Howdy. In this week’s bag of bombast and bile we give homage to the mighty Pac-Man, pay tribute to the fallen Morales, consider if Erik is shot, and express dismay that the Floyd Mayweather v Zab Judah "world title" match is actually still taking place after Judah’s latest dressing down.
*****
DON’T COUNT MORALES OUT
First Name : Johnboy
Last Name : Walton
Country : USA
Your Question :
The only man who should count Erik Morales out is himself. There has been speculation that he has been shot before, and he’s proved us wrong.
If Morales is worn, it is because he allows his battlelust to get the better of him and abandons his formidable talents as a boxer-puncher. If he boxed more and brawled less, he would catch less punishment while inflicting more. If he would take a year off and let his body recuperate, he could probably bounce back and surprise the critics.
PATRICK KEHOE ANWSERS: I addressed this issue in a story I wrote about Morales. In the In Jin Chi fight of 2001 he heard the fans boo for the first time in his career - for boxing and not engaging sufficiently, for being safe and effective - and he never got over that... that engrained in him the idea of martial engagement to the detriment of his over all boxing ability, his options in the ring... he was tired from all of his fights leading up to and including that thrilling first fight with Barrera and though about relying more on this tactical style... then it vanished after one night... Erik is mentally and emotionally spent as much as physically challenged... He’s one of the greatest of his era and for my money a towering all time figure below lightweight... that won’t change... I doubt he’ll retire now but I would wish that for him...
ANT EVANS ANSWERS: Well, maybe. But he’s lost three of his last four. He’s been outboxed (by Raheem last summer) and out punched (by Pac-Man on Saturday). I don’t want it to be over for one of my favourite fighters, either, but the prognosis cannot be good given the evidence. Morales was battered last weekend and while, sure, he’s proved people wrong before that was before he lost two fights, one-sidedly, back to back. This is different.
Maybe a long rest (and I mean take 2006 off) and then a re-evaluation is called for. If Morales takes time off and then comes back in an easier fight at lightweight then maybe he can fight on at a high level. Maybe.
PS - Johnboy, they used to broadcast your show when I was a kid and it sure was boring.
CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: I agree with you to a certain extent, Johnboy about Morales taking time off to recuperate. But about him changing his style, no. Erik Morales is the exciting and successful fighter he is because of the way he fights. I believe a prime Morales would have beaten Pacquiao. Last weekend he looked like the Morales of old early on but as the fight went on he could not maintain the pace and workrate of a fresher Pacquiao. I think he’s lost his edge, I’d like to see him retire the undoubted Mexican hero he is and not ruin his legacy like Julio Cesar Chavez.
*****
MORALES RETIRE? NO! HE’D BEAT BARRERA
First Name: Ronald
Last Name: Rivera
Country : Philippines
Your Question :
The way Morales fought Manny that night - I believe that he was in his best condition ever. Do you think he should retire or is it better for Erik to regain lost glory over his arch rival Marco Antonio Barrera? had it been Barrera he fought last night, Erik would have come out the victor. Do you agree?
ANT EVANS ANSWERS: In a world, no. I think Barrera’s boxing skills are masking that the Baby-Faced Assassin, too, is on the wane but I can’t agree that Morales would have beat Barrera last weekend. It was a Morales who was less than he once was, Ronald, not the best conditioned one ever. Surely you saw that? Even Erik himself said he was "tired" after the first four rounds.
Right now, Morales v Barrera is a moot point. Barrera MUST now face the man who knocked him out in 2003 or face some serious accusations about his own self-belief.
PATRICK KEHOE ANSWERS: Don’t forget that Barrera may well be walking toward his Waterloo as well when he goes up against Jesus Chavez... that’s a fight he could lose in a heartbeat, in my view... Barrera has the daunting task of fighting Pacquiao again, at least that would be the case if he got past Chavez... the road ahead for Barrera is mined with danger... legend that he is...
PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Erik Morales needs a rest now and to take time out to think about his future. He is only 29, but after starting his professional career at the age of 16 and with so many wars in his 52 fights, he is an old 29. The year age of the fighter doesn’t always truly indicate the number of miles on the clock. Erik needs to think about what else he wants to achieve. He should only come back if he feels that he can defeat Pacquiao in a third fight. He has had a great career and if he does retire now, he has much to be proud of.
CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Another Barrera vs Morales scrap may make sense for the broadcasters but will do very little for the fighters. Both Morales and Barrera have had long tough careers, Personally I’d like to see them both retire and enjoy the riches they have earned.
*****
P4P, MORALES NOT SHOT
First Name: Perry
Last Name: Carbonell
Country : Australia
Your Question :
Hi Guys,
No questions; more of a passing comment.
Where do you place Manny NOW in the P4P stakes after his victory against Morales?
Immediately after this victory, maybe only PBF and Winky can be considered higher ranked and lets not forget Winky’s ordinary performance against Soliman. Manny Pac should be Top 3 P4P, maybe even 2. I would only have PBF higher even though the opponents he fights these days are sub-par.
Morales should be by no means be looked as ’damaged goods’ after the Raheem loss. Some writers are already saying that he looked tired at the end of the fight but fail to link that to Pacs body punches.
ANT EVANS ANSWERS: You raise several interesting issues, Perry. Let me deal with them one at a time...
I don’t keep exact P4P but Pac-Man has to be considered one of the best three fighters in the world doesn’t he? I mean, he’s KO’d Barrera and Morales, that is incredible. SecondsOut’s P4P rankings - done by Mark Butcher - have Pac-Man at No.3 behind Mayweather and Winky and I wouldn’t argue with that. Certainly, Pac-Man beat the hell out of Barrera and therefore goes ahead of him in my list.
I agree that Pac-Man’s sickening body shots played a huge part in Morales’s down fall but, as I said in my prediction on Friday, the Raheem lost DID happen and Morales DID look shot in that fight.
PATRICK KEHOE ANSWERS: Well, if knocking out Morales and Barrera doesn’t get a guy into the top three slots of the p4p ratings nothing will... Wright as #2 is out of wack, sorry Mark, and all those other analyists that have him that high up... no way... he won’t even beat Taylor when they tangle... but that’s another discussion... if Hopknis could be the Hakkar’s and aging De La Hoya’s of the world and be #1, surely Manny can be #3 having dusted 2 massive champions...
PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: In my own ranking’s, I have Floyd Mayweather No.1, Winky Wright No.2, Marco Antonio Barrera No.3, Manny Pacquiao No.4 and Ricky Hatton No.5. Barrera vs. Pacquiao II is the fight we must have and I’ll take Mayweather vs. Hatton and Taylor vs. Wright on top of that. That’ll clear up any pound for pound debates!
*****
MORALES NEEDS TO TAKE A BREAK
First Name : nelson
Last Name : bolero
Country : Australia
Your Question :
well I think Morales should 1st take a break and fight a lesser fighter, .then if he got what it takes for him 2 be in top 10 pound 4 pound. maybe just maybe he could still be a top contender but if I was him I would not fight Pac-Man again. Pac-Man is too powerful 4 him. And since when did Eric Morales score any knockout against any pound 4 pound ranked fighter ?? pacman is the
man ....
ANT EVANS ANSWERS: I agree with pretty much everything you wrote, Nelson.
PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Manny Pacquiao lost a little bit in some critics eyes when he did not secure the win over Juan Manuel Marquez and lost to Morales in their first fight. But he has showed with his wins over Barrera and Morales that he is one of the best boxers in the world today. The rematch with Barrera is a must see. Does Pacman have his number, or was Barrera just having an off night like Pacquiao maybe did against Morales the first time? So many intriguing questions. I think Morales should only come back if he thinks he can beat Pacquiao again. He had some memorable wars and while he was not ever known for his one punch knockout power, his toughness, determination and heart made him special. But maybe the loss to Pacquiao has broken him down forever.
PATRICK KEHOE ANSWERS: He should retire... he’s done it all... he’s been to the mountain top...
*****
MORALES SHOULD TAKE A BREAK II
First Name : Scott
Last Name : Manley
Country : USA
Your Question :
My opinion - Morales should take a solid year off. get back into boxing slowly and take a tune up or 2. the rest could be perfect for him or if he’s shot it wont matter but only time will tell. also I’m the #1 Tyson fan in the world or close to it have all his fights etc.. followed him since amateur days. 2006 should be good year for boxing.
ANT EVANS ANSWERS: Agree with the year off plan for Morales, but if he comes back after an extended break it should be against a real "opponent" opponent. If he does not feel 150% better than he did last weekend then he has to retire. I think, is going to be awesome in terms of big fights.
PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Morales is only 29, there is no reason on paper that he can’t come back and win again. The real question is whether he wants to come back? What is his motivation for doing so? Boxing is one of the most brutal sports on the planet and if you are not 100% committed mentally, emotionally and physically, you can be hurt. There is no other reason for Morales to come back in my opinion other than to be at his best again and avenge defeats to Pacquiao, Raheem or Barrera. I don’t want to see him fighting anyone else. He has achieved so much in his career. I’m just hoping that half of the big fights we are hoping for in 2006 materialise. Give me Rahman-Toney, Mayweather-Hatton, Taylor-Wright, De La Hoya-Mayorga, Vargas-Mosley, Barrera-Pacquiao II, Arce-Darchinyan, Hopkins-Jones II, Corrales-Castillo III, Quartey-Forrest, Calzaghe-Lacy and Mundine-Green (I don’t ask for much!) and if they all happen, it certainly will be a big year. BTW, just between me and you Scott, I think the Mike Tyson of 1986-1988 would have given any of the heavyweights from the last 30 years real trouble.
*****
MORALES CONDITION
First Name: Jerry
Last Name: wee
Country : Philippines
Your Question:
What happened to Morales after the fight with Pacquiao? You said he was sent to a hospital?
PATRICK KEHOE ANSWERS: He was checked over at a hospital and given the necessary tests, allowed to rehydrate, rest all under observation...
PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Which is exactly what should be happening in all fights in all countries. Any boxer hurt or taking serious punishment after ANY fight should be seen by more than one doctor and supervised closely for the next 48 hours. We have to look after our fighters!
*****
MORALES IS ALL-TIME ICON
First Name : edward
Last Name : jefferson
Country : USA
Your Question :
eric morales is the very definition of what all fighters should be. i hope he retires and enjoys the rest of his life, he has earned his hall of fame status and he will be loved and remembered by all true boxing fans.
ANT EVANS ANSWERS: Here, here.
PATRICK KEHOE ANWSERS: Perfectly said Edward!
CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: Ditto
PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: You are right Edward. Sometimes us fans expect so much more from our boxers than we have any right to. Morales has nothing left to prove and if he does retire now, he will always be remembered as an exciting, determined and proud world champion. Let’s all give him time to make the right decision.
*****
MORALES SPENT FORCE, HAIL PAC-MAN!
First Name : Carl
Last Name : Mckay
Country : United Kingdom
Your Question :
Concerning Morales & the ’Pac’ man I honestly think that the latter man is a warrior, a truly great little fighter! I never expected Manny to dominate Morales the way he did. Ok for the first 5 rounds it looked like there was nothing in it between them however from the sixth round onwards Manny decided to go up a gear and his higher workrate was too much for Morales! I think the ’Pac’ Man should have a rematch with Barrera, as for Morales I think he may be a spent force. Morales could still beat a lot of fighters in the division but he is not that championship level anymore so maybe he should call it a day!
ANT EVANS ANSWERS: I’d be very surprised if El Terrible never fought again, Carl. Warrior-born fighters like him don’t just walk away...
PATRICK KEHOE ANWSERS: I agree with Ant. Sadly, it would be against type for a man like Morales to just retire. Though with all my heart I would wish that for him, for him to come to that kind of decision, for his sake and his families. He’s made his money, his mark, his historical legacy.
PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: I agree with Ant, too, it would be surprising if Morales never fought again. But while it has not happened many times in boxing, there are greats who retire at the right time. See Lennox, Hagler and M.Spinks.
******
I CAN’T BELIEVE JUDAH STILL GETS FIGHT!!!!
First Name : Harpreet
Last Name : Singh
Country : United Kingdom
Your Question :
I can’t believe that Mayweather Vs Judah is still on. Judah does not deserve a shot at Floyd after his loss to Baldomir and Floyd is showing that he’s ok with easy fights and not with fighting the best out there. And to make this match up even more of a joke is that they’ll be fighting for the WBA and IBF titles which Judah just lost! Just shows you how much the belts really determine who the best fighters are in any division. What’s your opinion on this match up?
ANT EVANS ANSWERS: I can’t help but laugh, like you. It’s total nonsense this is happening, and on PPV no less! But it doesn’t matter what you or I think, Harpreet, it matters what the PPV buying American public think. If they refuse to pay for this fight then Judah, Arum, King and the cable company will be given a bloody nose for trying to railroad a super-fight which just isn’t ’super’ anymore.
PATRICK KEHOE ANWSERS: There is some interest in seeing this fight, but Harpreet, your feeling is the same as mine... I can’t say I was surprise though, been around this game too long... it will be a near bust as a Pay Per View though... the bottomline is that Baldomir is a non-entity in the US market; at least Judah has a heartbeat, as far as marketing is concerned...
PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: It just shows once again that boxing is a business, not a sport. After Baldomir beat Judah, the natural fight would seemingly be Mayweather vs. Baldomir. But that’s not what the promoters and television want. They want to see Mayweather vs. Judah. But sometimes when you try to force great fights it backfires. Anyone think now that after his loss to Raheem, Erik Morales made the right decision in fighting Pacquiao straight away?
CLIVE BERNATH ANSWERS: I agree, Harpreet. I suspect that HBO have a PPV date to fill and need a big fight to fill it with. I personally do not believe this is a big PPV fight in solid boxing terms. And it has lost some value with Judah losing which will be reflected in the money being offered for the fight. But I believe with the two biggest trash talkers (Judah/Mayweather) in boxing, and the two biggest mouths (King/Arum), this fight will end up a massive commercial success.
*****
ME NEITHER! JUDAH SUCKS!
First Name : Matt
Last Name : Caulfield
Country : Australia
Your Question :
How the hell can they do this? "Mayweather vs Judah still set for April 8"
ANT EVANS ANSWERS: Arum, King, HBO and everyone else involved believes that the fans will just pretend that Judah never meet, much less got run out of the ring, by an largely unknown 9-time loser called Carlos Manuel Baldomir. Now, they may be per
PATRICK KEHOE ANWSERS: Matt, it’s sort of the big two promotional forces trying to making something out of nothing, so to speak... when one
thinks of the fights that could be made for Mayweather, this is a total cashout exercise for the King-Judah relationship... King wants to cash out Judah big time and he’ll let Mayweather knock him senseless to rake in the modest coin he’ll squeeze out of the fight... putting Judah through another rehibilitation round of a year and a half of fights is not something the 72-3 year old King is going to waste his time with... and of course King is miffed at Judah’s post-Baldomir comments about him... is that straight enough :)
PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Matt, I think the problem was the lack of obvious, make-able fights for Mayweather for April. Hatton-Mayweather was never going to be made so soon. Baldomir doesn’t sell to the US TV audience. Top Rank won’t put Cotto and Mayweather together. Mayweather was unlikely to fight a tough Margarito so soon. Just about anyone else was seen as a mismatch for Mayweather, so they went with the easiest fight to make, even if it is not what the fans want to see. But boxing is always full of wacky outcomes. Maybe Judah will come out now with nothing to lose and beat Floyd and we’ll all be pulling our hair out.
*****
TAYLOR v SOLIMAN IS A JOKE
First Name : Adam
Last Name : Ellison
Country : United Kingdom
Your Question :
I said in my last mail that I felt Taylor’s camp (not Taylor) were ducking Wright and they sign to face Sam Soliman. While I’m happy for a solid pro like Soliman to get a world title shot ,it’s a joke after he lost an eliminator to Wright. I feel that both Taylor and Wright will have to move up to super middle to secure good fights as the two of them fighting is the only middleweight fight out there. Taylor and Wright against each other Kessler, Calzaghe and Lacy are great fights but it looks like Winky is being left out in the cold and will need another marking time fight which is always a dangerous situation.
Speaking of the super middles I’m surprised how no-one has mentioned how Jeff Lacy seems to freeze when anyone throws a double jab. Even in the Pemberton fight which he dominated he stopped several times when a jab was thrown. Calzaghe v Lacy is a classic 50 - 50 fight unless Joe has another broken hand and another cancelled fight.
PAUL UPHAM ANSWERS: Well, it seems that Jermain Taylor’s next fight is not settled yet according to Lou DiBella. Everyone agrees that Taylor vs. Winky Wright should be next, but if Wright is not happy with the money offered, that is his prerogative. I think Winky feels that after taking the short end in fights for so many years, he feels now that he should hold out for what he feels he is worth. I have no problem with this. But it can always lead to fights not being made which is very disappointing. Ultimately, Taylor vs. Wright will be made, whether it is now or later this year. But if Winky has been offered the fight and turns it down, you can’t blame Taylor.
ANT EVANS ANSWERS: Sorry, Adam, but am much as I admire Winky and his team, from where I’m sitting, they cut of their nose to spite their face here. They were offered a 60-40 money split, but demanded 50-50? What on Earth entitles them to that? Taylor is the champion, not Winky Wright. Like you, I am pleased Soliman - a real fighting man - may be getting a chance for the title. Maybe that makes me a hypocrite because I am decrying Judah getting a payday after coming off a loss but, they, Sam’s a quality guy and Zab’s can be a bit of a nimrod.
And I think you are forgetting the German one-two of Felix Sturm and Authur Abraham. The later is, in my humble, potentially the best thing to happen to the middle division since Marvin Hagler. The IBF champion is only 25, less than three years a pro, and he’s already beaten Howard Eastman and slaughtered Kingsley Ikeke. With Taylor failing to impress against Hopkins and Winky no spring chicken, I could tip the German to beat both of them if the fights take place this time next year.
PATRICK KEHOE ANSWERS: Winky put himself out of the fight asking for money he wasn’t going to get. Winky doesn’t even have a significant fan base; like Taylor, without thee crown. Taylor is not afraid of Winky, but he wants the respect due the man who brought down Hopkins. No one else was capable. Eastman never even won a minute of a round. And I’ll have to differ with my esteemed editor here; I’ll take Taylor over Sturm or Abraham... would be interesting to see Taylor in with a guy under 30, who’s willing to take him on and fight him to the limit...
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