A Tough 'Act' For the 'Magic Man' To Follow

Malignaggi: A Tough 'Act' For the 'Magic Man' To Follow

Last Saturday night, Brooklyn's son, Paul Malignaggi faced British newcomer Amir Khan in what ultimately resulted in a fairly one-sided loss. Considering the brilliant talent Malignaggi demonstrated only a few months ago against Juan Diaz, it was a bit mystifying to see him fail to win a round decisively. In the aftermath, Malignaggi spoke on the fact that his mind frequently made request that his body didn't appear able to carry out. More and more we see a trend of young flames burning out after a string of heated fire fights.

Hatton (age 31), Cotto (29), Juan Diaz (26), and now Malignaggi (29), have all found themselves on this unlikely path in recent times. It's one thing to lose by early KO, but going the duration and failing to make a splash is a tough act to follow for a highly talented fighter. There's no coincidence why Malignaggi has considered to walk away, but what's even more intriguing is how several others continue to encounter fierce, battles yet never show wear and tear at all.....which brings us to my next point........

Pacquiao: Many Options, No Choice

Lets take another look at this growing trend of fighters fizzling out at such a young age, despite amazing talent. Seems that somewhere between 38 to 45 professional fights we're seeing more and more of a rapid decline in the body of these men? To take it a step further, when you look at men in the sport today who are in the vicinity of age 30 with more than 50 professional fights, (Marquez, Barrera, Morales, etc), almost all of them are bordering that "shell" stage of what they once were. In what most would describe as a "hurt sport", this may come as no surprise; but where the oddity arrives is that critics have recently pointed out the fact that one fighter in today's era seems to be exempt from this list, not only enjoying success beyond this point, but breaking history in the process.

With the eyes around the world of sports focused on another major PEDS scandal involving a ton of world class athletes, and the eyes around boxing once again focused on one of its stars who continues to find ways to do the impossible, one thing has become very clear......Pacquiao may have a ton of options, but it's truly reaching the point where he has only ONE CHOICE. If he wants to stop the questions from pouring in, he will undoubtedly need to fill the cup and lift his cup! Period.

Soft as 'Haye': What's Really Stoppin' David From Facing the K-Bros?

.Nearly two years ago, David Haye told the WORLD that he was gonna take the heavyweight division by storm. Once he finally crossed the line and became an official member of the division, he faced a few cupcakes, collected a strap from an aged giant who could barely swing his arms, and defeated an aged legend who stood on his last leg. With a couple names on his resume, the focus shifted to the two men who have run practically owned the division in the post-Lennox Lewis era.

After two separate and failed negotiations with both brothers, the man who usually calls people out has yet to respond after being called out publicly himself. Remember those shirts Haye had done with the severed heads of the 'K-Bros'? At this point, I'm wondering why his wasn't on one of them, because no question, he has to be practically brainless to think the world can't see what's going on. For those held back with questions, let the truth set you free. What's stopping Haye from facing the K-Bros.....two words, my people.....GENUINE FEAR!

Pacquiao/Marquez 3: A Fight That Will Never Be?

Juan Manuel Marquez has recently said that Pacquiao "doesn't want to fight him". After talking to Manny Pacquiao briefly after his showdown with Cotto, I think Marquez is right, because Pacquiao said it himself, stating that he "has nothing to prove or gain" in such a fight and "won't pursue it". We can all attempt to assess why Pacquiao felt that way, but the reality goes a bit deeper than what those thoughts may otherwise produce. Truth of the matter is that Pacquiao is now said to be comfy at 147lbs. Marquez looked far from (comfortable) in his only fight at that weight, against Floyd Mayweather jr.

Pacquiao could eat 2 meals a day instead of the 6 he reportedly has to force down his throat to make 147 and simply make the fight at 140, but according to sources close to the matter, giving up such a leverage won't happen. So this is where the true problem lies. What gives? Will Marquez agree to fight at 147 ,(if a Mayweather fight can't happen for Pacquiao), or will Pacquiao soften his position and go down to 140 to make it happen? I'm not a betting man, but my money says none of the above, because Arum plans to stick Margarito in their if all else fails, or even a rematch with Cotto at 154 if he defeats Foreman, which will give Pacquiao a shot at his 8th world title in an 8th weight class. Either way, expect option #3, Marquez, to be the odd man out. I guess the 3rd one wasn't a charm after all.

Pavlik Probing For Problems?: (Lucian Bute Is Not The Answer)!!!!

After saying no to a Martinez rematch and deciding to go north in weight, seems the two men who were shunned from the Super-6 Super-Middleweight tournament have found one another to take part in their own 'eliminator'. Technically, this isn't an eliminator, but figuratively, it is.....as another loss for Pavlik, and there won't be any division or anywhere for him to run or hide. Critics have been pretty critical of Pavlik in recent months after a string of questionable team decisions and a not-so-popular performance in his last outing. None of that will help him if he gets in the ring with a much more skilled Lucian Bute and gets schooled, yet again. Truthfully, I don't know what the core issues with Pavlik are, but whatever he's searching for, I hope he realizes that Bute is the 'problem', not the answer! This move will DEFINITELY backfire. Stay tuned.

Amir Khan: Steps of an Evolution

Amir Khan remains a remarkably intricate figure in the world of boxing. Not too long ago he was viewed as a major question mark to most, but his performance last Saturday night accomplished something his previous 20+ victories failed to do. That something? Pave the way to making him a household name in the United States of America. What you have to love about Khan is that when he took his loss to Breidis Prescott not too long ago, he took it like a man, dropped the excuses, and gained from the experience.

Last Saturday night, he faced a very salty veteran who has never loss to anyone who failed to establish themselves on a world class level, (and no, I don't count the Diaz loss as a loss). That being said, Khan has just entered his name amongst the sports elite. The operative question now is "how high will his elevator go"? Current destination....."above average".....Final destination.....Top 3 P4P supremacy. Stay tuned....

Biggest 'Little-man' Goes To......(Who's The Best Jr. Welterweight Today?)

The jr. welterweight division is arguably the deepest in the sport, and last Saturday night, that division just got a little deeper as Amir Khan officially
placed himself in alignment with the elite. When you scale the landscape, it's hard to understand why we don't have better matchups on the horizon, as there are literally 6 to 8 men would could win it all on any given night.

Maidana, Bradley, Khan, and Alexander anchor the group, while Urango, and even the likes of veteran Zab Judah round off the division. The Super-6 Super-Middleweight tourney was a great idea, but damn, wouldn't it be nice to see this same effort in the jr. welterweight class? May never happen, but surely, I can't be the only one out there wonderin' who truly is the biggest little man on the block! Hopefully we'll soon find out. Stay tuned.

What's Next For Nate (Campbell)?

On the heels of last Saturday night's loss for Florida based veteran Nate Campbell, the questions have began to come from every angle conceivable
relative to what his future holds. Many have began the chants which beckon him to hang the ole leather up for good. As much as I could understand that sentiment, the reality is that this is a decision that only Campbell can make. It's pretty funny how many continue to push men like Campbell, Hopkins, and Holyfield out of the sport, yet support the likes of Morales, Hatton, and oddly enough, even Oscar.

The bottom line is this.....as long as these men can pass the medical exams and compete at the pro level, world champions or not, it should be respected that they still have the right to provide for their family and the will to do so. Personally, I'd like to see the very articulate Nate Campbell perform the job that Lennox Lewis left vacant, but whether it's on television or in the gym, I'm a firm believer that the man is far too sharp to walk away from the sport all together. Best wishes to my man, "Galaxxy Warrior".

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