Floyd vs Pac is ON

[Northern Star]

like a mofo. May 2nd. I hope Floyd knocks Pac Man's f***ing block off.

[Spudboy]

like a mofo. May 2nd. I hope Floyd knocks Pac Man's f***ing block off.

 

Boxing is so dead now.

 

None of these guys have the appeal of a true superstar. Maybe Pacman in his country.

 

Nope. Give me the heavyweights from the late '70s and early '80s and of course my second favorite boxer of all time Marvin!!!

 

 

People want more violence now ( MMA ). The sweet science is just not a draw anymore.

 

Too bad.

[Kimmi]

like a mofo. May 2nd. I hope Floyd knocks Pac Man's f***ing block off.

 

 

NS, you have to stop watching all of these strange sports.

[Kimmi]

NS, you have to stop watching all of these strange sports.

 

Might I suggest Women's Figure Skating?

[Kimmi]

Seriously, what is the appeal of watching 2 dudes hit each other?

[pruneface]

Boxing is so dead now.

 

None of these guys have the appeal of a true superstar. Maybe Pacman in his country.

 

Nope. Give me the heavyweights from the late '70s and early '80s and of course my second favorite boxer of all time Marvin!!!

 

 

People want more violence now ( MMA ). The sweet science is just not a draw anymore.

 

Too bad.

PBC on NBC drew 2.9 million on Saturday, number one for the 18 to 49 demographic. Boxing's not dead, it's been overburdened with bureaucracy and a cancer of competing sanctioning bodies. Despite all those impediments, it still produces a lot of profit or networks wouldn't be putting it on the air. Mayweather is the highest paid athelete in the world.

 

Forget May/Pac. You want to see some violence, Lucas Mathysse vs Provodnikov this Saturday on HBO is guaranteed to be a war.

[pruneface]

Seriously, what is the appeal of watching 2 dudes hit each other?

 

Our species is violent. We're the only species to rape and murder - for fun, to say nothing of all the other reasons. We're the only species to prey on ourselves - more so now because we're running out of other stuff to destroy.

 

The same question in another light: what is the appeal of watching action movies (action in the violent sense, usually with a gun), horror movies, all the CSI homicide shows, or all the suspense/thriller stories involving serial killers? Apparently, our species needs more than one outlet.

 

We also make and sell a lot of weaponry. What do F-16 fighter jets have to do with opening day at Fenway? Ostensibly, nothing. Baseball isn't about war; it's been recruited to sell it, though. People with power are respected - power, that is, to force others to do what they want. The word 'peace' is only real in a beauty pageant contestant's flimsiest of fantasies.

[SoxnCycles]

Seriously, what is the appeal of watching 2 dudes hit each other?

 

Aren't you glad you asked now?

[Spudboy]

Pruneface makes legit points.

 

I still think that boxing is dying. It used to be f***ing huge when I was a kid and young man. I have not done any research to back my opinion. But I do not know one single person who follows boxing anymore. I used to love going to see boxing. Now that my two "Heros" are gone from the sport I just think it is barbaric.

 

I grew up in the same home town as Cassius Clay and Marvin Hagler boxed out of Brockton and was heavily covered by Boston media. I saw him fight live three times. He could just tear people apart. He was brutal. And he got f***ed in the Leonard fight. No thumbs was a very dumb concession made by the Petronellis. After that, the judges took care of the rest.

[pruneface]

Pruneface makes legit points.

 

I still think that boxing is dying. It used to be f***ing huge when I was a kid and young man. I have not done any research to back my opinion. But I do not know one single person who follows boxing anymore. I used to love going to see boxing. Now that my two "Heros" are gone from the sport I just think it is barbaric.

 

I grew up in the same home town as Cassius Clay and Marvin Hagler boxed out of Brockton and was heavily covered by Boston media. I saw him fight live three times. He could just tear people apart. He was brutal. And he got f***ed in the Leonard fight. No thumbs was a very dumb concession made by the Petronellis. After that, the judges took care of the rest.

With all the alphabet bodies, the best don't end up fighting the best nearly enough. Fighters are also not as active as in the past, with 1-2 fights per year for big players being the norm. There should only be one belt. Now there are superbelts, regular belts and interim belts in the same weight class, not to mention x # of sanctioning bodies. It's all bureaucracy - a bunch of middlemen looking to take a cut of the pie. That'll shrink in time.

 

But there are still gems from time to time, like the Provodnikov/Mathysse fight this weekend. If you liked Hearns/Hagler, this fight could remind you of 'The War.' I'm usually hesitant to recommend a fight, having been burned with duds in the past, but this one looks like a sure action/slugfest, war of attrition can't miss sloberknocker.

 

Another couple of fighters I like are Sergei Kovalev and Gennady Golovkin. These guys are skilled, powerful, and stay busy. GGG fights 4 times a year right now as he builds his star power. Both have lead in both hands, extensive amateur pedigrees, meaning they know how to cut the ring off, use a jab, their feet, and engage in fan friendly fights. I'm not a purist - I prefer action. I can appreciate a boxer like Sweet Pea or Floyd, but they don't leave their opponents beaten. On the other hand, both these guys are f***ing beasts, knocking everyone out and they are the best in their respective weight classes - light heavyweight and middleweight.

Edited April 17, 2015 by pruneface

[Spudboy]

With all the alphabet bodies, the best don't end up fighting the best nearly enough. Fighters are also not as active as in the past, with 1-2 fights per year for big players being the norm. There should only be one belt. Now there are superbelts, regular belts and interim belts in the same weight class, not to mention x # of sanctioning bodies. It's all bureaucracy - a bunch of middlemen looking to take a cut of the pie. That'll shrink in time.

 

But there are still gems from time to time, like the Provodnikov/Mathysse fight this weekend. If you liked Hearns/Hagler, this fight could remind you of 'The War.' I'm usually hesitant to recommend a fight, having been burned with duds in the past, but this one looks like a sure action/slugfest, war of attrition can't miss sloberknocker.

 

Another couple of fighters I like are Sergei Kovalev and Gennady Golovkin. These guys are skilled, powerful, and stay busy. GGG fights 4 times a year right now as he builds his star power. Both have lead in both hands, extensive amateur pedigrees, meaning they know how to cut the ring off, use a jab, their feet, and engage in fan friendly fights. I'm not a purist - I prefer action. I can appreciate a boxer like Sweet Pea or Floyd, but they don't leave their opponents beaten. On the other hand, both these guys are f***ing beasts, knocking everyone out and they are the best in their respective weight classes - light heavyweight and middleweight.

 

I'd love to see a fight like that. The Hearns / Hagler fight was just brutal!

 

You know a lot more about boxing than I do. Do you think that the Eastern European fighters can become big draws in this country?

[pruneface]

I'd love to see a fight like that. The Hearns / Hagler fight was just brutal!

 

You know a lot more about boxing than I do. Do you think that the Eastern European fighters can become big draws in this country?

Absolutely. If Pacquiao could do it, so can someone else. He did it by being very busy and delivering action. That's what those other guys are doing and they are the main attractions after Pacman on HBO. Both are drawing fans and should hit the mainstream soon if they continue winning.

 

By all means check that fight out on HBO on Saturday night. I think you'll enjoy it. I have high expectations it'll be a war.

[Spudboy]

Absolutely. If Pacquiao could do it, so can someone else. He did it by being very busy and delivering action. That's what those other guys are doing and they are the main attractions after Pacman on HBO. Both are drawing fans and should hit the mainstream soon if they continue winning.

 

By all means check that fight out on HBO on Saturday night. I think you'll enjoy it. I have high expectations it'll be a war.

 

Crap. I don't have HBO. I'll look into getting it.

[pruneface]

Crap. I don't have HBO. I'll look into getting it.

Just watch a stream online. That's what I do. Vipbox is one.

[Northern Star]

I am shocked that $100 was a record amount for PPV. Thought that was the norm for boxing, Wrestlemania, etc. $100 to watch a tv show. Let that sink in for a moment.

[User Name]

It was free here. No one bought the rights because of how ridiculous the price was.

[a700hitter]

Mayweather just can't be hit. It is hard to beat him if you can't hit him.

[Divinity]

Mayweather just can't be hit. It is hard to beat him if you can't hit him.

 

even harder beat him when he waits until you're out of your prime to fight you as well.

[Palodios]

Did anyone get to a bar for this one? The numbers were insane... the cable companies were charging bars $30 x full capacity, and only a few bars in Boston showed it because they would end up having to pay thousands to show it.

 

We tried hard to find a legal way to watch it, but ended up failing, and streaming bootleg online. "Fight of the century" turned out pretty lackluster.

[a700hitter]

Isn't Mayweather older than Manny?

[Jasonbay44]

Isn't Mayweather older than Manny?

 

Yep, he's two years older.

[pruneface]

Fighters age at different rates. Pacquiao has had more fights, more wars, taken more punishment. I'm glad I didn't pay for that fight. Another underwhelming and dubious victory, which I don't think either of them really won. Legacy my ass. I wish Hearns or Leonard were in their prime to give Floyd that ass whupping.

 

I'm ready for both of them to retire, have no interest in watching them anymore, and am looking forward to the next crop of stars - starting with this week's Alvarez/Kirkland fight and then GGG next weekend as well as Chocolito on the undercard.

 

On why Floyd is despised:

From ring mag:

 

I also think May’s style is one that is difficult to applaud or give credit to, in a similar way to Klitschko’s (although I hate to lump them together as I actually like Wlad). Whilst they are undoubtedly talented and amazingly consistent at grinding out victories, I feel like both are often anti-competitive rather than defensive. They rarely out maneuver their opponents and instead opt to run or tie them up when things get a lil too hot to handle. Now I’m not saying that they aren’t capable of out maneuvering and outsmarting their opposition, but that once they have the opponent tagged, they kill the fight as a competition and do what they have to do to avoid any exchanges. That in my eyes isn’t defensive nuance, its non-participation. In “soccer” terms it’s what we call “parking the bus,” i.e. shutting up shop and refusing to engage.

 

I mean Sugar Ray Leonard, Pernell Whitaker and Muhammad Ali were great at closing fights but they didn’t do it by killing the fight as a spectacle, they did it through clever footwork and tactical flourishes and combinations. Maybe there isn’t a difference between the boxers listed above, and maybe I’m seeing a distinction that isn’t really there.

I do see a difference between their tactics and those of elite boxers of previous decades. Mayweather and Klitschko are what I call “neutralizers.” They shut down their opponents by any means necessary – be it excessive holding/tying-up or moving – and they don’t take unnecessary chances or make offense a priority while doing so.

 

What they do – and what their supporters call “master boxing” or “boxing clinics” – is not my cup of tea. To me, Mayweather and Klitschko bring a modern amateur boxing mentality to the prize ring, which doesn’t surprise me given that both were elite amateurs during the AIBA point-system era (1990s to the present) and both were 1996 Olympic medalists. Their goal in a boxing match – once they got into their 30s (I’ll acknowledge that both guys were more offense-minded when they were in their 20s) is to land enough clean punches to earn the round and then avoid getting hit in return by not engaging (which is done by evading them with lateral movement or by tying them up). They have no problem with “running out the clock” during the second half of each round and during the late portion of the fight. They (and their supporters) will argue that’s the essence of boxing: to hit and not get hit. I agree but I would also argue that it can be done in more entertaining manner. (And I totally understand that there’s risk involved in the more entertaining version of the Sweet Science, but that’s why the special fighters who can pull it off are celebrated.) When defense and offense are properly meshed by talented boxers, it is a sight to behold.

 

Sweet Pea was known as a defensive specialist – and he certainly was – but note that Whitaker is able to maintain a healthy offense while he’s slippin’ and dippin’ away from his opponents’ punches. Also, note how little holding there is when he’s evading shots in the pocket, and witness his power punches in return (especially the BODY SHOTS!).

 

With Lights Out you see a master of slipping punches during infighting. You won’t see him engaging in any holding or clinching (or as he used to call it “huggin’ and kissin’”). Like Mayweather, Toney employed the shoulder roll-and-counter to perfection, but unlike his fellow Michigan native Lights Out countered with authority. He wasn’t punching on the fly or off his back foot. Even when he was fat and out of shape, Toney was looking to do damage. Yes folks, boxers can be slick AND badasses.

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[Northern Star]

Pac now being sued by fans in a class action because his team was not forthcoming about the shoulder injury. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.

[pruneface]

Pac now being sued by fans in a class action because his team was not forthcoming about the shoulder injury. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.

 

He fought with a torn rotator cuff, which he's having surgery on this week. He'll be out for 9-12 months. Too bad he wasn't healthy. He should have just been forthcoming and postponed the fight. I'm assuming he was worried the fight wouldn't happen if he backed out.

 

As for the suit, Pac was denied a painkiller injection. It's probably no easy thing to fight with a torn shoulder. No wonder his output was so low.

[cp176]

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Your hands can't hit what your eyes can't see. Rumble, young man, rumble." He was the greatest. Not normally would I agree with Tyson but on this one I do. Except for one fight, I would take a young Roberto Duran against either one of these guys.