This weeks ‘Left-Hook Lounge’ Q&A Mailbag shines light on everything in the sport considered to be true ‘buzz’. Making the tab this week is a few key questions about Kelly Pavlik and his future, as well as a potential lightweight match involving Nate Campbell and a certain Filipino phenom that would set the sport on fire. Also making the list is Arthur Abraham, who should eventually land on Kelly Pavliks turf, as well as the future of young gun Andre Berto. With so much to cover, we take it straight to the streets where a huge Kelly Pavlik fan had a great question that probably occupies space in the mind of many other fight fans…..
Kevin G. (Dallas, TX): Kelly Pavlik is slowly becoming the new Oscar De La Hoya, as everyone is lining up to take a shot at him. How do you think the potential fight between he and Paul Williams would play out if it comes to fruition?
Vivek Wallace (ESB): I don’t know that I would say that Pavlik has become the new Oscar, I’m sure his accountant would strongly beg to differ, but what I would say is that I do agree, he is quickly becoming the new guy that everyone wants a piece of. In recent weeks we’ve heard Sergio Mora, Joe Calzaghe, Bernard Hopkins, Arthur Abraham, Roy Jones, Felix ‘Tito’ Trinidad, and now Paul Williams, among others. What I like about it is that rarely in this sport do you see so many people lining up to face a fighter who isn’t a ‘jackpot’. We know why everyone wants to face De La Hoya, and why people called out Mike Tyson after the writing was on the wall relative to his career, but with Pavlik, it’s different. Sure, these guys will make nice pay days, but it has more to do with the fact that they see him as more of a true benchmark. By kicking ass and taking names, Pavlik has made himself a measuring stick that so many guys want to parallel themselves with which directly attributes to and greatly credits his greatness. How does a Paul Williams fight against Pavlik play out you ask?, personally, I think both fighters are great but I don’t think it’s a great fight for Williams. To his credit, we know that he has a big frame with room to fill it out, but what we don’t know is how he holds up against a heavy puncher two weight divisions north of where he currently resides. If Williams wanted to gradually work his way up there by taking a few fights in the jr. middleweight division, and then maybe one or two in the middleweight division, I think that could potentially work out. But to jump straight up in that division and challenge one of the most brutal ‘KO’ specialist in the game, (30 KO’s out of 34 fights), would be a bad move in my observation. Pardon the lyrical sidebar, but to quote the T.L.C. tune from back in the days: “Don’t go chasin’ waterfalls, just stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to”! Bottomline, he’s beaten Margarito, but lets see him handle Cotto and these other welters before we see him try to conquer a fighter two divisions north. Not to say he can’t do it, cause in reality it’s possible, but very improbable.
Jason Seles (Quantico, VA): If Manny Pacquiao defeats David Diaz, do you think he will eventually take on Nate Campbell, and if so, who wins?
Vivek Wallace (ESB): Manny Pacquiao is easily one of my top 3 fighters to watch, but that being said, brace yourself for a very bold statement that I’m gonna make and would repeat for anyone who refuses to believe I said it. First I’ll say this….Good boxing scribes make statements, but only the true ones can and are willing to defend them! Shying away from all the typical journalistic politics, who do I think wins that fight? Personally, I think Nate Campbell would totally frustrate Manny Pacquiao, possibly even stop him. I know my mailbox will be full of hate mail after this one, but hate me now, respect me later. My reason for saying that is because although Barrera, Morales and Marquez were great talents, neither in my book bring the intensity that Nate does. Juan ‘Baby Bull’ Diaz came ready to rock in his fight with Campbell, and I’ve never seen that kid backed up, but Nate grabbed the bull by the horn and tamed him to put it mildly. Pacquiao is a phenomenal talent and I actively support him, but calling an ace an ace and a spade a spade, this fight to me would be a total destruction of Pacquiao. Nate would make Pacquiao back up more than he’s used to which is something none of those others were able to do, with the exception of maybe Morales in the first fight. 5 inch reach advantage, ability to fight inside and outside, natural lightweight, and a veteran lightweight….I can’t see Nate losing this fight. Personally, I think many will be surprised to see how this currently scheduled Pacquiao fight plays out. Here we are talking about a potential showdown with Nate Campbell, huh, I think Pacquiao’s hands are quite full this coming weekend as he takes on a very highly credible David Diaz who has already hinted at feeling “slighted” and stated that he’s coming in with intentions to win “decisively”. This will be a true test of how Pacquiao – who openly admits to walking around at 145lbs to 150lbs – handles the lightweight division. If he walks through Diaz I think the Campbell fight would have more credibility. If he struggles, trust me, the last thing his handlers will do is place him in the ring with Campbell. Diaz may be an animal, but Nate is a straight beast.
Marcus Bailey (Miami Lakes, Fl): You did an article about Andre Berto earlier this week addressing how you feel he compares to the other great welterweights. What do you see in his immediate future as well as distant future?
Vivek Wallace (ESB): The immediate future of Andre Berto depends on a few things. Despite the flashes of greatness, he still needs a little time to evolve, yet at the same time, he holds a strap in the sports deepest division and will have to earn his keep immediately to maintain it. Many would like to see him come along at a gradual pace that would allow him to make a smooth transition on his way to the ‘big time’, but as Max Kellerman politely put it, his days of “flying under the radar” are over. So where does he go from here?, perhaps a good place to start would be against the guy ranked #1 to challenge him according to the WBC, whom I believe also represents a good gauge for where he truly stands in the midst of this welterweight pack – Luis Collazo. In Collazo, Berto would be facing a guy with veteran experience who is very slick and won’t be there to take the kind of punishment that Rodriguez did last Saturday night which means he’d have to work a bit harder for that “W”. Also, Collazo is a southpaw which represents a totally different challenge in and of itself. When you consider that Collazo is a very slippery southpaw and has a great chin, I don’t think you can put Berto in with a better opponent for this current state of his evolution. As far as the distant future of Berto goes, it all depends on how the stars align. Right now, I don’t think that anyone could reasonably argue that he’s completely ready for an Antonio Margarito, or a Miguel Cotto, or maybe even a Paul Williams and Joshua Clottey. It isn’t to say that he can’t engage in a competitive fight against them, but I do think he needs another fight or two under his belt to help himself evolve to that next level like they have. At the end of the day, everyone wants the best fights to happen right away, but the reality here is that all of these guys, (Williams, Margo, Cotto, Clottey, Cintron, etc) are in their primes and whether it’s this year or in the next few years, they’ll all be paired up in any and every combination one could imagine in due time. If the Collazo fight doesn’t materialize, I think a good place to start would be with the Clottey/Judah winner because they represent two different challenges as well. Speed and ability with Judah, heart and power with Clottey.
Solomon Y. (Hallandale Beach, Florida): How do you view a potential Pavlik/Abraham match down the line?
Vivek Wallace (ESB): I think it’s the best fight out there for both guys. Abraham just took out a Miranda in 4 rounds and when you consider the bad blood from the first match and the fact that Miranda was fighting at a weight that doesn’t require him to drain himself to make, the result of that fight was by far a very intriguing scenario. It took Pavlik 7 rounds to get the best of Miranda, and while I don’t think that necessarily says that Abraham is stronger, it does say that he has the power to make Pavlik think twice before coming in to land some of his own power shots. You can never discount Pavlik, but this fight I think would give a better indicator of what he’s made of. Of all the people I’ve witnessed Pavlik face, I can’t remember one that was truly a good defender. Abraham isn’t known as a great defender, but if you noticed his scheme against Miranda, he covered up very well and let Miranda punch away. That lasted all of about 3 and a half rounds and then all hell broke loose. If Abraham can make Pavlik miss in key stretches, I don’t think that any of us can deny that he has the power to make him pay. I think this is a great fight and I’d love for it to take place right in Pavliks backyard, somewhere in or near Ohio, to give Abraham a taste of what his past competitors have had to face as they traveled to Germany to face him so frequently. I think this is by far the easiest and most entertaining fight The middleweight division can produce right now.
Raul Castro (Boca Raton, Fl): With Paul Williams considering a step up in weight class, do you think Miguel Cotto could one day consider this move as well?
Vivek Wallace (ESB): Anything is possible but I think Cotto will stay put and attempt to put his stamp on the welterweight division. He’s comfortable with the weight, he’s by far the most dominating force there in Mayweather’s absence, and when Oscar De La Hoya leaves, i don’t think there’s a fight at or near 154lbs that he really desires. Now, down the line, if he does run through the welterweight division, perhaps he could look at a potential matchup with someone like Forrest, Alcine, or perhaps even ‘up-and-comer’ James Kirkland who shows the signs of just as much promise. The thing I would like about that Kirkland matchup is the power involved. Cotto knows how to deliver the KO blows, but Kirkland (22-0, 19KO’s) is just as deadly. All of the talk about Cotto and his future is great, but Margarito has more to say about that than any of us could imagine. A loss and Cotto’s plans could change quickly, but in no case do I see him trying to go up in weight any time soon. See me the morning of July 27th. I think we’ll all have a better grip on the future of ‘Junito’ when those headlines are printed.
(Got Questions or Feedback?: Write ESB’s Vivek Wallace at vivexemail@yahoo.com or show some love at www.myspace.com/anonymouslyinvolved)