TMag56

My heart was beating pretty fast when Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was starting to turn the tables in the 12th against Sergio. I'm a big Martinez fan, so I was seriously nervous that 11 dominate rounds were going to be wasted. It made for a memorable fight, but I was in a room with a bunch of guys rooting hard for a Chavez Jr. rally. Kudos for the knockdown, but damn it made me nervous.

Of course I'd want to see the fight. Been wanting to see it since 2009. The problem is...it's almost 2013, and Pacquiao has taken too many blows, has lost a step, and most importantly he was knocked unconscious for about two minutes against a guy that Mayweather dominated (with obvious considerations of weight). See it? Yeah. Would I prefer it now over Canelo, Sergio or even Guerrero...? No.

By the way, your 7 yr old can ball! Keep him at it..., US Soccer needs him, if we're ever going to compete for the World Cup some day!

Who got KO'd by Martinez? The Cintron fight ended in a DRAW. 110-116, 113-113, 113-113. Check it yourself, buddy, and please use BOLD black in your next response. Martinez probably deserved the win, but it was a draw.

I sure as heck hope it's much better than Floyd/Oscar. A nearly non-action waltz for 12 rounds, with an over the hill De La Hoya, and a Floyd that couldn't pull the trigger. Canelo is young and aggressive, and not in a wide-open flailing Ricky Hatton sense.

I'm just merely making a case for Canelo earning this fight with Floyd. Sure, Segio dominated the Cintron fight, but that's not my point. You're way off base, here. My point is that Canelo is manhandling his opposition, and his opponents aren't much worse than what Floyd has been fighting.

I don't see how Canelo HASN'T earned this fight! One of Floyd's last fights was with an over the hill 40+ year old Mosley, who Canelo later strong-armed for 12 easy rounds. Then Floyd fought Victor Ortiz, who had his jaw broken by Josesito Lopez..., who was then dominated and dismantled by Canelo within four rounds. Canelo was the first to actually stop Carlos Baldomir, whom Floyd likes to brag about fighting. He knocked out Kermit Cintron, who was supposed to be a decent opponent, and actually got a Draw with Sergio Martinez. Come on! He deserves this. Maybe he's a bit green..., but even at 22/23 years old, he presents a better fight than Bradley. 40+ fights to his credit. I mean, seriously, isn't this going to be a better fight than Ricky Hatton in 2007? He'll bring it, he'll be aggressive, and if he has the endurance to go 12 rounds with Floyd, he might really hurt him.

The fight ended in a Draw, though. Canelo, however, did legitimately knock out Cintron.

Roger Mayweather keeps talking about Bradley, and it's worrying me. We don't need to see that fight. Guerrero would be just fine! Money May/The Ghost Canelo/Angulo(?) Put Gamboa on that card, too, and it's an epic night of boxing and a BBQ party! --

I agree. Mayweather will likely be remembered as one of the top 20 boxers of all time. He has a chance...right now...to put himself higher on that list by taking on guys like Canelo, or Sergio, or even Golovkin. He should be working on his legacy by taking on what we're calling the "riskier" fights.

I failed to mention Sergio Martinez in the original post, even though I've been excited about that prospect for over a year. I just don't see Floyd taking it. If he's likely to take a May 5th bout, it'll be against a Mexican, which leaves the 2nd 2013 fight open for Martinez, but I don't see Floyd "picking" him. I'd love to believe that it'll happen, but with all due respect to Floyd as an athlete and an incredible boxer, I don't see him taking a fight with Sergio over the likes of JMM or Timothy Bradley, mainly because he does "cherry pick" and I suppose he can afford to. It's not a bad thing, to pick your fighter, but I think it's been fairly obvious that they don't really take too many risks. A Bradley fight, in my opinion, is the worst one for the fans, because we all know Bradley poses a small threat, and has very little power. The guy who eventually beats Floyd will need to have a Left, and he'll need to love going toe to toe. He'll have to have equal parts ring intelligence and brutality, knowing that he might get hit more than he'll give. When I mentioned Cotto's success against Floyd, I wasn't overstating what Cotto was able to do for a few rounds. I think a young fighter with a similar strategy and work ethic would be trouble for Mayweather. When Cotto got into the ring with Floyd he simply wasn't the same fighter he was in 2007, or 08, or 09, when he should've fought Floyd. Ricky Hatton was Floyd's choice in 2007. The options were Cotto, Mosley, Margarito, Williams, etc., etc., but he chose Ricky Hatton. After a two year lay off, he chose a lightweight, who climbed two weight classes, and then he still came into the fight OVER the limit (and paid a fine for it). I think Floyd's a truly great fighter, but if he takes Bradley over the likes of Canelo, Guerrero, or Martinez, he will simply not be remembered as the all time great that he believes he is. I don't think the Martinez bout will happen, nor do I see him taking Golovkin, which would be intense. He will take on Marquez for a 2nd time, or will take on Bradley, because his team knows it's a good "match".

I'd imagine a much better fight this time around. Remember JMM had to climb two weight classes for that bout, and Mayweather still outweighed him. Floyd paid an extra fine because he exceeded the weight limit, while JMM was unaccustomed to the weight class, and simply wasn't ready. The size advantage was obvious. JMM was simply unprepared. JMM is much bigger now, stronger, and more confident than in 2009. Plus he has the 12 rounds of previous experience to prepare for a rematch. I'm not saying JMM could beat him, but I'd rather see this rematch than the 5th Pacquiao fight at this point. He should retire, otherwise.

Marquez/Mayweather 2, or JMM should just retire. Pacquiao will not retire, but I would prefer not to see a 5th fight. It would likely be good, but it's not necessary. A second JMM/Floyd fight would be more interesting this time around, despite what happened in the first contest. JMM is bigger now, more confident, and he has the experience of having fought him before, so I imagine it would be much better.

It's boxing. Knockouts happen. The logic in saying that Marquez didn't knock him out "before" so he should never be able to do it is flawed and ridiculous. JMM's physique isn't that much bigger or better than in the previous (#3) fight, and this time he was clearly looking to go out on his shield and fight aggressively. He was looking to hurt Pacquiao, knowing that it's likely his only chance, after the first three decisions. Especially considering that Manny got robbed so blatantly against Tim Bradley, the judges weren't likely to be kind to JMM in another close match. He needed to hurt Manny. JMM fought an open, aggressive and somewhat risky bout. He could've been put down several times, but he stuck with it and went for the big shot. He was waiting on the heavy righthand counters, trying to time Manny, and it paid off. It's very similar to Martinez/Williams 2, where Sergio just made the right choice, got the right punch and down went Williams. Their previous meeting was a very close 12 round bout. The knockout in the rematch was a surprise. But, that's boxing. It takes one hell of a punch to do it, and JMM threw it.

Oh, please rematch Ortiz. haha - Seriously. I want to see what would happen without that WWE moment.

This was great to see, but I'm not sure that it offers any new insight into how May 5th will actually go. If anything, Henry might even be more aggressive than Cotto is these days, however, I did think his emulation of Cotto was pretty good, early on. Notably Cotto's bounce, posture, and constant switching from orthodox to south paw.

I'll play along. Probably Mayweather/Ortiz. Nothing staged about that. Absoulutely no theatre there. Pitch perfect. Young, hungry fighter gets his chance at fighting an undefeated legend, and goes from amped up head hunter to suddenly a clueless, overly-apologetic rookie in the course of a few minutes. And the referee was fair...but firm, of course. And, totally in control.

I hope the fight still happens, and I think there's actually a fairly good chance, pending the Rios out come. Money talks, and this fight is obviously the biggest. Garcia? Not quite yet. Khan? Of course not! Watch Alexander beat him any way. Bradley? Well, he has to beat the New Marquez, and he also got torn up badly by Provodinakov, so why would he get a shot at Floyd? No power, easy target, nobody's paying for that fight. The best fights are still Pacquiao, Martinez, Golovkin..., maybe Erislandy Lara.

Ortiz was rattled, my friend. Look at all the angles. Ortiz is stunned with the left, and absolutely plowed in the chin with the quick right. He was knocked out, and it didn't feel good. Sure, they both made money, but because they're prize fighters. Unfortunately, the fight should've gone further, but that's sometimes the way it goes.

Would it be possible for Martinez to get a shot at Floyd?

These is no opponent for Khan's scheduled fight in December. I can't really see Floyd fighting that soon, but it would be a treat, to be honest. He should be doing that, after so much vacation time. Pacquiao is fighting constantly, so why not Floyd?

"I'm fair, but I'm firm." From now on he should say, "I'll barely pay attention. No Bayless, no fairness. Let's go!"

That's a great point. Time was Not running when Ortiz was knocked out.

Thank you. I'm not necessarily an Ortiz fan, though I like the kid, and I'm not necessarily a Pacquiao fan, although I will be rooting for him against Floyd. And, this isn't because I disrespect him, he's a brilliant athlete, but I will be rooting for Manny, & this recent victory is part of that decision. Cortez will not be the ref, hopefully, and that's a good thing.

I should also add, that in my defense, as someone who "knows the sport," good sir, Ortiz hit Berto several times with left hooks, and not just within the combination that first dropped him, which ended with a straight left. You should go back and watch it, just in case you were doing something else at the time of that fight. I can also cite actual articles for evidence to back up the fact that Ortiz did indeed throw that punch (actually...here, Victor's left hooks are mentioned twice: sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=6372519). And, just to clarify, Ortiz is indeed a bonafide southpaw, and incorporates the left hook with consistency, despite what's believed to be a somehow strictly orthodox punch. Did I really need to say that? Let's keep this discussion informed & educated. And, as far as Mayweather being vulnerable to southpaws, I think this is the general opinion of those who have followed Mayweather throughout his career. However, I admit that "vulernable" is a strong term, since he's handled himself beautifully in all situations, regardless of being caught more frequently from the left side.

Thank you for highlighting the quote for us all. As I said, and everyone can see above, "...he's vulnerable from that side," was the exact statement. It's obvious to anyone who actually read the posting adequately that I used the "left hook" as a mere example of a possible punch Ortiz might deliver (from that side), and did not specifically say that he's vulnerable to left hooks precisely. And, I'm not a tool. I read things thoroughly.

This guy uses Margarito as an icon picture. It makes sense, really. I'd rather be cheesy than ignorant. It's like shooting anchovies in a tecate can, over here. Your idol is an overrated cheater, who was defeated by a slow, aged Sugar Shane, even with his gloves loaded. Watch some more fights, educate yourself in the history of the sport, and find a better role model. Perhaps Butter Bean might be a step up, good sir.

I appreciate the responses. Fair enough. However, I didn't specifically state that Mayweather is vulnerable to the left hook itself, but that he's shown to be a bit more vulnerable to southpaws, primarily to his oft chosen comfort zone and stance. I just threw out the idea of a possible Ortiz "left hook" catching him, as an example, implying that Floyd has shown to be more vulnerable to lefties since his earlier days. And, when I say vulnerable, I realize that Mayweather hasn't shown many vulnerabilities at all, however the Chop Chop Corley & Judah fights show that Floyd would prefer to fight orthodox fighters. Exact quote: "How can Mayweather not see this as a massive risk? If he loses this fight, from a sudden left hook to the chin (and we all know he's vulnerable from that side), or constant aggression from a guy who will throw more punches (guaranteed) round for round, he will miss out on possibly the BIGGEST, most desired boxing event of our generation." Also, I mean no disrespet to Floyd, who I agree is a phenomenal athelete and brilliant technician. I'm obviously just raising a hypothetical question about the upcoming fight, which I'm very excited about, and to see what the current buzz is around Victor's chances, and the legitimacy of the fight itself.

Oh, my! I love it. When does HBO premiere this face off? Also, Mayweather doesn't look at Ortiz like he did he previous opponents. Something's different. Maybe it's that Ortiz can actually talk back, which is a nice change, of pace. Floyd is used to throwing his words around. The look in Floyd's eye. I can't place it, but it doesn't have the same feeling as I'm used to.

My basic point, is more so a question of Victor's actual chances of victory. It'll be the general consensus that the odds are obviously in Floyd's favor, but overall, I'm not so sure this match up is as perfectly cherry picked as his previous bouts. If you look at the details, it's surprisingly juicy for Floyd, and as I said... possibly risky, at least compared to his last four or five fights. The fans should be excited about this match up, for several reasons, despite the media's obsession with a Pacquiao clash. Usually, there's something that Floyd, or his camp, sees in a fighter as being vulnerable to Floyd's style and comfort zone, and makes it easier to accept the fight. This might sound like a criticism, but rarely do any fighters get in the ring with someone they Know has a better chance of beating them they do their opponent. I would even go as far as to say that Judah's loss to Baldomir convinced Floyd to take that fight, however, if you rewatch the video, it's obvious that Mayweather had some issues with Judah, not necessarily because Zab was an elite boxer (and he was never terrible), but because he was a southpaw, and a respectably quick one at that. This goes without saying, but Floyd is a defensive genius, who...when hit at all makes the crowd ooh and aah. The Judah fight is not an excellent example of a southpaw having his number, and this is not my point, since I don't think anyone has ever had his number, except for maybe the Gold Medal final he lost as an amateur. I don't think Floyd is very vulnerable to any boxer anywhere near his weight class, however, I'm not so sure Floyd has ever been hurt, and if anyone can get close enough and active enough to do it, it would be an aggressive southpaw. A young, tough, confident southpaw who will make Floyd engage. I understand that Floyd sees $ signs, and a glorified tune up for Manny in this match up with Ortiz, but when he says he won't look past the young Mexican, he better mean it. Ortiz is not half the athletic talent that Mayweather is, but war is rarely fair or understanding of knowledge and experience on their own, and in a sport where fine tuned men use their fists to hurt other men, Ortiz is the only one of the two who has actually, sincerely, gone to war. This, on its own, is not enough to say that Ortiz will hurt Floyd. We've all seen what Mayweather has done to brawlers. See Gatti. Going to war in the past doesn't necessarily give you the secret powers to defeat a boxing genius, but Victor Ortiz is ten years younger, has knocked down every one of his opponents, and has no problem getting hit. Floyd will box, and get aggressive when he sees signs of vulnerability, but if he gets hit hard early (like he did against Corley, Judah & Mosley), we all know that Ortiz will press in hard, unlike his predecessors. Ortiz only knows one speed, which is forward, but he's young and quick enough to afford to get away with it most of the time, and he seems to enjoy getting hit. Against Maidana, Ortiz opened himself up, and admittedly had too much fun, got too wild, took a bad cut, and the fight was ended prematurely, but not before he planted the tough Argentinian three times. The fact that Ortiz has lost, and still continued to go to war, fight after fight, makes him scarier, or at least more likable as a threat. Floyd will be quicker than Victor. He'll be sly, clever, and counter on almost everything the young Mexican throws, but when he gets hit, it won't be a small unresponsive Marquez, or a fading Mosley, who refuses to chase, but an enthusiastic kid trying to take his head off. If Mayweather truly believes that he wil stay in the center of the ring and engage (which is what he's said in the press conferences), and not "box", then I think we're all in that very, very rare fireworks show we've all be desperately wanting from a Mayweather fight. Someone's gonna get hurt, here. If this fight is on the up and up, it certainly won't be Mosley/Pacquiao or Mayweather/Marquez, and I'm not promising Ward/Neary or Vitali/Lennox, but what we'll see will DEFINE Mayweather's image to the public. If he stops Ortiz, the Pacquiao fight will be the biggest fight event of our generation. If Ortiz somehow beats Floyd, Ortiz will be the new poster boy, and millions of sports fan will follow. Many people dislike Mayweather, and if this kid beats him, we'll have a likable boxing star for the mainstream, with a huge future in front of him.