This Summer I have been logging in heavy hours at The Del Mar Race Track, hustling, gambling and swooping fly girls. I have even taken to eating lemondrops at the track (and I don’t mean those shots that Strip Club Waitress’ always try to get me to do pro-bono, either), all the while enjoying the beautiful 70 degree weather that coastal Southern California has been offering, while the rest of the country sweats it out.
I have been mostly holding court dayside (pre-track) at Red Tracton’s and nightside (post-track) at L’Auberge Del Mar. I did take time to catch Juan Manuel Marquez cook Juan Diaz in the rematch, like I said he would. Another big win for 70’s babies over 80’s babies. And another decent win for my Custom Suit pocket.
I also saw Zenyatta go 18-0 in what Del Mar Thoroughbred Club CEO, Joe Harper, called, “This is the best day Del Mar has ever had. And thanks to not just Zenyatta, but the style and eloquence of people you see in front of you,” from the relaxing confines of The Del Mar Turf Club.
Now after having The Best Feeling again, its time to plan my next strike. Hope your summer is going well also.
The first fight between the two Mexican Warriors, ended in a sensational come-from-behind KO win for Juan Manuel Marquez, stopping yet another 80’s baby from moving into the ranks of superstardom.
“I am going to forget our first fight,” said the 36-year-old, Juan Manuel Marquez. “It is like it never happened. I am going in as if this were our first meeting.
“A lot of people are asking me why Juan Diaz again? There are two reasons. Number one, he is a great fighter and deserves a rematch. Number two, the people deserve a great fight like this.
“Our fight was the fight of the year in 2009 and it may be the fight of the year again in 2010. You are all going to see two warriors who will give everything they have and leave everything in the ring.
“We Mexicans are always ready to die in the ring. I have already shown that age is not an issue with me. I prepare well and I am ready to show everyone what I can do.”
Juan Manuel Marquez VS Juan Diaz 2 has all the makings of The Fight of The Year for 2010 as well, and besides the somewhat interesting Sugar Shane Mosley VS Sergio Mora, is the only real top notch fight on the docket for the rest of the year.
Watch for Juan Manuel Marquez to cook Juan Diaz again in another war.
Q: What would you like people to think about you when your gone?
Muhammad Ali: He took a few cups of love. He took one table spoon of patience. One table spoon, tea-spoon of generosity. He took a few cups of love. He took one table spoon of patience. One table spoon, tea-spoon of generosity. One pint of kindness. He took one quart of laughter. One pinch of concern. And then he mixed willingness with happiness. He added lots of faith. And he stirred it up well. Then he spread it over a span of a lifetime. And he served it to each and every deserving person he met.
Smooth. Couldn’t have said it better myself.
A little over 47 years ago to the day, Muhammad Ali got off the canvas to wax England’s Henry Cooper. In his next fight, he would defeat Sonny Liston for The World Heavyweight Title in Ring Magazine’s 1964 Fight of the Year. Boxing, and the World, would never be the same.
I have mentioned on here before that I have really been getting my box on real heavy lately and in addition, I have been watching a lot of old fight tape. Especially, one of my favorites when I was a young cub, Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor.
Many people think that there is no father to Manny Pacquiao’s style. That’s false.
Aaron Pryor fought very much the same as Pac-Man with his awkward skill, blazing hand and foot speed, semi-reckless aggression and crazy angles in his combination punching. I have always used a similar approach of controlled mayhem in regards to nightlife and swooping fly girls.
Check it:
Aaron Pryor – HAWK TIME (highlights)
His fights with the late, great Nicaraguan, Alexis Arguello, were the stuff violent dreams are made of.
The Hawk
The Hawk, always a sharp dresser and heavy partyer, had his career derailed with heavy drug use. But that happens to the best of us.
Check Aaron Pryor VS Alexis Arguello I
Who would win if Aaron Pryor and Manny Pacquiao fought?
Fighting for his father, who died in January, for his legion of Puerto Rican fans and for his continued standing among boxing’s elite, Miguel Cotto won the first main-event bout at the new Yankee Stadium on Saturday night and handed Yuri Foreman his first loss.
In front of 20,272 fans, victory came in a fashion both decisive and bizarre.
Cotto (35-2) compiled what his trainer called “the perfect fight,” but triumphed in large part because Foreman (28-1) slipped in the seventh round and limped the rest of the bout.
The referee stopped the fight 42 seconds into the ninth round. Cotto secured the World Boxing Association’s super welterweight belt and his fourth championship. Foreman was not lacking courage, fighting and limping, slipping and punching, until the end.
Many people are saying that because Foreman’s knee gave out that there are many questions left unanswered by the Cotto win. For me, and anyone that really knows boxing, the question is answered. Bottom line, Foreman got broken down. It doesn’t matter if it is a knee, the body or the chin. Broken down is broken down.
And I have always had an affinity for fights that end with left hooks to the body.
Still, this was one of those rare occasions when both fighters stock when up after the fight.
Foreman showed tons of heart in his loss. And very courageously, twice did not take the 5 minute break he could have. For anyone that doesn’t think there have been good Jewish boxers in the past, see: Abe Attell (Arnold “The Brain” Rothstein’s friend), Jack Kid Berg, Battling Levinsky, Maxie “Slapsie Maxie” Rosenbloom, Maxie Berger and of course the great Benny “Ghetto Wizard” Leonard, among others.
Cotto on the other hand remains one of boxing’s greatest attractions. He always has very exciting fights, win or lose. I think part of the appeal of Cotto is that it almost seems like disaster is always right around the corner for him. Sort of Gatti-esque.
The sad thing about Cotto is that it does seem like the Margarito fight and possibly loaded gloves took something out of him. We may never know how great he could have been.
Here are some thoughts on the Floyd “Money” Mayweather VS Sugar Shane Mosley fight:
Power
Obviously, Sugar Shane Mosley has a significant edge in this department. However, Money Mayweather’s power is seriously underrated. Doubt Mayweather’s power? Watch the toughest boxer in recent memory, Arturo Gatti, wince in pain from Mayweather’s body shots. Speed plus precision equals damage.
Speed “Life is about timing and inches,” Mayweather said. “Boxing is about timing and inches. I’m able to time a guy pretty well.”
Both Mosley and Mayweather are fast like Eddie Felson. Something tells me that Mayweather will make Mosley look a little slow on May 1st, and answer the question, “Will Shane Mosley be rusty after a 15 month layoff?” As far as the other big question out there, “How will Mayweather deal with Sugar Shane’s speed?” The answer is “timing”. Like my Grandfather, Michael James Mason V (an excellent boxer in his day, fought at Madison Square Garden) always said, “Good timing beats speed, power and size”.
Last Fight
Mayweather dominated the #3 pound for pound fighter in the world Juan Manuel Marquez.
Mosley destroyed Antonio Margarito.
Both fights were impressive wins. Keep in mind however, that Margarito was mentally screwed up after having his loaded handwraps discovered and was basically a punching bag for Shane.
Style
I think Mayweather has a huge edge here. Mosley tends to throw his punches a little wide whereas Mayweather throws them more straight. This could be a big advantage for Mayweather. Mosley also tries to “shake and bake” with his punches too much. Mayweather is more fluid. Mosley also has the tendency to get a little wild and lose focus. Mentally, Mayweather has the edge. Not to mention he has dominated the pre-fight Mental Warfare.
Killer Instinct
Mosley gets the edge here, although Mayweather is no slouch. If Sugar Shane can really hurt Mayweather, he can close the show.
The Jab
People always yap about how when Oscar De La Hoya used the jab, Mayweather was in trouble. Watch the fight again. The fight with Oscar wasn’t that close. It is hard to jab Mayweather when you get countered over top of it with straight rights. Also, Mosley’s jab has never been one of his strong suits. Furthermore on Mayweather’s De La Hoya win: He beat The Golden Boy at 154lbs unlike Pac-Man’s win a year and a half later at a draining, straining, 145lbs. Significant difference.
In fact, Mayweather’s jab to the body will be one of the most important punches in this fight. Watch for it. It is very subtle.
The Crowd
“Boxing is like jazz. The better it is, the less people appreciate it.” – George Foreman
The crowd with be overwhelmingly pro-Mosley. It won’t be so Platinum Digger heavy, like when Oscar fought Mayweather, but it will still be rabidly for Sugar Shane. Mayweather is such an artist that the crowd misses many of the clean punches he lands. The crowd will also no doubt cheer fanatically for every glancing and blocked combo Sugar Shane throws. This does sway judges. Also, Las Vegas, historically speaking has been pro-West Coast fighters.
The Fight
Mosley really has a hard time winning this one. If he boxes Mayweather, he will lose for sure. If he attacks and tries to rough up Mayweather, then that also plays into Mayweather’s hands.
Expect Shane to start fast and try to bully Mayweather, as he should. By round 3, Mayweather will start to discourage Shane with defense and pin-point counters.
Through the middle rounds, Mayweather will be able to pot shot Mosley with straight right leads and left hooks. With Mayweather’s back to the ropes, Shane will have some moments, but Mayweather’s underrated infighting, chin and pushing off on Shane’s eyeball with his elbow, will give as good as he gets.
The pivotal point in the fight will happen around the 8th round when Shane gets his second wind and tries to change the fight. If he can land a looping punch, which Mayweather can get touched by (see his fight with Demarcus “Chop Chop” Corley), the fight could change. But even then, I think Floyd’s defense and chin will hold up.
Rounds 10 thru 12, Mayweather will keep landing crisp shots, and possibly cut Shane and chop him up like Mark “Chopper” Read.
Look for a close decision for Mayweather on the cards and a wider margin in reality. 8 rounds to 4 for Mayweather, with a slight chance of a late round stoppage.
Mosley’s real chances are like I said before, landing a big looping punch that changes the fight or a fishy crowd influenced Las Vegas decision.
Smart money on Money Mayweather. Hell, if you are like me and have bet on Floyd every fight he has ever fought (except the Diego Corrales fight), you will end up in the black no matter what the outcome is.
Floyd Mayweather Sr putting to rest the “Mayweather has been Ducking Shane” talk:
“Shane Mosley is thirty-eight and he’s coming to fight Floyd too late. You know, he’s coming to fight Floyd too late. If he had a chance, maybe he should have done it a few years ago. Floyd challenged Shane Mosley when Shane Mosley was at his best pound for pound fighter at that time at 135 pounds. Floyd challenged him when little Floyd had just won the championship at 130, the junior lightweight champion. Shane was the lightweight champion but Floyd was the junior lightweight champion and we challenged Shane, and they denied us and they did not take the challenge. They did not take the challenge. Now, he’s fighting because it’s a must—have to fight, got to fight, need to fight. That’s why he’s fighting us now. He has to, he must.”
“They say it’s lonely at the top, in whatever you do
You always gotta watch m*therfuckers around you
Nobody’s invincible, no plan is foolproof
We all must meet our moment of truth” – Guru
People always say, “All he talk about is money. All he do is show his cars.” Most of the time you get that from a broke m*therfucker because they can’t afford the finer things in life. I am a risk-taker. I live in Vegas. You got to be a risk-taker. If I can afford the finer things in life, why not go and get them?
You can’t take none of this sh*t with you when you go away. The only thing you take with you is the suit you got on and hopefully that’s a Custom Suit.
Well said Floyd. Must have been reading The G Manifesto.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and your your humble author; the only two out there talking about the value of the Custom Suit.
