Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: Canelo vs Angulo, Santa Cruz, Rigondeaux, and Tony Weeks!

03/13/201403/10/2014 Vivek Wallace

Erik N. (El Paso, TX): I thought Canelo performed very well against Angulo and I feel he’s the best at 154lbs. How did you rate his performance and what are your thoughts for him going forward?

Vivek W. (ESB): From the subplots coming into this event to the ones during the event, as well as those which have spurned in the aftermath of it, there are so many different things to consider with Canelo when you analyze the big picture. Just kind of taking things full circle, I’ll start with the pre-fight angle…..namely the weight issue.

“Toe to Toe”: Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo vs Saul “Canelo” Alvarez – Keys to Victory, Four to Explore, & Official Prediction

03/13/201403/08/2014 Vivek Wallace

(Photo credit: Esther Lin/Showtime) Every warrior in life is met with a moment that questions his character and outweighs his optimism. What separates those who “are” from those who “were” is the sheer ability to rise when the only other option is to fall. Comes as no surprise that the hottest attraction in the sport this weekend plays host to the Las Vegas desert. And it should also come as no surprise that at the center of it all are two proud Mexican warriors that never say die! As we get closer to this “Fight of the Year” candidate, we hone in on “Keys to Victory”, “Four to Explore”, and an “Official Prediction”:

SAUL ALVAREZ – KEYS TO VICTORY

For Canelo, keys to victory all hinge on conditioning, a solid jab, and a sharpened ring intelligence to regulate each. Erislandy Lara is arguably the most physically gifted fighter at 154lbs not named Floyd Mayweather. What made Angulo effective against him was realizing that in order to be out-boxed, you have to attempt to box. Intelligently, he opted not to fall into that trap, instead choosing to smother and outwork him. Although Lara had his moments, the knockdowns cemented Angulo’s efforts and placed him ahead on the cards late.

Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: Lomachenko/Salido, Chavez vs GGG, and Angulo/Canelo

03/04/2014 Vivek Wallace

Craig B. (Tampa, FL): I was very surprised to see Lomachenko lose to Salido the way he did. I noticed that you predicted Salido to win. What did you see to make you predict that way? And what are your thoughts on Lomachenko’s future?

Vivek W. (ESB): My decision to chose Salido over Lomachenko in my FaceBook prediction had a lot to do with precisely what we saw play out.

Left-Hook Lounge: Mayweather (Decision and Legacy), Khan’s Rant, and Bradley/Pacquiao Testing Fiasco!

02/24/2014 Vivek Wallace

Melvin A. (Cincinnati, OH): It appears Mayweather will take the Maidana fight. We haven’t seen Mayweather against a really fast fighter since Judah, so I liked Khan as the option. Why Maidana? And how can you explain your Facebook comment that this fight will be “epic”?

Vivek W. (ESB): How can I support Maidana as the option? Pretty easily, actually! In only three words I can lay out a case far stronger than any most would use to combat it: “HE EARNED IT”! I can understand questions relative to how Guerrero, or even Ortiz landed a shot; but with Maidana, there’s no such question. The guy earned it! When we look at Maidana’s past, what I like is the fact that this is a fighter who has been through all the elements of the sport. He has celebrated victory and dealt with the torment relative to defeat. Through it all, he’s still standing, and making great improvement every time he enters the ring. Robert Garcia has done a very admirable job with him, and the victory over Broner was proof of this.

Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: Peterson vs Danny Garcia, Bradley, Broner, Mikey Garcia, and Charlo!

01/27/2014 Vivek Wallace

Karen B. (Baltimore, MD): As a huge Lamont Peterson fan, I was very happy to see him win last Saturday night. What were your thoughts on his performance, and how do you see a proposed bout between he and Danny Garcia going if they do face off next?

Vivek W. (ESB): Coming into the night, I wanted to really get a feel for where Peterson was mentally, at this stage in his life. We’ve seen Peterson at the top of the ranks, and we’ve seen him look far less threatening. The past has taught us that Peterson can be whatever Peterson wants to be when his mind is right. Some would raise the failed steroid test. My response would be that it’s a non-factor. The lead official for the medical staff produced proof that he was being treated for a condition and the traces found were low enough to pass any other drug test in the sport except the overly stringent “zero policy” VADA based testing. Couple that with the fact that he was cleared by the IBF, and certainly you have to view it as a non-issue. What we saw Saturday was a man with a clean system, and after that performance, one could argue a clean slate and a bright future.

Left-Hook Lounge: Broner/Maidana II, Mayweather/Pacquiao, Top Rank (Cold War)

01/13/2014 Vivek Wallace

Kelvin Y. (Atlanta, GA): It was recently reported that Adrien Broner secured his option to take an immediate rematch against Marcos Maidana. What are your thoughts about his chances of winning the rematch and what a win or loss would do for him in the aftermath?

Vivek W. (ESB): A few weeks ago when Broner was humbled by Maidana, I felt at the time that his best move would be to go down to 140lbs and allow himself to slowly develop into the welterweight division. There’s a huge misconception that just because a fighter walks around at a weight, he can fight at that weight. Broner learned the reality behind this flawed train of thought quickly in the first round when he realized he was standing across from a man who could hurt him that he didn’t have as much ability to hurt in return. I expect the rematch to be very interesting, but unlike many, I don’t know that I really see a different outcome in the end. The biggest issues I saw with Broner in the fight were his inability to adapt, his limited head movement, and what I also perceived to be a conditioning issue.

Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: Broner/Maidana, Thurman, Ariza Caught on Camera, & Goldenboy Promotions Incredible Year!!!

12/16/2013 Vivek Wallace

Shawn O. (Brooklyn, NYC): What a fight between Broner and Maidana! I was pulling for Maidana, but I didn’t think he’d get it done! Do you think it was a case of Broner being “exposed” or was Maidana just the better man last Saturday night?

Vivek W. (ESB): In my weekly pre-fight Facebook post, I listed a quote that said “To he who much is given, much is expected. And in the sport of Boxing, those who declare themselves great must first be tested”! In the end, Adrien Broner was….in more ways than one! Some viewed this fight as a “Fight of the Year” candidate. I think that overwhelming response answers the question relative to whether or not he was “exposed”. You can’t have that type of battle and be considered a “bust”. I don’t think Broner was “exposed”, in terms of being cleared as a bad fighter. “Exposed” in the sense that he isn’t as polished as his smack talk made it seem? Yeah….I’d co-sign that angle. Clearly we saw that there are a few things which prevent him from being that elite, world class fighter any time soon that we were beginning to think he was.

Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: Mayweather/Pacquiao, Shawn Porter, Andre Ward’s Contract Dispute, & RIgondeaux!!

12/12/201312/10/2013 Vivek Wallace

pac931 Anand G. (San Antonio, TX): Manny Pacquiao is now the mandatory challenger for Floyd Mayweather’s WBC strap. How do you see this set of negotiations going between the two camps now that there’s a governing body both men respect at the center of it?

Vivek W. (ESB): At the core of this drama between the two camps, we’ve seen it all and heard it all, but this new wrinkle marks a first! With Pacquiao being a mandatory challenger, it puts Mayweather in an odd situation. He owns the upper hand at the negotiating table, but does Pacquiao’s mandatory challenger position carry enough weight to force Mayweather into taking a deal that isn’t commensurate to what he rates at this stage of his career? No! Not at all. That said, I do think it serves as a breeding ground for new results. One thing few have considred is the fact that contrary to popular belief, Pacquiao doesn’t have an exclusive deal with HBO.