The Finito Q & A – May edition

Even though Sugar Shane had Mayweather reeling in the second round, from that point on it was Floyd who reeled Mosley in like a fish.

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This month’s ten burning questions, from Mayweather’s straight right to Mikkel Kessler’s mother lack of straight teeth:

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Q: Pretty impressive performance by Floyd Mayweather in beating Shane Mosley this weekend. Surprised that he dominated so thoroughly after nearly hitting the deck in the second round?

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A: I wouldn’t say surprised, because most of us figured he may have had this in him, we just never had the opportunity to see it. That probably speaks more to “Pretty Boy’s” talent and career as a whole than anything else. Still, when Mayweather was rocked for the first time anyone can remember (and if you don’t believe he was one more right from tasting canvas, check the video again), he responded like the Hall of Famer he’s going to be. He took Mosley, who is going to Canestota someday himself, apart from that point on, and by the end of the fight Sugar Shane was out of gas and out of answers. Except for perhaps the first Vernon Forrest fight, Mosley’s never been in that position. It was simply an excellent performance against the welterweight champion.

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Q: But what about Mosley being on the downside of his career? Surely this might have been a different fight had it happened eight years ago?

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A: That may be the case, but for once, you can’t hold that against Floyd. He took on the Ring Magazine 147-pound champ, and beat him, simple as that. Besides, no one’s going to know if Mosley is shot until he fights a couple of more times. If he comes back looking like he did against Margarito, then it looks more impressive for Mayweather. If Mosely’s next fight is a shellacking like he took against Miguel Cotto, then we’ll know his best days are behind him. Either way, Mayweather took on a real welterweight, which is what he always needed to do and will have to continue going forward.

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Q: So does this now usher in an era of Mayweather fighting the best in and around welterweight?

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A: Not so fast, my friend. I’m still convinced that Mayweather was damn sure he had Mosley right when and where he wanted him, because that’s how “Money” makes fights. Whether it was the year-plus long layoff, overtraining due to his winter training camp in preparation for the Andre Berto fight that never happened, or simply that he was 38, Mayweather took this fight knowing that he would have some kind of advantage. He could have fought Mosley just about any time in the last decade, and the fact that he took this fight now was a calculated move. Mayweather may talk a lot of nonsensical crap, but as far as business goes, he’s no dummy.

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Q: Will that mean Mayweather won’t fight Manny Pacquiao until he thinks he has Manny at his weakest point?

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A: Yes, something like that. Whether it’s Pacquiao running for elective office in the Phillipines, perhaps doing another movie, or becoming Emperor of Manila, there’s every chance that Pac-Man might have a period of inactivity or suffer in his training due to having so many irons in the fire. Believe me, team Mayweather is watching this. Even if Manny agrees to the Olympic-style drug testing, I don’t think we’ll see the fight with Mayweather actually happen until Floyd sees some kind of flaw in Pacquiao’s armor. It may just be perceived on Mayweather’s part, but it will need to be there before the contracts are signed.

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Q: How about the media coverage surrounding the event? It seems like a lot of mainstream media were actually talking about and covering the fight.

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A: The coverage was welcome, and should make boxing fans feel good to be boxing fans again. While it’s hard for me sometimes to listen to non-boxing people talk about the Sweet Science without cringing, the mainstream media really did a fair and honest job of covering the fight as the event it was. For once, all the talk was about the action in the ring and not about how boxing is dying sport. That was refreshing, and nice to see. Hopefully, this will be a trend that continues.

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Q: Going back ten days or so, looks like your streak continued in the Super Six tournament. What did you see in Kessler that made you think that he’d beat Carl Froch?

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A: Well, put simply, I went with the home team on this one. I figured it would be a close fight, and it was that; the raving Danes (would that be a fantastic name for a punk band or what?) filling a packed house gave him a shot in the arm, I believe. Besides, Kessler has never had two bad fights in a row, and he bounced back from the loss to Joe Calzaghe pretty well. So after Andre Ward dusted him up, you had to figure that Kessler would be ready and desperate, although Froch actually fought much better than he did in his win against Andre Dirrell in the first round of the tournament. Look, one thing that’s becoming apparent is that anyone can beat anyone in the Super Six, there are NO easy nights. Ward had better watch out against Allan Green next month.

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Q: So what was more surprising to watch, Froch’s humble response to his first loss or Kessler’s mom’s awful teeth?

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A: While Froch actually giving credit to Kessler post-fight after sounding like Floyd Mayweather’s understudy for the last year was surprising, Kessler’s mother and her Choppers of Doom have to win this one. Seriously, Mikkel? You’re the biggest athlete in the whole damn country, make millions of dollars (or kroners), and your mom’s mouth looks like the Carlsbad Caverns? Get her some orthodontistry, dude! Man, I bet it wasn’t hard for her to keep the kids in line whenever she flashed those things in anger. Don King’s hair just told me that it relinquishes its title as Freakiest Thing In Boxing for as long as Kessler’s career lasts. Yikes.

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Q: Since Fernando Montiel went to Japan and lifted a bantamweight title from Hozumi Hasagawa with a stunning fourth-round KO, would that qualify as the upset of the year so far?

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A: Maybe not the upset of the year, but perhaps the surprise of the year. If anyone remembers, Montiel hasn’t exactly looked like a world-beater in his last few fights, and Hasagawa hadn’t lost since he was fighting four-rounders. Montiel just crushed Hasagawa with a massive left hook in the fourth round, and the Japanese fighter was absolutely out on his feet (somebody actually saw him on Queer Street having a beer, I hear). Great win for Montiel, but this one is begging for a rematch, because it was a single punch that changed the fight. Given that fighters from North America and the Orient don’t fight much (it was fortunate this fight ever happened in the first place), don’t be surprised if that doesn’t materialize, unfortunately.

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Q: Showtime’s Shobox play-by-play man Nick Charles announced on last Friday’s telecast that his cancer is back, and he’ll have to take another leave of absence from the show. This really isn’t a good sign, is it?

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A: No, cancer the first time or the tenth time never is. He beat it once, so we know he’s a fighter, and I think I speak for the boxing public when I say I hope he does it again. There’s no better ambassador for the sport or sports in general, for that matter. Charles is class all the way, adds a smooth professionalism to any broadcast he’s been a part of and is liked by just about everyone. I can remember him all the way back to the extra-curly haired CNN days; I sure wish we get to see on camera once again with that short-haired chemo look, because that would mean he’s returned from being down once again. Go beat this cancer again, Nick, and hopefully, this thing won’t need a trilogy.

The Finito Flash – Valero’s ignominious end, panic for Pavlik also needs to end

Will Kelly Pavlik hoist any more belts in his future now that he's no longer middleweight champion? There are many who think the only thing that Pavlik will be hoisting is a bottle, which is probably unfair to the Youngstown, Ohio, hero (he'll hoist more than just a bottle).

Some quick thoughts about current goings-on in the Sweet Science:

It’s hard to believe that two months ago we were all talking about lightweight superstar Edwin Valero’s impressive bludgeoning of Antonio DeMarco. The thought went that if Valero could get just his visa issues in order, the sky was the limit for him. The man with the Hugo Chavez tattoo had flair, a dynamic style and skills that could take him to incredible heights. With 27 knockouts in as many fights, this guy was a killer inside the ring. Now we know that he was also a killer outside of it.

It’s bad enough that we prematurely lost Alexis Arguello, Arturo Gatti and Vernon Forrest in the last year, but at least those were tragic circumstances that befell our fistic heroes. Arguello may have took his took his own life, but the recent HBO Real Sports piece shed light on the untenable situation that Daniel Ortega’s Sandinistan government put Arguello (who had depression and suicide issues besides) in as mayor of Managua, Nicaragua. But now we hear that Valero not only stabbed his own wife to death last week, but also then hung himself in his Venezuelan jail cell. There’s no amount of explanation of personal demons or anything else that will take the stain of the whole situation.

As reports have now come out, Valero apparently was as brutal in his personal life as he was in his boxing career. Violence against friends and family was not uncommon, nor was alcohol and drug abuse. His mother-in-law recently went on record as saying he used drugs daily and was growing more violent, as well. Valero’s wife, Jennifer Viera was in the hospital for being shot in the leg, then later a punctured lung and broken ribs (Valero was suspected as being responsible for those injuries). Valero was even detained for violence against his own mother last September. Here clearly was a man not in control of himself.

The most sobering part of this whole sad episode is that Valero’s two kids are now without parents because the fighter couldn’t conquer his demons. It especially feels unsettling that we all cheered and loved him so much when he was responsible for so many horrific acts against his own family. It just goes to show how we all have to pay more attention when we root for someone, because that someone might be the last person we ought to support.

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OK, before anyone even thinks of Kelly Pavlik’s next bout, let’s get the gripping and aspersion casting out of the way:

“Pavlik has never really beaten anyone except Jermain Taylor, who’s obviously good at getting knocked out.”

“Pavlik was ducking Paul Williams, and now we see why.”

“That staph infection has made Kelly’s hands brittle, he’ll never have the same punching power again.”

“See? His drinking problems and weight blow-up between fights have finally caught up to him!”

Look, in case anyone forgot, Sergio Martinez may be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in boxing today, it’s just none of us knew about him until the last two years or so. Martinez has only ever lost to Antonio Margarito and Paul Williams, and many thought he beat Williams (of course, he beat Kermit Cintron, too, but got stuck with that silly draw). So when Pavlik lost a competitive decision to Martinez, it doesn’t mean that he’s finished. As a matter of fact, Pavlik looked like he was in position to win the fight after knocking the Argentinian down in the seventh round. Then the bad cut over his right eye happened two rounds later, and Martinez seized the advantage as any great fighter does. With Pavlik unable to see thanks to a corner that apparently had watched too many Rocky movies and didn’t stop the bleeding (no, don’t cut me, Mick!), he was unable to avoid the barrage that eventually came.

In reality, Pavlik’s biggest faux pas may be that he is no longer a 160-pound fighter, as his trouble making the weight would suggest. He weighed in as a light heavy on fight night, so it may be time for him to head up to Super Six land and ply his trade there. Chances are he won’t get any tougher competition than Martinez. This brings to mind how everyone was ready to bury Marco Antonio Barrera for his two losses Junior Jones, which Barrera seem to rebound from just fine and mae the Hall of Fame, thank you. This is not saying that Pavlik is bound for Canestota, but he is by no means shot or overrated. Great fighters will sometimes lose to great fighters; if they were easy to beat, they wouldn’t be great. Let’s not send Youngstown’s Finest to the scrap heap just yet.

The Finito Five 4/15/10

Wow, look, kids! It's the Real Deal Evander Holyfield in one of his greatest fights - oh, wait, that must have been another picture. This is just a photo of Holyfield punching the shot, wheezing Franz Botha. So sorry.

Fouling less in a month than Roy Jones does in a round, it’s the Finito Five!

1. Berto fights for himself and country

Many a fight trainer will tell you that the Sweet Science has always been more mental than physical, as it is with any sport played at its highest level. While no one was disputing that welterweight contender Andre Berto’s dedication and drive to fight for his friends and relatives who perished in that terrible Haitian earthquake last January, his focus and rustiness would be another matter. When you learn that eight of your relatives died and other members of your family are missing amidst the devastation that was (and still is) Haiti, no one would blame Berto for not having boxing first and foremost on the mind. Heck, Berto even went down there for a week to help with the relief effort, pulling out of a possible career-defining fight with Shane Mosley on the way. Despite doing good and organizing the whole fight night as a de facto fund raiser for the island country, there was still the matter of shaking it all off and getting into the ring. And with the tough, experienced Paul Williams conqueror Carlos Quintana standing in the other corner, it figured to be no easy task.

That’s also what made Berto’s eighth-round smackdown of the Puerto Rican all the more impressive. Yes, Berto looked rusty early and lost the first couple of rounds, but after that point, he got it together and used that blazing hand speed to good measure. Seriously, Floyd Mayweather may have faster hands, but does anyone else have that kind of whack on his punches with that kind of hand speed? Maybe Yuriorkis Gamboa, but that’s about it. Chumps do not beat Quintana, so the guess is that Berto would be a handful for anybody at 147 pounds, even the Mayweather-Mosley winner. Just think what may happen during his next fight when he’s less distracted. The problem just might be that there’s too much risk and not enough reward for a lot of big names to fight Berto; as it is, with the way he looked Saturday, the more he fights for Haiti, the more he’s likely to beat people.

2. How’s my left hook, Andrew Ridgley?

OK, all boxing fans are thankful for the new Top Rank Live show, which brings us (almost) weekly fight cards featuring some of Top Rank’s 8,000 or so fighters they must have signed. Yes, none of us can read the small, supernova-red graphics at the bottom of the screen (is it really round 0?). Yes, most of the fights are broadcast in Spanish while Rich Marotta does the post-fight interviews in English (!). We also have to put up with the constant cut-to-commercial when there’s a knockdown at the end of the round (that ten count’s overrated, anyway). It’s boxing on TV every week and we love it. Still, will somebody at Top Rank can the stupid DJ already? It’s bad enough that he got us all pumped up last Saturday by welterweight Noberto Gonzalez’ ring entrance to AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”, then the DJ inexplicably switched to Wham’s “Careless Whisper” before Mark Melliguen stepped in the ring! Huh? Way to kill the mood, Einstein! Nothing says gladiators going to battle more than a little 80’s pop, huh? Most everyone at the Hard Rock in Vegas probably thought that the song was Melliguen’s entrance music because they didn’t bother to change it until the Filipino was halfway down his ring walk. That’s just not fair. Now if Mr. DJ cranked up the Tubes or the Kajagoogoo upon Gonzalez’ entrance, that would have evened things out a bit. Too bad the crowd would probably leave before anything started, though.

3. Two battles for the aged

What is in the boxing water the last couple of weeks? First we’re all treated to the Fight No One Was Clamoring For, that being the Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones tedious twelve-round foulfest. Just as all of us had gotten that crap out of our system, here comes Franz Botha-Evander Holyfield for the World Geriatric Championship to decide who can dislocate a body part first. At least most people though Hopkins was still an elite fighter, but after seeing his inability to take out a completely shot Jones like he said he would, whether the Executioner still has it (or any of it) is now in real doubt. Boxing fans have always wondered whether Jones’ lack of actual boxing fundamentals would cost him when he lost his athleticism, and it has done so in spades. If he couldn’t foul Hopkins, he couldn’t land a punch. But the Botha-Holyfield fight was arguably worse, as Botha, who couldn’t hold the Real Deal’s jock in his prime, was beating the 47-year old handily until he just ran out of gas by round six and got knocked out by round eight. Botha looked like he needed an oxygen mask in his corner just to make it a couple more rounds. Considering how poorly attended both these fights were and the fact the PPV numbers weren’t even released, why were they put on in the first place? We hear all the time about if it makes money, it makes sense; these didn’t make either. Maybe somebody will finally figure that out and not reapeatedly subject us to it.

4. From the department of Municipal Waste, Pt. 1.

First off, Dan Rafael of ESPN.com carries the boxing torch better than just about anyone, because he’s so unafraid to confront B.S. when he sees it. Such was the case with newly-crowned 140-pound WBC titleholder Devon Alexander, who is nothing but a credit to boxing and a great representative as world champion. Well, apparently that just wasn’t enough for the WBC, who had the audacity to send Alexander a letter saying he should relinquish his title because Alexander merely said he wanted to fight WBO titleist Timothy Bradley. Forget the fact that Alexander never said he wouldn’t fight the mandatory WBC challenger, or that he had not signed anything for a fight with Bradley; just the mention of his doing something other than what the WBC wanted made them pissy enough to tell Alexander to get lost. Wouldn’t you want your champion to prove his greatness by fighting who most consider the top guy at jr. welterweight? The arrogance just boggles the mind. Kudos to Dan to pile all over WBC president Jose Sulaiman and his stupid cronies in a recent article, saying, “The WBC, with so many reprehensible rulings, worthless forced mandatory fights and numerous approved mismatches, is responsible for much of boxing's downfall over the past two decades.” Amen.

5. From the department of Municipal Waste, Pt. 2.

With each passing month, it’s becoming clear that disgraced former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito is trying to make it clear to everyone he’s one of the dumbest guys in boxing. Despite the fact that the California State Athletic Commission has not yet reinstated his license due to his loaded handwrap debacle, he and Top Rank see fit to fight in Mexico on May 8, anyway. Good luck getting that license back in the U.S. again, guys – I’m sure the CSAC won’t take any offense that you clearly ignored their ruling and fought again. Not only that, in a recent statement to reporters, Margarito actually took offense to those disputing his claims that he had NO idea what trainer Javier Capetillo was putting into his hand wraps. "The way I box has always been clean,” he said. “Nobody has a clear idea what happened that night, and now I'm going to show who I am." Uh, yeah, Antonio, we do. The CSAC determined it was plaster of Paris, it was in your handwraps, and it could have killed Shane Mosley had you used them. That’s what that hearing was for, so that we would all know exactly what happened. Your claims of ignorance only make you seem more clueless. So quit being offended that everyone is questioning your integrity, because you brought it on yourself. If you didn’t have Bob Arum at Top Rank still supporting you (they keep enabling him like nothing ever happened), you’d be lucky ever to get another major fight again.

All prospects are NOT created equal

While former U.S. Olympian Demetrius Andrade might have the look of a dangerous pro, the jury is still out on whether he'll be challenging for a world or regional title in a year like some of his Olympic brethren.

Midway through Demetrius Andrade’s tussle with .500 journeyman Geoffrey Spruiell during the opening bout of the last Friday Night Fights did it become apparent that Andrade’s future was not so apparent. Prior to that night, the decorated amateur and U.S. Olympian’s biggest flaw was his lack of competition, with ten pro fights against very limited opposition. Most boxing fans and commentators were in agreement that Andrade should be pushed along a bit faster by his team of David Keefe and father Paul, a la previous Olympians Oscar De La Hoya or Floyd Mayweather. Stardom was in this boy’s future, so let’s get the move on, right?

As a matter of fact, FNF commentator Teddy Atlas reiterated that fact numerous times during the start of the bout. Play-by-play man Joe Tessitore threw in names like Yuriorkis Gamboa and Juan Manuel Lopez as examples of fighters who became ready for world titles quickly by being matched tougher at the start of their careers. Atlas even said that “Boo Boo” should be getting rid of the limited Spruiell within two rounds. The overlying tone was that Andrade’s camp was babying their fighter too much.

The problem with statements like those is that the camp tends to know their fighter best. Perhaps co-promoters Joe DeGuardia and Artie Pelullo knew something the rest of us didn’t, because by the time the gutsy Spruiell reached the fourth, fifth, and finally the sixth rounds, just about everyone was eating heaping plates of crow. Yes, Andrade won the fight, but didn’t look overly impressive in doing so, casting doubts the size of Nicolay Valuev as to whether he was at all ready for a meaningful fight. Sure, the Providence, RI, prospect won every round handily, but in this era of prospects being matched softer and softer, dominating wipeouts are how early careers are measured. Gamboa, for example, may not have shown great defense early, but he sure impressively knocked out the chumps he was facing, even if they couldn’t beat anybody’s grandmother.

Most revealing may have been the back-and-forth between Andrade and his father in between the fifth and sixth round. Andrade actually said to his dad, “tell me I’m the best”, as if he wasn’t sure himself; the senior Andrade responded by confirming that he was the best. Now, could you imagine Teddy Atlas ever saying that to one of his fighters? There’s a better chance of Floyd Mayweather getting a Christmas card from Manny Pacquiao. Perhaps this was just banter between father and son that they routinely make during training, but it sure smacked of a father telling his son what he wanted to hear. And they were probably the only people in the building that believed it.

Now, it might not be fair, but when you consider the aforementioned De La Hoya and Mayweather winning world titles in their 12th and 16th fights, respectively, Andrade looks a long way off that pace. Comparing him in any respect to either of those two Hall of Famers is probably not fair, either. But to whom much is given, much is expected. Prime spots on FNF or Shobox are given out for a reason, and that’s because those fighters are eventually supposed to be main-event attractions, not to mention making man-event money for the networks.

Whether Andrade ever becomes that remains to be seen. He could be the next De La Hoya, but judging from Friday Night’s performance, he also could be the next Francisco Bojado, flaming out before reach the big time. Only time will tell that for sure, so to expect Andrade’s career path to mirror those of his successful forbearers is always a foolish gamble. His boxing future will reveal itself as the months go on; however, whether any of us will be interested in watching it is the larger question. If those struggles continue, the networks may not be so interested in airing it, either.

Then Demetrius Andrade will really need someone to tell him he’s the best.

The Finito Q & A – March edition

The Super Six super middleweight tournament was turned on its ear after Arthur Abraham decided that Andre Dirrell ought to fight while on his knees, too.

This month’s ten burning questions, from Arthur Abraham’s stupid punch to Matt Godfrey’s stupid career moves:

Q: So the Finito picked another one correctly in the Super Six super middleweight tournament, but didn’t predict it would be by DQ. How could you have missed that one?

A: Uhhh, because no one else figured Arthur Abraham would go Andrew Golota and crank Andre Dirrell while he was knees-down on the canvas! While there have certainly been some surprising results with this tourney so far, this was by far the strangest. Regardless of the outcome, Dirrell really deserved this one; he did all the things that would have put him over the top in his last fight against Carl Froch. Dirrell stood and fought more, and moved only when it was effective. He thoroughly befuddled Abraham, and proved that the Armenian may not be the world-beater we all thought he was after he knocked out Jermain Taylor. Showtime analyst Antonio Tarver predicted just before the fight that the speed and movement of Dirrell would give Abraham problems; kudos to him, he was exactly right. Abraham, a real veteran, got frustrated by the eleventh round and made a stupid mistake.

Q: Was it surprising to you, then, that Abraham accused Dirrell of acting in the post fight, saying that he wasn’t really hurt?

A: Yes, it was, and even though Abraham is considered to be a good guy, that was not his best moment. Granted, he was probably pissed that he lost and got dominated along the way, but wasn’t he watching Dirrell spasm on the canvas after he hit him illegally? It was clear to everyone except Abraham’s corner that Dirrell was in some serious trouble, especially since Dirrell still couldn’t grasp that he had won the fight despite being told so multiple times. Sure, it was the heat of the moment and Abraham was still emotional at the impact of his first career (and title) loss, but that accusation was really out of line. I hope Abraham apologizes at some point for it. He could have shortened Dirrell’s career with that shot.

Q: So what does this mean for the Super Six going forward?

A: It means that it’s really anyone’s tournament to win, as everyone has gotten on the scoreboard except Allan Green, who has not yet fought. It is becoming clearer that all fighters are very near the same talent level, and depending on the matchup, any of them might win on any given night. Dirrell showed that he has as much talent as anyone, and his next fight against Andre Ward should generate huge excitement. If Green somehow beats Ward in June, the third round of this thing could be a win and you’re in kind of deal.

Q: On to other fights of the weekend. Is Marcos Maidana the most dangerous man at 140 pounds after his knockout of Victor Cayo Saturday?

A: There are a lot of dangerous fighters at junior welterweight, but it’s fair to say there aren’t too many lining up to get a piece of the Argentinean. Freddie Roach didn’t want Amir Khan on the same continent as Maidana, and Team Khan managed to maneuver the situation so that Khan didn’t have to face Maidana despite his being Khan’s mandatory title challenger. Regardless of how spurious that might have been, Maidana’s clearly one of the most fearsome punchers in any weight division. Cayo, while being a little young and technically challenged, is a good fighter, but couldn’t hang with Maidana’s relentless pressure. That body shot he landed on Cayo hurt even to watch. I’m sure it was hard for Khan to watch, too. Don’t be surprised if the Brit gives up his title rather than face him.

Q: In the fight before Maidana-Cayo on HBO’s Boxing After Dark, Joan Guzman beat Ali Funeka despite weighing in at 144 pounds for a 135-pound fight. Since this is Guzman’s third straight fight where he hasn’t made weight, what should happen to him?

A: Although this isn’t an actual rule, they should make these repeated offenses suspendable just like failed drug tests or loaded gloves. I mean, how obvious was this? He showed up heavy for his fight with Funeka the first time, got his butt kicked (he even escaped with a gift draw), so he shows up even heavier for the next fight to further his advantage? If he lost or drew again, was he going to keep showing up heavier until he eventually won? Anyone watching the fight could tell that the extra weight made Guzman able to dish out and take punishment he could not handle the first time they fought. Some commission should put Guzman on the shelf for a while until he decides if he wants to be a real sportsman, not a guy who shows up at whatever weight cheeseburgers will allow. The worst part is that Funeka may be the best 135-pounder out there, but his last three fights (a KO loss to Nate Campbell, as well) have been against guys who couldn’t make the weight. Not too fair in my book.

Q: Erik Morales came out of retirement Saturday to beat Jose Alfaro at welterweight. He has repeatedly said he wants to win a fourth world title as an impetus for his comeback. Any chance of that happening?

A: Well, that really depends on your definition of what a “world” title is. Sure, he could probably beat some sap for an IBO or WBF title, but in terms of Morales ever beating someone of note (especially at 140 pounds) title or not, he might grow horns before that happens. Remember, “El Terrible” did most of his damage at 126 pounds and lower, and to see him running around looking like the Pillsbury Dough Boy against the middling Alfaro is not conjuring up any visions of his win against Manny Pacquiao. When Morales retired, he was looking pretty washed up, and this fight did nothing to say that’s changed at all.

Q: Going back ten days or so, were you surprised at Eddie Chambers lack of, well, anything positive against Wladamir Klitschko in their heavyweight bout? You had been talking up Chambers lately.

A: Yeah, and I was as floored as anyone at his non-performance. With the Klitschkos, they are such good athletes that you have to match their athleticism, which I really thought Chambers could. But once it became apparent that “Fast” Eddie was anything but, it was over before it started. You simply can’t stand there at the end of Wlad’s punching range and not move your head or body. You’ll get killed. It says something, too, that Klitschko didn’t have to throw a single left hook until round twelve (at trainer Emmanuel Steward’s prodding), and when he did, it cleaned Chambers’ clock. I don’t know what it is about those Klitschko brothers, but they can get confident, talented fighters to freeze in their tracks like deer. I just thought Chambers would not be one of those.

Q: Now let’s head out of the ring for a second. Lightweight sensation Edwin Valero recently ended up in a rehab facility for alcohol abuse. How is this going to affect his career?

A: It largely depends on whether this is going to be a six-month stay as planned or if it carries on longer. Valero is sure as hell not doing himself any favors. Bad enough he had that DUI recently, but now Valero might have had some domestic assault issues. He was apparently at the hospital with his wife, who had a punctured lung and broken ribs; when Valero told doctors that his wife fell down the stairs (Isn’t that the most cliché excuse ever? Did the dog eat his homework, too?), he went nuts when they didn’t believe him. If he ended up in rehab for this incident, it’s a good bet he was loaded at the hospital, too. Man, if it’s not licensing issues with Valero, it’s brain scans and now alcohol. If he doesn’t get it straight soon, his entire promising career may need the rehab.

Q: So what happened to Friday Night Fights last week? I thought they had saved the Steve Cunningham-Matt Godfrey cruiserweight title bout in time for their to be a show.

A: According to ESPN’s Dan Rafael, the fight almost was saved by Main Events, who regained the purse bid after Don King couldn’t come to terms with ESPN. The Duvas at Main Events tried working with a local promoter in Chicago to move the fight there within a few days of King’s annulment, but even when that came together, Godfrey’s camp decided not to go through with the fight after all. Godfrey’s people said that the interruption in training and general letdown made it so that he couldn’t go through with the fight.

Q: But wasn’t this fight for the IBF title? Why would Godfrey not go through with it if the fight was still on the same date?

A: Because Godfrey either got some bad advice or won’t be getting accepted into MENSA anytime soon. First of all, what interruption in training is he talking about? He shouldn’t be sparring in the week leading up to the fight, anyway, and it was two days the fight was in limbo at the most. As far as any letdown, how could it be a letdown when his world title opportunity is still on? So it’s somehow less of a letdown to ditch the fight entirely? The IBF even dropped him from their rankings, as was their rule, if Godfrey had bothered to check. Smooth move, Ex-Lax. It’s not like title opportunities grow on trees (well, unless you’re John Ruiz or Rocky Juarez).

News and Views: The Pacquiao-Clottey weekend

While Manny Paquiao tried to engage Joshua Clottey during their fight at Cowboys Stadium Saturday, Clottey was clearly determined to leave Pac-Man at the altar.

Some thoughts on the recent happenings in the world of the Sweet Science:

News: Manny Pacquiao pounds out a 12-round unanimous decision over Joshua Clottey.

Views: Pac-man has shown once again why he deserves to be at the top of pound-for-pound mountain. Even though Clottey basically decided to cover up and play defense for almost two-thirds of every round, Pacquiao still found a way to land punches and work his way in when he could. He never wavered from his game plan, and by the last couple of rounds, he was scoring frequently enough to make the Ghanian look wobbly and beaten. Regardless of how you feel about his part in the Mayweather negotiations, fight after fight, Pacquiao still finds a way to improve on his last performance and dominate his man. Add to that a pleasing action-based style, and that makes his fights worth watching every time out.

News: Manny Pacquiao outlands Clottey 246 to 108, throwing 832 more punches en route to his victory.

Views: Clottey better have enjoyed his time in the spotlight, because that’s likely the last he will taste of it. Put simply, Clottey didn’t show up with the will to win, and that is inexcusable for a fight and promotion of this magnitude. All he did was basically put the earmuffs on for most each round, throwing a few punches here and there. While you could give him the benefit of the doubt in terms of feeling Pacquiao out early on, when Clottey’s trainer, Lenny DeJesus, made it clear in between rounds that it wasn’t the game plan, it was apparent Clottey had made his mind up earlier as to how he ’d fight. You know damn well that Arum would never have had Clottey anywhere near the ring if he’d have known what kind of effort he’d be putting forth. Clottey has been known to take rounds off before, but this kind of thing likely has irreparably damaged his career and future earning potential. If you’re not going to try and win, who would want to see you fight?

News: The fight, nicknamed “The Event” packed more than 50,000 into Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

Views: Can this possibly silence a critic or two as to whether boxing is dead? This fight ended up being the third-largest indoor crowd for a U.S. boxing match ever, and that is something significant. Manny Pacquiao is a bona-fide star, and even the stench of the Mayweather fight cancellation couldn’t stop the fans from coming out in droves. While the PPV numbers won’t come out for a bit yet, it’s safe to say that Oscar De La Hoya’s mantle has indeed been passed. The most famous man in the Phillipines is quickly becoming a household name everywhere else, which is just what boxing has needed.

News: “The Event” undercard featured Humberto Soto defeating David Diaz (lightweight), Alfonso Gomez making Jose Luis Castillo (welterweight) quit on his stool and John Duddy pounding out a decision against Michael Medina (middleweight).

Views: Remember when there used to be a fight or two on a Top Rank undercard that anyone was interested in? Just because Soto-Diaz is an improvement on the awful Julio Ceasar Chavez, Jr.-Troy Rowland dreck that passed for a co-feature at Paquiao-Clottey last year doesn’t mean it was passable.Perhaps Arum thinks boxing fans have short memories. Perhaps he took the ugliest girl to his junior prom so he could live with taking the second-ugliest to his senior prom. The three undercard fights that were broadcast were Top Rank Live-level fights, and wouldn’t be good enough for HBO or Showtime. So why show them here? The guess is that Arum knows he can get away with it, and as long as fans buy the main event, he can continue to do this kind of thing. Arum’s just lucky he has Pacquiao to carry the promotion, otherwise he’d probably be losing money, at least in terms of PPV buys.

News: Cruiserweight Marko Huck wipes out Adam “Swamp Donkey” Richards in three rounds on German soil.

Views: As much of an Internet sensation as the “Swamp Donkey” has been, it’s clear that he doesn’t have all that much talent. He looked lost and outclassed against the talented Huck, who pretty much had his way with Richards from the opening bell. This is the first serious step up in competition for the Donkey, and it could be his last. That doesn’t mean that he won’t make great fights on a Friday Night Fights or Top Rank Live card against like opposition, it just means that he shouldn’t be fighting guys in the top ten at 190 pounds. Still, Richards deserved his chance and the payday he received, so kudos to him. He’ll still be fun to watch, and probably expose a prospect or two along the way.

News: Andre Ward postpones his Super Six fight with Allan Green on April 24 due to a knee injury amid allegations from Green and promoter Lou DiBella that Ward’s camp was planning to sink the fight.

Views: Please, can we just have one postponement that doesn’t cause everyone to demand a federal ethics investigation? Ward is one of the biggest class acts in all of boxing, while Green is one of the biggest loudmouths. No one with any sense should doubt that Ward is legitimately hurt, and he also has no track record of canceling fights. DiBella, while upset as to how he heard about the cancellation (he said he didn’t hear it from Dan Goossen, Ward’s promoter), should be glad he’s even getting another piece of cheese. His first man, Jermain Taylor, was knocked out of the tournament by Arthur Abraham, if you remember. Does anyone really think that after soundly beating the excellent Mikkel Kessler that Ward’s afraid to fight Green, who barely beat Tarvis Simms in his last fight? Everyone just needs to relax and do this again when Ward’s ready to go. If nothing else, it will be Green’s biggest money fight (and biggest opportunity), so he should keep the complaints to a minimum.

The Finito Five 3/11/10

Does this look like a man who's ready to tackle the octagon? For once, MMA & boxing fans both can have a laugh over James Toney's latest attempt to resurrect his faded career.

Bigger than Pac-Man-Clottey in Texas Stadium , it’s the Finito Five!

1. Alexander makes his 140-lb statement

When you look around the jr. welterweight division, the names of great fighters abound. Timothy Bradley, Ricky Hatton, Marcos Maidana, Amir Khan, Nate Campbell and Paul Malignaggi are just a few of them. While many didn’t know where St. Louis’ Devon Alexander fit into that mix, his statement eighth-round KO of the extremely tough Juan Urango showed that he does indeed belong. While the boxing public has raved about Alexander’s in-your-face style, power and toughness, his signature win over Junior Witter didn’t convince everyone. Many thought that the British Witter was used goods, and that Bradley had already beat the fight out of him back in 2008. With Urango, however, here was a guy that had only ever lost to Andre Berto and Hatton. The Columbian is also built like an NFL linebacker (as a Detroit Lion’s fan, I’d like to be the first to give him a tryout), has excellent power, durability and is just one of those fighters who you have to defeat in order get to the elite level at 140 pounds. Given Urango’s bludgeoning of Randall Bailey in the Friday Night Fight’s finale last year, it figured to be test for Alexander.

Truth is, until the knockout, Urango did test “Alexander the Great”. Alexander landed quite a bit early and showed great range with his uppercut, but was unable to get the big guy out of there. Urango actually bounced back by round five, and was landing some good shots of his own. If Devon couldn’t get Urango to the canvas, it figured to be a long night, win or not. Then, out of seemingly left field, Alexander unleashed the fury, just leveling the Columbian with an uppercut that sent him down to the canvas, then finishing him off with a second helping. That kind of punch and that kind of power will do some major damage at 140 or 147, so it’s worth seeing what he might do against any of the names listed above. Either way, Alexander has proven that he can beat whom he needs to beat; now we’ll see if he can beat those that are supposed to beat him.

2. I know that’s not Corey Haim you’re staring at in the tenth row…

Ring card girls are part of boxing. A good part. A very good part, in fact. Nothing like juxtaposing two guys beating the crap of each other with a woman parading around in next to nothing. We’re all staring at her, and she knows it. The question is, what the hell is she staring at? Not sure if you’ve noticed, but watch the next Top Rank Live show, and vex yourself while trying to figure out what these girls are looking at. What are you talking about, you ask? Just watch them before and after fights; with fighters and entourage parading around the ring right in front of them, these girls keep staring into space like no one’s even there. They don’t seem to stare at anything, and it’s honestly pretty creepy. I don’t know if this is standard ring-card girl training (at the Ring-Card Girl Academy in Las Vegas, natch), but these girls are much better smiling and winking at people rather than looking like an extra in Zombieland. After getting a DQ win, featherweight Andres Romero did two back flips literally a few feet in front of one ring-card girl, who didn’t even blink, flinch or otherwise pay any attention to it. Man, when doing back flips over a girl gets you only a blank stare, all guys are in trouble!

3. The Mayweather-Mosley bout starts with its own low blow

While everyone will have a chance to digest Joshua Clottey’s Chance Of a Lifetime bout against Manny Pacquiao this weekend (what is he, Rocky Balboa or something?), also in the public eye were Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley, who will have their own business in May. While no one’s forgetting the fight that should have been made with Pacquiao, “Money” Mayweather taking on a legit 147-pounder has everyone intrigued, and rightly so. However, one would figure that after all the random steroids testing wrangling in his negotiations with Pacquiao, surely Mayweather fighting a guy who has admitted to using steroids himself unknowingly (part of the BALCO scandal in the U.S.) would be fodder for some prefight trash-talk. Oh no, instead it was Floyd claiming that Mosley may be fighting because he’s lost money in his recent divorce. Forget that Mayweather came out of retirement himself for thinly-veiled money reasons of his own (the IRS can be very persuasive), just going there was enough to get “Sugar” Shane riled up. Now, instead of just having a promising matchup, boxing fans will likely get treated to a real grudge match. It makes you wonder, though, if Floyd manages to alienate everyone around him, who will give his Hall Of Fame introduction speech? God help us if it’s Floyd, Sr. or uncle Roger – that will be the first speech with more beeps than words.

4. Darchinyan meets his match (sort of)

At 115 pounds, there’s nothing more dangerous than a Vic Darchinyan left hand, which has ended the hopes of many a fighter. Even if the Armenian is never going to be the second coming of Ricardo Lopez, his sheer will and power have won out every time with only two exceptions (Nonito Donaire and Joseph “King Kong” Agbeko). So it was to everyone’s surprise that the unheralded Rodrigo Guerrero managed to not only take Darchinyan’s best punches, but also actually make it to the end of the fight. Keep in mind those who have gone down to Darchinyan’s power: Christian Mijares, Jorge Arce, Dmitry Kirilov and Irene Pacheco. None of those top guys could survive, but somehow Guerrero did, absorbing huge punishment in the process. While the outcome was never in doubt, and the “Raging Bull” turned in an outstanding performance, give Guerrero credit for doing something that many better fighters have not. Unfortunately, this is one of those beatings that may end Guerrero’s career early (he only had 14 fights coming in). Darchinyan, however, should now have bigger fish to fry; if he is moving up to 118, a rematch with Donaire needs to happen. While Donaire landed a great punch in an upset three years ago, it’s time to see if that was a lucky shot or if the “Filipino Flash” is the better man. Boxing fans sure would like to know.

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5. MMA must stand for Many Meals Available

Why does it seem lately that the only thing the MMA & boxing have in common is that washed up fighters in each sport think they can try the other? Of course, fans of both sports tend to think the other is child’s play, but that’s just about as accurate as a Ricardo Mayorga right hand, which is to say not at all. Speaking of Mayorga, since he has no career left in the Sweet Science, now he thinks he can ply his smoking, trash talking Nicaraguan self in the octagon. Same with Shannon Briggs, who seemingly can’t figure out why he hasn’t gotten a shot against the Klitschkos when he couldn’t get by Sultan “What, me, Hepatitis?” Ibragimov, is also going MMA. And, yes, now James Toney has been going the rounds with Dana White and UFC in the last couple of weeks. It has been reported that White did offer Toney an actual contract after Toney confronted White after UFC 108. While that may look like a ridiculous move by White, Toney actually turned the contract down after he asked for one in the first place. Chances are Toney thought that UFC stood for Unlimited Food Court, for which his ever-increasing poundage would be tailor made.