Getting there…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Sorry for the lack of updates. Hang in there, I’ll have a lot more in the upcoming weeks. As for tonight, you have Hasim Rahman and Wladimir Klitschko and the finale of The Ultimate Fighter. I’m taping both, so don’t tell me anything. Also, something needs to be said about the great cruiserweight battle between Steve Cunningham and Tomasz Adamek on Thursday night on VS. Even on a “dead” week, we’ve had some good battles. Be back Sunday with more thoughts.
Merchant leads HOF class…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
“Television is the medium of show and tell. The show, meaning the fighters, are the most important by far. I’m just one of the tellers and I am deeply honored to be a footnote of all the great fighters that are in the Hall of Fame.”
That’s what legendary boxing announcer Larry Merchant said when he learned he would be part of the International Boxing Hall of Fame Class of 2009.
Merchant isn’t the first name listed by most sites. I understand that. Lennox Lewis being inducted is a pretty big deal. But for my money (I don’t have much), Merchant making it will be the toast of the weekend.
Nowadays, Merchant is my version of Harry Caray. He doesn’t make sense 100 percent of the time, but he’s earned the right to flub a thing or two.
He may go off on a tangent that you have no idea where it’s going, but he’ll eventually get his point across.
Merchant was the man in the 1970s and 80s. No one could touch his analysis. He was part of that rare breed that made a good fight into a great one.
I still love listening to him today. I have nothing against Max Kellerman, who is being groomed to take over for Merchant, but I’m not ready to let go of Larry yet.
I was more shocked that he hadn’t been inducted yet when I learned he got in. What were they waiting for?
Leading the boxers is definitely Lewis. Although I’ll always remember him more for the way he lost to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, he had a great career. As time goes on, I’ve learned to respect him more. But that doesn’t change my opinion at all that the guy can’t announce a lick.
Other living inductees included: Junior lightweight champion Brian Mitchell (South Africa), matchmaker / publicist / promoter Bob Goodman (USA), promoter Akihiko Honda (Japan), journalist Hugh McIlvanney (UK).
The Hall of Fame also released names of posthumous honorees: middleweight champion William “Gorilla” Jones, welterweight champion “Mysterious” Billy Smith and middleweight champion Billy Soose in the Old-Timer Category; manager Billy Gibson and commissioner Abe J. Greene in the Non-Participant Category; journalist Paul Gallico in the Observer Category; and Tom Hyer in the Pioneer Category. Inductees were voted in by members of the Boxing Writers Association and a panel of international boxing historians.
Congrats to all.
PacMan is Golden…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
(photo courtesy of FightNews.com)
Manny Pacquiao was so dominant last night that PPV commentators Jim Lampley and Emanuel Steward were realistically comparing him to Henry Armstrong.
Yes, the same Armstrong who once held the lightweight and welterweight titles at the same time and is mentioned among the top five boxers of ALL TIME.
That’s how good PacMan was last night. From round one to the merciful stoppage at the end of round eight, Pacquiao confused, battered and bruised Oscar de La Hoya in what was dubbed “The Dream Fight.”
Pardon the easily and ridiculous pun, but it was a nightmare for de La Hoya who looked gaunt at 145 pounds and had put on next to nothing in the final 24 hours. His face looked about as thin as I’ve ever remember.
And as Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said, Oscar can’t pull the trigger anymore. Oscar didn’t even attempt to jab the Filipino sensation. Yeah, I know Pacquiao was moving in and out like some master boxer, but throw the jab because it’ll lead to something.
Love watching the big fights with boxers because they add a certain insight. Last night was all about the placement of Manny’s right foot compared to Oscar’s left. To get the advantage, you want your lead foot to be outside the other guy’s so you can turn him with your shots or get your hits in and move to the side.
Pacquiao’s right foot was always on the outside. And it wasn’t just that it was outside, it was that de La Hoya didn’t even put a fight on it. He gave in to Pacquiao.
To say Oscar couldn’t find Pacquiao is a major disservice to Manny, who fought his second virtuoso performance in six months. And in this scribe’s opinion, wins over Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz and de La Hoya gives him the inaugural “Boneman’s Fighter of the Year.” That just edges out Antonio Margarito with his destruction of Kermit Cintron and his classic battle with Miguel Cotto.
Back to Pacquiao. Within the first minute, I said “wow, I didn’t realize how small he is compared to Oscar. That’s a huge difference.” Um, didn’t matter. He was so quick, so precise and crisp that it didn’t matter. Having speed without a gameplan isn’t going to do much good, but Freddie Roach had the perfect one.
Rounds seven and eight almost got too hard to watch. In all honesty, I think it should have been stopped in the seventh where it was Pacquiao outlanding de La Hoya 45-4 (I think) in the power shots. One of the easiest 10-8 rounds without a knockdown to score in a long time.
Round eight was much more of the same, but I think referee Tony Weeks didn’t want to be the one to stop it. So Oscar trainer Nacho Beristain finally did.
Oscar didn’t want to fight anymore, but he didn’t want to quit. His left eye was grotesque, Pacquiao had great success downstairs. Oscar was beat in every way possible. But he wasn’t going to quit.
When I predicted a PacMan late-round stoppage, I envisioned the corner stopping it. Not like this though. Not after eight rounds of pure domination. I thought it would reach a point where Pacquiao was just too fast and Oscar was tired and wanted to call it a day.
No, Oscar was hammered into submission. The eighth round wasn’t enjoyable as that last minute I was clamoring for a stoppage.
So what is de La Hoya’s legacy? That’s a topic to be explored this month by yours truly. He has to retire.
I love what he said about the heart still wants to fight, but the body doesn’t have it anymore. Recognize it now and go on to make your millions promoting.
As for Pacquiao, I say skip Ricky Hatton. If I could illustrate, I’d put me in a cheerleader outfit saying I want Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather. I’m going to campaign for that fight until it’s signed. That’s what I want, and I won’t be satisfied until it’s done.
Margarito and Paul Williams are much too big for Pacquiao who has already proven his worth. He started at 106 pounds, he doesn’t need to go to 154 and get his face knocked off.
But how about a 140-147-pound showdown with Money May. The best fighter pound-for-pound (PacMan) vs. the former best fighter p-f-p (Mayweather). I get giddy just thinking about it.
Pac-Mania running wild…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
For the first time, HBO’s 24/7 has produced a miss. The four-part series on Oscar de La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao in anticipation of tomorrow night’s fight does not have me any more geared up.
Good thing I was pumped from the beginning.
I guess I’ve grown tired of Oscar saying this time is different. He’s in the best shape of his life. The fire is back. Nacho Beristain is the best trainer he’s ever had. He’s taught him so much in such a short time.
It’s the same diatribe we’ve heard from Oscar for the last, hmm, what, 6, 7 years now? He says the same thing. I get hooked. I get disappointed.
Not this time.
Well, mainly because I want Pacquiao to not only win, but knockout Oscar. Pacquiao is a different breed. Don’t get me wrong because de La Hoya loves boxing. The Golden Boy wouldn’t have done all he’s done in the last 20 years if there wasn’t a passioned love there.
But PacMan is different. He’s an animal. It’s not akin got Clubber Lang and Rocky in their first fight from Rocky III, but it’s close, IMO.
Or if it’s not close for PacMan, it certainly is for his trainer Freddy Roach. The normally subdued trainer seems like he really wants to KO de La Hoya. Roach is a prideful man and hearing Oscar belittle Roach’s plan for beating Floyd Mayweather 18 months ago has not sat well with him.
I trust in Roach. He’s good people. He’s what boxing needs. PacMan looks great at 147, but who knows what that really means?
This is almost like Brock Lesnar and Randy Couture in that it may not be the best fight ever, but it’s one of the most anticipated. It’s an intriguing fight, but it’s a tough sell in this economy, especially at $54.95. Wow, that is getting steep. How long before a fight goes for $70?
I do believe Pacquiao will score a late-round stoppage tomorrow night. A qualifying statement to that would be as long as he can take a de La Hoya left hook, which is easier said than done.
Not looking forward to another worthless undercard. I love how Golden Boy Promotions is saying they have this name or that name. But if you have a “name” fighter fighting against a bum, then you haven’t done anything.
Eh, there’s always OU and Missouri to pass the time.
So if PacMan scores that KO, know you heard it hear first. Well, maybe not first, but I did say it.
Other observations
- Paul Williams showed why he is in my top 5 active fighters last Saturday. A bad cut from a headbutt, and all he does is destroy Verno Phillips in eight rounds. Williams is a freak. A tall, lanky fighter with good to above average power. Great stamina. And as Antonio Margarito found out last year, a solid chin. P-Will could rule the kingdom when all is said and done.
- Former OSU wrestlers Johny Hendricks and Shane Roller each scored wins Wednesday during the WEC telecast on VS. In the last two WEC events, Hendricks, Roller and Jake Rosholt have all looked good in working their way up the MMA ladder.
- Shane Mosley and Margarito has been signed for Jan. 24. I see the end is near for Sugar Shane. This might be a career-ending beatdown. I hope it’s not.
- Remington Park’s boxing card two weeks ago was the best one yet financially. CatBOX Entertainment is getting its foot in the door and trying to resurrect the boxing scene in Oklahoma City. It may only be a matter of time before some of the bigger local casinos come calling.
- Great to hear both Brock Lesnar and Randy Couture passed their postfight tests. Never a doubt in my mind it would be so, but things like that keep the haters at bay.
Back Sunday with postfight thoughts from Manny Pacquiao and Oscar de La Hoya.
More with The Champ…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
A week late, so apologize about that. But it’s always interesting picking the brain of someone who doesn’t just live and breathe boxing but understands the sport like nobody else that I know.
Yes, there is someone who knows the sport better than me. So when former lightweight champ Sean O’Grady speaks, you best believe I listen.
Not everything made it into the Collected Wisdom from last week, so here are some goodies that just couldn’t be put in.
O’Grady has a ton of respect for famous trainer Lou Duva. And Duva always liked O’Grady. For the final fight of his career, Duva was in O’Grady’s corner. O’Grady lost the fight but said he’ll never forget the experience of being with Duva.
He said the sport is cyclical and expanded on the fact that boxing needs to build stars. He talked more about how network TV (or any kind of TV) was vital to the success.
“It needs to be where the masses can see it. With Wide World of Sports, everybody knew where it was and when to watch it. Now, it’s buried. Can you think of another sport that does what boxing does?
“If you’re a good fighter, you work your way up to ESPN or something like that. As you get better, you move to HBO or Showtime. That move narrows the potential audience a great deal.
“Then if you’re one of the best, you move to pay-per-view. That narrows your small audience even more. PPV is a detriment to the sport. The best fights are being seen by the least amount of people.”
O’Grady said there will be a future for boxing on TV – Web TV that is. Live stream shows and YouTube and stuff of that nature are really opening up more eyes to the sport.
I had no idea his parents did so much in the sport. His parents owned a gym and eventually went on to promote. They promoted such names as Ken Norton, Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Oscar Bonavena if I may name drop.
He said he likes working with Oklahoma City lightweight Noah Zuhdi (who just won the Oklahoma lightweight title last week). For now, O’Grady said he doesn’t plan on being in the corner with Zuhdi.
O’Grady works with Zuhdi a lot during camp and said that is when he teaches. He quizzes Zuhdi during the workouts and has built a strong trust with him.
I found it interesting about not working the corner because as Zuhdi works his way up the ranks, what’s going to happen when he faces adversary? A voice like O’Grady, I think, could navigate him through the muddy waters better.
And of course, wanted to remind people that Sugar Ray Leonard will be in Oklahoma City in January for a charity fight night. I’m trying to snag an interview with Sugar before the event.
Be back later this week with some WEC thoughts (Johny Hendricks and Shane Roller are both fighting) and of course, an in-depth look at Oscar de La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao, Saturday’s megafight.
Putting a new spin on the Big 12 South…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
So Oklahoma ended up getting the nod in the BCS over Texas. I’ve thought about it, and I’ve come up with the boxing analogy for what OU, Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State are.
It’s tough to follow, so you ready?
Texas is Muhammad Ali. OU is George Foreman. Texas Tech is Joe Frazier. Oklahoma State is Jerry Quarry.
In other words, this is the golden era of the Big 12 as the 1970s is arguably the golden era of heavyweight boxing.
Let’s start with OSU. Jerry Quarry is easily regarded as one of the greatest fighters, yet alone heavyweights, to never win a title.
Any other year, OSU would be close to being the toast of the Big 12. Just not this year. Hence the Quarry comparison. Quarry would be a beast in this era of heavyweights. But who did he have to fight? Ali and Frazier. He never beat those guys. Just on the cusp of being elite. He never fought Foreman, so that’s the only part of this four-man/team comparison because OU/OSU always play.
Tech and Frazier. Joe Frazier obliterated Quarry (Tech over OSU). Frazier was destroyed by Foreman (OU over Tech). Everyone remembers Howard Cosell’s “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!” Just like everyone is going to remember 65-21.
And Frazier and Ali waged an epic with Frazier getting the edge (Tech’s 39-33 win against Texas in the game of the year so far). Frazier and Ali also waged two more memorable battles, and Texas and Texas Tech are always in good tussles.
OU and Foreman. Foreman knocked out Frazier twice (and OU’s win over Tech felt like a double KO). Foreman was expected to beat Ali, but Ali shocked the world. OU was supposed to beat Texas, but the Longhorns came back and won a great one. Foreman would have beaten Quarry
Texas and Ali. Ali beat Quarry in a good battle (UT over OSU). Ali and Frazier classic where Ali was in position to cement himself as the unquestioned best (UT’s classic with Tech). And then Ali redeeming himself with a career-defining win against Foreman (UT’s huge win and statement against OU).
So the order for Ali/Texas isn’t quite there but give me a break. It wasn’t easy coming up with a fool-proof formula.
So how will history remember this quartet? Is Ali better than Foreman because of a head-to-head win? Is Foreman greater because he won the title 20 years after losing it? Don’t know, just thought I’d throw it out there.
On the personal side, Joe Frazier is my favorite of the quartet, but that’s just me.
