.jpg&w=244&h=193&zc=1 "From Beyond The Grave: The Hyperbole")
Quick Jabs, Mostly Manny Pacquiao Vs. Timothy Bradley (With Jailed Floyd Mayweather On An Anorexic Diet)
When boxing reality won't do, fantasy has to: Manny Pacquiao's action figure vs. Floyd Mayweather's action figure, with Manny on a flaming motorcyle and Floyd as some kind of death monk. That video came out prior to some recent events. Which action figure do you think would win in his current state -- Manny, perhaps demoralized by his bunk loss to Timothy Bradley last weekend, or Floyd, whose career is threatened, his lawyers say, by his current jail stint?
Naturally, this edition of QJ is heavily focused on what's been up with those two men the past week, but there's a little talk of PEDs and promoter battles in here, too. On second thought, maybe just watch the video over and over again. There's not much happy about boxing's reality herein. I don't want to give away too much about the video, but did I mention it had light sabers?
Quick Jabs
So Pacquiao's once-fave Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, D-Nev., wants an investigation of the scoring in Pcquiao-Bradley by the state attorney general. (I say once-fave because Pacquiao's political leanings of late are decidely conservative by U.S. standards.) My day job prevents me from commenting on Congress much, but I think everybody can endorse the general idea that when there's something like this, an investigation is a good idea -- and Reid says he's confident nothing will come up shady, by the way. It'll be most worth watching to see if the stalled legislation creating a national boxing commission gets any juice out of this; my guess is it will take a series of similarly prominent incidents for it to, because Congress can be fickle about what makes it to the frontburner. The WBO is doing its own investigation, by the way, not that one ought to have too much confidence in that outfit...
The meter on Pacquiao's next opponent appears to be titling not toward a Bradley rematch, but another welterweight meet-up with Juan Manuel Marquez. If there is a Bradley rematch, Pacquiao and his team are talking about making sure he knocks out Bradley this time; makes you wonder why they weren't thinking it this time, and of course there are fresh questions about Pacquiao's ability or willingness to go hard all the time like he used to, plus I wouldn't assume that Bradley can't improve on his own performance without injured legs. I personally don't have more interest in that rematch than I do the Marquez one, but I thought that before Pacquiao fought Bradley, too...
It's hard not to feel a little bad for Bradley, whose biggest win has produced the kind of infamy that only a shitty boxing decision can produce. He's declared that he's of the mind that he didn't lose, and has explicitly contradicted what his promoter, Top Rank's Bob Arum, said Bradley said about thinking he'd lost. On the other hand, this comes with the job. If he doesn't love boxing, he should, of course, look at his bank account, which is, quote, "faaaaaat"....
There are two views about all this that I find particularly odious: The first is that anyone who declares s/he's not a boxing fan because of Pacquiao-Bradley can fuck off, because they're "not real fans." Boxing has shed thousands, perhaps milions of "not real fans" that way over the decades. You tell me who's to blame. Is it the fans who get fed up and leave, the people who want their sports to have even a modicum of credibility, or the shitty things boxing does to make them leave? Talk about blaming the victim. The second odious view is that intense outrage about this decision is misplaced, because bad decisions happen all the time. They do, but let's not pretend that proportionality has nothing to do with reaction. This happened at the ultra-highest, most visible level of the sport. Of course people are going to react more severely to this, for that very reason...
Last thing before we depart Pacquiao-Bradley: This video from Slate is fun and informative, even if equating punch numbers with the worst decision ever is dubious. (For my money, the worst decision I've still ever seen with my own eyes is lightweight Jose Armando Santa Cruz' loss to Joel Casamayor.) It's neat to me that you don't hear boxing people talking as much about the not-too-distant allegations about Top Rank fixing fights as much as you do outsiders. Not sure what to make of that, though...
There's a scent emanating from a Las Vegas jail this week, and it's vagina. Mayweather's legal team did this whiny song and dance about how he was living in "inhumane conditions," about how he wasn't getting adequate calories and was dehydrated, and his boxing career and financial earnings were threatened. Part one, bullshit. The judge called him on it, too, saying he has access to all the water he wants and simply is choosing not to eat the provided food. This was a ploy, one aimed at appealing to Las Vegas' financial interests because Floyd is a big attraction, with Mayweather basically saber-rattling that he would have to quit boxing to scare them into letting him out. Part two, even if it wasn't a ploy, guess what, jail isn't fun or good for you, which is why it's something to avoid -- if beating up your ex-gf will put you there, don't do that crap...
The USADA released a report of sorts on Mayweather and Miguel Cotto passing their drug tests for their last fight, including a mention that carbon isotope ratio testing was conducted. That hasn't been good enough in some quarters, as no documentation was provided. I get it. More documentation is always better. On the other hand, very little documentation is actually sufficient for boxing fans, so far as I can tell -- they always want more. If I was the USADA I just release everything, and see what people say then (perhaps we'll get questions about embossed seals or controlled demolitions, though)...
Junior featherweight Nonito Donaire is going with year-round testing via VADA, which is a welcome development. As with documentation, more testing is always better...
Meanwhile, TQBR favorite DeMarcus Corley best wise-up on the drug front, at least with his public relations. The junior welterweight is taking mystery West African supplements. What's he trying to do, calling attention to wacky chemicals he takes in the current environment?...
There are some fences being mended, apparently, between Top Rank and talented featherweight Yuriorkis Gamboa, who would go back to being called YURIORKIS GAMBOA! here if he got that all resolved. Arum is promising to go after Mayweather over the whole Gamboa/flake-out/Mayweather Promotions recruitment thing. Mayweather's promotional firm might be taking another hit, too, if welterweight Jessie Vargas leaves his stable as appears probable...
Gamboa isn't the only one with promotional strife. As happens with all Don King fighters, bantamweight Joseph Agbeko is suing the crazily coiffed one. King's career feels like it's just about on its last legs. The last highly viable fighter he has and who isn't suing him is light heavyweight Tavoris Cloud...
One last bit of promoter business: Top Rank's Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (middleweight) might have a pay-per-view event on the same September night as Golden Boy's Canelo Alvarez (junior middleweight). I have to think this won't happen. Chavez and Alvarez are two huge Mexican stars and the idea of boxing wanting to divide its audience over a "who's dick is bigger" contest between promoters? Oh wait, I just described the last several years of the sport.
This whole thing is a testament to the dangers of giving guys what they call comparative rounds when judging the fight as a whole from a non-numerical standpoint. Just because Bradley may not have gotten blown out in Round 8 like in 3 or 4 does not mean he won those rounds. When you're not actually scoring the fight on points such thinking can distort. Sure he may have performed better than was expected, toughed it out... and Pacquiao may not have been 2009 Manny, but just because he didn't thrash him like he did Cotto doesn't mean that he didn't win rather comfortably. And for those who claim the outrage is disproportionate to the reality of how the fight played out- that it's a knock on an underrated Bradley or indicative of Pacquiao's standing in the sport ask yourself this... if George W. Bush's head were on Pacquiao's body and instead of Bradley's trademark chrome dome you installed say Jesus Christ...who wins and by what margin?
@dsanthtwngs88 Not only was Bradley not getting blown out in many rounds (thanks in large part to Pac taking the first 2+ minutes of many rounds off), one could easily make the case that Bradley did more work in the latter half of the fight. And don't throw inaccurate compubox numbers out as "proof" of Pac's supposed dominance.
and I don't think I made any allusions to compubox in my previous post. Anyone other than just a casual fan knows that compubox numbers are just a guideline, circumstantial at best. a nugget that can be used to help corroborate certainly not the defining piece of evidence that makes an argument. Look at recent heavyweight fight between Seth Mitchell and Chazz Witherspoon. According to Compubox the Gentleman landed 50 percent of his power connects and that stat in and of itself is not misleading in the slightest because he dominated the first round and dropped mitchell. If I recall correctly Mitchell landed slighly more than fifty percent. He dominated the fight winning the second and third rounds. Roughly same compubox percentages. If you go by just that they both won the fight. Clearly not the case.
Give you an example in the third Marquex fight you look at a round in which Pac and Marquez fight on relatively even terms throughout the first 2 and 1/2 minutes, but marquez is getting to pac's chin and it's more evident (more evident than pacquiao got to him in that fight and certainly more than anything bradley did) and in the last thirty seconds pacquiao began to LOOK like the winner using good footwork, hitting and moving, creating angles (fyi marquez then popped him with an uppercut and partially landed the right at the very end). That round you score for Marquez because he did a little more that stave pac off early in the round and legitimately touched his chin.
I wouldn't dream of using compubox numbers for you know, the reason they're there. lol. No so you're saying that Bradley wasn't getting blown out and he fought on even terms through the last rounds I assume you mean the last 3. And that's fine. But if bradley only does enough to "not get blown out" in the first 2+ mins- using his jab and whatnot, not landing anything especially not anything substantial...and Pac pushes him against the ropes and starts throwing combos (even if they are hitting arms- because he is landing good straight lefts) in the last minute I don't see how you don't score that round for Pacquiao.
@dsanthtwngs88 I thought Pac did enough at the end of Rounds 3 and 4 to take them, but not 1 and 5. Those 2 rounds, along with rounds 10-12 are the 5 I gave Bradley. I believe Pac should have won, but I also believe a number of rounds were close, including 7-9.
What's most odious for me is the treatment that Bradley is getting. Bradley did much better than many expected. He put on a very credible performance, including fighting Pac on close to even terms in the last rounds. A number of people are now admitting that, when they watched it a second time, the fight was closer than they had originally thought. And yet, Ring saw fit to install Bradley only at #8 in the welterweight rankings, below Paul Malignaggi among others. What a joke. I do not at all agree with the characterization that this fight was a one-sighted beat down. I believe that Bradley did better and Manny did poorer than most boxing experts are portraying.
@Manila Ice But Bradley is doing himself no favors by saying he is falling out of love with boxing and isn't earning proper respect. You're a champion, Tim: Act like one.
Pacquiao was screwed out of the worst decision since Casamayor-Santa Cruz or Whitaker-Chavez, yet he said the judges' decision stands. He knows he won, but he's not whining about it.
Bradley was awarded the win, yet he's still complaining. Not the demeanor of a champion.
@PaulKelly @Manila Ice OK, you've got a point there. Some of that ain't the coolest. But I don't think he's being PARTICULARLY uncool by the standards of boxer behavior after a bunk win.
@PaulKelly @Manila Ice I totally see your arguments, and think them all correct. This isn't me disagreeing with you. I am not as bothered by what he's said, really, is what it boils down to.
@tstarks @Manila Ice True. But if Bradley wants to capture the imagination and affection of boxing fans and the general sporting public, he needs to elevate his public comments WELL above those of the standards of typical boxer behavior.
He needs to emulate the man to whom he lost last Saturday night: Pacquiao.
It would be one thing if Bradley marketed himself as a wannabe Floyd, sort of like Adrien Broner. But Bradley came off as a humble, hard-working family man in "Pacquiao-Bradley 24/7," which makes his feeble complaints this week even more off-putting.
Bradley needs to just shut up, heal and start training for his next challenge.
@Manila Ice Bradley is catching too much hell, I agree. I didn't think the fight was any closer on a second watch, but I've seen one or two say that.
The ranking situation is difficult. I'm in favor of honoring wins, however much the results are controversial. I think I would've taken one of the options that Rosenthal mentioned -- that is, leaving Pac where he was P4P but installing Bradley above him at welter.
@tstarks At the very least, put Bradley above Paulie. I mean, do the Ring guys really think the Magic Man could last a full 12 rounds with Pac?
I honestly do not understand how people see this fight as a blowout. Many rounds seemed pretty close to me. Giving Bradley anywhere between 3 to 6 rounds (depending how you interpret the subjective scoring criteria) seems fair.
"There's a scent emanating from a Las Vegas jail this week, and it's vagina. " LOL! I read Lil Kim did a year and a day and Floyd wants out after 10 days.
As for USADA, there is something stinky about that as well which your bff Gabriel Montoya wrote about. Looks like GBP has an 'inadvertent use' clause which means USADA can ignore a once off positive drug result or something, Way dodgy. See how Khan v Garcia is USADA and not VADA and the Radio Rahim interview was interrupted.
As for Tim Bradley, yeah you won whatever. Good luck defending that and see who watches if it's not Pacquiao. If he just came out a bit more humble and said yeah I understand people think I lost but it was awarded to me anyway and not in my hands instead of yeah I won clearly bitches and f u all and its my belt...
@Fidel My BFF Montoya doesn't know whether an inadvertent use clause exists. Quote from his mammoth, answering-no-questions, lookit-me-I'M-the-story! piece from June 8:
"Does an inadvertent use exemption exist?"
The Radio Rahim interview interruption was shady, though.
I guess I understand some of your reaction to Bradley's attitude. I don't think a boxer has ever willingly given up a belt over a bad decision, however, and generally speaking most fighters claim they've won even when they haven't. He hasn't been too bitchy.
"There's a scent emanating from a Las Vegas jail this week, and it's vagina." - Thought that was a bit harsh; most women would accept jail with more dignity and less whining than Floyd and his team.
@ham_napkin Vaginas themselves are a big squishy, though, is all I'm saying. I suspect you're write about womenfolk and jail, nonetheless.
funny video. it's ironic that tim winning the belt has caused more damage to his career and reputation than if he lost. if they rightfully awarded the fight to pacquiao, bradley would get a lot of props for lasting the fight with both feet injured. poor guy. i'm not sure a rematch will look good. at this point, tim will be backtracking from the get-go like mosley. he'll do better though and the rounds will probably be closer (for real this time) but it will be boring. besides, they will give it to manny this time no matter how close it is. pac could just stand there and he'll win it decisively, maybe even by tko even if it lasts 12 rounds lol. they won't let pac lose the next time for sure. floyd's such a brat. "mommy, i wanna go home!" can't even man up for 3 months. paris lasted even longer than him in jail. chicken.
is it just me or does boxing as a whole have an almost paul williams-esque lack of curiosity when it comes to its own well-being, as I'm quite certain nothing will come of this debacle- an almost incomprehensible lack of inventory evaluation and awareness a la williams after that knockout.
@dsanthtwngs88 @rasec It's not just you, DS. Well said.
Floyd is the brattiest, rasec. And you've got the right take on what happened to Bradley, too.
