Marquez vs Mayweather: Way To Go Marquez!!!!

Since retiring after his 10^th round KO win over then undefeated Ricky Hatton, Floyd Mayweather has kept somewhat quiet, clearly basking in his hard earned wealth and taking time to enjoy life out of the boxing ring, and who can blame him. After spending more than half of his life training and competing at the highest level, Floyd Mayweather announced to the boxing world that he is stepping away from the sport, claiming he no longer loved boxing, and that his career had finally came to an end and would retire as an undefeated P4P champion, but did we really believe him? The answer is easy, NO. Of course some level of respect must be given to a man who had committed years of his life to such a demanding sport, but It was hard to think a fighter with his talent and perfected craft could end his career when it had finally reached the pinnacle of the sport, with that said, it was just a matter of time before he would be lacing them up again.

Since the retirement of Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao has fought his way to the #1 spot atop the P4P rankings, with wins over Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, Pacquiao is a storm headed for greatness and has solidified his claim as boxing’s best.  Although many would argue (myself included) that Pacquiao failed to convincingly beat Juan Manuel Marquez, it has been written in the history books that Manny Pacquiao holds one draw and one win over the Mexican Great, but, history also tells us that a third and final match would indeed, settle the score, after all, how else will we ever know who is actually better? We won’t. Since their epic battle in March of 2008, Juan Manuel Marquez followed Pacquiao up to the Lightweight division, scoring impressive KO victories over then #1 Lightweight Joel Casamayor, and former Lightweight powerhouse Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz. Marquez proved he was not only the best Lightweight in the world, but one of boxing’s best, period. Marquez worked his way up to #2 P4P with two well deserved wins and an iron will to fight anyone, anywhere. In a post fight interview with Max Kellerman, following his 9^th round destruction of Juan Diaz, Marquez expressed his frustration with Pacquiao, stating that since the Filipino did/does not want to fight with him again, he will move on to fight who he felt was the best of the best, that man being none other than, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (who of course was retired at the time). In the following month, news spread through the boxing forums that Floyd Mayweather Jr. was ready to dance again and was looking for a partner, how convenient, Right? Right.  On May 2^nd 2009, after a short lived retirement, Floyd Mayweather Jr. officially announced his return to the sport, with millions to be earned and a legacy to protect, Mayweather returned to face Pacquiao’s rival, Juan Manuel Marquez.

As much as I hate this matchup for Marquez, I’m glad to see that he is doing very well for himself, he had spent many years in the shadows of his fellow countrymen greats, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales. But since the decline of those two warriors, Marquez has reached a level in the sport that he and many felt would be nothing but a dream, but he has managed to work hard and bag a fight with one of the current ‘Money Makers’ of the sport, set to make a stand on a grand stage, against an undefeated fighter who is considered to be one of the most gifted boxers to ever lace up a pair of gloves..Way to go Marquez!!!

I am a huge Maruqez, I love his heart and determinatino, this article is in now way meant to take  away from Manny Pacquiao, he is indeed a great fighter, his win over Ricky Hatton proved to me that he is a force in boxing and has a chance against anyone, but I’m also a realist, I don’t watch fights or write articles wearing ‘fan blinders’, I see things for what they are. Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez are EQUALS, we have yet to find out who is the better fighter, the first fight was a draw, the second fight was a one point win for Pacquiao, and it was such a close fight, that it could have gone either way, Pacquiao can on to defeat more and more top notch competition, but until he convincingly defeats Marquez, they will always be each other’s equal.

Manny Pacquiao Destroys Ricky Hatton in 2 One-Sided Rounds: Pacquiao is THE BEST, I’m convinced

First I would like to start off by congratulating Manny Pacquiao on a spectacular performance Saturday, he proved to me why he is the #1 P4P fighter in the sport, because since his debatable win against the always brave Juan Manuel Marquez in March of last year, Manny hasn’t really done much in my eyes to claim the #1 spot in the P4P rankings. Sure he has won his last 3 fights in 3 different weight divisions (130, 135 & 147), but they were not against “the best” the division had to offer. David Diaz, although a Title holder, was not the best Lightweight around, at the time Manny moved up from 130lbs to 135lbs, Nate Campbell and Joel “El Cepillo” Casamayor were recognized as the two best Lightweights in the world, but Manny elected to face the not so dangerous David Diaz. In De La Hoya, we had a fighter who had not fought at the Welterweight limit in more than 7 years, and who had also only fought 4 times since losing to Bernard Hopkins in 2004, he was in no way the best at Welterweight, or the best in any division in boxing for that matter. Yes, I know, I picked De La Hoya to beat Pacquiao, I even had an article written on why I felt Oscar would win, but I really had no idea how making 147lbs would affect Oscar, but it indeed was the reason he fought so poorly, after seeing Oscar step into the ring the night he faced Pacquiao, I knew, it was over.

Even then, I still gave Manny the benefit of the doubt, the world felt he was the best, and how can I argue, I was simply waiting for a time that he could prove it to me, and boy, did he ever prove it so dramatically.

Hatton vs Pacquiao: My thoughts

I for one, did not know who would win the fight, both fighters possessed great skills, along with some weaknesses, it was just up to each of them to fight the perfect fight, and it so happened to be Pacquiao who not only stuck to his game plan, but executed is so perfectly, that he ultimately ended the fight, with the perfect punch.

Okay, it’s no secret that Manny Pacquiao has one of the best straight left hands in boxing, but no one really knew much about his right hook, but I did. In my keys to victory for Manny, I stated, “Hatton’s jab is often used as a blinder, and at times, it falls short, Manny hopes this is the case more often than not, if Hatton’s jab falls short, Manny can really land that Right Hook”, that’s pretty much what happened, although it was Hatton’s left hook that was telegraphed and continuously falling short, either way, Manny’s right hook was beautiful. In the opening round, Hatton’s game plan seemed to fly straight out the window, immediately resulting to his old mauling brawling style, keeping his head very stationery as he blitzed in with his hands low, the biggest mistake you can make against a tornado like Pacquiao, and Hatton paid the price, big time. Hatton was dropped in round one with a perfectly timed right hook, Hatton seemed shaken, but didn’t seem badly hurt. Hatton got up at the count of 8, with no skill or will to survive, Hatton once against stepped into the fire, Pacman again poured it on and dropped Hatton for the second time with 8 seconds left in the round. In round 2, Manny continued to time Hatton, landing right hooks and lead lefts anytime Hatton cocked his arms to fire, with 8 seconds left in the round, Manny landed the most perfect left cross anyone can ever land, and Hatton was put to sleep before even hitting the canvas, it was shocking.

With this win, Manny Pacquiao earned the #1, I mean,  it was a brilliant performance by the Filipino slugger, he completely annihilated Ricky Hatton, a fighter who was unbeaten at 140lbs, and Manny made it look easy.

What’s next for the Filipino sensation? ‘Money’ Mayweather?

Stay tuned……

The Hitman vs The Pacman: Tale of the Tape & Prediction

Okay folks, tomorrow, two of the best fighters in the world collide head to head in a battle for Super Lightweight Supremecy, Filipino icon and boxings #1 P4P fighter Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao attempts to dethrone the once beaten Jr. Welterweight kingpin Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton. This is what boxing is all about, the best fighting the best, and in this case, it’s also the East vs West, what a sport.

This is by far the best fight that can be made at the moment, certainly some would argue that a fight between Filipino great Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. would serve as a much better boxing match between the former P4P Champ and the Current P4P Champ. Instead, there are talks of Money Mayweather coming out of his year and half retirement to face Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez, that will tie Mayweather up (as well as Marquez) for possibly the remainder of the year, so, we may be looking at late this year or early next year to see Pacquiao take on the undefeated Mayweather, it is certainly a fight we all wish will happen, and with both fighters being so good at putting cheeks in seats, it just might happen sooner than later. But for now, we point our attention to this weekends battle of Jr. Welterweights, I am not going to spend much time disecting their careers or their accomplishments, I’ve read dozens of articles regarding these two in past few weeks, I’m ready to just give my opinion and normal prediction, so, with one man being the king of the division, and the other being the king of boxing, Who wins?

Well, let’s get to it..shall we

Okay, I am going to be honest, I am not the biggest Manny Pacquiao fan, and I’m not even that into Ricky Hatton either, nothing against the two, they’re very good fighters, I just don’t get that chilling suspense when either of them are preparing for a fight, unless of course, it’s against one of my favorite fighters. But, we’re not anticipating either of them facing another fighter, they’re actually facing each other, which definitely has the boxing world buzzing, and I myself, am pretty anxious to see these two warriors go at it, it just has the potential to be a mind blowing affair and one that will be talked about for years. Both guys are at their peak, more so for Pacman, but Hatton too, isn’t far from his best, he only has lost one time as a pro, and that was against the former P4P Champion, Floyd Mayweather Jr. Since then, Hatton has back to back wins,  one being more important than the other, but none the less, he’s been on the winning end, and hopes to win again this weekend. Pacquiao has not lost since March of 2005, when he was out boxed by future Hall Of Famer, Erik Morales, but since then, Manny has been on a winning streak, with two of those wins being against his former conqueror, Erik Morales. Since the first Morales fight, Manny Pacquiao has developed into much more of a complete fighter, combining amazing hand speed, power, boxing skills and and iron will to win, improving his over all abilites to not only win his fights, but to become what he is now, the current #1 P4P Fighter, what an accomplishment.

Rarely do I think both combatants have a chance to win, but this is definitely one of them. I will post my Keys To Victory for both fighters.\

Keys To Victory for: Ricky Hatton

-          Use Head Movement: This is the most important key to victory for Ricky Hatton, because like Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao is a very sharp puncher with good power, he can easily draw Ricky into a shot that can cause him serious trouble. To avoid this, Hatton needs to move his head, when either in close or from a distance, in moving his head, Hatton will create the kind of movement that can mute some of Manny’s offense, and because of Hatton’s power, Manny will not commit to punches he does not feel he will land, that will give Hatton more breathing room.

-          Attack The Body: Manny Pacquiao has a great chin, it has been tested against the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez, and it has held up very well, have only been slightly wobbled by Morales and Marquez. But, no one has ever really tested his body, something Ricky Hatton should intend on doing, because, at 140lbs, no one can land to the body the way Ricky Hatton does, when he lands, it hurts, and if he can land with great frequency to Manny’s mid section, we may get to witness Manny’s 3^rd KO loss.

-          Keep the Jab and Double Jab Going: Hatton is a brawler by nature, he applies pressure and at times is overly aggressive, approaching Pacquiao in the manner can result in another loss. Ricky must attempt to box a bit more, some feel he should muscle his way in and bully Manny around, but I think that Hatton must jab at Pacquiao, because in the past, Manny has never done well fighting on his heels, he is a type of figher who needs forward motion to make the most of his attack, if Ricky can jab and double jab at Manny’s face, he can create openings for his hooks and straight right hands, along with keeping Manny blinded and on his heels.

-          Throw The Left Hook: The typical punch an othordox fighter uses against a southpaw is a straight right hand, but in this fight, I feel a Left Hook would be far more effective. Reason being is that Manny has mastered the art of throwing his lead left hand and circling away before his opponent can fire back, if Hatton can keep the jab going and time Manny with his Left Hook, I feel it is a punch that will land, and one that can cause Manny lots of problems.

Keys To Victory for: Manny Pacquiao

-          Keep Moving: Like a lot of successful boxers, Manny has found that if he stays on his toes and keeps his legs moving, he becomes a much harder target to time and find, in the past, Manny was much more of a stationary fighter, he had great confidence in his power and hardly ever took a step back, he would contantly engage his opponents into a slug fest, something that always fell in his favor because of his fighting spirit and brawling tactics . But, since he’s moved up in weight, Manny has transformed into much more of a ‘boxer’, springing in and out while landing accurately in the process, against smaller fighters, Manny can stay in the trenches and exchange toe to toe, against bigger fighters (Diaz, De La Hoya), Manny has used his foot speed to his advantage, this is something he must do to keep Hatton reaching and missing.

-          Attack The Body: In boxing, most feel that a boxers best punch, is usually a punch that can be effectively used against him, that notion can defintely be applied here. Ricky Hatton is the best body puncher at 140lbs, and arguably, the best body puncher in boxing today, he’s lethal with hooks to the body, just ask Castillo. If Manny Pacquiao can land his own body punches, he can do what only one other fighter has been able to do, which was slow Hatton down and use pin point head shots to put an end to the bout. Manny would be smart to keep a sustained attack to Hatton’s flattened beer belly.

-          Throw The Straight Left: Manny’s best punch is none other than his straight left, from the southpaw stance, Manny throws this punch with pin point accuracy, it almost always lands, whether it be used as a lead punch or a counter punch, it’s very effective. The best chane of Manny landing the punch with great frequency, is to throw it as a counter punch rather than a lead punch, because unilke Diaz or De La Hoya, Hatton is much quicker in delivering his punches, if Manny opens up with a lead left at the wrong time, he can be countered, his best bet is to allow Hatton to miss and counter him with the straight left.

-          Throw The Right Hook: In the De La Hoya fight, Pacquiao used a punch we have never really seen him use, it was the Right Hook to the head and body, it did wonders for him while circling away to avoid punches. Hatton’s jab is often used as a blinder, and at times, it falls short, Manny hopes this is the case more often then not, if Hatton’s jab falls short, Manny can really land that Right Hook.

That is the end of this post, not much of a prediction is it? But I can’t help it, this is a tough fight to call. I can care less who wins, both have a great chance..I just hope it’s a good fight!! Until next time….stay tuned

Juan Manuel Marquez vs Juan Diaz: Prediction

Tomorrow night, Juan Manuel Marquez takes on “The Baby Bull” Juan Diaz in a lightweight championship bout. Marquez became the Lineal Lightweight Champion when he knocked out the rock solid Joel Casamayor back in September of last year, he now attempts to add two more Lightweight belts to his credit by attempting to defeat, the once beaten Juan Diaz.

This should be a very entertaining fight, both men have tremendous boxing skills, both come to perform, and above all, both come to win. In his last outing, Marquez got a chance to win a title in his third weight class when he stepped into the ring against slick southpaw, Joel Casamayor, Marquez looked sensational, he seemed to be a much sturdier fighter at 135lbs, he was stronger, sharper, and by knocking out a fighter who had never been stopped before, he seemed more powerful. Now that Marquez has become the #1 lightweight in the world, he aims to fight the best out there, and that’s exactly what he’ll be getting tomorrow night when he faces the non-stop Juan Diaz. Since losing for the first time in his career to veteran Nate Campbell, Juan Diaz rebounded with an impressive win over hard hitting Michael Katsidis, in that fight, Diaz looked incredible with his offense, and even better with his renewed defense, slipping punches and landing his own, he now looks to become the best lightweight in the world by attempting to dethrone Marquez.

What a tough fight to call, I mean, it’s hard to pick, I really like Marquez in this fight, but Diaz is no slouch, he comes full throttle and he wants this win more than ever. I think both actually have a good shot at winning, like I’ve said in plenty of my past predictions, this fight will come down to who can execute their gameplan and throw the other off his.

Here are my keys to victory for both fighters.

Juan Manuel Marquez:

Use the jab – Diaz is a come forward type of fighter who wants to pressure you, if Marquez wants any shot of winning this one, he must establish his jab and keep it going, an absent jab means a closer Diaz.

Use Angles – Although Juan Diaz himself uses angles very well, he can be thrown off balance by stepping to his side after you fire off a combination, Nate Campbell used this technique, and it served him very well. Marquez can jab – right hand then circle away.

Attack The Body – In his fight with Nate Campbell, Diaz seemed to have slowed down a bit after Campbell attacked the body for a few round, Diaz indeed takes a good shot to the head, but he can definitely be weakened if Marquez throws in a body shot every now and then.

Juan Diaz:

Use Pressure – Marquez is a master boxer who loves to control the pace of a bout, that’s when he can set traps and land his punches with better precision, if Diaz can keep the pressure on Marquez, it will keep Marquez from thinking and worried more about staying away.

Stay Busy – Diaz is not known as a power puncher, he’s a fighter who uses and abundance of punches to wear his opponents down, he’s done it in the past to beat good punchers like Acelino Frietas and in his most recent bout with Katsidis. The more time Diaz spends laying back and waiting, the less chance he has of winning.

Box Don’t Brawl – Diaz possess great boxing skills, he’s fast and throws great combinations, but because of his lack of power, he can’t stand and trade with the powerful Marquez, he must stay busy and box. Marquez has the edge in power, by a lot, Diaz must be cautious at all times.

I really can’t say who will be the victor in this bout, all I can say, is it will be a good one. I will be rooting for Marquez ALL the way, but a Diaz win won’t be that surprising.

Stay Tuned……….

Vic Darchinyan vs Jorge Arce: A Fight of The Year Candidate – Prediction

It’s almost here, the fight between Vic Darchinyan vs Jore Arce. In a previous entry, I showed my interest in this fight, and it’s just around the corner (tomorrow to be exact)

Tomorrow night in Anaheim California, Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan will attempt to defend his Flyweight titles (WBO, WBO & IBF) against the always colorful Jorge “El Travieso” Arce, this feud has been brewing for a couple of years now, and will be (hopefully) a sure fire brawl from start to finish. Both come to fight, both come to win and both want to knock their opponents out.

I’m not going to spend too much time talking about the fighters, but let it be known that although Vic Darchinyan is one strong little man, he is a trash talking villain who never respects his opponents, only he combines loads of power and an awkward style, he can be a nightmare for anyone, including Arce. Since the first time I’ve watched Arce battle in the ring, he’s harbored my attention, he’s a brawler by heart but also possess great boxing skills combined with an iron chin and power in both fists. This will be a fight.

Ever heard the phrase “Styles Make Fights”? if so, you’ll know that it’s exactly the case for this bout, Darchinyan is a hard punching fighter who relies on his natural reflexes and raw power, Arce on the other hand, is sometimes wild but can be methodical in his approach. It’s a case of an Awkward Puncher vs Boxer Puncher. Who wins?

Well, throughout his career, Jorge Arce has been known to engage in wars that find him bruised and bloodied, but because of his huge heart, he welcomes that anytime, he loves to fight, and loves to knock people out. As for Vic Darchinyan, he’s used to being the dictator and has failed when faced with adversity, this coming in the form of a humiliating 5^th round TKO loss to Nonito Donaire, but since then, Darchinyan has bounced back with two very impressive KO victories against stiff opposition, being the first flyweight in history to be Undisputed Champion.

I have to be honest, I’m not a big fan of Vic Darchinyan, he’s a little too cocky for my taste, but his skills and power are undeniable, he’s a force in the division, and everyone should take him seriously. In this bout, I will say Arce has the upper hand as far ask “boxing skills” and experience, he’s faced some very good fighters and has passed some serious tests. Both men have been stopped in their respective careers, Darchinyan was KO’d by Nonito Donaire back in July of 2007, and Arce was KO’d by Michael Carbajal back in July of 1999.

Both can win this fight, I think it will come down to who can make the other guy fight their fight. If Arce wants to win this one (a big one at that), he needs to be him, a boxer puncher who can use effective counter punches to catch Darchinyan coming in (the same way Donaire did), and use body shots to setup the big punches upstairs. Vic has the tendency to get lazy at times and defense is not something he remembers very often, although he’s worked on it, he still has holes in his game that Arce can expose. As for Vic, he just needs to box from a distance and make every power punch count, he can’t reach with his punches or lunge in, that will cost him against a fighter like Arce. So, my prediction is, “Whoever Can Make the Other Guy Fight Their Fight” wins. I truly hope Arce can pull this one off, but he must be ware, Darchinyan is a little beast.

Stay tuned………

De La Hoya vs Pacquiao: Prediction – Why De La Hoya Will Beat Pacquiao

Oscar De La Hoya is one of the most recognizable faces in boxing, and in the history of the sport for that matter, he has the star power that every fighters craves, he undoubtedly has the skills of a great fighter, and built his career on fighting the best out there, and doing what he is supposed to do, which is beat the man in front of him. De La Hoya had great success early in his career, he was a big man to deal with in the lower weight divisions, he had size, power and above all, he had tremendous speed, with that, he was able to carry himself to a record of 31 wins, 0 losses, and 23 of those wins coming by way of knockout, he was the real deal. His first “Event” fight (besides the Chavez fights) fight took place on September 18^th 1999, when he faced Puerto Rican knockout artist, Felix “Tito” Trinidad in one of the biggest Welterweight fight’s of all time, both undefeated, both very skilled, and both were extremely popular amongst their people, but only one can remain undefeated.

In that fight, Oscar De La Hoya was performing magic, he was completely out-boxing the Puerto Rican Star, beating him to the punch, and busting him up, but Trinidad would continue marching forward, not fazed by the Golden Boy’s early success, Trinidad, still on his toes, still punching back, but by the half way mark, he was clearly behind. By round 8, De La Hoya looked tired, completely drained by the boxing display and outstanding performance he was putting forth, and Tito began to come on strong, but Oscar was comfortable ahead in the fight, or so we thought. In rounds 11 and 12, De La Hoya jumped on his bicycle and started circling without punching, believing he was comfortably ahead, he was just trying to coast through the last two rounds, but as he did so, it allowed Trinidad to land some shots he may not have been able to had De La Hoya not decided to take the rounds off. In the end, Trinidad was awarded the extremely controversial decision win, and De La Hoya’s undefeated record died that night, and so did his drive to win the big fights.

Since that loss, De La Hoya has failed to win any of his big fights, except for his fight with Fernando Vargas, in which De La Hoya used his speed and boxing ability to pick apart the ferocious Vargas to stop him in the 11^th round of a great fight, but still, that fight was more of a personal ordeal than a professional conquest, I am mainly referring to the big the fights, the money fights, the fights in where he was matched with someone equally as skilled or powerful.

Let’s list them, shall we.

Oscar De La Hoya vs Sugar Shane Mosley

June 17, 2000WBC & IBF Welterweight Titles
Mosley win by Split Decision

-Mosley was undefeated, and arguably in his prime, it was the best fight that could have been made in the 147lb division (at that time), and Oscar jumped at the challenge, but fell short in one of the best boxer/puncher matched I have ever seen.

Oscar De La Hoya vs Sugar Shane Mosley II

September 13, 2003WBA, WBA & IBA Light Middleweight Titles
Mosley win by Unanimous Decision

-Attempting to avenge his loss, Oscar took another crack at Mosley, but this time at 154lbs, although Oscar came up short, he still put forth an extreme effort, and most believe he won.

Oscar De La Hoya vs Bernard Hopkins

September 18, 2004WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO Middleweight Titles
Hopkins win via 9^th round KO

-Even with Hopkins being the much bigger man, De La Hoya proved his guts and took on the reigning 160lb champion, De La Hoya may have been knocked out (by a phantom punch, yes, I said it), but he still proved he wanted to take on the best.

Oscar De La Hoya vs Floyd Mayweather Jr.

May 5, 2007WBC Light Middleweight Title
Mayweather win via Split Decision.

-Floyd Mayweather was the #1 Pound-4-Pound fighter on the planet, undefeated, in his prime, fast, strong and extremely gifted, De La Hoya once again, elected to face the best, but once again, fell short of winning a big one.

Four major bouts, and De La Hoya fell short in every single one, Why? You may ask, well it’s simple, he lacked superiority against each opponent, they were just as good, if not better. But the fact that he was constantly put in the ring with men who were at the peak of their careers says a lot about De La Hoya, he never backed out of a fight, he indeed fought the best in his era, there were also fights in which many believe he won. Win or lose the big fights, there is no doubt in my mind that those fight made Oscar the fighter he will be remembered for being, they tought him how to fight the best, accept defeat, and embrace victory.

Now, on to this Saturday’s fight, Oscar De La Hoya vs Manny Pacquiao, “The Dream Match”

Okay, I’m constantly browsing the Internet and reading up on my boxing, daily, and after indulging in great articles written by some very experienced boxing analysts, I go on to read the comments posted on the article, some are very honest in their opinions, some know nothing, and others come off as smart alecks and know it alls. Well one thing is certain, no one will know the outcome of any fight until the fight is over, it’s not right to assume you know the outcome, but you’re to state your opinion and possibly back up your prediction with good facts. Sometimes you’re right, and sometimes you’re wrong, that’s just the way it is.

I for one, think that De La Hoya will not only beat Manny Pacquiao, but he will knock him out somewhere between rounds 8 and 9, and here is why.

Manny Pacquiao is a very good fighter, he has tremendous speed, agility and power, and has grown into a near complete fighter, at age 29, Manny Pacquiao is in his physical prime, beating every man who stands in his way, his only loss in the last 12 years was to Mexican legend, Erik Morales, but Pacquiao then went on to avenge that loss in impressive fashion, twice. Since his first fight with Morales, Manny Pacquiao has remained on the winning end of every fight, but I think his time is up, he’s fighting not only a much bigger man, but a more experienced man, a stronger man, and maybe even a man who’s carries the same amount of speed. Oscar has more advantages (in my eyes) than most would care to point out, De La Hoya is bigger, much bigger, and I think the fact that he’s coming down in weight will increase not only his power, but his speed, less weight to carry in throwing his combinations, plenty would argue that Welterweight is De La Hoya’s more natural weight, he did okay at 154, but failed to impress at 160, 147 is where he should be. Fighting at 147 is something De La Hoya hasn’t done since he fought Arturo Gatti in 2001, but still, there shouldn’t be much of a problem for De La Hoya coming back down, his last fight was in May of this year when he defeated Stevie Forbes at a catch weight of 150 lbs, this fight will take place 3 lbs south, which isn’t very much, this just might be the right weight, at the right time in his storied career. Another major factor in this fight is Manny coming up in weight, again, many will disagree, but Pacquiao will be fighting 12 lbs heavier than in his last fight, where he fought at 135 brutally knocked out David Diaz, but that was also his first time campaigning at 135 lbs, having won his most significant fights at 126 and 130 lbs. Not sure how much (if any) speed Pacquiao will lost in this bout, he seemed to still be very fast at 135 lbs, and his punches had a bit more snap and power behind them, but will an extra 12 lbs be too much to carry into a fight with a man of De La Hoya’s size?

I think so, Manny Pacquiao had almost more than he can handle in defeating Juan Manuel Marquez in both of their epic battles, both fights were scored very close and could have gone either way, most would also like to grant Marquez victory in the second fight, claiming he landed more of the clean effective punches, I would be quick to agree. The main reason Manny struggled with Marquez was because Marquez is an excellent boxer with good power in both hands, he’s a technical fighter who uses lateral movement, a very assertive jab, and works off it to throw and land crisp combinations, something Oscar has perfected throughout his boxing career. If Manny struggled with a fighter like Marquez, how can he expect to handle a fighter who possess the same skills, but is naturally bigger and stronger?

He simply can’t, De La Hoya will fight tall, he will not give up his height, he will use his jab, which I think will be the key weapon in this fight, Freddie Roach (Manny’s trainer) admits that his only concern is in fact De La Hoya’s jab, it is strong and possess a major threat to anyone on the receiving end. In order for Pacquiao to have success in this fight, he must close the distance, which will be an amazing feat, because he’s giving up not only 4” in height, but a whopping 6” in reach, which is a major, major factor, he will have tremendous difficulty getting close if De La Hoya sticks to his jab. I expect an over hand right and left hook to follow the jab of Oscar, but Manny is very quick on his feet, he will move as much as possible, and keep up the pace to test De La Hoya’s conditioning, which has haunted many times before.

I see a very energetic Pacquiao in the first few rounds, he will come in and show Oscar that this is indeed a fight, he will not wait to see what De La Hoya will do, but Oscar, on the other hand will be a bit more plodding as he finds his target with a razor sharp jab and right hand, all meant to disrupt Manny’s explosive style that comes at you from a southpaw stance. Manny Pacquiao is typically head hunter, he greatly believes in his power, only he knows that in this fight, a one punch KO is not in the cards, but a steady body attack that can take De La Hoya’s legs if the fight goes beyond 6 rounds, only problem there is when in fact Manny throws to the body, he will have to bend in, and that will only give De La Hoya more chances to land. But if in fact Manny can get his rhythm and make De La Hoya fight 3 minutes of every round, he can find himself on the winning end of a close decision win, but, if Pac-Man allows Oscar to set the pace and keep him at bay, it’s over. The most admirable thing about the Filipino star, is his style, he comes to fight, he comes to win and he loves fighting toe to toe, now who doesn’t like a fighter like that, no one, but I think his style, is perfectly suited for Oscar De La Hoya.

In the end, I see Oscar sending Manny to the canvas, and for the first time in 9 years, Manny will not beat the 10 count, not sure in which form the KO will come, either from a body shot, or a head shot, but Manny Pacquiao will be knocked out on December 6^th, inside 9 rounds.

I must say this, as always, this is boxing, anything can happen, I stand behind my prediction, and will admit when I’m wrong……stay tuned!!!

Ricky Hatton vs Paulie Malignaggi: Overview and Prediction

Tomorrow night, Manchester’s Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton takes on Brooklyn’s own Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi in a 12 round Junior Welterweight Showdown between two of the best in the division, Hatton is coming off of a Unanimous Decision win over Juan Lazcano in May, Paulie fought on the undercard in a rematch against Lovemore N’dou in a not so impressive close decision win, that night set the stage for a bout that is to determine who is the best 140lb fighter in the world.

Since winning the number one spot in the 140lb division by beating the formidable Kostya Tszyu in June of 2005, Ricky Hatton has steadily declined as a fighter, most would not like to acknowledge this, but the fact is that he has since struggled to impress. Having beat only a couple decent 140lb fighters, Ricky made a courageous move in weight to challenge Luis Collazo for the WBA Welterweight Strap in June of last year, but had a hard time proving his worth at that weight, struggling to controversial win, and immediately moved back down to 140lbs. Soon after he faced a strong fighter in Juan Urango, and put forth a less than energetic performance, doing just enough to win, Hatton slipped away with a Unanimous Decision, that same night, Jose Luis Castillo made his 140lb debut, defeating Herman Ngoudjo, this victorious night for the two setup a showdown between them take place 6 month later. The fight was set for June, most figured it would be a classic brawl in favor of the brawler, Ricky Hatton, Castillo had a decent chance, but it would be hard to think his battle worn body can hang in there with the naturally bigger Hatton, and it couldn’t, Castillo was knocked out in the fourth round by a picture perfect left hook to the body. In a post fight interview with HBO commentator Max Kellermen, Ricky Hatton went calling for Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather, and edged himself towards a welterweight showdown with (then) the Pound For Pound King, but he got more than he bargained for, being knocked out in the 10^th round of a one sided fight. Since the loss, Ricky came back down (again) to the 140lb division and fought Juan Lazcano, again struggling to look good, Hatton was rocked a few times, but did barely enough to win, after the fight, many questions were raised about Hatton’s abilities to perform, having struggled with fighters he was supposed to easily beat, Can Ricky Hatton rejuvenate himself and get back on track? We’ll soon find out…

Paulie Malignaggi, the fast mouth fast handed boxer from Brooklyn, makes an attempt to take the number one spot by being only the second man to beat Ricky Hatton, But can he do it?

Over the years, Malignaggi has been working his way up the ranks slowly but surely, and after a few years of fighting nobodies, he finally got his chance at a title, he was matched with Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto for the WBO Jr. Welterweight title. Malignaggi spent a lot of time bad mouthing his opponent, building his reputation as a smack talker who’s bark is bigger than his bite, at the time containing a record of 21 wins, 0 losses with only 5 KO’s, he was no puncher. Come fight night, Malignaggi had a lot to prove, it was time to put up or shut up, but he immediately began the fight on the wrong track, he was cut in the first round by clash of heads and was dropped in the second round, it did not look good. As the fight progressed, Malignaggi was able to develop a bit of a rhythm, boxing very well, but it was his lack of power that allowed Cotto to impose his will. By the end of the fight, Malignaggi was bruised and battered, he sustained a broken cheek bone and broken dream, he had lost his first professional bout and fell short of his chance at a world title. Most fighters never come back the same after being brutalized by the hard hitting Cotto, it was no secret that Malignaggi was physically tested, he was forced to dig deep in that fight, and he indeed proved that he has a huge heart, and showed extreme courage in his loss. In his comeback fight, Malignaggi boxed his way to a Unanimous Decision against Edner Cherry, then immediately was awarded another shot at the dream, a world title, having to fight against Lovemore N’dou, Malignaggi put on a boxing clinic, completely outclassing N’dou to earn a clear unanimous decision, he was now the IBF champ.

So, who will win this Saturday’s bout? Will it be Ricky Hatton, or can Paulie Malignaggi uses his speed to neutralize Hatton’s mauling brawling style?

This is a good matchup, it’s a Brawler vs Boxer, it should be very entertaining, so long as Hatton is kept under control, he tends to do a bit more holding than we would like to see, both should be on their game, and the best man will win. I think this is Paulie’s time to shine, he is very underrated as far as skills, and Hatton has slowed over the past few years, I’m not sure he has enough left in the tank to control a pure boxer like Malignaggi. Hatton will try his normal hit and hold tactics, it will be up to Paulie to jab away and control Hatton’s aggression, as Mayweather proved, Hatton can be outboxed, but will the lack of power hurt Malignaggi’s chances? I’m not too sure, I don’t expect Malignaggi to use power punches much in this fight, he will simply throw more and land more, Hatton must get in close (as he usually does) to do what he does best, land to the body. Malignaggi has a huge heart, so don’t expect Ricky to knock him out, I see a pretty close fight within the first few rounds, but Malignaggi will take over in the later portion of the fight to win a decision. Hatton’s only chance it to land something significant to keep Malignaggi thinking, otherwise he will be out boxed by the fast handed Malignaggi.

“The Dream Match” – Let’s just Accept It

In just a little under three weeks, “The Dream Match” becomes a reality, when Pound for Pound Champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao steps into the ring against one of boxing most beloved stars, “The Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya, it’s a fight most don’t care too much about, there are plenty of other matches either man can pursue, but there is nothing we can do about it, it’s happening whether we like it or not.

This fight is without a doubt going to be the biggest fight of this year, it may even beat last years success of the snoozer that was De La Hoya/ Mayweather, mainly because of Pacquiao’s fan base, he literally has an entire island behind him, combined with Oscar’s own fame and popularity, this “Dream” match has the potential to be the biggest (money wise) fight in the history of the sport. But even with both combatant’s possessing outstanding draw power and boxing success, most boxing fans don’t care too much about this fight, and rightfully so, it’s the big guy versus the little guy, the old guy versus the young guy, and the list goes on and on, there are so many other fights out there for either man, so, Why this fight?

Well besides the money (Pacquiao will make his career’s biggest payday), it’s a fight EVERYONE will watch, it has “What If” written all over it, I mean, De La Hoya vs Pacquiao, who could’ve imagined, as much as we love to hate it, every single soul protesting against this fight will no doubt be glued to their seat, nervously awaiting the moment that very first bell rings. It’s a fight you would see taking place in a video game, but this is no game, this is real life, and these two will be in that ring together, exchanging punches, so let’s face it, as much as we all claim to hate this fight, we will all be watching. So since we have no choice but to accept that fact that this fight is happening, let’s just accept it, and enjoy it, with Pacquiao being the man sharing the ring with De La Hoya, I highly doubt it will be less than entertaining.

Stay tuned.

De La Hoya vs Pacquiao: Bad For Boxing?

Okay, there was so much talk in last couple month or so of De La Hoya picking his opponent for his supposed “Last” fight, but everyone must remember, before the outstanding Cotto vs Margarito clash, De La Hoya went as far as to say that he would be willing to face the winner of that bout, his comments of this were intriguing, imagine, De La Hoya vs Cotto, or De La Hoya vs Margarito..??? either match could produce great action and suspense, and overall, a great fight. Well, moments after Margarito destroyed the once unbeaten Cotto, I knew deep inside that De La Hoya would run and hide, and just a I thought (and most did also), De La Hoya no longer showed interest in a fight with Margarito as he opted to “Search” for an opponent. But why search? The man you claimed you would face is right there, willing and able, I guess it was the performance that Margarito put forth that scared away the Golden Boy, the determination, the will, the power that De La Hoya would be so frightened to stare down at this stage in his career. Let’s face it, Margarito would put up a great fight against Oscar, he may win, he may not, that’s debatable, victory for Margarito is not guaranteed as De La Hoya is still well preserved and seemingly very sharp for his age. Oscar De La Hoya once was a fighter who ducked no one, he fought everyone, working his way up to the top (as most do) by beating one great fighter after another, But why won’t he fight Margarito?

Business point of View:

We all know that Oscar De La Hoya is one of the most beloved, popular, accomplished and successful boxers in history, he has done extremely well, with the help of Bob Arum and Top Rank early in his career, De La Hoya became a sensation, a Mexican American ICON and a boxing celebrity, everyone wanted to see him fight, he just had that essence in the ring, he had “It”. After his split with Top Rank, De La Hoya used his career acquired knowledge to form his own promotional company, Golden Boy Promotions, in which he has an increasing stable of excellent fighters, De La Hoya, once a gallant boxing champion, is now a straight up Business Man out for huge piece of the pie. Once a fighter taking on the best, is now a part time boxer looking to make the most money possible for each and every fight. Surely one would think Bob Arum and Golden Boy Promotions can work something out to make the fight worthwhile for both Margarito and De La Hoya bout, the money is there, although Margarito may not be much of a draw, his popularity definitely improved with his career defining win against Miguel Cotto. So, with all action fighter like Margarito up against a PPV magnet like De La Hoya, Wouldn’t that be a great event? Well yes, for a boxing enthusiast, but not for the average person, attention from them requires a worldwide event like the one that broke world records when De La Hoya faced (then) Pound for Pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. last May, De La Hoya could not get nearly the same results against a fighter like Margarito, The answer is simple really, not ENOUGH money to be made and too much of a risk!!!

A Fans Point of View:

Okay, for his performance and current stature in the Welterweight Division, Margarito deserves a shot at De La Hoya, although “deserves” can be misleading, Oscar also went as far as to say he would love to take on the winner of the Cotto/Margarito fight, well the winner is willing and able. Over the years, Margarito has been proving himself over and over, and maybe not against the best competition, but still, he’s winning, and that’s the most important thing. But after solid wins over Kermit Cintron (twice) and Miguel Cotto, Margarito has arrived, virtually the toughest man in boxing today, blessed with a big frame, iron chin and unbreakable will, Margarito is the man to beat in the Welterweight division. Now that he has a great win over a previously undefeated powerhouse, Margarito is left without an opponent (but may end up fighting Mosley in January), after his bout with Cotto, Margarito attempted to call Oscar’s bluff, and with a few words in Spanish, he basically asked Oscar to prove himself and stick to his words and make a fight with him for the fans, for the Mexican people, but it didn’t work, it wasn’t enough to draw the popular De La Hoya. Oscar is one to always claim that boxers and promotional companies need to do the right thing for boxing, make the dream match-ups a reality, bring them to fruition, but he never takes his own advice when he’s involved, because if he did, he would be facing Margarito in December instead of a lightweight in Pacquiao. This is what ruins boxing for some, this is not the way it is supposed to be, De La Hoya can fight whoever he pleases, it don’t matter who, what, where, when or why, because it’s De La Hoya, it’s just how it is and we have to accept it, now isn’t that sad? Sure De La Hoya/Pacquiao is going to be huge, probably much bigger than “The World Awaits”, but do we really need it? Is it right?……NO!!!!! All that these type of fights do it draw attention

Joe Calzaghe vs Roy Jones: Overview and Prediction

Tomorrow night, we will witness two of the best fighters take the grand stage, Joe Calzaghe vs Roy Jones Jr., a clash of two all time greats, fighting for the Light Heavyweight Title, it should be a good one. Or so we hope.

Although this fight seems as if it could be a good one, you can’t help but to think that this bout is also way past dude, Jones, for one is not the fighter he once was, in his prime his skills were un-matched, he was incredibly fast and powerful, he was a mystery. Once the best pound for pound fighter on the plant, is now a challenger attempting to work his way back to the top, coming off of a not so impressive win against a blown up Tito Trinidad in January, some feel Jones no longer has the desire to perform, but rather coast his way to decision wins, Can a Motivated Jones beat a man like Calzaghe at this stage in his career?

Calzaghe on the other hand is arguably the best fighter in the world today, with a professional record of 45 and 0, Calzaghe is a beautiful fighter, winning every bout with his unorthodox style and massive punch output, and not to mention deceptive power, Calzaghe now attempts to add another legend to his list of victims and retire as an undefeated champion in two weight classes. Throughout his career (and even now), Calzaghe was thought of as a protected European fighter, and one who built his record on nobodies or ex champions looking for a payday, fighting only on his home turf, Calzaghe was constantly criticized for seemingly avoiding the American fighters. His opportunity to silence those critics came the day he signed to fight the up and coming Jeff Lacy, an undefeated powerhouse out to take claim as the best Super Middleweight in the world. In that fight, Calzaghe put on a boxing clinic, absolutely destroying Lacy in 12 brutal rounds, Lacy, known as a huge puncher was beaten and battered, he was humiliated, I for one, have never seen such a dominant performance in a championship bout, Lacy looked like an amateur, and Calzaghe had made his point, he is the best Super Middleweight. Since then, Calzaghe has been more of a name in boxing, no longer a “protected” European fighter, Calzaghe continues to beat the best, he out classed a strong puncher in Mikkel Kessler, and a legend in Bernard Hopkins, next up is Jones, can Calzaghe defy the odds once more?

Prediction:

This fight just like so many others this year is a tough one to call, both men are superb athletes, both have been wanting this fight, and it is finally here, who can win it?

I think it is possible for either fighter to win, Calzaghe is unlike any other fighter you will ever see, but so is Roy Jones, both have their strengths, but as we know, only one has a weakness, that would Jones, as Calzaghe has yet to taste defeat, therefore he is still a puzzle one must figure out in order to beat. The first half of the bout will belong to Calzaghe, with his pressure and punch volume, I see Jones laying back a bit and relying on counter punching at this time, but towards the later rounds, Jones will turn it up and come out attacking, fighting in spurts early, Jones will have great moments late in the bout. Calzaghe must throw power punches, he must gain respect, and he must do from the first round on, Jones may want this fight in the middle of ring, but not be too aggressive, Calzaghe has great success when fighters attack, Jones must circle and keep his hands high, because Calzaghe has excellent speed and he throws from odd angles. It will definitely be a close bout, Calzaghe will be hurt in this fight, but there will not be much to worry about because Jones is no longer a finisher, Calzaghe will come back strong and dominate the same round. Jones will make it much more interesting than most think, but he can make it too interesting for himself, by staying in punching range and engaging Calzaghe, you never know, Jones may wind up on his trunks, who knows.

Calzaghe by Unanimous Decision.