Damon B. (Coppell, TX): I read a recent conversation between Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao where Khan jokingly told Pacquiao to “Get off them drugs”, and Pacquiao responded in saying “I will never take a drug in my life, but when Mayweather is demanding I take a test everyday it is mental, and I’m just not ready for that”. Taking this piece as truth really reveals something that not many have either thought of or chose to voice . What are your thoughts on Pacquiao’s statement?
Vivek W. (ESB): I agree, this statement opens a path to a previously untouched angle that could possibly add up. What I find particularly interesting here is that it embodies a spiritual connotation, in the sense that like life itself, the focal point surrounding Pacquiao tends to be all physical, yet the blunt reality is hidden somewhere in the mental realm! People look at Pacquiao’s ‘iron-built’ toughness displayed against much bigger men and suddenly, the physical attributes make us forget how important the mental game truly is. To take it a step further, I’ve always said that no one man is all of anything, for in every good man lies a hint of wrong-doing, and in every sinner lies a path to peace..
When you examine these two men closely, it all unfolds. In Mayweather, if you remember the Judah fight when he was hit below the belt, there was absolute chaos all around him during the melee, but despite his uncle, manager, and others close to him being attacked, he went to one corner and never flinched a muscle, proving that even in the heat of the battle, his discipline is far from ordinary. This was a far cry from the man you recently saw on video lighting into the security guy at the guard gate, huh?
The flipside to this is that physically, Pacquiao is an absolute beast in the ring; yet in his very own words, his deepest admission tells us that mentally, he isn’t completely ready to endure the type of anguish that comes along with being a Mayweather opponent – subject to many taunts and much disrespect for months prior to finally stepping in the ring. The more I think of it, I can’t remember the last person in a pre-fight buildup who actually pushed Pacquiao’s buttons or humiliated him like Mayweather would. Clottey and Cotto seemed more friendly and respectful than anything. Margarito? He certainly wasn’t afraid, but a few sly comments on HBO’s 24/7 is a vast difference from doing it to a man’s face.
Most men who face Pacquiao are afraid of Pacquiao. The popular belief is that Mayweather is afraid of him, but we know he would be vintage Mayweather in a fight build up if it were to eventually happen because anything less would be a sure sign of fear. So, could being face to face with someone who shows no fear and actually taunts him ultimately unravel Pacquiao? Mike Tyson found himself confronted with this very scenario against Holyfield and we all know how that turned out. It’s funny to see how the two situations parallel, because Holyfield was asked to take a drug test for Tyson as well. Difference is, he agreed to, but only under the notion that the results not be made public until the fight was over because he wanted Tyson to enter the ring with a “defeatist attitude”, giving himself another reason to lose. Worked like a charm!
To this day, Pacquiao feels the blood test prior to facing Morales is the reason he lost (first fight). This is a major sign which proves that he can also give himself a reason to lose under certain circumstances. For Pacquiao, it starts with pride for his country. What happens when he enters the ring with heated emotions and a fear-factor of letting his people down, while standing across from one of the only men in the sport disciplined enough to execute without the heated emotions he so brilliantly placed within you? All that button pushing could only surface in the ring, and it all happens so fast that only a true critical thinker could rise above it. This is a very intriguing scenario to explore. Unfortunately we may never know.
Darius B. (Las Vegas, NV): The recent problem with Floyd Mayweather jr. and the security guys at his home property seem to be the final straw for him because it was all caught on tape. You never seem to discuss his legal issues. What are your thoughts on this one?
Vivek W. (ESB): As a rule of thumb, I try not to address the personal issues of anyone outside of myself, because particularly when you’re talking about a celebrity, the media is known to do two things: Build up, and tear down. And it all comes down to who likes you and who doesn’t. If the person being accused is smart, there’s always one side of the story that doesn’t surface until the case reaches the courtroom, because no one with any sense would toss their alibi into the open public and risk giving prosecutors time to shoot the theory down. What most don’t realize is that any time you see this type of stuff that attempts to tear down a public figure, it’s generally designed to establish an ‘arm-of-credibility’ to a platform that may otherwise not have a ‘leg’ to stand on! (pun intended).
I don’t say this to talk down on the TMZ’s and Media Take-Outs of the world because I indulge like the next man, but my point is that they exclusively contain the gossipy, more critic friendly end of the story……never the exonerating side….which speaks for itself! I’ll be the first to admit that Floyd Mayweather jr has done himself no favors by failing to distinguish the difference of being a clown on reality TV, from being a clown on the real reality TV (surveillance camera)! That being said, I think we have to (and need to) let the courts do their jobs after the law separates the facts from fiction.
Here’s why: Anyone who has ever spent time in an editing booth knows how easy it is to tamper with volumes when showcasing a final edit clip. It’s clear the piece was edited because it contained the TMZ logo. That being said, ask yourself why Floyd Mayweather’s voice was the only one audible, (even before he began to yell), despite the surveillance camera being closer to the guard than it was to Mayweather? This can be best displayed in the first 8 seconds of the clip when the security guard is barely audible saying “SIR, I KNOW IT’S YOU BUT I STILL NEED TO SEE YOUR ID”!
I spent 4 years as a U.S. Marine and a ton of those nights on security details. The sole purpose of a photo ID check is to identify the person entering the area, removing concern of illegal trespasser’s who can do harm to those authorized to be present. Once the guard acknowledged that Mayweather was a homeowner in the community and identified him as such, it would be understandable if some suspicion led him to ask for the ID of the individuals who accompanied Mayweather, (which there were multiple); but to prompt the only individual in the car that you do factually know for proof of ID was quite bizarre! Adding insult to injury was the fact that the guard later asked Mayweather “what would you like to do”? I think the answer here was obvious.
Preventing admission without ID after allegedly allowing it in the past, and only weeks after an issue with another guard on the same staff can easily shift the tide in this type of case. All Mayweather has to do is recall other times where he was allowed entry without ID and have his attorney request the surveillance tape from that evening. All of a sudden, what looks like a belligerent act of one man suddenly becomes a harassment suit against one entity, and a possible defamation of character suit against another! See how easy it is to spin a story and deflate the air from the prosecutions vessel? Bottom line, we don’t know what’s what, and until it all comes out, we shouldn’t act like we do. That’s what the courts are there for. Stay tuned.
Sergio H. (Orlando, FL): I’m a huge Miguel Cotto fan and I’ve followed him for years. i feel that under Steward he can become a force again, but I don’t particularly care to see him attempt to avenge his Margarito loss. Do you think he really stands a chance?
Vivek W. (ESB): I think Miguel Cotto is a better technical boxer than most would give him credit for, and under Emanuel Steward I think his ability will only improve, but in this particular matchup I think there are two obstacles that he may never overcome. For starters, I’ve always said the thing that makes Margarito dangerous is not is power, and it never was. It’s the fact that he has the work rate to out work you, and the chin to outlast you. His chin and work rate make him an immediate threat to Cotto, whose late fight stamina was questioned well prior to his first loss. Aside from this, Cotto’s true problem in this showdown will be the same one he had in their first encounter, and the same one he had against Pacquiao……his heart!
Cotto is a proud Puerto Rican warrior and when he takes a power shot, his level of discipline won’t allow him to use movement and carefully execute. It prompts him to return fire, which keeps him in the line of fire. Before his discipline faded, he was actually well ahead against Margarito in their first encounter, and even with Pacquiao, if you look at the first two rounds, he boxed a masterful fight. Had he stuck to that level of discipline, he could have arguably won both fights. He couldn’t….and the rest was history. Steward may be able to control him and keep him fundamental for longer, but it’ll take a full discipline 12 rounds to get the “W”. Anything less and it’ll be a repeat of their first fight. It’s that simple.
(Vivek Wallace can be reached at vivexemail@yahoo.com, 954-292-7346, Youtube (VIVEK1251), Twitter (VIVEKWALLACE747), Skype (VITO-BOXING), Facebook and Myspace).