Manny Pacquiao surrounded by species of animals that engage in same-sex unions. Photo art from PinkNews.co.uk

I HOPE YOU RIP PACQUIAO

I am not gay so I am not personally offended, but I hope you rip Manny Pacquiao a new a__hole like you rip Floyd Mayweather for everything he says. Okay Mayweather who is black said racism exists, big deal. This guy says gay human beings are lower than animals. If you don’t rip him a new a__hole the way you do Floyd, and rip that a__hole for weeks like you do on Floyd I will be very disappointed. If Nike canceled his contract, certainly you can take him to task. I haven’t seen the same uproar over these comments as Mayweather got for stating a fact that racism exists. Doug, you and I as multiracial individuals hear it from both sides. Thank you. – Jason C. Brown

If you’re not seeing an uproar over Pacquiao’s comments about same-sex unions you’ve got blinders on. Nike cut his eight-year endorsement deal over his homophobic statements. His own promoter, Bob Arum, called the comments “reprehensible.” Celebrities of both the Philippines and the U.S. have criticized and condemned him on public record and on social media.

Mayweather wasn’t ripped like this for his FightHype comments on racism in boxing. A lot of folks agreed with him. Others, like me, criticized his ridiculous examples of “racism.” Nobody said Mayweather’s beliefs were “reprehensible.” Some fans and members of the media, including Yours Truly, simply pointed out that Mayweather is an idiot and an attention whore (which isn’t exactly a news flash).

And, to be honest, I probably wouldn’t have said much about Mayweather’s comments on racism if certain pro-Mayweather fans/PBCheerleaders hadn’t brought up the FightHype interview in emails to the mailbag (which saw fit to rip Golden Boy Promotions, for some reason, and also insult me).

But if you want me to comment on (or rip) Pacquiao’s statements about gay humans being “worse” than animals, I can do that. The first thing I said to myself when I read his comments was “Wow, this guy is ignorant and woefully uneducated” (which was pretty much the same thing Pacquiao said about Mayweather after Floyd’s “make me a sushi rollÔǪ cook him up with some cats and dogs” Ustream tirade from five years ago).

I think Pacquiao’s ideas/attitudes about same-sex relationships are moronic. He’s not very bright in general and probably lacking any real understanding of LGBT issues.

But at the end of the day, those are Pacquiao’s beliefs. He’s a born-again Christian and this is how he interprets parts of the Bible. He’s pissed off a lot of famous folks in his country – some of whom will probably lobby against his current senate campaign – but he may have earned cred with a large segment of the Philippines’ population with his professed religious stance. Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion in the Philippines (something like 80 percent of the total population professes Catholicism); it’s the third largest Catholic stronghold in the world behind Brazil and Mexico. Last time I checked, the Roman Catholic Church viewed homosexuality as “morally wrong” and is against gay marriage.

I’m not trying to cast negative shade on Catholicism (I was raised Catholic and I don’t regret it) or the Philippines. There are huge segments of the U.S. population representing several branches of Christianity (as well as other major religions) and more than a few presidential candidates (mostly Republican) that share Pacquiao’s beliefs on same-sex unions and gay marriage.

Manny’s currently aiming for a senate seat in his country with his eye on the presidency. Just sayin’.

PRINCE CHARLES COMES TO ENGLAND

Yo yo yo Dougie,
Big love for the mailbags, a must for every Monday and Friday – if only you could do a daily mailbag!!

Just a quick one but had to write in after the announcement that Charles Martin will make his first defence against Anthony Joshua. What do you make of the fight Doug? I’ve not seen much of Martin other than on YouTube but he doesn’t appear to have too much about him. What chance do you give him?

Also do you think AJ has taken the fight too early? I think AJ wins the fight inside 4-5 rounds but it’s what comes after that concerns me as we don’t want to see him do a Wilder and return to fighting lower tier guys.

What impact do you think the fight being in London will have on the outcome? I’ve been to a Joshua fight at the O2 (Gary Cornish blowout) and the atmosphere was incredible. Got to play a part in my book.

Hope to make the cut and get your thoughts, and looking forward to AJ proving any doubters around the world that he is the real thing. Keep it fresh. – Mike, England

I’ll try, Mike. Thanks for the kind words and for sharing your thoughts on AJ and the Martin-Joshua matchup.

Do you think Joshua has many doubters? It seems like he’s got a lot of believers – even on this side of the Pond – despite only having 15 bouts and not having a legit top-10 contender on his resume. I recall Lennox Lewis having more doubters – especially among American fans – after 20 pro bouts, even though he’d banged up a couple former titleholders and had been featured on U.S. TV by then.

What do you make of the fight Doug? I think it’s an interesting matchup of styles and talent, one that favors Joshua on paper. It’s a sweet opportunity for the 2012 Olympic gold medalist.

I’ve not seen much of Martin other than on YouTube but he doesn’t appear to have too much about him. What chance do you give him? I don’t think that highly of Martin but I don’t think Joshua can take him lightly. Martin reminds me of Dillian Whyte in that he’s a solid athlete with good reach and pop on the end of his punches, and he’s got a lot of confidence.

Also do you think AJ has taken the fight too early? No. I don’t think it’s too early. Joshua is still a bit green, but so is Martin. The St. Louis native is the greenest heavyweight titleholder sinceÔǪ I can’t recall when there’s been a major beltholder as inexperienced as Martin.

What impact do you think the fight being in London will have on the outcome? If the fight goes the distance, it being a “home game” for Joshua will obviously help him out on the scorecards. There’s no way the judges won’t be influenced by the crowd. However, the crowd could hype Joshua up to the point that he’s too aggressive, which can lead to recklessness, which can lead to getting caught.

KHANELO

Fish,

I hope Khan puts it on Alvarez, that’s a good fight. Amir in 4. Better post if I’m right. – WS

It’s a deal. We might put you on the cover of THE RING along with Amir if he pulls the upset and you nail that bold prediction.

HEAVYWEIGHT TOP 5

Hi Dougie,

What is your list of the Top Five Heavyweights? Here is mine:

1. Fury
2. Wilder
3. Ortiz
4. Martin
5. Joshua

Biggest problem I have with the heavyweights is how seldom they fight. I would have thought Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko would have had their rematch within one or two months. Fighting often makes better fighters (look at Joe Louis and other great champs). I know it’s about money and picking ‘safe’ opponents but the length of time between fights is getting to be nuts!!!

I think getting more good fights on network TV is great for the sport. Glad to see that happening. Most people are not going to pay $50 to watch a fight. I can remember when everyone looked forward all week to “The Friday Night Fights.” Was also great to have only ONE Champion instead of 32 or whatever it’s up to now! Love your column. Used to read Bert Sugar. Keep up the good work. – Mike

Thanks Mike. I’ll try my best. I also used to read Bert Sugar, and I miss his presence in the sport.

I’m all for good fights on network TV, and for greater activity among fighters of all levels. It would be awesome if the heavyweight champ fought more than twice a year like in the good ole days (that you seem to be familiar with), but did you really figure that the Fury-Klitschko rematch would have taken place “one or two months” after the first fight? The days of return bouts happening that quickly are long gone.

I know that Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta fought their second and third bouts in the same month, February 1943 (and Robinson managed to earn a decision over Jackie Wilson on Feb. 19, between his Feb. 5 and Feb. 26 dates with the Bronx Bull), but rematches of heavyweight championship upsets (or controversial bouts) rarely – if ever – took place one or two months apart, even going back to the legendary reigns of Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis.

Dempsey’s rematch with Gene Tunney (who upset him in September 1926) took place one year (to the month) later. Louis’ rematch with Jersey Joe Walcott (who dropped a controversial split decision to the Brown Bomber in December 1947) took place six months later.

The first two bouts of the Floyd Patterson-Ingemar Johansson trilogy took place one year apart (June 1959 and June 1960). In 1973, Muhammad Ali fought Ken Norton six months after the Fighting Marine broke his jaw. Lennox Lewis fought Evander Holyfield seven months after their controversial draw in 1999, and he faced Hasim Rahman six months after getting KTFO by the American underdog in South Africa in 2001.

Klitschko-Fury II will definitely take place this summer, seven or eight months after their forgettable first encounter.

What is your list of the Top Five Heavyweights?

1.) Fury

2.) Klitschko

3.) Povetkin

4.) Wilder

5.) Ortiz

MARQUEZ VS. COTTO – FIVE YEARS AGO

Hey Doug,

I recently read Juan Manuel Marquez would return for a fight against Miguel Cotto. I started wondering that this fight could have been made a few years ago whilst both were still closed to their physical primes. Who do you think would have won this fight if it was made around 2011? What is your prediction if they were to fight this year?

I would prefer for them to call it a day and enjoy their respective retirements without the danger of fans remembering either of them in a potentially poor and below par performance but if both can still bring it then maybe their styles could make for a surprisingly entertaining fight. What do you think? Kind regards. – Anish Parekh

It’s got a bit of a “senior’s tour” feel to it, but given their styles and fierce pride I think Cotto-Marquez, even in 2016, could be an entertaining matchup. I think the loyal fans of both fighters would anticipate that fight, and even hardcore heads that would rip it on social media would watch it. Who knows? Maybe Cotto-Marquez could be sold as a PPV event.

Who do you think would have won this fight if it was made around 2011? Cotto.

What is your prediction if they were to fight this year? Cotto by clear unanimous decision in a competitive and entertaining fight. I think Cotto would have done the same thing Tim Bradley did against Marquez but with a lot more punching power. Marquez did very well against Pacquiao in their third fight in November 2011 (well enough to win it on the unofficial cards of many fans and media members), but he was barely a welterweight. He weighed in 142 pounds and looked more like a junior welterweight. Cotto was campaigning at junior middleweight in 2011 and boxing well against big, strong former welter champs Ricardo Mayorga and Antonio Margarito. Having said that, Marquez is head and shoulders above Mayo and Margz in terms of technique and boxing IQ (and his balls are just as big), so it would’ve been competitive.

BIG FIGHTS ON DECK

Hey Dougie,

Great move by Eddie Hearn matching Joshua with Martin, a fight for a world title with an equally inexperienced fighter when you consider Martin’s level of fighters fought. The IBF rankings will allow Hearn to milk his cash cow stepping up his experience against some decent, experienced fighters but avoiding the bigger guns for now. How do you see this one playing out and do you see anyone in the IBFs top 15 that could spoil potential fights with Fury/Wilder/Povetkin/Haye? I don’t, though a Parker fight would be exciting while it lasted.

Khanelo – Though Khan has the speed to cause Canelo problems; Canelo KO. I still don’t think Khan has learnt from his previous failings, at some point he will stay and trade for too long rather than use his speed and keep his distance. His instincts will always get the better of him and doesn’t have 12 disciplined rounds in him. His chin may be better with the extra weight, but he’s also not fought someone anywhere near the size and as powerful of Canelo since he stepped up from 140.

Pumped for Frampton v Quigg, but I got to go against my man Frampton! The build-up this side of the pond is starting to heat up and I think Frampton will be too emotional and leave his game plan in the dressing room playing into Quigg’s hands. Speaking of that night, Leo Santa Cruz, really! You step it up against Abner Mares and following that up with the leftovers of the big one that night. I didn’t realise 3 wins against fighters who had combined losses of 28 made you deserving of a title shot these days! Keep up the good work! – Mike, UK

I guess it’s one step forward, two steps back for Santa Cruz’s career. He’s making a good living with the way he’s being managed but he’s not building much of a legacy (despite being a three-division beltholder). I don’t expect Kiko to last the distance against LSC. Hopefully, Santa Cruz faces the winner of Quigg-Frampton (if Rigo isn’t granted first crack – and I’m not holding my breath for that to happen).

Interesting thoughts on Quigg-Frampton. I’m worried that Quigg will get too hyped up being the hometown fighter. We’ll see what happens.

If Joshua beats Martin, do you really think Hearn will want to milk his IBF title against no-hopers rather than go straight into mega-money money showdowns with David Haye or Tyson Fury (whether or not Fury wins the Klitschko rematch)? We’ll see.

How do you see this one playing out and do you see anyone in the IBFs top 15 that could spoil potential fights with Fury/Wilder/Povetkin/Haye? I don’t, though a Parker fight would be exciting while it lasted. I don’t see anyone in the IBF’s top 15 threatening Joshua, but I agree that (No. 6-rated) Joseph Parker would make for a very good fight, and I wouldn’t mind seeing AJ vs. (No. 5-rated) Carlos Takam. I see Joshua stopping Martin in the late rounds of a cat-and-mouse game (guess who’s in the mouse role?).

His instincts will always get the better of him and doesn’t have 12 disciplined rounds in him. You might be right but Khan kept it together in near shut-out decisions over Devon Alexander and Luis Collazo.

His chin may be better with the extra weight, but he’s also not fought someone anywhere near the size and as powerful of Canelo since he stepped up from 140. Good point.

MAYWEATHER KHAN’T COME BACK

Hello Dougie Fresh!

I was writing you to ask for your thoughts on Mayweather’s recent comment regarding “IF” he did return against Danny Garcia, that it would shut down the Canelo vs Khan in May? Floyd’s unofficial Publicist Ben Thompson reported this Monday. I don’t understand what Floyd’s motives are. He keeps telling everyone who will listen that he doesn’t have the itch to come back, then he turns around and shows off his “50th” shorts to the world. Now he’s saying that a comeback against Garcia would shut down Canelo vs Khan which is laughable to me. Do you think he’s coming back? Anywho, hope I make the blog.

Mythical Match ups

Triple G vs Trinidad at Middleweight
Canelo vs Winky Wright at 154
Chavez sr vs Edwin Valero at 135
Pacquiao vs Chavez sr at 135
Chavez sr vs Mayweather Jr at 135 in a Super fight held at the MGM Grand!

Thanks. – Phillip Stockton, CA

Do I think Mayweather is coming back? Yes, eventually, but maybe not until late this year or 2017. Do I think he should come back? Hell no. And that’s not just because I can’t stand him or his ring style. It’s for his own good. Fighters seriously put their current and future mental/neurological/psychological health in jeopardy with careers that last 20 years or more. Mayweather, Pacquiao, Marquez, Hopkins and Jones all need to hang up the gloves for good.

If Mayweather is really feeling the itch to get back into the ring he should sit down with his uncle Roger and have a long talk about it. Oh wait. He can’t do that. So that harsh reality should be his answer.

Anyway, I don’t think Mayweather-Garcia could shutdown Canelo-Khan on May 7.

I don’t understand what Floyd’s motives are. He needs attention. It’s as simple as that. He needs attention more than he craves money.

Your mythical matchups:

Triple G vs Trinidad at Middleweight – GGG by late TKO in a good fight
Canelo vs Winky Wright at 154 – Wright by majority decision (that most fans believe Winky won clearly)
Chavez vs Edwin Valero at 135 – Chavez by close decision or late TKO in a barnburner (he would have some trouble with Valero’s underrated footwork but his ring-cutting ability and body attack would be his key to victory)
Pacquiao vs Chavez at 135 – Same as above
Chavez vs Mayweather Jr at 135 – Chavez by close but unanimous decision

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