Smith after a late hit after the bell ended the 9th. In my opinion, the referee would have been totally justified in ending the bout after Smith tagged Jacobs three times and then tried to start an actual brawl, especially if Bernabe Concepcion's late hit on Steven Luevano is going to be called a "flagrant foul" and "outrageous" by people like Rafael from ESPN and Rosenthal from RING Magazine.

What's to Come.

Thank God there is one heavyweight left with some balls; chubby Cris Arreola might not look impressive, but he fights with reckless abandon. Win or lose, Vitali is going to be forced into a war. It's gonna be a dog fight on Sept. 26th.

With good ol' Roger Mayweather going away for assault, battery, and coercion, I'd say Juan Manuel Marquez has every advantage to capitalize on: a longer training camp, time to adjust to a new weight, an injured body to attack, and an opponent without a trainer.

However, I bet my house that Floyd Mayweather Sr. dramatically steps up to the plate, allowing HBO's unrivaled 24/7 to capture the warm, heart-felt reunion between estranged father and son. But assuming Mayweather overcomes JMM, imagine the side-story with Roach in Pacquiao's corner and Floyd Sr. in Money's...priceless.

When that fight gets made in 2010 (and even as greedy as Mayweather is, any business man would make sure as hell that fight gets made), I think we should go back to the glory days of the Sweet Science, when businesses and restaurants closed down on fight night. Like when two undefeated champions in Ali and Frazier fought for the first time, it was eloquently dubbed "The Fight." That has a nice ring to it...

And of course, what's boxing without yet another major cancellation. Apparently Kelly Pavlik is having a resurgence of staph infection on his left hand, preventing him from sparring. I'm definitely behind Pavlik, but me thinks his camp wants more time to train and prepare for a 1,000 punch per round southpaw energizer bunny. The reschedule is aimed for November, but William's promoter Dan Goosen is already bitching a fit... One would think that if you're a promoter and your fighter is the most avoided man in boxing, you would try and try again to get a fight with the lineal middleweight champ if he's offering it.

A Weekend Worth Discussing.

So.

Props to Nonito Donaire for fighting a man who weighed in an entire weight class heavier, Rafael Concepcion. Even though the Filipino Flash had subtle problems here and there, mainly with the punching power of Concepcion and the fact he keeps his hands low, (reminiscent of a Roy Jones Jr. we also saw brief glimpses of this weekend) he still managed to dictate the pace and distance, usually hitting the shorter man at will.

But still, the man aspiring to walk in Pacquiao's shoes showed heart and courage in fighting an opponent with a high KO percentage and a 10 lb weight advantage: I'm sure that Pacquiao is proud indeed. Time will tell whether Donaire can successfully climb the ladder, as Darchinyan has already fallen short of his promise to climb as high as the Filipino Icon.

And what's a weekend of boxing without some controversy? I liked Bernabe Concepcion coming into his title fight against Steven Luevano; the first round seemed indicative of Concepcion's speed, punching power, and footwork to dart in and out, obvious teachings of the esteemed Freddie Roach. However, as the middle rounds progressed, Bernabe seemed hesitant, almost afraid of Luevano's right jab, which he flicked out to maintain range rather than to make contact. However, near the end of the last round, Bernabe lunged in and seemed to drain the life out of Luevano with every body shot, and Steven smiled as he stumbled, dropping his hands to his sides. With the heavily pro-Filipino crowd jeering on the challenger, Bernabe rushed in for a quick left and paralyzing right, seconds after the bell to end the round.

Luevano took several mintues to regain consciousness and won the fight via DQ; referee Jay Nady argued the hit was a flagrant foul. But still, props to Freddie Roach who was angered by the decision, but did admit to the hit being late and the decision being justified; he only wanted both camps and the crowd to know that it was not intentional and he would be ready for a re-match at any time. Bob Arum has his sights set on December.

And how about Roy Jones Jr. With a throw-back performance that reminded us all of better days, he danced around and generally humiliated an out-classed Jeff Lacy, whose career should no longer be in question: his time as a prize fighter is over. He was a 2000 Olympian, a world title-holder, and has nothing to be ashamed of. As long as he calls it quits now...

Jones, on the other hand, juked and jived his way to a 10th round TKO, setting himself up for another B-level fight against Australian Danny Green for a piece of the Cruiserweight crown, which would be Jones' fifth title in as many weight classes. I'm sure he'll win. And I'm sure it won't do anything to tarnish or enhance the already stunning career of a P4P pastime.

Pavlik vs. Williams.

Thank God this fight got made. October 3rd, free on HBO.

Kelly Pavlik: lineal, RING Magazine, WBO, WBC, Middleweight Champion.

Paul Williams: #1 at Junior Middleweight, #3 at Middleweight, "interim" Junior Middleweight Champion, and #10 P4P (RING).

Williams takes an early lead with a higher punch output and workrate, but Pavlik's punches start paying off in the later rounds: Pavlik by TKO in 10.

The Warrior Within.

Fondly, I watched the Gatti-Ward triology this weekend from their epic slugfest that started in 2002 and didn't end until 2003. Forget the breaks between fights: these guys fought one 30-round masterpiece.

It brought me great sadness to realize the kind of warrior boxing had lost...especially as of late when boxers are all too quick to quit, give up, run away--all to avoid punishment.

After the Ortiz-Maidana fight, Max Kellerman went on to say that "more is required in the sport of boxing than any other, maybe more than what is reasonable." Gatti knew what the fans required. And he sacrificed happily.

There is a hard price to pay in boxing: he paid it gladly. A true warrior. A throwback.

Boxing will be hard-pressed to find a fighter like Arturo Gatti.

"To me, you can find Arturo's whole life in one round—the ninth round of the first fight with Micky Ward. Everything that Arturo was is in that round. He's overly brave. He's almost willingly sacrificial. He's unbelievably, blindingly courageous to the point of being foolhardy. He responds to the roar of the crowd. He's bleeding and obviously badly hurt. He's at death's door and he survives it. It's all there." -Jim Lampley

"When we mention the word 'warrior'— he is the epitome of a warrior. What made Gatti so special was that he would actually fight with his body busted up, his hands broken, his jaw hurt, his ribs hurt, everything. And then just out of nowhere he would put all the pain aside and come back with his one hand dangling and fight like a wild man. That's what made him different than any other prizefighter I have ever seen in my life." -Emmanuel Steward

Mayweather vs. Marquez.

Round Robin.

Here's to Showtime putting together a 6-man round robin Super-Middle Weight tourney starting in October and finishing up in 2011.

Feat. the Viking Warrior, Kessler; the Cobra, Froch; King Arthur Abraham ditching his 160 lb belt to move up and participate; former undisputed middleweight champ Jermain Taylor; and 2004 Olympians Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell.

I'd like to see KO artist Allan Green, as well as Bute and Andrade involved in the tourney, but the world is an imperfect place. I'm sure the well-deserved Bute-Andrade rematch will happen this fall with the winner being involved somewhere against the competition.

Also, I'd Looooove to see Pavlik move up in weight after unifying the belts in October against Sturm. You can't see the Ghost taking on Froch or letting Taylor have 3rd shot?

Just Too Sweet

Sugar Shane is moving on.

A ring veteran and future Hall of Famer should not be reduced to begging; it's unbecoming of a champion.

Mosley enlisted his entourage of Golden Boy partners to release a statement saying he was done fighting for a piece of the proverbial Pacquiao pie.

But with Berto doing negotiations with Callazo for a much deserved rematch, and Cintron and Judah being (in my opinion), gatekeepers and stepping stones at this stage in their careers, that really only leaves the Punisher and the Ghana Brawler.

Paul Williams, the self-proclaimed "most feared man in boxing," is a freakish 6'2'' welterweight who throws over 1,000 punches per fight and dusted his shoulders off after pitching a shut-out against "the most avoided man in boxing," Winky Wright.

Joshua Clottey got his name out there after losing a close split decision to Miguel Cotto on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade; had he not spent so much time against the ropes and complaining about invisible low blows, fans might have been outraged at the outcome.

However, this is where things get interesting: fighter A beats fighter B, fighter C beats fighter A--how can fighter B hope to beat fighter C?

Shane Mosley knows the answer. Boxing is the one sport where the A-B-C rarely works out as predicted. Cotto owns a unanimous decision over Sugar Shane, outpointing the veteran to victory. Margarito uses his cinder-block gloves to knock Cotto out in the 11th. With the ABC recipe in place, Sugar Shane goes on to clean Margarito's clock, putting him down inside of 9 rounds at a sold out Staples Center.

And now add Joshua Clottey. The ghana fighter living in the Bronx lost to Margarito and Cotto--how can he hope to beat Sugar Shane?

ABC my friends.

Modern Day Warriors.

Heartless

Mexican fight fans have been eagerly waiting for the second-coming of Oscar De La Hoya. Alfredo Angulo was beaten by a gatekeeper in an unimpressive Kermit Cintron; Antonio Margarito was discovered to be a cheating bastard. Fight fans are either too timid to place stock in chubby Chris Arreola, or are disinterested in the Heavyweight division all together. And I'm right there with them.

And along comes "Vicious" Victor Ortiz, a young 22 year old Mexican-American fighter with knockout power to go with his southpaw stance; he gave the Golden Boy a black eye in sparring before his "showdown" with Manny Pacquiao.

He has the heart-felt back-story of a boy who was abandonned by his parents and left to raise his siblings himself--too bad he didn't show heart when it mattered most. He has that crest-white smile that reminds us of the Oscar we used to love--too bad he might not have the chin to go with it.

Backed by Golden Boy Promotions and headlining an HBO venue, everything seemed to be going his way. Even the largley Mexican-American fans chanted repeatedly "Or-tiz, Or-tiz!" Hell, he's even in the new Fight Night Round 4 video game with a higher rating than most journeymen of the sweet science.

And then the bell rang. Ortiz showed guts and power, but lacked what mattered most that night against that particular opponent: Marcos Maidana, a knockout artist but relatively unknown brawler fighting in the US for the first time. Read any boxing article before the fight and it was fairly unanimous--this was intended to be a stepping stone for a superstar-to-be.

Even though Maidana was dropped 3 times in 2 rounds, Ortiz admittedly threw out the gameplan and rushed in to brawl with the heavy-handed Argentine. And then Ortiz had to survive the 5th round. Maidana landed wide, power left hooks and overhand rights that reminded me of Max Baer--he might as well been hitting him with a chair.

With Ortiz's back against the ropes, Maidana landed another right hand that seemed to swell the entire left side of Victor's face. And with the right eye cut and bleeding from a left hook minutes before, that Hollywood smile was nowhere to be seen.

Like a runner sprinting off the starting blocks, the Argentine came in for the kill at the start of the 6th. With Ortiz on his kness in under a minute, the fight was over. Not because the ringside physician called the fight--Ortiz, up and walking after his second knockdown, shook his head at the referee in a universal language that screamed, "I want no more of this..."

Max Kellerman deserves an award for his comments following the upset; "More is required of you in boxing than any other sport, maybe more than what is reasonable. But to be great, you have to be willing to go out on your shield, to go out on your back."

In the post fight interview (that has already been countered by a statement released by Golden Boy Promotions), Ortiz went on to say that he's "not going to go out on his back or lay down for anyone."

Maybe Ortiz would be better suited for flag-football. Or badmitton.

I hope that Ortiz can rebound from such a dramatic loss. I hope that he still has fans after being labeled a "coward" and a "quitter" in the aftermath. I hope he digs down deeper next time he's faced with such adversity.

"I'm gonna have to be killed before I lose, and I ain't going to die easy." -Muhammad Ali

Pacquiao Reigns as King

And with one thunderous shot, the Hitman falls.

The story of Ricky Hatton’s two attempts to claim pound for pound supremacy has not been fairytale. Hell, it hasn’t even been pretty. And the tale may have ended on Saturday night with less than 10 seconds in only the second round, Pacquiao punching on the final period. Hatton seemed to be trying at a comeback after he was put down twice in the first round, but Manny Pacquiao was writing his own ending—his own legend.

The Filipino warrior fights with such brilliance, such surgical precision that clinical damage is the only diagnosis for his defeated opponents. Not enemies mind you; the mild-mannered Manny has become the alter ego for boxing’s brash and boisterous previous pound for pound champ—Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Pacquiao has speed, power, and technical soundness that have yet to be rivaled. And make no mistake—the Pacquiao we used to know and love is gone. The one-handed brawler with a big left has evolved into a thinking, tactical machine with shotgun power in either hand. It’s not often a Saint becomes a demon—but in that ring, he breathes fire.

Ricky Hatton was wondering how he ended up on his knees before he even realized he ate a sharp right hook. Mayweather picked Hatton apart in ten. Pacquiao ran a train over him in two. Mayweather won a debatable split decision over De la Hoya; Pacquiao pushed the Golden Boy into retirement inside eight brutal rounds. And one must admire Mayweather’s technical and defensive ability—he doesn’t make exciting fights but he knows how to win. The undefeated technician left the ring with his mouth running. He returned on the morning of Pacquiao’s big fight to talk himself up as the returning king; without saying a word, Pacquiao let everyone know who wears the crown right in the center of the ring.

The post De La Hoya era belongs to Manny Pacquiao, boxing’s biggest draw and most marketable star. Mayweather can contest the loss of his throne, but cannot rightfully reclaim it until the ruler of boxing has been unseated.

How blessed we are to have a champion, a courageous warrior like Pacquiao.

With humility, grace, and undeniable skill, Pacquiao is paving his own way in boxing history.

All hail our King.