V8: Mayweather/Pacquiao, Bradley, Williams, Pavlik, and more!

December 9th, 2009
Vivek Wallace

Mayweather/Pacquiao: Once In A Lifetime Event...

The mere thought of this showdown is absolutely incredible! Over the course of time, history has always found a way of separating legends and keeping us fans speculating on who was actually better. What would have happened if Jordan played in Kobe's era? What would have happened if Ali fought in Tyson's era? Well, for once, history finally got it right! Fight fans now sit on the cusp of a showdown featuring two men with legendary skills which transcend any era of the sport. 'Undefeated' meets 'Undisputed'. 2 Legends, 1 Night, No excuses! Can it get any bigger ladies and gents?

Peterson/Bradley: "O"- No......(One Must Go)

This weekend we get a chance to see who's really for real here. Bradley has shown great promise, while Peterson has shown a good skill level as well. Both men being undefeated sets a certain tone here, but as we know, somebody won't leave the ring that way. Oddly enough, although Bradley has the better resume, I actually think that Peterson's skill level will do something to him that no man has so far. Beat him. We saw what a good skill level could do to him once, only then, it was applied by a man who wasn't conditioned enough to complete the job (Kendall Holt). Peterson is clearly of a different breed, and if he finds a way to slow Bradley early by mounting an offensive attack, it could be a cold night for 'Desert Storm'. Should be interesting.

Williams/Martinez: What Next?....

What a fight?!? Both men showed us all precisely why they've remained so highly avoided by the masses. The great thing here is that both men raised their stocks a few extra notches. Ideally, a rematch would be great to see, particularly in light of the ridiculous scorecard that had Williams nearly pitching a shut out, but if all else fails, I would love to see a certain Pamona, California native (Yeah, you, Shane Mosley) face either man. Mosley's style and power boxing would make him a helluva fight with either man, but in reality, Mosley already has a dance to attend. If he doesn't get buzzed before the after party (against Berto) then who knows? He very well may be an option. Stay tuned.

Roy Jones jr: Do the right thing....

Life has a way of showing each of us that all good things must come to an end. In one of its more recent examples, it presented us one of its rare not-so-beautiful sunsets, as darkness was quickly cast on the career of perhaps one of (if not thee) most gifted fighter of his era. What a difference a few decades make? Despite the relative hand speed, and the passion to succeed, physically, Roy Jones jr. just showed us precisely how delicate the human body really is. Fragile to say the least. A showdown with Bernard Hopkins was looking good, and according to some sources, headed to the undercard of the Mayweather/Pacquiao mega fight. Would've been nice, but after suffering another humbling loss, I'm afraid I'm not interested. Never in the past would I look away from ring that hosted the likes of Jones, but right about now, the time has come. There's nothing to prove, and very little to gain. I just hope my man realizes this. We love you roy, but please....Do the right thing!

Paul Malignaggi: Not This Time.....

When you talk about the best skills fighters in the sport today, there's one name that rarely comes up. For some odd reason, Paul Malignaggi never has been able to command the respect he deserves, but come Saturday night, that could all change. Malignaggi will finally get a crack at a man many of us feels he already beat. They say the third time is the charm, but in this case, it won't take 3 cracks to get "it" back. At least not if Paulie can help it. Should be a great fight, but I do see a different result. You can see too, by tuning in Saturday night. Check it out!

Amir 'King' Kahn: Is He Ready For The Throne?

Seems like not too long ago, many of us were questioning the heart of Amir Khan after his humbling loss to Bredis Prescott. The irony here is that since that defeat, the two men have gone in completely different directions. While Prescott is still trying to find his skills on the deck, Khan has suddenly emerged as one of the best jr. welterweights in the world. In a division that consist of the likes of Bradley, Peterson, Marquez, and company, there are many questions left to be answered. That being said, the one answer that left no questions was the addition of cornerman Freddie Roach, who has proven once again how effective he really is. Is Kahn ready? With Roach, I'd have to say yes!

Vitali and the 'Kingpin'

This weekend, the heavyweight king will meet the heavyweight 'kingpin', when Vitali Klitschko squares off against Kevin Johnson. at first glance, it looks like it could be a great slugfest, but in the end, perhaps not so. The big issue here is that Johnson doesn't pack too much power, wherein a fighter like Vitali will require some heat to keep him out of the 'kitchen' where the proverbial 'rib' shack awaits. Long story short, the key to this fight will all come down to not what Johnson can do, but more importantly, what he can do to keep Vitali off of him. If Johnson can pop that jab of his and use good movement, things could get interesting. If he can't, things will end......presumably fast! The Kingin seems pretty poised, thus far. Will that change when he gets hit? That's what we need to find out!

Size Matters: (Too) Heavy-Weight

Last weekend fight fans saw a very primed Brian Minto fall short in his bid to defeat Mexican Chris Arreola. The oddity here was that practically everyone who watched the showdown walked away asking themselves how things might have turned out had Minto been closer in size. After the fight, Minto, himself, alluded to the same question. This issue brings up the very aged argument that perhaps the sport of boxing needs to consider a super-heavyweight division. Currently, the cruiserweight division ends at 210lbs, so from 211 and up, you're literally standing across from a man who can be as tall as he wants to be and as big as he cares to be. In an era of athletics that allows 7ft men to have the agility of a Pacquiao sized puncher, clearly this advantage is a very unnecessary one. No question this should change. But will it anytime soon? Possible, but very improbable.

Pavlik's Possibilities

Kelly Pavlik is roughly a week away from returning to the ring. At this point, few of us truly know what to expect. The pre-Hopkins Pavlik and the post Hopkins Pavlik have been two totally different men. The humbling defeat was clearly a tough loss, but in his recent performance against Rubio, there just appeared to be something missing. Espino is far from a live dog in this contest, but any man with a winning streak and a desire to do the impossible can be dangerous. Should be a victory the the 'Ghost', but another less than stellar performance and the questions surrounding him will quickly equate to a loss (of appeal). Stay tuned.

Source: 8countnews.com