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 Pacquiao/Bradley 24/7, Carl Froch's huge win over Lucian Bute, more USADA drama, and much more. Without further ado, check out the latest observations from The Boxing Observer.
- Dissension in Team Pacquiao could be a sign that the end is near for Manny Pacquiao's reign as one of the top two fighters in the world. Freddie Roach and Alex Ariza are clearly not getting along. If the latest episode of Pacquiao/Bradley 24/7 taught us anything, it's that if your team isn't on the same page, nothing comes easy. Team Pacquiao can say that Manny has never been this focused and all the distractions are gone, but they have removed one problem and replaced it with another. Pacquiao's family problems may be gone, but trouble in training may prove to be just as vital come fight night. Ariza and Pacquiao's advisor, Michael Koncz, have never seen eye-to-eye, but the one constant was Ariza and Roach working together. That partnership seems to have run its course. Ariza works for Pacquiao, and this may very well be the last time he works with him. I'm not saying Roach is right or wrong, nor am I saying that Ariza is right or wrong. All I'm saying is that the focus is not on the fighter right now. All the B.S. that goes on behind the scenes needs to stay out of the public eye. After June 9th, everyone can say their peace, but before then, it is the job of Roach, Ariza, and Koncz to stay quiet on the issue and focus on getting the fighter ready. All the arguments need to stay behind closed doors. Ariza is doing his part at this point by not discussing the situation publicly. Roach is doing Pacquiao a disservice by escalating the situation in the public eye. Freddie Roach is a great trainer, no question about it, but I have watched his ego grow in a public forum over the last few years thanks in large part to Pacquiao's success. The least Roach could do is focus solely on the fighter who got him to the top, and allow all other distractions to wait until after fight night.
- Timothy Bradley is in straight beast mode. It's good to see a fresh face on 24/7. Seeing Mayweather, Pacquiao, Marquez, De La Hoya, Hatton, Cotto, Margarito, and Mosley over and over again was getting old. While I was not a fan of the way Victor Ortiz came across during 24/7, at least the fans got to see a new face. Bradley seems like the type of guy (and I have never heard anyone in the business say otherwise) that is very likeable and dedicated to his craft. Bradley's focus is 100% on boxing and his family. Nothing he does comes across as disingenuous. He is working so hard to beat Pacquiao. While he may not end up having enough to beat Pacquiao on fight night, it's hard to not give him a fighting chance the more and more I see of him. Ricky Hatton had a lot of people believing he could beat Floyd Mayweather during their 24/7 series, but Bradley is a different animal. His belief in himself is 100% real. Everything he says, he truly believes. As far as his opponent, I'm still not sure Pacquiao is as genuine as it is coming across on television.
- Freddie Roach has placed $1,000 bounties on the heads of both Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan. Calling Roger Goodell! Where the hell are you now, Commish? Freddie needs to have his license suspended indefinitely, both Khan and Pacquiao's sparring partners should get suspensions months at a time, and anyone distributing money should also be disciplined appropriately. We can't have violence in the sport of boxing. We must keep it wholesome. We need your expertise, Commish. Please help save us all!
- Pacquiao's entourage makes Floyd Mayweather's entourage look miniscule. Let me start this by saying I DO NOT believe everyone in either fighter's entourage serves a purpose. I'm sure some of these guys are just hang-around guys, but Mayweather's team does not seem to grow. While it does seem large, most of his people have been there for a long time and have earned Mayweather's trust. Maybe they all do serve some sort of purpose, albeit a small one. Pacquiao's entourage, on the other hand, seems to grow by the day. Talk about having a bunch of "Yes Men" in your corner. Holy Crap! When that kid, whoever the hell he was [EDITOR'S NOTE: that kid, James Dayap, is a videographer that gets video for Manny Pacquiao's official/unofficial website, MP8.ph], HBO interviewed was talking about how because Manny converted to a religious lifestyle, it made everyone else convert, it made me want to throw up. Is it really necessary for everyone to agree with you all the time? There's a term for people like the ones in Pacquiao's camp. They are called "Leeches." They are only there because they want something from you. Where were all these people when you were making your name coming up, Manny? Someone needs to grab Pac-Man by the balls and tell him to get his shit together or he will be broke as hell five years after retiring from boxing.
- Did anyone believe Carl Froch could destroy Lucian Bute the way he did? I know I sure as hell didn't. Bute seemed to be getting better and better with every performance. Froch looked old in his December performance against Andre Ward. Most, including myself, thought Froch's career was on the downswing after so many hellacious wars. Froch, however, turned back the clock and showed us all three things: he still has plenty left in the tank, Lucian Bute was, in fact, more hype than hope, and that Andre Ward is truly the class in the 168-pound division. After the beating he just took, I highly doubt Bute exercises his rematch clause. I personally hope to see a rematch between Froch and Mikkel Kessler next!
- Where does Andre Ward go now should he beat Chad Dawson in September? The fact is that Ward and Bute were headed on a collision course. Since those plans have now been derailed, who will Ward fight after Dawson. I'm not saying Dawson is a cakewalk. The light heavyweight champion has a great chance to beat Ward, but should Ward win the fight, who does he face next? If Sergio Martinez is available, the fight would most likely have to be at a catch-weight considering Martinez cannot get up to 168 pounds. Jean Pascal or Tavoris Cloud could be an option at light heavyweight. Maybe a matchup with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.? Doubtful, but it could be interesting. The pickings are certainly slim for Ward after Dawson. Please do not entertain the notion of a fight with Floyd Mayweather because that fight would be unfair for both guys in more ways than one.
- Is it time to employ Olympic-style drug testing to ALL professional fighters? The news over the past few weeks of Lamont Peterson and Andre Berto testing positive for a banned substance has hit the boxing world hard. Now comes the news of a screw-up by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in the lead-up to the Peter Quillin vs. Winky Wright fight this Saturday night. I won't go into details as you fans can just look at the FightHype website and read the interviews with both Quillin and Wright to get all the facts, but these fighters are trying so hard to prove their innocence that they are willing to agree to testing with no background knowledge. Not all fighters are taking illegal substances. The only reason this is an issue with the Quillin vs. Wright fight is paranoia. It's time for boxing to seriously consider all professional fighters undergo Olympic-style drug testing. That means, random drug tests, year-round, whether or not there is a contract signed to fight. Everyone will be on a level playing field, and it will clean up the sport. A commission should be formed and penalties will be stiff...just like in the Olympics.
- Did anyone see heavyweight prospect Deontay Wilder's fight on Saturday night? Neither did the referee. Wilder, now 22-0 with 22 knockouts, hit his opponent with a grazing right hand to the side of the head 15 seconds into the fight, sending him to the canvas. Referee, Manolo Alcocer, immediately stopped the fight for no apparent reason with Wilder's opponent, Jesse Oltmanns, still having all his wits about him. Would the fight have been over a few seconds later? Probably, but Oltmann at least deserved a chance, and Wilder needed the work. It's time for the 2008 Olympic Bronze Medalist to step up in competition. In an interview with FightHype in February, he said he was ready. I think it's time for Golden Boy Promotions to start listening. Wilder's next scheduled bout is June 23rd against journeyman Owen Beck. Beck has lost seven fights in a row dating back to 2010. I think Golden Boy needs to reconsider Wilder's options. He is a superstar in the making and has the power to knock anyone out.
- Do you want to know what is really wrong with boxing? WBA #3 rated light heavyweight contender Ryan Coyne fought Friday night in his hometown of St. Charles, Missouri in an off-television fight leading up to ESPN's Friday Night Fights. Instead, fans were treated to an opening bout of heavyweight Vincent Thompson facing crusierweight Joell Godfrey in a fight that made me want to watch the movie The Notebook for quality entertainment. Why the hell is an undefeated young light heavyweight fighter on the verge of a title shot not fighting on TV? After all, he is trained by former heavyweight champion Michael Moorer, is a fan-friendly fighter, and draws a crowd in his hometown. The biggest reason Coyne wasn't on TV, and why most haven't heard of him to this point, even after amassing a 20-0 record, is because he is promoted by Don King. The once "greatest promoter in the business" has been reduced to a club level promoter whom most others are unwilling to work with. Don King was once great. It's now time for him to hang 'em up and stop holding fighters careers' hostage.
- Each week, I feature an email from a fan on Observe and Fight. This week's email comes to us from Atif K. in London regarding Carl Froch's victory over Lucian Bute...
"Just wondering post fight due you now believe Bute was over hyped or Froch just a beast?"
I guess we know now that Bute was over-hyped. Not sure about Froch being a beast though. Definitely a great fighter, but I'd like to know what your definition of a beast is? LOL. He made Bute look average, which I didn't think he could do. One has to wonder now, how good is Andre Ward?
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