Jason H. (Brooklyn, NYC): I was very shocked to see your post last week about Mayweather and Pacquiao and the fact that the fight is nearly signed. Considering all that has happened since this fight was first discussed, can you give your thoughts on the road to get here and what you think it will be like once they actually fight?
Vivek W.: The road to get here…..all the drama between the two camps, the lies, the lawsuits, the subsequent bouts…..it’s been a hell of a ride, but truthfully, I don’t know if I’d change any of it. The buildup we’ve just experienced is unlike any we’ll ever experience again. Some say the fight is years too late. I say there’s never a bad time to see a good fight. When you examine things closely, both men have appeared to slow down a bit. That being said, they both remain head and shoulders above practically all of their contemporaries! Styles make fights, and this showdown is no different.
There are so many subplots present, it just really goes to show how dynamic a pairing of these two talents can be. Who has the edge? I can’t really say, but here’s a few things that fans need to think about, yet few have: Pacquiao has dominated men as long as we can remember, over-powering them with speed, power, and all in between. Now ask yourself this: Scanning down his entire resume from A to Z, name the last world class level fighter he defeated or even faced that had comparable speed? Algieri had decent speed, but he has never been tested on that level, so he couldn’t adequately take advantage of Pacquaio’s mistakes.
Bradley isn’t slow but he’s certainly not a fast fighter on the level of a Judah, or someone of that caliber. Remove those two possibilities and you have literally no fighter on Pacquiao’s resume with speed close to what he’ll encounter here. Now give that fighter a 5-inch reach and 3-inch height advantage, then tell me that can’t spell trouble. Flip side is that none of us can name the last guy Mayweather faced that carried this level of speed and pop from a southpaw angle. Lets take it further. Both men have styles that dictate pace. Pacquiao’s offense dictates pace, while Mayweathers ring generalship has allowed him to. What gives, here?
I think another interesting subplot that could mean a lot in the end is the fact that Mayweather can get sparring to duplicate Pacquiao’s speed and power, but Mayweather’s strength is his mind. Although Pacquiao can get fast fighters in camp, how can you duplicate a thought process that gives no sign of what’s coming next? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this fight is as 50/50 as it gets, and we won’t know what the outcome is until they show us. The only thing that intrigues me is the fact that we’re so used to seeing Mayweather face men that outweigh him by 15-20lbs, that most have forgotten, the last man he faced smaller than him was one of the last he stopped!
Bigger men like Cotto, Canelo, and Maidana were able to muscle and move Mayweather around and pin him on the ropes a bit. A smaller fighter who isn’t able to pin him to a corner that has to keep the fight in the center of the ring and overcome a face reach deficit is a major question mark. All that said, if there’s anyone who can do it, Pacquiao is the man. So, I think everyone who has found a reason to downplay the greatness of this fight needs to stop talking and seize the moment. We’ve never seen a spectacle like this, and my money says we won’t again in our lifetime.
Roland B. (Dallas, TX): What are your thoughts on ROC-Nation in the sport of Boxing? Their acquisition of Andre Ward? Their first card? Your thoughts on the movement in general?
Vivek W.: I think it can only help the sport. In an ever-changing world, it’s only appropriate that we also see some evolution in the sport. I have to be completely honest in saying that I felt the concerts and seeing fans “make it rain” in the crowd was a bit far out for my taste, but I respect the fact that there’s a market for it out there and those of us who don’t care for it can either grow to accept it, or decline to grow and be left behind it. It is what it is.
When we look at Jay-Z’s body of work, although he isn’t the one moving the pieces, so to speak, his brand resume speaks for itself. What he has accomplished for the NBA’s Kevin Durant and a few others in a very short time is nothing short of remarkable. We don’t know the specifics of the Andre Ward deal. What we do know is that he now has a home that has not only embraced him, but also compensated him the way he feels he should be. On top of that, we also know that the level of opportunities they can create for him, both in and outside of the ring make it a great decision for him.
The Adrien Broner scenario is a little different. Some will say that he was ridiculous to walk away from the deal, but his refusal to me was actually a sign of a thinking man. On the front end, I think it was a great deal for him because it would allow him to make far more than he does now. But lets say he actually evolves greatly over the next 2 to 3 years. Would it have been wise in hindsight to take a guaranteed $8M for a fight you could have otherwise commanded $10M or $12M for? Whether you look at Mayweather, Cotto, Oscar or whomever; each of these men saw their purses increase dramatically once they reached a certain plateau.
Each of them had to also escape a bad deal to take advantage of that ‘certain plateau’. This was the unfortunate result of being signed to a lengthy contract that was good for today, yet gave no thought to evolution of tomorrow. Those are the type of deals that allow promoters to eat off a fighters effort more than the fighter themselves. What Broner realized is that there’s a changing of the guard. Within 12-18 months, all the cash cows of today will be gone, and someone has to get that money. Canelo Alvarez will command the Mexican base. But when it comes to a polarizing figure in America that will attract the kind of train-wreck attention known to produce dollars, he could very well be “that guy”.
Some seem to think his loss to Maidana was a death sentence, but I have news for them. Many others have suffered knockdowns and defeats. But it never changed our interest in seeing them, because we knew when they came to fight, they came to ‘fight’! Broner has a toughness and willingness to fight that can make him very exciting to watch. If he stays motivated, this could turn out to be the best decision we’ve seen from him yet. ROC-Nation wasn’t the right fit for him at this stage. But I have no doubt they will attract many more before it’s all said and done.
(Vivek “Vito” Wallace can be reached at 954.770.9807. He can also be reached at wallace@boxing247.com, Twitter (@lefthooklounge1), Instagram (ViveksView), and Facebook).