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Does Floyd Mayweather Jr. have what it takes to be the people’s champion?

Posted in Boxing, British Boxing News, Floyd Mayweather, Hatton vs Pacquiao, Latest boxing news, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton, boxing news, manny pacquiao photos on October 24th, 2009 by admin

BY: Rota Em

The weigh-in debacle, where Floyd Mayweather Jr. blatantly overshot the agreed upon poundage, was what sealed the deal for me. It was, shall we say, the curtain call for any shot of an upset win for the Mexican warrior. I felt that Juan Manuel Marquez had a puncher’s chance, albeit, a minimal risk overall but he still did have the opportunity to catch the not-so-flashy Money Man with some sort of winging punch. But it never came. It never came because that is not how Dynamita fights. He is a tactician who tries to adapt to the habits and tendencies of his opponent. He did so to Manny Pacquiao a couple times in their two bouts but that was because the Pacman was willing to take risks. I guess that’s why one is considered the people’s champion while the other is nothing more than a recent retiree making a return with an expected points victory over a much smaller opponent.

So what does it mean to be the people’s champ?

I’m a firm believer that being a fan of the sport supersedes being a scribe to the sport.

It’s been ongoing for years and years now where the Mayweather family have been running their mouths with talk of being ‘the best’. In their journey towards attaining the legendary status that Jr. wants so badly they must, however, take risks. The same goes for a Vegas bet, you lay down $100 dollars and your winnings/losses reflect the initial bet meaning that you won’t strike it rich really. But if you put it all on the line, imagine the rewards. Instead, Floyd speaks of masses and masses of return while he only wagers chump change.

This will not fly if you want to be renowned as the people’s champion. Even with his win over the forcefully bloated Marquez, his rank in the pound for pound ladder will not jump back to the top. Besides prior to his retirement, Pacquiao was already making moves and knocking on his door as the sport’s best p4p.

Here are a couple paths the Mayweather camp can take to try and salvage their tainted status:

1.        He must fight a legit, primed welterweight. Not just ANY welterweight, a true champion-caliber 147 too. He is at a point in his career where every fight should be a big fight. Even Shane Mosley is stirring up talks about a showdown with Andre Berto while the Mayweather camp, once again, are prepping the public for another trickery in Saul Alvarez. Yes he is undefeated, but so is Arthur Abraham. Why not pick a fight with him instead? Yet they’d rather drop a measly risk on the table and expect people to pay for their next mansion, or tax bill in certain cases.

2.        He must try to take over the welterweight division; there’s no one straight shot to the top of the hill anymore. This is asking a lot from a character that is habitually prone to giving much less than he takes. If Mayweather can take on the division’s top rated players and win, he will start to cement his own legacy. And right now, a start in doing such is where he is at. He is far from being the legend that his father and uncle have been whispering in his ear about being.

3.        Immediately dismiss talks of a Saul Alvarez fight altogether. C’mon, let’s be real. No one wants to see this fight come to fruition. I introduced my younger brother to the sweet science and even he, while in grade school, is ashamed of taking any part of a Mayweather-Alvarez bout. His responses were, “Why not Mosley? Why not wait for Pacquiao-Cotto? Why not Margarito? How about Paul Williams? Can it be someone I’ve heard of at least?”

4.        Lay down the guns and give some sort of window for financial talks. Mayweather must not indirectly avoid a fight by pricing himself too high. Matter-of-fact if Floyd Mayweather Jr. was an automobile and not a fighter, I wouldn’t pay more than he’s worth—so why should we, the fans and boxing’s most important role-makers, pay for a Mercedez when he is nothing more than a top of the line Kia at the moment? Let’s be honest a 50-50 split is his best shot with Pacquiao because personally I think the risk-taking, smaller man should get a bigger piece of the pie if they shall ever meet.

Boxing has already been going through its own ups and downs; it doesn’t need its key players to help sink the ship even more. With figures like Miguel Cotto, Israel Vazquez, and Paul Williams just to name a few, we are consistently reminded by how a real champion looks and acts. In an interview with  boxingScene.com earlier this month Williams officially called out Mayweather Jr., Mosley, Hopkins, and even Arthur Abraham—while already on task to face Pavlik before the injury. Now that’s brash and brauns at it’s finest. And Kelly Pavlik is no Saul Alvarez mind you.

A week before that interview, Williams told FanHouse the following:”I am a throw-back fighter. We’re in the years of 2000, but I’m a throw-back fighter because I’ll fight anybody. It doesn’t matter who it is… Guys talk all of this stuff that they’re the best and this and that, but they won’t fight certain guys. They’ll stay and fight littler guys.”

Once again, that is brash and brauns at its finest.

I admit that Floyd Mayweather does not have that far to climb in terms of being a true great idol in the sport of boxing. But the next step can only come from him and the choices he makes in the coming years.

In my eyes I see at least three consecutive mistakes made by the Mayweather camp prior to and after the retirement that immensely hurt their reputation and overall worth. The first was their choice to NOT rematch Oscar De la Hoya after the split decision victory. I believe that the slimliness of the decision made little Floyd get on his bicycle although I felt he would’ve beat Oscar via UD, instead of SD, the second time around. The second mistake was to make Ricky Hatton jump to 147 pounds in their fight, a weight in which Luis Collazo gave Hatton big, big fits in. He should’ve proved his worth by fighting the Hitman in his home turf of 140, where he’d never been defeated, instead. This took much luster off their stoppage win. Lastly is the aforementioned Marquez weight catastrophe. That is the equivalent of Pacquiao fighting featherweight titlist Chris John, who beat Marquez in 2006, at 140 pounds and then claiming greatness from it. It just wouldn’t work for Pacquiao’s value as a fighter, much like how it doesn’t work for Mayweather now.

Looks like Floyd Mayweather Jr. has a lot of work ahead of him. The good news is that Paul Williams’ December 5th showdown with Kelly Pavlik is destined to never happen so there’s a start. Another start would be to get in line for the Pacquiao-Cotto winner. Heck, he can even strike a deal with Shane Mosley right now. I doubt Sugar Shane would turn down a fight with little Floyd at 140, 147, or even 154 I’d be willing to bet that he’d even fight Floyd at full-fledge middleweight.

The real question is: Does Floyd Mayweather Jr. have what it takes to be the people’s champion?

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Marquez takes his best shot at Mayweather but misses, Pacquiao next

Posted in Amir Khan, Boxing, British Boxing News, Floyd Mayweather, Hatton vs Pacquiao, Juan Diaz, Latest boxing news, Malignaggi, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton, boxing news, manny pacquiao photos on September 24th, 2009 by admin

BY: Vitaliy Shaposhnikov

A cascade of emotions raced through me as I witnessed the fall of one of the greatest pound for pound fighters to Floyd Mayweather Jr. There were of course expectations from Marquez, and even certain degree of hope. Unfortunately once the fight started, I realized that the tale of David and Goliath would not be replayed tonight.

Donald Trump once said: “Money was never a big motivation for me, except as a way to keep score. The real excitement is playing the game.” While I would not believe this before, thinking that Money Mayweather was in this sport only for the cash flow, I now do. Floyd Jr. came in prepared both mentally and physically, and looked superb. Not only was he bigger and faster than Marquez in this fight, he was also the aggressor, which is a rare way to fight for him. The first round of the fight was a déjà vu in a way, because he knocked Juan down with a left hook, almost a check hook some may say. It was both a Déjà Vu of the way he ended Ricky Hatton as well as the way Pacquiao disposed of Ricky: fast! He was toying with Juan throughout the whole fight. Someone in the audience kept yelling: “Mayweather, don’t play with your food,” which struck me hard. That’s exactly what it looked like. Mayweather was playing with Marquez like cats like to play with a mouse before the devour it. He smiled at Juan, threw wild lighting quick jabs, and moved around the ring with such ease and grace that it made it seem as though he was having genuine fun. Overall, Mayweather was able to land the whole spectrum of punches, catching Juan with hooks and straight rights.

Marquez on the other hand, had absolutely nothing to offer to the fans. He landed a nice left while Mayweather was on the ropes in the third round, and that was just about it. Floyd was too fast and too slick for Juan. Landing a head shot was something that Marquez just could not do, no matter how hard he attempted. At the end of every round, Juan flurried, which proved fruitless.

Nevertheless, Marquez went the whole twelve rounds, showing determination and heart. He knew that he was losing the fight, and there was very little chance for anything to change.

 

Now we all know the only person that comes between what would be the greatest boxing event of all time Pacquiao vs Mayweather is Miguel Cotto. Boxing fans will  hold their breath until Novemebr 14th, knowing the dream match for the p4p championship  can come true.

Mayweather vs Marquez Super Fight Photos

 

 

 

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All time bad decisions, how does Diaz- Malignaggi rank?

Posted in Amir Khan, Boxing, British Boxing News, Floyd Mayweather, Hatton vs Pacquiao, Juan Diaz, Latest boxing news, Malignaggi, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton, boxing news, manny pacquiao photos on August 29th, 2009 by admin

BY: Rota Em

When fighters step into the ring, they are assuming that they will receive a fair fight. There are judges, referees, medical personnel, sanctioning bodies, and commissions set in place to make sure anything that can be seen before-hand is addressed so nothing should go wrong. 

But what about the decisions from the panel of judges? Is there no check and balance for the almighty deciding body?

When a judge, or judges, make the wrong call is there anything that can be done to rectify it?

I can understand the scrutiny that comes with the ability to attest fight decisions but sometimes it is more than warranted. At the very least, the specific situations that are worthy of a second look should receive just that.

Normally, in the classroom, when we add up an equation incorrectly the teacher has the ability and opportunity to correct us. But what about when a judge adds points incorrectly—why can’t anything be done about it even if it IS after the fact? Fights have been deemed ‘no contests’ when a fighter fails a post-fight drug test so it IS possible to go the other way. If it means that the original decision has to be changed, wouldn’t it be worth it in the face of fairness?

This past weekend at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, we saw another controversial decision go in favor of a hometown hero. Juan Diaz got the nod on all three judges’ scorecards for the unanimous points victory. For that fight, we are not debating the decision to give the win to Diaz, considering how close the fight was and their difference in styles, but what we are questioning is why the scores were so wide. Many people that caught the fight, either live on HBO broadcast or in person, saw exactly what the judges saw so why would there be such a gap for the hometown favorite? If anything, the close decision should’ve been awarded to the visitor, Paulie Malignaggi but one judge even saw Diaz win with the absurd score of 118-110. Aside from Lennox Lewis pronouncing the Magic Man’s name incorrectly (he referred to Paulie as Maggiano), two of the three judges must’ve been tuning into the wrong fight altogether.


Not only did Malignaggi control the pace of the fight, but he kept Diaz at bay with his jabs and swift footwork. After the fight the Magic Man saved no face in addressing the robbery that had just occurred a few minutes prior. Although he did no favors for himself in the manner of his lash out, he did have a right to confront the unfair and unjust treatment.

I am embarrassed to say that I cannot cover all of the bad and controversial decisions that have occurred throughout the history of the sweet science, but we can briefly list off some from recent memory.

Joel Casamayor- Jose Armando Santa Cruz. The scores were 114-113 for Casamayor (twice) and 114-113 for Santa Cruz even after a 10-8 1st round. Ron McNair, Frank Lombardi, and Tony Paolillo held Santa Cruz’s fate in their hands as they gift-wrapped the win for Casamayor who held and back-peddled throughout the entire fight. They even let him open the present in the ring. Even the 114-113 score in favor of Santa Cruz was silly considering he should’ve been well ahead; I saw Casamayor winning only two rounds.

Ricky Hatton-Luis Collazo 115-112 (twice) 114-113 all for Hatton. With the win he takes Collazo’s belt although I agreed with the many fans ringside and at home who felt that the Brit didn’t do enough to take the championship. After a flash knockdown to a back-peddling Collazo, Hatton did not show that he belonged in the welterweight division. After the fight he vacated and went back home to 10 stone (140 lbs). In his next visit to the welters Hatton was smashed by Mayweather.

Mayweather-Castillo 1, April 2002. In his move up to 135-lbs, Mayweather encountered an underestimated Mexican warrior in Castillo. I had Castillo winning rounds 3,5,6,7,8,10,11,12. Mayweather took rounds 1,2,4,and 9. There was a point deduction for Castillo for hitting on a break in the 8th, a round that Castillo won. This gave Mayweather an extra point. A round later Mayweather blatantly threw a punch after the bell in which the ref did not address. In the 10th, however, Mayweather was deducted his own point for a forearm as if it was to make up for the previous non-call. This was also a Castillo round making it 10-8. Early in the championship rounds (11th), Mayweather stood toe-to-toe with Castillo and was outworked as he took punishment downstairs. Knowing that he wasn’t the favorite, Castillo came out blazing in the final round never taking a break and out-hustling Mayweather to the final bell in a round in which he clearly won. HBO’s Harold Lederman scored the bout 115-111 for Castillo to retain his belt. The scores were 116-111 and 115-111 (twice) to give Mayweather the go-ahead nod as he was given a Christmas present in the middle of spring. In their rematch, Floyd was more convincing in his win but, ironically, the scorecards were closer than their first fight. Go figure.

Pernell Whitaker-Luis Ramirez 1988. This was Sweet Pea’s first title shot and the first robbery of his career. He had won 9 of 12 rounds, at the very least, but went on to lose a split decision. He avenged this SD loss with a clear cut UD win a year later. Four years after that, he was mugged again. Read on.

Pernell Whitaker-Julio C. Chavez Sr. 1993– Draw. Whitaker won 9 of 12 rounds, give or take one or two swing rounds. This fight made the front page of Sports Illustrated that same year with a bolded six-letter word (“Robbed”) to accompany the image of Sweet Pea popping Chavez with a stiff right jab. Not only was the Chavez-Taylor fight controversial enough when referee Richard Steele halted a fight in which Taylor was well ahead with two seconds remaining, but to cap it with this draw is just plain unsportsmanlike. Chavez told SI the morning after the fight that he felt “a little beat up.” When the highly partisan Mexican crowd knows that their hero had lost but still got awarded the “w”, then you know you’ve just been robbed in broad daylight. 

Miguel Huerta-Kid Diamond. 114-113 Kid Diamond (twice) and 116-111 Huerta. I had it 116-111 for Huerta who averted damage and successfully countered the Kid. He even scored a knockdown in the 7th. The decision was in no way a fault of the Kid but the crowd showed their opinion when the boo’s rung in during the post-fight interview for him. Huerta, however, was served with standing ovations as he visited all four corners.

De la Hoya-Felix Sturm 115-113 all for the Golden Boy. Similar to the Malignaggi-Diaz fight, Sturm landed more (234 to 188) but unlike that same fight, he did it with a higher percentage (43% to 23%). The back-story of this match was probably the setup for a superfight between De la Hoya and Bernard Hopkins (in which Hopkins KO’s Oscar with one punch). In a post-fight interview, De la Hoya stated that “everything went wrong tonight” although he walked away with Sturm’s belt. I’ll admit that this fight was closer than other controversial decisions but normally the champion gets the nod. AP press scored the fight a draw (114-114) while HBO had Sturm ahead by two points. I had Sturm comfortably ahead by two points as well.

Juanma Marquez-Manny Pacquiao 1—Draw. Burt Clements scored the first round 10-7. There were three knockdowns and Pacquiao had clearly blasted Marquez in the opening round, the natural scoring should’ve been 10-6. The end result for Clement’s card? 113-113. With the normal bickering between close fights aside, this is a simple case of NOT knowing how to add/subtract. In the eyes of many fans, and myself, it is just ridiculous that a simple mathematical error cannot be corrected. It’s not like we’re allowing another round, but we are simply asking for the correct tallies. Much to anyone’s dismay, the score stands and the result is a draw. I had Pacquiao up 113-112, the score that Clements would’ve ended on had he correctly scored the bout.

Rocky Juarez-Chris John—Draw (114-114). At the same venue and state as Saturday’s debacle of a fight score, Juarez battles John to a disputed draw. This was another close fight that was more than deserving of a Chris John win. I had it 116-112.
I know I said I wouldn’t mention controversial decisions from too far in the past but I cannot overlook the “long count” between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney for the heavyweight championship. This fight took place in the mid 1920’s at Soldier Field with a crowd of 100,000 plus. Ring-side spectators recall that it took the champion approximately 15 seconds to get to his feet. The ref, Dave Barry, spent the first couple seconds guiding Dempsey to a neutral corner before administering a brand new count therefore giving Tunney the legendary “long count”.

Another fight that had me barely holding my head on is the Roy Jones Jr daylight robbery at the 88’ Olympics. Park Si Hun, a South Korean, was behind in the eyes of just about every single viewer. A South Korean radio covering the fight even stated that “Hun needed a knockout to win the gold as he was hopelessly behind on points.” Even the referee’s jaw dropped. 

I am awe-struck by the fact that there are no checks and balances for the panel that ultimately decides an athlete’s future. It’s a shame that such a serious offense can go unobserved! For one, after the Diaz fight, Malignaggi hit it dead on when he said that he is now forced to be a “money” fighter—nothing more than a journeyman. And Diaz, well, he’ll be on to bigger and better things.

One first step that all sanctioning bodies can take is to develop some sort of checks and balances. This is a lot to ask for considering there are different rules for different arenas but when it gets to the point where we can’t even correct the wrong score addition for a judge, then what is the use of the panel anyhow? We live in an era where basketball and football officials have had a hand in “nixing” games. Why wouldn’t there be a possibility of boxing judges doing the same? I believe that part of the black eye for boxing is the “no questions asked” attitude. It’s as if they are looking to address the issue ONLY when they need to. But that time has already passed!

The addition of instant replay is great for a number of reasons. And I can only think of positive ones to be quite honest. This is a great step for boxing, now we just have to get judges who actually know the game and can add. That, one would assume, would’ve been the easier problem to rectify.

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Does Bradley make Pacquiao’s list of foes?

Posted in Amir Khan, Boxing, British Boxing News, Floyd Mayweather, Juan Diaz, Latest boxing news, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton, boxing news, manny pacquiao photos on August 5th, 2009 by admin

BY: Albert Alvarez

The Grand Arrival of Timothy Bradley? For the quick glance that I saw on Saturday night of Bradley, he sure looked real quick and very well rounded. If Pacquiao fights at 140 I would say that Pacquiao is the best at 140 then Bradley #2, but seeing that Pacquiao fights at whatever weight he negotiates, then I will go on record now to state that Bradley is the best at 140. However, the fight was still too green, anything could have happened in the later rounds. Which leads me to number 2
Nate Campbell- The word that I have been hearing from fans is that they feel that Campbell pulled a Robert Guerrero. My feel is that from what I saw, it sure seemed to me that Bradley was having his way with Nate. The thing is that Nate could have adjusted and might have given the younger Bradley some trouble. Keep in mind that we still had 9 more rounds to go. I believe that Campbell in the second half was going to get gritty with it and make a real dog fight out of it. Bradley might have still been too quick for Campbell. Campbell might have caught Bradley with something crazy. We will never truly know, which is why I love this sport.
Junior ”the Quitter” Witter- How are you gonna travel all the way from the UK to come get your title back, only to quit? Witter, say hello to gatekeeper.
Future of Devon Alexander- The 140 WBC belt holder has alot to choose from. The 140 division is wide open. We have Bradley, Campbell, Holt, Bailey, Urango, Malignaggi, Khan, Ortiz, Maidana, take your pick. For sure if I were Don King I would do a double header at St. Lou with Devon and Cory.
Manny Pacquiao’s Future opponents- Ok, so first of all I love the article in the newest Ring Magazine where the writer takes a stab at who the Pac-Man should face next. Only fighter that had no business being on the list was Kelly Pavlik, Pavlik!! Kelly Pavlik? Are you kidding me? Knowing Roach, Roach would try to drain the 6′1” Pavlik to 147 to even come to mind. After Cotto, My top 10 would be as follows.
#1- Floyd Mayweather Jr.
#2- Shane Mosley
#3- Juan Manuel Marquez
#4- Timothy Bradley
#5- Andre Berto
#6- Edwin Valero
#7- Juan Diaz
#8- Victor Ortiz
#9- Amir Khan
#10- Juan Manuel Lopez
Shane Mosley- I haven’t heard on who Mosley will face next, But I will say that I heard Bradley say that he wants only the big names now. I feel that with Bradley being from Cali and with Mosley being the King of Cali, this fight would do very well at the Staples Center. Since both Timothy Bradley and Shane Mosley are such nice guys, the fight should be billed, No More Mr. Nice Guy!!

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Boxings first half report card, who made the grade?

Posted in Amir Khan, Boxing, British Boxing News, Floyd Mayweather, Hatton vs Pacquiao, Latest boxing news, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton, boxing news, manny pacquiao photos on July 4th, 2009 by admin

By: Albert Alvarez

January 2009 - Andre Berto defeats Luis Collazo- The fight was and still is the toughest test in Berto’s young career. Going into the fight, I remember thinking that this fight could be a walk in the park for Berto since Mosley in my opinion handled Louie quite easily, so logically the younger fresher Berto would have a field day right? I couldn’t have been more wrong. Early on, Berto seemed very troubled by the style belonging to lefty Louie, it was clear that for the first 6 or 7 rounds that Louie’s experience and ring generalship was the difference. The second half found Berto digging deep to land the harder shots on Louie. The fight was classic and deserves an encore. Will the encore happen during the second half of 09? Let’s hope so.

Shane Mosley KO’S Antonio Margarito- When the fight was announced, the boxing media and I included thought that the 37 year old Mosley had no business at all trading leather with this Terminator. The drama began before the fight even took place, when just minutes before the fight it had been reported that Tony’s trainer was trying to plaster the wraps. The plaster was removed and the beating began. Mosley not only beat The Terminator, but Mosley simply dominated the younger lion with ease. Mosley shocks the world, Mosley terminates The Terminator. After the fight, Tony was suspended up to a year for the attempted foul play, as for Mosley, well Mosley looked so sharp that he may have shelved himself after such a brilliant performance. Sometimes that’s just the way the cookie crumbles.

February 2009

Vic Darchinyan KO’S Jorge Arce- I remember this slugfest for 2 reasons. One being that I missed this fight because the fight took place on my birthday and my wife and brother had surprised me with a night out to celebrate. The other reason being that intense hangover that followed, but lucky for me that I was able to catch the replay of this fun fight. The fight to me was all Darchinyan with Arce providing a shoot out in the middle rounds, but in the end the heavier shots of Vic were just too much for Arce to handle. What does the 2nd half of 09 hold for Vic? Well next week Vic will take on tough man Joseph Agbeko, no easy task. If Vic defeats Agbeko, what then? How about the long anticipated rematch with the only man to blast The Raging Bull, Nonito Donaire Jr.?

Sergio Martinez and Kermit Cintron fight to a Draw- Sergio the Magnifico just couldn’t catch a break in this one. Not only was a knock out taken away from Sergio after Cintron was blitzed with a clean shot, but even after putting up a clinic the judges scored it a draw. Are you kidding me? In the second half of 09, I would love to see Sergio Martinez vs. Paul Williams or even against Vernon Forrest.

Tomasz Adamek Blasts Johnathon Banks- Adamek is truly a joy to watch isn’t he? I must admit that early on it looked like Banks would win behind that jab of his, Banks early on made Adamek look uncomfortable. Once Adamek landed a clean shot, it was then a matter of time until Banks would blink the Adamek would unload. Later this year I would love to see Adamek/Cunningham 2, now even more so now that Cunningham has seeked the services of master teacher, Nazim Richardson.

Juan Manuel Marquez Disects Juan Diaz- What a fight!! Early on the rush of the Baby Bull was just too much for the older Marquez to handle. When the fight would meet center ring it was all Marquez, but Diaz would let it be known that the corners is where he wanted to take Marquez. The fight went on like this back and forth, by round 6 however, Marquez the mad scientist began to dissect. Marquez then began to pick his spots and was able to land flush shots from all sorts of angles. Was the blood too much for Diaz? Or was the Master just too much for Diaz? In late August, Diaz will return against the speedy crafty Paulie Malignaggi. In September, Marquez will lay it all on the line and face another scientist like himself in Floyd Mayweather Jr.

March 2009

In March, in my opinion it was pretty much a hit and miss month, but mostly misses. The best fight may have been Amir Khan defeating the great Marco Antonio Barrera. If that doesn’t say it all what will?

April 2009

Timothy Bradley defeats Kendall Holt- Early in this fight, I was shook when I saw Holt land that bomb on Bradley. Had the lightning bolt Holt landed that shot on anybody else, well it would have been scary. The fact that Bradley took the shot so well simply amazed me. After that bomb, Bradley fought smart and applied the Desert Storm Swarm. In the center ring just seconds before the fight, Holt asked Bradley if he was ready to see that heart, well on this night it was Bradley’s heart that would shine like a diamond. In August, Bradley will face another tough test in Nate Campbell. As for Holt? I would love to see a Holt/ Randall Bailey clash.

Paul Williams Punishes Winky Wright- The Punisher is ready! The Punisher is ready!! Never in a million years would I ever think that I would ever see a fighter like Winky get dominated. No doubt that the very long layoff for Winky made matters worse for the Winkster, but still it looked like Winky was fighting a machine in there. What’s next for Williams? I would love to see him in against Sergio Martinez at 154, Kelly Pavlik at 160, or Allan Green at 168. For Wright, I hear that they are trying to land him on the Mayweather/Marquez card but sources tell me that Golden Boy may pin Andrade/Bute instead. For Winky, the biggest fight for him out there right now may be a rematch with the very vulnerable Jermain Taylor.

Carl Froch upsets Jermain Taylor- This fight had a Shane Mosley/Ricardo Mayorga ending to it. Early on, the fight was all Taylor. Even with Taylor winning the fight, Froch never looked discouraged or beaten. The tide changed for me around the 8th round, it was clear to see that Froch had landed something and sensed that he now knew when and where to land his heavy shots. Froch was down on the cards by at least 2 points, Froch knew this so like a real champion Froch then decided to close the show. Great fight. For Froch, I would love to see him in against a lot of guys. Like Bernard Hopkins, Allan Green, Kessler, Pavlik, or Bute, heck even Paul Williams. For Taylor, the Winky Wright rematch or against Jean Pascal.

May 2009

Manny Pacquiao smashes Ricky Hatton- The fight was supposed to really be the fight to really see how the Pacquiao storm would do when put up against a Bulldog that wants it just as bad as he does. It was the Pac-Man vs. the Hitman, Pac-Monster vs the Brittish Bulldog, the fight was a smashing success and made about 800,000-875,000 ppv buys. The fanatics for both fighters were out to represent to the fullest. The fight was supposed to be smashing, in the end, it would find Hatton smashed on the canvas. In November, the Pacquiao Storm is almost inked to face the Boriqua Bomber, Miguel Cotto. As for Hatton, let’s just say that the search continues.

June 2009

Miguel Cotto slams Joshua Clottey- This fight just like every Cotto fight had drama, drama, and more drama. Early on, Cotto was giving Clottey the biz, then around round 5 or 6 with Cotto looking uncomfortable with the bad cut, Clottey then brought the heat. Clottey to me fought in spurts and didn’t do enough to win the fight. When you got a bloodied up home fighter, you don’t ponder, you must go in and close the show like Froch did to Taylor. All signs point to Cotto facing the Pac-Monster in November, truly a November to Remember. As for Clottey, If he really wants to arrive, Clottey should call out Paul Williams. Call Williams a chicken, call him a bean pole, do what you got to do to make the most feared man fight you, and this time when you get that big fight you best close the show like Kobe. If no Williams, then pursue a date with the Berto/Collazo winner, assuming the rematch happens.

Marcos Maidana stops Victor Ortiz- This fight reminds me so much of the Miguel Cotto/ Ricardo Torres war that also took place at 140 back in the day. Power vs Power, in the end it would be Maidanas power that would rattle Ortiz physically and mentally. For Maidana, let’s hope Khan beats Kotlenik so that we can then see Maidana/Khan. For Ortiz, how about Mike Alvarado?

Final Grade for First half of 2009- B-

With talks circulating that Berto/Collazo 2 is being worked on for sometime before the year, Darchinyan/Agbeko next week then maybe Darchinyan/Donaire 2 being discussed, Juan Diaz/Malignaggi in August, same with Bradley/Campbell in August, Juan Manuel Marquez/Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September, and finally the grand daddy of them all Cotto/Pacquiao to close the year in November. Let’s just fill in October and December and we just may have a great second half of boxing to look forward to.

Manny Pacquiao Photos “The Best of Manny Pacquiao” http://www.diamondboxing.com/pics.php

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When Freddy Speaks Manny Listens

Posted in Amir Khan, Boxing, British Boxing News, Floyd Mayweather, Hatton vs Pacquiao, Latest boxing news, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton, boxing news, manny pacquiao photos on April 4th, 2009 by admin

BY: Dan Gabel

A few weeks ago, I was a fly on the wall for a discussion about boxing trainers. I observed a few opinions as I listened in. Floyd Mayweather Sr. seemed to get high praise for his strategic work with Oscar and now Ricky Hatton. His brother Roger for his tutelage of the once and potentially future champion, Floyd Jr. Nazim Richardson also got positive marks helping both Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley to recent upset victories over Kelly Pavlik and Antonio Margarito respectively. Hell, even Enzo Calzaghe received a few comments for his “unconventional, yet somehow effective” efforts in helping shape his son into a World Champion.

 

Given such laudatory praise (especially for the eccentric Calzaghe) I was more than a little surprised I didn’t hear anything of note about Manny Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach. I don’t think many appreciate the work the Roach does for the pound-for-pound king.  

 

I have always believed it’s not the collective skill, knowledge, and ability that make a good pairing between trainer and fighter, but rather the compliment of their talent and personalities. In this regard, Roach and Manny seem to be a perfect match for each other.

 

Freddie Roach’s simple and unassuming nature meshes well with the sometimes mercurial and unpredictable Pacquiao. He acts as father figure and confidant guiding Manny, rather than a task master constantly pushing and motivating. In the early to mid ‘90’s, trainer Teddy Atlas received much attention for his motivational work with former heavyweight champion Michael Moorer. He is noted for having pushed, pulled, cajoled, and berated Moorer…. basically dragging him kicking and screaming…. into a world title. However, a guy like Atlas wouldn’t fit with Manny.

 

I’m thinking Atlas wouldn’t tolerate Manny’s massive traveling circus of an entourage, probably clash with the sometimes headstrong fighter, and most likely end up “motivating” the pound-for-pound king right out of camp, on to a chartered flight (for his massive entourage), and right back to the Philippines.  

 

The job Freddie Roach does for Manny is in many ways like the job Joe Torre was asked to do for the Yankees for many years. Torre was not asked to take a team take a “rag-tag” bunch of players and shape them into perennial playoff contenders. Instead, he was given a roster brimming with marquee players, and then asked to channel this talent to produce winning seasons and World Series Titles. He was asked to manage personalities. Similarly, Freddie Roach was been given possibly the most naturally gifted and most explosive force in all of boxing. His job is to give Manny just enough structure, just enough boundaries, in order to channel his energies to focus on the task at hand.  

 

In many instances, it is the toughest of tasks to be handed a transcendent talent which carries with it the pressures and responsibilities of expectation.  Freddie Roach carries that responsibility everyday with him as he trains Manny for Ricky Hatton.If he wins, give the man his due.

 

 

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Hatton-Pacquiao Special or Spectacular

Posted in Boxing, British Boxing News, Floyd Mayweather, Hatton vs Pacquiao, Latest boxing news, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton, boxing news, manny pacquiao photos on March 15th, 2009 by admin

BY : Rota Em

The fight between Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao will be nothing short of spectacular. Both fighters have been radiating confidence throughout their much anticipated press tour across Hatton’s home turf. Although the Hitman has been known to run on empty in the late stages of some recent bouts, much of that conditioning problem has to do with him ballooning some 35, 40 pounds in between fights. After wrapping up the promotional tour with Pacquiao, who is on his first ever trip to the UK, Ricky reiterated how much he wants the mythical pound-for-pound title and asserts that he is already in top physically track. “I’m in fantastic condition already that just shows how much I’m up for this fight… Manny leaves himself open, there is no reason why I shouldn’t be confident,” says Hatton.
For Manny, his first trip to England was as pleasant as can be. Overwhelmed by thousands of Filipino supporters Manny, AKA Mr. Nice Guy considering all the charity he’s dipped his hands into lately, sticks to the more personal side of the verbal exchange. “Freddie Roach is my best friend,” stated Pacquiao. And in addressing how he plans to handle Ricky’s power, Manny says, “Hatton hits very hard… He is bigger than I am but this is not about big. It’s about punching hard and being effective.” And he cannot be more on the money.

In going over the press tour statements and after seeing these two stand toe-to-toe, a couple things came to mind.
First, I couldn’t help but notice how explicit Ricky Hatton was on his game plan and intentions for Pacquiao’s aggressive style. All the while Manny makes a joke regarding the phenomenal turnout from his countrymen saying, “Although it’s Hatton’s place, I think Manchester is now ‘Mannychester’!” Pacquiao has always had a calm demeanor but at times it is hard to decipher underestimation from confidence.
”I know Ricky Hatton’s weakness but I do not want to discuss that,” Pacman declares to a video reporter after his press conference at the Trafford Center.
Secondly, the Hitman’s size isn’t as overwhelming as I initially thought. On paper they are the same size but it means so much more to see it in person. This is not good for England’s proud son.
The last couple years have been generous to Manny Pacquiao. After campaigning at such a low weight class in his teens, it’s truly unbelievable to see the once dirt poor Filipino grow into his own light and size. Now he’s challenging a man who has never been beaten at 10 stone (140 lbs). The outcome, however, may very well be easier to speculate when you factor in a couple noteworthy details but like everything else, will only be 20/20 in hindsight.

To date, Manny Pacquiao has dropped, stopped, and retired (on the stool) Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Oscar de la Hoya. Looking back ten years, you cannot deny the fact that the figures lining Pacman’s resume are upper echelon prizefighters.
When Pacquiao fought David Diaz, speed favored him immediately. And halfway through the fourth round a significant punch landed flush, the Manila Ice as we’ll call it for now, and it staggered Diaz. Now David was losing every round to this point and he lost every round afterwards too but this punch alone proved to be the most effective addition to the Filipino’s arsenal. And for a southpaw, a good right hook is the finest instrument to own.
Flashback to his second fight with Morales, before Erik was dropped he was hurt by a whooping right hook. Don’t believe me? Watch it for yourself <a href=”http://video.aol.com/video-detail/erik-morales-vs-manny-pacquiao-ii/1199378940”>HERE</a>. The more time Morales spent in the ring with Pacquiao, the more effective his right hand became. In the third and final meeting between them, Manny’s newfound love crept back in the game even earlier. Before being canvassed and forced to quit, he was rocked badly by, you guessed it, a right hook.

So what does this have to do with Ricky Hatton?
Well, for one I don’t consider the Hitman to be as technically sound as Marquez is, nor is he as smooth as Morales was, and he sure didn’t last the whole dance with Mayweather like Oscar did.
I’m a firm believer of the idea that Manny’s choice to pursue a fight with Ricky is safer than a third meeting with Marquez.
When you factor in the reach advantage on top of speed, it’ll be a very troublesome night for our beloved Hitman. He might just get a taste of the revamped ‘Manila Ice’ first hand. Don’t worry; the gimmicky symbol will catch back on in no time. I’m surprised this hasn’t turned up in more boxing venues of discussion. Just watch his recent fights, the right hook is as prominent as the Cotto is in MSG.

Before you scour the internet for facts to contest my reasoning, take this into consideration.
In Hatton’s win over Malignaggi, he threw exactly 516 punches and landed 124 (24%). Paulie landed 27%.
Malignaggi is a slick, speed boxer but he’s not Pacman fast. And he’s not Mayweather slick. Besides, the ‘5-KO-in-27-fights’ Magic Man had a difficult time getting past 10-loss veteran Lovemore N’dou prior to his shot at Hatton.
The 2007 meeting between the more skilled PBF and Hitman saw the punch stats heavily favoring Mayweather at 129 landed (39%) to 63 (17%) for Ricky. Enough said. Despite the horrible reffing, Hatton just wasn’t effective.
After getting tattooed to the body in a fight with Juan Urango, Hatton averaged 20 fewer punches per round over the course of the last half of the fight, which computes to half the output from the first half. The first couple rounds were easy nods in favor of Hatton but midway through the fight Urango, a natural righty fighting southpaw, began to land to Hatton’s body. He had Ricky on the retreat but did not follow up with ANYTHING from that point on. You can bet this is not what Manny, who normally throws more than his opponents, will be doing. But the damage was done and despite the large points victory, Hatton showed how a right hand can change things fast. Just like his fight with Juan Lazcano, Hatton was criticized greatly for his performance rating.

When Pacquiao fought De la Hoya, the audacious southie landed 224 out of 585 (38%) punches thrown. Oscar came out at 21%.
The toughest fights of his life were against Marquez though. When they fought to a draw, he was robbed of a win due to an incorrect points tally. And in the second match, per HBO stats, if the scorecards were based on who connects more on a round-by-round basis, Pacquiao would still get the 6-5-1- nod (115-114). And that’s not including the 3rd round knockdown, which would make it 115-113. A third fight has the potential to overshadow the original Thrilla in Manila because I think another go at it will decide a victor in convincing fashion. And why not in the Philippines? I’m sure his fanbase would appreciate the ‘walk’ to the fight as opposed to a two thousand dollar airfare expense.

With all that said, styles make fights but Hatton only has one to offer really. And I highly doubt he’ll turn to counter punching after being beat to the trigger. I’ve gone over some surface keys for Hatton in a previous article but they are all dependent on whether he can reach, control, and keep up with the quicker, more aggressive Filipino. After all, the Pacman has his own set of keys and strategies to victory too. But it looks like we’ll have to wait until the fight is closer before Roach and company start to divulge their game plan I guess. This is just a sad, sad reminder that the super showdown is still two months away. I’m sure Money May and Sugar Shane are watching, anticipating, and probably will be in attendance come May 2nd.

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Hatton Strategy: http://www.diamondboxing.com/newsstory.php?list=6401
Pacquiao-Morales 2: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/erik-morales-vs-manny-pacquiao-ii/1199378940

 

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Marquez- Diaz the Keys to Victory

Posted in Amir Khan, Boxing, British Boxing News, Floyd Mayweather, Hatton vs Pacquiao, Juan Diaz, Latest boxing news, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton, boxing news, manny pacquiao photos on February 25th, 2009 by admin

BY:Carl Hewitt

Golden Boy Promotions’ Lightweight Tournament is packed with intriguing matchups involving some of the division’s finest talent, and it very well may be the best card of boxing we’ll see in 2009, but Saturday’s duel between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan ‘Baby Bull’ Diaz is interesting because it pairs one of the sport’s most accomplished practitioners over the past decade with one of its most promising young fighters. Marquez’s achievements in the ring require no validation, and neither does his performances in his biggest fights - he’s taken on the best in three different weight divisions and acquitted himself splendidly. Whether Marquez secures that elusive third match with Manny Pacquiao is irrelevant because his high standing in boxing history is assured. Furthermore, many boxing fans are still not convinced that the Filipino superstar won either fight, and even more will assess his career with raised eyebrows if he doesn’t settle the score with his toughest adversary, once and for all. So, even though it appears that Marquez fights on only to force a third bout with boxing’s pound-for-pound king, it says here that Marquez’s legacy is complete without any additional engagements with the Pac Man. In fact, it could rationally be argued that Marquez has yet to suffer a definitive defeat inside the squared circle. Diaz, on the other hand, is looking to regain his perch atop the Lightweight Division, a perch he grudgingly relinquished last March in a shocking upset loss to Nate Campbell - shocking only because the odds makers never saw it coming and Diaz had looked so dominant in capturing the WBA title from Julio Diaz five months earlier. ‘Baby Bull’ rebounded nicely and recaptured his previous form against Michael Katsidis in his last outing, but Marquez is a huge step up from the Aussie brawler - and that’s what makes this fight one worth watching!

Analysis: Was the loss to Campbell just an “off night”, or was it a harbinger of future difficulties for Diaz against versatile boxer-punchers? Few boxers are more versatile than Marquez, so on the surface, it would appear that Houston’s finest fighter could be in over his head, but let’s not forget what got Diaz to this point in his career - namely, a measured approach in the ring, sound fundamental boxing and maturity characteristic of a seasoned veteran with years of experience. The loss against Campbell had more to do with Campbell and less to do with Diaz. The ‘Galaxxy Warrior’ was able to cut Diaz over the left eye in round five and had the wherewithal to exploit that cut. ‘Baby Bull’ fought bravely with the cut, but was clearly handicapped. Minus the cut, would Diaz have had enough to hold off Campbell that night? That’s open to conjecture, but the fact remains that even though Diaz didn’t fight his best fight against one of the division’s better fighters, he still fought competitively enough to lose by close split decision. The CompuBox numbers would indicate that it wasn’t a close affair, but Diaz’s ring generalship, even under adverse circumstances, probably bought him a few more rounds than he merited.

Prior to that loss, thirty-three fighters were unable to solve the young lightweight. One loss has done little to derail the momentum of Diaz’s career and his willingness to jump right back into the fire against one of boxing’s top five fighters speaks volumes about the confidence and self-assuredness of not only the fighter, but his management team as well. And let’s not forget that not too long ago, the 34-1 lightweight/college student was being mentioned as a potential opponent for Ricky Hatton at 140 lbs., in what would have resulted in a fairly even matchup, if I may say so myself! Going from Katsidis to Marquez is akin to playing the Charlotte Bobcats one night and the Los Angeles Lakers two evenings later, but if there’s one fighter in the lighter weight classes who can handle such a severe step up in class, it’s Diaz. Why? Because his attack isn’t based upon raw punching power. His power is good, but not concussive. Hence, he’s more of a boxer-puncher who uses angles, footwork and well-timed counter-punching to get the job done. But will Diaz have to bring even more to the table to get the job done against the highly-skilled Marquez, a natural featherweight whose career spans nearly sixteen years? The odds makers don’t think so, but the odds makers don’t do the fighting. And despite his stoppage of lineal lightweight champion, Joel Casamayor, it’s safe to assume that Marquez doesn’t possess true lightweight power. What Marquez has in abundance is ring savvy and tons of big fight experience. In recent fights, he’s opened up his offense more in an attempt to become a more “fan-friendly” fighter, but in the process, he’s had serious defensive lapses that have caused him to taste the canvas on more than one occasion. While such lapses probably won’t prove fatal against Diaz, they could expose Marquez to unnecessary punishment. Diaz has been nothing if not accurate and efficient with his punches, so any lapses by Marquez Saturday night could lead to the same type of swelling and cuts he suffered against Barrera and Pacquiao. That’s the predicament Marquez faces - fight aggressively and provide lots of excitement, intensifying the fans’ calls for a third Pacquiao fight, or rely on his superior technical boxing skills and risk losing yet another close and disputed decision. It’s definitely something Marquez will ponder repeatedly in the final few days leading up to the bout.

Prediction: As gifted a technical boxer as Marquez is its defensive lapses at key moments in his biggest fights that have continued to trip him up and prevent him from separating himself from his more-celebrated contemporaries. Had he avoided the knockdowns in both Pacquiao fights, its doubtful Marquez would have even ventured north to the Lightweight Division and there probably would have been an exciting rematch with Barrera. Even in the Barrera victory, Marquez was forced to pick himself up from the canvas. Luckily and oddly, the knockdown he suffered at the very end of Round 7 was not scored as one. The strange scoring of that fight aside, it’s puzzling to see a fighter as skilled as Marquez on the canvas so often. Is it merely quirks of fate and something technical that can be corrected in the gym or does it have more to do with the fact that Marquez is a far better fighter while counter-punching and becomes a more available target when attempting to lead? In any event, his opponent Saturday night is very good at forcing the action, but even better at countering, so there’s a very good chance that this fight will come down to whose jab is most effective in the early rounds. The fighter able to establish his jab will win this fight. Two factors that weigh heavily in Diaz’s favor are the fact that he’s the natural lightweight and he’s already faced a crafty opponent in Campbell. What Diaz learned from the Campbell fight is that he’s at his best when he gets inside, fires his punches and maneuvers out of striking distance; that’s what he did against Katsidis and the Aussie was never really in the fight. Will he be able to do that against Marquez? It’s doubtful that he’ll enjoy that same kind of offensive success in this fight, but if he can get Marquez moving forward for most of the fight, that means that his jab is working, and if his jab is working, the combinations to the head and body will be all that more effective. Marquez is no spring chicken, but his stamina in the late rounds has never come into question and his sense of when to apply pressure and when not to is peerless. However, I just can’t wrap my mind around Marquez as a lightweight and am not entirely convinced that he’ll be dominant at this weight. Diaz on the other hand, looks quite comfortable at 135 lbs. and continues to improve technically each fight. This is a nearly dead-even fight and though I’d normally favor the more experienced and technically-sound Marquez against virtually any other opponent, he’ll be facing a Diaz who knows that a second loss in the division within a year could prove fatal, a Diaz who knows his strengths and is unlikely to neglect them again. I don’t see an all-out war evolving at any time in this fight, but I do see Diaz matching Marquez combination-for-combination and having enough in the tank to score a razor thin decision victory. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Marquez win because he’s truly an all-time great, but Diaz is the future of the division and is hungry to erase any lingering memories of the loss to Campbell last year. Diaz by UD.

Aftermath: Both fighters are classy and well-respected pugilists. For Marquez, the question is whether or not to continue pressing for another Pacquiao fight. Win or lose against Diaz, Marquez has to decide whether to remain at 135 lbs., an unnatural weight for him, or return to his more natural weight class of 130 lbs. There’s no guarantee that Pacquiao will ever fight as a lightweight again and a victory over Hatton in March will lead to a showdown with Floyd Mayweather. Marquez can make plenty of noise in either the 130 or 135 lb. divisions, with or without a third bout with Manny, and kudos to him for fighting the two best lightweights in his new division right off the bat! It’s one of the reasons Marquez is so highly-regarded and is assured a place in Boxing’s Hall of Fame. A victory for Diaz on Saturday night will lead to larger purses and a spot against the winner of Golden Boy Promotions’ upcoming Lightweight Tournament. There have been relatively few indications that Diaz has any plans of fighting at 140 lbs. in the near future, because with Hatton’s days in boxing numbered, it’s doubtful even a victorious Diaz would be on the short list of future opponents for England’s ‘Hit Man’. There are plenty of potential opponents on tap for both Diaz and Marquez. The 135 lb. division is a bit deeper than the 130 lb. division, so win, lose or draw, expect Marquez to continue campaigning at the lightweight limit. Just don’t expect to see him in the ring with Pacquiao again. 2009 will be an exciting year for the Lightweight Division, with Marquez and Diaz right in the thick of things. And that’s a good thing!

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One on One with Nicky DeMarco from His New Gym in Staten Island, N.Y.

Posted in Amir Khan, Boxing, British Boxing News, Floyd Mayweather, Hatton vs Pacquiao, Latest boxing news, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton, boxing news, manny pacquiao photos on January 29th, 2009 by admin

Dr. Pietro Baio DC www.diamondboxing.com

 

On Tuesday January 27, 2009, while driving through Staten Island to get to a business meeting in NJ I stopped by Nicky DeMarco’s Gym. As I walked up the dark stair way to get to the ring I heard nothing but silence. That all changed when I stepped into the room. Nicky was busy Shadow boxing in the ring during his down time. He seemed a man determined to get back into the gym and back into the ring after not fighting for 13 months. That long of a lay off can take a lot out of you. You lose your hunger. It great to see he still had his desire and determination to make it in such a hard sport. Most people don’t understand how much boxing takes out of you mentally in and out of the ring.

Once Nicky was done with his training session I managed to get a few quick questions before he closed up shop for an hour to refuel.

 

Dr.B:

How did you get started in boxing?

Nicky:

I was always boxing since a little kid. I used to go to the gym with my grandfather.

Dr. B:

Your grandfather used to box:

Nicky:

Yeah, my grandfather was a junior welterweight champ in 1941 in the service. When he turned pro he had like 30 pro fights.

Dr. B:

What branch of the service?

Nicky:

In the Army.

I was always round boxing. I started to take it serious late because he never wanted me to do it. I was always in the gym with him. He always took me to the gym. My uncle was a karate guy. He was a seventh degree black belt. He was a fireman and turned to boxing. He did some amateur fights.

Dr.B:

What did he do as a martial artist?

Nicky:

He traveled through North and South America with Chuck Norris, and then he got hurt fighting (boxing) cops vs. fireman. I don’t know what happened. As a kid, they had something there when he was sparring. The guy hit him and he felt pressure in his head. They took him to the hospital. Long story short, now he is in nursing home in a wheel chair. That’s why never wanted me to fight. If you’re looking to do it for a living its not what it’s cracked up to be.

Dr. B:

Anything you have to say about the 4 fights that you’ve had?

Nicky:

Learning experience. Definitely a learning experience. The first two fights were pretty much lay-ups basically. The next two fights were definitely winnable. Looking back, I definitely should have won both. The third fight against Guzman in my book, there was no way I lost the fight. Good fighter. The fourth fight was January 2008 in Atlantic City. They flew in a tough kid. Everyone fights with confidence and I never thought in my weight class I’d get knocked out. In my mind, being a little guy I played every sport. Every sport I played with bigger guys. I was used to getting smashed around by bad guys. So going into any fight I always think I have the upper hand strength wise. That fight was just a reality boost. I got dropped in the first round. Which was, I feel, because of mentally not being prepared. No really wanting to fight. It being a swing bought, it was put your gloves on take them off, on and off all night. I got called out of Paulie’s dressing room ice cold they threw me in. While we go in the ring the other kid was soaking wet.

Dr. B:

Now it’s been a year and a month.

Nicky:

Yeah, I always wanted to open a gym. Even amateur wise where I can be there for the kids, guide them. I opened this up a month ago. I haven’t fought since that January 5th.

Dr. B:

You still have the desire?

Nicky.

Yeah, I love the sport. I love the training but once the business end gets behind it that where I don’t really have a love for it. I may be possibly fighting next month. I worked out a little today and we will see where it goes from there. I have 5 or 6 kids that I train going in to the (golden) gloves. That’s where I’m focusing now. I still love to train. In the right situation and right mind frame I feel I can hang with any body. Me in my weight class coming up, I’m not saying I’m better then any one, but I feel I can stay in there mentally in my position. So we will see what happens.

Dr. B:

What do you think of the guys at the top of your weight class right now?

Nicky:

It is a good division. Juan Diaz is fighting Marquez. To me Marquez might technically be one of the best guys out there. Then you have Juan Diaz that fights 12 round 3 minutes, 36 minutes he doesn’t stop punching. Its going to be a battle of whose game plan is going to out last the other. Marquez, come on, drove Pacquiao down 3 times. And Juan Diaz’s only lose was to Nate Campbell. Those are the top guys.

Dr. B:

What did you think of the Mosely vs Margarito fight?

Nicky:

Mosely fought a picture perfect fight, but maybe Margarito was a little too lax.

Dr. B:

Do you think Getting caught and having to re-tape his hands 3 times affected him?

Nicky:

Yeah, you know everybody underestimated how much of boxing is mental. At this level everyone trains hard, so when people say it was a good camp, they trained hard. A good camp means the intangibles. You know no distractions, your head being clear, and no other issues. That’s a good camp. Taping and things like that. Maybe it got to him mentally. Maybe it distracted him. Maybe he just went in there over confident. All the credit in the world to Shane Mosley. 37 years old, he looked like he was 17. Anything can happen in boxing. All the old guys are coming back.

 

DeMarco has an upcoming super featherweight bought in Staten Island February 26, 2009. Also, if your driving through Staten Island and are looking for a place to train checkout Demarco’s Gym at 101 Ellis St Staten Island, NY (718)-227-2013.

 

Dr. Pietro Baio DC
Performance Edge Chiropractic, P.C.
7315 Ave U
Brooklyn, NY 11234
(917)-309-5464
PBaio_DC@yahoo.com
myspace.com/performanceedgechiro

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One on One with Daniel Edouard the WBA Fedelatin Champion

Posted in Amir Khan, Boxing, British Boxing News, Floyd Mayweather, Hatton vs Pacquiao, Latest boxing news, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton, boxing news, manny pacquiao photos on January 24th, 2009 by admin

Diamond Boxing goes one on one Daniel Edouard the current WBA Fedelatin Champion:

P.G. Congratulations on your win in your last bout against Panamanian champ Edouardo Dela Cruz. You won a title in that fight. Which belt was it?

D.E. Thanks. Cruz was a tough fighter and really pressed me from the onset of the fight. I hit him with a straight right which he basically couldn’t recover from. I won the WBA Fedelatin Championship in that fight which is sort of a fringe title but a definite stepping stone. Winning my last three fights impressively have moved me up in the rankings also.

P.G. How was it fighting in Panama? The fans are very knowledgeable over there aren’t they?

D.E. It was an awesome experience fighting in Panama. Boxing is one of those unique sports that will take you around the world and visiting other countries, experiencing the beauty of other cultures is truly a dream come true.

P.G. Did you get to experience any of the Panamanian culture or was it strictly business?

D.E. You never get to experience as much as you’d like because you have to maintain your focus on your fight but I was able to see a lot of the city. Hopefully the next time I go I can visit some children’s organizations. I would love to do that.

P.G. You have a solid amateur background. Can you elaborate on your amateur experience?

D.E. I had 100 amateur fights. I think my record was 84-16-0. Most of the 16 was because of my hard head not listening to my trainers (laughing). It was a pretty good amateur career. I lost to Jeff Lacy in the Olympic Trials. Though I would’ve loved to represent the United States in the Olympics if I had known that I could have represented Haiti I would’ve done so. I don’t mean that as disrespect to USA boxing just the opportunity to be an Olympian is rare.

 P.G. How did you get into boxing?

D.E. That is a funny story. I was sitting in a barber shop waiting to get a haircut and there was a guy talking about a recent fight that he lost. So me with my big mouth started ragging the guy. I was saying stuff like he must be sorry since he lost. Luckily he was mature and didn’t get pissed. He simply gave me a phone number to a trainer and said call him and come to the gym and see if I still talk that much when I get in the ring. So next day I did and let’s just say that boxers are very well conditioned (laughing). It’s history from there.

P.G. I’ve noticed that the date of your next bout isn’t solid. Do you know when your next bout will be and who your next opponent will be?

D.E. I’m not sure when my next bout is or who my next opponent is. I’ll keep you posted on that one but I did hear that there are fighters from Australia and Panama calling out my name. We’ll see what happens. I hope they know what they’re asking for (laughing).

 

P.G. You’ve continued to change weight throughout your career. Is this an issue for you or are just trying to find your favored weight?

D.E. It’s not an issue. I made an effort to get down to 154 thinking that it would give me some physical advantages but it caused a major strain on my body going down so quickly. When I was fighting Eromosele Albert I dominated the first round buy when I went back to the corner I was out of energy. That’s not to take anything from Eromosele, he did an excellent job but that fight and my struggles to get to 154 prompted me to abandon the junior middleweight division at that moment.

P.G. Which weight do you feel most comfortable at and why?

D.E. I prefer fighting at 160 because I feel more comfortable but I wanted to give 154 a try to see how it felt and to know if I could make the weight. So I know that if I absolutely had to I could get to 154. I would just need a little more time to get there effectively.

 P.G. Is your training and weight on schedule?

D.E. I stay in shape. I’m never more than 5 or 10 pounds over my fight weight. You never know when you’re going to get that call and I don’t want to get caught off guard and out of shape. I’m training right now, staying in shape and waiting for the next opportunity to strike.

 P.G. I’ve been hearing a buzz that you are starting your own boxing promotion company?

D.E. Yes I am starting a promotion company. It’s named Haitian Sensation Promotions. There are many reasons behind it but the major one is I want to have more control over my future inside and outside the ring. There is a lot missing in boxing and I feel my company can fill a void. There is a gap in boxing promotions. It goes from club shows to major shows.

P.G. Why start your own company at this stage in your career?

D.E. There’s no middle ground for fighters to acclimate to the upper levels. I experienced that when I took on Jermaine Taylor. There is a major difference from fighting in front of hundreds of people and 10 or 20,000! We want to prep fighters for the next level. It’s sort of like visiting Orlando. Disney isn’t the only thing there. We want to be attraction that is smack in the middle. Not middle in talent but middle in terms of what has been achieved by the fighter thus far. We want to be the company that you can see 10-0 and 13-0 fighters head to head. We want to be the proving ground for fighters.

P.G. Who works with you on Haitian Sensation Promotions?

D.E. We have a small staff that is headed up by Tim Walker who sits as the CEO, smart guy; Very knowledgeable.

P.G. So charity work is a significant part of who you are. What inspires you to give back?

D.E. I don’t really look at it as charity. My inspiration is simple. That’s what is required of each of us, to help each other. So I do all I can to give hope to the hopeless. If we all took the time to help out another the world would be a way better place. I’m just doing what Jesus asked of us to do and I’m not just saying that. I feel that we are required of God to show love.

 P.G. Okay. This is a no nonsense question. Who do you most want to face in the ring at this minute and why?

D.E. Who do I want to fight? I’m not in the business of calling out fighters and it really doesn’t matter as long as it’s a fight that fans will enjoy. My two goals are to have awesome fights and bring awareness to the foundation. As my success grows so does the foundation’s presence and impact. Champions need guys to fight.

P.G. Where do you see your career going after your upcoming bout, what is your ambition?

D.E. After my next bout I see myself winning a title shot somewhere in the next two or three bouts. Provided I get the shot. My goal is to get a world title shot this year. That is my ambition and that’s what I’m going to attain.

P.G. Good luck in your upcoming bout and in the rest of your career, any last words?

D.E. I’d like to thank you for taking the time to do this interview and the fans of boxing for giving me a forum to present my talent because without you and the fans it would just be two guys fighting in the parking lot (laughing). You all bring the buzz and the hype that is so needed in the business. If anyone wants to learn more about the foundation you can get in touch with us at www.myspace.com/officialhaitiansensation or www.myspace.com/hspboxing Thank you again and God bless.

BOXING NEWS www.diamondboxing.com

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