Hi Scoop! You are great author. I always enjoy reading your articles about Manny and Klitschko brothers. Now I have 2 questions to you:
1) Paquiao – Mayweather. Manny is my favorite non-heavyweight fighter ever and I hope to see him beating Floyd sometime in 2010. Your articles about Paquiao-Mayweather are great and I totally agree with almost every word of your articles. But there is one thing you’re missing: the role of Oscar De La Hoya in this story. I mean ODLH himself, not GBP. I think, Oscar is the biggest hypocrite in boxing history. His words about Paquiao not hitting hard at all just weeks prior to Pacquiao-Cotto fight were later changed to “Wow. Those
Mosley punches, those Vargas punches and those Pacquiao punches all felt the same” – this is disgusting. And who can forget Oscar’s effort to investigate his second loss from Shane Mosley, when he said that judges were so corrupted, that FBI should investigate their decision in that fight. While at the same time, he didn’t mention a single word about investigations in his more than controversial wins over Pernell Whitaker, Ike Quartey and Felix Sturm. Oscar De La Hoya is a liar and hypocrite. I respect him as a fighter, but I don’t respect him as a person. I think Oscar doesn’t like Manny because of 2 reasons: 1) Manny signed the deal with main GBP rival – TOP Rank and earns some
good money for them; 2) Manny kicked Oscar’s golden arse so bad, that Oscar still has a bitter taste from those beating. I think Oscar doesn’t like Pacquiao as much as anybody. He predicted that Hatton will KO Manny, he predicted that Cotto will stop him and now all these disgusting comments on his blog!
2) My second question is about Klitschko-Lewis possible rematch. How do you think, Scoop, can this great rematch still be made? My personal opinion is: Yes, it can! Nobody ever thought that Michael Jordan will return to NBA after 97-98 season, nobody ever thought that Lance Armstrong will return to the sport in a solid age and after breaking all records, nobody ever thought that Michael Shumacher will return to the F-1. Well, boxing has its own comeback stories – George Foreman, Henry Maske. Lennox is rich, healthy and has a good family, but
so is Shumaher (who, in fact, made much more money than Lennox but still returned to the very dangerous sport). His legacy is secured forever. He is considered as TOP-10 HW of all-time by the most of experts. He has nothing to lose: even if Vitaly will KTFO him in 1 round, it will have zero impact on his legacy, because everybody will say – Lewis was old and shot, but if he somehow manages to beat Wlad or Vitaly – then he will be considered as top-3 HW of All-Time by every boxing fan, so I think Lewis should return and give to Vitaly a rematch he promised. Even today’s 44-year old Lewis is better than almost every top-10 HW. I’m sure, he would destoy Valuev and Povetkin, if he returns. I think, Lewis is the ONLY fighter who can compete with
Klitschko brothers, and I hope he will return. Klitshcko-Lewis II would be a great fight! -Happyman
Scoop reply: Thanks very much Happy for the support and compliment. Oscar is getting a bum rap. He’s been wrong in handling this, surely he knows it too. But it’s the nature of the beast – to be a boxing promoter requires hypocricy at times (Read Jack Newfield’s Don King book!). I have interviewed Oscar many times dating back to the early 90s to two years ago and I like him a lot. He’s a very nice, good guy, he really is. helluva fighter too. Always had the pressure and expectations since he was a kid but he overcame it all and become a legend, never ducked anyone, fought all the best. He became so big a star to the point of almost being Elvisized. Life is not easy when you get that big, and are under the microscope since being a teenager. He’s a good guy, and I will always like him, no matter how hated and hypocritical his actions are as a promoter. He has a good heart. Not everyone can handle fame and fortune like Manny Pacquiao and Muhammad Ali.
Vitali vs. Lewis, IMO, is the most exciting and incredible Heavyweight title fight ever. But the ending was one of the most disappointing. At the moment it looks very off. Lewis stated on HBO after Vitali-Johnson fight last month that Vitali’s wife asked him to fight her husband and he actually considered it again for a moment, till common sense set in that his body and mind just aren’t up to it. Last year Lewis said he’d do it for $100 million and there have been whipsers of him training. And I’ve received insider information – from a chief lieutentant in the LL camp – that Lewis was going to come back, only to later change his mind. Lewis still seems to be torn inside about it, To fight Vitali or not to fight Vitali? And surely it would be a great fight. But it’s understandable that being a boxer since his teen years and that he has nothing to prove, doesn’t need the money, and sees how strong Vitali has improved and grown into being the champion, all equates to it’s just not a very logical idea for Lewis to pursue at this point. Also Jack Dempsey’s late wife Deanna told me Jack told her, Sometimes that one fight too many is the one that changes a boxer, he’s never the same after. Lewis is already the greatest of all time IMO or tied for it. Beating Vitali again would be amazing yes, but unnecessary and unwise really.
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Dear Scoop,
Nice to see someone else writing what I’m thinking over this fiasco. Two points, though, that have been driving me crazy that I haven’t seen addressed:
1. Schaefer tries to equate the drug test request with the “weight penalty” issue. The easy answer, of course, is that Pac proposed a $10 million drug penalty. But, unlike weight, the commission will not let drug tests be “contracted”; that is, all fighters have to take the commission test. It can’t be waived. You can’t “pay off” the other fighter to fight without it. What happens if one fighter “flunks” Floyd’s test but passes the NSAC’s? Will there be discipline? Would the fight be a NC? These issues can’t be decided by contract; they’re strictly up to the NSAC.
Also, Pac simply could’ve told Floyd, “you come in overweight, we don’t fight.”
Now, you know much more about the sport than I do, but is that not a fighter’s right (to walk away if the other fighter comes in overweight). He doesn’t have to fight even if offered money, right?
If Pac walked away, Floyd would lose his whole purse plus face NSAC discipline. I think the NSAC would be pretty angry that a fight of that size was scrapped because of a breach of contract. So, if you look at it that way, Pac did Floyd a favor. And, of course, Floyd has that little history from the Marquez bout…:)
2. The “24/7” malarkey: Pac took a REQUIRED (more on that later) blood test 24 days before the Hatton fight. People have been trying to turn this in to a “whole puncher” in his argument he doesn’t like blood drawn 30 days before a fight. But I don’t understand the logic here. Pac’s always said he’d comply with every REQUIRED test (which this was), even though he doesn’t like giving blood. This (Floyd’s test) isn’t required; it’s what Floyd wants. Big difference. And it isn’t one test; it’s several tests (again, that Floyd wants).
But the main point is that Pac shouldn’t have to explain anything! He’s amenable to the same tests that govern every other fight. Floyd hasn’t been asked why this fight merits additional tests. Why were NSAC tests just fine for the JMM fight?
And Tim Smith needs to go to logic school. He claimed that Pac’s reasons were “specious” (about giving blood). One “counterargument” is that Pac could get cut in a fight. Duh! That could weaken him, but it’s part of the sport (getting cut). Floyd’s BS tests (why not for that JMM fight, Floyd?) aren’t.
I think that MOST people see through this BS. Keep up the good work.
Take care,
Patrick
Scoop Reply: Marquez was really just happy for the big payday to fight Floyd, and he knew what his role in the fight was, to his bosses at Golden Boy. Marquez at 36 and two divisions above his normal weight class was basically a sparring partner, playing second banana to Floyd. This whole thing about Floyd wanting the tests is the only excuse he can use to duck the fight. I hope he proves this thought wrong Tuesday after the mediaiton. Tim Smith is a good guy, well liked by everyone, but until he names the source, I think he’s on the Golden Boy side. And from his own words, which may see print later, sides sometimes can exert influence on a writer.
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Mrbiofile,
I understand the dislike of Mayweather because of what he is doing. We should not forget that its not like he is asking for something totally ridiculous. I wish the fight would just happen. However, do you really think this ruins his career? The Hatton fight in the UK is pretty boring as well as a Maligaggni fight. However, if Mayweather/Pacquiao fights these guys…it only hypes the fight for Pacquiao more. I think you were headon right for how Mayweather has played too much politics. However, I do not think this has ruinied his financial capabilities. People would pay for these guys to fight Hatton, Spadafora, Malinaggi or even Katsidis. Its a travesty but people even paid for him to fight Baldomir and that was pre-De La Hoya. I think his appeal has dwindled but he is still a cash cow.- Greg
Scoop Reply: I think it ruins his career and badly damages our sport. The fight is ready to roll NOW. Floyd can’t get more than $10 million anywhere else except Mosley maybe – don’t forget that high priced best team in boxing is going to take their cuts out of that (Haymon, Oscar, Schaefer, don’t come cheap). Floyd vs. Hatton or Paulie are a massive waste of time, and I think such matches will backfire badly on the sport’s credibility overall. Pac vs. Floyd is the fight that will explode the new decade into a golden age, just like Duran vs. Leonard I similarly did on June 20, 1980. Just imagine if Sugar Ray Leonard was a coward ducker who demanded Duran take blood tests and he ducked Duran, Hearns, Hagler and Benitez?
