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THE MAY-PAC STYLE MATCHUP

What’s up?

So on my 45 min commute home from work I was thinking about the Manny Pacquiao-floyd Mayweather style matchup. Then I was thinking, stylistically was there anything equivalent? Not that I can think of ’cause Pacquiao’s style is unique and Floyd’s is hard to use successfully.

Then I thought of the Joe Calzaghe-Bernard Hopkins fight from 7-8 years ago. Calzaghe was a southpaw, quick hands and combos, punches from odd angles. Hopkins the boxing brain, defense, counter punching, lead right. Definitely different styles than Pac and Floyd but something similar, at least in my head.

I only saw the Calzaghe-Hopkins fight once, when it aired live. I’m a big fan of both but Hopkins is one of my top favorites. Anyways, I remember I had Calzaghe winning by one point. Do you see any resemblance at all?

Again that fight was a while ago and it seems rather foggy but I don’t remember Hopkins using his jab a lot. I know Floyd doesn’t often use his jab but I think he should against Pacman. Definitely to the body like he did against Marcos Maidana. That’s one of the things that turned the first fight around when Floyd took over. I also remember B-hop being tired which I believe was a result of fighting out of his comfort zone. Much like nervous energy, it tires you out quicker. What are your thoughts?

I’ll be pulling for Pacman but I’m picking Floyd to win.

GGG and Roman Gonzalez (finally on US TV) on the same card? That’s awesome. I also think it was smart to get Vasyl Lomenchenko on the Pac-Floyd undercard.

Later dude. Wu-Tang forever. – Ryan, Shaolin, NY (actually about 400 miles away)

Mayweather-Pacquiao is THE boxing event for the casual fan worldwide. The Golovkin/Gonzalez doubleheader is for the hardest-core West Coast boxing diehards. I will definitely be among my people on May 16.

I hadn’t thought about the Hopkins-Calzaghe light heavyweight championship as an analog to the Mayweather-Pacquiao style matchup. There are some obvious similarities. Calzaghe’s fast, athletic southpaw style and footwork vs. B-Hop’s textbook technique and ring generalship. Like Mayweather and Pacquiao, Joe and Nard were two of the most experienced veterans in the fight game. However, Pacquiao is no longer as busy or consistent as Calzaghe was when the Welshman fought Hopkins. However, I think Pacman still hits harder at welter than Calzaghe did at light heavy (or at the very least, Pacquiao commits more to his punches). And Hopkins’ has a much cagier style than Mayweather, who has more athletic gifts than the rugged Philly ring master. Also, Hopkins’ late-rounds fade may have had something to do with his age. (Not that Mayweather is a spring chicken at 38.)

Anyway, I think Mayweather will have problems with Pacquiao’s style as Hopkins did with Calzaghe’s, and like the relatively uneventful light heavyweight contest, I think the May 2 showdown will be a very close distance fight. (I also thought Calzaghe won by one point.) However, I think if there’s an early knockdown in May-Pac, the southpaw will score it, and it will be the orthodox boxer who comes on in the late rounds.

One other note, you regard Hopkins as the “boxing brain” in the Calzaghe matchup, but the former undisputed super middleweight champ from Wales was every bit as boxing smart as the American. Most pundits who weigh-in on the Mayweather-Pacquiao regard Floyd as the “boxer” and Manny as something else (either a “puncher” or a “slugger” or merely an “active/aggressive fighter”). I think that’s an inaccurate way to view the Filipino icon’s role in the matchup. Pacquiao hasn’t won his last three fights by beating up or overwhelming or by simply outhustling his opposition – he outboxed Rios, Bradley and Algieri. Pacquiao is a boxer and he’s got a much higher ring IQ than most boxing writers and fans are willing to give him credit for.

ALFONSO “SWEET PEA” GOMEZ

I’m impressed. – Courtney

I was also impressed in the manner in which Gomez outclassed Yoshihiro Kamegai over 10 rounds on Friday (not enough to call him “Sweet Pea,” though, you gotta calm down). I thought The Contender alum would get pulled into a slugfest and get outworked/worked over by the Japanese slugger, but he showed his underrated skill and used his superior experience to get the deserved ‘W.’

Gomez’s victory allows him to remain a fringe contender at 147 pounds, while Kamegai definitely falls into “gatekeeper” status (no shame). Kamegai has yet to win a fight that was televised in the U.S., but having said that, I’d rather watch him fight than Sweet PeÔǪ, I mean Gomez.

BRYAN’S ANTI-EASTERN EUROPEAN RANT

Hi Doug,

Well done for putting Bryan firmly in his place.

What a ridiculous email. He embarrassed himself on numerous levels.

He hates GGG and Sergey Kovalev for their personalities and being untested! But then for some reason he likes Stevenson who was a women-beating pimp that ran to Showtime to avoid Kovalev!

He also conveniently forgets that Carl Froch said he was going to kill Mikkel Kessler in the ring during the press conference before their rematch.

The hypocrisy.

But Froch and Stevenson are both OK as they are not nasty Eastern Europeans. Well done, Bryan. I think there was only one “punk” or “cretin” involved with that email and they are not named Golovkin, Kovalev or Doug.

Cheers. – Dave, London

Thanks Dave. To be fair to Bryan, I don’t think he ever professed to be a fan of Stevenson or Froch. He just mentioned those two, along with Andre Ward, as “real fighters” who will “brutally expose” Golovkin and Kovalev if they ever fight.

I totally disagree but Bryan is entitled to his opinion. His view of Kovalev and Golovkin as thuggish cretins is unwarranted, in my opinion. Boxing is a rough blood-combat sport. The participants aren’t pacifists, no matter what they say during their post-fight interviews. And Golovkin and Kovalev are pretty mild compared to some of their American and British peers. There’s definitely some anti-Eastern European/Central Asian sentiment out there.

Thing is, the folks who hate GGG and Krusher are in for some frustrating years. Not only are they arguably the top dogs in their respective divisions – they are ACTIVE champs. They fight three-to-four times a year, while their peers fight once or twice a year (or not at all in the case of Ward).

RUSSIAN-KAZAKH HATE/LIGHT HEAVIES

Hey Douglas. Just got several comments,

1. After reading Bryan’s feedback on the “overrated Drago-Clones” I was both cringing and laughing at the same time. This guy obviously had his head stuck in the ’80s. What I don’t get is this: Both Kovalev and GGG are bad-ass punchers who are cleaning up their divisions, give the fans what they want to see, and have no time for trash-talk. They both let their fists do the talking and certainly know how to deal with trash-talkers. As in bashing the crap out of them. So what’s with the crap they get from some of these fans?

I get the impression that if Kovalev and GGG were not Drago-clones but Ali-clones, Tyson-clones, or Chavez-clones they probably wouldn’t be getting as much crap dumped on them by the keyboard warriors. In other words, the fact that they’re not American or Mexican seems to be held against them by these brainiacs.

I also wonder if Floyd Mayweather would still have all his loyal fans if he were European and not some ghetto-talking black dude.

2. I know the light-heavyweight division isn’t at its all time strongest but I think part of the problem with today’s talent is that is stretched out over more divisions than it was decades ago. Now imagine if we didn’t have the super-middleweight division. Along with championship fighters like Kovalev, Stevenson, and Pascal we’d also have contenders like Andre Ward, Carl Froch, and Arthur Abraham among others just like we would have had Mikkel Kessler and Joe Calzaghe in the previous decade. Looks much deeper all of a sudden doesn’t it? Would Ward still avoid Kovalev if that were the case?
3. Stevenson can talk his usual bullcrap about how he can kick Kovalev’s ass all he wants. We heard him the last few times already. Want to know something? I’m not sure if he would have beaten Pascal that night let alone Kovalev. And if “Superman” were to finally step up and face Kovalev imagine the crap-talk that would no doubt come from his mouth leading up to the fight. Hey we all found out what Krusher loves to do to trash-talkers. Just ask Pascal. Thanks for hearing me out. – Dave

Thanks for sharing Dave. I’ll respond to your thought in order:

1. I have no idea why some fans can’t stand GGG and Krusher. I think most of their disdain is a racial/cultural/national bias. If Mayweather was European, and not African-American, I think he’d be viewed the same way Calzaghe, Henry Maske (remember him?) and the Klitschko brothers were viewed by most of the U.S. media and fans during the 1990s/2000s.

2. Good point about the watered down 175-pound division. With the exception of Abraham, I think all of the 168-pound standouts you mentioned could (or could have) competed with the best light heavies. The super middleweight division wasn’t formed until the 1980s. Maybe it’s not too late to do away with this newbie weight class. If Ward had to fight at light heavyweight (after outgrowing middleweight), I think he would have done just fine fighting at 175 and I don’t think he would’ve avoided Krusher (not for too long anyway).

3. I think Stevenson-Pascal is a toss-up matchup between two athletic one-armed bandits. Stevenson has the big left. Pascal has the big right. Stevenson has a slight edge in technique and speed. Pascal has a slight edge in experience and chin/heart/durability.

GOLOVKIN-MONROE

Hello there, Mr. Fischer,

How are you? How’s the week been treating you? Hope all’s been as well as can be for you and the week’s treated you just the same so far as we enter the weekend.

Initially, I thought Gennady Golovkin’s next fight would be a stay busy fight but when I saw that his opponent would be Willie Munroe, Jr. my curiosity was piqued as I’d seen his fight against Bryan Vera. Now, I’m pretty sure this is still essentially a keep-busy fight but he is going up against a guy who naturally likes to box and isn’t a come-forward fighter. I don’t think he has enough savvy in him to elude Golovkin for long (maybe a mid-to-late stoppage for Golovkin’s 20^th consecutive knockout victim) but I do think he could make it a fight for as long as he’s still there the way Pascal had against Kovalev. What’re your thoughts on this?

Clarified Mythical Matchups (since you already answered the Welterweight Question): Manny Pacquiao vs. Barney Ross (at 135 and 140) Manny Pacquiao vs. Henry Armstrong (at 126 and 135)

Clubber Lang vs. Tommy Gunn (I’m leaning towards Lang to take Gunn’s heart).

You, sir, are awesome simply for just knowing about Hajime No Ippo (that made me feel more elated as having made it into your mailbag again). I highly/definitely recommend it, may have some exaggerations here and there but for the most part it sticks true to “the sweet science” of Boxing (it’s an anime, so you can watch it and/or read the manga).

Well, that’s all for now, I’ll be enjoying Friday Night Fights till they convert into PBC on ESPN but I’m very happy and thankful that Teddy Atlas and Joe Tessitore will stay on as the commentators. Aside from that, still got a calendar chalk full of fights worth watching. Take care and be well, good sir. – ÒéÁÒâ│´¢ö, Los Angeles, California

I will. Thanks for the well wishes. I had a terrific weekend with my family in Oakland.

It will be interesting to see how the “Atlas-and-Tessitore show” changes or conforms to accommodate ESPN’s move from FNF to the PBC format.

I’m interested in the Golovkin-Monroe matchup because I believe that the southpaw New Yorker is a solid middleweight with a good head on his shoulders. However, I’m not among the fans and media who want to see if Golovkin can “handle” a fast, mobile, left-handed boxing style. Come on folks, GGG had 350 amateur bouts and he won 345 of ’em. He was a world amateur champ and an Olympic silver medalist. You arm-chair Eddie Futches are gonna tell me that he didn’t face any speedy left-handers who ran around the ring? Good grief. That was the style of probably half the amateurs he faced on the international level. And he beat most of ’em wearing big gloves with only three rounds to work with. Now he’s got little gloves, more of a pressure fighting style, a better body attack and 12 rounds to work with.

I’m in the minority with this opinion, but I think Golovkin won’t be truly “tested” until he’s matched with someone willing to stand his ground and even push him back on his heels.

Your mythical matchups:

Manny Pacquiao vs. Barney Ross (at 135 and 140) – Pacman by razor-thin decisions Manny Pacquiao vs. Henry Armstrong (at 126 and 135) – Homicide Hank by KO and by close decision

Clubber Lang vs. Tommy Gunn (I’m leaning towards Lang to take Gunn’s heart) – Lang by an up-form-the-canvas fourth-round TKO in a shootout (and I pity the fool who disagrees with my opinion)

LOSING RESPECT FOR COTTO

Thanks for taking my email, Dougie.

Always look forward to your mailbag even since the Maxboxing days.

I’m losing respect for one of my favorite fighters, Miguel Cotto. He hasn’t fought in almost a year. He won’t fight Canelo Alvarez and won’t even mention GGG. I’m done giving him a pass. Either fight GGG or vacate the title. I don’t want to hear how he’s too small and really a junior middleweight. He wasn’t too small to fight an over-the-hill one-legged Sergio Martinez. I love boxing and have never missed any good fights in 50 years, enough is enough. Cotto has always had my respect, because he respected boxing and fought the best. Not anymore. Anyway enough ranting.

Take care, Doug and never give up the good fight. Respectfully. – Jeff

I feel ya, Jeff. Cotto has been one of my top-five favorites for more than 10 years. He never ducked dangerous fighters or difficult styles when he fought at 140 and 147 pounds and because of that I respect the man. Out of that respect, I won’t rip him like a lot of fans and some members of the media have done.

Cotto’s spilled a lot of blood during his career and I won’t disrespect a blood-and-guts warrior. However, I’ve lost interest in him as a fighter. I wish him well as a human being and I’m glad he made a deal with Roc Nation worth $50 million at this stage of his career, but I can’t get excited about Cotto vs. K9 Bundrage or Jorge Sebastian Heiland. I’m not demanding that he fight GGG. That’s a slaughter, in my opinion, and I’ve got no stomach for that. I don’t even think he should remain at 160 pounds (the WBC will strip him if he doesn’t fight Golovkin after his next bout, and THE RING will do the same if he doesn’t fight a top-five rated middleweight by next June.)

I want to see him fight Canelo. That’s not just a huge event and an exciting matchup; it’s a fight he can win. I want to see him fight a worthy young gun like Kell Brook at 154 pounds (if that fight can be made) or even Kirkland (regardless what happens on May 9).

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THE Gs IN L.A.

Hey Doug, you must be one lucky guy. Two of your favorite, not to mention two of the best, boxers in the world fighting on the same card in your backyard. I figure Monroe is probably around Rubio’s level, just a different style. I say GGG within 5. For Chocolatito I’m not too familiar with his opponent Edgar Sosa, but I can’t imagine he could dethrone Gonzalez, what are your thoughts on this awesome card. Thanks man. – Robert from Ashton, MD

The A-sides should win, but the B-sides are capable boxers who are not showing up to lie down. They think they can win and they’re going to try like hell to do so. Monroe has athleticism on his side. Sosa has experience. We’ll see how well they use what they have against my personal top-two active fighters.

I’m curious to see how many fans pack into The Forum. If they get more than 13,000 in the refurbished arena, I’ll be impressed. If the event sells out that will let me know that GGG has arrived (at least in Southern California).

THE THINKING KRUSHER

Hi Doug. It’s been a whiles since I wrote the last time.

Here are my thoughts on last Saturday’s fight. 1. I was impressed by Kovalev. No, not because if his punching power, not because his KO of Pascal who had never been KOed before. I was impressed by his thinking. Maybe I should say his ability to study and adopt to the situation. After he’s got more than few Pascal’s counter right, he adjusted himself well and didn’t eat those in 7th and 8th rounds. Also he started use looping right hooks instead if straight right when he pinned him. I don’t know it was actually the instruction from JDJackson but I was impressed to see him be able to do that in such a short period of time. He also didn’t get too excited/disappointed after the third round and seemed to keep his head cool. Not many fighters can do those things.

2. Although he was handed his first KO loss, Pascal showed more than I expected. He showed his big heart but lack of his fundamentals finally cost him. Hate to call him a poor man I of RJJ but he doesn’t gave Roy’s legs and hand-eye coordination. Without those, it’s hard to beat a guy like Kovalev.
3. I feel first two fights were not HBO worthy. Keep up the good work. (Have you been spending most of your time managing RingTV.com these days rather than writing? Wish you could get the time/chance to go back to your roots and do some great So Cal gym notes one of those days.) – Naoki, Las Vegas, NV

You and me both, Naoki.

I’ll answer your thoughts in order:

1. Kovalev is without a doubt a thinking fighter. He’s a true boxer-puncher. The only folks who can’t see that are the narrow-minded self-proclaimed “purists” who refuse to recognize boxing ability and ring craft in any fighter who comes forward and boxes with aggression. These are the same kind of fans who referred to Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran as “sluggers” back in the day. Ugh!

2. Pascal is a poor man’s Jones. Nothing wrong with that. A poor-version of RJJ is still better than 95% of the light heavies out there.

3. I don’t think those matchups played out as well as Main Events’ matchmakers (and HBO) had hoped, however, they introduced a potential future opponent for Kovalev (Chilemba) and for Wladimir Klitschko (Glazkov). Not that anybody is clamoring to see those fights.

MYTHICAL MATCHUP

I am gratified that boxing is having a resurgence on television. My earliest boxing memories were watching the great Roberto Duran for free! I’ve never bought a pay per view and never will. Hope that the upcoming cards provide youngsters with scintillating, unforgettable bouts.

Thanks for all you do. One mythical matchup. Chris Arreola vs. Randall “Tex” Cobb. Thanks. – Greg

Oh man! Cobb-Arreola would have produced the funniest pre- and post-fight comments from both the winner and loser.

Cobb at his best (1980-’82) would have won the battle of the hard-headed but lovable heavyweight wise asses. He would have absorbed Arreola’s best bombs and taken the heavier man into deep water for a late-rounds TKO or a unanimous decision, in my opinion, but I think it would have been a wild, fan-friendly free-for-all.

You know what? Forget about these two fighting each other. What I’d love to see is Cobb and Arreola team up to do some boxing commentary. They could add entertainment value to the most boring fight. You could toss in a straight-edge host/blow-by-blow man (Tim Ryan, who used to team up with the late Gil Clancy on CBS, is my all-time favorite) just to set them up, but I’m sure once they got warmed up (and what the heck, I’d allow them to drink beer during the broadcast) they wouldn’t need any help at all.

Email Fischer at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @dougiefischer