By David P. Greisman

In this week’s episode of Fighting Words, I throw in my two copper Lincolns worth on the upcoming megafight between Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales, whine and moan about the cost of being a boxing fan, answer my first reader email and kvetch along in The Ten Count.  This article had originally been a lengthier dissertation, but fortunately I have garnered editorial skills hereditarily.  Still, I ask for your patience and your attention, as well as your opinions, and with that out of the way, let’s get this show on the road.

Will Manny Pacquiao Become the New Mexican Assassin?

Fight fans and reporters alike are buzzing over this Saturday’s Pay-Per-View main event between the Filipino Firebomber Manny Pacquiao and Erik “El Terrible” Morales.  As for me, there hasn’t been a fight that I have looked this forward to so much and not turned out disappointed.  With warriors like these, though, I hope to break my unlucky streak.

Recently, when I’ve caught boxing broadcasts, I’ve watched them while taking notes so that I can post a fight results article for y’all within a short period of time.  I apologize then, in noting that for Morales/Pacquiao, I will be watching as a fan first and foremost.  Not to worry, I will still be filing a story within twenty-four hours and/or commenting on the brawl in next week’s Fighting Words.  On to the actual fight…

The big questions going into this Saturday are whether Morales will be able to make the same kind of adjustments to Pacquiao’s power that Juan Manuel Marquez made after the three-knockdown first round, if Morales will be able to forego his warrior roots and box, if Pacquiao has added something extra so that he does not get caught looking as one-dimensional as he did at times against Marquez, and, with that previous query in mind, just how phenomenal is Freddie Roach’s prizefighter?

Make no mistake about it, I think that Pacquiao is as talented as they come, but being prodigious isn’t everything in the sweet science.  As for Morales, he, too, is a whiz and a champion competitor, but I cannot get the footage of a one-armed Jesus Chavez giving El Terrible difficulty out of my head.  I think the idea that both fighters are of such a tremendous quality and that scenarios exist for either to win is what makes the night of the nineteenth so intriguing.

When my father and I sit down, we will be salivating at the prospect of what just may occur over the twelve rounds, and it should be fifty dollars well spent.  Speaking of...

Pay-Per-View and the Poverty of the Boxing Fan

Some prices are approximate, but…

Erik Morales vs. Manny Pacquiao, 3/19/05 – fifty dollars
Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Mzonke Fana, 4/9/05 – fifty dollars
ESPN Quadruple-header, 4/23/05 – thirty dollars
Felix Trinidad vs. Winky Wright, 5/14/05 – fifty dollars
Kostya Tszyu vs. Ricky Hatton, 6/4/05 – fifty dollars
Arturo Gatti vs. Floyd Mayweather, 6/25/05 (more on that soon) – fifty dollars

As they say in the late night paid programming, “But wait, there’s more!”

Finding a monthly cable/satellite service that carries HBO, Showtime, Fox Sports Net, ESPN2, HBO Latino, Telefutura and Telemundo?  That’ll cost anywhere from sixty to ninety dollars a month.

Don’t even get me started on the ticket prices for live fights.  At least with Morales/Pacquiao and the ESPN PPV, respectively, there is a rather decent undercard and a good, low price (how many years has it been since promoters only charged thirty?).

Wladimir’s Not-So-Secret Admirer

KOgirL425 writes, “Your ignorance amazes me.  Wladimir [Klitschko] does not have a glass jaw.  He has only been knocked out once and that was against Corrie Sanders.  He punched himself out against [Ross] Purrity, and if you remember it was his corner that stopped the fight.  Also, we all know that there was something wrong with Wladimir when he fought Lamon Brewster.  He was barely even touched by Brewster, yet he somehow mysteriously seemed to run out of energy.  And while he didn’t look beautiful against [DaVarryl] Williamson, he proved he still has what it takes.  In the matter of moments he forced Williamson to change his fight plan.  Mark my words, it is only a matter of time before he is champion again.”

If you want to say that Wladimir Klitschko does not have a glass jaw, then I prefer to point out that Wlad dislikes getting hit to the point that he should no longer be fighting.  Since being absolutely rocked by Corrie Sanders, Dubya-Kay fought two stiffs in Danell Nicholson and Fabio Moli, and then, after losing to Lamon “Don’t call me Punky” Brewster, decided to throw excuse after excuse out to his shocked fans. 

You write that “we all know that there was something wrong with Wladimir,” but don’t you find it the least bit dubious that the “something wrong” has ranged from tampered water bottles to elevated blood sugar levels to an inordinate amount of Vaseline applied by legendary cutman Joe Souza.  The investigation that was promised afterwards was ridiculous, and I bet that shortly thereafter the Klitschko camp realized just that and dropped it.  If Wlad was humble enough to bite the bullet and realize that he had over-exerted himself and then lost himself psychologically when Brewster kept landing shots, then his fans should, too. 

As for the fight against “Touch of Sleep,” Williamson was never forced to change his plan to stay elusive and try and tire his opponent.  After the accidental head-butt that caused the technical stoppage, it was plain as day in Wladimir’s eyes that he no longer wanted to be in the ring.

The 10 Count

1.  As noted referee Mills Lane was known for saying, “Let’s get it on!”  Having resolved their prior contract disputes, Arturo “Thunder” Gatti and “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will finally confront each other in the ring this summer on Pay-Per-View on Saturday, June 25.  Their meeting, which had initially been scheduled for two weeks prior before being called off thanks to contentious and stubborn negotiating tactics, will still take place in Gatti’s adopted hometown of Atlantic City.   The June 11 HBO date will go to Miguel Cotto, and his possible opponents have included rematches with DeMarcus Corley and Mohamad Abdulaev (the latter of which beat Cotto out in the first round of the 2000 Olympics).

2.  This spot, up to a few minutes before deadline, was to have begun with, “As noted rhythm and blues musician Marvin Gaye was known for singing, ‘Let’s get it on,’ part two!”  Thanks to my ever-curious mind, though, I was prevented from making a fool of myself, learning from BoxingTalk.net that due to a pulled muscle in the WBC champ, the on-again off-again Vitali Klitscho vs. Hasim Rahman fight slated for April 30 is once again off again.

3.  Just when Nancy Kerrigan thought she could finally live in peace, her old rival Tonya Harding decided that rather than get some man to kneecap someone of her own gender, she would tee off between the ropes in an exhibition against a man.  In the first major victory of its kind since Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs, Harding won via a second round TKO.  And, no, I didn’t type that previous line with a straight face.

4.  A few weeks ago, I caught the latter portion of an interesting program on prison boxing, in which one of the fighters interviewed was the Black Rhino, Clifford Etienne.  If any readers know the name of this program and how I can find a copy of it, please reach me via the contact information below.

5. In a recent interview on BoxingTalk.net, former heavyweight champ and current Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man Riddick Bowe mentioned that he and Evander Holyfield should have a fourth tussle.  Why is it that of the three of them, only the Fan Man knew when to call it quits?

6.  A fight being negotiated that I would love to see?  James Toney vs. John Ruiz

7.  Boo and hiss to HBO (whom I normally have no problems with) for counter-scheduling the stellar ESPN card on April 23 with a Wladimir Klitschko fight.  It’s not like I can afford TiVo along with everything else.  If, as BoxingTalk.net is speculating (boy, are they getting a lot of face time this week), Wlad faces Chris Byrd at Madison Square Garden on the 30th instead of Sergei Lyakovich the week prior in Dortmund, Germany, all will be fixed.

8. What are the sales figures on Roy Jones’s rap albums?  Have they gone into the same bargain bins as releases from Allen Iverson, Deion Sanders, Shaquille O’Neal and Ron Artest?

9.  I’m absolutely chomping at the bit for the opportunity to get to the local Blockbuster and rent Fight Night 2005 for X-Box.

10.  The Contender Update:  West Side represent!  Thanks to a double dose of Mark Burnett’s new reality show, two more fights have been shown and too more contestants have been defeated, thus losing their chance at the one million dollar prize.  On Thursday’s episode, Jesse Brinkley landed the cleaner, harder shots en route to a five round decision victory over the experienced Jonathan Reid.  Three days later, The Contender moved into its regular time slot of Sunday at 8 PM (eastern time), and the bout that viewers had been teased with finally took place.  In another five round decision, Ishe Smith beat the cocky Ahmed Kaddour in a match that looked entertaining enough that it should have been shown in its entirety.  With three episodes out of the way, the West team has all eight pugilists left, while the East is down to five.  I just wish that the “challenges” were as creative as they are on Burnett’s other shows, Survivor and The Apprentice.  I mean, c’mon, a game of dodgeball with Sugar Ray Leonard refereeing?

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