Laney G. (Oakland, CA): For the first time in a few years, I feel very strongly about Manny Pacquiao. I thought he looked strong and as good as we’ve seen since the knockout. How did you rate his performance and do you think he’s a threat to Mayweather?
Vivek W. (ESB): I like to look at the big picture when making my assessments. In this situation, like any other, I think it’s another one of those times when you have to also see the good, the bad, and the “ugly”, each for what they truly are. On the “good” side, I would agree, totally, that this is the best I’ve seen Pacquiao since prior to the Marquez stoppage. He threw nearly 700 punches, he was fast, and his power proved to be very much a threat to anyone facing him. There’s a reason why I’ve rated him as my personal favorite offensive fighter in the game for nearly a decade now.
My personal preference is the cerebral, fundamental approach to execution in the ring. But there’s just something about a talent that comes packaged in a small frame, yet somehow always renders big results! His ability to pick his shots and land when least expected are just uncanny, and watching him never gets old for me. Relative to what I would term the “bad” side, I found myself disappointed during a couple exchanges where I saw openings for those patented blitzes that Pacquiao used to take the world by storm. Unfortunately, at this age and respective stage of his career, he was reluctant to actually jump in and take those chances.
There weren’t too many of these openings that he failed to take advantage of, but certainly more than I’m used to seeing….which brings me to the “ugly” side of my position: As solid as the performance was, and as happy as I was to see him advance beyond those cobwebs visible after the Marquez KO, I think we have to keep things all in perspective. Despite the triumphant victory over Provodnikov, few of us truly knew anything about Algieri prior to that fight. While I think Algieri proved that he’s a solid competitor, there’s a massive difference between the elite and all others who compete.
I hate to be cliche-ish here, but to quote a little modern day street vernacular, “there’s levels to this”! Ricky Hatton was a great fighter, but he was hittable. Against someone like Pacquiao, that one weakness was enough to exploit and snatch a victory. Oscar Dela Hoya was a great fighter, but he was aged and weight drained, which deemed him unable to do some of the things we’ve seen in his youth. That deficiency placed him at a disadvantage against Pacquiao. Cotto, Bradley, and Marquez, each were absolute studs, yet minor deficiencies were major in the face of a perennial talent like Pacquiao. Mayweather, even at the ripe age of 37 is an opponent who almost literally presents none.
Offensively, defensively, ring IQ, toughness, and whatever else you want to factor in; Mayweather represents the very best in the business, on all levels. While I feel no one within his weight limit in the sport today will test him like Pacquiao could, fans need to understand that there’s also no man that would push Pacquiao like Floyd. Nobody. Each of us would give nearly anything to see a prime Muhammad Ali vs a prime Mike Tyson or a prime Jordan vs a prime Kobe. There are so many legendary figures of the past that we would love to see compared to those of the present. Well….for once, history got it right!
This is a rare opportunity where history has placed two legendary figures in the same era. In these two men we have the best offensive fighters in history against one of the best defenders in history, who also happens to be one of the most cerebral offensive fighters in history.
Those subplots alone excite me enough to play promoter and give the world the best set of words possible to build this fight: “Undefeated vs Undisputed”…..Two Legends, One Night, No Excuses! The only words left to offer come from the mouth of “Iron” Mike Tyson……”JUST SIGN THE CONTRACT”!
Clifford F. (Trenton, NJ): When you look at the current crop of welterweights coming up….guys like Thurman, Khan, Brook, Porter, etc., who do you think will be “the man” of the future?
Vivek W. (ESB): Seems like only yesterday when we were looking at the same 147lb welterweight division, salivating over the depth of talent. Guys like Floyd Mayweather, Cotto, Margarito, Paul Williams, and others left us all curious to know who would be the last man standing if it ever came down to it. Although we got a chance to see some of those guys go head to head, that precious era has come and gone, suddenly filled with a slew of new names waiting for their chance to carry the mantle. Right now, we have arguably the richest welterweight era in quite some time.
At face value, some would say maybe not; but when you look at 140lb and perhaps even as low as 135lbs, there’s a ton of men who can currently, or will soon be able to compete there. If we look at this current crop, I think the standouts with staying power….or what I like to affectionately call my “TAP” squad (TESTED AND PROVEN), I’d have to say Brook, Bradley, and Thurman are my top three. Porter has the tools, but something didn’t really seem right with him in his last outing. I’m curious to see how he bounces back before I can feel comfortable adding him to the mix. But those three I think are most likely to succeed.
When you get beyond that tier, other men that I think will compete strongly with them within the next 2-3 years, include Adrien Broner, Danny Garcia, Terence Crawford, and believe it or not, Sadam Ali. That Lightweight to Welterweight realm is talent rich and ‘excuse’ poor. These men all seem pretty hungry, and driven to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. I can only hope that the politics and ills of the sport don’t taint that era like it found a way to do this one. #StayTuned
(Vivek “Vito” Wallace can be reached at wallace@boxing247.com, Twitter (@vivekwallace747), Instagram (ViveksView), and Facebook).