Tweet
Just saw this this morning on the Ring mag website. If i broke rules regarding posting form other links, i apologize to the moderators and delete it. I shortened the story cuz over the limit of characters. Just go to the link for the full article.
Link: http://thering-online.com/ringpages/readastory2.html
WANNA PIECE OF PAC-MAN?
Pacquiao’s Future Opponents And Their (Bleak) Chances For Success
Juan Manuel Marquez: In a recent interview with *********.com, Marquez recalled his 2004 bout with Pacquiao. It was a bruising 12-round draw that saw Marquez on the canvas three times during the opening round.
“When the bell rang, I began to connect with my punches, I hit him well. What was going through my mind was that Hey, this is an easy fight. Just as I finished my thought process, he connects on me and there I am on the canvas. It was too much confidence. I wish I could fight him once again because I was not satisfied with the decision that was given. I know I won the fight. It was close, but still I won it.
“To be able to say you are the best and to be remembered in boxing history as one of the best, you have to beat the best. Me and Manny Pacquiao have to fight again. He wants it just as much as I do.”
Marquez, 46-3-1 (35), can make an argument for himself, but plenty of people think Pacquiao won because he dropped Marquez for a hat trick and turned his nose into a pomegranate. Still, these two will always match up evenly, that’s why we’d like to see a rematch.
Marquez has the tools to beat Pacquiao, but at 33 he’s showing slight signs of wear. His gritty win over Jimrex Jaca in November was a bit tougher than most thought it would be. Pacquiao, however, has improved since fighting Marquez in 2004. We’ll pick Pacquiao, by close, perhaps controversial, decision.
Marco Antonio Barrera: Knock out a man once, the saying goes, and you’ll do it easier the next time. Morales would probably second that notion, having twice felt Pacquiao’s wrath. That’s why we’d pick Pacquiao over Barrera in a rematch. Barrera, 63-4 (42), may have perfected a boxing style that can earn a points win over Rocky Juarez, but Juarez is a dullish, plodding fighter who throws one punch at a time. If you think Pacquiao will stand still while Barrera tries to box him, you probably think James Toney would let you have the last drumstick at Thanksgiving dinner.
Pacquiao and Barrera have both said they want a rematch, but it’s not a definite date. We’d understand if Barrera simply retired. We’d also understand if Barrera opted to ignore Pacquiao and instead fought Marquez. But Barrera has the pride of a champion, and probably wants one more crack at his conqueror.
A win over Pacquiao would give Barrera a chance to thumb his nose at his old rival Morales. He could say, “Hey, Erik, I beat the man who beat your ass twice, so take that to Tijuana and smoke it.” Still, Pacquiao would be too much for the aging Barrera. He’ll punish him for 12 rounds and win a decision, or else Barrera’s corner stops the fight by the ninth.
Edwin Valero: Arum wants to promote a bout between Pacquiao and WBA junior lightweight titleholder Valero in Macau, China. The fight would have to happen overseas because medical issues prohibit Valero from fighting in America. Controversy aside, it would be the kind of free-swinging bout that boxing fans love. Pacquiao would also raise his stock by beating a young, undefeated fighter.
Valero, 20-0 (20), would pose some problems. Like Packy, he’s a left-hander and owns a serious punch. Working against him, however, is that he’s inexperienced. Pacquiao has been in the ring with future Hall of Famers; Valero’s best opponent to date has been Vicente Mosquera, the man he beat for the WBA belt. That’s a big difference in opposition. Valero also has a tendency to forget about boxing and swing wildly. All of the one-round knockouts on Valero’s ledger didn’t exactly give him experience.
In a way, this fight would be like matching Pacquiao against a younger version of himself. Since Pacquiao is better than he used to be, we’ll pick him by mid-round kayo.
Joan Guzman: Another young, undefeated junior lightweight, Guzman would pose an interesting challenge for Pacquiao. Guzman, 26-0 (17), can box and he can brawl. His astonishing amateur record of 310-12 shows that he has a ton of experience, the kind that makes Emanuel Steward a believer. Plus, you can’t earn a nickname like “Pequeno Tyson” by being gentle between the ropes. New trainer Don House has added some new licks to Guzman’s repertoire, which could help him against Pacquiao. House is the trainer of Zahir Raheem, and has grafted some of Raheem’s slickness onto Guzman’s already sound style.
Still, if Guzman had to struggle with a game but limited Jorge Barrios, Pacquiao would be even more difficult for him. Guzman has another strike against him: He’s practically unknown. Pacquiao is looking for big fights and big money. Guzman lacks marquee value. By the time Guzman has a recognizable name, Pacquiao may have gone up to 135.
Joel Casamayor: If Pacquiao wants to increase his legend even more (not that he needs to), he might consider jumping up one division to face world lightweight champ Joel Casamayor, 34-3-1 (21). Pacquiao might be able to fight five pounds heavier, but that’s where he’d tap out. The road from being a 17-year-old flyweight probably ends at 135. Then again, Roberto Duran started at 118 and ended up a middleweight champion, so stranger things have happened. But unless we see Pacquiao training on banana splits, we’re fairly certain he’ll get no bigger than lightweight.
Crafty but not invincible, the craggy Cuban might be just right for Pacquiao. Casamayor’s fights are always painfully close, and with the hyper aggressive Pacquiao applying relentless pressure the entire time, it would be easy to see the judges favoring the busier fighter.
In Casamayor’s favor, however, is that he’s a southpaw with a lot of sneaky moves. He could foul his way to a frustrating decision win, provided he doesn’t lose too many points on penalties. Still, it would be hard to bet against Pacquiao when he’s facing a 35-year-old father of nine. The pick here is Pacquiao on points.
Juan Diaz: If Pacquiao really wants a lightweight belt, Diaz might be easier than Casamayor, although not by much. Diaz, 31-0 (15), has become a solid pro, defending the WBA lightweight title five times since winning it in 2004. He’s a sharpshooter who works at a hectic pace, perhaps the only fighter on the list who could match Pacquiao for intensity. And while Diaz is not a major name in the sport, he’s fought regularly on HBO, making it an easy sell.
But with Diaz possessing little power, Pacquiao would walk right through “The Baby Bull’s” offense and clamp onto him like a tick. It would be an action-packed fight, with Diaz’ popgun offense trying to match Pac-Man’s dynamite. In the end, however, Pacquiao prevails. Diaz is tough enough to go the distance, but his head will be hurting the next morning. And of course, there will be dancing in the streets of General Santos City, perhaps to music recorded by Pacquiao himself.
Link: http://thering-online.com/ringpages/readastory2.html
WANNA PIECE OF PAC-MAN?
Pacquiao’s Future Opponents And Their (Bleak) Chances For Success
Juan Manuel Marquez: In a recent interview with *********.com, Marquez recalled his 2004 bout with Pacquiao. It was a bruising 12-round draw that saw Marquez on the canvas three times during the opening round.
“When the bell rang, I began to connect with my punches, I hit him well. What was going through my mind was that Hey, this is an easy fight. Just as I finished my thought process, he connects on me and there I am on the canvas. It was too much confidence. I wish I could fight him once again because I was not satisfied with the decision that was given. I know I won the fight. It was close, but still I won it.
“To be able to say you are the best and to be remembered in boxing history as one of the best, you have to beat the best. Me and Manny Pacquiao have to fight again. He wants it just as much as I do.”
Marquez, 46-3-1 (35), can make an argument for himself, but plenty of people think Pacquiao won because he dropped Marquez for a hat trick and turned his nose into a pomegranate. Still, these two will always match up evenly, that’s why we’d like to see a rematch.
Marquez has the tools to beat Pacquiao, but at 33 he’s showing slight signs of wear. His gritty win over Jimrex Jaca in November was a bit tougher than most thought it would be. Pacquiao, however, has improved since fighting Marquez in 2004. We’ll pick Pacquiao, by close, perhaps controversial, decision.
Marco Antonio Barrera: Knock out a man once, the saying goes, and you’ll do it easier the next time. Morales would probably second that notion, having twice felt Pacquiao’s wrath. That’s why we’d pick Pacquiao over Barrera in a rematch. Barrera, 63-4 (42), may have perfected a boxing style that can earn a points win over Rocky Juarez, but Juarez is a dullish, plodding fighter who throws one punch at a time. If you think Pacquiao will stand still while Barrera tries to box him, you probably think James Toney would let you have the last drumstick at Thanksgiving dinner.
Pacquiao and Barrera have both said they want a rematch, but it’s not a definite date. We’d understand if Barrera simply retired. We’d also understand if Barrera opted to ignore Pacquiao and instead fought Marquez. But Barrera has the pride of a champion, and probably wants one more crack at his conqueror.
A win over Pacquiao would give Barrera a chance to thumb his nose at his old rival Morales. He could say, “Hey, Erik, I beat the man who beat your ass twice, so take that to Tijuana and smoke it.” Still, Pacquiao would be too much for the aging Barrera. He’ll punish him for 12 rounds and win a decision, or else Barrera’s corner stops the fight by the ninth.
Edwin Valero: Arum wants to promote a bout between Pacquiao and WBA junior lightweight titleholder Valero in Macau, China. The fight would have to happen overseas because medical issues prohibit Valero from fighting in America. Controversy aside, it would be the kind of free-swinging bout that boxing fans love. Pacquiao would also raise his stock by beating a young, undefeated fighter.
Valero, 20-0 (20), would pose some problems. Like Packy, he’s a left-hander and owns a serious punch. Working against him, however, is that he’s inexperienced. Pacquiao has been in the ring with future Hall of Famers; Valero’s best opponent to date has been Vicente Mosquera, the man he beat for the WBA belt. That’s a big difference in opposition. Valero also has a tendency to forget about boxing and swing wildly. All of the one-round knockouts on Valero’s ledger didn’t exactly give him experience.
In a way, this fight would be like matching Pacquiao against a younger version of himself. Since Pacquiao is better than he used to be, we’ll pick him by mid-round kayo.
Joan Guzman: Another young, undefeated junior lightweight, Guzman would pose an interesting challenge for Pacquiao. Guzman, 26-0 (17), can box and he can brawl. His astonishing amateur record of 310-12 shows that he has a ton of experience, the kind that makes Emanuel Steward a believer. Plus, you can’t earn a nickname like “Pequeno Tyson” by being gentle between the ropes. New trainer Don House has added some new licks to Guzman’s repertoire, which could help him against Pacquiao. House is the trainer of Zahir Raheem, and has grafted some of Raheem’s slickness onto Guzman’s already sound style.
Still, if Guzman had to struggle with a game but limited Jorge Barrios, Pacquiao would be even more difficult for him. Guzman has another strike against him: He’s practically unknown. Pacquiao is looking for big fights and big money. Guzman lacks marquee value. By the time Guzman has a recognizable name, Pacquiao may have gone up to 135.
Joel Casamayor: If Pacquiao wants to increase his legend even more (not that he needs to), he might consider jumping up one division to face world lightweight champ Joel Casamayor, 34-3-1 (21). Pacquiao might be able to fight five pounds heavier, but that’s where he’d tap out. The road from being a 17-year-old flyweight probably ends at 135. Then again, Roberto Duran started at 118 and ended up a middleweight champion, so stranger things have happened. But unless we see Pacquiao training on banana splits, we’re fairly certain he’ll get no bigger than lightweight.
Crafty but not invincible, the craggy Cuban might be just right for Pacquiao. Casamayor’s fights are always painfully close, and with the hyper aggressive Pacquiao applying relentless pressure the entire time, it would be easy to see the judges favoring the busier fighter.
In Casamayor’s favor, however, is that he’s a southpaw with a lot of sneaky moves. He could foul his way to a frustrating decision win, provided he doesn’t lose too many points on penalties. Still, it would be hard to bet against Pacquiao when he’s facing a 35-year-old father of nine. The pick here is Pacquiao on points.
Juan Diaz: If Pacquiao really wants a lightweight belt, Diaz might be easier than Casamayor, although not by much. Diaz, 31-0 (15), has become a solid pro, defending the WBA lightweight title five times since winning it in 2004. He’s a sharpshooter who works at a hectic pace, perhaps the only fighter on the list who could match Pacquiao for intensity. And while Diaz is not a major name in the sport, he’s fought regularly on HBO, making it an easy sell.
But with Diaz possessing little power, Pacquiao would walk right through “The Baby Bull’s” offense and clamp onto him like a tick. It would be an action-packed fight, with Diaz’ popgun offense trying to match Pac-Man’s dynamite. In the end, however, Pacquiao prevails. Diaz is tough enough to go the distance, but his head will be hurting the next morning. And of course, there will be dancing in the streets of General Santos City, perhaps to music recorded by Pacquiao himself.
Comment