On the evening of Friday, June 3rd, the world lost something it has never seen the likes of, and may never see the likes of again when larger-than-life icon Muhammad Ali succumbed to long time illness at age 74. When you look back at the life and journey of Muhammad Ali, present were many tales of everything from the good, the bad, and the ugly. In the lives of all the ‘greats’, there’s always one pivotal moment that seemed to be the catalyst in bringing them to a stage in which they’d one day fully conquer. For Michael Jordan, it was being cut on the varsity basketball team.
Vivek Wallace
Open Letter to HBO, Team Golovkin
Gennady G. Golovkin has been arguably, one of the best stories fight fans have had the opportunity to watch evolve over the past three years. A male friendly bravado and a female friendly smile have only enabled the pure star that he is to shine brighter and brighter with each fight. His power, his vintage ‘stalk-til-they-can’t-walk’ aggression, his shot selection; nearly everything about him seems picture perfect. Well, almost. That being said, we have a slight problem.
Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: Danny “Swift” Garcia, The Future of Mayweather & Pacquiao, and Porter/Thurman!
David G. (Albany, NY): How do you rate Danny Garcia overall at this stage in his career?
Vivek W. (B247): I think the career of Danny Garcia leaves room for both, great praise, and great criticism. More often than not, I’ve been openly critical of him, for the simple fact that I think his stock has dropped tremendously after the Matthysse bout due to uneven performances and poor choice of opponents. That said, I think he’s right on par for where he needs to be at this stage in his career. On 32 nights spanning 9 years, he has faced a variety of opposition and found a way to win, even if some weren’t as pretty as most would like.
Open Letter to Roy Jones Jr.
As a scribe of the sport for over a decade and a fan for many more, what we witnessed this past Saturday qualified as one of the most troubling moments I’ve ever personally witnessed. In the aftermath, I sat quietly and analyzed all the rhetoric online from a mass of fans who felt they had the answer to the question, “why” (does Roy Jones continue to fight)? The overwhelming response of course was harsh condemnation. “Maybe he needs the money”…..”He’s gotta be broke”….yada, yada, yada. Neither of those possibilities could be proven, but going deeper in thought, revealed an answer that probably could.
Cotto v Canelo: Keys to Victory, Four to Explore, Official Prediction!
“Mexico vs Puerto Rico” is arguably the biggest rivalry in the history of the sport. Tonight that rivalry will etch a new chapter in stone as veteran Puerto Rican warrior Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33KO’s) takes on Mexico’s biggest and fastest rising star, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (45-1-1, 32KO’s). Coming into 2015 the world anticipated Mayweather vs Pacquiao. Although that bout didn’t live up to the larger-than-life hype, there’s no question that this showdown will hit the mark. As we countdown the hours, lets take a quick look at “keys to victory”, four critical angles to explore, and a final prediction:
A Lesson of Hype & Humility: GGG, Rousey, & Pacquiao
(A very candid Editorial by resident boxing scribe Vivek “Vito” Wallace)
There’s been a lot of talk about the perceived negativity aimed towards Ronda Rousey in light of her recent loss. In an effort to provide some level of clarity, I’d like to examine this topic a bit closer. Ronda is a very solid fighter with a great story. But what some need to realize is that there are fans who literally hate to see the media pick and choose who it wants to build up and who it wants to tear down. The word “hate” is probably a bit strong, but under the circumstances, most would agree necessary.
GGG vs Lemieux – Keys to Victory, Four to Explore, & Official Prediction!
Every few years in the sport of boxing a changing of the guard takes place, and for every Ali ushered into retirement, there’s a Tyson waiting to take over. The retirement of Floyd Mayweather remains a question to some, but eager to take his place is a number of young lions with nothing to lose and everything to prove. Tonight, the man who many have placed atop that movement will face his fiercest test to date, as the ‘Kazakhstan Killa’, Gennady G. Golovkin (33-0, 30KO’s) takes on David Lemieux (34-2, 31KO’s). As we lead up to this epic clash, lets take a look at keys to victory, four critical game-changer’s to explore, and an official prediction:
Mayweather v Berto – Keys to Victory, Four to Explore, Official Prediction
Tonight, pound-for-pound King, Floyd Mayweather returns to the ring for what could be the final bout of an illustrious career spanning over nearly two decades. During that span, Mayweather has faced practically every template of every style the sport has seen. From rough and rugged, to tall with talent, to small and violent.
Looking down his well chronicled resume, it’s safe to say that he’s probably been there and done that; but at the age of 38, such task become tougher, as a laundry list of legends have failed at this very feat. The latest challenge for Mayweather is the ever-ready Andre Berto. As we prepare for this clash, lets take a look at “Keys to Victory” and “Four to Explore”:
Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: Featuring Keith Thurman, Amir Khan, & Rigondeaux/Lomachenko!
Marc N. (Raleigh, NC): When Mayweather walks away, I think Keith Thurman has a very good chance at carrying to torch for the new era. Would you agree based on what we’ve seen from him so far?
Vivek W. (ESB): Not to be taken personally, as this comment isn’t directed towards you personally, but I’ve grown tired of the endless search by media and fans looking for “the next”. Time and time again, we continue to see young fighters put in situations far earlier than they’re actually ready. We saw it with Broner, I think we’ve seen it with “Swift” Garcia (although he hasn’t taken an “L” yet), and a countless amount of others. As it relates to Keith Thurman, I really think he has pretty good talent, and he has shown a certain amount of evolution; but anyone ready to say – at this early stage – that he is the heir apparent to Floyd Mayweather is not looking at things the way they should.
Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: GBP/Top Rank’s “PBC” Lawsuit, Mayweather WBO Title Strip, & More!
Gerald N. (Delray Beach, FL): Both Top Rank and Goldenboy Promotions have initiated lawsuits against Al Haymon and the “Premier Boxing Champions” movement. What are your thoughts and what light can you shed on whether or not these lawsuits hold any weight?
Vivek W. (ESB): At this stage, I think it’s far too early to really know or accurately say “how much weight” the separate lawsuits hold. There’s been a ton of information released, but with respect and integrity for the lawsuits independently, there’s still a ton of things we as fans and media simply don’t know. From the outside looking in, my position all along has been that it’s an uphill battle for the parties pursuing matters, for the simple fact that the man being pursued (Al Haymon) has the absolute allegiance of every fighter on his roster, and each and every last one of them has his back with total support.