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 fallout from Martinez vs. Chavez, Canelo vs. Lopez, Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV, Mayweather and 50 Cent's disagreement, and much more. Without further ado, check out the latest observations from The Boxing Observer, David Kassel.
- Sergio Martinez almost committed career suicide in the 12th round against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Martinez, trying to give the fans their money's worth in an otherwise dull, one-sided fight, decided he was going to close the show against, quite possibly, the largest middleweight of all-time. Newsflash to all middleweights out there, you cannot knock out Chavez Jr. You can completely outclass him, but his father's chin was passed down a generation to Julio Jr. I don't believe there is a 160-lb fighter in the world who can knock out a man who walks into the ring close to 185 lbs. I give Martinez credit for trying to be fan-friendly, but almost getting knocked out cold, which Martinez almost did, is not the way to keep your pound-for-pound rating intact. The positive that comes out of this for Martinez is that his boneheaded move in the 12th round may have been the best thing for his pockets. Fans now believe Chavez Jr. can knock him out, and while the fact people are calling for a rematch may be absurd, Martinez is almost guaranteed to make over $2 million for a Chavez rematch, especially in Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Make no mistake about it. If there is a rematch, expect the exact same fight with the exception of the 12th round. The ONLY way Martinez loses to Chavez Jr. is if Martinez chooses to stand toe-to-toe. I doubt that will happen again.
- Where does Chavez Jr. go from here? With news that Martinez will require surgery due to torn knee ligaments, Chavez Jr. may want to take a fight while waiting for Martinez's knee to heal for a rematch. Who better to match Chavez Jr. against than Kelly Pavlik. One big fight, two big names. An almost guarantee of a Chavez victory. It's a win-win for Bob Arum and Top Rank.
- Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is a man-child and is only getting better. Remember people, he is only 22 years old. I know he fought a junior weleterweight/welterweight Saturday night, but the force of the punches landed on Josesito Lopez would have crumbled just about any jr. middleweight in the world. It may have taken a little longer than 5 rounds, but Canelo fought with a fire and confidence I have never seen before. Anyone who steps in the ring with him is going to have problems.
- I would just like to thank the egos at Golden Boy and Top Rank for preventing fans from truly enjoying two major fight cards on the same night. I had two TV's going, but it was IMPOSSIBLE to truly appreciate all the action that was going on Saturday night. And there was A LOT of action. So, again, thanks jerks. Can we settle the beef once and for all because, don't forget, it's the fight fans who keep you employed.
- Saturday night was another example that boxing is not dying. Anytime 35,000 fans pay top dollar to watch two major events in the same sport, less than two miles apart, take place, that sport is not dying. While the situation may not have been ideal, fans showed support for the sport that is supposedly "dead." Not to mention the millions of fight fans (including myself) who had two TV's going at the same time because we did not want to miss any of the action. So, once again, for anyone out there who wants to make the argument that boxing is dying, all you have to do is look at the numbers. Boxing is alive and well, and is showing no signs of going anywhere.
- Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV, huh? Big shocker. That was the worst kept secret in boxing. For those fans who scream bloody murder at such a horrible fight, quit your whining. This fight will be exactly like the first three. It will be non-stop action from the opening bell, and it will keep fans on the edge of their seats. Enjoy the fight while you still can because we may never see two, first ballot Hall of Fame fighters go head-to-head four times ever again. I know where I'll be December 8th. Where will you be?
- All hail a Ricky Hatton comeback! It may not end up being pretty, or successful for that matter, but boxing needs colorful, engaging characters, and Hatton fits the bill. I don't care who he fights in his comeback, I'll be watching and rooting hard for the Hitman.
- Is there anyone more deserving of a quality endorsement deal than Paul Williams? If not an endorsement deal, at least some sort of award for being in such great spirits. I don't know another individual in the entire world that would be in such high spirits after being paralyzed from the waist down. It makes it so easy to root for him, and I hope somebody recognizes that this is the type of positivity not only boxing needs, but the entire world needs. HAKUNA MATATA, P-WILL!
- Is Timothy Bradley truly shocked he didn't land the Pacquiao rematch? Come on, man. You were supposed to be an opponent when you fought Pacquiao. My advice is to use your December fight date as a tune-up for Juan Manuel Marquez because that's who your first opponent will likely be in 2013. Yes folks, I'm saying that Marquez will finally beat Manny Pacquiao. Manny is ready to retire and Bob Arum knows it.
- Whatever anyone thinks, Floyd Mayweather and 50 Cent are in deed beefing with one another. While reading Fighthype editor, Ben Thompson's exclusive interview with Mayweather, I decided to read between the lines when Mayweather addressed the issue of the apparent beef he has going on with 50 Cent. While Mayweather said there was no beef, he certainly did nothing to dismiss the fact that there is currently some animosity between the two men, due to 50's desire to take TMT Promotions in a direction that may not be centered around Mayweather. I'm not saying the two men hate each other, but they are not on the same wavelength right now. I wouldn't expect to see 50 and Floyd all lovey dovey anytime soon.
- Josesito Lopez deserves a welterweight title shot, or at least a sizeable payday in his next fight. Give the man credit. He did what he could and admitted he bit off more than he could chew. However, I would love to see him in a fight, possibly against someone like Andre Berto next. That would be entertaining as hell and both men would have a lot riding on the fight.
- Does Victor Ortiz just love subjecting himself to ridicule? If I were Ortiz, I would have stayed as far away from Las Vegas on Saturday night as I possibly could. Instead, Ortiz seemed shocked by the course of boos which reigned over him when he was shown on the big screen. I can never understand anything that guy does. He's out there for sure.
- Fans everywhere need to start writing letters to get Marcos Maidana and Lucas Matthysse in the ring with one another as soon as humanly possible. The two men may be the two most exciting fighters in boxing, they both hail from Argentina, they have both been rivals since the amateurs, and both are essentially in the same weight class. If Golden Boy is smart, they would rent out a soccer stadium in Buenos Aires and pack the place with 40,000 screaming Argentine fight fans. If Saturday night showed us anything, it's that Argentinians love their boxing, as evidenced by the slew of support in attendance for the Sergio Martinez fight. Maidana vs. Matthysse is not only a fight of the year, it's a fight of the decade. Time to make it happen. It shouldn't be that difficult. I would pay $100 to watch that fight on pay-per-view. No joke!
- I'm willing to bet Nonito Donaire was watching the Guillermo Rigondeaux fight very closely Saturday night. While Robert Marroquin may have been overmatched, he definitely exposed a few flaws in the Cuban's repertoire. Donaire may not be itching to get in the ring with Rigondeaux, but he can certainly hurt him. With Donaire's power, and Rigondeaux's technical brilliance, it only makes sense for these two men to get in the ring. It's no wonder Rigondeaux wants to sign an extension with Top Rank. No contract extension, no Donaire fight.
- Matthew Macklin may have just landed himself a fight with Gennady Golovkin. Even though Golovkin is supposed to face new middeweight champion Daniel Geale next, it may not actually happen as Geale may want to keep his title a little longer than one fight. With HBO making a big push for Golovkin, and Macklin's one round destruction of Joachim Alcine Saturday night, Macklin may land himself the assignment against GGG in a main event slot on HBO. That would certainly be a step up in competition for Golovkin, and Macklin would go all out in a nothing-to-lose fight.
- Can I get some more Leo Santa Cruz on television, please? One of the most entertaining, young fighters in the sport, Santa Cruz is getting better every fight. Once Joseph Agbeko's legal issues are resolved with Don King, which may be settled soon, I think Agbeko would be a great test for Santa Cruz. If he can pass a test like Agbeko, we may see Santa Cruz move up to 122 pounds and announce his presence in an already loaded jr. featherweight division.
- Once again, referee Russell Mora made himself bigger than a fight. While I cannot disagree with Mora for taking a point away from Miguel Beltran Jr., Mora's refereeing was suspect yet again. Mora did not take charge of the championship fight between Beltran and Roman Martinez, and the point deduction proved to be the difference in Martinez's win. While Mora will not be remembered for his referee job in this fight as he is for Abner Mares vs.Joseph Agbeko I, the ABC (Association of Boxing Commissions) needs to take a serious look before allowing Mora to referee any big fights again. I don't want to take anything away from the fight itself because Martinez vs. Beltran was an absolute war!
- It was an impressive win, but Daniel Ponce De Leon will never be an elite fighter. Ponce De Leon is always fun to watch, but I can't ever really see him getting over the hump. His technical decision win over Jhonny Gonzalez was anything but spectacular, and Ponce De Leon's four losses have come when he stepped up in competition: Celestino Caballero, Juan Manuel Lopez, Adrien Broner, and Yuriorkis Gamboa. Gonzalez is not on those guys' level. Mikey Garcia would be an excellent next fight for Ponce De Leon, even though it's a fight I believe Garcia wins handily.
- Amir Khan is making the right choice to leave Freddie Roach. Khan still has some of the best skills in boxing, but he needs a defense-first trainer. Pernell Whitaker isn't exactly a world-class trainer, but someone with his mindset might be the best option for Khan. Not that this will ever happen, but Virgil Hunter would also be a great addition to Team Khan.
- Each week, I feature an email from a fan on Observe and Fight. This week's email comes to us from Marc L. on a possible Sergio Martinez vs. Andre Ward fight in 2013...
"What do you think of Ward fighting Martinez early 2013?"
Ward is too fast, too big, and too strong for Martinez. If Saturday night proved anything, it's that Martinez can be hurt. Ward's biggest strength is taking away his opponent's best asset. For Martinez, that would be his speed and angles. Ward would systematically break Martinez down, and I could see Ward finishing the job around the 8th or 9th round. Ward is not Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and Ward would take care of business. I doubt a Ward vs. Martinez fight happens before we see a Martinez vs. Chavez Jr. rematch.
