Cheated out of the ‘Fight of the Decade

It coulda been a contender - for ‘Fight of the Decade’. America’s Floyd Mayweather Jr, universally regarded as a unique talent, and Filipino star Manny Pacquiao, who has been absolutely sensational as he’s risen through the lower weight classes, are two boxers who appeared destined to meet in the ring. The fight was mooted, hyped, discussed, negotiated - and then collapsed.

The negotiations to make what would have been an extremely lucrative ‘superfight’ were surprisingly smooth until Mayweather’s team demanded blood tests for performance-enhancing drugs. Pacquiao, in perhaps not the most convincing statement in the world, refused because of his ‘superstitions’ about needles and not wanting to be weakened before a fight. However, despite insinuations emanating from Floyd Mayweather’s father that Pacquiao was a cheat (strenuously denied on all sides and now the subject of a defamation case), there is no reason to believe that Pacquiao is guilty of anything. Being an outstanding athlete, and being unwilling to submit to the kind of endless random testing that other athletes are accustomed to, does not mean that Pacquiao’s performances are chemically enhanced.

In any event, there are more effective ways for boxers to cheat - more of that later.

There is no doubt it would be fantastic to see these two in the ring and it is staggering that either man could walk away from the millions each would get for this fight. I wouldn’t fight Floyd Mayweather for $40million, but I definitely would if I was Manny Pacquiao. If the right to call yourself the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world means nothing, what happened to good old greed?

Some have argued that Mayweather torpedoed the fight to keep his perfect record and mighty ego intact. That doesn’t seem right to me, particularly as I’d pick Mayweather to win. Maybe he was trying to mess with Pacquiao’s head, dominate the negotiating process or perhaps project himself as a clean influence on the sport.

But Mayweather has shown himself to be pretty pragmatic when it comes to getting the right opponent for the right money. He’s even given a second chance to the current WBA welterweight champ and veteran of previous super-fights, ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley. While the idea of Pacquiao being a cheat is nothing more than insinuation, Mosley has got form for it. He got caught up in the BALCO drugs scandal (which also saw the fall from grace of sprinter Marion Jones) and admitted ‘unknowingly’ taking performance-enhancing drugs in 2003 before beating Oscar De La Hoya.

Clearly Mayweather isn’t that concerned, then, about the issue of drug-taking. More likely, with Manny Pacquiao having lined up an exciting match against Joshua Clottey in March, Mayweather needed a new opponent and a big name to try to outstrip Pacquiao’s pay-per-view sales. Mosley represents a legitimate, high-profile opponent. Mosley has, of course, agreed to any testing regime Mayweather wants, as long as both fighters submit to the same tests.

All of this confirms that the negotiating process and business of making boxing matches is gloriously Byzantine. On the bright side, Mosley v Mayweather is a fight people have wanted to see for a decade. In the past, Mayweather has never sounded hugely enthusiastic about taking on Mosley. Mosley even leapt into the ring after Mayweather outclassed Juan Manuel Marquez last year to call out Floyd in what became a rather bad-tempered stunt. Mosley is now 38, but fought like a much younger man when he defeated Antonio Margarito to win the welterweight title in January 2009, putting on a storming performance to keep his name right at the top of the sport.

Mention of Margarito brings us back to the sticky subject of cheating. For years, Margarito had been a very good fighter and held the WBO welterweight title, but had never quite graduated to the really top drawer of marquee fights. In July 2008, he took on the highly rated Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto, winning the WBA welterweight title by absorbing considerable punishment in the early rounds but ploughing endlessly forward and wearing his opponent down to earn a surprise victory.

However, when he faced Mosley the following year, Mosley’s eagle-eyed cornerman noticed a plaster-like substance being applied to the wraps around Margarito’s hands, basically ‘loading’ his gloves to make them heavier. Margarito was forced to re-wrap his hands several times before being allowed into the ring. After his defeat, Margarito was banned for a year, which seems highly lenient when you consider the damage he might have caused. To my mind, cheating in boxing, a sport where the risks can be so high, is very serious. Some find it easy to call boxing barbaric, but I think it is heroic. However, to box is a choice and to make that choice every boxer must be as fully informed as possible about the risks they are running. In one sense, the rules of boxing are arbitrary. The thresholds for weight classes perhaps or, for example, having eight-ounce gloves rather than 10-ounce gloves. But the important point is that both fighters have the same setup. It seems to me that ‘loading’ your gloves, like Margarito did, is one of the worst crimes you can do in a boxing ring, because it is so effective.

Perhaps I am being naïve, but even though some of the sports biggest names have been caught with drugs in their system, I haven’t been too worried about boxers being ‘juiced’. If nutrition in the sport is anything to go by, I don’t think boxing, at least at grassroots level, is at the cutting edge of sophistication. Perhaps only the top boxers can afford the luxury of steroids. But I’m also prone to thinking that, unlike a sprint where tiny fractions of seconds count, the difference between winning and losing in boxing depends more on reactions, experience and timing. I’m not aware of any synthetic stimulants that can help you with that. Of course, having muscles that pack more of a punch will help, but you need to develop good technique to deliver a punch with any power. For those reasons, I fear it may be more in a boxer’s interest, if he’s inclined to win at any cost, to cheat Margarito-style.

Boxing as a sport has many afflictions. But I remain optimistic. At heart it’s about putting together prizefights. It does not have one single, overarching body that can lay down regulations for the game as a whole. There are different commissions, which have different requirements for getting a licence to box. Given this proliferation of rules and bodies, it seems reasonable to me for drug testing regimes to be agreed along with every other detail as part of the negotiating process, especially for the really big fights.

Boxing fans everywhere will hope that Pacquiao and Mayweather do eventually get it on. Pacquiao should drop his lawsuit and trust that the public are perfectly capable of understanding that someone, even a superstar boxer, is innocent until proven guilty. Let’s hope that the Fight of the Decade fell apart for no more complex reason than as the unintended consequence of neither side wanting to back down and expecting the other to relent. But I also hope that Floyd Mayweather can stop worrying about drug testing and learn to love the money.

Author: John Dennen

Source: spiked-online.com

Roach: If Clottey lays on ropes, he's dead

MANILA, Philippines -- Prized boxing trainer Freddie Roach has seen a loophole in Joshua Clottey’s defense that Manny Pacquiao could take advantage of when the two fighters slug it out on March 13.

“He's pretty strong and he has a good chin and he's a durable guy,” Roach said of the Ghanaian boxer in an interview with FightFan.com.

However, he described Clottey’s defense as very “passive”.

“Sometimes he goes to the ropes. I can't figure it out if he's being lazy and resting or he's trying to punch yourself out. But if he lays on the ropes and he has that passive defense on us, we're gonna kill him,” said Roach.

The trainer said that although Pacquiao did some “rope-a-dope” tactic during his fight with Miguel Cotto last November, he said the Filipino merely tested the Puerto Rican’s punching power.

“He was there for a reason. If he's just being lazy, then there's a problem with it but he has a reason, it's okay. I told him, 'I don't get the idea', but that's being Pacquiao,” said Roach.

The controversial trainer is currently overseeing Pacquiao’s training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California.

He said he’s very impressed with the conditioning of the 7-time world champion, who is making his first title defense against Clottey.

“He looks pretty good... I was very happy with his performances,” said Roach.

Pacquiao will stake his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown against the Ghanaian at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas on March 13.

Roach attributed Pacquiao's superb conditioning partly to his brief down time after the Cotto fight. He said the "rest days" have worked wonders for the Filipino.

Pacquiao took a two-month vacation from boxing following his sensational 12th round technical knockout win over Cotto.

“He plays basketball everyday… it's like his favorite sport. He runs and runs the court and he came in to the New York press conference [for the Clottey fight] at 148 pounds,” said Roach.

Author: Dennis Gasgonia

Source: abs-cbnNEWS.com

Is Floyd Mayweather Sr dipping in the ‘cocaine cookie jar’ when he says Manny is ‘scared' & ‘stupid'

It’s been a few weeks but Floyd Mayweather Sr is back. No defamation suit can scare him off. In a recent interview, the elder Mayweather spoke out about the failed fight between his baby boy and Manny Pacquiao. As usual, Mayweather has an interesting take on the entire situation.

“They’re gonna fight. They’re not gonna take much blood out of you, talking that he gonna get weak before the fight. You’re gonna get weak after he tapped that as* so that’s what he is scared about." Mayweather Sr (source: ABS CBN News)

Let me bust out my Ebonics dictionary and make some sense of these comments. First, growing up in California, the phrase ‘tap that as*’ has a completely different meaning than how I “think” Floyd Sr might be using it. Now, I’m not going to expand on the different meaning but whatever definition you choose, I’m sure Manny is not afraid of it. Second, I don’t believe for one second that Manny Pacquiao is afraid of Floyd Mayweather Jr. The fight would be on if Mayweather would have agreed to Manny’s counter.

“Who wouldn’t fight for that kind of money, unless they’re dumb, stupid and crazy. I think it was $40 million, something like that. They will both get that kind of money.”

I think it’s clear by now that it’s not all about the Money for Manny. It’s about fighting the good fight. It’s about becoming a better boxer. It’ about reaching new levels as an athlete. It’s about personal challenges and growth. It’s about his faith. There’s nothing “dumb, stupid and crazy” about this. These things are honorable and respectable. I’m so tired of hearing “It’s all about the money” or “Show me the money”.

Jason Thomas Saramento, CA “Do you even understand what Floyd Sr says half the time?”

Jason, I have no clue most of the time what his logic is. But the bigger question here is “Does Floyd Sr even understand what he’s saying half the time?” I ask this because these latest comments make me think he’s dipping in the “cocaine cookie jar” again.

Carl Doyle Sacramento, CA “Does it bother you that Mayweather Sr keeps attacking Manny?”

To some degree, it’s disturbing. It doesn’t hurt my feelings. The thing that drives me crazy is when these Mayweathers make ignorant and hypocritical comments.

Author: Rick Rockwell

Source: examiner.com

DANNY TREJO PRESENTS PACQUIAO A COPY OF FAMED 'DESPERADO' PHOTO

LOS ANGELES -- Hollywood television and movie star Danny Trejo came to the Wildcard Gym today (Wednesday, Feb 10) to rub elbows with the famous Filipino spitfire, Manny Pacquiao and give him a souvenir from his huge Hollywood movie hit.

Trejo is one of the pride and joy of the Latino community particularly in the Southern California area.

He is a prolific actor, appearing in many movies and television shows albeit mostly as the “bad guy”.

He was in movies that included big names such as Al Pacino, Nicolas Cage, Robert de Niro, Harrison Ford among others.

Amongst his movie credits are “Dusk Till Dawn”, Machete and “Desperado” where he appeared with Antonio Banderas and Selma Hayek.

He is noted for his distinctive appearance. In addition to his heavily lined face and a mustache, he has a large tattoo of a woman in his chest wearing a sombrero.

Trejo presented Pacquiao a copy of his famous photo from “Desperado” where he shows of his many knives under his long jacket.

Author: Ed de la Vega, DDS

Source: philboxing.com

t Cowboys Stadium, big board is the star attraction

ARLINGTON -- Cowboys Stadium's signature feature is not its grandeur, LA nightclub-style bars or plush suites, but rather its TV set. Unless you are directly underneath JerryTron, your eyes seemingly are unable to look at anything else, including the action on the field.

"The awe factor sets in when you walk in the building and you see it," said Texas men's basketball coach Rick Barnes, who coached the first basketball game in the building in December.

JerryTron, which once again will be the center of attention in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game, is another technological creation that creates both intimacy and separation. It's akin to attending a party and texting the friend standing 5 feet from you.

Depending on your point of view, seat in the stands or how much money you spent, JerryTron is the single greatest creation for a live sporting event, or another reason to stay at home and watch the event on your TV.

It is the rare case of something almost being too much of a good thing.

"You can't see it that way. That perception was there before [the stadium opened]," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "But that battleship carrier coming over that screen at you is a lot different than it is in a movie or a TV screen. Or the same picture of the Grand Canyon. Your body understands space -- that's why it's more dramatic to see it in a movie house. It's about space. You see people doing things in a movie. They are bigger than life. You feel that space.

"The screen is telling you a story. It's a part of telling you a story. That same Grand Canyon on TV is one thing. That same Grand Canyon on that screen out there on the board is a totally different deal than at home in your living room."

JerryTron is so big and so awesome that Jones and the Cowboys recruit events with the idea that people will attend primarily to watch the event on the stadium's big TV.

"We're in a new territory," said Paul Swangard, the managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon. "The only fair comparison has been... people going to an arena to watch their home team play on the road.

"Nothing I can point to can compare to this environment that Jerry has put together. He's put together a viewing experience that is so different and so unique and so compelling it's all worth the price of admission. You are selling a set of benefits at a price.

"What Jerry has done is added incremental benefits to less-than-the-best seats in the house that has raised the value again. That is a lesson learned for all the teams."

Because Jones wants his new toy to be a major revenue producer, don't be surprised if Cowboys Stadium is open for movies sometime in the near future.

JerryTron was the centerpiece of the Cowboys' pitch to land the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight. How could Arlington take away from Las Vegas what was going to be one of the biggest prize fights in history? How do 100,000 people, all likely paying at least $40, realistically watch two men bouncing around a 16-by-25 foot ring and have any prayer of actually seeing it?

TV.

"What I hope happens is you don't know what you watched the most of," said Jones, who was inspired to build this massive video board after watching Celine Dion perform in Las Vegas, during which the performer was surrounded by screens.

"[After the show] I couldn't remember if what I saw was her, behind her, the periphery or otherwise. It all blended together."

Pacquiao-Mayweather fell through. Instead, Cowboys Stadium will host Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey on March 13 with the capacity set for 40,000.

From the performer's perspective, JerryTron isn't a problem.

"It's actually an advantage because you feel like you are closed in, on top of you like a ceiling," Barnes said. "Of all the major arenas we've participated in, that's the best one in terms of how big and massive it is, yet it feels closed in.... I think it's going to be an incredible experience for the NBA to come in there and have the All-Star Game."

From the customer's perspective, JerryTron is all about perspective.

Paying $100 for an event ticket and watching the video board more than the actual performance is not an entirely new phenomenon.

As video boards across the country grew larger, and clearer, it's not totally uncommon for fans to remind themselves to look at the action and not the TV set.

What is decidedly different is promoting the experience of watching a video screen in conjunction with the live event.

"There is something uniquely communal about sporting events, and people are drawn to saying I was there at that event rather than 40 acres away from seeing those guys up close and up front," Swangard said. "I don't see it disappearing any time soon. That is a beauty of sport. It's a live experience and a lot of times it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Even if you can't remember if you saw it in front of you, or on JerryTron.

Mac Engel, 817-390-7760

Author: MAC ENGEL

Source: star-telegram.com

Q&A: Freddie Roach

Fightnews.com caught up with world class trainer Freddie Roach earlier today to discuss the Pacquiao–Mayweather fiasco, Joshua Clottey, Shane Mosley and the newest addition to Roach’s stable of champions, WBA middleweight champion Felix Sturm from Cologne, Germany. The 49-years old Roach also talks about his past as an active fighter, his motivation about being a trainer and his battle with Parkinson disease.

What can you tell us about the whole Manny Pacquiao–Floyd Mayweather, Olympic style drug testing fiasco?

The thing is I am not giving in to Mayweather. He is not running the sport, the commissions do. If you let him run the sport, it’s like giving the first two rounds away. He doesn’t make the rules, the commissions and the sanctioning bodies make the rules. They have been doing that for a long time. Who the hell is Mayweather to tell us what to do? That’s not going to happen.

What are your thoughts on Manny’s new opponent Joshua Clottey?

I have been studying him quite a bit now. He is very strong and has a good chin but he makes too many fundamental mistakes and I think Manny will be the first person to knock him out.

How far along training camp is Pacquiao right now?

He is already in good shape. The first day he came in the gym, he weighed around 147 pounds already. We have to keep the weight up and feed him five meals a day just to keep it up. He is doing great in sparring and we are studying his game plan as we watch Clottey tapes. He’s not ready to fight yet but we have about four and a half weeks till fight night and he will be ready then.

Now that Mayweather signed his contract, what do you think about his upcoming bout against Sugar Shane Mosley?

It is a very good fight. I take Mayweather by decision; I think he will outbox Mosley. But it is a competitive bout and Shane always shows up to fight. Well, I’m glad to see it happen but I am waiting to hear if Mayweather will make him take the drug tests, too. He has a history of drugs. So why would he ask us and not somebody else? It is crazy. I don’t know about this guy.

As far as I know, Mosley agreed to do the testing and they made a statement to the press that both fighters will under-go random blood tests in the weeks leading up to May 1st.

They said it, but they haven’t hired the company to do it yet. So we’ll see.

Is it something special for you to work the corner of a main event fighter in front of 40,000 fans in a football stadium?

No, it’s all the same. I don’t see the crowd; I don’t get caught up in that. It’s natural that all the people come and watch. My job is to take care of the fighter and that’s what I am concentrating on. However, Cowboys Stadium is big and beautiful and it is great to be the first one to fight there. Hopefully, we can do something like this on a regular basis. Vegas is fun, too but Texas has a good commission, it is very professional. But I don’t really care where we fight, in Germany or America or wherever.

Is Manny Pacquiao the best fighter you ever worked with?

No, but Pacquiao is the most dedicated guy I have ever worked with and also the most improved fighter from day one to now.

Who is the best fighter then?

Well, you know, I trained natural fighters like James Toney, I worked with Mike Tyson. I can’t really judge who the best fighter was, technique-wise. But as far as improvement and will-to-win, Manny is probably the best at that.

It was recently announced that you will work with WBA middleweight champion Felix Sturm. Why did you choose to train him?

Well, he is a very good fighter. When I trained Wladimir Klitschko in Germany, he was the only one who was coming to me in the gym besides Klitschko and I like him.

How good a fighter is he?

He is a great fighter. I mean, he came to America and basically beat a prime Oscar de la Hoya. He’s got all the skills in the world, I think he needs a little more offense and I am an offensive-minded guy, so I think we will work well together.

How do you want to improve him?

There isn’t really a need for improvement. We have to adjust a couple things, so he can throw more combinations and use his natural skills to their full extend.

Will you stay in Germany before his fights?

Yes, for as long as I can I will.

Isn’t that a problem with your friends, your family or with Wild Card gym?

No, I went to training camp with Manny Pacquiao a couple times already. I go into camp with world champions and special people when I have the time, so it is no problem.

What are your goals with Felix Sturm?

I want to get him back to America, have him fight the likes of Kelly Pavlik and become the undisputed middleweight champion of the world.

Will you have him spar Pacquiao or other Wild Card boxers in L.A.?

I’m sure he will come over for sparring. I get all kinds of sparring in here. We have a lot of good guys at the gym. In early training stages he might be coming to L.A. and when we get closer to the fight, we will go back to Germany. But it depends on where the fight is. I haven’t tried to get him and Pavlik together and we might not do that yet but I am sure that the fight will be in America when it happens and so he’ll train here for the whole training camp. So it’ll just be back and forth, depending on our schedules.

Tell us something about your own active boxing career.

I was more of a tough guy; I tried really hard and exchanged a lot. It worked well for when I was young but when I got older it wasn’t quite as effective. I fought world champions like Hector Camacho and Bobby Chacon. My career was good; it taught me a lot about boxing. I just found something that I am better at and that’s training fighters. Thanks to my mentor Eddie Futch and my father, they taught me this game and thanks to them I think it is why I’m successful. I was taught by very good people.

What is your motivation about being a trainer?

My motivation is improving people. If I can improve a fighter, I will do it. I probably have too many fighters right now but I have trouble saying no because I want to help anyone if I can. I know the sport very well; I’ve been doing this since I was six years old. It’s all I know, it’s all I do. I don’t have any other hobby because I don’t have time for any of them.

While everyone agrees that you are one of the best boxing trainer’s of the world, your achievements become even more stunning considering your fight with Parkinson disease. How do you keep up such great work with your fighters while suffering from such a bad illness?

The thing is I take my medication; I won’t let it get into my way. Yesterday, I did 50 rounds of mitts in a row with 14 of my fighters and twelve rounds with Pacquiao. I can do this all day long, I’m happy here. I won’t let Parkinson take any of that away and I refuse to even acknowledge it. I’m fine.

Source: fightnews.com

Mosley vs. Mayweather finally a true test

He has taken a real beating from the fans and the writers. Floyd Mayweather Jr has been the subject of many topics. These topics range from being arrogant to cherry picking his opponents in order to stack an undefeated record. When the notion that Mayweather vs. Pacquiao may happen, the fans all got excited and prayed that the fight would get done. Of course everyone knows now that the fight has proven difficult to get done, then throw in a lawsuit filed by Pacquiao against Mayweather for slander, and bam, no fight.

As a result of the fight falling through, the Floyd haters were even more angry and they pulled no punches voicing their opinions throughout the boxing forums. Mayweather's legacy took a hit, and his reputation of taking safe fights grew even worse.

It took a natural disaster in Haiti to finally get Floyd Mayweather Jr to sign a contract against an opponent who has a legitimate chance of beating him. In steps "Sugar" Shane Mosley, who was looking for an opponent after Andre Berto pulled out of the fight. Berto is from Haiti, and as we all know the earthquake hit his nation very hard.

Read more on the Mosley vs. Mayweather signing here - http://www.examiner.com/x-5699-Boxing-Examiner~y2010m2d3-Knock-me-over-with-a-feather-Heather-as-Mayweather-signs

Shane Mosley has impressive wins over Oscar De La Hoya (twice) Fernando Vargas, Ricardo Mayorga, Antonio Margarito, and Luis Collazo, no small pickings. With that said, he does have losses against the late Vernon Forrest (twice) and Wink Wright (twice) and more recently a loss to Miguel Cotto. Mosley will surely give Floyd Mayweather a very difficult test, but he can be beaten.

Mississippians that this writer had spoken to up at the Fitz Casino in Tunica were all hoping that this fight would go through. Super middleweight prospect Jonathan Nelson (13-0) and his assistant trainer both feel as if Mosley has a shot at beating Floyd, " Mosley can win, he's about the only guy in that division that can beat Floyd though." Many of the fans at the casino in Tunica also feels as if Mosley has a shot. I talked to Scott Gordon, a Mosley fan who was attending the fights last Saturday, " Mosley will give Mayweather some trouble, but I have to admit I think Floyd wins this fight. His defense will be tough for Shane to get through, he's a slick fighter. Shane has a shot, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it."

With Floyd's reputation as of late, this fight gives him a chance at some redemption. It's a true test for him, and finally he is fighting an opponent that possess' skills and power. A victory for Mosley and he will have done some damage control to his legacy. A victory for Shane, and he soars toward a showdown against Manny Pacquiao in the near future. Big stakes for both guys.

Author: Brad Cooney

Source: Examiner.com

Freddie Roach Searches for Guillermo Rigondeaux’s Offense

At the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, CA, you will find one of the most dangerous, offensive fighters in recent memory, one Manny Pacquiao. During his training camp for his upcoming bout with Joshua Clottey, Pacquiao’s training sessions are closed to the public from 1 PM to 4 PM. However, if offense isn’t your thing, then come a little earlier and you will get to see one of the sport’s true masters ply his trade. Celebrated Cuban amateur star and now burgeoning professional Guillermo “El Chacal” or “The Jackal” Rigondeaux, 4-0 (3), makes his home here and trains under the guidance of veteran trainer Freddie Roach. It’s an odd match as Roach is known as a more offense-oriented trainer while Rigondeaux loves to make opponents miss, while not necessarily always making them pay. Just speaking with both men gives one the sense that while they both agree the bantamweight Rigondeaux can do big things in the sport in a short time, how he will do that is still a point of contention.

“He is a very challenging guy,” Roach told me after a recent sparring session, as Rigondeaux prepares for a February 5 bout with Adolfo Landeros, 20-12-1 (9), televised on ESPN2. “Very clever and all that, but I need him to be more offensive. He gets kind of stuck in the Cuban style, amateur boxing, where he scores points and don’t let you score back. He is very hard to hit. Anyone coming to brawl, he will eat up. But when someone comes to box, he is going to have trouble going forward. He is working on being more offensive and it’s going slowly.”

“Naturally I had to do some adjustments because of the styles,” Rigondeaux told me of the change from amateur to pro.. “A professional compared to an amateur is a little different so I had to change somewhat with my distance and with my short punches. So yeah, I have had to make some adjustments. In the professionals, it’s more about strength and give and take. That kind of style and you have ten fights and your career can be over.”

Rigondeaux is one of the greatest amateur fighters of all times. He boasts two Olympic gold medals in two separate Olympics and countless other awards. His amateur record is 374-12. The man knows fighting. In particular, he understands the art of hit-and-not-get-hit.

Watching him in the gym on this particular day, I saw him work with three separate sparring partners; an unknown Armenian kid who was rough, tumble, and too slow to get to Rigondeaux, Gerry Penalosa, who couldn’t hit him with a bucket of water, and Bernabe Concepcion, who made Rigondeaux pick up the pace both with his feet and hands in the final rounds of the session. It’s like watching a scientist in the lab. Rigondeaux is a southpaw who understands how to make that work for him. Always shifting his feet side to side, back and forth, but never in a hurry. Relaxed and calm in what he calls “the Cuban style” of holding his lead hand down in an “L” around his waist, ala Floyd Mayweather Jr., while picking off shots with his rear hand. Nothing is rushed; each movement is used to keep his opponent off-balance and unsure, and all of it worked on this day. I got the sense he wasn’t toying with his opponents so much as tweaking and testing his own style to see what would work and what wouldn’t.

When he is at his most effective is from the outside. Jabbing one or two at a time, baiting his opponent by not throwing the left, feinting, and then flashing that powerful left while getting out of the way of return fire. I saw him do this move over and over but each time, it was a little different. He’d move left first, or right, come back to center ring and leap forward with the left or right. He’s feint both punches then slip the incoming while diagonal stepping past an opponent and turn just in time to get off a beautiful counter. This is the guy you don’t want to see in a phone booth.

“Every day in the gym, I am coming up with different ways to improve my style,” said Rigondeaux afterward. “Nothing in particular, defensive skills. Just stuff that has worked for me for a long time. I plan to do some things different, but not much. My style has worked for me up to this point. I don’t see a need to change much up in it. I know I can change up my style when I want. I can fight on the inside or the outside. I just prefer to fight on the outside because that has been effective for me. So I don’t plan on changing much on it.”

Rigondeaux does not watch tape of his opponents, instead leaving that to Roach. He prefers instead to gather intel from his trainer and then get in the ring. His opponent will tell him the rest.

“Most of my thing is to get the other guy into my rhythm, my type of style, and that is boxing. That is what I plan to do,” explained Rigondeaux. “I just need to find my rhythm. Find the other guy’s rhythm and have that work for me. After that, I can figure out what will work for me and what won’t.”

At age 29, it’s hard to say if Rigondeaux can change his style much. While he is as versatile and as skilled a fighter as I have ever witnessed in the gym, at 370+ fights, he may be set in his ways. This is the challenge that Roach faces. Plus, when you’ve only lost 12 times in your life, it’s hard for anyone to tell you what you are doing is wrong. Still, this isn’t the amateurs. In the United States, where ESPN, HBO and Showtime are respective kings in the boxing world, entertainment is key.

“It’s hard,” said Roach of his efforts to get more offense from Rigondeaux. “You fight the same way for 375 fights, it hard. He’s getting better at it but I am not sure we will get to where I want. I told him he can be like Gamboa. He beat Gamboa in the amateurs. He does have that kind of power. The problem is, once people feel that power, they start moving and running away from him. Winning is one thing, but being a TV superstar is another. It’s why you’re here. That’s why he needs to be more offensive.”

The 122-pound super bantamweight division has seen some of its stars, as of late, leave for the more lucrative featherweight division. Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuri Gamboa are just two stars who have vacated Rigondeaux’s weight class, leaving him free to pick up vacant belts and make a quick move despite his few fights as a pro. The problem is getting anyone ranked to fight him.

“I feel very comfortable at 122 and before I move up to 126, I’d rather conquer all the titles at 122. After that, I will see if I can go up to 126.” said Rigondeaux. “Mostly everybody has gone up in weight leaving titles vacant. So I feel secure in fighting anybody at this weight. I’m just waiting for the opportunity. What happens, though, is that you get guys with 20-something fights and I only have four fights, their excuse is that I don’t have enough fights. They don’t want to give me a shot. I say, ‘Why not?’ The money is there so why not give me a shot? Who cares about how many fights I have?”

Despite his pupil’s confidence in his own abilities, Roach feels Rigondeaux needs a little more time adjusting his style to the pros. Proper matchmaking at this stage is key.

“I’d put him in with Israel Vasquez today,” said Roach. “But someone who can box and move a little bit? Those styles I will hold off on for a while until I get him more comfortable coming forward.”

For now, Rigondeaux has Landeros in front of him. At 5’ 6”, Landeros gives up an inch in height but is only a year older than the Cuban. With losses to also-rans or never-wases, it’s safe to say this fight won’t go many rounds. But dangerous foe or not, Rigondeaux is the consummate pro. He doesn’t make predictions and has no preconceived notions about the fight.

“I am not putting too much thought into the fight. Meaning, I’m just focusing on winning and then getting ready for the next fight.”

Whether it’s an offensive fight or a defensive show, Rigondeaux’s considerable skills will be on display this Friday on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights.” Judge for yourself whether he needs more offense or not; one way or the other, the skills are undeniable. What he does with them remains to be seen.

“In the States,” said Roach, “it’s about entertaining people. And that’s by knocking people out. [Rigondeaux] has knockout power for a little guy. He just has to use it.”

AUthor:Gabriel Montoya

Source: maxboxing.com

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