Welcome to the First Annual Groucho Awards!

by

Paul Magno

Groucho Marx was one of America’s preeminent humorists and general wise guys. Here’s a short list of some of his more famous quotes and the Boxing personality most represented by each one.

So, sit back, light up a nice cigar and put on a pair of Groucho novelty glasses…for what may prove to be either the first in a long line of award presentations or, at the very least, filler material for slow news days…

“I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it.”

-Oscar de la Hoya vs. Steve Forbes. This was billed as a “Homecoming,” but it was more like my prom: Long on promise, short on delivery and nobody got lucky in the end. The fans saw a lackluster card, Forbes lost the fight and Oscar didn’t shine the way he had hoped.

“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, misdiagnosing it, and then misapplying the wrong remedies.”

- All 4 major sanctioning bodies for never ceasing to provide controversy and just general insanity in their mad attempt to stay relevant…and rich.

“The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.”

- Bob Arum for several decades of trickery and double talk while being able to come off looking like a relative choir boy when compared to his rival, Don King.

“Man does not control his own fate. The women in his life do that for him.”

-Jin Mosley for not tolerating Zab Judah’s antics in the lead up to Mosley/Judah and essentially cutting husband Shane off from the lucrative Welterweight division to fight a meaningless bout with Ricardo Mayorga in the fall.

“Next time I see you, remind me not to talk to you.”

- Zab Judah for giving some of the most unintelligible interviews of all time. Does this guy even speak English? It’s hard to tell if this guy is punch drunk or just plain drunk.

“If I held you any closer I would be on the other side of you.”

-Tie: John Ruiz and Ricky Hatton. In Cancun, John Ruiz held Jameel McCline so often and so hard that I was worried a romantic interlude may break out. And Ricky Hatton often looks like a drunk sailor on leave with all his desperate clutching. If Hatton and Ruiz were in the same weight class and fought each other, you’d be hard-pressed to figure out if you were watching World Championship Boxing or The World Ballroom Dancing Championships.

“I never forget a face, but in your case I’ll be glad to make an exception.”

- Nikolay Valuev for not only looking like he fell off the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down, but also run over by an ice cream truck and battered in the face by a group of enraged Ruslan Chagaev fans.

“Getting older is no problem. You just have to live long enough.”

- Jeff Fenech vs. Azumah Nelson III for proving that you’re never too old to have a dull, meaningless fight.

“Please accept my resignation. I don’t care to belong to any club that would have me as a member.”

-Nate Campbell for winning the WBA, IBF and WBO titles and then systematically ripping everyone a new one. He’s taken his position as champ and has used it to speak out against everything from HBO’s favoritism toward Golden Boy to the sanctioning bodies’ widespread corruption.

“Oh, are you from Wales? Do you know a fella named Jonah? He used to live in whales for a while.”

- Joe Calzaghe, because, well, he’s from Wales…

“I have nothing but confidence in you, and very little of that.”

-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. for having the nerve to call out guys like Cotto and De la Hoya after each fight, yet always managing to fight guys like Matt Vanda.

“I wish to be cremated. One tenth of my ashes shall be given to my agent, as written in our contract.”

- Don King for producing some of the most notoriously perverse contracts in the history of the sport.

“Why should I care about posterity? What’s posterity ever done for me?”

-Floyd Mayweather Jr. for abruptly retiring and making a good share of “hard core” fans weep openly when realizing that now they may never get to see Mayweather knocked out cold.

“Whatever it is,… I’m against it.”

-Larry Merchant. Blue? Red! Black? White! Damn, we get it Larry, You’re old and cranky…

A Tale of Two Prospects

by Paul Magno

This is the story of two young men, both talented and thirsty for Boxing success, who were steered in very different directions; One down the easy road of fluff fights for adoring, partisan crowds and the other, through the difficult obstacle course of going from prospect to contender to champion.

This is the story of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Andre Berto.

It’s not easy being a boxer and having the last name, “Chavez.” There is a lot of pressure that goes with it and a lot of expectations for greatness. The task is especially difficult when your own legend daddy is looking to have one more run at greatness through you. Combine that with the daddy’s financial woes, and you get a recipe for abuse and career mismanagement.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., “Olympic Hero”, would’ve been huge in Mexico and among Mexican-Americans. At the same time, the younger Chavez could’ve honed his craft in the relative safety of the amateur system until he was seasoned enough to become a pro. However, Chavez Sr.’s government debts and his massive ego, nixed the idea of his son fighting for free on the world amateur circuit. He wanted Jr. to start making money right away. After all, he was a Chavez and the Chavez family draws…and if Sr. can get his back taxes paid in the process, all the better, right?

So Chavez Jr., set off on a torrid pace of fights, using his father’s name and his Top Rank affiliation to get on the undercards of major fights. He got tons of TV exposure on some of the biggest cards in recent memory while beating up on opponents who were, to be kind, several notches below journeymen and more along the line of what you’d find in Toughman contests. Yet, the Chavez Jr. train kept rolling, sometimes once a month and never against anyone with even the most remote chance of beating him.

Rewind to 1988, while Chavez Jr., was growing up Chavez with all the privileges that go along with that, little 5 year old Andre Berto , along with his parents and 6 siblings were making the tough move from their native Haiti to Florida. His Father, a mixed martial arts trainer and fighter, began to train young Andre as a way to keep him off the streets and out of trouble. The stories are legendary about their training routines, usually having to deal with stories about miles of roadwork at an insanely young age and hours in the gym both before and after school.

Eventually, Berto was placed into several youth boxing programs and he excelled. By the time he finished his amateur career, he had won a bronze medal in the 2003 World Amateur Championships, was a two-time National Golden Gloves champion, a two-time National PAL champion and also had won 22 state titles in Florida. He represented Haiti in the 2004 Olympics after being disqualified from the US squad for an episode of roughhousing during a bout, but failed to bring home a medal.

Andre Berto turned pro about a year after Chavez Jr. and set about facing the usual fighters a young prospect fights while making a name for himself. At about the 14 fight mark, Berto’s people started bringing more quality opponents in for Berto. In his 14th pro fight he went up against veteran journeyman, Roberto Valenzuela, and came away with a first round KO. It was then that people started taking notice and the the TV cameras started to show up for Berto.

In his 17th pro fight, some questioned the logic of placing Berto against the physically tough Norberto Bravo, a Contender cast member and a well-traveled journeyman, having competed against the likes of Demetrius Hopkins, Ben Tackie, Ishe Smith, Cornelius Bundrage, Grady Brewer and Gary Balleto. He had a draw with Tackie and beat Balleto, but had lost to the rest of those names. However, he was never blown away in any of those contests and had accounted for himself well, except for his TKO loss at the hands of the much larger Bundrage.

Berto stepped up and beat the stuffing out of Bravo, scoring a TKO in the first round.

Chavez Jr, in contrast, was dispatching Ryan Maraldo in his 17th pro fight on the undercard for Morales/Pacquiao I. Maraldo was coming into the fight with a 1-4 record in his last 5 against club-level opposition. After the Chavez fight, Maraldo would go on to lose 9 of his next 10, again, against club-level opposition.

The next big step for Andre Berto was against a legitimately tough former world champ, Cosme Rivera who had recently nearly pulled off an upset against young lion Joel Julio. Rivera gave Berto his toughest contest to date and even scored a knockdown in the 6th round when a careless Berto ran right into a Rivera counter. Though clearly bothered by the knockdown, he went back, regained his composure and went on to win a unanimous decision against the tough ex-champ.

Chavez Jr.’s toughest fight would come shortly after his bout with Ryan Maraldo. Chavez would fight to a very controversial draw against the unknown Carlos Molina. After being outhustled by Molina over 6 rounds, he was given the gift of a draw- a decision that was soundly booed by his native Mexican fans in Monterrey, Mexico.

The next months would see both young fighters staying active, with Chavez Jr. fighting more often, but Berto fighting the much better opposition. While Chavez busied himself with top 200-level opposition, Berto was fighting fringe contenders like tough David Estrada, who had given Shane Mosley some problems a couple of years back and had nearly KO’d Kermit Cintron in their encounter. Chavez would top out at Jose Celaya, a top 100 ranked journeyman who, although tough, lacked any real skill-set. Celaya would end up giving Jr. a much tougher than anticipated struggle.

Now, we are in June, 2008 and both young fighters are known commodities. The difference is that while the Chavez camp went the easy route of piggybacking on Sr.’s name and opted to fight the worst of the worst, Berto’s camp worked their way up and put their young fighter in against an increasingly high level of opponent.

Chavez’s opponents could be characterized as mostly fighters who would be cannon-fodder on the club circuit. The best fighters on his resume are an undersized and punch-drunk Grover Wiley and local club-fighters Celaya and Ray Sanchez.

Berto’s resume, while not containing any real monster threats, contains skilled veteran fighters who were either former title holders or fringe contenders. Valenzuela, James Crayton, Bravo, Rivera and Estrada round out a list that also includes European champ Michel Trabant and WBC #2 ranked Miguel Angel Gonzalez.

Now, as I write this on June 22nd, Andre Berto is basking in the glow of becoming the new WBC Welterweight Champion of the World after his best performance to date, a one-sided beating of Gonzalez in a title eliminator for the vacated belt, formerly owned by Floyd Mayweather.. He is a legitimate top 10 fighter in one of the most talented divisions in the sport and has any number of money fights within his reach.

Chavez, on the other hand, is in training for his next fight in July against #127th ranked Matt Vanda in a baseball field in Hermosillo, Mexico. He will be fighting on a novelty PPV for a group of fans who mostly show up to catch a glimpse of his dad. The biggest fight on the horizon is a possible showdown with Hector Camacho Jr. later in the year. Camacho Jr. would be the best fighter by far that Chavez Jr. has ever faced.

Two young fighters headed in two very different directions. One is becoming a finely-tuned boxing machine while the other is essentially being sold out for scrap. Papa Chavez has essentially sold out his son’s future for the quick buck of being able to capitalize on his name. In the process, because of the level of opposition he has faced, Chavez Jr.’s skills have eroded and, in a lot of ways, he is a lesser fighter now than when he started his career. Meanwhile, Berto has continued to improve with each passing fight and, even with his lack of experience and seasoning, could give a lot of the top dogs at 147 a decent scrap…and, with the right focus, could be one of the elite Welters in the world in the next year or so.

Berto and Chavez Jr. will probably never meet in the ring because Chavez is already at 154 and moving up, but if they were to meet, the difference in skill and experience between the two would be obvious. You see, Berto was allowed to be a boxer while Chavez Jr. was pushed towards being an attraction.

A lot of what a boxer ends up being is determined by moves and strategies beyond his own control. Champions are not born, they are made; Made by proper matchmaking and incremental steps up the ladder until the fighter is a battled-hardened pro.

Andre Berto’s father gave him a push in the right direction and then handed over his career to people who knew what to do with a talented young fighter.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s career got lost in the massive, black-cloud ego of Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., who saw a quick buck and took it in an attempt to feed his own ego while bailing out his huge debts.

I guess, when really thinking about things, the title of this story could just as easily be, “A Tale of Two Fathers.”

The Welterweights: Fear and Loathing at 147

by Paul Magno

There is no doubt that the Welterweight division is one of the very best in all of boxing, but political and promotional conflicts could threaten to turn the 147 lb. bunch into a ball of confusion.

Here’s a look at some of the major players and significant goings on in the Welterweight division:

Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito: The Battle for Bob Arum’s Love

If Cotto boxes and moves the way he can and the way his handlers are probably telling him, he should win this one solidly, but we all know that at some point Cotto will engage and that’s when Margarito has his shot and that’s when this fight could become Fight of the Year.

It’s been said that Margarito may be the most feared man in the welter division, Well. possibly, but feared doesn’t always mean good. He’s got real power, but lacks in everything else- Like a 10 billion dollar, nuclear warhead-equipped cruise missile propped up on two cinderblocks. But he does have power and he does pose a threat if/when he can connect and if/when he has somebody offering their chin to him like Kermit Cintron.

Margarito hasn’t a prayer of outboxing Cotto, but he can hurt him and that’s why the fight is so intriguing and tough to call. If Cotto has been seriously shaken by just decent Jr. Welterweights like Ricardo Torres and “Chop Chop” Corley and bothered at times by Judah’s and Mosley’s shots, then what will happen when he gets hit by a legit, power-punching Welterweight who just happens to be a pretty decent closer?

Cotto has vastly improved his defense and general skill set in recent fights and in a perfect world, where the better fighter wins all the fights, Cotto should beat Margarito all day, every day. But as we all know- Boxing is far from being a perfect world.

Questions: Who is there to fight for the winner? The winner will probably take on Joshua Clottey if Clottey beats Judah, but after that the only fights to be made are against the problematic Paul Williams, the “retired” Floyd Mayweather and the aging Shane Mosley. A win for the more marketable, better-skilled Cotto would probably be better for the overall health of the division since a Margarito win just may take the division back into the dark days when Margarito ruled over the WBO title by fighting one weak opponent after another.

Floyd Mayweather’s Crusade Against Himself.

The linear and WBC king of the Welterweight division is acting just like a real king- He sits on his throne, content to let the little guys beneath him dirty their hands and knock each other off.

But like most royalty, the throne has gone to his head and he needs to touch base with reality. Mayweather needs to understand that all the Wrestlemania’s, Dancing with the Stars’ and BET appearances don’t mean half as much to his financial success as one dominant win over a top fighter. Mayweather is a boxer and every other side gig he does is based around that fact.

He hasn’t fought as bad a level of competition as his critics say, but he hasn’t fought the Alphabet Soup-rated fighters that some fans insist on.

If his recently announced retirement is for real, everybdy at 147 gets bumped up a slot; If it’s just a publicity stunt or a tantrum, look for Mayweather to fight some of those Alphabet Soup fighters and champs in ‘09 since, after Oscar, there are no other big money/easy money fights out there.

If he is indeed retired, he will be missed- not only for his unmatched skills and abilities, but for his unique ability to produce the most marvelously girlish hissy fits in otherwise battle-hardened, jaded boxing pundits.

Questions: How long will Mayweather stay “retired?” How well will he be able to do business with ex-promoter and hated rival, Bob Arum. Seeing that Arum has Cotto, Margarito and Clottey in his stable, at some point Mayweather and Top Rank will have to do business with each other if they want mega-paydays in ‘09.

Paul Williams Smashes Carlos Quintana: Revenge is a Dish Best Served with an 82 inch Straight Left Hand.

With Williams crushing Quintana recently, its hard to deny the fact that the Williams bandwagon has begun to roll again…And why not?

If a tall, southpaw boxer with an 82 inch reach who throws 100+ punches per round is a terror- how about a motivated one who has begun to hit with power and with bad intentions? Yikes!

If rival promoters and trainers were hesitant to pick up a call from Williams’ people before, its a lock that, after watching Williams/Quintana II, they have ripped their phones right off the wall.

When the new WBO rankings come out, Shane Mosley should be Williams’ #1 contender. You can’t get more of an intriguing match-up than Williams/Mosley- That’s if Mosley even decides to take such a fight.

Questions: Will Williams be able to coax another top Welterweight into a fight before the lanky “Punisher” simply outgrows the division?

Joshua Clottey vs. Zab Judah: The War to Stay Off of Basic Cable

This bout for Antonio Margarito’s soon to be vacated IBF strap will be the last stop on one of these guy’s train schedule. Next Stop…Versus and Fox Sports!!!

Clottey is the tough luck kid among the Welterweight class. Despite being a prospect since the Clinton administration, Clottey has yet to pull off the big one and his time is running out. He is 0-2 in his only fights with future or current world champs. He was clearly ahead against Carlos Baldomir when he got himself disqualified and he was ahead of Margarito and making Margarito look foolish until he hurt his hands and was forced to limp across the finish line with a close Split Decision loss.

Despite the hard luck, if Clottey goes 0-3 in big fights, he can no longer be considered a prospect and has to go back to the end of the line once again. Unfortunately, He isn’t well-known enough to get preferential treatment and he’s too good to get the benefit of the doubt.

Judah, on the other hand has the type of bad luck that is 100% self-inflicted.

Despite having the ability to easily beat Baldomir, he was out-hustled and beaten and despite doing well early on against Mayweather and Cotto, he let things slip. He lacked the discipline to continue the game plan that was proving effective against Mayweather and he lacked the focus to realize just how badly he had hurt Cotto a couple of times early in their fight.

Judah may just be a shot fighter at this point, too. His reaction time has been slower than normal against weak competition recently and his attitude has been sluggish. A loss for Judah would hopefully mean the end of his career before he suffers any further, permanent damage. A win for Judah would allow for him to hand over the title to Mosley or Williams in his next fight.

Questions: Does Judah have anything left? Does Clottey have what it takes to pull off a big win in a spotlight fight?

Shane Mosley: All Dressed Up with Nowhere to Go

Just a couple of months ago, the world was at Mosley’s feet. He was coming off of a close decision loss to Cotto and was in final preparations for a PPV encounter with Zab Judah as well as a title fight with Quintana should both fighters get past their respective opponents.

Now, he is a 36 year old, world-class fighter with no one to fight.

Cotto has shown absolutely no inclination to give Shane a rematch; The fight with Judah fell apart thanks to an angry shower door and Quintana was blown out by Williams.
Mosley’s options at Welter are to either wait to be installed as William’s new mandatory and work through an extremely tough match-up with Williams or just wait for the outcome of Clottey/Judah and hope to pick up the scraps. A Clottey win would mean that Mosley probably wouldn’t get within sniffing distance of the IBF, WBA or WBC crowns until late ‘09 at the earliest- a death sentence for a finesse fighter in his late 30’s. A win for Judah would possibly mean a shot at the IBF crown sooner rather than later and a good chance to become a world champ again.

Questions: How long can Mosley’s reflexes hold out before he becomes just a smart and skilled but otherwise ordinary top 10 fighter?

The Best of the Rest

Luis Collazo: Between a Rock and a Hard Head

Despite going 0-2 in his last two big fights, Collazo is a crafty, legit ex-champ and top 10 Welterweight who can hang in there with anyone.

He’s too unheralded to gain much from beating him and too good to look impressive against. No wonder lines haven’t been forming to fight him.

Kermit Cintron: It’s not Easy Being Green

When talking about Cintron, “Green” is the operative word because, despite being a two-time world champion and training under Emmanuel Steward, he lacks some of the most fundamental basics of the sport.

Its a cliché to say that Cintron has all the tools to be an excellent fighter, so I won’t say it- but the word “Tool” would be another operative word when talking about Cintron. Who calls out the fighter that KO’d you previously only to fight a worse fight the second time out and get KO’d easier? Geez, “Tool” is the operative word there, as in “Kermit Cintron is a tool.”

Carlos Quintana: Will the Real “Indio” Please Stand Up?

Quintana’s career has suffered from a real case of split personalities. Is Quintana the fighter who schooled Joel Julio and fought the perfect fight against Paul Williams or is he the fighter who got blown away by Miguel Cotto and in the rematch with Williams?

He needs to make up his mind fast and pick one or the other before he gets swarmed by the rest of the Welterweights looking to become champion.

Andre Berto: Fact or Fiction?

Berto’s been brought up the right way and he’s faced a decent level of competition for the level he’s at. The odd problem for him is that he’s the WBC’s #1 ranked contender and he will soon be the IBF’s #1 contender. How long can Berto resist the urge of taking a shot at a title and a big payday? We may never know if Berto’s a real player or not if he takes those fights and bites off more than he can chew. At this point of his career, he’s simply not ready for the upper ranks of the stacked Welterweight division.

Cosme Rivera, David Estrada and Jesse Feliciano: The Journeymen

Every division needs a Rocky Balboa-like underdog and who better than 3, grizzled pros with nothing but hearts and guts? These veteran journeymen have become the gatekeepers of the division.

Rivera was the first person to knock down Andre Berto and was within a few seconds of stopping Joel Julio in what turned out to be a narrow decision loss for the ex-champ, Rivera. Just recently he beat undefeated Colombian prospect Raul Pinzon via TKO. Rivera is still only 31 years old and may be making a real run at getting back in the championship picture.

Estrada is the hard-core action fighter who gave Shane Mosley a tougher than expected fight and rocked Kermit Cintron and was ahead on all 3 judge’s scorecards before being KO’d in the 10th. Estrada will fight any and all comers and is a tough nut to crack.

Feliciano is all toughness and action. He will fight every second of every round and despite not having the greatest of technical skills, he can give anyone a real fight. He may be on a par with most club fighters when it comes to technique, but his accomplishments speak for themselves: He fought a much tougher than expected fight against Cintron before getting stopped late, he laid out former Welterweight prospect Delvin Rodriguez, he scored an upset win over ex-champ Vince Phillips and has gone 1-1-1 with the Contender’s Alfonso Gomez.

Isaac Hlatswayo, Michael Jennings, Yuri Nuzhnenko, Jackson Bonsu, Francisco Bojado: The Foreign Exchange.

Technically, 3 of these fighters are belt holders. Hlatswayo holds the IBO strap, Jennings holds the WBU title and Nuzhnenko is the Interim WBA champ. Technically, these foreign fighters have a combined 134-6 record. The reality, though, is that none of these guys have a real name on their resumes and none would make a serious run at the elite Welters. With the right mojo and the right promotion they may be able to raise a minor stink in the lower part of the division’s top 10.

Ricky Hatton, Steve Forbes, Demetrius Hopkins, Vivian Harris, Junior Witter: Terror from Below or Just a Bunch of Little Guys Wanting Big Money?

While Hatton has proven to be out of his league at 147, there is no doubting the kind of attention and money he can produce. Any Welterweight would be crazy to reject a possible Hatton match up while Hatton just may be crazy enough before retiring to make one last run at making an impact in the sport’s current glamour division.

The rest of these natural 140 pounders mentioned have good enough skills to make any fight at Welter interesting with Forbes and Hopkins having the greatest possibility to pull off an upset. Forbes already holds a handful of good wins at Welterweight (Bojado, Quinonez) and held his ground against a 150 lb Oscar De la Hoya while Hopkins has beaten Forbes.

Final Thoughts (ala Jerry Springer):

From one to ten, the Welterweight division is better than any other division in the sport, but the window of opportunity to turn this era into a Golden Age for Welterweights is quickly closing. The rest of ‘08 and ‘09 will have to be the time to make the fights that pride and politics didn’t permit earlier. At some point Mosley and Judah will retire and Williams, Margarito and Collazo will move up in weight. What will be left is a very good Cotto beating very suspect challengers and the chance to make some of the best possible match-ups of our era will be gone forever.

For the sake of the division, let’s hope that Mayweather is not really retired and that he comes back from his break with a more realistic attitude. There is no one who attracts more attention to the 147 pound clan than “Money” and no one who sets the internet ablaze like the current 147 lb. and Pound 4 Pound champ. The promise of a fight with Mayweather has contributed to the relative stillness in the division as nobody really wanted to risk a loss if they felt they had the possibility of a 7-figure payday in their future. But the promise of a fight with the champ could also push the division to greater heights if the cards are played right. For Crissake, this is the division of “Sugar” Ray Robinson, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns and Pernell Whitaker!

Here’s hoping that the next 18 months or so give us more memories than my Margarita-addled mind can handle…

The Floyd Mayweather Jr. Legacy: One Boxing Fan’s Opinion of “Money” Mayweather

by zd

I consider myself one of the most critical analysts of Money Mayweather’s career, only because he has set the highest standards by calling himself the best ever.

I insist on calling him Money Mayweather because that’s the nickname that suits him the best. Like Shawn Combs, a.k.a puff daddy/ p. diddy/ diddy, he is about the second celebrity to successfully use multiple nicknames, and he just happens to be, IMO, one of the most overrated fighters of all time.

Now don’t jump up and start telling me what he has done, I know MM is a 5 division champ, BUT remember that Oscar de la Hoya has held 10 titles in 6 divisions and has not been called the best ever, none the less by himself, and let’s think who did MM beat along the way?.

MM beat a veteran washed up superfeatherweight champion Genaro Hernandez (who had been beat by Oscar de la Hoya 2 years before via 6th round TKO) who was without a doubt a good champion, who I would not dare call him at the least a very good, non the less a great superfeatherweight champion, because he can’t be mentioned in the same breath as Alexis Arguello, Bobby Chacon, Azumah Nelson, Julio Cesar Chavez, Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Salvador Sanchez, and Willie Pep for that matter, just to mention a few of who my historical knowledge allows me to.

Again, I’m being critical of his opposition because of the standards he made for himself by saying he IS the best ever.

The next big fighter he faced was Diego “Chico” Corrales, who was more of an exciting fighter than a good fighter, Chico only had 3 big wins in his carrer (IF they can be called big) against Casamayor (which he lost two fights against), Arcelino Freitas ( who lost 3 fights later to Juan Diaz), and a classic war against Jose Luis Castillo, which that’s the fight everybody remembers him by (one of the most thrilling fights ever).

The next big name that pop’s out of MM resume is Carlos “El famosito” Hernandez, who did nothing in the sport but win a IBF superfeather title 2 times against a nobody, and Steve “2 pound” Forbes, then loose against everybody he ever faced including a washed up Kevin Kelly.

He eventually fought Jesus Chavez, who did nothing for the sport, then lost his first fight against Jose Luis Castillo, but officially won (via robbery), there is no shame in losing, every good fighter has lost a fight, but that’s what he insist of why he is better that “Sugar” Ray Robinson, that is an insult to anyone with boxing knowledge’s intelligence.

After that he beat DeMarcus Corley, a washed up/watered down Arturo Gatti, Carlos Baldomir who is a “C” class fighter, Zab Judah which has no big accomplishments after beating Cory Spinks and Junior Witter, since he has lost or some how ruined every big fight he has been on, and finally a washed up/part time boxer, Oscar de la Hoya, who I believe he would have lost to if they would have fought anywhere near Oscar’s prime. After that he beat England’s very own (jr.welter) Ricky Hatton.

So, after all of those accomplishments he desides to retire and call himself one of the best ever (Yeah right).

You see, MM is one of America’s most prestigious marketing market products. America is a country which is accustomed to making legends, to try and make other countries believe that they are the best and have the best athletes in every sport (this opinion coming from an American like myself) America is the mainstream capital of boxing, and like anybody that indulges homerism, we think highly of our athletes, in this case boxing, and boost their abilities.

MM is nothing but a great defensive boxer who retired BEFORE proving he could do more with his “God given abilities” than he really did. He was the best product that Top Rank has ever made, they brought him up so carefully and took so much care of him, then when they were ready to make serious money with him, he just left them faster than a bad habit, and that’s why Bob Arum will always take cheap shots at him when ever he had the chance.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t doubt the skill that Floyd Mayweather possesses, but he could have taken risks and stop running his mouth the way he did, he never faced anyone at anytime that had a chance to beat him, except for Castillo, who actually beat him. And did nothing but hurt the sport towards the end of his career.

MM could have been one of the best ever, if he would have been willing to take risks, like the rest of the hungry legends did before him, and now all that is left is a bunch of possibilities, doubts, and fights that never actually happened.

The International Boxing Hall of Fame: Home to Legends and Legendary Fans

by Damon Ealy

It’s Induction Weekend

From here, the drive northeast to Canastota for the International Boxing Hall of Fame’s induction weekend in early June is an easy one-north for a while, right turn at Buffalo, east for a while-during a beautiful part of the year. Last year, 2007, was my first visit to the Hall, and for my family-my wife and daughter, who was nine months old at the time-it was our first real trip anywhere as a group.

Induction weekend is a long one, starting on Thursday. We arrived on Friday morning. My first impression of the Hall was from the New York State Thruway, I-90. It sits right there, just to the west of the tollbooths. “That’s it?” I asked, not unimpressed, but surprised to find the place we’d driven so far for suddenly so close. It’s far smaller than I thought it’d be: a nice covered stage, a warehouse and the Hall itself, a brown, house-like building, all surrounded by a bit of green land and some trees. We drove through Canastota, through the community of Oneida Castle and east toward Verona, where we were staying, not far from the Turning Stone, site of a number of pro bouts over the last decade or so.

That afternoon, we returned to the Hall and chatted with some of the people on the grounds. A gregarious guy, a veteran of the induction weekend, sat at a table with us and animatedly recalled celebrity encounters of years past. When he spotted Christy Martin, he hustled us in her direction, insisting we get a picture of her with our daughter. I looked sideways at my wife, caught her eye and winced. Uncomfortable. The autograph-seeking and photo ops were definitely not what we were there for. I moved slowly, but our new friend was not to be deterred. He waved us over, introduced us to Christy and asked for a photo. She gave us a friendly hello, and we both relaxed a little. Now we have a snap of our baby with a future Hall of Famer.

With an infant along for the ride, we knew we couldn’t swing the high-end events associated with the weekend-the banquets and golf-so we didn’t even plan on them. But it wasn’t a problem filling the gaps in our time. We drove further east to Utica and toured the Matt Brewing Company (makers of Saranac beers) and checked out the Utica Zoo. Oneida Lake and its beaches are just north of the Hall, and Cooperstown and the National Baseball Hall of Fame is about an hour and half’s drive southeast.

But we enjoyed just hanging around Canastota. If any Canastotans minded the invasion of their town by thousands of weekenders, they didn’t show it. The area is the kind of America I’d like non-Americans to know: friendly, not corporatized, plenty of outdoor space, quiet but alive.

We did plenty of Hall-related things, too. On the grounds on a clear 90-degree afternoon, we listened in on a question-and-answer session with 2007 inductee Pernell Whitaker and Lou Duva. Both guys did a lot of answering, and Duva’s chemistry with Pea, one of his “kids” from the ‘84 Olympic team was fun to see, even for a casual fan like my wife. My notes read:

- Whitaker: Trinidad “might have been” toughest fight.
- “What if I fought Duran?” (x 3, 4) – would’ve preferred a fight at welter, not light.
- Duva pulls cell from pocket, answers – “Hello? Don King? I’m busy” & hangs up. [ Laughter ]
- Duva: Pea “team member,” “danced into the gym and danced out” … “closest … is Fred Astaire.”
- Whitaker: “What if I fought Duran?” (5)

We were glad to pay the entry fee to the Hall (nine dollars, by my recollection) to get out of the heat for a while. We lingered there and posed for some photos with the relics. The museum is probably smaller than the median suburban ranch home, but it’s laid out in a classy, contemporary way. And it’s packed with colors and textures-the hard, angular bronze cast of Primo Carnera’s fist, faded tickets from ’40s title fights preserved behind glass, colorful silk fight robes (I stopped in front of Livingstone Bramble’s, a cartoonish skull stitched onto it).

I’d decided that Emile Griffith is the girls’ favorite fighter (I’m sure the affable Hall of Famer would remind both of them of a grandfather), so we made sure to be at the memorabilia expo held at the Canastota’s High gym. Griffith has been a fixture at the IBHOF’s induction weekend, and we hoped to catch a glimpse and maybe say hi.

We missed Emile, but we were lucky enough to meet fellow Pittsburghers Paul and Patty Kennedy. Paul is a former newspaperman and published author of poetry, fiction and nonfiction. His Billy Conn: The Pittsburgh Kid was published by AuthorHouse in 2007, and he and Patty were there to sell the book and enjoy the weekend.

I found out that Paul grew up in the same part of town we live in. As a kid in Pittsburgh’s East End, Paul would spot the elderly Conn on his well-known walks in his Squirrel Hill neighborhood. Paul signed a copy to our daughter. It was a real treasure to take home from Canastota.

Sunday is the busiest day of the weekend, with a parade through downtown in the morning and the induction ceremony in early afternoon. It was an exciting day, but a hot one with a lot of walking that left us hungry. We decided to splurge on for our last in Canastota and eat at Graziano’s Casa Mia, just down and across the road from the Hall and next door to the original “Hall of Fame,” roadside statues of Canastota ring greats Carmen Basilio and Billy Backus next to the McDonald’s on Route 13.

Graziano’s is happening on induction weekend. We weaved through the packed bar, baby on my wife’s arm, squeezing past some familiar faces on the way and others that I had a feeling should’ve been familiar. The dining room was nearly empty, and we enjoyed some for-real Italian food. Tony Graziano came to check on us, and we chatted with the retired local judge and his wife at the nearby table. The baby was loud, and she was messy, but no one minded, and our waitress fussed over us. We promised the judge and his wife we’d be back.

But it’s a year later. The induction weekend is beginning today, and I’m in Pittsburgh, getting ready for another workday. I know we’ll be back, probably next year. I might not even walk through the Hall itself again, but I want to run into the Kennedys and the judge and his wife again and eat at Graziano’s. I don’t care so much who’s being inducted, but I want the girls to see their favorite fighter, and I want to get back to a place where they love boxing so much they built a shrine to it and invited us all to come in.

For more information on the International Boxing Hall of Fame, check out their official website:

http://www.ibhof.com/