By Cliff Rold (photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank)
Real history is hard to come by. Henry Armstrong was real history. It was 69-years-ago that Henry Armstrong completed an impossible trifecta, adding the world lightweight title to his existing status as king at featherweight and welterweight. In the process he became the second and last man to hold three world titles in three weight classes at the same time (the other was Barney Ross). Other fighters since have won more titles in more classes, but few have been the undisputed king of all their domains.
Roberto Duran added titles at 154 and 160 to his amazing lineal reigns at 135 and 147, but those titles came against men who were easily not the best in their divisions. Roy Jones moved to heavyweight and was declared a champion without facing Lennox Lewis. Those were moments of modern, TV-made, watered down history. With the right career move following a must-win this Saturday night, (my choice for) pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao (42-3-2, 32 KOs) can stare real history in the eye by challenging world lightweight champion Joel Casamayor (34-3-1, 21 KOs).
Manny has already stamped himself with a piece of real history. Pacquiao, then only 19, captured the lineal world flyweight (112 lb.) championship in 1998 with an eighth round knockout of then-champion Chatchai Sasakul; Pacquiao, not yet a Filipino icon, would lose that title on hostile foreign soil less than one year later on an uncalled and vicious low blow. Rebuilding from there, Pacquaio would win an alphabet belt at 122 lbs. before finding himself in the ring in 2003 with the legendary Marco Antonio Barrera for the lineal World Featherweight championship.
This though was more than another championship. In defeating Barrera, Pacquiao became the first man in history to make the leap from lord of the flys to king of the feathers. The last time anyone else had come close, Japanese legend Fighting Harada had fallen just short in two tries against Australia’s Johnny Famechon in the 1960s. I have not found a point in history where a former flyweight king so much as challenged for the lightweight title. Pacquiao should…and Bob Arum should be salivating to promote it.
After all, Arum has shown he can make money with fake history. Oscar De La Hoya’s ‘world’ middleweight title win against Felix Sturm comes to mind. Imagine what he can do with the real thing. He just sold out the Alamodome for a pay-per-view fight this Saturday against Jorge Solis (32-0-2, 23 KOs), a fighter that few give a chance to win despite his #8 Ring Magazine rating at 126 lbs. (this bout is fought at Pacquiao’s 130 lb. limit, a weight class whose World title has remained vacant since Floyd Mayweather vacated the title in 2002). Pacquiao hasn’t had a chance at a true world title since vacating at Featherweight. Enter one slick Cuban southpaw.
Some might dispute Casamayor’s claim as sole king. He doesn’t currently own a full sanctioning body belt (though the WBC has been so graceful as to give him back an ‘interim’ status after stripping him for negotiating a fight he didn’t take). He does hold the Ring belt at 135 and the proper lineage.
Whether you think the current lightweight title line starts properly at the 2004 bout between the consensus top two Jose Luis Castillo and Juan Lazcano, or you prefer the bout in 2005 between Castillo and Diego Corrales, there is no denying that the series of fights that led to the first Castillo-Corrales, cleaned out the top of the class. That leaves one man standing: Casamayor after his defeat of Corrales last October.
Pacquiao-Casamayor would have all the elements that make boxing great. Manny would be trying for an accomplishment never before achieved. Win and it’s the second time he can call himself the first and only to climb a heretofore unscaled mountain. For the 35-year old champion, it would grant the chance at the final piece in an as yet unfilled Hall-of-Fame puzzle. On top of that, you have two warriors who have shown a willingness to sacrifice, to get up off the floor, to bleed in the pursuit of achievement.
There are those who would rather see Pacquiao rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez, particularly after the Marquez win over Marco Antonio Barrera last month. Win or lose against Casamayor that fight could still be there. That’s if it is even there now. Fellow scribe Steve Kim refers often to a ‘cold war’ between Pacquaio promoter Arum and Marquez’ promoters at Golden Boy Promotions. With Arum charge Humberto Soto as mandatory to Marquez’ WBC 130 lb. diadem, it isn’t a lock that we get Pacquiao-Marquez II. There is no such known animosity between Arum and Casamayor promoter Luis De Cuba.
If nothing else, Pacquiao-Casamayor is great because it could cut the sanctioning mobs out of the money. Pacquiao didn’t have and didn’t need any green or red belts to be the true king at 126; Casamayor doesn’t need them now. They were and are the men who beat the men. A fight between these two could give us a man for all-time. So forget running for mayor or whatever else Pacquiao has been hinting at. Real history for Manny is between the ropes and real history would be only an opening bell away should Pacquiao challenge Joel Casamayor.
No one may ever again reach Armstrong’s exact mountaintop. Manny is one win away from standing just a step below that summit.
Calzaghe-Kessler Watch
During the interview portion of the telecast last Saturday on HBO, following World Super Middleweight Champion Joe Calzaghe’s (43-0, 32 KOs) appearance against Contender runner-up Peter Manfredo (26-4, 12 KOs), victorious promoter Frank Warren hinted at an offer made to Calzaghe’s only real challenger Mikkel Kessler (39-0, 29 KOs). Announcer Larry Merchant may have cut him off on the live feed, but Warren’s message was expressed throughout the global press by Sunday morning.
At BoxingScene, correspondent Fred Sternburg quoted Warren as stating that “"Per Joe's desire to unify the belts, I had already offered Mikkel Kessler a multi-million dollar purse, including his keeping the German and Danish TV rights, for a summer title unification fight…However, Kessler's promoter countered with a demand for parity and a 50/50 split on everything.” The ‘multi-millions’ offered were reported by some, including ESPN, at approximately $3 million and Warren was also widely quoted as stating that Team Kessler would not be available for an intended July date.
I got hold of the signed offer from Warren as well as the signed response from Kessler promoter Mogens Palle. Dated March 27, 2007, Warren’s written offer to Palle was for $1.75 million dollars and the Scandinavian TV rights for a bout to be fought on July 7 or 14 of this year. Warren also wrote to Palle that “You stated that you would also require German TV. I have an existing broadcast contract with German TV. I will have to discuss the situation with them and will come back to you in due course.” Not exactly the offer Warren claimed to have made.
Palle’s written response to Warren, dated April 4, 2007, did though state that Kessler would not be available to fight in July and confirmed Warren’s charge that Palle was asking for economic parity. The document reads “such a fight could be held in Denmark, in the United Kingdom or in a neutral country such as the United States. Mikkel Kessler is willing to fight in any location, provided that there is complete parity regarding the purses and all other revenue. In other words, Kessler must get exactly the same compensation as does Calzaghe. Also any such promotion must be a co-promotion.”
I contacted Palle personally on Monday evening. Palle was in the United States, joined over the weekend by Kessler, to meet with HBO and allow for a Kessler appearance on ESPN Friday Night Fights. Palle stated that it had “been a very successful trip” and that HBO “was very excited about Kessler.” As to a July date, Palle stated that HBO has no plans to make a July bout and that Warren’s offer was “hot air.”
Further expanding on why July would not viable for Kessler regardless, Palle compared the Andrade fight, which he called “a tough twelve round fight against a real world contender,” to Calzaghe’s challenge from Manfredo. Palle stated that Calzaghe-Manfredo “was a mismatch against a cartoon fighter. Being in that reality show means nothing…that was all mediocre fighters. Not world class material that deserves to fight for a world title.” He stated that after the Andrade fight, Kessler would need more time to have proper training and wondered how many times Calzaghe has come back from one tough fight to another in only three months, stating that he often fights “with six, seven month intervals.” Digging in further to his rival promoter and the disappointing affair that was Calzaghe-Manfredo, Palle would offer that Warren should feel ashamed for having “cheated 35,000 fans” by offering them the fight he did.
While I personally hold the all of the sanctioning body belts in low regard, there is no doubt that they factor heavily into negotiations. Palle was quick to point out that Calzaghe’s WBO belt is only one versus Kessler two “most prestigious” title belts from the WBC and WBA. Palle gave little regard to Ring Magazine titles (Calzaghe is recognized by Ring as well) arguing that just “because two guys from Ring give out belts” does not make their titlists the true champion.
Palle pointed out that he offered $1.75 million pounds ($3.43 million dollars) along with British TV rights in the fall of 2006 for a March 2007 bout with Kessler in Denmark. An independently attained document dated November 7, 2006 verified this offer along with exhibiting a consistency from Palle as to acceptable terms for a bout in the UK (“the right amount of money plus exclusive Nordic country and German TV, radio and internet rights.”) Palle stated to me that Warren is “manipulating…he never replies accept through the press.” In conclusion on the issue of a Calzaghe-Kessler bout, Palle stated that, given the current state of negotiations, “I have no belief that the fight will happen at all.”
That leaves open the possibility of other opponents for Kessler. “He would like to fight (Ring Light Heavyweight king) Bernard Hopkins. Frank Warren is saying there is no reason for Calzaghe to go to the United States to fight” given the crowds Calzaghe draws. Palle stated that Kessler would be willing to come to the United States to fight Hopkins or World middleweight champion Jermain Taylor. There is reason to be optimistic that such events could take place.
Following my conversation with Palle, I spoke with another unnamed source who illuminated what had gone on in meetings with HBO. HBO allegedly views the top of this weight range as a ‘group of five’ consisting on Kessler, Calzaghe, Taylor, Hopkins and Winky Wright and if Calzaghe is not available HBO is willing to work towards any of the other big names versus “The Viking Warrior.”
This source further stated that Palle is scheduled, before returning to Denmark, for sit-downs with Taylor promoter Lou DiBella as well as Hopkins Golden Boy Promotions partner Richard Schaeffer. Considering the offer Warren made for Taylor to travel to the UK this July (Warren’s 1.6 million pound ($3.1 million) initial offer has reportedly been upped to approximately $4 million), Kessler might be in position to be the realistic European force against the biggest American names in a stateside ring.
So what’s my personal take on Calzaghe-Kessler? It’s too big not to happen eventually as long as both keep winning. The numbers Palle offered last year indicate that there is much more money in the pot already than Warren’s alarmingly low current offer approaches. It does though strike odd that the 28-year old fighter is being claimed to need more recovery time than the 35-year old. No one is asking for a return to the days when Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake Lamotta fought twice in the same month but, barring an undisclosed injury from that Andrade fight, four months should be plenty of time for a fight.
That said, this is not Roy Jones-Dariusz Michalczewski, where one fighter was a name without a face outside his home market. I remember a moment in the Legendary Nights retrospective on Ray Leonard-Tommy Hearns. Angelo Dundee said that he could sense when a promotion was going to get really big and that rather than go straight from Roberto Duran to Hearns, he thought it would be better economics to let the business of Leonard-Hearns build the fight in the ring. It worked like a charm. As long as the parties in question don’t lose, it’s always worked in boxing.
The wait may seem interminable for those, like me, who have followed Kessler for much of the last few years and thought he was the most deserving contender in the division before the bout between Calzaghe and Jeff Lacy. That ignores the fact that the fight just got hot to most boxing followers. Maybe this fight does go the way of Jones-Michalczewski (or Salvador Sanchez-Eusebio Pedroza or Carlos Palomino-Pipino Cuevas). But maybe it doesn’t. If it doesn’t, we could all be looking at only the beginning of one of the biggest multi-national promotions in history.
Comrade Bunyan: Russia’s answer to Paul Bunyan, Ring #4 Heavyweight Nikolay Valuev (46-0, 34 KOs, WBA titlist) is back in action this weekend and boxing fans owe a thanks to Don King for coming to the rescue again. His striking a deal at the last minute with MSG, and by proxy Fox Sports, to show the World Cruiserweight title tilt last month was a coup; it’s been done again for this Saturday in what could be an entertaining scrap. Valuev will be facing #9 Ruslan Chagaev (22-0-1, 17 KOs), a man who arguably should rate higher than the giant. Unlike Valuev, Chagaev actually deserved his decision win against John Ruiz. Valuev is making noise about Marciano’s 49-0, but most forget that it’s not the 49 that matters. It’s the “0.”
That brings me to this…the heavyweight title has been vacant since Lennox Lewis retired in February 2004 (Vitali Klitschko’s Ring title reign doesn’t count). That’s three years and a couple months change. Put another way, it’s the longest the crown has ever been vacant with no sign of let up. The winner of Valuev-Chagaev should be set to face #1 Wladimir Klitschko (48-3, 43 KOs) next, what with all parties having their payoffs…err, ‘mandatories’ out of the way. Instead we hear rumors of Wlad-Lamon Brewster II which could be good, but no one has seen Brewster in a ring for over a year and he was never dependably in shape when he was active. For Wlad to fight anyone but the Valuev-Chagaev winner is disgraceful matchmaking and a blight on the sport from the network that airs it. For Valuev to claim to have caught or surpassed Marciano one day without being the only true champion is just a joke.
The Ten Second Bell: After watching last Saturday’s HBO show, and remembering 115 lb. Jorge Arce’s last two junk network appearances, how funny is it that the best fight Arce has taken since defeating Yosam Choi for the world title at 108 lbs. in 2002 is coming on an independent pay-per-view? Arce-Cristian Mijares is a solid affair and one of the best fights that can be made among boxing’s mighty mites. It could be good enough to overshadow Pacquiao-Solis by the end of the night…How sad is it that Juan Diaz is still willing to pay a WBA sanctioning fee? In order to maintain a lightweight unification clash with Acelino Freitas next week, he and promoter Don King shelled out high-five figures for mandatory Prawet Singwancha to step aside. Singwancha’s is ranked #1 because, um, let’s see, his last opponent is listed on Boxrec.com as 26-32. That’s not it. Four of his last five opponents before that have no wins listed. That’s not it either. Juan Diaz just got robbed and will pay fees to continue being robbed.
The sanctioning body ratings have for years too often been disgraceful, but fighters and promoters remaining complicit in these shenanigans do the sport no service either. It’s a shame. Diaz is one of the best young fighters in the game and his team deserves better than to throw good money down the drain…If Diego Corrales is truly done at the elite level (and three straight losses usually is a bad sign), the sport is lesser for it. Regardless of his personal demons and out of ring issues, Corrales had an almost eight year run of incredible action fights. Along the way, he faced four of the five best fighters near his weight class and beat three of them. He won the greatest title fight in lightweight history. Hell of a ride. Probably enough to get him to the Hall of Fame.
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com