It's Monday. Welcome back for another edition of Observe and Fight, The Boxing Observer's compilation of observations and random thoughts from the week that was in boxing. Get caught up on some of the most recent events you may have missed out on, including episode 3 of Mayweather/Cotto 24/7, the new light heavyweight king, a new welterweight champion, and much more. Without further ado, check out the latest observations from The Boxing Observer.
- Floyd Mayweather finally made 24/7 watchable after 2 weeks of monotony. Finally, Floyd began talking a little shit about Cotto! Believe it or not, whether he respects Cotto or not, that little bit of trash talk made all the difference in the world. Cotto surely isn't going to carry this promotion. When Mayweather began talking trash about Cotto and Bryan Perez sleeping in the same bed, and included 50 Cent in on the act, fans finally got to see some real flash from Mayweather. Then, after he dropped the Willie Beamen reference from Any Given Sunday, I instantly became a fan once again of 24/7. It was also genius of Mayweather to offer Cotto some money and pay for a rental place this week to keep him comfortable up through May 4th. None of that will change the outcome of the fight, but at least the promotion leading up to May 5th became interesting.
- Miguel Cotto has no chance in this fight. That's all I really have to say about it. If I'm wrong, I will make a T-shirt with Roger Mayweather's face on it that says, "I don't know shit about shit!" Don't put your money on Cotto. It's a waste.
- You should, however, put your money on Shane Mosley. Mosley is an almost 6-to-1 underdog against Canelo Alvarez, and for someone who hasn't proven himself against top-notch competition, the betting lines are heavily favored toward Canelo. Do I think Mosley will win? I don't know, but is it worth betting on a 6-to-1 underdog? I think so. Alvarez has a suspect chin, at best, and Mosley not draining himself to make 147 pounds for this fight (it's for the WBC 154-pound title) gives him a bit of an edge. I still think Mosley is faster than Alvarez, and if he can land the same shot he landed on the much quicker Mayweather, it could be lights out for Canelo. Do not, however, bet your money that Shane will win by decision. It's knockout or nothing for Mosley because if it goes to the scorecards, Canelo will win. Guaranteed!
- Chad Dawson definitively won the light heavyweight championship Saturday night against Bernard Hopkins. Hopkins may have been complaining about the outcome, and Dawson didn't look spectacular, but "Bad" Chad did what he needed to do and showed some maturity in the process. Hopkins used every dirty tactic in the book, including headbutting, holding and hitting, and the occasional low blow. Dawson began to get frustrated, but trainer John Scully earned his paycheck by keeping himcalm and reminding him to stick to the game plan. Chad was about as tactful as he could have been considering the disdain he and Hopkins have for one another. As for Bernard crying robbery by claiming, "What did he do to win that fight," the true question should be, "Bernard, what did you do to keep your title?"
- Andre Ward may have found his next opponent, other than Lucian Bute. Fans were wondering, before Saturday night, who the winner of Hopkins vs. Dawson would face next? Hopkins and Ward both referenced they had no interest facing each other, but nobody thought about the prospect of Chad Dawson vs. Ward. With Ward hoping to face Lucian Bute, but that fight not happening in the next few months, Dawson stepped up to the plate to challenge the super middleweight king. Dawson even stated he would come down to 168 pounds to face Ward if need be. Dawson would be the perfect opponent for Ward because he is a southpaw, whom I believe Ward would control, and it would be perfect preparation for the southpaw Bute. Dawson may finally get the big payday he has wanted for some time, and should he beat Ward, could get a mega-fight with Bute in Europe, Canada, or even Atlantic City.
- As far as Bernard Hopkins, he may have to go overseas for his next fight. After his performance against Dawson, one in which his age showed like never before, Hopkins is going to have a difficult time finding an opponent willing to get in the ring with him because there will be nothing to gain for that opponent. Hopkins stated his desire to possibly face Lucian Bute, but with Bute's calendar seemingly full for the next year-plus, that seems unlikely. Nathan Cleverly may be the most viable option in Europe if Hopkins chooses to fight on.
- "There will surely still be some skeptics given his complete absence of experience, but the learning curve appears more or less terrific at this point." Those were the words uttered by HBO boxing commentator Jim Lampley just before Seth Mitchell's post-fight interview with Max Kellerman following Mitchell's 3rd round TKO victory over Chazz Witherspoon Saturday night. Yes, Seth Mitchell was hurt, and yes, Seth Mitchell was exposed, but how many times has a fighter working his way up the ranks faced some adversity and folded under the pressure? Mitchell may not have the skill set yet to face the Klitschko brothers, but he has one thing that a lot of fighters prove to lack: heart! I will be the first to admit it, I thought Mitchell wouldn't survive the first round after he was rocked. The way Mitchell came back though showed he may just have what it takes to take the heavyweight division by storm. In the post-fight interview with Kellerman, Mitchell showed more maturity than most would admit by saying if he was hurt bad enough, he isn't "too macho" to take a knee. Boxing fans, that is the sign of a smart fighter willing to continue learning. Golden Boy is exploring the possibility of Mitchell facing 6'7" former title challenger Michael Grant in his next fight, but I have a better idea. Contender Chris Arreola's trainer Henry Ramirez posted on his official Facebook page, "Good win For Seth Mitchell But Please Arreola Will Destroy Him!!" Well, let's find out. Arreola is trying to earn himself another title shot, this time against Wladimir Klitschko, and Mitchell is working his way up the ladder. Why not have an American heavyweight super-fight with the winner getting a shot at Wladimir? It would certainly bring some luster back to the American heavyweight scene and it would be a fight that would certainly end in a spectacular knockout. Let's make it happen!
- Speaking of Jim Lampley, I have no idea what his new show on HBO, "The Fight Game", is going to be all about, but the suspense of not knowing what to expect is actually quite exciting. I'll certainly be tuning in at midnight (ET) on May 12th. Word to the wise at HBO, keep the premise of the show a secret. It keeps fans interested. I'm convinced that the show will not disappoint either way.
- The Twitter King is still a king of the ring! In case you missed it on Sunday, Paulie Malignaggi kept his youth alive by going to the Ukraine, completely dominating hometown world champion Vyacheslav Senchenko, and taking the WBA welterweight title back to Brooklyn. Malignaggi came in with a perfect game plan and used his jab to completely close the left eye of Senchenko. Malignaggi may already have his next fight lined up. He and former junior welterweight champion Devon Alexander have had some choice words for one another over the past year, and Alexander has a date to headline a Showtime fight card on August 18th. Whether this fight takes place in St. Louis or New York, after Malignaggi's performance Sunday and Alexander's dominating win over Marcos Maidana in February, the arena should be packed full and viewers should be given a good show as their styles mesh very well. Asked after the fight if Alexander wants a shot at Malignaggi next, Alexander's trainer Kevin Cunningham responded simply by saying, "Paulie looked great, and now it's time for a date with Alexander The Great".
- Kudos to Golden Boy Promotions for keeping the legendary Bert Sugar's legacy alive. In case you missed it, Golden Boy kept a chair open on media row Saturday night with Sugar's name on it. Classy move! We need more class in boxing.
- Each week, I feature an email from a fan on Observe and Fight. This week's email comes to us from Anthony H. regarding my comment that Erislandy Lara is the best 154-pound fighter outside of Miguel Cotto...
"I'm sorry. I would have to disagree with you about Lara, yes he looked fantastic against Hearns, but we are not talking about Tommy Hearns though...I definitely can't agree with the one punch power KO yes he knocked the socks off Hearns, but if we go back to the Williams fight how many flush clean over hand left hands did Lara land on Williams? You ask me, way to much to lose the fight against Williams, but not once did it seem to hurt Williams or deter Williams from getting hit with the same left hand over and over and over again. I would love to see Lara fight Austin Trout, and I love to see Alvarez fight Cotto next regardless who wins or loses...I just think if they fought it would instantly become a fight of the year contender whatever year they fight."
I look at the 154-pound division and it's so wide open. Canelo, to me, is close to losing at some point. Remember, this is the same Canelo who was knocked down and almost out by Jose Miguel Cotto, and was in trouble against Alfonso Gomez. Lara, to me, got a gift against Molina, but I believe he is the most complete fighter in the division, outside of Cotto or if Sergio Martinez goes down to 54. Remember one thing about P-Will, even though Martinez KO'd him cold, Williams can still take a punch. That punch would've knocked any fighter on the planet out. It was a once in a lifetime shot. Lara does have the skills to beat anyone in the division because speed kills my man. Alvarez vs. Cotto is a great fight by the way. I would love to see that in Mexico.
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