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Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao represents what is good in boxing today. Not only for his skills in the ring, but for the way he comports himself outside refusing to engage in trash talk. After a fight, he always praises his opponent in the manner of old school fighters. "Dissing"was not a word back in the day and it's not one Manny uses today.
Moreover, Pacquiao skills have increased considerably under the tutelage of Freddie Roach and he is fast closing the gap on Pretty Boy Floyd as being the best Pound for Pound fighter out there. As well, he may well be the most devastating puncher in boxing today. He has polished his jab and now includes in his impressive arsenal a sharp and crisp right hook to go with his sledgehammer left. He has incredible speed, endurance, power, solid chin......the whole package....and he enjoys doing what he does...........he is having fun and it is contagious.
A Manny Pacquiao, who is Mr. Excitement, comes along only once in a great while. Enjoy him while he is here, for he is what is good about boxing today. He is another who makes work on Friday go by faster knowing you will see him fight on Saturday.
But not everything is rosy is out there. Floyd Mayweather Jr is truly a gifted fighter, perhaps the very best. But he needs to improve his comportment. He needs to mature so fans can embrace him as they did Sugar Shane Mosley who does not engage in weeping after a fight, nor does he insult our collective intelligence by promising an early retirement. There are too many mega purses out there for him and he knows it better than anyone else. His problem seems to be one of attitude and out-of-ring demeanor.
What he need is a good Public Relations spokesperson. God knows he has few, if any, problems in the ring. Sure, if he retired now, he would end up being a slam dunk in the International Boxing Hall of Fame....but his legacy as a premature retiree would haunt him forever. His legacy needs more cement and he knows it.
One good sign is that "Pretty Boy” returned to his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan on November 22 to host his fifth annual Thanksgiving Feast giveaway. Mayweather, who supports the giveaway through his own contributions, arrived at the Madison Family Market in his childhood southside neighborhood and distributed 500 turkeys with all of the trimmings to hundreds of selected families.
That's a damm good start. Let's hope it continues because Floyd is too great a fighter to engage in foolishness that can only tarnish rather than enhance his persona. Like a football player who hands the football to the referee after scoring a touchdown rather than doing a celebratory somersault, Floyd needs to realize that investing in a little humility might have a disproportionately positive payback.
Which brings us to the ugly. WBO belt holder Brooklyn's Shannon Briggs, sat ringside as IBF champ Wladimir Klitschko iced Calvin Brock on November 11, 2006 at Madison Square Garden. This is what he told boxing writer Ant Evans about Brock's effort: [details]
Moreover, Pacquiao skills have increased considerably under the tutelage of Freddie Roach and he is fast closing the gap on Pretty Boy Floyd as being the best Pound for Pound fighter out there. As well, he may well be the most devastating puncher in boxing today. He has polished his jab and now includes in his impressive arsenal a sharp and crisp right hook to go with his sledgehammer left. He has incredible speed, endurance, power, solid chin......the whole package....and he enjoys doing what he does...........he is having fun and it is contagious.
A Manny Pacquiao, who is Mr. Excitement, comes along only once in a great while. Enjoy him while he is here, for he is what is good about boxing today. He is another who makes work on Friday go by faster knowing you will see him fight on Saturday.
But not everything is rosy is out there. Floyd Mayweather Jr is truly a gifted fighter, perhaps the very best. But he needs to improve his comportment. He needs to mature so fans can embrace him as they did Sugar Shane Mosley who does not engage in weeping after a fight, nor does he insult our collective intelligence by promising an early retirement. There are too many mega purses out there for him and he knows it better than anyone else. His problem seems to be one of attitude and out-of-ring demeanor.
What he need is a good Public Relations spokesperson. God knows he has few, if any, problems in the ring. Sure, if he retired now, he would end up being a slam dunk in the International Boxing Hall of Fame....but his legacy as a premature retiree would haunt him forever. His legacy needs more cement and he knows it.
One good sign is that "Pretty Boy” returned to his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan on November 22 to host his fifth annual Thanksgiving Feast giveaway. Mayweather, who supports the giveaway through his own contributions, arrived at the Madison Family Market in his childhood southside neighborhood and distributed 500 turkeys with all of the trimmings to hundreds of selected families.
That's a damm good start. Let's hope it continues because Floyd is too great a fighter to engage in foolishness that can only tarnish rather than enhance his persona. Like a football player who hands the football to the referee after scoring a touchdown rather than doing a celebratory somersault, Floyd needs to realize that investing in a little humility might have a disproportionately positive payback.
Which brings us to the ugly. WBO belt holder Brooklyn's Shannon Briggs, sat ringside as IBF champ Wladimir Klitschko iced Calvin Brock on November 11, 2006 at Madison Square Garden. This is what he told boxing writer Ant Evans about Brock's effort: [details]
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