The Neutral Corner: Manny Pacquiao – Antonio Margarito & More
By Jeff Stoyanoff
Congressman Pacquiao needs spin
It seems clear that there has been a visceral reaction on the part of the fans to Manny Pacquiao’s decision to fight Antonio Margarito in November. Clearly, there is the requisite anger and disappointment that a Mayweather fight fell through once again, but the displeasure is more pointed and focused than had been the case previously. Obviously, Margarito is a known cheater and the fact that he has been allowed to return to boxing is embarrassing for anyone who would try to defend the sport. Furthermore, the fact that he is now being rewarded with an economic boom in the form of a match up with Pacquiao is repugnant. Yet, that merely provides the context for the transgression; it doesn’t really get at just why this is particularly upsetting for the fans. After all, boxing is a greedy and unscrupulous endeavor. One doesn’t have to wait long for someone associated with boxing to do something underhanded, or even criminal. The sport has endured more black eyes outside the ring than in it has in the ring in a history so dark that it could most charitably be described as, colorful. In fact, a story like this quite often would have been considered as simply business as usual and thus should have barely even been noticed by the fans, but this is Pacquiao; he has moved beyond boxing. And, perhaps therein lies the explanation for the ire of the fans.
Manny Pacquiao is a politician now and his success in that arena seems to have come from a combination of staggering public adulation and a promise that he might just be a unifying force who could rise above the pitfalls of politics and really help the people who need it the most. One does not need to be an expert in politics to recognize a timeless quality to that message. It has been offered by many people for as long as governments have existed. Yet, in the case of Pacquiao, people were ready and willing to believe. However, it would appear in this situation that Pacquiao was approached by a powerful broker and friend who presented him with an option for both of them to make money by doing something that would no doubt be seen as fundamentally wrong and therefore decidedly unpopular with the public at large. Hmm, I wonder if he will ever be presented with that situation again in the world of politics? Unfortunately, in this case Pacquiao chose to look the other way, take the money, and let business progress as usual. If this particular decision were seen in political terms, it would be hard to argue that Pacquiao did not cough up the ball in his first decision after entering the world of politics.
Manny Pacquiao is free to fight whomever he wants. After all, it was not his decision to reinstate Margarito, nor was it his decision as to how he would be punished. But, it would be naïve to think that Pacquiao is just a fighter now. Whether he likes it or not, Pacquiao is a political figure now, and all of his decisions take on a whole new level of meaning. Tacit or not, Pacquiao has made a statement that he will rise above the kinds of corruption that plague politics and people are going to assume that that attitude should carry over to the equally seedy world of boxing. His decision to reward a known cheater in Margarito to line the pockets of both himself and his cronies was perhaps his first political blunder. The plain truth is people forgive fighters for their mistakes much quicker than they forgive politicians for theirs. Manny Pacquiao lives in the political arena now. He may find the new ring even tougher than the one he is leaving behind.
Merchant gets in Dawson‘s face; Now will Dawson get in Pascal‘s?
Larry Merchant certainly takes his share of abuse on most Boxing forums and websites. Perhaps he brings it on himself to a certain degree with his crusty demeanor and slight twinge of arrogance that leaves little doubt that, no matter what any fan might think, Larry Merchant is pretty pleased with Larry Merchant. But perhaps that is as it should be, Larry Merchant is a tremendously accomplished and talented journalist and that was on display once again after the Dawson Pascal bout. The fact is, it was easily arguable that Chad Dawson let this fight slip away by simply refusing to take chances and engage Pascal. It seemed as if Dawson simply wanted to avoid taking any shots first and foremost and then simply hoped (and certainly thought) he would prevail through careful boxing. Clearly, the plan failed and Dawson lost what was an imminently winnable fight. After the fight, Dawson appeared to be in no mood to answer for his lackluster performance and flawed game plan in his interview with Merchant.
With many reporters, he may not have had to, but Larry Merchant is no sycophant. As a fan, I was once again pleased and impressed that Merchant was willing to challenge Dawson and make him address the tough questions. Specifically, did he feel that losing this fight could and perhaps should be considered to be his fault above anyone else? It was a fair question and one that needed to be answered. Luckily, a seasoned journalist was there to ask it, and keep asking it until he got an answer. Incidentally, Dawson seemed to become more and more frustrated with the questions which seems like a pretty good indication that there was some validity to the point in the first place.
As for Dawson, this becomes an interesting point in his career. Not simply because he lost, but the manner in which it went down. Dawson could have gone after Pascal. Indeed, when the fight was stopped, it looked like a slightly desperate Dawson was finally doing just that. At that point, we all realized that he was the stronger puncher all along and that when he backed up Pascal there seemed to be nothing much coming back making it a decidedly easier fight as well. The whole dynamic made Dawson’s unwillingness to engage in the previous rounds seem like an even more egregious error. The 11th round made it clear to anyone watching just how much Dawson had been undone by his own foibles in the ring; his safety first approach had finally caught up to him on this night.
It seems likely that Dawson will exercise a rematch clause and take another shot at Pascal. The simple fact is, if Dawson is unwilling to come in and engage Pascal in more exchanges in a second fight then it is simply not in him and we all can let go of the notion that he is going to be a special fighter. Dawson is talented and, win or lose, he will find a place as one of the exceptional fighters of his era. But, he has a way of leaving questions as to just how good he can be. How he responds now that adversity has finally come in his career will be most telling.
Roy Jones JR. came out for his rematch with Montell Griffin as a completely different fighter. He actively stalked Griffin, actually walked through a couple of clean counters and unloaded a tremendous shot that ended the fight in the first round. Jones was clearly so angered by his performance (and the bizarre ending) in the first fight that he was determined to leave absolutely no doubt the second time around. Much like Dawson, Jones was accurately thought of as somewhat of a safety first fighter. His skill set was so remarkable that fans could overlook it as very few other fighters could be as fun to watch as Jones, safety first or not. But, that night, Jones eschewed that approach and went after the man who had embarrassed him previously in Griffin and the results were both impressive and memorable, if not transcendent.
Dawson doesn’t have to deliver that kind of spectacular performance, but how he looks that night will ultimately answer the questions we have had about him almost from the start. Will Dawson be humiliated by his performance against Pascal and respond by rectifying the mistakes and demonstrating that there is a sizable gulf that exists between himself and the crop of other talented light heavyweights out there? Or, is Chad Dawson simply another gifted fighter with a flaw or two that are so deeply ingrained that he simply is what he is. If the rematch with Pascal can’t unlock the beast in Chad Dawson then it is simply not there. Right now, to my eyes, Chad Dawson seems eerily reminiscent of former three time champion Michael Nunn, 58-4, 37 KO‘s. Like Nunn, Dawson’s combination of length, speed, and skills have placed him where he belongs; part of a short list of great fighters in his era. But, what makes this comparison to me is that the similarities in style are matched almost equally by their similarities in stature. Nunn was a tremendous fighter, but not transcendent; remembered with the greats of his time, not above them. Is that how Dawson is destined to be remembered? How much distance is there between him and other top fighters; such as Jean Pascal? That is precisely what a Dawson Pascal rematch will be all about….
Shane Mosley-Sergio Mora; another great night hidden from the fans
I have been writing a lot lately about what is killing boxing for the fans. This is what happens when a startlingly low percentage of the top fighters are not in action and the entire sport seems to grind to a collective halt. One fight that is coming up is the September 18th tilt between Shane Mosley, 46-6, 39 KO’s, and Sergio Mora, 22-1-1, 6 KO’s. Yet, somehow even that fight left me thinking about how boxing is slipping away from the fans. For weeks now I have had this persistent feeling that thirty years ago the Shane Mosley-Sergio Mora fight would have taken place on a Saturday afternoon on network TV perhaps it would come right after a nice early season College Football match up of two ranked and highly touted teams. For those who can recall such a time, doesn’t it all seem to fit? Mosley as a big name still hoping to be in the mix, but on the outside for the moment after his one sided loss to one of the top players in Floyd Mayweather Jr.. And, Sergio Mora, a talented and hungry opponent who has clearly shown that he can hang with top level opponents when given the chance. Both guys are tough and the fight is almost certain to go rounds so the viewers would hang around. And, the storylines are there. Is Mosley truly finished? Does he have one more great performance left? Is Mora potentially a star in boxing? He does have a win over the late Vernon Forrest. On top of that, his only loss is to Forrest in their rematch. That is as forgivable a loss as a fighter can have. This fight is actually a natural and the varying storylines would have made it a wonderful shared experience for a huge number of boxing fans; the kind of widely viewed spectacle that could energize the entire sport. But, that has all changed. Relatively few fans are going to see the fight because it is a pay per view affair. I am all for fighters making money, but the money comes at a price.
As familiar is the refrain is that boxing is attracting no new fans, there is another dynamic that is just as real and perhaps even more threatening, if that’s possible. Boxing is losing many of its current fans as well and this fight underscores how that is happening. Just as casual fans need to see the sport to learn just how fun it can be to watch so do current fans need to see the sport to remember why they like it in the first place. This fight should actually be pretty good. Mora can fight and his size and boxing ability should give Mosley some problems. In fact, Mora bares an eerie similarity to two men who have dealt Mosley four of his six losses in Winky Wright and the aforementioned Vernon Forrest. Again, perhaps Mosley would deliver a spectacular performance against a game guy and we would be reminded of how special he is and look forward to seeing him again. Or, perhaps Mora would put on a show and we would be introduced to a new star while simultaneously saying good bye to a heroic fighter whose time had finally come; a moment experienced by countless fighters and witnessed by multitudes of fans for decades. The point is, we would all see it and in so doing, the story of boxing would continue to be told to its fans. But, not this time.
Mosley and Mora will probably make more money this way and that’s not the worst thing, but the money has forced boxing into a niche. The story of boxing is not being told to mass audiences anymore. Thus, the fans are not only not arriving anymore, they are leaving. In the end, without the shared experience for the fans, the fighters themselves become all but anonymous to all but the most rabid fans. In the end, all that is left is the ever shrinking pool of money that pay per view can extract from a similarly shrinking pool of fans. And if boxing fails to remind those fans why they should watch, then even that money will go away eventually. When it does, boxing might truly be finished. If that happens, the sad demise of boxing will have an appropriately ironic epitaph. Boxing: A victim of its own success.