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Dougie’s Friday mailbag

Fighters Network
15
Jan

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THE BIG BOYS RETURN

Hi Dougie,

It’s all about the heavyweights this weekend! I’ll start with Deontay Wilder vs Artur Szpilka – I think this one has fireworks written all over it. Both guys like to trade and throw lots of punches, but both guys don’t seem very mindful of what’s coming back at them when throwing their bombs. What’s your prediction? I can’t see anything other than a Wilder win by KO. Technically, I don’t see too much between them, but Wilder is by far the better athlete and has the power advantage. Can we expect Wilder-Povetkin after this fight? (It’s about time Wilder faced his mandatory!) Watching a limited plodder like Duhaupas get so close to Wilder and swell his eye the way he did, I couldn’t help think that if it were Povetkin, then Wilder would be tasting canvas. Thoughts?



Special mention to Main Events and Kathy Duva – somebody needs to give these guys a medal for getting Vyacheslav Glazkov in a position to realistically win a world title! In my opinion, he should be 19-3 and on the road to heavyweight obscurity, but he’s 21-0-1, and now has a shot at the IBF against a guy who boxrec rank as only the 12th best American heavyweight. All I’ve seen of Charles Martin is a YouTube highlights video and a quick scan of his record. Is he any good? This is overly harsh on Glazkov and Martin, but when I saw this fight scheduled all I could think to ask you is ‘what’s the worst heavyweight world title bout you’ve seen made?’ I’m not talking mismatches, I mean ‘both guys should really not be here’ scenario.

Finally, David Haye is back…again. His comeback has a ‘I need money’ feel rather than pure boxing reasons, but if it’s a ‘legit’ return – he’s still only 35, I can’t recall him being in too many grueling wars and he always keeps himself fit. Hypothetically, if he stays injury free and fully motivated, can he win a world title again? For me, he beats Glazkov (assuming he wins the IBF) and he gives Wilder nightmares (I’d pick Haye to win). Fury, I’m not so sure.

Mythical matchup

Prime David Haye vs Prime Alexander Povetkin

Thanks for reading Dougie. You’re absolute legend! – Josh, Manchester, U.K.

Stop, you’re making me blush (if I had a little more white in me, you’d actually be able to see it).

Interesting question about Glazkov-Martin being the worst heavyweight title matchup I’ve ever seen. It’s pretty darn bad. Glazkov is a RING-rated heavyweight (No. 7), but I’ve never been impressed with the former amateur standout from Ukraine. I thought Malik Scott clearly outpointed him and I believe his decisions over Derric Rossy and Steve Cunningham could have gone the other way. Martin is unrated by THE RING. The athletic southpaw is a modern-sized heavyweight with some decent tools but he hasn’t faced anyone of note and he appears to still be learning his craft.

I think we have go all the way back to the early years of the WBO title (before it was considered a major belt at heavyweight) to find a title bout as weak as this one. Francisco Damiani and Johnny du Plooy – remember those two? I do! – fought for the vacant (and newly formed) WBO heavyweight title in May 1989. Damiani, a former European champ from Italy, won the belt and defended it against Mexico’s Daniel Netto. Years later, Henry Akinwande and Alexander Zolkin – remember them? I do! – fought for the WBO title (1996). Akinwande, a tall and rangy Nigerian boxer with a very good jab, fought Scott Welch with the belt on the line in ’97. A year later Herbie Hide and Damon Reed – remember them? I remember Herbie! – fought for the WBO strap.

Those aren’t very good heavyweight title matchups, but I was more impressed with Damiani (who could box), Hide (tremendous athlete/heart), Akinwande (good technique), and to a lesser extent, du Plooy and Zolkin, than I am with Glazkov or Martin. (I saw Netto fight Ed Mahone at The Forum in the late ’90s. He was pretty bad – and fat.)

Anyway, Glazkov-Martin isn’t much of a title bout but it might be a good matchup. Glazkov seems pretty tough and game and Martin moves around well for a big, plus he can pop with his left.

Onto your other questions/statements:

What’s your prediction? I can’t see anything other than a Wilder win by KO. Technically, I don’t see too much between them, but Wilder is by far the better athlete and has the power advantage. I agree. Wilder also has the height and reach advantage, which should come to play in this matchup. If Spilka knew how to slip punches while cutting the distance, I’d give him a real shot at upsetting the American. But he’s not a pressure fighter with any sort of bob-and-weave to his game. He ain’t the Polish Joe Frazier. He usually stays on the outside, pawing with his jab, while he looks for openings to jump in with his left. However, Szpilka tends to lean to his left, which puts him in line with Wilder’s lethal straight right. The southpaw is gutsy and game, though, so I’m expecting a fun fight while it lasts. Hey, if Eric Molina and Johann Duhaupas gave Wilder a fight, Szpilka can.

Can we expect Wilder-Povetkin after this fight? I think so.

Watching a limited plodder like Duhaupas get so close to Wilder and swell his eye the way he did, I couldn’t help think that if it were Povetkin, then Wilder would be tasting canvas. Thoughts? That’s certainly what I was thinking – and Tweeting – while watching that fight.

In my opinion, (Glazkov) should be 19-3 and on the road to heavyweight obscurity, but he’s 21-0-1, and now has a shot at the IBF against a guy who boxrec rank as only the 12th best American heavyweight. I agree with you. Main Events has done a hell of job maneuvering the mediocre Ukrainian to a title shot.

All I’ve seen of Charles Martin is a YouTube highlights video and a quick scan of his record. Is he any good? He’s got talent and tools (and personality), but I can’t tell how good he really is when the most recognizable name (to me) on his record is Joey Dawejko.

Hypothetically, if (Haye) stays injury free and fully motivated, can he win a world title again? For me, he beats Glazkov (assuming he wins the IBF) and he gives Wilder nightmares (I’d pick Haye to win). Fury, I’m not so sure. Again, I agree with you. I think if Haye stays healthy he can win a belt (such as the IBF strap or the WBA’s “regular” title) and be a major player in the division.

Your mythical matchup:

Prime David Haye vs prime Alexander Povetkin: Hayemaker on points. I see him staying on the outside and pot-shotting the s__t out of the Russian contender. I think a couple knockdowns would ensure a close but clear UD for the brash Brit.

GARCIA-GUERRERO FOR THE VACANT WBC BELT?

Dougie,

I gotta be honest, I don’t pay attention to belts anymore cause there are 9,462 of them in 122 divisions. Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration but you get it.

Anyways, can you shed any light on how these two guys received this gift? Robert Guerrero has lost 2 out of his last 4 fights and Danny Garcia hasn’t fought any top guy at 147 yet to merit this opportunity. I can see Amir Khan (even with his inactivity), Shawn Porter and a few other 147-pound fighters more deserving of this shot. Am I crazy?? Help unconfuse a brother!!!

Peace. – Maintain from Queens

You’re not crazy or confused. Boxing is. It’s us, it’s not you!

Can I shed light on how Guerrero and Garcia were deemed worthy of the WBC belt? Probably not. All I can tell you is that Guerrero held the “interim” WBC welterweight title, and that one of his two losses was a decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr. (for the WBC belt); no shame in that. What troubles me is that “The Ghost” had the look of a shopworn fighter in his last bout, a split nod over Aron Garcia that he was lucky to get. He’s been in some punishing bouts lately (vs. Thurman and Yoshihiro Kamegai). Those fights and his long career may have taken a tool. Regardless, he hasn’t earned another title shot in my opinion.

Neither has Garcia, but like Guerrero, he’s got history with the WBC. He won their 140-pound title (vs. Erik Morales) and defended it five times. His 147-pound run – a close (some say controversial) decision over Lamont Peterson and a stoppage of semi-retired Paul Malignaggi – hasn’t matched his junior welter reign yet.

But the real reason Garcia-Guerrero is a WBC title bout is that both are advised by Al Haymon, who controls the careers of numerous top welterweights (including Khan, Thurman, Porter and Errol Spence Jr.). It makes sense for the WBC to do “business” with Al because there are several high-profile welterweight (and junior middleweight) matchups that can be made within the PBC universe. The Mexico City based sanctioning organization wants in on that action. I can’t blame ’em.

HEAVYWEIGHTS IN ACTION

Hi Doug,

I give Artur Szpilka an outside puncher’s chance against Deontay Wilder, but that’s about it.
Szpilka has his fighting heart, southpaw stance and the possibility of landing a big shot going for him in this fight, but not much else. A guy who was badly hurt by Mike Mollo and stopped by Bryant Jennings won’t be able to take too many power shots from Wilder. Although I think he is a better overall fighter, Szpilka doesn’t have the toughness and chin of a Johann Duhaupas and that will make the difference. Should be fun while it lasts though. How do you see it playing out?

More intriguing to me is the Vyacheslav Glazkov-Charles Martin fight. It is somewhat similar to the recent Jennings-Ortiz fight in that it pits a known quantity in Glazkov against a completely unknown quantity in Martin which makes it a fifty-fifty fight to me.

I would say that Glazkov is the proven fighter, but what exactly has he proved?

Well, he is fundamentally sound (as one would expect from an Olympic bronze medalist), can throw every punch in the book and does everything well, but nothing great. On the other hand, he has also proven that he is lucky to still be undefeated. I and many others had him losing to both Scott and Cunningham, although I will concede that the Cunningham fight was close. He clearly does not have fight ending power and neither does he have quite the punch output nor the slickness of a Chris Byrd to compensate for it. What do you think?

Then there is also the obvious issue that he is an undersized heavyweight by today’s standards.

Martin, in contrast, is a proper heavyweight size. Add to that the fact that he is a southpaw and things really get interesting.

But then it also gets problematic. There is simply no decent names on his record. Can he take a punch? How will he react when in trouble? We simply don’t know.

One thing that we do know is that he can punch. Or can he? Compare him and Anthony Joshua’s stoppage wins over Raphael Zumbano Love. Martin grinded him down in the tenth round and Joshua blasted him out in two. So no, I don’t think that Martin has the kind of power of a Wilder or Joshua, but after watching his fights I do have to conclude that he is heavy handed and can indeed punch, especially with his straight left. How would you assess his power? Maybe the Love fight was for the best, so at least we also know that he can go rounds.

He moves well for a guy his size, has fast hands (not Corrie Sanders lightning fast, but fast nonetheless), a decent lead thrown in “up jab” fashion and an awkward in and out rhythm that is difficult to adjust to.

I can also see a few things that can be exploited. His straight left is obviously his money punch, but I think he sometimes goes a bit left hand crazy. Even though he has the other punches, he mostly uses them to set up the left. I would like to see him sit down on the jab more and use more variety in his attack. Also, he carries his left guard low, leaving his chin out to dry and his upper body seems somewhat stiff. Sometimes he leans in a bit when throwing the left. I can see someone timing him with an overhand right or a left uppercut. How would you assess him?

As you know, I am always very skeptical of fighters with glossy, padded records. It usually means one of three things: Other fighters are avoiding them, their management don’t have the clout or connections to get them decent fights or most often, they know something we don’t and are protecting their fighter until they can cash out in a big money fight. Which one would you say it is?

I am going to take an uncharacteristic gamble on Martin and hope that it isn’t the last reason in his case. Also, to beat him you are going to have to counter him. Glazkov is a good counter puncher, but I don’t think he has the size and reach to do it often enough or the power to score a knockout, unless Martin has a glass jaw. Alternatively, one could put him under pressure, outwork him and wait for him to wilt, but again, I don’t think that Glazkov has the volume or physical strength to impose himself on a big man.

Maybe I am being biased because I can see Martin possibly adding excitement to an ever more interesting heavyweight division, whereas I can’t see Glazkov doing it, but I am sticking out my neck and going with Martin in this fight. I think that Vyacheslav Glazkov will have his moments early, but that Charles Martin will lift his game and make the step up. He will have to snap his jab more to establish the distance, but I think he will do that and then the left will score a flash knockdown. He will land the more telling blows down the stretch to win a hard fought decison and the IBF belt.

Who do you have in this one?

Regards. – Droeks Malan, South Africa

I have no favorite in the Glazkov-Martin fight but I’ll go with “Czar” even though he seems ordinary to me. He’s the more proven fighter in the matchup, and I think he will do what he can to outhustle the bigger, more athletic and talented southpaw over the distance. I won’t faint from shock if he wins another unpopular decision.

I’d be happier if Martin won, though. He’s a Missouri native so I want to root for him a bit, and he seems to have a bright personality and a sense of humor. That’s always welcome in boxing.

As to why he hasn’t fought anyone of note, I think it’s obvious that his management is protecting him to an extent but we have to keep in mind that he got a late start in boxing.

I see the Wilder-Szpilka matchup the same way you do. That’s about all I can add to your opinion on the fight. Your fight/fighter analysis on both heavyweight mathchups is comprehensive to say the least. LOL.

You should have your own column. Scratch that, you should have your own website!

 

RACE-BAITING PIECES OF S__T

Hi Doug, how are you? Sexcellent as always, I hope. I just read Andre Jefferson’s email along with your response. I’m not sure how I missed it. Every now and again I’ve noticed that you get an email like this from people. I was just curious as to whether or not these people ever email you a response. Do you think they read your responses? All the best. – Jon

They do. Some get embarrassed and disappear for a while, but others email me back with what basically amounts to the same message as their first email (only with more insults and curse words).

Jefferson actually got back to me on Twitter a few days ago. He wasn’t happy with me so we went back and forth a few times. It wasn’t nice and at one point it seemed like we were arranging for a bare-knuckle encounter. LOL. However, cooler heads prevailed. We both showed a little respect (which goes along way) and ended on a peaceful note, which to be honest, made my day.

 

VIRGIL HUNTER ON RACISM

Wassup Doug, given your response about the Mayweather comment and how you feel he’s full of s__t, I’m curious to know your thoughts on the Virgil Hunter’s interview.

I’m wondering whether or not u would have the same opinion if this would have been the original interview instead of Mayweather. Its funny that you find a way to vilify the guy for barbershop talk and his opinion, but some very respectable men in the game such as Virg, share the same opinion as Mayweather. I have yet to read or hear anyone in the media, disagree about his comment outside of you and your nuthuggers (yes, you have them.. A LOT) go in on it. Just would like to get your take on this interview. Don’t expect to make bag, but would like a response if u have time.

Been following you since the Max days and man, it’s crazy how I went from admiring your opinion and agreeing with 85% of your opinions to only agreeing with 25% and smh trying to figure out what or who made you so bitter!! Like I said, even though I don’t agree, I feel like we family, because Maxboxing was the first website that I ever prescribed too and supported. I grew with you and Steve when y’all used to do the videos.. (Those were the days)..But I’ve never stop following hoping the old Dougie come back, lol.. It’s all good though much love tho, keep doing your thing.

Sorry for the grammar and text. I’m not ignorant, Texting and driving.. Don’t judge. – Daryl

Dude, don’t get yourself in a serious auto accident because you were composing a letter for the mailbag. It can wait until you get home.

Before I comment on Hunter’s interview, allow me to make two points:

1.) Mayweather’s comments do not amount to “barbershop talk” in my opinion. That wasn’t a private conversation with a buddy. Mayweather was talking to a member of the media (more specifically FightHype.com, which often serves as his mouthpiece). He knew exactly what he was doing.

2.) I’ve never said Mayweather’s statement that “racism still exists in boxing” is bulls__t. I think racism exists in every part of society, including sports and boxing. I called bulls__t on Mayweather’s asinine examples of “racism” and I call BS on his concern for the problem because in all his years as a public figure he’s never endorsed or sponsored any organized efforts to combat racial inequality and/or social injustice. If Bernard Hopkins wants to comment about racism in boxing, I’ll listen because he’s somebody who has spoken out on the sport’s corruption and inequality going back to before anyone knew who the hell he was. If Oscar De La Hoya wants to talk about the lack of health care and quality education in East L.A., I’ll listen because he’s spent millions of dollars setting up schools and cancer research facilities in the community where he grew up. Same deal with Lennox Lewis, who founded/funded a vocational school for at-risk youth in east London.

As for Hunter, I’ll listen to him talk about racism. He’s smart, articulate and thoughtful. I may not agree with everything he says but at least I know he’s put some thought into it, as his star pupil Andre Ward did when he was asked (goaded, really) about racism in boxing.

Regarding Hunter’s Q&A on FightHype.com. I agreed with some things that he brought up, but I think some of the things he spoke on – particularly his thoughts on Mayweather and Ward-Golovkin – were off-topic. I generally don’t see “racism” in some of the media’s “open disdain” for Mayweather or cretin fans mocking Floyd Sr. and Roger’s speech impediments. I’m sure some people who can’t stand Mayweather are racists who hate black folks in general, but I think most folks who dislike Mayweather simply believe that he is an a__hole. And I think the people who make fun of his father’s and uncle’s pugilistic dementia are a__holes. Some might be racist a__holes, but most of ’em probably just run-of-the-mill a__holes.

Hunter’s tangent opinions on Ward and Golovkin had nothing to do with race or racism. To me it was just his frustrations in not being able to get that fight for his fighter and the reasons that were given to him (financial), which he doesn’t accept. Hunter believes that HBO could have worked out that fight if the executives really wanted to. I think that’s debatable. HBO has a big budget for boxing, but it ain’t Fort Knox or a charity. I don’t think the subscription cable network has the budget to pay both Ward and Golovkin what they’d want for that fight and have that fight on regular HBO. It would have to go to HBO PPV.

Hunter’s obviously OK with that. He says there’s “huge interest” in the fight. And he’s right, but it’s only among hardcore fans. GGG has yet to crossover as evidenced by the Lemieux PPV numbers. He’s beginning to work his way into general fan consciousness, but he’s not there yet. Has Ward crossed over? I don’t know. He’s never headlined a PPV show. He certainly has crossover potential, but having only one fight since November 2013 doesn’t help his cause.

Hunter believes that a Ward-Golovkin PPV “definitely would have brought in way more pay-per-view numbers than (the Lemieux) fight.” I agree, but would Ward have fought GGG for the same amount that Lemieux did? That’s a question for Ward and his promoter.

Anyway, I’m getting off topic. I was interested in much of what Hunter had to say in response to Ben Thompson’s statement that Mayweather’s comments were really about network executives and the media. Everything he had to say about institutionalized racism – with the story about his school teacher – I agree with 100 percent. I respect his activist family background and his experiences with the Civil Rights Movement.

I don’t agree with his statement that “nothing much has really changed” in a 100 years of boxing. But I agree with what he had to say about Jack Johnson, Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston, Ike Williams and Jewish fighters, such as Benny Leonard.

I agree with this statement from Hunter: “Those who are African American, they know racism very well.” But I disagree with the second part to that statement: “Those who are not, they will never really get the full understanding of what Floyd is talking about.”

People who aren’t black have experienced racism here in American and around the globe. I really don’t have the time or space to explain this to you, but I shouldn’t have to.

I rolled my eyes at the stuff Hunter had to say about Alfredo Angulo going back to his old trainer and Ward “making” Dan Goossen. Please.

That’s enough about the Hunter interview.

In regard to your question about what or who made me so “bitter,” I really don’t view myself as being jaded, but if you want to know the big difference between boxing/boxers during the “glory days of MaxBoxing” and now I’ll be happy to tell you.

The sport — mainly its “star” participants — has become too bitchy. It was definitely more fun to cover boxing in the late ’90s and 2000s, prior to the Mayweather Era. Mayweather-Era fighters whine too much. They can’t take any damn criticism at all. You talk about my nut-huggers, but today’s top boxers (and some trainers) act like their nut-hugger fans.

The top dogs during MaxBoxing’s heyday received a lot of criticism from the media (sometimes from Yours Truly). De La Hoya was relentlessly hounded by Michael Katz and other boss newspaper scribes from the East Coast. The criticism drove his fans (and Bob Arum) crazy, but Oscar always took it with good humor. He never bitched and moaned about it at his press conferences, he never had anyone banned from covering his fights. Roy Jones Jr. just ignored it. He didn’t like criticism but he sure didn’t cry about it.

Other fighters of that era got mad when criticized. They weren’t passive aggressive cry babies who whined about how the world was unfair to sympathetic (is that just pathetic?) members of the media. They went to straight to the source of contention. James Toney would go off on you if he saw you at one “his” gyms. He did so with Katz, Steve Kim, me and many others. Fernando Vargas would call you up and curse you out like a crazy person. Zab Judah would shoot you and email and warn you that he’s gonna get in your face next time he sees you. B-Hop would give a slow psychological bleed for years.

I don’t like being yelled at or physically intimidated but I respect these guys – the ones who took the high road and those that took the “direct approach.” The thing is, we always worked it out in the end.

That doesn’t happen anymore. The boxers seem more distant, less accessible unless you’re a total shill, and definitely more sensitive. Hypersensitive. I don’t care for it.

So there ya go. I hope answered most of your questions.

RICHARD SCHAEFER

People seem to think that the sun shines out this guy’s ass, can you please just expose what he did at Golden Boy, so when he makes his way back into boxing people know exactly what he is. Regards. – Martin, UK

I think boxing people already know who and what Schaefer is, and many are just fine with him the way he is because he’s a good deal maker, he gets things done.

As for fans, if they don’t know who he is yet they will soon enough once he returns.

 

 

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

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