V8: Pacquiao/Mayweather, Ward, Super-6 Tournament, and more!

Mayweather/Pacquiao at the Dome? Sweet!!!

The name 'Sugar' has spent quite a considerable amount of time around the sport of boxing. There was 'Sugar' Ray Robinson, 'Sugar' Ray Leonard, and recently, 'Sugar' Shane Mosley. As sweet as the skill level of those men were, there appears to be a new batch of sugar to be dumped on the sport that may surpass the level of any other. Oddly enough, this sugar isn't a person. It's the possibility of the biggest fight in recent years (arguably in the history of the sport) landing at the home of the famed Sugar Bowl, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Among the many other options for the fight to land at are Dallas Cowboys Stadium, in Texas, Las Vegas, and an outside shot of sunny South Florida (Miami). At the end of the day, we all have our choices of where we would like the fight to land, but to be perfectly honest, I think I can speak for the masses in saying that I'm totally elated that this fight is even happening! ANYWHERE!!! How sweet it is.......

Pacquiao Goes 3-D: DOMINANT, DETERMINED, and (filled with) DRAMA???

Ok....So it's no secret that Pacquiao is easily the most dominant fighter in the game today. And when you look at his story and how he overcame poverty for high prominence, there's no questioning his determination. What doesn't make so much sense is the question relative to how he became a magnet for drama, as recently seen in the speculative rumors surrounding he and Filipina actress Krista Ranillo. Pictures, and odd details surfaced about the fightin' Filipino, and despite recent attempts to douse the fire, the heat he has received has only grown in size. The awkward thing about Pacquiao is that he always seems to thrive in the face of this type of adversity. We don't know how this latest episode will turn out, but for the record, I can only hope that his family is as durable as he is when it comes to such strife. No question, this type of drama will test its strength.

Mayweather/Pacquiao: Half-and-Half

Freddie Roach has recently stated that he thinks a 50/50 is the only way to get a deal done for the Mayweather fight. After balking back and forth for the longest about who would take what, I don't know if either side was actually listening, but clearly, this is the most logical plan for such a mega fight. The numbers (PPV) in head-to-head competition support Mayweather, unquestionably, but this time around, he won't be able to have his cake and eat it too. It's gonna take a lot of give and take, and if Mayweather commands the lions share of the purse, no question, he won't be able to win arguments such as agreed upon weight, ring size, glove size, and so forth. There's no telling what Mayweather will ask for, but for the first time in his career he'll have to give it some serious thought because now, the playing field is as level as it could possibly get!

Roy Jones Jr.: Is This Really A 'Calm' Before The Storm?

Some has viewed Roy Jones Jr.'s showdown with Australian born Danny Green as a walk in the park, but truthfully, this fight may just be anything but. Danny Green is far more talented than some would suggest, and to put it mildly, those who said Jones feasted on a shop-worn Jeff Lacy won't be able to use that excuse this time, because Green is clearly anything but. Power in both hands, height, range, stamina; In many ways, he's a total package, and although not seen by most as a world-class competitor, there's no way to deny his heart which is. Hopkins sits firmly in the radar of Jones, but a slip-up would wipe out any odds of such a storm ever forming. Stay tuned....

Freddie Roach Speaks on Making Pacquiao the '8th Wonder' of Boxing

After the Pacquiao/Cotto showdown, I had the opportunity to chat with Freddie Roach, and after seeing Pacquiao do what many (myself included) thought he wouldn't be able to, I couldn't help but ask Roach the million dollar question about his prized pupil. My question to him...."Now that Pacquiao has defeated a welterweight for a record 7th world championship in a 7th weight division, would he (Roach) and Pacquiao attempt to do the truly unprecedented by stepping up in weight yet again, and facing a jr. middleweight at possibly a catchweight of 151 lbs?" Roach said "absolutely". There was one fighter in particular he said he would target, (whose name I won't state out of respect), but win, lose, or draw, (against Mayweather), expect to see Pacquiao attempt to outdo his own greatness, real soon!

Andre Ward: A-HEAD On All Cards

Super-Middleweight Andre Ward showed many around the world why I have felt for quite some time that aside from Floyd Mayweather jr., he's arguably the most purely talented fighter offered in the sport. Despite his great performance, his effort was left somewhat tainted by the fact that he head-butted Denmark's Mikkel Kessler numerous times. While those headbutts weren't intentional, there's no way to take them back, so in an odd way, Ward's great performance was left with a few questions that he'll have to answer, AGAIN!!! Perhaps everyone in the sport is subjected to questions, but as it relates to who the best boxer in the tournament is?, there's no question in my mind, fundamentally, Ward is A-Head on all cards!

Super-6 Tournament: Home Sweet Home...

So far, we've seen some outstanding fights as part in the Super-6 Tournament, but there's one underlying theme that makes you really wonder what's going on? That underlying theme? Well, for starters, NO MAN HAS WON ON THE ROAD, YET! Dirrell should have, but a close fight wasn't a good enough effort, as the hometown cooking was served well and appeared to be far more than enough to chew on when it all was said and done. Taylor never really stood a chance against Abraham, and Kessler failed to meet the mark as well. As we move to the second phase, we go into this tournament knowing that things could very well even out this time, but if Ward remains at home throughout (which has been widely rumored) perhaps this trend will remain as is. Sounds easy...until Arthur Abraham enters the fold! Stay tuned....

Amir Khan Aims To Shake Up The 'Roach' Stable

Brit Amir Khan has recently gone on record to say that he's open to facing stablemate Manny Pacquiao. For some, this fight is nothing short of comic relief, but one underlying factor can quickly change that equation. If there's anyone out there with an inside knowledge of how to dethrone the 'Pacman', it would be a man who's trained by the same trainer, sparred with the same person(s), and had a ringside seat to literally every sparring match that Pacquiao has been a part of in recent times. That which seems amazing to the rest of us perhaps comes as simply another day at the office for a man with immediate insight. At first glance, I'd say Khan isn't ready, but after further review, a durable enough chin would give him a helluva chance.

(Vivek Wallace can be reached at vivexemail@yahoo.com, Youtube (VIVEK1251), Twitter (VIVEK747), Facebook, and Myspace).