He's The Manny

Photos: Chris Farina - Top Rank 
 

Next Saturday night, super featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao will step into the ring as the headliner for the first time in a pay per view event. As he enters the squared circle, he will also bring another distinction with him: the best pound for pound fighter in the world. With this statement, I can already hear shouts from those rabid fight fans out there, “hey dummy, Floyd Mayweather is pound for pound the best.” Maybe it boils down to how you define the word “best.”

I am a Floyd Mayweather fan, have been so since I met him at a media lunch in Beverly Hills before his destruction of Arturo Gatti in June of 2005. While many think of the Pretty Boy as an arrogant, mean guy, the Floyd I spoke with was a supremely confident athlete that was on the top of his game. The brashness, the cockiness, I dismiss it as an attitude that is needed when you step into the ring to go to war and Mayweather’s systematic dismantling of Gatti inside of six rounds on Arturo’s home turf of Atlantic City made me a fan since that night.

But pound for pound best? Maybe second best and here’s why.

Carlos Baldomir. Zab Judah. Sharmba Mitchell. Henry Bruseles. DeMarcus Corley. Phillip N’Dou. Including Gatti, that’s less than a star studded lineup Floyd has faced over his last seven fights; not exactly Trindad, Chavez, Hatton, etc. When I was backstage for the Marquez-Barrera fight in Vegas last month, I asked around the media room which of Floyd’s 37 victories was his “defining” one. Most media types struggled for an answer initially, but the consensus was that first fight against Jose Luis Castillo was the one.

That’s five years ago, folks.

Yes, Floyd Mayweather is a superior, skilled athlete; definitely a Hall of Famer whenever he hangs up his gloves (probably sooner than later, maybe after the big payday against Oscar de la Hoya next month) but to be the best, don’t you have to face the best? It’s common knowledge that after every victory Mayweather is handed a list of potential opponents for his next match. It’s also known that at the top of the list every time is the WBO welterweight champion Antonio Margarito. And finally, it’s known that he crosses that name out first every time. He hasn’t found the time to make a match with Ricky Hatton or Shane Mosley, either. The reasons those big name fights haven’t been made is primarily twofold. Mayweather has been a promotional free agent for a while, he signs one off deals with promoters and while that gives him leverage, it inhibits his ability to build a strategy outside of the ring. The lack of a consistent promotional effort behind Floyd has created a significant dilemma for him.

Floyd Mayweather doesn’t sell tickets. But he really doesn’t care, he’s got his big house in Vegas and the Bentley and the Benz in the driveway. You probably wouldn’t care, either.

If you think this great champion is a great draw, just ask Dan Goossen, who lost a bundle of green promoting the Mayweather-Baldomir match at Mandalay Bay last November. He’s fought in places like Grand Rapids (albeit his home town), Portland and FRESNO. Could you ever imagine De la Hoya fighting in Fresno? That’s a rhetorical question. So the lack of a strong promotional relationship has left Mayweather without a fan base; a pesky little thing that promoters like to see. The May 5 mega-fight against De la Hoya is the first fight of that stature that Floyd’s ever been in. The primary reason that tickets are going for two grand a pop isn’t that the Mayweather fans that are pushing prices that high. Oscar’s stood in that spotlight before and that’s his primary advantage going into the fight, no one knows how the pressure of such match will affect Floyd because he’s never been in a match that even the most casual of boxing fan has a great interest in.

Conversely, Manny Pacquiao has grown in stature since he crushed Marco Antonio Barrera at the Alamodome back in November 2003. He returns to the scene of the crime three and a half years later, far more wealthy, famous and skilled than the first time. He’s faced legendary Mexican warrior Erik Morales three times, Juan Manuel Marquez and Oscar Larios since dismantling Barrera (and you don’t really hear Barrera begging for a rematch.) The trilogy against Morales defines his ascension to the top spot in the sport. In the first match, Manny got cut over the eye and Morales was the smarter, savvier fighter that night. In the rematch, Pacquiao and Freddie Roach forged a strategy that worked to perfection, Morales was floored and stopped for the first time in his career. In the rubber match, Manny could smell blood from the opening bell and beat Morales into submission, resulting in a third round knockout that should have been Morales’ last fight.

Pacquiao’s style is far more crowd pleasing than Mayweather; Floyd is a superior defensive fighter, his foot speed is among the quickest ever seen. Unfortunately, that style doesn’t make for exciting fights, slower footed opponents like Baldomir have tried to catch up with Floyd but you can’t hit what you can’t catch. The De la Hoya match promises more of the same, a bigger, slower opponent (Mayweather is underweight, only at 152 pounds this week for a 154 limit) trying to pursue and corner a target that won’t allow it; while Floyd’s last KO was against the legendary Justin Juuko almost seven years ago.  To compare the two, Mayweather is the artist, the surgeon while Pacquiao is the bull, the sledgehammer and there is no dispute which style makes more exciting fights and puts butts in seats. Manny doesn’t know the definition of the word defense, well maybe he does but it’s not included in his in-ring persona or arsenal. And that makes for exciting matches, win, lose or controversial draw. So even though he lost the first time against Morales and drew against Marquez, the quality of his opponents and his willingness to fight anyone makes him the best.

That’s why they got over 18,000 at the Thomas and Mack arena in Las Vegas for Pacquiao-Morales III and that’s why they expect a big number for the Alamodome Saturday night. He’s now a bigger money maker than Mayweather and that’s why De la Hoya’s Golden Boy went to court to try to wrest the promotional rights to Pacquiao away from Top Rank. You don’t see any lawsuits over Floyd’s promo rights, do you? Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who’s promoted Pacquiao’s last few fights, understands the value of a large gate and not just PPV dollars; he’s played up to the fervor that surrounds Pacquiao in his homeland of the Philippines. Smartly, Arum has found a Mexican opponent for him every time, exploiting the passionate Mexican fans as well. While those matchups don’t register a blip on the American sports horizon, these fans’ money spends just as well and Arum doesn’t care.
 

Are there distractions that could bring Pacquiao down? There are plenty; his fame in the Philippines is great and he says his ready to run for political office (who’s managing HIS non-boxing career?) to help the poor. It’s probably smarter to start a charitable organization with his popularity than to hobnob with liars and thieves but Manny doesn’t blink when discussing a dual career, “ it's a decision from my heart to help the poor people. I'll still continue my boxing career. Boxing is my job and that's my sport. I'm confident that I can manage both. I can do many things at one time.”   The intense adoration of his fans makes the expectations of him massive and that can wear on the psyche of an athlete, one could only imagine carrying the hopes of an entire country on your shoulders entering the ring.

Saturday night, Jorge Solis will have the task of stopping the Manny freight train. They say he’s tall, they say he’s undefeated (32-0-2) and they say he’s dangerous but what would you expect from Arum, to say the guy’s a scrub? Anyone that enters the ring with 10 ounce gloves on is dangerous, as for undefeated, the most recognizable name on Solis’ dance card is super featherweight Humberto Soto. And those REALLY smart guys, the ones that makes the betting lines have Pacquiao at -850, enough said.

The anonymity of Soto tells you that Pacquiao has graduated to the level of boxing superstar; defined these days as the ability to headline a pay per view event without a recognizable opponent. Assuming that Soto is dispatched in the Lone Star State, it sets up Pacquiao for a big money rematch with either Barrera or Marquez. Given the fact that the Barrera-Marquez match could only draw 8,000 to Mandalay Bay last month, both those Mexican greats need Manny to pack the house and make it a big fight and either match stands to be another classic.