PACQUIAO-UGAS THOUGHTS

Hey Dougie,

Well, it looks like Ugas didn’t have an injury after all lol. Look, I was asking about the rumored injury as people I know were making a big fuzz about it. I honestly didn’t even watch the weigh-in, so I wasn’t aware of the weird lump on Ugas’ bicep.

Turns out, as you said, that it was just hardcore fans being hardcore fans. In the end whatever was said turned out to be false and Ugas turned out to be too much for this version of Pacquiao. I was impressed with Ugas jab and right cross that were on point all night, and you could see that he had a very good plan to keep himself economical and let Pacman get tired. I was also very impressed, even in defeat, with Pacquiao’s activity. He puts some younger fighters to shame.

I hope Pacman leaves the sport now. He’s one fight away from being KO’d like Pollito did earlier in the card. I hope he overstays for that. In some way it was a blessing in disguise that Spence got injured. If Errol was his opponent last night, I don’t think he would’ve lasted 12 rounds. It’s funny, someone mentioned that Spence was like Holyfield in Tokyo, instead of facing the name fighter later he’ll end up fighting Ugas, the Douglas to Pacman’s Tyson.

My scorecard was 6-6, but I was having some cocktails and really did feel that Ugas was doing more.

By the way, as I told you before that Julio Cesar Chavez Special Issue was great. There were very interesting articles that were on point, especially the one that talked about Chavez making people wait for hours. My dad was trying to do some business with him back in 1991. He flew to Mexico City to see him in his condo.  He waited in the living room for about 3 hours. He woke up at around 12, grabbed some cereal and went to the next room to work out for an hour. Then he came out and said: What you got? 15 minutes later he was gone. Yet my dad didn’t complain. He was the champ so who cares lol. Great issue!

Thanks Dougie. – Juan Valverde

You can purchase the Chavez special here.

That’s a great story. Hey, as James Brown once said, Julio Paid the Cost to be the Boss! When you’re El Gran Campeon Mexicano, you’re not on anybody’s schedule but your own; especially when you’re chillin’ in your Mexico City condo. LOL!

I’m glad you enjoyed it and I hope Chavez fans who aren’t subscribers either purchase the special via The Ring Shop (RingMagShop.com) or look for it when it goes on sale on newsstands and bookstores in September, because this issue will sell out and, like our Manny Pacquiao Special, once it’s gone it’s gone. These Special Issues will only increase in value as time rolls on. Trust me on that.  

Well, it looks like Ugas didn’t have an injury after all lol. Goodness gracious, what the f__k was all that noise about? And why the hell do Twitter Heads feel the need to try and drag me and other members of the media into their paranoid suspicions and conspiracy theories? Firstly, we hear this s__t about injuries in the final days before EVERY big fight. Secondly, even if it is true, it’s NOT big news unless it’s a serious injury. Fighters have been entering the ring with busted body parts since the bare-knuckle days.

Look, I was asking about the rumored injury as people I know were making a big fuzz about it. Bro, like I told you (and whoever else paid attention to my Twitter TL the day of the fight) it’s just hardcore fans being hardcore fans. They have to geek out on something in the final hours before a big fight.

I honestly didn’t even watch the weigh-in, so I wasn’t aware of the weird lump on Ugas’ bicep. Fools should be embarrassed about the way they reacted to bump on a dude’s biceps. All I had to say to them was “If you really think Ugas can’t use his left arm, then bet on Manny by KO.” How many of them do you think put their money where their mouths were?

Turns out, as you said, that it was just hardcore fans being hardcore fans. In the end whatever was said turned out to be false and Ugas turned out to be too much for this version of Pacquiao. It may not have been totally false. Ugas’ left may not have been 100% but dealing with nagging injuries and pain from training camps is part of boxing – especially the world-class level – and the Cuban standout boxed a perfect fight vs. the living legend.

Ugas’ jab was on point all night vs. Pacquiao. Photo by German Villasenor

I was impressed with Ugas jab and right cross that were on point all night, and you could see that he had a very good plan to keep himself economical and let Pacman get tired. Ugas did a great job of controlling the distance with his jab (and keeping Pacquiao honest with his right cross), and he was consistent with his offense but never reckless, so the still-dangerous Senator couldn’t catch him in exchanges. Ugas’ timing beat Manny’s speed, and his size and comparable youth stood up to the 42-year-old icon’s power. Pacquiao couldn’t get past Ugas’ reach and never found a home for his vaunted straight left. If you want to simplify the story of the fight, you can say that Ugas was able to get his jab off and land his power hand and Pacquiao wasn’t. If you want to make it even more plain, you can just say that the PacMan was just too old and inactive to overcome a world-class welterweight as smart and savvy as Ugas.

I was also very impressed, even in defeat, with Pacquiao’s activity. He puts some younger fighters to shame. He really does. I thought he clearly lost the fight – I only scored four rounds for the ATG – but I was still impressed with his form, speed and effort. I think that same version of Pacquiao would beat the veteran likes of Danny and Mikey Garcia and provide competitive fights for the elite likes of Shawn Porter, Errol Spence and Terence Crawford.

I hope Pacman leaves the sport now. He’s one fight away from being KO’d like Pollito did earlier in the card. Yeah, that could certainly happen. It wouldn’t make him any less great if it did. Bernard Hopkins ended his amazing career getting KTFO of the ring by Joe Smith Jr. He’s still an ATG in my view. And how many times did Roy Jones Jr. get starched or stopped during the twilight of his legendary career? Jones is still a god among fighters. Manny would be no different if he tried to comeback one or two more times and got thrashed. However, judging by some of his post-fight interviews, I think he’s leaning toward walking away from the prize-fighting part of boxing and maybe politics keeps him out of the ring.  

In some way it was a blessing in disguise that Spence got injured. I favored Spence to beat Pacquaio by decision, but I didn’t think Manny would get completely overwhelmed and brutalized in that matchup.

If Errol was his opponent last night, I don’t think he would’ve lasted 12 rounds. I respectfully disagree. Spence was more of a physical threat than Ugas, but I think the Texas lefty would have been less of a stylistic conundrum for Manny.  

It’s funny, someone mentioned that Spence was like Holyfield in Tokyo, instead of facing the name fighter later he’ll end up fighting Ugas, the Douglas to Pacman’s Tyson. Interesting analogy/comparison. I think Ugas is more dedicated to boxing than Douglas was, and therefore, more of a threat to Spence than Buster was to The Real Deal.

My scorecard was 6-6, but I was having some cocktails and really did feel that Ugas was doing more. I can understand your scorecard. Honestly, I thought the official judges would be swayed by the fans and give Pac all the close rounds as well as the decision (my official pick was Manny by MD). But Ugas started faster than I thought (which was smart and key to his later success) and Pacquiao wasn’t able to take advantage of the Cuban’s increased aggression down the stretch, as I had predicted. There was no “Manny Magic” in the championship rounds of this Last Hurrah. I thought the opening round and Rounds 6, 7, 9 and 11 were competitive, but I still thought Ugas got more done in most of them (and scored all but Rounds 7 and 11 for the Cuban, who I had winning 116-112, or eight rounds to four).

WHAT IF?

Doug –

Would a full Ugas-centric training camp have made a significant difference? – Kevin Key, Duluth, MN

I believe so. I think Pacquiao could have had a better start to the fight if had prepared for Ugas’ stance and style for eight-plus weeks. Who knows? Maybe that would have been enough for him to narrowly outpoint the Cuban. However, my hunch is that Ugas would have adjusted to whatever a more-prepared Pacquiao brought to the ring and still given the Filipino Icon fits over 12 rounds.

DARE I ASK THE QUESTION?

Hi Dougie,

Hope you the family and team are keeping safe and well.

Dare I ask…

Should the 8-weight, 4-decade world champion, senator, and maybe future president of the Philippians finally hang up the gloves?

As someone who is about the same age as Manny Pacquiao (more or less 😉 I can’t believe I’m actually asking this.

Yes, Father Time has been chasing him for a while now, but that performance was a step change from what we’ve seen before.

IMHO, yes and no. Let me explain.

Can you imagine what would have happened if a Crawford or Spence was in there last night? So no, he should not consider mixing it with the elites of the division. However, if he wants a swan song then fight the winner of Khan/Brook. Both fighters are also at the end of their carriers. In the U.K. Pacquiao vs. the winner is a Wembley stadium fight and what better way to sign off if he wants?

Credit to Yordenis Ugas. As much as I hate to see a legend of the sport decline like that, it’s beautiful to see a fighter achieve his dream. He showed massive respect and class after the fight but during the fight the jab was perfect followed by intelligent accurate shots. Also do you think the early targeting of the body paid dividends towards the end of the fight.

Considering his performance against Porter, how do you see him getting on with the top of the dogs of the division?

I remember when Manny beat ODLH and how emotional it was to watch a once great decline like that. Hard to watch and articulate to be honest.

Let’s just remind ourselves:

WBC Flyweight

IBF Super-Bantamweight

Ring Featherweight

WBC & Ring Super-Featherweight

WBC Lightweight

Ring Super-Lightweight

WBA & 3x WBO Welterweight

WBC Super-Welterweight

Covering 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s!

Keep up the good work. – Tabraze, London, U.K.

Mind-bending stats. Pac is an ATG. And the list of world title wins reminds me to pass on a note to all of the networks and media that fail to recognize or mention The Ring championship but still credit Pacquiao as an eight-division world titleholder: That’s not a true statistic without the Ring Magazine belt. So, unless you start calling Manny a six-division champ (which would make you a chump), you need to recognize The Ring title.

Should the 8-weight, 4-decade world champion, senator, and maybe future president of the Philippians finally hang up the gloves? If he really wants to be president of his country, the answer is yes. If he’s not 100% committed to that lofty aspiration, I don’t see any harm in him sticking around for a farewell fight in the Philippines or even a series of these “old-timer” exhibitions or even fake fights vs. MMA guys and celebrities (like his rival Floyd enjoys, although I think such folly is beneath him).

IMHO, yes and no. Let me explain. Can you imagine what would have happened if a Crawford or Spence was in there last night? I think Pacquiao could be in competitive fights with both elite welterweights. Would he win? Probably not. Would he absorb more punishment vs. those two than he did vs. Ugas? Probably so. But I also think he could have his moments vs. both if he had full camps to prepare for them (which he obviously didn’t have for Ugas).

However, if he wants a swan song then fight the winner of Khan/Brook. Ugh. Really? I have no desire to see that fight, let alone the winner face Manny, but then again, I’m not British.

Both fighters are also at the end of their carriers. Jeez, you don’t have to rub it in, Tabraze.

In the U.K. Pacquiao vs. the winner is a Wembley stadium fight and what better way to sign off if he wants? (Sigh) you’re probably right. Bless you British boxing fans. You’re f__king nuts.  

Credit to Yordenis Ugas. As much as I hate to see a legend of the sport decline like that, it’s beautiful to see a fighter achieve his dream. Ugas climbed out of a career hole that would have swallowed most pros (I was ringside when he lost an eight-round decision to Amir Imam in L.A. in 2014, his second consecutive loss at 140 pounds), and he has since paid his dues in an impressive climb up the welterweight ranks. And while we’re patting Ugas on the back, let’s give his trainer, the esteemed Ismael Salas, some much-deserved props.

He showed massive respect and class after the fight but during the fight the jab was perfect followed by intelligent accurate shots. He’s classy outside of the ring and savvy inside of it.

Also do you think the early targeting of the body paid dividends towards the end of the fight. Yes. His underrated body attack got to Shawn Porter in a fight that many observers thought he deserved to win, and it affected Pacquiao too.

Considering his performance against Porter, how do you see him getting on with the top of the dogs of the division? I think Ugas beats all of the top welters apart from Crawford and Spence and I believe that he’s a live dog vs. the top two. I think his style troubles Spence more than it does Bud.

I remember when Manny beat ODLH and how emotional it was to watch a once great decline like that. Hard to watch and articulate to be honest. I don’t think the loss to Ugas is that bad. It was a competitive fight against a top-five rated welterweight. Given his age, the two years of inactivity, Ugas’ amateur background and style, plus taking the bout on 11 days’ notice, his performance was impressive. De La Hoya didn’t win a single round vs. Pac and took way more of a beating. And even that wasn’t a terrible way to go out. A clearly drained and past-prime Oscar lost to an all-time great. No shame in that. If Ugas was Manny’s last fight, it’s not a bad way to go out even though it was a loss. Think about the final bouts of Mike Tyson (stopped by Kevin McBride), Pernell Whitaker (stopped by Carlos Bojorquez), Alexis Arguello (a unanimous decision to Scott Walker), or Julio Cesar Chavez (stopped by Grover Wiley). They lost to guys who wouldn’t have qualified as sparring partners for their sparring partners during their primes. (And guess what? We still adore, revere and celebrate them.)

THE GREATEST SOUTHPAWS

Hey Dougie, hope you’re well!

Quick question – who are the best southpaws ever, and who among them do you believe to be the best?

Thank you! – Joe

You KNOW we gotta put Manny on the short list, along with Marvin Hagler and Pernell Whitaker. I think those three – in any order – are the best lefties ever.

The best I had the honor of covering live from ringside, after Pacquiao of course, include (in alphabetical order): Chris Byrd, Joel Casamayor, Vic Darchinyan, Vasiliy Jirov, Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson, Stevie Johnston, Zab Judah, Kevin Kelley, Erislandy Lara, Vasiliy Lomachenko, Sergio Martinez, Cristian Mijares, Anselmo Moreno, Jose Navarro, Toshiaki Nishioka, Gerry Penalosa, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Antonio Tarver, Paul Williams and Winky Wright.

Some of the best that I’ve seen train live (but not their fights), or that I’ve read about or seen on TV and/or VHS/YouTube video include, apart from Sweet Pea and the Marvelous One (in alphabetical order): Joe Calzaghe, Hector Camacho Sr., Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, Tiger Flowers (just read about), Khaosai Galaxy, Herol Graham, John David Jackson and Reggie Johnson (these two I obviously saw on TV a lot but also watched both trainer and spar each other late in their careers), Frankie Liles, Shamba Mitchel, Michael Moorer, Michael Nunn, Jose Luis Ramirez, Vicente Saldivar, Shinsuke Yamanaka, and Daniel Zaragoza.

Email Fischer at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter and IG at @dougiefischer, and join him, Tom Loeffler, Coach Schwartz and friends via Tom’s or Doug’s IG Live every Sunday.

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