Fast FWD: (For WARD)

Be-Bop-Bop-Be-Ditty-Be-Bop-BISH! The crash of a stick against a cymbal or a right hand against the mandible has a symbiotic relationship. It is hard for me not to think about Jazz when I see a legend in the making like Andre Ward engage in pugilism. In either discipline, rhythm, timing, and power come together to stimulate at least two of the five senses for the prize fighting audience--audio and visual perfection. The similarities between boxing and percussion have always been obvious to me. These parallels become clearer when I witness the development of a rare breed of fighter—a champion.

There is a reason that the 25 year-old 2004 Olympic Gold medalist, is the only boxer to be prospected by Michael Jordan (Jordan Brand) since the departure of Roy Jones, Jr. Although boxing has become, for many, a sport on the periphery, fighters like Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Manny Pacquiao, and Andre Ward keep the larger concerns interested in their progress. Currently wearing the badge of the “undefeated”, with 8 of his last 10 fights ending in TKO, Andre Ward has the chance to make himself a “star” with a win against the current WBA Super Middleweight Champion Mikkel Kessler.

Kessler, also known as “The Viking Warrior”, will be paddling his “oar” in deep waters once he arrives at the Oracle Arena in “Ward Town”—Oakland. To his credit, The Dane tout’s a record of 42-1 and a knock out percentage of 74%. To say the least, Kessler is a household name amongst the “sports constituency” in Europe, and is as polished as textbook pugilists come. Although Kessler will be the best opponent Ward has faced in his young career, this will arguably be the second best opponent Kessler has faced, the first being the legend Joe Calzaghe. The punch output, hand speed, and agility of “The Pride of Wales” confused the Viking when they met in 2007. For the same reasons, Ward will move to 21-0, while gracefully adding another loss to the Dane’s record.

In my opinion, Kessler is as good as he’ll ever be, while S.O.G. is still improving. The question is, is he good enough to defeat Kessler? I believe that answer to be yes. As long as Ward stays off of the ropes, doesn’t move straight backwards, and evades the Dane’s powerful right hand, he should win a decision in his hometown. It is my opinion, that Andre Ward has the raw talent, instincts, and adaptability to defeat any fighter in his division. Ward reminds me of an “offensive”, more graceful version of Bernard Hopkins, with the ability to fight orthodox or southpaw. These qualities alone should prove to be hard to overcome for Kessler, as Ward will not stand in one place without any head movement like Librado Andrade did when he faced the Dane in Copenhagen.

I sincerely believe we will witness art in the ring on Saturday, November 21, at the Oracle. The art I am referring to can be easily convoluted for Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers famous tune “Theme of Hard Champion”. The symbiotic relationship between Blakey’s deliberate strikes against snare’s and high-hats may echo the strikes we will witness as body blows and head shots provide violent entertainment . But let us not forget what makes the rhythm of jazz and boxing, so great. The moments, within the moments, when there is nothing but silence. Even if that silence lasts for a “hundredth” of a second. The moment before the cymbal crashes, the punch lands, or the round ends. The anticipation. The deliverance. The defining fight of what could be great champion. The moment before the winner is announced. Sublime.

MANNI-FICENT: An Appreciation of Manny Pacquiao

Tears of joy and tears of pain were shed last night after the highly anticipated mega fight between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. A highly emotional crowd filled with proud Filipinos, Puerto Ricans, and hard core boxing fans knew that they both would be shedding tears by the end of this bout. We now know they indeed cried, and for what reasons. Manny Pacquiao is arguably the most exciting fighter in the entire sport of boxing, and to many he proved that he has been rightly “coronated” as the Pound-for-Pound King of Modern Prize Fighting.

He was simply “Mann-ificent”. Using a combination of hand speed, foot speed, ring savvy, and bravery, he did what many believed Manny could not do. He becomes the first man to win 7 titles in 7 weight divisions, and did so against a true “heavy handed” welterweight—by Technical Knock Out. We saw this man dart in, dart out, land lead lefts and lead uppercuts. There were no angles of assault left unexplored or unscored. At one point we saw him adopt the “Clottey-esque” shell defense, and allow the solid former Puerto Rican Champion a chance to unload. But it was to no avail. He evaded, he escaped the ropes, and he made the slightly bigger man look small—INFINITESIMAL!

The recently dethroned, Miguel Cotto, is a fighter who is hard not to like. He’s a boxer, a puncher, a proud father, a warrior, a former champion, a marketable face, and a probable victim of the sport of boxing. He is becoming the quintessential “tragic hero” figure of modern pugilism. The probability of betrayal by the “loaded hands” of Margarito, have undoubtedly left physical and emotional scars on the psyche of this former World Champion. And just as these scars appeared to be in their final phase of the healing process, we fed this man to a “Lion” for the sake of our own viewing pleasure. Cotto has now been “sacrificed” twice. Once justly, and once unjustly.

Unfortunately, for Miguel Cotto, this kind of dramatic win is exactly what Mr. Pacquiao needed. The kind of win that quiets the naysayers and gives “peripheral” boxing fans a reason to once again become loyal viewers. No one can make reference to Pac Man fighting an “old man” like Delahoya, or fighting a non-technical (dumb) fighter in Hatton. On Saturday night, Pacquiao obliterated a true welter weight that has been feared in his division since he defeated Sugar Shane Mosley. And he did it in devastating fashion.

In a country dominated by Facebook, the iPhone, and Reality TV, 24/7 and Mr. Pacquiao have allowed the possibility for boxing to once again compete on the stage of American Pop-Culture. The Pride of the Philippines is no longer a super star, he’s a Mega Star. The protagonist that the antagonist, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., has been patiently awaiting. I am unashamed to say that I will be running out to Best Buy to purchase my copy of WAPAKMAN as soon as it becomes available. With 21 seconds left in the 4th round, I knew I was watching history. 7 Titles in 7 Weight Divisions. Now that is simply, MANNI-FICENT. (smh)

EGOMANIA: Perceptions of a Prize Fighter: MAYWEATHER! by Troy J. Hines

Many boxing pundits would argue that it is an impossible task to further inflate the ego of Floyd Mayweather, Jr. At the dismay of many “Pretty Boy Haters” I would like to give it a try. The most powerful META TAG for boxing in the internet world is—you guessed it—MAYWEATHER. Did I succeed? In the words of Kanye West, another egomaniacal genius, “I got a big ego, hahaha, I’m such a big ego, hahaha, I got a big, hahaha, ego, she love my big, hahaha, ego…” Yes, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has a big ego. Colossal!

Boxing fans, in many ways, are similar to NASCAR fans—true fanatics who support their favorites. The difference is that we admit we watch boxing to see another man lying peacefully on the canvas, while many NASCAR fans will not admit they watch auto racing for the crashes. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has “crashed” himself into the cast as the principal antagonist, in the “theatre” of Modern Prize Fighting. Networks, Promoters, Media, Advertisers, Governing Bodies, Attorneys, and last but not least Fighters, are cast in this production we call boxing. We can berate him for not being the “throwback” we would like him to be, by not fighting every single fighter in his division, or we can celebrate what our grandchildren will not see live-- Mayweather “The Antagonist”. A post Y2K bad boy, who has all but mastered every skill set in boxing minus an above average knockout percentage (62.5%). In an attempt to be objective, I separate my media-influenced perception of the man from what he accomplishes in that 20 x 20 arena. In my opinion, antagonists are necessary to the success of any "story", and those perceived malevolent components "fuel the fire." Cowboys have Indians, David has Goliath, and Reagan had the War on Drugs!

One of the latest sizzling episodes of “egomania” came by way of what may stand to be a timeless interview of “Money May” by R.A. The Rugged Man. Mr. Rugged successfully aggravated the Pound-for-Pound Champion, by needling all of the right “hot buttons”, and goading Mayweather to shift into egomania-mode. Larry Merchant and Brian Kenny provided the blueprint. The interview, while genius and entertaining, was not shocking if you understand the psycho-sociological make up of many prizefighters. Pugilists make their living through the effective use of aggression, whereby aggression is not only acceptable, it’s the rule. Most boxers are socialized in neighborhoods where diplomacy is viewed as “weak”, whereas force is the most powerful tool utilized to gain a “rep”. We see this socio-behavioral pattern manifest itself physically in the ring, and often times verbally in press conferences, interviews, etc. Ironically, these same outbursts that we criticize as fans provide entertaining build up that eventually translates into millions in PPV dollars. Mr. Rugged’s interview may serve as a unique catalyst to increase the desire for Mayweather to fight “all-comers”. I too would love to see a “Sugar Ray Robinson-esque” Floyd Mayweather, if only for my own selfish reasons-- Blood. But boxing has changed, and the onus of our bereavement does not fall onto one fighter alone-- even if his name is Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Fighters emphasize who they are and what they do by donning themselves with nicknames like “The Brown Bomber”, “The Rock from Brockton”, “Marvelous”, “Sugar”, “Manos de Piedra”, and yes “Money May”. Boxing is the business that Floyd Jr. knows best, as the seeds of success were planted, figuratively and literally, by Mayweather,Sr. It seems as though genetics and skills have meshed harmoniously, while the perceived discord with so many boxing fans, is in the personality of the fighter. So what is “The Antagonist” missing to solidify his place amongst the greats of pugilism? It’s simple, a protagonist. Marquez, while arguably still in the top 5 Pound-for-pound, proved to be no more than a “tune-up” bout for the unbelievably gifted fighter from the “D”. Oscar DeLahoya was formerly cast in that role, but the aging Golden Boy could not deliver physically, what the marketing campaigns and PPV buys did financially. Perhaps on November 14th a "qualified" protagonist will emerge for Team Mayweather. A humble and soft spoken, politically correct champion, in his prime—the anti-ego. Or not.

Pacquiao vs. Cotto: PREDICTION, by Troy J. Hines

It has been said in regards to prizefighting that a good big man will beat a good little man any day of the week. But what about a GREAT little man? Let’s back up a minute… Who is Mr. Hines referring to? Most would probably believe that I am referring to Pacman as the “little man”, because most people are still under the fallacious impression that Cotto is the much BIGGER guy. Let us look at the tale of the tape:

Height: Cotto 5’7”/ Pacquiao 5’6” ½: Advantage Cotto by ½ inch
Reach: Cotto 67 in/ Pacquiao 67 in: EVEN
Chest Normal: Cotto 39 in/ Pacquiao 38 in: Advantage Cotto by an inch
Chest Expanded: Cotto 41 in/ Pacquiao 41 in: EVEN
Forearm: Cotto 12”/ Pacquiao 12”: EVEN
Thigh: Cotto 22.5”/ Pacquiao 20”: Advantage Cotto
Neck: Cotto 16” / Pacquaio 16”: EVEN
Fist: Cotto 11”/ Pacquiao 10”: Advantage Cotto by an inch

SIZE
To say Cotto is the bigger guy would be an honest, but sophomoric , answer that hides the truth via the lack of details. There is no significance in size that changes the outcome of this fight. However, edges in Speed, Power, Chin, and Skill are significant.

SPEED
The speed edge goes to the South Paw from the Phillipines-- Mr. Pacquiao. He has the faster hands, and is more complex than just his signature overhand left. Credits go to Freddie Roach, and the genetic master himself--GOD!

POWER
The power edge goes to the Boriqua de Caguas-- Senor Cotto. I believe his thunderous shots are the reason many believe he is the bigger man-- he "throws" bigger. Ofcourse, that is my opinion… After all, I have not allowed either gentleman to hit me in the liver. However, if we want to analyze knockout percentages Pacquiao’s is 75% of his wins. Sr. Cotto—79%... Actually 0.794117, but who’s counting?

CHIN
The Chin edge goes to Pacman even though he was knocked out twice early in his career. I have seen too many fighters wobble the gifted and talented Miguel Cotto with the inability to finish him. Ricardo Torres, Zab Judah, and even DC’s own DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley hurt the heavy punching Puerto Rican. I would have mentioned earlier the Cotto vs. Margarito Classic, but there are too many question marks on the use of DRY WALL, in connection w/ the Tijuana Tornado, to comment. But Pacquiao is of another breed-- He’s a finisher!

SKILL
The last and most important column of discussion is SKILL. In the words of legendary trainer Roger Mayweather, “The fighter with the most skill is going to win the fight…” Cotto’s most impressive victory to date, in my opinion, was his win against Sugar Shane Mosley. Although he won by a narrow margin—he won. In addition, he arguably outboxed one of the best pure boxers, pound-4-pound, on the planet. Make no mistake, Miguel Cotto, is a dangerous boxer who can fight orthodox or south paw making him arguably one of the most skillful fighters in the sport. Similarly, Manny Pacquaio’s most impressive wins to date are against the Golden Boy and Ricky Hatton. I am purposely not mentioning his win against Marquez because, in my opinion, he lost the rematch. To add, it is without question that the coach of “The Pride of the Phillipines”, Freddie Roach, has given the formerly one-handed fighter, two dangerous hands. So who I give the advantage of skill to? I’m calling it even.

So let us recap. Size—EVEN… Speed—Pacquaio… Power—Cotto… Chin—Pacquiao… Skill—Even… In my opinion, I would favor Pacquiao 2:1. Pacquiao’s innate aggression and speed will make the difference in this fight. Cotto’s best opportunity’s will come by setting traps for the aggressive South Paw and countering. Thank GOD for match ups like this, Lord Knows boxing needs it. November 14th, will be as titled, FIREPOWER!

The State of the Heavy Weight Division in the STATES

The sport of boxing is in needs an American Heavyweight. The United States has not produced a significant star in the heavy weight division since, well—Mike Tyson? Yes, I am sure avid boxing fans would disagree, curse me out, and shout the names of Hasim Rahman, Shannon Briggs, Chris Byrd, Lamont Brewster, or John Ruiz. If those names were twitter responses to that comment, I would reply with the appropriate acronyms of lol, lmao, rofl coupled with an inappropriate emoticon. So, maybe you didn’t hear me the first time. The United States has not produced a significant heavy weight titan, since Iron Mike Tyson—1987 people!

The newest and youngest prospect that holds promise, although he consistently comes to the ring in sub-par physical condition, is Chris Arreola who I actually REALLY like. In some of his interviews I have seen him exclaim, “Michael Phelps smokes weed, so why can’t I have a beer…” Firstly, Boxing is not swimming, and secondly you’re not MICHAEL PHELPS! We saw what happened when he fought one half of the inseparable former Soviet Studs, Vitali Klitschko on September 26th at the Staples Center. Since Emmanuel Steward has run off with the “I-Ching” of text book pugilism and trained the Klitschko brothers to summon the “God of Jabs”, I certainly hope other heavyweights take notice. I certainly believe Arreola will learn from the loss, and become a better fighter because of it.
Some critics of Prize Fighting argue that due to corruption in the sport, and the lack of a governing body, similar to that of the NFL, NBA, MLB, etc. that many of the athletes that would hold the MOST promise as heavyweights from the States, have turned to football, & even basketball…
Imagine Ray Lewis as a heavyweight…, Joey Porter, Julius Peppers, Brian Orakpo, or Justin Tuck… Even Lebron James or Carlos Boozer would make entertaining Prize Fighters… Boxing executives need to do something to reach the underprivileged, underserviced, & overlooked talent in our inner cities… Community outreach programs dedicated to academics, fitness, & boxing could provide necessary change for the sport that has been around since 688BC—Pygmachia… I am certain the next AMERICAN Heavyweight Champ can be discovered right here, in your city, Washington DC, New York, LA, Detroit, Philly, or Florida… Anywhere!!! All we need is dedicated fans and executives that really care about boxing.

Pacquiao vs. Cotto: PREDICTION VIDEO