By Vivek Wallace: Ramon M. (Los Angeles, CA): Thomas Hauser did an article recently with some very interesting thoughts from several marquee trainers, to include Roach, Steward, Burns, Birmingham, Richardson, and Turner. They all agreed that it’s VERY possible for a trainer to slip illegal elements in the handwraps of his fighter. Shouldn’t that be enough to clear Margarito?
Vivek W. (ESB): I’ll start by saying that I didn’t actually read the article, but I respect Hauser, as well as his resume as a writer. The reality here is
that this is a deep topic with many plots and subplots, but there’s only two ways to look at it. Ethically, you can reflect on the Resto case, among others, and say, “this guy (Margarito) was the fighter and the ill-effects were in his gloves, as he prepared for battle…..he should never be allowed to box again”! Or, you can look past the ethics and see the business aspect, which is born of the supply and demand angle. In a case like that, the sentiment is “forgive him and let him move on….there’s millions to be made and this is a fight that many people want to see”! Personally, I can sit on the fence and see the birds-eye view of both angles, but here’s the million dollar question in my mind that I think trumps either of those perspectives:
We live in an era where people have lawyers for everything…..taxes, ticket citations, properties, you name it! With all of the services available to athletes today, am I the only one that wonders how is it possible to lose your hard earned reputation, ability to earn, and all strings attached, yet have NO DESIRE what-so-ever to bring charges to the man who allegedly destroyed you? There’s no logic anywhere under the sun that could possibly help me understand a man losing his ability to earn wages and support his family, yet not pursue the man responsible. Defamation of character, loss of wages, loss of opportunity….call me crazy, but I just can’t comprehend how this wouldn’t rate legal action if it were true.
Let the records reflect that I’ve been a huge supporter of Margarito, but my opinion of him first started to change when I saw how gutless he was in the Cintron rematch, badly hurting him, only to begin gesturing at him, as if to say “get up, let me kick your punk a** some more”! I’ve seen Mike Tyson annihilate opponents, only to hug and kiss them at the final bell…I’ve seen Pacquiao beat the living daylights out of opponents, only to show love in the end, as well. To see such a pathetic display of sportsmanship truly showed me that this is a man who has very little regard for the guy across from him, and that’s a deadly element to an already barbaric sport. At the end of the day, these men are all competitors who have families and people that love them who they have to support. Has anyone considered how much more tragic life could be for the Mosley family who have had their fair share of hardships lately, had Richardson not been such a keen hawk in Los Angeles that night?
None of us but God know the truth about Margarito. But, just as I can’t definitively say he’s guilty, I sure as hell can’t champion him receiving the once in a lifetime benefit of facing the co-P4P king, coming off a loss, a victory over a cupcake, and a PPV outing that netted a whopping 15,000 ppv buys. That’s a helluva message to send to prospects considering the same unfair advantage; and it’s an even worst message to amateur’s who see that no matter how hard they work, a great promoter and a desperate governing body can always trump them in the rankings despite their clean efforts and God-given talent. Put your affinities aside and think about that….
Todd M. (Charlotte, NC): I was very disappointed in both Pascal and Dawson and don’t see either man as P4P worthy. Who do you see as the real light heavyweight king?
Vivek W. (ESB): While my sentiments don’t exactly parallel yours, they aren’t far off the mark. Not at all. I saw some decent flashes between the two men, but in my most humble observation, Pascal, despite his strong flurries, lacks the stamina to be dangerous on the truly elite level; while Dawson lacks that warrior spirit….that grit required to handle a warrior! Had Dawson fought the ten preceding rounds like he did in the 11th and decisive, we would be having a totally different conversation today. But he didn’t! And although one man was deemed victorious, I don’t think either man did anything to truly help their stock. I’m gonna say something here that’ll bring the haters and critics out by the droves, but this fight solidified why I maintain this position:
I’ve always said there are two templates of a fighter that trump all others…..the ones with amazing workrates, accompanied by a solid chin and great stamina; as well as a fundamentally sound fighter with a great chin. Neither one of these men replicate those two templates, but there’s a guy who I can think of that does. As odd as it may sound, even at age 45, Bernard Hopkins’ defense and skillset would allow him to get the nod over either man. Yes, I said it…….he’s alive at 45! Dawson has good skills but would be counter-punched to death and somewhat roughed up. In the case of Pascal, he would learn very quickly that it’s a totally different game when you can’t engage on the intended target with those flurries as easily. B-Hop’s defense and uncanny ability to pick his shots would be more than enough to net him a points victory against either man if they perform against him like they did last Saturday night.
Honestly, I think both Glen Johnson and Tavoris Cloud would both give Pascal a very good run for his money! Hopkins would almost certainly defeat him, because Hopkins would not gas-out! To answer your question…..don’t let the ugly Roy Jones jr. showdown fool you….Hopkins has enough in the tank to make a competitive fight with either man, and has the stronger set of skills. Until he walks away or loses to one of them, I have to say that his resume against the bigger names is still the strongest, and he’s still the technically the best. (Behind him I tip my hat to both Erdei and Brahamer as equals to both Pascal and Dawson).
Max P. (Bronx, NYC): Who do you like between Froch and Abraham?
Vivek W. (ESB): The interesting thing about this fight is that both men have each suffered their first career losses recently. That reality makes an already tense subplot even thicker! This (first career loss) was the same fuel that drove Kessler to reinvent himself and find a way to scrape out a victory against Froch. Now, Froch and Abraham both find themselves in that same position, hellbent on not letting a confidence-deflating second loss in a row take place. I think this fight is a very tough one to call. Some may dislike Froch’s personality and demeanor, but in the ring, he’s a slickster who can give you a hand full of reasons to question yourself throughout the course of the fight.
If there’s one flaw between the two fighters that I think could really be an X-factor, it’s the slow start of Abraham. I would think he realizes that he needs to start faster, but I really think it’s just part of his DNA. He methodically tries to figure an opponent out before he feels comfortable enough to mount an attack. I think he has the power to hurt Froch late….no question…..but if the slick Froch can stay fresh and find a way to penetrate his guard and stay clear of his power, I like Froch on points. If Abraham can connect early and often, though, I see him being primed for a late stoppage.
Faisal A. (London, UK): I think the best division in the sport is the jr. welterweight division. When the smoke clears and all the fighters have faced who they have needed to face, who do you think the last man standing will be?
Vivek W. (ESB): I would agree that the 140lb division is arguably one of, if not thee best in the sport today. Over recent years, the best talent in the hot divisions were men who had been around the block but were still able to hold-it-down, so to speak, but in this case, you have a fresh crop of guys who are fairly new on the scene and still evolving, so that means we’ll be seeing them go to war not only in the near future, but as their careers go in separate directions, we may even see them square off again years down the road. When you assess the group, it’s pretty tough to spot a definitive last-man standing because they each bring something different to the table. Bradley has the heart of a lion, but isn’t the strongest puncher in the world….Alexander has good technical skills and a great chin, but isn’t polished enough to defensively.
From there you have Maidana who is not as technically sound but has good power, and a sturdy chin, as well Khan, who is arguably the most gifted of them all with questions surrounding his chin. Some look at those four as the head of the class, and perhaps they are, but a mixed bag of oldies and goodies like Guzman, Campbell, Urango, and even Ricky Hatton could all find themselves in the hunt, not to mention a VERY dangerous Zab Judah who is clearly motivated and back in his natural habitat. Honestly, I could flip a coin or find some fuzzy logic to say who I think will be the last man standing in this group, but the reality is that I couldn’t possible do such a grave disservice to these men, because every last one of them has a shot….which is why we’re stuck trying to figure out who it will be. Guess we just have to watch and find out over time!
(Check out Wednesday’s ‘OPEN MIC FAN MAIL’ segment, where a random letter directly from a fight fan like you is published as openly discussed live via chat forum – Send all ‘Open Letters’ to wallace@boxing247.com)
(Vivek Wallace can be reached at vivexemail@yahoo.com, 954-292-7346, Youtube (VIVEK1251), Twitter (VIVEK747), Facebook, and Myspace)