One for the Boxing fans!

[Acid Casual]

I have a lot of time for Clottey.

He's never had an easy run of the mill type of fight, but he'll always step up no matter who he's offered.

He's also as tough as teak with an iron chin. The only person to beat him by anything like a UD was Margarito. Two of the judges had it by slim margins of 116-112, and Eugene Grant who would surely have been better to let his guide dog score the fight had, the margin an improbable 118-109.

Plus, with the benefit of what we now know about Margarito's loaded gloves in the Mosely fight, we can only guess as to what Clottey was being hit with that night.

I think that Pacqiuao will struggle to look good whilst beating him. And whilst I do expect Manny to win, I would not be surprised if the proposed superfight was scuppered by an upset.

[jimmy two times]

Thanks for that background Acid. Sounds like a good test for Pacman.

[Acid Casual]

Clottey is a test for anyone, that's for sure.

pretty sure he's another one on Mayweather's avoid list, and i would not blame him one bit.

[jimmy two times]

Fair play to Pacqiuao for taking him on in that case. He could have ducked him, as you suggest Mayweather would have.

[KidKruger]

So while Manny Pac is taking on perhaps the best fighter available to him (at the time he selected Clottey, Mosley was not available because of the agreed Mosley/Berto fight - which has since been scuppered due to the Haiti earthquake where Berto hails from), Mayweather has made no statement about who he will face, even though Mosley is NOW available there is no agreement for the two to face each other. Mosley wants it but Mayweather claims he offered the fight years ago and was turned down, though I fail to see what that really has to do with there and now.

In purely fighting interest terms I'd like to see Mayweather stand up and meet Mosley, if he's not interested in challenges now he should stay out of boxing as he will cheapen the game and spoil his own amazing reputation. And there's plenty of LWW/WW guys willing to face off with each other and see who's the best instead of wasting their time trying to get a show on with him IMO.

[jimmy two times]

Maybe Hatton should try his luck with Mayweather again? I'm sure Mayweather would be up for it, and though Hatton risks being outclassed again he certainly would restore his reputation if he gave him a good fight. Boxing history is littered with redemption stories such as this.

[Jeremy]

All this stuff with Mayweather is really bad for boxing. He needs to fight a top WW contender, and there's no excuse for the Mosley fight not to happen.

This couldn't happen in any other sport. Imagine that Chelsea had never played Man U, or Nadal had never played Federer!

[KidKruger]

Jimmy - the Hatton v Mayweather 2 idea is a bad one IMO, mainly because of my knowledge of what each boxer has done since the first contest...

Mayweather has carried-on being in the gym every day and outclassed Marquez while Hatton has blown-up, burnt the weight off, beat Malignaggi (probably so well because he couldn't feel Paulo's punches), blown-up, burnt the weight off, got flattened by Manny, blown-up. You see, of the two, I think Floyd has been more serious about his sport, if not in number of fights then in consistent training and athletic advancement, which does count for quite a bit when fighting in a ring !

If Hatton couldn't match the performance from the first Mayweather fight (which I suspect he can't) then there's zero point - IF you're interested in a meaningful contest.

Yeah they would both make money but that's the only 'positive' I would see possible in that match-up.

For Hatton, I'd like to see Cotto, as a kind of watershed fight for which way Hatton goes now.

If he can't hack Cotto then quit.

I think Cotto will prevail if it happens, though would be overjoyed if Hatton won. If that makes sense !

[Jeremy]

There's no way Hatton will fight Cotto!

[Acid Casual]

I think that Mosely is Mayweather's worst nightmare KK.

Clever, fast, skillful and most tellingly - big! You can imagine Floyd's response to that one!

It might well be true that he offered the fight years ago, but I'll bet he was offered the very short end of a horrible purse split. Something like 80-20. You can't blame Mosely if he told him to eff off.

Hatton and Cotto would be a horrible spectacle because they are both so obviously now on the slide. Cotto has never quite been the same since Margarito decided that he'd quite like his hands to be wrapped in plaster of paris. probably be quite an entertaining fight while it lasted (Gatti v Ward?) but would eb the last stand for at least one of them in any sort of meaningful way.

[KidKruger]

Acid, I would probably still plump for Mayweather against Mosley but not put my house on it, and yeah choosing that opponent would be Mayweather's equivalent of changing the tides, as you say, he's a big lad and boy is he fast and man can he close out the show when he sees someone is slightly hurt or tired !!

I must admit I've never really thought seriously about Cotto and Hatton being on the slide, perhaps because I'm not experienced enough for it to be obvious for me to make a judgement on it. It's true though Cotto got a proper beating from Marg and, early in that fight, with him hitting Marg so often with (I think) hard lefts I figured Marg would be gone in 6, but he just absorbed everything and walked all over Coto, amazing. That must have been soul destroying at the time for Cotto, he was a proper warror in that fight though.

I thought Cotto was amazing against Pac and it was purely a case of the best fighter won. I didn't get the impression that Pac won because the other fighter was shot if you know what I mean. So I figured he's had a couple of hidings, one to a monster in Pac and the other to a man who was bigger and maybe illegaly loaded in the gloves. Either way (sliding or not) he's perhaps not absolute top drawer material and, seeing as Hatton isn't either, perhaps they could make a decent pair in the ring. I just don't have the knowledge to judge Hatton's true status with respect to being 'punch-drunk' or past it, even though I watched his fights since they were televised, I don't know how to identify those features in a boxer's performance. I know Pac did Hatton in 2 and they say this proves Ricky is done (and I am nor for / against that view, as explained) but I think anyone at that weight would have been laid out or at least seriously compromised in the contest. So that's how I think they could be a good match-up. However if I had the ability to determine slippage etc I would likely change my view as, yes, nobody wants to see two previously great boxers slugging for the sake of pride alone.

[KidKruger]

I've just noticed I've sort of contradicted myself in respect of my comments on Hatton over my last two posts, seemed consistent at the time I was typing it though !

[Acid Casual]

I'd probably go for Mayweather too now given their respective ages, but a few years ago maybe not. I love Sugar Shane, and I'd love him to win.

I think you have called it right with Cotto/Margarito. Cotto's spirit was just broken, and that is the sort of psychological hex that can ruin a fighter. I think Cotto has been ruined by it. Hopkins is the master of this sort of thing, but Margarito is tough (with or without loaded gloves)

On reflection, you also might be right about Hatton. He has just been ruthlessly starched by the world's two best fighters. Maybe he's due another chance, but I would not like to see it. I have been in or around boxing for over a quarter of a century and the result of him being KO'ed by Pac was chilling to see. Also having that fool Mayweather senior in his corner for Pac - an idiot of the highest order will have to be considered in mitigation, because that man is a goose.

Anyhoo, back to the point. I think that Cotto has been psychologically shot. It remains to be seen if Hatton has too by the nature of his last two defeats.

An interesting question. I just hope it does not have tragic outcome.

[Keef]

Hatton may be finished, but that punch from pac was just so fast, and so perfect, who would have been able to take it or dodge it?

[Acid Casual]

I've just worked out that I have been involved with boxing for 27 years. 28 this year.

And random chat like this reminds me why in spite of exhilarating highs and dreadfully depressing lows almost in equal measure, I still continue, deep down to to love it.

It really is a sport like no other.

[KidKruger]

Agreed Acid.

I have sometimes considered that all 'sports' are probably polite ways of engaging physically with other people, without severely damaging or killing the opponent(s), ie rugby, football and then extremes like cricket and tennis. In short they are pretending to be, or pertaining to, combat or war.

Boxing for me is purer in that the only compromise is the padded gloves or safety-oriented rules, but the fact is it IS combat, and it's full contact (albeit to only specific areas of the body) which few of the martial arts can boast.

Once you're in the ring there's no-one to hide behind and if you're evenly matched, your lack of training or fitness or ringcraft or governership and any weaknesses can soon be exposed, very much to your detriment !

I used to be into distance running and boxing (amongst others) and the two, to me, were quite similar. When running long long distances there are several battles along the way, with other runners trying to take you or you taking them. If you're leading you battle yourself for a best time and you battle your head as the challenge and stress of keeping the men behind you for the remainder of the race ensues. A huge mental sport. Boxing had all of these things plus you had more to think about in terms of movement and meanwhile had to take the guy down and avoid being taken down.

Somehow I found a parity between the two sports though !! Hope that makes sense.

It's really depressing when folks just speak of boxing in terms of 'thugs with gloves on', I guess that may be a snobbish view of boxing and somewhat tainted in ignorance IMO.

[Acid Casual]

I think the similarities between distance running and boxing is the extent of the endurance required.

My brother is a really keen runner, and I think quite good. He is always amazed at the degree of endurance that I have put myself through when I was boxing seriously. Equally, when I saw the thing that Eddie Izzard did recently - I can't recall exactly what it was, but it was something mental like 20 marathons in a month - I remember being completely in awe of the lengths of endurance that he submitted himself to.

I think what staggered me most was that before hand he was said to be not particularly athletic, and he just describes coming to terms with things, pain, endurance etc, in his mind, and I just though "Good God! That is a serious feat of mind over matter"

Similarly though, boxers endure the most painful injuries and fight THAT'S FIGHT, NOT JUST COMPETE, through it. Myself, I've had to finish fights with a broken nose, several broken ribs and broken knuckles. In it's own way just the same mind over matter.

As boxers we reconcile with the idea of pain quite early on I think. People who do not go through the same process are often unmoved by the threat of pain, but bewildered by it's reality. I think I'd be pretty bewildered by attempting to run 20 odd marathons in a month or whatever Eddie Izzard did.

[Acid Casual]

According the The Telegraph online, Mayweather and Mosely have agreed to fight on May 1st at the MGM Grand.

Can this be true?...

[jimmy two times]

Apparently Mayweather is demanding random drugs testing of Mosley as well. He did this with Pacquaio as well. Has he got a right to do this? I thought there was a drug testing board that made these decisions.

[Keef]

I thought there was a drug testing board that made these decisions.

Maybe not a very good one though.

[Jeremy]

There isn't a single drugs testing board for boxing, as far as I know... it varies depending on the country or state.

I can understand Mayweather being unhappy with the standard of the testing, but surely this is something he should take up with the Nevada commission or whoever. He shouldn't have the right to impose his own rules.

[KidKruger]

Mosley wants to get it on so fair play to him if he's happy and confident to do the needles thing.

And fair play to Floyd, if he does follow-through with this. After this (being greedy now) I'd like to see Floyd v Paul Williams (asuming PBF wins).

I suspect there'll be some raised eyebrows in the direction of Manny Pac if the Floyd/Mosley contest does occur and you never know, there may be more to the allegations / speculation than we (the punters) are aware of right now...

Jeremy - I think if Floyd takes his concerns up with Nevada State that would (if they amended their procedures to suit his reqts) only address them for THAT state and for Floyd's specific reqts.

As Conto says (see link Keef provided) there needs to be a broader adoption of a single procedure/process and the most logical way seems to be that the existing amateur method (with agreed modifications) is deployed. The politics around getting this ratified by the various governing bodies is potentially a monstrous obstacle. It could take years. Only thing I can think would make it happen quickly (quicker) is pressure from US Govt (since most/all of the organisations are US based) OR a major expose of a boxer having taken PEDs or other banned substances. For example, if Manny Pac was somehow exposed just before / after a fight with Floyd the high profile of the contest (they say it could be the biggest money fight ever), the 'good name' of boxing would potentially be tarnished to such a degree that there may suddenly be a unanimous collaboration across all the organisations to install standardised and measured testing in the professional ranks.

[Acid Casual]

Correct, and agreed.

Edit - Sorry, this post was @ Jeremy.

[Acid Casual]

KK, I think that Floyd knows his credibility would be shot to hell if he passed this one up. He doesn't have a fight on his date. Mosely doesn't have one on his. Prefect opportunity to solve two problems and no real reason for it not to happen.

I still think that his drugs testing nonsense is still in the vain hope that Shane will do a u-turn. If this happens it will be good.

[jimmy two times]

I have never heard of any other fighter insisting on his opponents having a drugs test. Mayweather has done it twice now. What's that all about?