Luis Ramos, of Frank Espinoza’s “Espinoza Boxing Club”, is already looked upon as one of the hottest young prospects in boxing. After a decorated amateur career spanning more than 100 fights and 6 national championships, Ramos turned to the professional ranks in late 2007. Having already built an impressive record of 16 wins, 8 coming by way of knockout, Ramos’ following in the Southern California area is impressive, to say the least. Ramos is never in a dull fight, and fights with a crowd-pleasing style. Keep an eye on Ramos in the near future, as his next scheduled bout is set to be televised on Telefutura on September 17, 2010, from Los Angeles, California.
“Don’t listen to their words, fix your attention on their deeds.” —Albert Einstein
So I wake up this morning on this beautiful sunny day in Southern California doing my normal daily routine. A routine that consisted of me signing online checking the OfficialScoreCard web site, my GMail, Twitter, & Face Book accounts just like any other day. Then after I checked those sites I went to BoxingScene.com and to my surprise I see a headline entitled “Manny Pacquiao Gives His Sparring Partner a Beating”.
I was anxious to read the article because I wanted to hear exaclty what kind of damage it was that Manny inflicted on this “sparring partner”. Apparently “Pacquiao dished out a beating to Brooks” claimed Freddie Roach and on the surface it appeared as if Manny Pacquiao had just destroyed a top prospect or legitimate contender. But waiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttt a minute boys & girls, if you actually look through the “SMOKE SCREENS” blown out by Team Pacquiao, you will see that Bryan Brooks is no more than an 0-6-1 fighter who has been knocked out twice in his minimal career by 2 fighters who were fighting in their pro debuts.
On top of all that, Brooks hasn’t fought in 5 years. His last fight was in 2005 in which he fought to a draw.
Wait it gets better, Brooks was born in September of 1970. Now I am no Calculus Major, but if my math serves me correctly, Brooks should be 39 years of age quickly approaching the tender age of 40.
Why would Freddie Roach release statements to the media about Manny beating up a sparring partner of this caliber? Is this really news?
Are we supposed to bow down and praise Manny Pacquiao for beating up a guy in sparring with a record of 0-6-1 and hasn’t been in a proffesional fight in 5 years. Also, Brooks has never been in a proffesional fight longer than 4 rounds.
Is Team Pacquiao THAT desperate to get attention to the Pacquiao-Clottey fight that they have to make Pacquiao’s sparring sessions seem larger than life?
Maybe Top Rank & the rest of Team Pac are realizing the fight everyone is now interested in is the Mayweather-Mosley fight and they are grasping at straws trying to get any attention they possibly can?
Is there anything or anyone that can stop Manny Pacquiao these days? It seems like he’s on a winning streak for the ages now with the man who shares arguably the number 1 spot in Boxing’s mythical pound for pound list being afraid to step in the ring with him. Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s baseless PED’s accusations and extraordinary stipulations caused the March 13th superfight to fall through. Bob Arum has defended his prized ward very well, and has now turned the tables on Oscar Dela Hoya, calling for the once Golden Boy to “sign the PED waiver”.
“The Pacman” has no time to deal with such cowardice. That is why Manny Pacquiao has moved on and is scheduled to fight against a battle tank in Joshua Clottey in Dallas this March, in a fight dubbed “The Event” because of the sheer magnitude and scale of the entire production, and Floyd Mayweather is still struggling to sign the dotted line on a rumored bout with Sugar Shane Mosley.
For Pacquiao, the fight with the tough Ghanaian will be an even tougher test than his bout with Miguel Cotto. Clottey, who hunches and plods forward in attack mode, will be the largest and strongest fighter Pacquiao will have ever fought. The man has a chin made of granite. Clottey has taken the heaviest punches from the top Welterweights including Cotto and the once feared Antonio Margarito. And there is every indication that he will be able to withstand the power of Pacquiao. Pacquiao will once again have to rely on his speed and boxing ability to break down the warrior Clottey in hopes of a late round KO/stoppage, which is the only way to win against Clottey to send a message to the Mayweather camp.
Clottey on the other hand, will attempt to do what David Diaz, Oscar Dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto failed to do in their respective bouts with Pacquiao. He will have to overpower Pacquiao and run him over like a ‘battle tank’, imposing his superior size and strength to wear down the Welterweight kingpin. A win for Joshua Clottey could set him up for bigger paydays against his division’s elite, including rematches with both Cotto and Margarito, whom he both lost decisions to. Not to mention the fame and noteriety of being one of the only few people to ever beat Pacquiao.
One man who has, Erik “El Terible” Morales, makes his comeback against Jose Alfaro in Mexico also this March. Morales, who Pacquiao sent to retirement via 3rd round TKO back in 2006, will be competing in the Lightweight division and working his way back up. At 33 years old, Morales attempts to once again discover the fountain of youth that has eluded him for so long, thus losing his last 4 fights. However, one has to wonder if Morales does indeed recapture the form that made him one of the sports most dangerous fighters, he could enter the mix and challenge both Mexican countryman Juan Manuel Marquez, and Pacquiao at the 147 lb. limit. If so, Morales would not have to drop weight so much which is what really piles on the wear and tear in a fighter’s body through the years. This idea has been thrown around a lot but I think Pacquiao would literally kill him at the Welterweight limit. In my opinion, Morales should never be allowed to step in the ring with Pacquiao ever again. At 147 lbs, prime Morales or not, Pacquiao would obliterate him.
Still, Morales is one man Clottey should turn to, at least in tapes as Morales is the only one to ever deal with Pacquiao’s ferociousness straight up, and come away with a victory. Clottey hopes for the same success in March.
“I committed a big mistake” were the words uttered by Antonio Margarito’s trainer Javier Capetillo, as he stood infront of the The California State Athletic Commission taking the blame for plaster-like substance on illegal pads that were found inside of Margarito’s hand wraps before he was to take the ring against Shane Mosley on Jan. 24 of 2008.
Naazim Richardson, the trainer of Shane Mosley was opposed to the way Margarito’s left hand was wrapped. When the wrap was removed, CSAC officials found a foreign bandage wrap inside the knuckle pad that would be placed over Margarito’s hands. Margarito’s right hand was also checked and to the surprise of everyone in the dressing room at the time, another identical illegal pad was found. Margarito had to have both hands rewrapped and rightfully so was obliterated by Shane Mosley in 9 rounds.
The California State Athletic Commission revoked the licenses of Antonio Margarito as well as his trainer Javier Capetillo for a year, and although I admire the CSAC for acting quickly and initiating punishment, the year long ban simply isn’t enough for the lives that Margarito & Capetillo put at risk due to their viscious motives.
Carrie Lopez, the director of the state’s Department of Consumer Affairs stated to The Associated Press that “The conduct of both Mr. Margarito and Mr. Capetillo was unacceptable and threatened the health and safety of another licensee, the Department of Consumer Affairs and the California State Athletic Commission take the issue of boxer safety very seriously, and will move quickly when a licensee’s actions threaten the safety of others.”
Although that statement sounds glorifying & admirable, it doesn’t set a precedence for future offenders who may use illegal handwraps to harm another fighter beyond repair. It is sickening that each guy would be given only a year suspension and not a LIFE TIME BAN.
What seems even more sickening to me is that Bob Arum, Margarito’s promoter was quoted as saying “It’s not going to hold up. The commission determined that Antonio knew nothing and did nothing wrong, but that he is head of his team, so he’s responsible for the trainer and, therefore, it is appropriate to revoke his license”
Why would Bob Arum insist that Antonio Margarito did nothing wrong?
Why would he assume that the general public as well as hardcore boxing fans would believe that a fighter had no knowledge of illegal pads that were put into his hand wraps while he was getting his hands wrapped? That is absurd beyond any stretch of the imagination.
So I am supposed to believe that Margarito was asleep while his hands were being wrapped, and while he was in this massive state of relaxation his trainer attempted to slip plaster laced pads in his hand wraps without informing his fighter?
We all remember the infamous Luis Resto who’s gloves were thinner than normal when he fought the undefeated prospect Billy Collins in 1983. After being caught by Billy Collins Sr., Resto’s gloved were confinscated by the New York State Athletic Commission, and after an investigation it was revealed that someone had removed an ounce of padding from each of his gloves.
Due to the damage sustained in the Resto fight, Collins suffered a torn iris, permanently blurred vision, and the demise of his blossoming career.
The New York State Boxing Commission determined that Resto’s trainer, Panama Lewis, had removed the padding from Resto’s gloves. It also determined that Resto should have known the gloves were illegal. The commission suspended Resto’s boxing license for at least a year. Since most state boxing commissions honor sanctions from other states, this effectively banned Resto from boxing in the United States.
In 1986, Lewis and Resto were both put on trial and found guilty of assault, criminal possession of a weapon (Resto’s hands) and conspiracy. Prosecutors charged that the bout amounted to an illegal assault on Collins and that Resto should have known that the padding had been removed from his gloves. Resto served 2.5 years in prison for his act of violence.
Maybe had Margarito been able to get away with utilizing the illegal hand wraps against Mosley and he busted his retina, then the CSAC would have implemented a much harsher punishment for Margarito and his trainer. Margarito till this day denies that he had any prior knowledge of his trainer altering his hand wraps.
Denial is more than just a river in Egypt & it took Resto over 20 years to finally come to terms with himself about what happened that night in the ring vs Billy Collins. Panama Lewis, who was Resto’s trainer at the time till this day denies any involvement in what occured, but unfortunately for him Luis Resto claims otherwise. Luis Resto claims that in addition to removing padding from the gloves, Lewis placed plaster underneath his hand wraps, greatly—and illegally—increasing his punching power.
Resto also disclosed that Lewis would break apart pills used to treat asthma and pour the medicine into his water bottles, giving Resto greater lung capacity in the later rounds of a fight. This sounds similar to the same effects that EPO does for athletes in todays era.
Trainers and fighters have such tight bonds that they form with one another that I find it hard to believe that a fighter would have no knowledge about how his hands are wrapped or what is being placed within his hand wraps.
In the wake of Antonio Margarito presumably receiving his license to fight in the United States again, as a life time fan of the sport and advocate for fair play in all sports, it saddens me to know that Margarito might actually be able to retain & sustain his career after disgracing not only himself but the sport of boxing as a whole.
ALL HAIL ANTONIO MARGARITO, the Modern Day Luis Resto
PASAY CITY, PHILIPPINES – After 12 rough rounds of back and forth exchanges between Brian Viloria and Carlos Tamara, in the end, a new Light Flyweight champion was crowned. Carlos “El Olimpico” Tamara applied the pressure constantly and broke down the now ex-champion. Viloria had control of the early and middle rounds and though Tamara out-punched him most of the time, Viloria’s shots did much more damage as he clearly had the edge in power. In the eighth, Viloria even wobbled Tamara and tried to finish him off, the latter did his best to survive the round. However, things were different to start off the ninth as Tamara gained his second wind and took the fight to the champion. A visibly tired Viloria, picked his spots but could no longer defend against Tamara’s onslaught. Tamara threw everything but the kitchen sink. Viloria kept taking it and would not go down, even if at times it seemed he might. By the 10th round, “the championship rounds” as we call them in boxing, it was all Tamara as the challenger dominated the champion throwing punches by the bunches and almost landing at will. In the twelfth and final round, Viloria’s trainer Robert Garcia urged his ward to throw more punches, but Viloria was exhausted and in desperate need of oxygen. With his hands down, he could no longer defend himself and it took a flurry of Tamara power shots for the referee to stop the fight and prevent Viloria from taking anymore damage, giving Tamara the TKO victory. After the fight, Viloria had to be given oxygen through an oxygen mask. He collapsed and was rushed to a nearby hospital. UPDATE: Viloria is in stable condition but is still confined in the hospital.
Tamara didn’t just win the IBF Light Flyweight belt. He flew thousands of miles away to the Philippines, ran into hundreds of Viloria fans wanting to see him get knocked out, he climbed through the ropes and fought like a warrior. He stepped up to the plate and forcefully took the title away from Viloria. Tamara delivered a beat down, simply put. A sad day for Philippine boxing and for Team Viloria, but congratulations to the new IBF Light Flyweight Champion of the World! Carlos Tamara!
This is yet another huge setback for Brian Viloria. He clearly has a stamina issue that needs to be addressed immediately. A strength and conditioning coach like Alex Ariza would certainly help, but maybe cutting down training from three months to two in his next fight would not burn him out so much like it did for this fight. As for Carlos Tamara, the sky’s the limit for this young man. He’s a good solid puncher, with a strong, sturdy chin. He keeps the pressure on and makes you work every minute of every round. Tamara looked really impressive and it will be really interesting to see how he would match up against other great fighters in his division like Ivan Calderon and Koki Kameda.
In the co-main event, Donnie “Ahas” Nietes won a controversial TKO victory in the 10th and final round of his match with a very game Jesus “Negrito” Silvestre of Mexico. Nietes scored a first round knockdown as he hit Silvestre with a straight right on the chin but by the start of the 2nd round onwards, Silvestre displayed his toughness by trading shots with Nietes oftentimes getting the better of the exchanges. Before the start of the final round, Silvestre’s crew took extra time to give him water and apply his mouthpiece, causing the referee to stop the fight due to the delay. Silvestre was clearly disappointed in the outcome as he would have liked to finish the fight. However, even if he had heard the final bell, I don’t think the outcome would have changed much as Nietes was on his way to a points victory.
Former Lightweight world title challenger Jimrex “The Executioner” Jaca also made his comeback fight a memorable one knocking out Ramadhan Weriu of Indonesia. After a one year hiatus from the sport, Jaca still has the tools to deliver excitement and could be on the comeback trail to being a top contender in the division. The end came at the fifth round when Jaca landed a vicious right uppercut square on the chin and then followed it up by a solid three punch combination that dropped Weriu, he could not beat the count.
Results of other fights:
Jason Pagara MD12 Eddy Comaro
Jose Ocampo KO2 Roselito Campana
Jay Solmiano TKO2 Daryl Pucdol
Dodie Boy Penalosa Jr. KO2 Anthony Baluber (Penalosa scored 3 knockdowns)
Ivan Soriano MD4 Jomar Tubaga
Pictures are owned and copyrighted by Denmark R. Dolores for OfficialScoreCard.com
Officialscorecard representatives Carlos Cinco (Writer) and Denmark Dolores (Photographer) were on hand at the Manila Hotel earlier this morning for the live weigh in for Saturday afternoon’s fight card at The Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City, Philippines featuring Brian “The Hawaiian Punch” Viloria against Carlos “El Olimpico” Tamara. Viloria stakes his IBF Light Flyweight Championship that he lifted from Ulises Solis last year.
Main Event:
IBF Light Flyweight Championship
Brian “The Hawaiian Punch” Viloria, 108 lbs. vs Carlos “El Olimpico” Tamara, 108 lbs. (Tamara re-weighed after initially tipping the scales at 108.5)
Undercard:
WBO Minimumweight Championship
Donnie “Ahas” Nietes, 107 lbs. vs Jesus Silvestre (Mexico), 107 lbs.
*Non-Title Fight (Nietes’ WBO strap will not be at stake)
Also fighting in the undercard is Aljoe Jara fighter Denver “The Excitement” Cuello taking on Samuel Apuya for a tuneup as they eye a world championship later in the year, Dondon Rafol vs Rey Las Pinas, Daryl Pucdol vs Jay Solmiano, Mike Randy Petalcorin vs Marlon Tapalos, Jose Ocampo vs Joselito Campana, Brian Diano vs John Mark Aploniario and Ivan Soriano vs Jomar Tumbaga.
Making his pro debut is Dodie Boy Penalosa Jr. (son of Philippine boxing legend Dodie Boy Penalosa Sr.)
Officialscorecard was also able to catch up with Tamara’s trainer Butch Sanchez for some insight on what to expect from the fight:
“You can expect a new champ come tomorrow. I love the fact that a lot of the people here are not giving us a shot, it feels like De Ja Vu for us, it feels good. The gameplan is to take it one round a time. As the rounds develop, the gameplan gets adjusted. Being an underdog motivates us.”
On his fight prediction:
“The pressure is on Brian Viloria, there’s no pressure on Tamara. I predict a late round stoppage but a decision is just fine. He [Viloria] is going to face a better fighter in Tamara, but Brian Viloria is a good fighter. Very good.”
Carlos Cinco: “Do you think we can expect a very exciting fight tomorrow?”
“That’s for sure. Like we mentioned in the Press Con, it’s going to be a collision course. Obviously here he’s [Viloria] such a heavy favorite but back in the States we call this fight a ‘pick-em’. It’s probable that it can go the distance, I think whoever imposes their will, whoever wants it more is going to be the winner. That’s going to be the difference.”
On both fighter’s amateur/olympic backgrounds:
“Tamara is a very decorated amateur, Brian Viloria is a very decorated amateur. But this is the pros you know, in the amateurs you punch to score points and in the pros, you punch to hurt. It’s going to be a great fight. Tamara is the mandatory challenger. At one time, before Brian was champion, Tamara and Viloria were 1 and 2 ranked.”
Officialscorecard (in cooperation with Boxeo-Columbia) also got to sit down with the IBF Light Flyweight Champ, Brian “The Hawaiian Punch” Viloria. Asked if he was looking past Tamara as there were some rumors going around he was targeting a unification bout either against Ivan “Iron Boy” Calderon or Japan’s Koki Kameda:
“You know I train for every fight as if it were my last. I give it 120% in the ring and right now all I can see is Carlos Tamara. But yes, we have talked about facing Calderon sometime in the future, it was discussed sparingly. It should be interesting. We fought back in the amateurs [Calderon and Viloria]. He beat me by decision. We know each other’s style very well.”
On who to fight first, Calderon or Kameda:
“Who would I fight first? If I could fight them both on the same night, I would (laughs).”
On the fight strategy and Carlos Tamara:
“I had a really great training camp. [Tamara] is a great fighter and a long and lanky fighter. He can box or he can slug it out in the middle. I’ll get my strength and courage together and throw all my combinations.”
Photos are owned and copyrighted by Denmark R. Dolores for officialscorecard.com.
Earlier today, OfficialScoreCard.com was present at the Manila Hotel in Manila, Philippines to cover the press conference for Saturday’s fight card, “Boxing at the Bay 2: Collision Course” featuring Brian “The Hawaiian Punch” Viloria as he stakes his IBF Light Flyweight strap against Carlos “El Olimpico” Tamara of Columbia.
Also present was Donnie “Ahas” Nietes as he revealed to us that his bout is a non-title contest against Jesus Silvestre of Mexico who was not yet in the country at the time of the presscon.
Gauging the readiness of the fighters, Viloria seemed to be in tip top shape as he enjoyed a relatively lengthy training camp of about 3 months. Under head trainer Roberto Garcia, Brian revealed that he did not change his style but rather brought back the old aggressive and busy style that he was once known for. Tamara on the other hand, the younger and visibly taller of the two was rather more reserved and quiet for most of the conference but seemed also in prime condition. Come Saturday, these two will be ready to provide Manila some early fistic fireworks to kick off Philippine boxing in 2010.
Donnie “Ahas” Nietes was also in attendance wearing an all black ALA Gym track suit. His opponent, Silvestre of Mexico had not yet arrived on Philippine soil at the time of the presscon. Nietes, known for bringing his pet snake to ringside in each of his fights, has previously fought over in Mexico and has defeated his challengers becoming the only Filipino to win twice on Mexican soil. His bout will be a non-title bout because his opponent is outside of the top-eight in the world division rankings.
Brian Viloria also brought along his long time girlfriend and soon to be wife, the beautiful Erika Navarro.
Photos are owned and copyrighted by Denmark R. Dolores for officialscorecard.com.
Special thanks to Solar Sports and to Ms. Dana Errazo for accomodating us.
According to Boxrec.com, there is only one fighter from Puerto Rico in the top 25 pound for pound list, and its not Miguel Cotto. It’s a young undefeated fighter by the name of Juan Manuel Lopez(27-0 24KO) who is ranked number 2 in the world at super bantamweight(122lbs), and is considered by Boxrec.com number 17 on it’s pound for pound list. Your average boxing fan has probably never even heard of JML. They’ve heard of Miguel Cotto, possibly Kermit Cintron, and most definitely the Felix Tito Trinidad. So, has Puerto Rico fallen off in the boxing world? If so, maybe a fight between Miguel Cotto and Kermit Cintron could help put PR back on the map?
Not only do I think it would be good for PR, but I think it would be good for boxing. They have a common opponent on their record, one to whom both men lost to, Cintron twice, both times he was knocked out. That opponent would be Antonio Margarito, a great fighter in his own right. Those are the only two losses on Cintron’s record(32-2-1 28KO). That is one of the two losses on Miguel Cotto’s record(34-2 27KO), the other coming at the hands of the pound for pound champ Manny Paquiao, both losses knockouts as well. Their records speak for themselves. I think it could be one of the biggest matches that could be made in 2010. And I also think it would bring a little pride back to the boxing community in PR. Not just pride tho, most importantly recognition. To make things even more interesting, they could hold the fight in San Juan. But with the money that could be made in Vegas, or say Madison Square Garden, that probably wont happen. Even though the fight wouldn’t take place in PR, it would still be great for the country.
Although Cotto is at 147lbs, and Cintron at 154lbs, with the exception of Cintron’s last three fights, he has basically fought his whole career at 147lbs. So weight is not an issue, the fight can be made. Since the departure of Felix Trinidad, neither Kermit Cintron, nor Jaun Manuel Lopez has had to deal with the weight of their country on the shoulders, that man would be Miguel Angel Cotto. And Cotto has done an exceptional job in doing that. If it weren’t for Cotto, I don’t know that your average boxing fan would know that an elite fighter from PR exsisted. With that said, not only would Cintron be taking a little bit of the load off of Cotto’s shoulders, he might just establish himself as an elite fighter from PR to the average boxing fan? And on another note, it may inspire an 8 year old kid to wanna become the next champion from Puerto Rico. It can only do good for not just PR, but boxing also. There is no bad that can come from this fight. The winner could move on to fight the winner of Paquiao and Clottey, while the loser, if Cotto, could rematch Margarito, if Cintron is the loser, maybe he can give Sergio Martinez his well deserved rematch? It is definitely a fight that I would like to see made in 2010. And I also believe there is not another match that could be made to bring as much recognition and pride back to PR.
Imagine Kobe Bryant being accused by NBA fans of being a fake and a fraud. Imagine people saying that he only defends the opposing team’s weakest player and will only post up players who are smaller than him.
Then imagine Lebron James being accused of taking steroids or performance enhancing drugs. Can you fathom the idea of everything phenomenal that Lebron has done from high flying dunks to consistent triple doubles being put into question due to steroid accusations?
This is the current dilemma that is plaguing the sport of boxing. Two of our most prominent and recognizable fighters are being torn down from fans and media alike over silly hearsay and negative propaganda.
Mayweather detractors will forcefully have you believe that he has never fought a legitimate threat or top caliber fighter in his entire career. They will twist reality into knots to make it appear as if Floyd has carefully & luckily remained unscathed and undefeated all of this time due to his gift to pick opponents.
Manny Pacquiao haters will tell you with a straight face that he is on steroids and PED’s. They will say that it is physically impossible for someone who once was 106lbs to ever weigh 147lbs. By this logic everyone who has ever gained 40lbs and actually grew from an adolescent to an adult has taken performance enhancing drugs.
To quote the great Roy Jones Jr. “Yaw’ll must’ve forgot” that Oscar De La Hoya moved up from 130lbs and eventually knocked out Ricardo Mayorga. Ricardo Mayorga has fought as high as 164lbs so I wonder why Oscar has never been accused of taking steroids?
It truly disappoints me as an avid boxing fan that the 2 best fighters of this era are followed by false dark clouds. I have become extremely annoyed with the lack of appreciation for two guys who are dedicated to their craft and have each worked hard to achieve all of the accolades they have received throughout their respective careers.
Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather have both been traveling on the road to success and are now on a collision course in what should be the highest grossing event in the history of the sport. In the meantime, poisonous smoke screens are exhausting us all and polluting the minds of every hard core and casual fan.
Why must fans degrade the 2 greatest fighters of this era? Why must fans attack Pacquiao’s recent accolades by reciting steroid garbage over & over? I have heard more STEROID/CHEATER talk & read more articles about Manny Pacquiao being on PED’s or cheating then I have about Shane Mosley & Antonio Margarito which is insanely absurd to say the least.
Is Manny on steroids? Who knows if he is or he isn’t but until its proven I think as boxing fans we should respect him and what he has done in the ring as of late.
Why must immature fans personally bash Floyd Mayweather in attempt to diminish his accomplishments in the ring? It is perfectly fine to hold your “personal” *cough*hate*cough*cough* opinion but when you speak negatively in attempt to induce hate and spread negative propaganda about 2 fighters we all should be admiring, as a fan its quite disturbing. When these 2 guys are gone & retired WE WILL ALL wish they were still in the game of boxing giving us more memorable fights to be in awe of. With that being said……….
Manny Pacquiao has a very tough opponent in front of him in Joshua Clottey, but who does Floyd Mayweather have that would be considered a tough opponent? Former Welterweight Champion Kermit Cintron. Kermit is at his strongest at welterweight and from his last four fights at 154lbs he only stopped one fighter. Given that Kermit’s only 2 losses is at the hands of Margarito (some still believe he loss because of loaded handwraps) he seems to be a strong contender that will give Mayweather a good fight.
Kermit Cintron himself has made remarks about Manny Pacquiao being on something. He doesn’t like it when he feels that the competition could possible be cheating to win, and that is the way Floyd Mayweather feels. Floyd says he wants the best and why not Cintron. If those 2 losses was truely due to illegal and loaded handwraps then Cintron would still be undefeated and would be a good matchup for Floyd.
Cinton is bringing a record of 32 wins 28 by knockout with only 2 losses with 1 draw. He doesn’t have a fight lined up right now and his last fight was in Oct 2009. He has good sparring at Savannah gym with the likes of Omar Henry and Lanard Lane who are some very tough welterweights and jr. middleweights. With his knockout percentage there is a chance of some fireworks. I’m sure that Kermit Cintron would like to take a shot at the former pound for pound king.
Floyd Mayweather needs a strong opponent if he thinks he will compete on the same day as Pacquiao on March 13, 2010. Floyd has stated that he is a HBO PPV fighter and there is no doubt that HBO would love this match up. Bob Arum on the other hand will have Manny Pacquiao more than likely fighting on Top Ranks own PPV. It seems that the ball is in Floyd’s court and we hope that he doesn’t drop the ball this time. Give the fans what they want from you and that is tough fight from a tough opponent. Not Paulie Malignaggi or Matthew Hatton.
