Selan B. (Phoenix, AZ): You made a point on FaceBook the other day about the Mayweather v Pacquiao fight that I’d like you to revisit. Could you elaborate on your thoughts regarding the magnitude of this fight and the legacy of the fighters?
Vivek W. (ESB): In a nutshell, when we look at this fight, this is an event on the scale of nothing we’ve ever seen before, and arguably, nothing we will ever see again in this lifetime. Some have noted that the fight is “a few years too late”. My response is that the fight has reached this apex as a result of the fact that it did come this late. When this bout was initially proposed, the fighters were looking at proposed purses in the $30M dollar range. Floyd Mayweather found a way to land a deal that nets that every night out. When he said he wanted $100M for this bout, we said he was “talking stupid”. He now stands in place to earn a hair below that mark ($180M approx).
Those numbers are staggering, and it just goes to show exactly how dynamic this fight is, when a man who has zero endorsements can actually net those figures while playing lead role in his own movie. This isn’t an owner of a sports franchise. This isn’t some fortune 500 CEO commanding his troops to international excellence. This one particular athlete in a not-so-elite sport that has managed to package himself in a way that sells by the masses, taking on the one talent deemed solid enough to overcome him. Based on that narrative alone, this is as epic as we can possibly get.
When the old-timers get to talking about those Ali-Foreman, or Leonard-Duran type bouts, deep in their mind, that era died, never to return again. Well, the reason this bout has soared through the stratosphere like it has is because this era is being treated one-time to what that era had grown accustomed to with so many legendary figures available. In Manny Pacquiao, you have one of the most transcendent figures ever. He is equally endeared to his people as Muhammad Ali was to his in his fighting days. His blood, sweat, and tears have made him a god with a lowercase “g” in his homeland. And being the warm spirit that he is, many around the world have taken to him with the same passion.
Standing across from Pacquiao is one of the most compelling figures the entire world of sports has ever witnessed. Many see the glitz, the glam, and the trail of ‘tail’ in the strip clubs, but beneath that smoke is arguably the most dedicated athlete in history. To have millions of dollars at the tip of your fingers and live amongst the spoils of Sin-City, yet still find a way to rise above the gutters and meet his peak is an untold story that rarely gets the attention it deserves. Like many, I once took Mayweather’s fundamental skills for granted, despite seeing him excel for years. But there was one fight that totally changed my perception, letting me know that he was truly “one of the great ones”.
I often tell the story of how amazed I was at the ‘truth’ revealed by fans in attendance at the Hatton fight. Throughout the fight, I would randomly scan the stands and just watch the body language of fans. The noise in the arena was at a deafening roar, transitioning from praise to boo’s every time Hatton did something good or Mayweather tried to. I took note of the fact that aside from the staunch Hatton fans, there were non-British fans who also booed Mayweather to no end. But down the stretch when Mayweather started landing at will and finally stopped the rugged Ricky Hatton, something that I found incredibly intriguing materialized.
The booing sound I felt could get no louder was dwarfed by praise which exceeded that pitch, most which came from those same once-booing fans! As I watched many go from a negative emotion simultaneously to a positive emotion, I learned sometning: Rooting against the villain is “fun”; but praise for the skill level attached to “greatness” – even in a villain – is discriminately inevitable! In just a few shots, he had converted some of the very fans that paid top dollars to enter the building and root against him. I’ve never witnessed that with any other athlete in my life. So when you ponder “how big this event really is”? Let this passage be your guide. Soak it all in now! We’ll never see it again!
Alex J. (Charlotte, NC): I watched the “Premiere Boxing Champions” show Saturday night and I had mixed emotions about the telecast, personally. I don’t know if I liked it too much, but I’m curious to know your thoughts on the presentation overall?
Vivek W. (ESB): Like anything else, I think we have to try to see this for what it was and attempt to look at the big picture overall. There were many different elements to this ‘presentation’, so I think we have to remember that when making general analysis. We have to consider the actual fights that took place in the ring, the team of commentators analyzing those fights, and the actual product as whole being presented to the world. Looking at those elements one by one, starting with the fights that took place, I feel we got a solid night of action.
I think both Broner and Thurman knew they were in with men aiming to land that one big punch as a result of turning things into a brawl, respectively. Their way of handling that was to engage early, and coast late after they had put enough rounds in the bank to secure the victory. Many fight fans will take issue with that style, but I would urge anyone with that position to step out of the emotional element and look at this for what is was. Anything that falls within the confines of the legal rules allowed can be used for victory. Everything else is personal opinion.
Fighters that coast late or use a defense-first style out of fear of getting caught is no more entertaining to me than seeing a long-armed fighter constantly clinch for the same reason. But you know what? The rules allow it. So it may not be what I personally like, but I respect the fact that both fighters in a fight have access to the same rules of engagement. So the one that uses those rules in a most beneficial way to secure victory is the one I have to live with as the victor! I can’t speak for everyone, but I have zero problems with the way the winners performed when I step out of my personal feelings. Bottom line, they fight to win, not to please me.
As for the commentating team of Marv Albert, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Laila Ali, Al Michaels and BJ Flores, I think the sentiment changes, and there’s far more room for opinion. If you’re anything like me, you’re used to the Lampley’s, Malignaggi’s, Jones, Kellerman’s, and Bernstein’s of the world. So this crew may have left a lot to be desired. But when you really think about it, was it that they were “bad”, or was it the fact that it’s just a different product that will take getting used to because it is (something different)?
I thought everyone involved did a good job, and BJ Flores to me in particular was very much on point. He and Laila were the only ones I felt who didn’t quite seem as tentative. Overall, I would grade the commentary cast as a B+. Room for improvement, but certainly not “bad”. As a whole, I think the presentation of the event itself was very positive. I thought it was a beautiful thing to see the sport in a prime time Saturday night slot, and considering that they were going head to head with a few important college Basketball games, etc., I think you really have to feel good about what they accomplished.
What I love most is the fact that these are all young and developing talents that have the opportunity to grow WITH the American public. There’s no downside to that. Initial projection showed a modest viewership base of approximately 3.3M, although the box office apparently did better than expected for live attendance. So, for a first show, I think it was definitely a great ‘buzz generator’. And with some of the fights lined up, I truly believe the sport could very well be in the initial phase of another “Golden Era”. As a Boxing enthusiast, I can only hope so. Stay tuned.
Marcus S. (Oakland, CA): Keith Thurman looked “OK” to me, but I’m not totally sure that he’s as good as some in the media have made it seem. What did you think about his performance and how do you think he’d do against someone like a Timothy Bradley?
Vivek W. (ESB): Years ago, I had the opportunity to ask Thurman directly, considering the he’s so in love with his patented power, how would he handle an opponent with the work rate to outwork him, and the durability to outlast him? His response was that he has actual boxing skills and he would gladly put them on display if and when that time comes (paraphrased). Well, last Saturday night, before our eyes, he confirmed the very thing most of us felt a need to see. Does he have room to evolve? Absolutely!
But what I appreciate the most about his talent is the fact that he did after the last fight, and this time around, he concealed those same mistakes against a better fighter, and looked better doing it! No matter how critical I’ve been of his efforts, I have to give him credit for that, and I think everyone out there should too! When I look at the current landscape of talent in the welterweight division, I think it’s safe to say that his performance last Saturday night firmly etched his name in stone as a perennial top 4 fighter in that crop (not including Mayweather and Pacquiao).
Some would balk at that position, but when you look at who we have there, it all comes down to how you view things. If I had to look at the “purist” list, judging fundamentals, I think a guy like Brook and maybe Amir Khan would round out the top four slots behind the “Big 2”. But if we’re looking at things from a mythical standpoint, I think Bradley is the only guy outside of the “Big 2” that would edge him right now, and that’s on the strength of his resume alone. Some would say that Khan should be ahead of him. My position on that argument is that Khan needs to first face and defeat a legitimate, top seed welterweight.
While he looked brilliant against Collazo and Alexander, neither have every truly made a big enough dent in the division to be classed with the elite beyond purposes linked to their name recognition alone. In all fairness, Guerrero was not a top tier welterweight either. But he has achieved more than anyone Khan has faced on the welterweight ledger, so from a mythical standpoint, at the very least, I would have to pair these two men as parallels with Thurman having the slight edge. Personally, I think they’d make a great fight, and I hope we get to see it at some point, although if I was a betting man, my money says Khan would look to grab the money bag against Brook before he considers that.
As it relates to Bradley, what I saw last Saturday night made answering that question much easier. Guerrero can crack, he’s a veteran southpaw, and he’s one tough SOB. Thurman overcame every ounce of that inherent danger and then some, not to mention that Guerrero is a guy who punches much harder than Bradley. Bradley is one of the most spirited fighters we’ve seen in this era, and his heart grows with the occasion. But the one wild card in this equation is the punching power of Thurman, as it relates to the recklessness of Bradley. I just have a really hard time seeing Bradley escape this level of power over the course of 12rds.
Thurman has proven that he can handle a hard punching smothering fighter. So there’s nothing Bradley can do to keep him off him. When you study that reality closer, I think, similar to the close fights we’ve seen between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, the one or two knockdowns Thurman would land along the way would probably be the sole difference in the end. Bradley would make it competitive, but Thurman has the ultimate eraser, and Bradley has had no answer for that ‘eraser’. Thurman doesn’t like to in-fight, so Bradley could attempt to smother him. But how would that play out with Thurman’s ability to land with speed from close range?
I just think stylistically, there’s no way to avoid touching the canvas a time or two for Bradley in that bout, and there lies the problem for him. I think it would be competitive, and I’d go on record as saying the knockdown or two that Thurman finds a way to create would potentially be the only difference on the cards. But nonetheless, I think Thurman finds a way to win this bout. If the stars align properly, one day we may get to see it all unfold.
(Vivek “Vito” Wallace can be reached at 754.307.7747. He can also be reached every Tuesday night on “Left-Hook Lounge Radio”, on Twitter (@lefthooklounge1), on Instagram (ViveksView), and on Facebook)
