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Deeply disappointed in this article
I can say that I ALWAYS look forward to a T.K. Stewart article, I think he's one of the best writers on the boxing pages today, and I've always felt safe in quoting him to reinforce my position. BUT I believe that this article is like a PR "snow job" and it has so bothered me. I normally don't get bothered by anything that ANYONE writes, writer or poster, but this, for me, seems more like a "press release" by the PR crappers hired by the promoters, instead of a meaningful article by one of our best writers.
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog" he writes, but what the hell does that really mean in the context of this fight. This implies strongly, that after a few Manny P left handers, Oscar is going to cower down, tuck his tail between his legs and run away.
We ALL know that this is NOT going to happen.
The analogies made between Sugar Ray, supposedly the best ever, against Joey Maxim, cannot be used, since they were approximately the same size if not the same weight, (a 15 lb difference) and Ray's skills and punch were far superior to the plodding Maxim.
Carmen Basilio against Gene Fulmer, yes , he was the same HEIGHT as Manny, but was ALWAYS a WELTERWEIGHT from his very first fight, a completely different build and body structure. Not only that, but he'd already had 5-6 fights at middlweight, INCLUDING TWO (1 win 1 loss but both 15 rounders) against the great Sugar Ray Robinson.
As for Bob Foster-Joe Frazier, Foster was 6'3" with an 80" reach, and when he fought Frazier he'd already defended his Lt-Heavy title 5 times, and after Frazier, he defended another 11 times. Not only that, he even went 8 rounds with Muhammed Ali. Frazier KO'd him in the second, but think....of his 8 losses, 6 were by KO. He had a NOTORIOUSLY fragile chin. But he was a very big man, and as a lt-heavy, he was an all-time great.
With none of these fights was there the huge difference in SIZE... REACH.... HEIGHT... and weights fought at. Considering that the lightest of the mentioned great fighters, Basilio, was 145lbs and only went up- to middleweight, GRADUALLY.
When you look at Manny, at 5'6" weight 135 (Just once in his life, having started at 106) a reach of 67" against Oscar, who is over 5' 10" with a reach of 73", and is classified as a light-middleweight, but who, as we know, has won a middleweight world title.
I deliberately omitted Hank Armstrong, since he was "one of a kind", in modern day boxing anyway, able, with his non-stop windmill punching, to overcome enormous barriers. He actually, when Featherweight Champ was able to successfully win the Welter Title, and then go down to win the Lightweight Title.
But he stayed at lightweight for most of his career even when fighting welterweights, although towards the end, his weight did increase a bit.
I'd be delighted if Manny could emulate Henry Armstrong, but .........ARMSTRONG could do it..............and Manny Pacquiao is NO Henry Armstrong. Not yet anyway.
I can say that I ALWAYS look forward to a T.K. Stewart article, I think he's one of the best writers on the boxing pages today, and I've always felt safe in quoting him to reinforce my position. BUT I believe that this article is like a PR "snow job" and it has so bothered me. I normally don't get bothered by anything that ANYONE writes, writer or poster, but this, for me, seems more like a "press release" by the PR crappers hired by the promoters, instead of a meaningful article by one of our best writers.
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog" he writes, but what the hell does that really mean in the context of this fight. This implies strongly, that after a few Manny P left handers, Oscar is going to cower down, tuck his tail between his legs and run away.
We ALL know that this is NOT going to happen.
The analogies made between Sugar Ray, supposedly the best ever, against Joey Maxim, cannot be used, since they were approximately the same size if not the same weight, (a 15 lb difference) and Ray's skills and punch were far superior to the plodding Maxim.
Carmen Basilio against Gene Fulmer, yes , he was the same HEIGHT as Manny, but was ALWAYS a WELTERWEIGHT from his very first fight, a completely different build and body structure. Not only that, but he'd already had 5-6 fights at middlweight, INCLUDING TWO (1 win 1 loss but both 15 rounders) against the great Sugar Ray Robinson.
As for Bob Foster-Joe Frazier, Foster was 6'3" with an 80" reach, and when he fought Frazier he'd already defended his Lt-Heavy title 5 times, and after Frazier, he defended another 11 times. Not only that, he even went 8 rounds with Muhammed Ali. Frazier KO'd him in the second, but think....of his 8 losses, 6 were by KO. He had a NOTORIOUSLY fragile chin. But he was a very big man, and as a lt-heavy, he was an all-time great.
With none of these fights was there the huge difference in SIZE... REACH.... HEIGHT... and weights fought at. Considering that the lightest of the mentioned great fighters, Basilio, was 145lbs and only went up- to middleweight, GRADUALLY.
When you look at Manny, at 5'6" weight 135 (Just once in his life, having started at 106) a reach of 67" against Oscar, who is over 5' 10" with a reach of 73", and is classified as a light-middleweight, but who, as we know, has won a middleweight world title.
I deliberately omitted Hank Armstrong, since he was "one of a kind", in modern day boxing anyway, able, with his non-stop windmill punching, to overcome enormous barriers. He actually, when Featherweight Champ was able to successfully win the Welter Title, and then go down to win the Lightweight Title.
But he stayed at lightweight for most of his career even when fighting welterweights, although towards the end, his weight did increase a bit.
I'd be delighted if Manny could emulate Henry Armstrong, but .........ARMSTRONG could do it..............and Manny Pacquiao is NO Henry Armstrong. Not yet anyway.
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