By Pedro Fernandez
LARRY VIOLATES ONE OF “FISKE’S COMMANDMENTS!”
According to one Larry Merchant, legendary Trainer Cus D’Amato told him, “Every great fighter has at least one great fight left in him.” That being said, what does this mean in regards to Marco Antonio Barrera? Beaten and battered into an 11th round exit with World featherweight champ Manny Pacquiao last November, Merchant in an appearance on “Ring Talk Radio” Sunday evening invoked that very same notion in regards to the ex-titleholder at 122 & 126 lbs. Marco Antonio Barrera, who is one month shy of turning 31 years old, which in featherweight years is 58!
HBO GODFATHER CATCHES DREADED “GODFATHER” VIRUS!
But Larry also added a bit of pro-Barrera bias. “I love Barrera. They thought he was done after the Junior Jones losses, and they think the same again. It will be an interesting match as each guy, he brings out the best, or maybe it’s the beast in the other.” Hall of Fame writer Jack Fiske told me he once fell in love with a pug. It was Alexis Arquello and Fiske, the recognized “Godfather of Boxing Writers” before his retirement in the mid-1990’s after 40+ years with the S.F. Chronicle, he said it impacted his objectivity greatly when it came to the great A.A.
YOKO, EVERYBODY SHOULD BE PROUD OF SHANE!
Whether she likes it or not, Jin Mosley will always be “Yoko Mosley” here at www.RingTalk.com Regardless of whether she realizes it, the moniker isn’t a total slam, Look Shane Mosley may have lost the fight, but he won the night! A stark difference here than from their initial March 13 encounter was that Mosley fought extremely smart! Counterpunching well, Shane was taking the lead when he had to, and using his legs to move and sometimes glide around the squared circle. All of this offset the bigger man, taking away Winky Wright’s obvious advantages in height and body mass.
THE “G-FACTOR” PLAYED A HUGE ROLE
Having known Joe Goossen since the 80’s, I know that he is superb in that his guys almost always bring their “A Game” to the ring with them. And then once “North Hollywood Joe” gets his guy going, he rides them like legendary Jockey Laffit Pincay, who like Joe had an incredible ability to get his horse across the finish line in races where the horse was seemingly overmatched. Down the stretch Joe Goossen got all that he could out of Mosley, unfortunately it wasn’t quite enough. No second guessing here as Team Mosley made an astute move indeed when they grabbed “North Hollywood Joe.”
SHOULDA’, COULDA’, WOULDA’, BUT DIDN’T!
Having the foresight Mrs. Mosley didn’t, I would have taken the $12 million on the table for a third Oscar De La Hoya fight after Shane got a close nod in September of 2003. But Team Mosley said no and opted instead to fight a tall, left handed guy in Winky Wright who was a whole lot harder a foe than De La Hoya at 154 for small coins in comparison. But you know, whether it was right or wrong, the Mosley’s charted their own course together and that in itself has a value that sometimes doesn’t equate to dollars and or sense!
A “REAL” OPENING FOR SHANE-OSCAR III HERE!
Now with De La Hoya going back to 147 lbs., Shane would be wise to do so as well! Claiming he can’t, Mosley needs to get off the high-protein supplements and dump the weight training. If Yoko would hire me as in camp dietician, Trainer Joe Goossen and I could take the weight off without handicapping effects.
WRIGHT CAN MAKE HIS BACKERS JITTER!
From an elevated ringside seat, it certainly appeared that Winky won more rounds then did Mosley, but he didn’t do it in a manner that have people feeling they’re witnessing the reincarnation of Thomas Hearns. Slapping more often than not, Trainer Dan Birmingham may need to put Wright in a swimming pool and have him throw straight punches with leverage for a month before applying such in the gym, and then in actual combat. The bottom line is that if Wright gets a shot at World middleweight king Bernard Hopkins, he gets beat! He should instead face WBA guy Tarviss Simms and clean up at ’54 before any talk of moving on up.
ARUM RESIGNING WON’T STOP THE FED’S FOLKS!
With knowledge already in hand that Oscar De La Hoya would no longer be utilizing his services, Promoter Bob Arum made a preemptive move of sorts. He resigned as President of Top Rank last week, days in front of Oscar dumping him, and the “Federal Indictments!” That’s right, I had a meal with somebody who is 300% in the know while in Las Vegas for Wright-Mosley. This person, be it he/she, this individual has a finger on the pulse of “Operation Matchbox.”
AGAIN, READ MY BIG FAT LIPS PLEASE!
I was told, again, that the case against Top Rank is “Irrefutable!” This I’m told is in regards to Corporate Officers (See V.P.’s) operating outside of the law. Although I’m not one of them, some guys couldn’t survive in jail. Do you think VP’s Toad Du beof or Bruce Trampler know the difference between a “Mandatory” boyfriend, and having to give “Options?”
YOU BE THE JUDGE! IS THIS A KNOCKOUT OR DISQUALIFICATION?
Let me describe as factually as one can a fight between Pedro Fernandez and Paul Nave that took place in the San Francisco Cow Palace. After a wild opening round in which neither were dominant, I hit Paul with a left hook to the Liver that dropped him to his knees. The Referee waved me to a neutral corner, but Nave, who was holding me around thigh high, he would not release his grip and was in turn Disqualified. An argument ensued among Officials and somehow the fight was ruled a “DQ” and not a “KO!”
CONVICTED EX-DOPE BARON DRUNK AT WRIGHT-MOSLEY!
Having known Nave for 25 years almost, I can tell that unlike the aforementioned Oscar De La Hoya, he wears the residual effects of professional boxing as his eyes are both a bit off center! 40 lbs. over a fighting weight, Drunk, and maybe Coked out too, Nave threatened me Saturday. To that I say this. I’ll come out of retirement, do the sparring, the roadwork, and knock Paul Nave into the lap of his lapdog Promoter Peter Howes!
“HEY PEDRO, HOW COME YOU DON’T CALL ME ANYMORE?”
That was World middleweight champion Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins on the dais Saturday afternoon just after Oscar De La Hoya announced that Hopkins was becoming an “Equity Partner” in Golden Boy Promotions. Hopkins will be Golden Boy Promotions’ “East” President and will operate on a number of levels. This partnership to me has huge implications. Bernard is to a lot of guys, what they want to be in that they desire an ability to control their own careers.
SPEAKS MUCH BETTER THAN MOST, EVEN THE PRESIDENT!
Having been Oscar’s P.R. guy for a minute back before the 1992 Olympics, and then watching him perform as a fighter for 12 years, I was indeed proud of the way he spoke unscripted on Saturday. Although he and I will probably disagree on a number of things, De La Hoya branching out as a Promoter is not one of them! The crew around him, they’re solid, this in addition to the prettiest of all P.R. persons in Marilyn Aceves. In closing, the vehicle that is Golden Boy Promotions is seemingly ready to run on 12 cylinders!
BERNARD HOPKINS “VIDEO” EXCLUSIVE & OSCAR TOO!
Today at www.RingTalk.com we bring you two interviews with World middleweight king Bernard Hopkins. One clip on his career, and the other on the new role he will play with Golden Boy Promotions. Speaking of the “Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya, he slipped out the backdoor before any of us could get a word or two with him. But we do have him in his speech from the dais. Hit this to see the best Videos on the planet BAR none of Oscar and Bernard hit http://www.ringtalk.com/video.asp
RING TALK” GUARANTEE!
If you can find better Video, a more entertaining radio show than “Ring Talk,” or another boxing writer who Don King says is the “Toughest Pound For Pound,” you’re living in another dimension. Nobody can touch what we do here at www.RingTalk.com period!
“SNOOTY” KAPLAN CHICK AFTER PRINCESS’ SLOT?
Debbie Kaplan, who is Top Rank honcho Bill Kaplan’s daughter looked like she was trying to ease the aforementioned “Princess of Publicity” Marilyn Aceves out of a Golden Boy Promotions job Saturday in Las Vegas. Anyway, I cracked on Debbie about her being a zealot and Bernard concurred. And of this, Video wiz Favio Flores left it on the cutting room floor as he figured she didn’t need to be put in place 30,000 times, when in fact she does! Disrespectful of the Net Media, Ms. Kaplan doesn’t realize that the Net guys are the Media!
RING TALK RADIO, LISTEN NOW!
We heard from HBO’s Larry Merchant, Bernard Hopkins, Oscar De La Hoya, and HBO VP Kerry Davis talked up the HBO schedule of November, December, and January 2005 when both Arturo Gatti and Floyd Mayweather will each be showcased separately prior to a June meeting. Here’s the Audio link http://www.universaltalknetwork.com/arch_ringtalk.html
SEE YOU WEDNESDAY WITH A PRE-HOLIDAY TREAT!
Pedro Fernandez
Note: Mr. Fernandez is NOT your average boxing writer! A four-time San Francisco Golden Gloves champion, and formerly a Cop with the San Francisco Police Dept., few people have the unique combination of having a boxing background in addition to being a schooled Journalist. He can be reached with your comments at Pedro@RingTalk.com
