07.01.08 – By Vivek Wallace: Didn’t take too long for the headline fighters of 2007 to bless us with something new to talk about in 2008. Although there have been no mega-fights as of yet, the buzz is heating up relative to some of the biggest names in the sport.
In what should hardly come as a surprise, perhaps the most comical buzz was the recent interview conducted by Percy Crawford of fighthype.com with Floyd Mayweather Sr. who discussed the possibility of his son taking part in the UFC/MMA sport..
More Money or More Problems?
Mayweather Sr. was very vocal about his position on the matter and stated a few things that parallel the very thoughts of you, me, and any other fight fan with at least a half brain. Among the many excerpts were the following:
“You can’t beat nobody at their own game. Even though I’m a trainer right now, I can’t come over there and beat you at your game. I wouldn’t even know what questions to ask”.
“Right now, lil’ Floyd is in the drivers seat like Oscar Dela Hoya was in boxing. [But] he ain’t got to do all of that to get money. He can damn near make $30Million to fight Cotto. The quickest money gonna get him where he can’t make no money. One of them hit him upside the head he may never be the same”…..
“He ain’t got to worry about retiring. When they get through with his a**, he will be retired. Lil’ Floyd right now can’t pin me, so how the f**k is he gonna pin somebody?”…..
Beloved, he may not be, but when you get pass the profanity and the rugged ways, Floyd Sr. is easily the sports truest ‘R&B’ star. REAL AND BLUNT! Everything he said was on point, even though it was about the most gifted fighter of our era.
This type of antic is what keeps Floyd Jr.’s name in the mouth of skeptics. Let me go ahead and ask right quickly before someone reading this article does….”How is a guy claiming to have a depreciating body considering such a brutal sport”? Yep, good question. One that has got to be answered. If not vocally, we all can attest that often in life, silence speaks volumes. Spotlights on you ‘Money’ Mayweather! Speak, or forever hold your peace…..
Oscar To Meet Cotto?
A few months ago Oscar Dela Hoya talked about the possibility of fighting undefeated rising Puerto Rican star Miguel Cotto. He initially shunned the odds, saying that his wife, Puerto Rican Princess Millie, made him promise that he wouldn’t fight a Puerto Rican. He later rebuffed by stating that he makes the business decisions.
It appears that he has…..Or atleast it seems that way.
For a while his sights were blindly set on Ricky Hatton, but after Hatton’s loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr., that spotlight shifted to the other name in the hat. Although there has been no official confirmation, it appears the possibility of a Cotto/Dela Hoya fight is growing stronger.
Some may ask why? Few could actually answer. But there’s two basis in which I think solidifies this possibility in a very legible way.
Mosley Defeated Oscar. Mosley lost to Cotto. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – (until officially retired and forced to relinquish his straps) – stands atop the welterweight mountain. Next man in charge is Cotto. If Dela Hoya defeats Cotto, he effectively removes Cotto from the equation.
To his own admission, his fight with Floyd seemed more like a “sparring session”, and few could disagree. If he defeats Cotto, he removes the number one challenger, and reestablishes the buzz to make a final mega fight/payday with Floyd, bigger than the last. Why bigger? Because he’ll be smart enough to employ and actually pay Floyd Sr. this time, which will really get the 24/7 episodes buzzing.
In his prime, Oscar may no longer be, but a brilliant businessman, don’t ever deny him that title. Cotto has been spoiled, bringing fighters to his ‘home-away-from-home’, (Madison Square Garden), on the eve of his lands famed NYC parade, but since when – recently – has Oscar taken a fight without ‘loading’ his deck?
Cotto’s the Champ, but Oscar’s still the bigger draw. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this one land at a Vegas venue on the weekend of Cinco De Mayo. So much for the Cotto comfort zone.
When that’s all over, if some how Oscar’s blessed enough to prevail, look for the feuding Mayweather’s to make the most entertaining 24/7 piece ever, because that’s gonna be one helluva fight buzz and lead-up to another blockbuster event. Unfortunately one that has already delivered results.
Hatton/Pacquaio?
Shortly after the Hatton/Mayweather clash I spoke highly about the possibility and was laughed at by many. After further review, I just want to say to all of those people who found the possibility humorous, welcome to the new world of boxing where anything is possible, as a result of promoters who have finally developed an understanding for whetting the appetite of the fans who just wanna see the best fights made.
Arum did state that in order for Pacquiao to get the shot at Hatton he [Pacquiao] “needs to win” against Marquez in their scheduled March 15th showdown.
That won’t be an easy task but hit or miss, I don’t see Hatton barking up the Witter ‘tree’, and there aren’t a whole lot of other candidates that he appears to have his attention on so either way, I see this fight going down late summer, early fall at the latest. Oddsmakers, work your magic. Vegas, it’s about to be showtime at a theater near you!
Calzaghe ‘Hop’-in Cross The Pond?
According to promoter Frank Warren it seems that a tentative April 12th date is set and verbally agreed to between both parties for a clash between Brit phenom Joe Calzaghe and American Bernard Hopkins.
Appears as if the showdown will take place in Las Vegas, which will be a first for Joe Calzaghe. In an interview shortly after the Hatton/Mayweather fight Calzaghe seemed primed to get in on the international action and from the sounds of it, he’s on the brink of getting what he asked for.
This fight is about as tricky as they come at predicting, in the sense that you can never count out a guy like Joe who has been undeniable at the very least, yet his opposition is a man who is totally effective when it comes to de-scrambling the most difficult fighters to breakdown.
Prior to the Hopkins/Taylor fight I predicted a Hopkins loss for the simple fact that there were no ‘special effects’ to Taylor. Taylor is a simple fighter, and those are the kinds that lately have given Hopkins the toughest time. Put a guy like Winky Wright in his face, that few have been able to solve, and bingo! Put a lanky southpaw like Tarver in his face, and bam!
No predictions in this one for me, but April can’t get here quick enough. Call him an old man, call him boring, call him whatever you must, but the guy [Hopkins] gets results. You pair that with a man who is highly underrated and as solid as nearly any P4P fighter, and there’s no way you get anything but fireworks.
All in all, we have 4 different dramas unfolding, 3 potential matches, each with 2 men squaring off, and in the end of each, there can only be 1 man standing.
There’s the unofficial countdown. Now, LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!!!!!!!!
(Got feedback?: Write ESB’s Vivek Wallace at vivexemail@yahoo.com or show some love at www.myspace.com/anonymouslyinvolved)