Floyd Mayweather Jr: Master of Space and Time?

by Paul Magno

For the critics of Floyd Mayweather Jr., there seems to be no middle-ground; No possibility whatsoever that what they say and what they’ve heard is not the absolute gospel.

Mayweather ducked all the best fighters at Welterweight…and that’s the end of the conversation for them.

They point to names like Cotto, Mosley and Margarito and then point to Mayweather’s ring record. “He fought none of them! None of the best Welterweights of today!”

But when we look deeper and dig a little further we begin to see the holes in their arguments.

The timelines don’t match up and for Mayweather to have truly fought the list of fighters he allegedly ducked, it would’ve required him to do some time-bending that would put to shame anything ever written by H.G. Wells.

Floyd Mayweather is an outstanding fighter, but he is most definitely no match for the space-time continuum.

So, timeline and ring records in hand, I’m going to run through the list of fighters that Mayweather is accused of ducking and demonstrate how things aren’t always as they appear to be and that perception sometimes overrides reality.

I intend to show that the fighters in question were, for the most part, fringe players when Mayweather was active and, therefore, not even worthy of a fight, much less fearsome enough to be ducked.

I’ll cover the portion of his career from April of 2006, as Mayweather prepared to fight Zab Judah in his first major bout at Welterweight until his official retirement after the Ricky Hatton bout in December of 2007.

Antonio Margarito

 The tale of Mayweather ducking Margarito has been passed down from message board to message board and from blog to blog, but it has very little validity when examined.

When Mayweather was about to fight Judah, Margarito was just coming off a fourteen month layoff and had just defended his WBO title against dubious challenger, Manuel Gomez.

Margarito would go on to take another ten month hiatus before fighting an, at the time, unknown Joshua Clottey. Margarito was being outclassed early on until Clottey suffered injuries to his hands and had to spend the last two-thirds of the bout just surviving. It was hardly a star-making performance by “The Tijuana Tornado.”

Margarito would follow the Clottey win with a loss to Paul Williams followed by a comeback blow-out against journeyman Golden Johnson.

Margarito’s popularity and credibility as a top challenger wouldn’t spike until his win over Miguel Cotto- about 8 months after Mayweather’s retirement.

While Mayweather was chasing the lineal 147 lb. championship and beating Ring Magazine’s #1 and #2 ranked Welterweights at the time, Margarito was well in the background as an inactive fringe champion who was only known among a relative few hardcore fans and had yet to set himself apart.

Shane Mosley

The ducking of “Sugar Shane” accusation is a relative new one, but let’s examine the time line of this one as well.

When Mayweather was staking his claim in the division, Mosley was one division to the North at 154 going toe-to-toe with Fernando Vargas in a pair of bouts.

Mosley then came down to 147 where he had a very impressive performance against Luis Collazo.

However, a month before Mayweather’s retirement, Mosley would lose a close unanimous decision to Miguel Cotto.

In reality, Mayweather and Mosley only shared the division for about ten months- a period of time that saw Mosley win one and lose one.

This hardly established a burning case for a Mayweather-Mosley showdown.

Paul Williams

Frankly put, Williams and Mayweather only shared a prominent role in the Welterweight division for about five months, between his win over Margarito and his stunning upset loss to Carlos Quintana.

Mayweather could’ve rushed in and forced a fight with the tall, awkward southpaw, but nobody was rushing to fight Williams and the upset loss effectively cut him from the picture for the time being.

Miguel Cotto

Cotto wasn’t even in the same division as Mayweather until a month after Mayweather became the lineal world champ by outclassing Baldomir. That adds up to about a year where both fighters were even in the same division.

Cotto earned his spot at the top of 147 by beating Judah and Mosley in exciting, well-attended, but ultimately disappointing PPV shows.

Mayweather, in almost direct point/counterpoint was busy taking part in the biggest PPV of all-time (vs. Oscar de la Hoya) and a near-million seller (vs. Hatton).

By the time Cotto had established himself as a player at Welterweight, Mayweather already had plans to get out while still young.

Could Mayweather have turned down the Oscar and Hatton fights to have it out with Cotto? Of course…but what fighters in history would turn down 20 million dollar checks and mega-events in favor of a third of the money and one-eighth the publicity?

Final Analysis

When looking back on Mayweather’s recent career, we have to be careful to put things into their proper perspective and clearly analyze what went down- not with the negative benefit of hindsight, but with the ability to fairly see things as they were.

When Mayweather first moved up to Welterweight, he called out a Zab Judah who had just ripped Cory Spinks to shreds and was ranked on many pound-for-pound lists. Judah was, far and away, the consensus #1 Welterweight in the world.

Judah ended up being upset by Carlos Baldomir and the the Argentinian became lineal champ.

Mayweather beat Judah first and then went after Baldomir to complete his sweep of Ring Magazine’s top two rated Welters- Regardless of what would later on happen to the careers of the two Mayweather victims, they were considered the top 2 at the time.

Then, the real public relations problems began for Mayweather.

The newly-crowned lineal champ cashed in on his growing fame by opting for a huge money fight against De la Hoya; A fight that everyone from 140 to 154 would gladly have taken instead of a mandatory defense for a fraction of the money.

The Hatton fight followed. Another blockbuster payday for a fighter just starting to make the mega-bucks of some of the other stars of the sport.

If Mayweather’s guilty of anything it’s trying to cash in on a lifetime of hard work in order to secure his financial future after retirement.

This is a crime that, in my opinion, is 100% forgivable in a sport that is famous for not taking care of its own after they cease to be vital.

Mayweather could’ve insisted on fighting relative unknowns for fractions of what he could’ve made elsewhere, but what fighter given the same circumstances would do that? Right…none.

So, while the name Floyd Mayweather may have a visceral effect in your belly and cause you to explode in a rage of self-righteous condemnation, I ask you to think.

Are the timelines matched-up properly?

Is it fair to ask a fighter to give up his biggest paydays in favor of bouts with your personal favorites?

Is it intellectually honest to expect a 2006 Floyd Mayweather to beat 2009’s best Welterweights?

Step aside from the hyperbole and mob mentality when it comes to Floyd and put some serious analysis behind the rhetoric.

We are unfairly putting Mayweather into the no-win situation of having to defend himself against allegations of ducking the best; Not the best fighters of his time, because he did beat them, but the fighters that would eventually go on to be the best welterweights nearly three years later.

Mayweather can do a lot of things, but time travel is not one of them.

Madcow’s Standing 8 Count (5/24/09)

by Madcow

Welcome to a very special edition of  The Standing 8 Count. Ok, not really. Actually, this is another slow news week.

So, seeing that there’ll be nothing worth talking about until next week when Alfredo Angulo makes Kermit Cintron weep like a little school girl, I thought I’d share another personal list with my dozens upon dozens of loyal Mad Bovines.

Last week, I wrote about what I hated about boxing. This week I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, so I’ll flip in the opposite direction and talk about what I love about boxing.

* I love the way the Super Middleweight division is shaping up: Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Librado Andrade, Lucian Bute, Andre Ward, Andre Dirrell, Allan Green, Jermain Taylor, Jean Pascal and in a short while Arthur Abraham and Kelly Pavlik. I sure hope greedy promoters and cable companies don’t ruin this.

* I love the blind optimism behind fans of Chris Arreola. Here’s a guy who is practically obese and has ever beaten anyone tougher than a tough night club bouncer, yet some people rate this blob as the best American Heavyweight. I know the big boys aren’t a deep bunch these days, but Arreola ain’t the best of an entire nation.

* I love the Tecate ring card girls in Tijuana. These are the only ring card girls in the world where I know that with some elementary Spanish and a few bucks in my pocket, I can bring these chicas back to the Hotel Paraiso with me.

* I love the way Floyd Mayweather Jr. riles up both haters and nut-huggers alike. Say what you will, but it feels good to see some real emotion injected into the sport.

* I love seeing fights in Las Vegas and I love the big fight atmosphere in Sin City. Vegas is Boxing and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. If you don’t like all night Blackjack binges in dim casinos, surrounded by whores and bad, bad people after a big prize fight I seriously question your manhood. Boxing shouldn’t be a “bring the whole family” event like the Ice Capades.

* I love fighters who actually take the time to learn the art of professions prize fighting. These are the guys who know how to walk properly, they know how to cut off the ring, they know how to properly set up their punches, and they know a little something called “defense.”

* I love my old fight films.

* I love what Showtime has been doing with their matchmaking lately.

* I love Denise Tarver and Jin Mosley and the crazy night we’ve had in my imagination.

* I love the back and forth struggles of an evenly-matched bout.

* I love the intenet for allowing me to be able to see even more boxing than I could imagine.

* I love when an undeserving bum of a fighter like Margarito gets what’s coming to him and publicly flogged by the entire boxing world.

* I love to get hateful e-mails from Manny Pacquiao fans: P4P, Boxing’s goofiest goof balls.

* I love the idea of Rick Hatton fans having to get back on the plane for the long ride home knowing that they just came to see Hatton mugged once again.

* I love that if our other blog takes off, I’m gonna start getting paid! http://btbc-boxing.blogspot.com/

Alright, enough with the happy thoughts. Next week I’ll be back with my regular rage and whiskey- filled column.

Until next Sunday, keep your friends close and your bribe money closer.

So long, ladies.

5 Fights to Bring Boxing Back to the Mainstream

by Paul Magno

The cure for almost everything negative in Boxing is exposure. With more people watching and with the “legit” press keeping a keen eye on the goings on, some of the shadier aspects of the sport would simply cease to exist. As it is now, treated as a fringe sport and relegated to the sports section, behind high school baseball, the scoundrels call the shots and can pretty much do anything their dark hearts desire.

The ideal road for Boxing to get back into the mainstream is for it to return to free, network TV, but with the way the sport’s currently structured, that would be an impossibility. The premium cable channels like HBO and Showtime have exclusive deals with the bigger fighters and the promoters have adapted the “pay per view mindset” of wanting to pocket quick cash from the sport’s most loyal fans.

So, the best road to mainstream respectability for Boxing would be to fight its way back into the same level as other major sports like baseball, football and basketball. Smart, quality match-ups and aggressive promotion are the keys to getting Boxing some face time on Sportscenter and back on your local TV news’ sports report.

Here are 5 bouts that would help get the sport back into the nation’s collective unconscious:

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao: This is a no-brainer. With Oscar De la Hoya out of the picture, Mayweather and Pacquiao represent the two biggest draws in the sport. Aside from the obvious pound-for-pound angle of the sport’s two best getting it on, the lead-in publicity would be insane. Mayweather plays his role as a new era Hip-Hop bad guy to perfection while Pacquiao has the “quiet warrior” act down pat. The contrast in personalities and the inherent skill level involved in this contest would be undeniably appealing to everyone in the sporting press.

Wladimir Klitschko vs. Vitali Klitschko: Imagine the pathos of a “Brother vs. Brother” Heavyweight Title Unification bout? Even the most avid anti-Boxing producer on Sportscenter would have to give this bout its proper attention. This would be the type of event that would draw the attention of both fans and non-fans alike and, while most of the publicity around this bout would surely be negative, it would absolutely bring the sport of Boxing back into the realm of current events. This fight has zero possibility of happening since both brothers have flatly stated that they would never fight one another, but it would definitely provide a boost for the lagging Heavyweight division as well as for the sport itself.

Bernard Hopkins vs. Roy Jones Jr. II: A lot has changed since these two first-ballot Hall of Famers first fought back in 1993. While a blazing Jones solidly defeated a tentative Hopkins 16 years ago, the shoe is most definitely on the other foot now as a 40-year old Jones has been relegated to the spot of a fringe fighter while the 44-year old B-Hop is still classified as a Top 10 Pound-for-Pound fighter. Jones is currently close to signing a fight with Jeff Lacy and Hopkins has most recently been rumored in negotiations with Cruiserweight champ Tomasz Adamek and Super Middleweight titlist, Carl Froch. However, the only truly big fight remaining for either fighter is a rematch of their 1993 encounter. Neither Jones nor Hopkins will find any opponent more marketable than one another. Given their ages and the relative weak shape of the Light Heavyweight division, this is the only fight that makes sense for either…and probably the only chance either has at PPV success. A smart promoter, though, would forego the immediate pay-out of PPV and opt to try and put this battle of the legends on free TV. The fight itself isn’t likely to make waves or win over new fans, but the publicity and realtive importance of this match-up would push it into the public eye.

Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito II: After Margarito’s one year suspension is up, the hype could begin, even with the foul taste of Margarito’s plaster-coated handwrap controversy still fresh in the mouths of fans. In Boxing, popularity and notoriety are two offspring of the same twisted and distorted creature. But this one would have it all…Of course, the heated Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry would be in effect, but more importantly, the universal concept of redemption would be in play. Cotto would be seeking redemption from his previous loss to Margarito; A loss that he feels was unjustified since Margarito may have been using illegally-loaded handwraps to beat him down. Margarito would be looking for his own redemption by proving to the world that he is indeed a world class Welterweight without having to resort to underhanded tactics. Imagine the intrigue and drama of a camera tightly focused on Margarito’s hands as they’re wrapped carefully for the world to see. The first bout sold over 500,000…this one would easily double that and it would earn a ton of mainstream press in the process.

Kelly Pavlik vs. Arthur Abraham: This one would be big, not for the bout itself, but for the fact that it could restore Kelly Pavlik to his previous position of money machine on the verge of mainstream popularity. Pavlik was knocked down several pegs when he was absolutely schooled and dominated by Bernard Hopkins last year, but there’s nothing better to restore the shine to a young, blue-collar, power-punching Middleweight champion than a thrilling win over a cocky European champion who calls himself  “King.” A win over “King” Arthur Abraham puts Pavlik back into  the Americana stereotype of humble underdog athletes fighting their ways to the top.

Could also Bring on Mainstream Attention:

Oscar De la Hoya vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.: Oscar is supposedly retired, but so was Mayweather. This one would be an easy sell for so many reasons.

Ricky Hatton vs. Amir Khan: Should Khan get by Andreas Kotelnik for the WBA Jr. Welterweight title, we’d have the perfect UK encounter of a beloved ex-champ (Hatton) against the next big thing (Khan).

Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Israel Vazquez: Mexico vs. Puerto Rico, Old Warrior vs. Young Warrior…If Vazquez isn’t totally burnt out after the Marquez Trilogy, this will be the type of war that will be revered for generations to come.

David Haye Comes to America: If Haye gets by both Klitschko brothers to become a 3-belt Heavyweight champ, his arrival in America would be huge. The United States has been thirsty for a trash-talking, flashy big man for the longest time. Haye could definitely be what American fight fans need.

Madcow’s Standing 8 Count (5/17/09)

by Madcow

Hello Everyone! It’s another edition of Madcow’s Standing 8 Count featuring James Kirkland’s least favorite shooting buddy, Me! I wonder why Kirkland hasn’t been on the range lately?

To say that this week has been a slow news week is like saying that your beloved Madcow likes his Jack and Water cold and strong…Duh! Other than Andre Ward finally acting like a real prospect and Edison Miranda quickly working his way back to eating roadkill, almost nothing of note has been happening.

So, rather than fill the rest of this column with filler about Mayweather-Marquez-Pacquiao and played-out debates on who’s better, I thought I’d take this opportunity to let everyone know what I absolutely hate about the sport of Boxing.

Here’s my list (in no particular order):

* Manny Pacquiao’s Fans (Especially the Filipino Fans)- I understand national pride- I felt the same way when the USA passed Mexico on the Swine Flu “Most Infected” list, but these Pac-fans are too much. In the past weeks I’ve read stories about Manny “easily” beating everyone from Cotto to Hopkins to Klitschko. Hell, at the Pac-land Forum, they aren’t debating about “whether” Manny can beat Mayweather, they’re debating about in which round he’ll knock Floyd out! Pacquiao is a great fighter, no doubt, but his fans need to bring things back to reality…Manny can’t beat the entire Indonesian Coast Guard and he probably would fare too well against the Nazi War Machine of World War II, either.

* Mayweather’s Mouth- If PBF could trash talk in an intelligent manner, I wouldn’t have a problem, but he sounds downright retarded sometimes and totally oblivious to the criticisms that come his way. So, Mayweather will go on and on about how a good little man will never beat a good big man despite the fact that critics are all over him for fighting Juan Manuel Marquez and, duh, Mayweather, himself, chose to fight the little man.

* Fighters from The Contender- Take a bunch of club fighters, slap them on TV and send them out into the real world with an inflated sense of self-importance and a mess of undeserved publicity. The result is crappy fighters in crappy fights wasting precious TV time that could be going to a legit class fighter.

* Catchweight fights- For crissake, fight in your own division and when you kill everyone around, then move up! If God had intended Juan Manuel Marquez to weight 147 lbs., he would’ve given the guy a shoe size larger than single-digits.

* Strawweights- Any athlete weighing less than 105 lbs should be either on top of a horse or wearing a mask in Mexican Lucha Libre.

* Overweight Heavyweights- Any 200+ lb. athlete with rolls of fat around his belly should be wearing face paint or an Indian headdress and wrestling in the WWE.

* Interim titles, “Regular” Champs, “Super” Champs- Either you’re champ or you’re not, no in-betweens. That’s why I respect the BTBC World Rankings- They don ‘t recognize any of that BS. Being an Interim or Regular Champ is like saying that you’re just “a little” gay…No, it doesn’t work like that. You’re either a champ or a challenger…

* The Mora-Spinks Syndrome- Fighters, like Sergio Mora and Cory Spinks, who talk tough and walk to the ring with a swagger, but fight like little biaaatches.

* HBO’s Influence Over Boxing- I hate the way HBO has been allowed to dictate to fighters, promoters and sanctioing bodies. Imagine FOX telling the NFL that the Cardinals aren’t allowed to be in the Super Bowl! I just don’t trust HBO…After all, this is the network that built-up the best series ever, The Sopranos, and ended its run with the lamest ending ever!

* Every Boxing Forum, except The BTBC’s (http://www.btbc.proboards.com/) and every Boxing Blog except this one and the BTBC…Boxing With a Bite! (http://www.btbc-boxing.blogspot.com/. Ok, will you get off my back now, Paul?

Well, my time is up here and I must be on my way. Cold drinks and warm ladies await.

Until next Sunday.

The BTBC…Boxing With a Bite! (A Review of our First Two Weeks)

When we launched our new Boxing news blog a couple of weeks ago ( http://btbc-boxing.blogspot.com/ ) ,we fully expected a major battle to earn a small piece of the already packed market.

We can’t fully compete with the big boys like Boxingscene or Maxboxing just yet- they simply have too much money and power to be touched. But, like a privately-owned burger joint that sits across the street from a mighty McDonalds, we are confident that we have the quality and personal touch that the industry giants can’t duplicate.

At our BTBC Boxing News Blog, you will get an approach and a look at the sport that is 100% unique. Despite having 1/1,000,000 the budget of a Maxboxing, we can guarantee that no major Boxing story will be overlooked and that we will cater to all the essential needs of both hardcore and casual fans alike.

Give us a look, subscribe and use us right now as a compliment to your primary Boxing news source, but be aware that we’re gunning for the big boys’ heads and we ain’t stopping until we’re at the very top!

Here’s a sampling of some of our stories from the last 2 weeks:

A Pop Diva, A White Buffalo, A Dancing Hide, Petrified Woods and Some Guy Named Byron…

Proving once again that Boxing is either the most forgiving or the most severely retarded sport in the world, here’s a news roundup concerning some familiar names:

…Pop Diva, Roy Jones…Click Here for the Rest of the Story: http://btbc-boxing.blogspot.com/2009/05/pop-diva-white-buffalo-dancing-hide.html

 

The First Rule of Fight Club…Don’t Invite Mike Tyson!

According to dirt-rag gossip site, Ianundercover.com, mega step-dad and star of The Fight Club, Brad Pitt, was nearly offed by enraged Heavyweight champ, Mike Tyson because of Pitt’s relationship with Tyson’s ex, Robin Givens. According to a pal of Tyson’s, the goofed-up ex-champ went as far as…Click Here for the Rest of the Story: http://btbc-boxing.blogspot.com/2009/05/first-rule-of-fight-clubdont-invite.html

 

Yet Another Title Shot for Zab Judah?

Boxingscene.com is reporting on a rumor that would have Boxing’s answer to the Washington Generals, Zab Judah, on the verge of getting yet another shot at a World Title. Click Here for the Rest of the Story: http://btbc-boxing.blogspot.com/2009/05/yet-another-title-shot-for-zab-judah.html

 

Kelly Pavlik vs. Sergio Mora Off!

The un-awaited Middleweight title bout between Kelly Pavlik and Sergio Mora was called off today due to a staph infection on one of Pavlik’s hands [see above pic of painfully swollen hands]. The bout will likely be rescheduled for some time in September…or, hopefully, not. Click Here for the Rest of the Story: http://btbc-boxing.blogspot.com/2009/05/kelly-pavlik-sergiomora-off.html

Freddie Fingers Mayweather

Trainer Freddie Roach on the upcoming Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez bout:

“The fight stinks…Click Here for the Rest of the Story: http://btbc-boxing.blogspot.com/2009/05/freddie-fingers-mayweather.html

 
Paq-man Fever Post of the Week

The BTBC is proud to announce a new feature to this blog: The Paq-man Fever Post of the Week. Special thanks to the Pac-land message board for providing the rest of the world with so much material!

“Floyd will be lucky…Click Here for the Rest of the Story: http://btbc-boxing.blogspot.com/2009/05/paq-man-fever-post-of-week.html

 

Crisis Averted! Camacho-Campas is Back On!

Phew! After the Jersey Commission refused to sanction the bout, we almost didn’t get to see the Macho great grandfather and the 37-year old Boy mix it up on Pay Per View…Click Here for the Rest of the Story: http://btbc-boxing.blogspot.com/2009/05/crisis-averted-camacho-campas-is-back.html

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That’s just a taste of what to expect at our Boxing News Blog. Regular features include: The BTBC “What if” Series, Up to-Date and Up-to-the-Minute Results from around the Globe, Ring Card Girl of the Day and much, much more…

Come visit The BTBC: Boxing With a Bite! and support the independent news media. Never trust a news site that reports on business affecting their own sponsors…

http://btbc-boxing.blogspot.com/ Come on in for a few laughs and give us a chance to win you over!

Andre Ward’s Mid-Term Exam

by Paul Magno

Every top prospect or talented newcomer has to eventually face that one special fighter who stands between him and the world class stage- A tough gatekeeper who is able, and more than willing, to beat back the challenge of the kid and send him back to the land of wannabe stars and “coulda been” contenders.

Manny Pacquiao had his Agapito Sanchez, Kelly Pavlik had his Bronco McKart, Miguel Cotto had his Cesar Bazan…even Vitali Klitschko had his Herbie Hide.

Some fighters fail these mid-term exams and get sent back to the drawing board. Most recently, the names Andy Lee, James McGirt Jr., Ronald Hearns and John Duddy come to mind. It’s possible to come back and have a successful career after failing the mid-term (For example: Wladimir Klitschko’s solid “F” against Ross Purrity), but more often than not, that first real loss against their first real challenge puts a certain taint on the rest of their career, regardless of what successes come next.

Andre Ward is facing his mid-term this Saturday, the 16th, in the form of trash-talking Colombian slugger, Edison Miranda. The pressure will be extra heavy on Ward’s shoulders for this one because, not only is he facing the threat of his first live opponent with legit one-punch KO power in both fists, but he’s also carrying the burden of being America’s last Olympic Boxing Gold Medalist. The expectations are extra high for medal-winning Olympians, but they go through the roof if that medal is of the gold variety. Anything short of a dominant, explosive win will be seen as a let down to the fans who are expecting the world of a fighter talented enough to bring home the gold. After all, its become somewhat of a tradition, from Muhammad Ali to Sugar Ray Leonard to Oscar De la Hoya,  for American fighters to transition from Olympic glory to legendary status.

You can’t help but be reminded of another young Olympic Gold Medalist who came into his first big fight with similar pressure: “The American Dream” David Reid.

Reid was the defending WBA Jr. Middleweight champ as he met the challenge of Welterweight titlist, Felix Trinidad. Expectations were high for Reid; He had been handed a very lucrative contract by HBO and rumors were rampant about him fighting everyone from Oscar De la Hoya below him to Roy Jones Jr. above him. But, first, he had to get by Trinidad- a fighter that Reid’s camp felt had been somewhat exposed in his previous bout against De la Hoya. The Olympian’s people felt that Reid would be easily able to outbox the Puerto Rican slugger and, even if Trinidad were able to reach him, the naturally bigger fighter would be absorb the power.

Reid boxed well in the first half of the fight, even dropping Trinidad in the 3rd, but “Tito” eventually began to grind the kid down and, by the end of the bout, he was putting an epic beating on the Gold Medalist from Philadelphia. Reid was dropped once in the 7th and three tmes in the 11th. Trinidad ended up winning an easy unanimous decision and Reid went into a personal tailspin.

“The American Dream” came back for three insignificant wins, but was eventually KO’d by club-level fighter, Sam Hill. Trinidad may not have been the last man to defeat Reid, but he was the one who, not only beat him up physically, but took his heart and very identity away from him. The David Reid that existed after the Felix Trinidad loss was a mere shell of the young man who had dreams of gold.

Edison Miranda wants to be the Tito Trinidad to Ward’s David Reid. He would like nothing better than to resuscitate his own lagging career with a win over a highly-touted Olympian like Andre Ward. Similar to most veteran fighters in the same situation, Miranda smells fresh meat in the form of a fighter who’s had it relatively easy so far in his pro career. Miranda’s been around the world and, while he hasn’t always won, he’s always gone down slugging. This Saturday’s bout is make or break for Miranda.

Some may find fault in the Reid/Trinidad, Ward/Miranda comparison in the fact that Edison Miranda is, most definitely, no Felix Trinidad.

Well, until Andre Ward beats someone as strong and as tough as Miranda, one can also say that Andre Ward is no David Reid.

The beautiful thing is that we’ll have our answers to all pending Andre Ward questions this weekend. Hopefully, Ward isn’t expecting an easy “A”… I hear Edison Miranda is a very tough grader.

Madcow’s Standing 8 Count (5/10/09)

by Madcow

Welcome to another week’s worth of Boxing slaps and tickles with your favorite overweight booze hound-wh*re monger. In case you don’t know who I am, my name is Madcow- I’m an independently wealthy Boxing expert and, quite often, the smartest guy in the room.

Chad Dawson beat Antonio Tarver, again, in an almost identical fight as their first one. Nothing was working last Saturday. The whole HBO telecast seemed off. Dawson looked flat, Tarver looked ancient and even the ring card girls looked skankier than usual. It was a bad night for all parties…especially us fans who had to sit through a snore-fest while thinking about just how many great fights we could’ve seen aired with the money they wasted on Dawson/Tarver 2.

The next step for Dawson is to find a decent fight among all the bums at 175. The only option for a money fight is to fly out to Wales, find out where Calzaghe’s gone drinking, bring TV cameras and force Joe to fight him, ala Rocky V…Either that or invent a time machine so he can go back 8 years to fight a Roy Jones who could actually defend himself.

As for Antonio Tarver…Tarver goes back to doing what all marginally successful men with smoking hot wives do- Look over his shoulder and have a private detective follow Denise Tarver around all day.

Speaking of Denise Tarver…Denise, drop me a line, ok? You can send all e-mails to boxing_times@yahoo.com. Put “Madcow” in the title and it’ll be forwarded to me…Later, pumpkin.

Hector Camacho and Yory Boy Campas went ahead with their ridiculous PPV on Saturday. Florida played host to these geezers since Jersey wouldn’t license Camacho. I was pulling for the show to be named “When Swollen Prostates Collide,” but they went with “Nations Collide” or something silly like that. There’s no word on the buy rate yet, but it has to be at least “1″ because of the guy who was airing the illegal stream that I watched on the internet.

As for the show itself, if you enjoy the feel and production value of Sunday morning UHF Pro-Wrestling shows, you would’ve loved this one. Dim lighting, grainy color, cheap effects…you had to know that any PPV featuring a 47-year old felon in the main event had to be all class.

By the way, the fight was declared a draw…and there’s no truth to the rumor that the pre-fight physical used carbon dating technology.

Next week, Andre Ward and Edison Miranda mix it up. I have to admit that Miranda is the type of blow-hard bully that I hate with a passion. But, Ward is the type of good-looking arrogant jock I also hate with a passion. So, I’m torn. Maybe I’ll root for a double knockout or a collapsing roof.

Roy Jones wanted to fight in the UFC Octagon against Anderson Silva and the fight would’ve been made if Dana White hadn’t vetoed it. White says that a Jones fight is meaningless and that he doesn’t want to be responsible for a legend like Roy Jones getting hurt. Yeah, right…and the only reason I’m not nailing Scarlett Johansson is because I don’t like busty blondes.

The Kelly Pavlik-Sergio Mora fight, scheduled for June 27th, has been cancelled. On the surface this is good news, but all this means is that we’re still going to have to co-exist in the same universe as Mora until Pavlik’s staph infection of the hand is better.

Ok, I have to run, I gotta get a massage and if I show up late for my appointment, the “happy ending” becomes an “inconclusive session-ender.”

If you’re reading this at: http://thebluecorner.wordpress.com , be sure to check out the latest addition to the BTBC universe: The BTBC…Boxing With a Bite!

If you’re already reading this at our boxing news blog, be sure to check out our original blog for longer feature stories and analysis: http://thebluecorner.wordpress.com

And if I pissed you off and you want to tear me a new one, hop on our message board: www.btbc.proboards.com.

I’ll see ya next Sunday, ladies.

Monthly Awards- April ‘09

Consider me a cop-out, but there were 3 fighters who were each so deserving of the prize of “Fighter of the Month” that I decided to name all 3 as co-FOM…

Fighter(s) of the Month:

Paul Williams- Williams added the biggest notch on his belt- and the first sure Hall of Famer to his resume- by beating Winky Wright. Not only was it a dominant, near-shutout, but it was at 160 lbs. This gives “The Punisher” world-class victories over reigning champs in 3 weight divisions: 147, 154 and 160. By the way, he’s done this within a 10-month period.

Carl Froch- “The Cobra” started off his reign by doing something that it took predecessor Joe Calzaghe almost 15 years to do- travel to America to risk his title against a legitimate title threat. For a good chunk of the fight, Froch seemed to be out-classed by ex-160 lb. champ, Jermain Taylor, but old-fashioned toughness and persistence won out in the end and, trailing on two of the judges’ scorecards, he knocked Taylor out with second remaining.

Brian Viloria- At one time considered a top prospect and classy world champ, a couple of tough losses sent Viloria into such a tailspin that nobody in their right mind was giving him much of a chance against long-reigning IBF Jr. Flyweight champ, Ulises Solis. Viloria didn’t win easily and Solis didn’t go down without a major fight, but somehow, some way, “Hawaiian Punch” once again found the inner drive to push onward and he KO’d Solis in the 11th, in front of a packed pro-Viloria card in Manila, the Philippines.

Bum of the Month:

James Kirkland- A month ago, Kirkland was in the above category of “Fighter of the Month” with his savage domination of Joel Julio. My, what a difference 30 days can make!

Kirkland was arrested for illegal possession of a firearm this month. And, since he was already on parole for an armed robbery conviction, this offense will likely see him going back to prison and maybe serving a fairly long sentence.

Not only is this frustrating to his fans who wanted to see his steady climb up the rankings, but it also literally takes the food off the table for much-deserving trainer, Ann Wolfe, and everyone else on his team.

For being another young athlete acting stupid and throwing away a prime chunk of his career, Jame Kirkland is April’s Bum of the Month.

The BTBC Thread of the Month:

Cotto vs. Pacquiao in November?

http://www.btbc.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1091     

Pacquiao talk…Cotto talk…Fights galore between board members…Even some video game talk…Pure entertainment!

 

By the way, if you haven’t checked it out yet, give our new blog a look: The BTBC…Boxing with Bite! It’s a comprehensive boxing news blog with an irreverent, edgy twist: http://www.btbc-boxing.blogspot.com/

Diego “Chico” Corrales: Remembering an Everyday Hero

By Paul Magno and the BTBC

4 years ago Diego Corrales, along with Jose Luis Castillo, gave us the greatest fight of this generation…2 years ago, on the same date, Diego was taken from us.

The reason I love Boxing above all other sports is that no other sport is as real, as urgent, as Boxing. As hard as the other sports try, in the end they are just games…Boxing is, quite literally life and death.

A great prize fight shows the world a fighter’s heart- his very soul. There’s no hiding in the world of professional prize fighting- Your true self shines through and is on display for the entire arena, gym or television audience to see. As such, there is also no other sport that can produce heroes the way Boxing does.

Courage, honor, dignity…all are routinely on display in the world of Boxing to varying degrees. Everyday men, with all their flaws and faults in tact, are thrust into situations where they can become true heroes, literally throwing their lives and well-being up for grabs for one more minute of one more round at the chance of grasping victory.

Diego Corrales was one of those fighters who never stopped coming forward; He never gave up and always wanted to keep marching onward like the soldier whose platoon has been destroyed, but simply cannot abandon the mission.

Against Jose Luis Castillo, on the 7th of May, 2005, Corrales showed us once again that every human being, despite our flaws and frailties- regardless of our state of being and physical condition, has that spark of heroism that can be summoned when we need it.

On the 7th of May, 2007, on a Las Vegas road, we also once again learned that life, even that of a heroic fighter, is a very fragile thing.

We love “Chico” not because he was a bigger-than-life super hero, but because he was a flawed human being just like us who found a way to do heroic things. In watching his bravery, we hold on to the faith that in our deepest and darkest moments we may also find that fire to overcome any and all obstacles.

We will always remember you, Rest in Peace Champ.

– Paul Magno

” True magic usually happens in fairy tales. But the night I saw Chico beat Corrales, I felt blessed to be living on the same planet as such a beautifully powerful human being, who, in the face of certain defeat, drew upon a magical reserve in his spirit, and erupted in passionate, victorious flames. Chico’s win that night, and my memory — which I hope to never lose — of his burning eyes, stands out for me as one of the very few moments in my life where I have witnessed the limitlessness of human spirit.”

– Stanfield, aka Barbara, a truly undying fan in New York City

“My memory of Diego Corrales has a strong link to the old Boxing Times podcasts. A couple of days after Corrales died, John Gregg did a short special podcast just as a memorium. He didn’t say much, but he talked about Corrales-Castillo for a few minutes. It was typical John Gregg in that it was understated and classy. But that day I was seeing it in a different way than I had in 2005, when I took it more at face value. Obviously it was a little different because of the accident and Corrales’ death, but I was also looking at the sport in a different way, and I understood why that bout meant so much to people who know about and respect and love the sport.

People talking about it being “someone’s time,” but I don’t believe in that. I think Corrales was one of those rare guys that had a shot at growing old gracefully in boxing and contributing to it through his life.”

–Damon

“Chico was a WARRIOR. He had the heart of a lion! He was one of those fighter who was a true pro. Always in shape and you knew you were getting your moneys worth. You knew he could be knocked down but you knew he would get back up and as we found out on that historic night he got back up and scored the most exciting KO I can remember! He didn’t dodge anyone, he fought all the top guys at 135! He was taken far to soon but everybody in boxing respected Chico and us fans loved him. I know his Family is so proud of him as well they should be!”

– Byron

“I had the honor of being one of the judges for Diego’s 6th pro fight (in Albuquerque NM) against Cesar Morales. Diego’s Manager – Cameron Dunkin was so excited for me to see his “New Star”. At the Weigh-Ins, Cameron was telling me… “Dan, wait ’til you see this kid – Diego Corrales! He’s nearly 6 feet tall and can BANG!…” Cameron was right, Chico disposed of Morales in 2 rounds! It was great to see him become a boxing legend and fan favorite! He brought lots of pleasure to the lives of so many boxing fans. He’s badly missed as a boxer, and as a person.”

–The Boxing Guru

“Diego Corrales… what can you say about a guy that lived for boxing?  He was the type of person that true champions are made of.  A warrior willing to go to battle with anyone. I believe he was not in the ring just for money but the pride of being one of the best And that he was. Watching one of his fights reminded me of the days of 15 round fights. The type of boxing that really pressed a man to the extreme. Diego gave his all to the sport in true championship style. Thank You Diego you will always be remembered by the true fans of the sport”

–PHONETOOL

 

“It would be hard for me to say that I’ve seen a better fight then the Corrales vs Castillo war in May of 2005. The guts shown by the two fighters in the bout was unbelievable. In the end Diego Corrales showed how great of a warrior he was by getting up from the canvas and stopping Castillo. The sport will miss you “Chico” dearly. May you rest in peace Champ…”

–Phillycard

“Diego Corrales was a fantastic fighter to watch for his ability and willingness to go toe-to-toe with his opponent and take as much punishment as he was giving out.

IMO, he was involved in one the greatest rounds of boxing of all time, the 10th round vs. Jose Luis Castillo. There have been very few occasions in boxing history where a fighter on such a grand stage has been knocked down twice and come back to win with such pure ferocity. A joy to behold and one of my favourite fights of all-time.”

–Simon G

“Watching Corrales-Castillo was one of the most exiting experiences of my life as a hardcore boxing fan. I remember I went to a friend’s house to watch it. I remember I told my girlfriend, “Sorry but i cant miss this one. This is the kind of fight people will be talking about for years” because i will allways regret having missed Morales-Barrera I and will never go against my guts feeling about a fight again. My friend was rooting for Castillo i was rooting for Corrales and we spent the whole fight going toe to toe with loud cheers everytime our fighter took the lead. When Castillo dropped him in that last round it looked like it would be over and my friend was all over the place celebrating. Then it happened. One of the greatests comebacks ever, i could even hear a Rocky movie song inside my head… lol .My friend became a blind Corrales’ fan that night and I had the experience of a lifetime.”

–Onekrazyrican

From the entire BTBC, we send our unending respect and sympathies  to the Family and Friends of Diego Corrales…Although you don’t know us, you have touched us…Thank You and God Bless.

Ricky Hatton: A question of desire? Or unfinished business?

by Simon Garner

I’ve heard many people in the UK calling for Ricky Hatton to retire: from Johnny Nelson on Sky Sports to ITV’s Loose Women (for all the American’s reading, its kinda like the UK equivalent of The View – i.e. shit).

However, I am not one of them. For those who can bear to read my posts on the BTBC forum, you will know, despite being a true Brit, I am not a huge admirer of the Hitman.

On the other hand, no one can say that he has not done a lot with his fairly limited abilities. He has achieved a lot of things in his career such as becoming a two weight world champion and being the man that retired Kosta Tszyu. The only goal he failed at was becoming the pound-for-pound king and that’s not exactly the worst criticism in the world.

Yet, for those who have tuned to the acclaimed HBO series Pacquiao-Hatton 24/7, will know of Ricky Hatton’s desire to be seen as the best in the world. And the fact that he has been defeated on two occasions has to have taken a huge toll on his ego, not just as a boxer, but as a man.

With the Mayweather fight raking in PPV numbers of $850,000 and rumours of the Pacquiao fight being as high as $2,000,000 (!?!?!), Ricky is a box-office star, no doubt about it. Therefore, the only question I have is, would he fight on, knowing that he will more likely than not, never be involved in an event like this again?

No fighter wants to go out with a defeat, especially in the manor that Ricky did, but the question is, does he have other options? Who is out there?

After the beating he took from the Pacman, I doubt PPV numbers for his fights will be in such high demand anymore. Talks of facing Juan-Manuel Marquez are surely dead in the water now, and the only big names around, such as Shane Mosley and the returning Pretty Boy Floyd, would eat him for breakfast.

Ricky needs to be realistic, because I believe there are still some goals out there for him to achieve. Yeah, he didn’t become pound-for-pound king, but who can SERIOUSLY claim to have held that title in the last 20 years? 4, maybe 5 fighters who are dead-cert Hall-of-Fame fighters.

The talent pool at 140lb isn’t brilliant in my opinion and the hitman could give the likes of Bradley and Holt a good run for their money and he’s already beaten IBF Champ Juan Urango. There is definitely a chance to unify the divisions. Failing that, he could always have a bash at a UK Superfight with either Junior Witter or Amir Khan – both are sure to draw huge UK crowds.

 A serious problem with this, contrary to news we hear from the Hatton camp, may be the weight. For anyone who saw the weigh-in for the Pacquiao fight, Ricky Hatton looked like skeletor. Yes you could see his Muscles but you call also see his ribs and his beaten internal organs. In contrast with the incomparable Pacman, who looked like someone who had been computer generated or chiseled from stone.

He claims he can still make the weight easily, but I’m not so sure. If he can, he has many options and the chance at unifying the division. If not, he’ll get eaten alive by those at 147lb. As we saw against Mayweather, a close decision win against a fairly average Luis Collazo and even a small 140lb’er in Manny Pacquiao. If he can’t out muscle his opponent, what chance has he got?

If he does call it a day, Ricky “Hitman” Hatton has been a great servant to British boxing, fighting at the highest level and on the grandest stages of them all, and I for one, wish him all the best in whatever he does next.

Madcow’s Standing 8 Count (5/3/09)

by Madcow

Welcome back to another edition of my weekly bovine dose of reality. And a special welcome to the new readers generated by The BTBC’s newest addition- The BTBC…Boxing With a Bite! The new blog will be for hard news and analysis while the wordpress blog will be for our usual essays and such. I will have a more active role in the new blog, so if I’ve picked on your favorite fighter and made you as an enemy, you probably might want to stay away from: http://btbc-boxing.blogspot.com/. Otherwise, rely on The BTBC to be a trusted news source for all things boxing-related. For awhile, at least, this column will be published on both blogs.

So, All Hail Boxing’s Hooker-Lovin’, Beer-Guzzlin’, Spare Change-Stealin’ Anti-Dan Rafael…Me!

Honorable PPV buyers: How long after Ricky Hatton stumbled back to the dressing room did the reality fall on you? Yep, 50-60 bucks for less than 6 minutes of one-sided action. Hell, even the 3 National Anthems lasted longer! With a weak undercard and a short-as-hell main event, your money would’ve been better spent on a pizza, a six pack and an evening of illegal stream-hopping on the internet. That’s how I spent my evening.

Seriously, though, how is it possible for Manny Pacquiao to look even more impressive each time out? The guy almosy literally ripped Hatton’s head from his body!

But as new readers will soon find out, I’m The BTBC’s official turd in the punch bowl. Here’s the reality about Manny Pacquiao:

• No matter what his fans say, Manny lost to Juan Manuel Marquez in their second fight.
• Beating David Diaz is no huge accomplishment.
• The Oscar De la Hoya that showed up against Pacquiao was a weight-drained shell of his former self.
• Ricky Hatton has been among the most overrated stiffs of this generation- A good 2nd-tier fighter and nothing more.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. tried to upstage the Manny/Ricky Show by announcing his official comeback against Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18th. I see this fight kinda like how I see having a new smoke detector: I’m glad to have it, but not too jazzed about seeing it implemented. Just as I said that Pacquiao/Hatton would be a mismatch, so is Mayweather vs. Marquez. But as my “ladies” must do when they see this 300 lb. body lunging at them- Marquez should just take his screwing and keep counting all the loot in his head.

Chad Dawson and Antonio Tarver will be fighting this coming Saturday in the most pointless sequel since Blues Brothers 2000. Unfortunately, this may be the last fight for Dawson against anyone even remotely marketable at Light Heavyweight. Dawson may be forced to drop in weight and wade through the fall-out at 168 for some better matches. On the plus side, we get another chance to visually fondle Tarver’s HOT wife.

Apparently, the Wladimir Klitschko/David Haye encounter is a big-ticket item in Europe, selling out a soccer stadium in Germany and sending fans scrambling to scalpers for tickets to the Heavyweight Title bout. Well, guys, save your money and just re-watch the second round of Pacquiao/Hatton. The part of Ricky Hatton will be played by Mr. Hayemaker Haye.

In “real” fight news: I can’t wait for the next six weeks or so: Andre Ward vs. Edison Miranda, Alfred Angulo vs. Kermit Cintron, Miguel Cotto vs. Joshua Clottey…Plus, the comeback of Rafael Marquez!

Bob Arum is dispelling any notion of a Pacquiao/Mayweather fight by promising Pacquiao/Cotto in December. Arum has wanted nothing to do with Mayweather for the longest time, despite stories to the contrary. But pay no attention to the man with the grey chest hair and boxing glove-shaped liver spots, Arum’s playing kissy face with Cotto to make up for backing the man who beat his face in with bricks back in July ‘08  (aka Margarito).

Ok, that’s all for this week. Those spicy buffalo wings I ate this afternoon are dying to take a swim in my porcelain pool. So, with Ring Magazine in hand, I’ll close this out with my favorite sound bite from Saturday’s Mayweather/Marquez press conference:

“I beat fighters and turn them into bitches and they go out and put on fish-nets.” – Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The BTBC- Boxing With a Bite!

In an effort to better serve BTBC friends and fans, we’ve added a news blog to the mix…

The BTBC- Boxing With a Bite will give you all the latest Boxing news and analysis, but with a twist. Expect our Boxing news blog to have an edgier feel to it with frequent updates and more critical analysis…

This blog that you currently enjoy will continue to operate and will serve as a source of longer works and feature stories to supplement the hard news from our newest addition.

Please make sure to visit: http://btbc-boxing.blogspot.com/ and subscribe to the newest branch of our ever-growing community- The BTBC- Boxing With a Bite!

WETSU,

Paul