Dougie's Monday mailbag

DON’T BLAME SHANE

Hope all is well!
So I wake up this morning and like all boxing fans I logged onto the internet to read the fallout from the big fight. I was dismayed to find that every report or analysis I read have the same or similar theme - “shame on Shane Mosley for stinking up the big event.”

Well you know what? I couldn’t disagree more and I was so disappointed to find that very few people saw it the way I did. Yeah Mosley could have looked to take 'Pac-man' out and was clearly more interested in the pay day than the win (very apparent in the 12th), but I don’t say shame on Shane. I say shame on Bob Arum for making the bout and shame on Manny Pacquaio for taking it.

I remember when the fight was first announced and the boxing world groaned and moaned about what a mismatch this was, but somehow over the following months Arum and his media band wagon managed to convince us that maybe Shane did have a chance, maybe Shane would turn back the years and KO Manny and that we should all part with our money and get on board. Well, we should have stuck with our gut instinct.

In my eyes Pacqauio and Arum have ripped off the fans yet again, (particularly Manny, who at the end of the day only has to say 'No' and these fights would not happen) yet some how they get off Scott free and manage to deflect the blame to Mosley who is now getting all the flak. Well I’m sorry, but that doesn't wash with me, Mosley never stood a chance and we all knew it, but now we've got that result it's all Shane's fault? Gimme a break.

Manny had better take a legit challenge in his next bout or he is in danger of losing serious credibility amongst boxing fans. Cheers. -- Chris, Bolton, UK

You make a very good point, Chris. The media (particularly those who traveled out to Las Vegas to cover the bout) and the fans (especially those who paid $55 to watch the live PPV show) are mad at Mosley for being what he is -- an old fighter.

I understand their frustration. They expected him to at least try. Even in his embarrassing performances against Mayweather and Mora he appeared to make an effort to get his offense going on the tricky duo.

However, against Pacquiao they watched him backpedal for most of the fight. They’re not used to seeing Mosley box in that manner, but the truth is, he did what he had to do in order to keep from getting KTFO (just like Cotto did when he fought the Pac-monster).

The same fans and media who are mad at Mosley for going into survival mode should also be mad at themselves for not recognizing a shot fighter when they saw one against Mayweather and Mora. Yeah, yeah, styles make fights, but Mosley couldn’t get anything going when he had both defensive-minded boxers right in front of him.

You’re absolutely right that Arum and Pacquiao deserve criticism for making a fight against a guy who they knew had absolutely no shot of winning. However, you may have noticed that Arum and Pacquiao -- and I’ll Freddie Roach in there, too -- often get a free pass from the boxing media. They’ll get some criticism here or there, but nobody really rips the hell out of them. I get it. Pacquiao and Roach are nice, down-to-earth guys. And Arum, well, I think a lot of my peers either view him as a lovable rascal-type character or they are scared s__tless of the old man. Whatever the reason, Arum is able to get away with a hell of lot more B.S. than his arch rivals over at Golden Boy Promotions.

Remember all the members of the boxing media who climbed onto their soap boxes and loudly declared that the Morales-Maidana fight was a shameful con perpetrated by a pack of heartless, blood-thirsty pirates masquerading as a promotional company? Well, imagine if those same writers, bloggers and broadcasters attacked Pacquiao-Mosley with the same self-righteous fervor. Who knows? Had they done that, had they held Arum to the same standard they hold GBP and other promoters, maybe fewer hardcore fans would have purchased the PPV card and maybe they wouldn’t be so mad at Mosley and themselves right now.

PACQUIAO’S FUTURE

Hi Doug,

I'm new here. I do not usually write. Anyways, I just saw Manny's fight with Mosley and I am disappointed.

Mosley did not even put up a fight. Don't get me wrong, I think Mosley is a great fighter but his performance on Saturday night was really sad to see. I am a huge Manny fan because he presents South East Asia in a big way but I really do think that his promoter and advisor are killing his already legendary career. His last four fights were with punching bags. On paper it sounds decent but the actual fight was really sad.

When Manny entered the ring to "Eye of the Tiger" it hit me, his career is now exactly like Rocky Balboa in Rocky 3. He is being fed opponents who aren't in his league and it is spoiling his name. Koncz even said PacMan is fighting more for the financial reason now which is not a good thing to hear. Will Pacquiao ever meet someone in his class soon? Or maybe his "Clubber Lang" so that he can show his fans once again what a warrior he is?

I think the possible opponents that were listed are not bad, Tim Bradley and Marquez (I hope it is him). Tim is good but I personally feel he is not at that level yet but if he is the next opponent, I think he is capable. Now Marquez should be the one as he is the only one so far that can match Manny in skills but I am not too happy about the weight issue. If PacMan wants to defend his welterweight belt, it should be fought closer to a weight Marquez can actually fight instead of the 147-lb weight limit. So maybe between 141 to 144? Maybe 142 weight limit? And I think Victor Ortiz should be in the picture too. That would be an explosive match up don't you think? Who do you think is the best match up for the PacMan now, given the fact that Mayweather has issues of his own. -- Dax, Singapore

Apart from Mayweather and maybe Bradley, who has shown the ability to fight effectively at 147 pounds, I think Pacquiao has run out of quality opposition unless he’s willing to fight at junior welterweight.

I don’t think we’ll ever see him fight below 147 pounds again, so the answer to your question “will Pacquiao ever meet someone in his class soon?” is no, not soon. However, if he should run into his “Clubber Lang” anytime soon I believe he will rise to the occasion.

Regarding the leading choice for Pacquiao’s November fight, a third bout with Marquez only makes sense to me if it takes place at 140 pounds. Marquez is pushing it at 135 pounds. The fact that Michael Katsidis can drop the future hall of famer and put hands on him is proof of that. Even at junior welterweight, I think Marquez should be considered a huge underdog against Pacquiao, but at least the Mexican master will have most of his reflexes and there’s a chance that the favored Filipino will drain himself a little bit getting down to 140 pounds.

Also at 140 pounds there’s Zab Judah (who’s got experience to match Pacquiao’s and at junior welterweight he might have the speed and power to threaten P4P King), Amir Khan (although the fact that he’s with both GBP and Freddie Roach make this fight a pipe dream), and Robert Guerrero (who should probably stay at lightweight but has the fame to carry 140 pounds and the talent and style to give PacMan fits).

I don’t think there’s any chance we will see Pacquiao at junior welterweight. I think both Arum and Roach view the 147-pound division as a safety zone for their super star. Apart from Mayweather there is no huge threat for Manny at welterweight and luckily for them Floyd’s a certified headcase.

I think Ortiz possesses the athleticism, technique and power to catch and hurt the Filipino hero but he’s about a year away from having the seasoning/maturity to deal with both the magnitude of a Pacquiao fight and the veteran’s experience. Ortiz also needs to get a few more victories under his belt in order to further establish his name recognition and potential star power.

Saul Alvarez is already a bona fide ticket seller but the 20-year-old Mexican star has yet to prove that he’s a world beater and is at least two years away from having the proper amount of experience to deal with a monster such as Pacquiao.

I’d bring up the middleweight champ Sergio Martinez as a viable opponent at a 154-pound catchweight, but there’s no way in hell Pacquiao’s braintrust allows that fight to happen.

A BIT OF A DISAPPOINTMENT

Greetings Doug,

A few random thoughts about the fight Saturday night. When it was first announced I said NO WAY would I buy that PPV. As time passed though I bought into the hype that styles make fights and Shane's training and dedication would make it an interesting battle. For the first two rounds it did seem so. Shane seemed poised and capable of making it a real contest and then BANG, Manny hits him a big shot and down he goes, spending the rest of the night fighting to just finish on his feet instead of fighting like a champion and throwing caution to the wind in an effort to win, especially in the last couple of rounds.

Referee Kenny Bayless was a bit of a let down too as he was looking right at the pushdown of Manny and ruled it a knockdown (WTF!)

Granted, Manny was a bit sloppy himself. Instead of the crisp technique we usually see, he was reaching in with the jab and being a little wild with his punches but some of that probably can be attributed to Mosley's defensive posture and his claim that he was having trouble with his legs (which I don't doubt because Manny is not the kind of guy to make excuses).

I will say though that Manny TRIED to make a fight of it as he always says that he wants to put on entertaining fights for the people....and speaking of entertaining fights, for the first time in quite a while we had a really good undercard. All were pretty good fights (which I will leave to other of your mailbag writers to chronicle).

...and yeah the fight we all want to see Manny & Mayweather could (sadly) look much the same as this one because Floyd would NOT try and make a fight of it. He might likely (in boxing terminology) "stink the joint out " and fight the same boring defensive fight. Who Knows? That one might never happen, because Floyd does not seem to want to fight. All he would have to do is make a phone call. What's next for Manny? I know that people will turn out for his fights, but what other opponents that he can choose from could capture the sporting public's imagination? -- David, Nashville

Only Mayweather will really capture the sporting public’s imagination. The two guys who are likely next for Pacquiao, Marquez and Bradley, can capture the attention of hardcore heads like you and I but not the imagination of the casual fans and general sports fans.

If Pacquiao-Mayweather ever happens (and I have my doubts as you should), OF COURSE Floyd is going to stink it out (or at least TRY to stink it out). That’s pretty much what he does, isn‘t it? It goes without saying. Does anyone think Mayweather’s going to jump in Manny’s grill with a two-fisted assault at the sound of the opening bell?

Regarding Pacquiao’s effort against Mosley, I think he wanted to make it a “toe-to-toe” fight, as he’s repeatedly stated after the fight, but I don’t think really tried to FORCE Shane into battle. He didn’t try to overwhelm Mosley. He never went for broke. I think Pacquiao was content to control the backpedaling veteran with his aggression and greater punch output. I don’t think Pacquiao ever intended to put a beating on Mosley and wear the old man down to a late stoppage as many fans and media believed he would.

That’s just my opinion and I’m sure I will be branded a “Pacquiao hater” because of it, but I shouldn’t be. That observation is not a knock on Pacquiao. He’s obviously a hall-of-fame-level badass who will knockout (or try to KO) anyone willing to engage with him, but he’s not the kind of fighter who is hell bent on beating up and taking out every opponent he faces regardless of how they fight him. If a fighter backs away from Pacquiao, I think PacMan recognizes that the guy is conceding. He’ll walk the dude down and win every round (as he did vs. Barrera in their rematch and vs. Cotto, Clottey and Mosley) but these days he won’t try to force a KO.

I agree that his technique was not as sharp as we’ve seen it in recent fights. I think Pacquiao is slowing down. I noticed it in the Margarito fight and in Saturday’s bout. Eventually, someone will take advantage of the gradual slippage. Who will it be?

I thought Bayless did a fine job refereeing the bout. He missed one call, the knockdown in the 10^th, that’s it. Things happen very fast in the ring and the referee isn’t always in position to see where a punch landed or if it landed at all.

Don’t feel bad about buying into the Pacquiao-Mosley hype and purchasing the PPV show. Arum and Top Rank and the fine folks at Showtime (with the help of parent network CBS) did a fantastic job promoting this fight and producing the live event. It looks like they put on a fantastic live show in the MGM’s Grand Garden Arena, too. There was a lot of buzz for this fight and everybody -- especially Pacquiao and Mosley -- did their part in selling it to the public. The only problem was that Mosley was either incapable or unwilling to do his part once the bell rang.