Boxing scribe Greg Rowe takes his show on the road as fans from around the world ask questions about a number of topics. From Floyd Mayweather to Manny Pacquiao, check out his perspective on the biggest names and the hottest topics of the sport. This week, fans were still buzzing about Floyd Mayweather's 4th round knockout of Victor Ortiz and whether or not the mega-fight with Manny Pacquiao is just around the corner. Check it out!
G Rowe,
It's your boy B Mims.....we used to chat while I was stationed in Korea. How are you, my man? Man, it's been a long time, no hear from, my dude. I was wondering what's been going on w/ you. Every so often, I would check Btalk to see if you were still there and (gasp) Maxboxing to see if you went back. Glad to see you're at the #1 boxing site. Vivek, Danny, Ben & David are all squared away dudes. Glad you're part of the team.
Great article my man. You hit on some points that, those in the "know", already knew, but those that don't "know", should. To add on, Fighthype did a piece on Danny Garcia and how prophetic it was. He said Victor will quit and low and behold, guess who quit?
Again, glad you're added to the FH team, as this is the best boxing scribe out. They're good dudes that don't sh*t on fighters, but rather give the people the interviews, actually using all of the fighters quotes, as they say them.
Stay up, dude...
B Mims
Btw, congrats again on your kid, my dude (<----that's how long it's been, man.)
GR: Hey man, yeah, it's been a bit. I have been busy with the kid, but ya know, it's good to be back and Team Fighthype is treating me real good. Ya know what it is. We have what it is everybody else wants and when you combine that with top notch articles and coverage, ya get the #1 boxing site on the net. Yeah, that piece on Garcia was legit; he trained Victor before and for whatever reason, Vic left him, so you know he knew or knows stuff about Ortiz that very few do and I believe it was that mere fact that led him to say what he said. As far as that being what happened or not, that is up for debate. My personal opinion on that is that Ortiz was rocked; look as Cortez hit 10, Vic's arms folded under him and he went back down. They could have counted to 30, he still wouldn't have gotten up. Take a look at his eyes when they pull him up on a stool after the knockout. His eyes are glazed over and he is on queer street, so from that point, I don't think he quit. Now on the other hand, you can tell his headbutt was on purpose regardless of what he says. Now was that him looking for a way out? Maybe. I mean, he has quit before, but it also could have been out of utter frustration. You saw what Floyd was doing to him, backing him up and cracking him on the way in, and Ortiz had no answer for it. Did he quit? Maybe, but I'm not so sure he quit as much as he was out of his element against a fighter with the skill level he will never see again on the biggest stage he had ever seen. He was just happy to be there. Why else would he be smiling and telling his team, "no one lost today, I don't feel I lost one second." Uhh, yes you did. You got knocked out for making a mistake as a professional fighter that you should never make, period. Anyway, thanks for following over here to FightHype, man. Appreciate it big time.
Dude, I finally found you. You're not at BT no more?? I told my wife after the fight that Mayweather is the GREATEST fighter I've ever seen. You didn't hear Pacquiao or Sergio Martinez talking about fighting 'Money' either (or Berto). Mayweather is definitely off of the plantation!! Like you said an angry Mayweather (after 5-headbutts) is a dangerous Mayweather, the boxing World
no the WORLD saw a black man not to be 'fucked' with, now only if Obama would do the same thing.
Hopefully 'Lil' Floyd will patch things up with his dad because as sharp as he was, he was more strategic against Marquez and Mosley with his dad helping out in the gym. Pacquiao will never fight him he saw that 'meanness' come out in Mayweather and that probably scared him.
Merchant used to 'f*k' with Bernard Hopkins the same way he does Mayweather now. Merchant hates black fighters plain and simple, his 'boy' Kelly Pavlik who Merchant said would go down as the greatest middleweight champion after he beat Jermain Taylor the 2nd time has self destructed, so now he's filled with hate.
As much as they hate on Mayweather, if Pavlik or Pacquiao for that matter had "Money's" fight record they'd be calling him the "greatest of all time". Pacquiao will skirt the drug testing issue again but I think this time with as much scrutiny as Mayweather is getting for Saturday's drama the 'hating' public will want Pacquiao to concede to Mayweather's demands so he can get in the ring and put Mayweather back in his place.
Robert Jackson
GR: Yeah man, here I am. LOL. Again, I mentioned this before about the white action fighters Merchant praises and the crafty, flashy black fighters he disses. Draw your own line in the sand on this one. Yeah, it would be nice to see the Floyd's patch things up, but their relationship is their relationship and no one but them knows what it's about. I agree about the record thing too. It's called The "Mayweather double standard". Alex Ariza just came out and said no additional testing, which we know will yet again push this fight back. As my boy Ben said in an earlier mailbag, and I agree because I say it all the time, Arum is not done milking Manny. When he is, then they will be serious about making the fight with Floyd and cashing out because no matter what they say or how they act, they know what they are getting themselves into facing Floyd. This guy isn't Marquez, Hatton, Diaz, Clottey or Cotto. We know it and they know it. Period.
Good article Growe, but Merchant is a racist, plain and simple, I'll call it like it is, Merchant has had public beefs with Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones, Pernell Whitaker, George Foreman and now Floyd Mayweather, not a coincidence, just an old white racist guy who hate Black Boxers that are at the top of the sport. Just time for him to go, old Howard Cosell mentality. you never seen him have a problem with any Mexican American fights or any White fights.
He used to badger FLoyd about his fight style years ago, and told Floyd that no one wants to see it, but I've never heard him tell the Klitschko's they fight boring, he never told them that the public don't want to see them fight, which the American public don't. He's had several bad arguments with B-hop. It is what it is and I don't expect HBO to do anything about it. FLoyd is Black and the Higher up at HBO are jewish, and quiet Kept the Black/Jewish relationship has always been one of misuse, especially in any form of entertainment. Blacks have a long relationship with JEWS, and I know this History, it has been well documented, I have the facts so don't test me.
If I were FLoyd I would tell HBO I will not be interview with Larry Merchant any more. They are not going to fire him, but he should for cursing at Floyd and telling him I would kick you ass if he were 50 years younger, a paid HBO sports analysis telling a Prize fight he'd kick his ass, you kidding me and nothing will be done. If FLoyd were a white boy, it would be a totally different interview. And if it wasn't HBO definitely would not allow that type of treatment of a White pound for pound Champion. All in All good article.
Anthony Muhammad
GR: The topic of race or being a "racist" is a touchy one. I can see it either way. I mean, I agree that Larry has been dogging Floyd for years and it is absurd. He also has done the same thing to the fighters you named. Is it a coincidence that those fighters are black and he is white? Is it also a coincident that Larry has been heard in the past praising fighters like Arturo Gatti and Kelly Pavlik, who happen to be white? Maybe. It could also be the point that he likes action fighters, or as you put it, it could be a race issue. As I said, the race card is far overplayed and a VERY touchy subject. Like I said, I can see it both ways, but one thing I do agree with is that Larry NEVER gives Floyd his credit for anything. If he outboxes a guy in stunning shutout fashion, he didn't knock him out and didn't fight enough. If he knocks a guy out, it's because he was too small and wasn't on his skill level. If he does a guy for a dirty deed and for not protecting himself at all times, he "took advantage" of him and showed no sportsmanship. No matter what he does, he can't please one Larry Merchant. I mean, forget the dirty headbutt Ortiz laid on him; that isn't a big deal, so why should Ortiz be apologizing? It's a joke and one day, HBO could end up paying dear for. I know Floyd says HBO is "home", but if homelife is going to be like that and he is going to get disrespected by everyone that announces one of his PPV's, then maybe he should try and find a new home and see how much HBO likes that. Then we will see how much Larry Merchant has to say. Look at when Pacquaio went to Showtime for one fight. Someone lost their job, and I don't care how long Merchant has been doing his thing for HBO, if Floyd left or threatened to leave because of Merchant, the next fight Larry watched would be from his couch. That you can bet on.
Nice Article. Hopefully after Floyd outclasses Manny (as I believe he will), everyone will recognize that Floyd is one of the greatest ever, if not The Greatest. However, knowing how many people dislike him I have a feeling that excuses will fly from, "Pacquiau was weak from the blood testing" to "Pacquiau had been in so many wars he began to deteriorate." All in all, well written Article.
MAB II
GR: I'm with you on believing that the skill level between Floyd and Manny is HUGE, especially if there is random PED testing involved. Too many people spend so much time hating Floyd that they skip over or are blind to Manny's antics. I mean, he is the "first 8 division champion" in boxing history, right? Last I checked, there isn't a 145-pound or 150-pound title. Ya feel me?
By far this is one of the best articles i have read since Mayweathers victory. It seems people have forgotten that boxing isn't a carwash brawl nor is it a good will match-up. The biggest thing people such as Larry Merchant, Emanuel Steward, Bob Arum, Dan Rafael and a host of other so called experts need to realize is that this is 2011 not 1920-60's. No one called ALI a runner for boxing because there were few casual boxing fans then and many more true boxing fans. They fault FLOYD for not fighting like the guys W.Pep, Fazier etc...well i feel if these guys can't bring their mindset of the sweet science into the 20th century then they should be treated like the 8 track car stereos of their era and put out to pasture. I include Dan Rafael in that eventhough he isn't as old strictly because he no longer goes off his own opinion but tries to cater to the masses where as to get more views for his website. Hence stepping out of true journalistic form of getting the story.. and falling victim to media henchmen and mearly painting the picture with his words that the casual boxing fans that are in love with an individual and not the sport, wish to read.
Thanks Sincerely,
Shondre'....
GR: I agree 120% with what you said here. I have said the same things 1000 times. Guys now-a-days don't and cant fight 12-20 times a year, especially with as much time as it takes to set up a PPV card from a marketing standpoint. It is all about the money today, whereas back in the day, it was about the money and the entertainment. HBO doesn't care about this or that; they care about the $$$, nothing more. The media has its agendas, that is for sure, and the agenda of most is to tear Mayweather apart because he says he is the "greatest ever" and they are scared of that and the reality behind such a statement. It changes the whole game and everything they have thought or felt their entire lives. No one in the history of boxing has done what Mayweather has done, while remaining undefeated and making it look easy; no one. That in itself speaks volumes.
EXCELLENT article on fighthype Greg. You took the words right out of my mouth man. I think it is sick how many people discredit Floyd, ignoring the fact that this guy has been dominant for so many years. I am starting to see what Roger is talking about when he says "Most people don't know shit about boxing". Good work man.
Aaron Andrews
GR: It's Mayweather's flashy personality, his brash talking, and the fact that he calls himself the greatest ever that bothers people because, as I said, it could end up being true and most people don't want him representing the best that boxing has ever had to offer. Why else would people talk more about this guy when he isn't fighting than they do other fighters who are fighting? You can't mention Manny Pacquiao's name without attaching Floyd Mayweather to it. Simple really, yet most make it seem so hard.
Need i say more, damn g u hit da nail on da head with that one u was on point with everything u said. Kepp up the good job, now that's what I call good writing!
Tyrone Jenkins
GR: Appreciate that Tyrone. I try to tell it how it is. There are two views on Mayweather: mine, which the Mayweather haters call a nuthugger, and the Mayweather haters, who believe the guy is a no talent hack. History will side either way, but I think I know which way it will go. Remember, not too many were fond of Ali when he was doing his thing, yet after he retired, he became a god. Know why? Because love him or hate him, you missed him and if you realized it at the time or later down the road, you knew what you were seeing or what you saw was special. Same thing will apply here, trust me.
Great article sir.
Vinnie Paz
GR: Appreciate it Paz, you know that.
Questions and comments can be sent to growe@fighthype.com, and you can also follow the Rowe Show on Twitter: @Growe_fighthype