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 one of 24/7 Pacquiao/Marquez, Nonito Donaire's performance this past Saturday night, Kelly Pavlik's return, and much more. Without further ado, check out the latest observations from The Boxing Observer.
- Juan Manuel Marquez is making me believe he can compete with Manny Pacquiao. 24/7 did more in one episode to dupe the public into thinking this fight will actually be competitive than in the entire lead-up to the Mayweather vs. Ortiz fight. I'm willing to take Alex Ariza up on his offer that this fight won't go 3 rounds though. Hey Alex, how 'bout $100 right now that this fight goes into round 4? I'm game if you are.
- Nonito Donaire proved that it is impossible to look great every time out. Donaire is no question a top-10 pound-for-pound fighter, but styles make fights, and Omar Narvaez didn't come to fight; he came to survive. The only way a guy throws 299 punches in a fight and gets hoisted onto someone's shoulders afterwards is if he knocked his opponent out. Disgraceful! After the fight, Donaire continued to prove he is one of the most marketable, down-to-earth athletes in his post-fight interview with Max Kellerman. I about spit out my drink when he said he knew how Pacquiao felt when he fought Joshua Clottey. Donaire will continue to dominate as he moves up to 122 pounds, and he will breeze through everyone in that division, no question about it! By the way, where is Joshua Clottey?
- Kelly Pavlik is reportedly going to begin working with Victor Conte. In a story by Boxingscene.com's Mike Coppinger, Pavlik's manager Cameron Dunkin says Kelly will return in 2012 at a weight class to be determined. I'm not sure this is the best move for Pavlik. While it seems to be working well for Donaire, Andre Berto was tired and lackadaisical by round 4 in his fight with Jan Zaveck. A source told me personally that he ordered legal supplements from Conte before his last fight, and said the supplements were nothing more than caffeine pills that speed up your heart rate and give you a burst of energy. With Pavlik's past alcohol problems, are caffeine pills the best way to start a comeback? Caffeine and alcohol can equal dehydration.
- So did Bernard Hopkins retain his title last Saturday night or not? How in the world has the WBC already ruled that Hopkins is still the champion if the California State Athletic Commission hasn't changed the ruling of a TKO victory for Dawson? While it's likely the decision will get changed in December, how can the WBC justify Hopkins retaining his title when he technically still lost the fight. Another classy move by Jose Sulaiman. If anyone knows of a job where you can anoint yourself "Lifetime President" and make lots of money without ever getting fired, hit me up. I'm willing to listen.
- Add the UBO to the list of joke-filled, alphabet soup, meaningless championships. Case in point, Roy Jones Jr. makes his return to the ring December 10th to face journeyman Max Alexander. Jones has lost his last 3 fights, including being knocked unconscious in his last fight. Alexander, formerly on The Contender, is 0-5-1 in his last 6 fights. I don't care if it is for the UBO Inter-Continental Cruiserweight title. They shouldn't even be allowed to fight for the Sacko Trophy.
- James Kirkland shouldn't have to worry about getting screwed in Mexico vs. Alfredo Angulo. I'm pretty sure this fight won't be going the distance. It will be non-stop action from beginning to end and has the potential for Fight of the Year. I'm kind of torn though. November 5th happens to be my bachelor party and my buddies most likely won't be allowing me to see straight by 10 PM. Should I hold off on the partying until after the fight or just see what happens? I've always got DVR!
- One person who will be watching Kirkland vs. Angulo, and should be rooting for Angulo, is Floyd Mayweather. The Money Man is looking for an opponent that can bring a fan base and can actually be perceived as dangerous. The Sergio Martinez fight is not going to happen, and at 154 pounds, Alfredo Angulo is that man. Angulo and Mayweather would be HUGE in Mexico (think 80,000 people in a soccer stadium), would do enormous pay-per-view numbers, and would go all 12 rounds. If the two fighters ever met in the ring, Floyd's speed would be the difference, but the buildup would be great because Angulo has the power to knock anyone out and would never stop coming forward. This makes dollars and sense for "Money" Mayweather.
- Why wasn't the Mikey Garcia fight shown on HBO? I understand that HBO has decided to show previous week's pay-per-view fights on the next telecast, but did the world really need to see the Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson debacle again? I also didn't need to see 4 of the 11 rounds of the Antonio Demarco-Jorge Linares fight. There is this thing on the internet nowadays where people can watch videos of just about anything. It's called YOUTUBE! HBO blew a big opportunity to showcase a future star for very little money. Ken Hershman, this is your problem to fix starting in 2012.
- Watching a replay of the Demarco-Linares fight brought back memories of the late Edwin Valero. While watching Demarco make a furious comeback, I couldn't help but wonder what Valero could have been had his life not been in a tailspin. If you remember, he dominated Demarco in 2010 en route to a technical decision win and made it look easy. 27 wins, all by knockout! Imagine what could have been in a fight between Valero and Manny Pacquiao. What do you all think? Who would have won in a fight between Pacquiao and Valero?
[ Follow David Kassel on Twitter @BoxingObserver ]