Okay, this is another double post about two different topics. I had on my mind, the murder of the TV reporter and camera man in Virginia, and the past weekend boxing match between Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares.
I'll start with the Virginia murders first. I was tempted to do a Podcast on this one, but I didn't think I had a whole lot to say about it. It's a fundamental thing really. This guy was an African American, former model, who worked for the new station for years before he was fired due to issues with his mental health, and his refusal to rectify it as they saw fit. He comes back 2 years after being fired, and kills a reporter and camera man. The reporter was one that he had issues with according to him. Apparently, he made everything public on Twitter, and uploaded videos and footage of his life, as well as what he intended to do. I notice that there was very little focus on his life, outside of claims about him being severely mental, and violent.
I watched CNN for the past week, talk for hours about how ill he was, and interview his former boss. What struck me, was when I found that he claimed he was discriminated against constantly on that job. And then, I saw the footage of him working as a reporter over the period of his time there. His coworkers seemed to teeter back and forth between saying he was constantly unstable, and him being seemingly normal from what I heard. When his boss was interviewed, and asked about the discrimination claims, his inability to give a coherent response also disturbed me. CNN brushed that aside, but it is an issue. Even when the boyfriend of the murdered reporter was interviewed about her, it was very disturbing to watch him be unable to stop smiling from ear to ear and joking. That was very odd. The murderer was said to have been a fan of the many famous mass murderers of the last few years, and a justifier of them. In the end, what the news decided to go with was a sick and unstable man, who randomly decided to kill his coworkers. Then they parlayed that into the gun laws.
My point is that, while he was likely mentally ill- as most today are, the incident started somewhere. From what I've seen, I believe he was discriminated against. Since I've moved into the area I live now, I've become more aware to things than before. There are many people in this sick country, who will seem normal to a passerby, but be a self-destructive, and ravenous racist behind the scene. It really doesn't make any sense to me. I've ran into mechanics, medical worker, and other business owners since I've been in upstate NY, who will seem so innocent and friendly, just like those at that news station, and then go out of their way to be spiteful and racist the minute the stage is set. I can't help but believe that he experienced some of that during his time there. I don't justify what he did, as it is wrong, but we have to stop ignoring the real roots of many of these issues.
For instance, now that law enforcement is suffering casualties due to gun violence, there is a sense of urgency, when their mistreatment of civilians is more of a problem. Racism and stupidity is a huge and growing epidemic here. People are generally unstable. What do you think is going to happen in an economically unstable climate, where someone is struggling to eat, and dealing with racists who oppress them for nothing other than blind hatred? There will be more cases just like this. And rather than attack and address the real issue, there is always some scapegoat, like mental illness to use. They proposed a lifetime monitoring of mentally ill patients who own fire arms. Nothing will get better with that approach. The same people peddling that solution, think nothing of the way they treat certain people, and then are shocked when something goes down.
In boxing news, Leo Santa Cruz destroyed Abner Mares on Saturday, like I knew he could. Teddy Atlas said it best when he said Cruz rose to the occasion. I said the same thing. I knew he had ability in him, and I expected him to shock a lot of people and outbox Mares. The only people who probably saw it coming, were some of the fighters at the Mayweather gym, who saw him train there a short while ago. Most people think he has no skill because he brawls for the fans. I like the fact that he has a drive to stay undefeated. That carried him through this fight, with a very game and dangerous Mares. Abner fought very hard, and I think he was embarrassed and shocked by the whooping he took after all of his disrespectful talk. I started to dislike him during the build up to this fight. He was out of line with his derogatory statements and behavior.
Just like Teddy said, Abner tried to keep the fight in the clinch, and hold when being hurt. He threw endless flurries of hooks, but Leo did a very good job of getting distance, and evading and countering with the right hand. He worked the jab beautifully, and showed that he had the circular movement that he needed for a charging Mares. Even in short range exchanges, Leo proved to have the better defense and sharper offense, cracking Mares, and forcing him to regroup. I was actually expecting a KO late, but Leo pulled back and boxed very defensively in the last few rounds.
The shocker is that Abner tried to act like he wants a rematch. The truth is that he doesn't deserve one. The stupid media started stoking those flames after the fight. No one deserves a rematch after losing 10 rounds badly. Abner tried very hard, and moved well at times, even rushing Leo in the first 2 rounds, but Leo showed that he is that much better, hurting and lacing Abner the entire fight. The gap showed. There is no need for a rematch. At this point, he can take on the bigger names like a Lomachenko. We'll see what happens.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Saturday, August 22, 2015
A Pretty Cool Dream About a Whack PPV Boxing Match
I just had the coolest dream about the whackest fight. It was about Mayweather vs Berto
I was attending the press conferences and some of the final media days, when Mayweather usually suddenly starts to drink truth serum, and talks about how easily he will win. He talks about how he is naturally bigger than Berto, faster, and stronger, and how if he is clipped, he knows how to take his shot and recover and take control. It was classic Mayweather. The odds makers around town are all talking about how lopsided the fight is. It looks like we're in some mid western state, or another country. It's a city where there is heavy traffic, but also a large river running through and around it. Mayweather and Berto happen to be walking around the city with their entourages and bumping into each other. I think I was a reporter or something. Mayweather finishes one of his rants, and decides to go for a swim around the entire town in the river. Berto find out shortly after, and jumps in the river as well to go for a swim.
The swim turns into a competition, which is sort of cool. I personally start to feel like cracking Mayweather with a right hand, and promise that he won't recover from mine. I jump in the river as well and try to catch up with them, but can't get to them. After getting out, I walk the streets looking for a restaurant or something. After some time, I run into a dejected looking Berto walking with some reporters, who ask him what he feel his chances are. He feeds them the confident crap, and talks about how he would like to win about 9 or 10 rounds. I roll my eyes and turn the corner down a connecting side street. This is where it got so cryptic.
There's a card shop on the street. It's not just a regular shop. The shop advertises a card illusionist who can quickly shuffle cards into various shapes, and tell stories with them while he narrates. It sounds cool, so I walk in and see the guy. He starts to shuffle the cards and talks about sports and uses the cards as props. He starts a discussion about retirement, alluding to Mayweather retiring. He mentions those who retiring being wise at the point they make that decision. The way he says it is so eloquent that I'm pulled into the discussion. And then he says a very deep line that I still remember. He says, "Don't get angry at these warriors who seek to retire. It's often with the same passion that they all seek the rematch- Some guy who you now know met and beat the crap out of you. It's that way with life. They want to feel, and prove to themselves they can win outside of the ring, where it all matters, in that life they're unsure about."
He said more, but that's what sticks in my memory. It's amazing, because usually ramblings like that in a dream can be idiotic when you wake up, but that is such a deep line of thought that I never, ever thought of that way. It makes me think of my novel- Reminiscer, where I talked in the early chapters about getting deeper ideas from a dormant and sleeping mind. The thing about the card guy, is that he was tying the sports world and examples into real life with his speech, and it wasn't a stretch. It made sense. The more I thought about it, the more that it made sense for everyone. When people retire, often after being sick of work, months later they come back, visiting, antsy to work again. No matter how much they hated it, a part of them not only wants to keep busy, but also solved those unanswered questions in the rematch with life. It's a sense of fulfillment, that makes you seek out something new all over again.
I was attending the press conferences and some of the final media days, when Mayweather usually suddenly starts to drink truth serum, and talks about how easily he will win. He talks about how he is naturally bigger than Berto, faster, and stronger, and how if he is clipped, he knows how to take his shot and recover and take control. It was classic Mayweather. The odds makers around town are all talking about how lopsided the fight is. It looks like we're in some mid western state, or another country. It's a city where there is heavy traffic, but also a large river running through and around it. Mayweather and Berto happen to be walking around the city with their entourages and bumping into each other. I think I was a reporter or something. Mayweather finishes one of his rants, and decides to go for a swim around the entire town in the river. Berto find out shortly after, and jumps in the river as well to go for a swim.
The swim turns into a competition, which is sort of cool. I personally start to feel like cracking Mayweather with a right hand, and promise that he won't recover from mine. I jump in the river as well and try to catch up with them, but can't get to them. After getting out, I walk the streets looking for a restaurant or something. After some time, I run into a dejected looking Berto walking with some reporters, who ask him what he feel his chances are. He feeds them the confident crap, and talks about how he would like to win about 9 or 10 rounds. I roll my eyes and turn the corner down a connecting side street. This is where it got so cryptic.
There's a card shop on the street. It's not just a regular shop. The shop advertises a card illusionist who can quickly shuffle cards into various shapes, and tell stories with them while he narrates. It sounds cool, so I walk in and see the guy. He starts to shuffle the cards and talks about sports and uses the cards as props. He starts a discussion about retirement, alluding to Mayweather retiring. He mentions those who retiring being wise at the point they make that decision. The way he says it is so eloquent that I'm pulled into the discussion. And then he says a very deep line that I still remember. He says, "Don't get angry at these warriors who seek to retire. It's often with the same passion that they all seek the rematch- Some guy who you now know met and beat the crap out of you. It's that way with life. They want to feel, and prove to themselves they can win outside of the ring, where it all matters, in that life they're unsure about."
He said more, but that's what sticks in my memory. It's amazing, because usually ramblings like that in a dream can be idiotic when you wake up, but that is such a deep line of thought that I never, ever thought of that way. It makes me think of my novel- Reminiscer, where I talked in the early chapters about getting deeper ideas from a dormant and sleeping mind. The thing about the card guy, is that he was tying the sports world and examples into real life with his speech, and it wasn't a stretch. It made sense. The more I thought about it, the more that it made sense for everyone. When people retire, often after being sick of work, months later they come back, visiting, antsy to work again. No matter how much they hated it, a part of them not only wants to keep busy, but also solved those unanswered questions in the rematch with life. It's a sense of fulfillment, that makes you seek out something new all over again.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Maybe I'm a Hypocrite- AC Game Review
This is a review of the game I mentioned before- Armored Core: Last Raven
I just completed the game, and I must say that I realized something. While I still categorize this as a fraternity game, I've lost sight of where I stand in gaming. Fraternity games are something that I have championed since long ago. They are actually what make gaming have substance. I had a feeling my opinion would change once I completed it. I couldn't help but remember old games like Amok for the Sega Saturn, and the Strike series on Playstation and Saturn. I forgot that I was in love with those games, in a time where few could hang with them. But back then, I was so hungry and free, I was able to dive into games I loved more than I can today.
I used to spend hours navigating through games like Crusader: No Remorse, and going back to it recently, I wonder where I found the skill to finish that game. It is super complex. I vaguely remember frustration, but I was comfortable in games like that then. There are some games that I never got a chance to beat that are harder than hard. Armored Core is a game that I didn't get fully used to until the very end. The beautiful way that I beat the last boss was a culmination of all the work I put in. It was just very tough sticking it out that long.
It was a similar feeling to when I beat Phantasy Star Online and Phantasy Star Portable. All of these games have so much to offer beyond a single playthrough. I found myself eager to dive back in. I only wish more mech pieces were accessible. I've seen other mech games that aren't on Armored Core level, but have an insane amount of available parts. To me, that's the charm of this genre. I'm looking forward to diving further in soon. I think the fact that they churn out some many Core games, they spread their inventory thin. The game has a relatively few amount of missions. But it does have an arena battle mode, and replays available. Personally, I like for a game to have quick play modes like that, as a bonus. But I also want my games, especially the hard ones, to have a decent amount of levels. Maybe 10 minimum, and they have to be long stages. I don't like to remember the beginning of a game vividly, as I beat it. That's a sign that it was too short. Even a compact action game should abide by those rules.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed the game, and feel super proud that I conquered it. Not the ultimate experience, but fulfilling. I give this game a 7.5/10
I just completed the game, and I must say that I realized something. While I still categorize this as a fraternity game, I've lost sight of where I stand in gaming. Fraternity games are something that I have championed since long ago. They are actually what make gaming have substance. I had a feeling my opinion would change once I completed it. I couldn't help but remember old games like Amok for the Sega Saturn, and the Strike series on Playstation and Saturn. I forgot that I was in love with those games, in a time where few could hang with them. But back then, I was so hungry and free, I was able to dive into games I loved more than I can today.
I used to spend hours navigating through games like Crusader: No Remorse, and going back to it recently, I wonder where I found the skill to finish that game. It is super complex. I vaguely remember frustration, but I was comfortable in games like that then. There are some games that I never got a chance to beat that are harder than hard. Armored Core is a game that I didn't get fully used to until the very end. The beautiful way that I beat the last boss was a culmination of all the work I put in. It was just very tough sticking it out that long.
It was a similar feeling to when I beat Phantasy Star Online and Phantasy Star Portable. All of these games have so much to offer beyond a single playthrough. I found myself eager to dive back in. I only wish more mech pieces were accessible. I've seen other mech games that aren't on Armored Core level, but have an insane amount of available parts. To me, that's the charm of this genre. I'm looking forward to diving further in soon. I think the fact that they churn out some many Core games, they spread their inventory thin. The game has a relatively few amount of missions. But it does have an arena battle mode, and replays available. Personally, I like for a game to have quick play modes like that, as a bonus. But I also want my games, especially the hard ones, to have a decent amount of levels. Maybe 10 minimum, and they have to be long stages. I don't like to remember the beginning of a game vividly, as I beat it. That's a sign that it was too short. Even a compact action game should abide by those rules.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed the game, and feel super proud that I conquered it. Not the ultimate experience, but fulfilling. I give this game a 7.5/10
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Greatest Boxers of All Time
Okay, I've finally compiled my list of the greatest boxers in each weight class, and pound for pound. This has been years in the making, and I always wanted to do it right. As an athlete myself, I couldn't just go with feeling, or ignore the deep nuances of what make a fighter great. I can't lay out every component in this blog post, or it would take forever.
When considering the greatest fighters, Mayweather said recently, that he considers the amount of weight classes they conquer. I half-agree with that. The truth is that faulting a heavyweight for that is not quite fair, being that most of them don't drift away from that weight class. It's easier for guy to go from cruiser to heavyweight, than it is for a heavyweight to drop to cruiser, or light heavyweight. Hence, you rarely see it. You also have to consider raw ability and skill, which do not always translate to titles and wins to the max. It's about how a fighter moves and adapts. How would he do at his very best? I considered all of these factors, and had to watch footage to back it up.
I did an pound for pound list, and the individual weight classes. I did Heavyweight, Middleweight, Welterweight, and Lightweight. Those were the core classes, before titles and divisions were broken up.
In the Heavyweight division, my top 5 are:
1. Jack Johnson- versatile, powerful, and defensive genius. Able to do it all, with ease
2. Gene Tunney- not often talked about, but in my opinion, he was a bit better than Dempsey. His skill was far ahead of its time.
3. Ali- He speaks for himself. He faced a who's who of champions, and always adapted. He had some suspect fights, and showed some holes in his game and technique, which pull him from number 1.
4. Marciano- 49-0 doesn't get you an automatic 1 for me. I'm not like the laymen. He almost lost some fights, but at the same time, he had the ability to pressure and get a decision if he needed to, which shows ability. His power, and recuperative powers were immaculate.
5. Evander Holyfield- I had to make an amendment to this list, as expected after a bit of thought. And I know that this inclusion is also going to turn heads. Most average fans give no thought to "Real Deal" as an all-time great for no real reason, other than his low-key personality. However, he was more deserving of this spot than the previous Lennox Lewis. If you really look at his resume, it's hard to argue that he doesn't meet the criteria. This man came up from Light Heavyweight and remained competitive throughout his entire long career, with wins over Tyson, Bowe, Moorer, Oquendo, Ruiz, Rahman, Holmes, Tillman, Douglas, and the list goes on. While he has a loss and a draw to Lewis, I take into account the fact that he was the only person Lewis faced that was a competitor to the fullest, even undersized. The same is true of Bowe- him giving Bowe his only loss, and he had better wins than them both. I can't hold his losses against him. He avenged many of them, and often, just did too much, too soon. He always had a workman's style to him, and worked the jab and turned well into counter hooks. At the same time, he was willing to trade in spurts with tough opponents, and knew how to survive when rattled. He was great, and also the perfect example of how fans don't know what to look at. 99% will tell you Tyson was greater, when Tyson himself saw and says the truth.
In the Middleweight division my top 5 are:
1. Sugar Ray Robinson- The ultimate Sugar. He had an amazing and accurate offensive arsenal. He could penetrate any defense, and had a chin and defense of his own that was masterful.
2. Carlos Monzon- He was heavy handed and had a smooth style that would lull you into traps. Deceptive defense as well, gave him just the distance he needed to set up devastating counters.
3. Bernard Hopkins- As he himself has said, it's hard to appreciate greatness that's in front of you. He had explosive offense during the years he dominated the middleweight division. Always a defensive master, he fought like Gene Tunney reborn.
4. James Toney- He is known as master of the shoulder roll defense. He also had explosive power, and could put together very sharp combinations.
5. Marvin Hagler- Many people's number 1 for idiotic and sentimental reasons. He was a great middleweight, but he couldn't get rid of a lightweight in Duran. He overpowered his opponents. He had sufficient skill, but his resume didn't really show the need to adapt much.
In the Welterweight division my top 5 are:
1. Sugar Ray Leonard- I always felt that his ability wasn't fully reflected in his record. And then he fought too late. When at his best, he had a savage power, capable of brutal knockouts. He also had amazing boxing ability and reflexes that were amazing to watch. At his best, he would not have lost to Norris.
2. Manny Pacman Pacquiao - If you watched his growth from the lighter weights, he became a great boxer by the time he stepped up to welter and faced a bigger De la Hoya and Hatton. He put on amazing performances, and also showed elusive movement and boxing ability across an array of talent in the division. I also gained a lot of respect for him for his fight against Mayweather. While many think they saw him getting schooled, he showed further development as a counter puncher, and defender. If you go and look at the replay footage, you can see the beautiful shots he caught Floyd with on the inside and at distance. He actually frustrated him many times. Manny fought one of the greatest Mexican fighters in Marquez 4 times, and gave Marquez so much trouble, he had to juice to get through the last fight. Enough said.
3. Henry Armstrong- He would always start a fight in a crouched position, and then unleash amazing counters and combinations. He was extremely technically sound. Like Pacman, you had to watch him to see that. Surprising power allowed him to KO people at a moment's notice.
4. Pernell Whitaker- Almost a perfect fighter, he had just enough power to be a danger, and almost untouchable defensive ability. He was pound- 4- pound for a reason. However, he had a couple of lapses and was taken into deep waters on occasion.
5. Floyd Mayweather- It's amazing how people reason backwards. For calling things as they really are, I'm labeled as hating on Mayweather, when I've had the utmost respect for him for over the decade that these same people hate him. The self proclaimed best of all time, Mayweather had a nice resume and arsenal of attacks and defensive maneuvers that carried him over from lightweight to welterweight. He has impressive victories over hall of famers. When it comes to his abilities, I always saw a high ceiling, but he never really reached it. Many fans see perfection when they see him, because they are easy to fool. There is a reason he is at 5 and Manny at 2, and it has nothing to do with emotions. If you watch the way he fights, one of Money's best assets is his chin. It's hard for people too stupid to see landed punches to notice that, but he holds up well under direct blows. He also has excellent movement ability. He would have done well for himself in the previous era of boxing, especially at lightweight, where he could have let his hands go more. However, not only would he have suffered KO's from many on this list, but he also would have dropped decisions to busier and better fighters on this list in different settings and times, including Pacman. In fact, the Pacman fight revealed a lot to me. He showed that he couldn't adapt as I once thought, and that he could be outboxed by a fast and elusive fighter. He regurgitated his nonsense, and it worked for the masses, but not me.
My Top 5 lightweights of all time are:
1. Roberto Duran- with what he did at lightweight, he showed me that he would have been unbeatable if he stayed there. He had the power of a strong middleweight, as well as the chin of one, coupled with Pacquiao boxing ability. I often call Pacman the second Duran.
2. Aaron Pryor- he was a terrifying boxer with good head movement and a heavy right hook counter. His resume is impressive to a good degree.
3. Sugar Shane Mosley- Many forget how amazing he was at lightweight. He was almost unbeatable. He had his fastest hands at this weight and power to stop any opponent he faced.
4. Carlos Ortiz- Watching footage of Carlos, you can see the Monzon-like ability he had to walk his opponents down and deliver educated combinations while slipping effectively. He also faced some animals.
5. Ike Williams- He had a very impressive career, and offensive ability. However, he was susceptible to left hooks often, and buzzed in fights that he came back to win. Respectable, but not number 1 material.
When it comes to P4P greatest list, it's impossible to do one with only 5 slots, if at all. You notice that some omissions may surprise you. But once again, you have to realize that this list is not about sentiment. It's about raw ability. Someone once said that if you put Marciano in a room with every heavyweight who ever lived, he would be the one to walk out alive. That's sort of the principle. Regardless of titles, I look at what and how much they could do flat out.
Top Ten Pound-for-Pound list:
1. Walker Smith- aka SRR
2.John Arthur Johnson
3. James Gene Tunney
4. Rocco Francis Marchegiano
5. Carlos Roque Monzon- Escopeta
6. Sugar Ray Leonard
7.Roberto "Manos de Piedra" Duran Samaniego
8. Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao
9. Pernell "Sweet Pea"Whitaker
10. Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr.
When considering the greatest fighters, Mayweather said recently, that he considers the amount of weight classes they conquer. I half-agree with that. The truth is that faulting a heavyweight for that is not quite fair, being that most of them don't drift away from that weight class. It's easier for guy to go from cruiser to heavyweight, than it is for a heavyweight to drop to cruiser, or light heavyweight. Hence, you rarely see it. You also have to consider raw ability and skill, which do not always translate to titles and wins to the max. It's about how a fighter moves and adapts. How would he do at his very best? I considered all of these factors, and had to watch footage to back it up.
I did an pound for pound list, and the individual weight classes. I did Heavyweight, Middleweight, Welterweight, and Lightweight. Those were the core classes, before titles and divisions were broken up.
In the Heavyweight division, my top 5 are:
1. Jack Johnson- versatile, powerful, and defensive genius. Able to do it all, with ease
2. Gene Tunney- not often talked about, but in my opinion, he was a bit better than Dempsey. His skill was far ahead of its time.
3. Ali- He speaks for himself. He faced a who's who of champions, and always adapted. He had some suspect fights, and showed some holes in his game and technique, which pull him from number 1.
4. Marciano- 49-0 doesn't get you an automatic 1 for me. I'm not like the laymen. He almost lost some fights, but at the same time, he had the ability to pressure and get a decision if he needed to, which shows ability. His power, and recuperative powers were immaculate.
5. Evander Holyfield- I had to make an amendment to this list, as expected after a bit of thought. And I know that this inclusion is also going to turn heads. Most average fans give no thought to "Real Deal" as an all-time great for no real reason, other than his low-key personality. However, he was more deserving of this spot than the previous Lennox Lewis. If you really look at his resume, it's hard to argue that he doesn't meet the criteria. This man came up from Light Heavyweight and remained competitive throughout his entire long career, with wins over Tyson, Bowe, Moorer, Oquendo, Ruiz, Rahman, Holmes, Tillman, Douglas, and the list goes on. While he has a loss and a draw to Lewis, I take into account the fact that he was the only person Lewis faced that was a competitor to the fullest, even undersized. The same is true of Bowe- him giving Bowe his only loss, and he had better wins than them both. I can't hold his losses against him. He avenged many of them, and often, just did too much, too soon. He always had a workman's style to him, and worked the jab and turned well into counter hooks. At the same time, he was willing to trade in spurts with tough opponents, and knew how to survive when rattled. He was great, and also the perfect example of how fans don't know what to look at. 99% will tell you Tyson was greater, when Tyson himself saw and says the truth.
In the Middleweight division my top 5 are:
1. Sugar Ray Robinson- The ultimate Sugar. He had an amazing and accurate offensive arsenal. He could penetrate any defense, and had a chin and defense of his own that was masterful.
2. Carlos Monzon- He was heavy handed and had a smooth style that would lull you into traps. Deceptive defense as well, gave him just the distance he needed to set up devastating counters.
3. Bernard Hopkins- As he himself has said, it's hard to appreciate greatness that's in front of you. He had explosive offense during the years he dominated the middleweight division. Always a defensive master, he fought like Gene Tunney reborn.
4. James Toney- He is known as master of the shoulder roll defense. He also had explosive power, and could put together very sharp combinations.
5. Marvin Hagler- Many people's number 1 for idiotic and sentimental reasons. He was a great middleweight, but he couldn't get rid of a lightweight in Duran. He overpowered his opponents. He had sufficient skill, but his resume didn't really show the need to adapt much.
In the Welterweight division my top 5 are:
1. Sugar Ray Leonard- I always felt that his ability wasn't fully reflected in his record. And then he fought too late. When at his best, he had a savage power, capable of brutal knockouts. He also had amazing boxing ability and reflexes that were amazing to watch. At his best, he would not have lost to Norris.
2. Manny Pacman Pacquiao - If you watched his growth from the lighter weights, he became a great boxer by the time he stepped up to welter and faced a bigger De la Hoya and Hatton. He put on amazing performances, and also showed elusive movement and boxing ability across an array of talent in the division. I also gained a lot of respect for him for his fight against Mayweather. While many think they saw him getting schooled, he showed further development as a counter puncher, and defender. If you go and look at the replay footage, you can see the beautiful shots he caught Floyd with on the inside and at distance. He actually frustrated him many times. Manny fought one of the greatest Mexican fighters in Marquez 4 times, and gave Marquez so much trouble, he had to juice to get through the last fight. Enough said.
3. Henry Armstrong- He would always start a fight in a crouched position, and then unleash amazing counters and combinations. He was extremely technically sound. Like Pacman, you had to watch him to see that. Surprising power allowed him to KO people at a moment's notice.
4. Pernell Whitaker- Almost a perfect fighter, he had just enough power to be a danger, and almost untouchable defensive ability. He was pound- 4- pound for a reason. However, he had a couple of lapses and was taken into deep waters on occasion.
5. Floyd Mayweather- It's amazing how people reason backwards. For calling things as they really are, I'm labeled as hating on Mayweather, when I've had the utmost respect for him for over the decade that these same people hate him. The self proclaimed best of all time, Mayweather had a nice resume and arsenal of attacks and defensive maneuvers that carried him over from lightweight to welterweight. He has impressive victories over hall of famers. When it comes to his abilities, I always saw a high ceiling, but he never really reached it. Many fans see perfection when they see him, because they are easy to fool. There is a reason he is at 5 and Manny at 2, and it has nothing to do with emotions. If you watch the way he fights, one of Money's best assets is his chin. It's hard for people too stupid to see landed punches to notice that, but he holds up well under direct blows. He also has excellent movement ability. He would have done well for himself in the previous era of boxing, especially at lightweight, where he could have let his hands go more. However, not only would he have suffered KO's from many on this list, but he also would have dropped decisions to busier and better fighters on this list in different settings and times, including Pacman. In fact, the Pacman fight revealed a lot to me. He showed that he couldn't adapt as I once thought, and that he could be outboxed by a fast and elusive fighter. He regurgitated his nonsense, and it worked for the masses, but not me.
My Top 5 lightweights of all time are:
1. Roberto Duran- with what he did at lightweight, he showed me that he would have been unbeatable if he stayed there. He had the power of a strong middleweight, as well as the chin of one, coupled with Pacquiao boxing ability. I often call Pacman the second Duran.
2. Aaron Pryor- he was a terrifying boxer with good head movement and a heavy right hook counter. His resume is impressive to a good degree.
3. Sugar Shane Mosley- Many forget how amazing he was at lightweight. He was almost unbeatable. He had his fastest hands at this weight and power to stop any opponent he faced.
4. Carlos Ortiz- Watching footage of Carlos, you can see the Monzon-like ability he had to walk his opponents down and deliver educated combinations while slipping effectively. He also faced some animals.
5. Ike Williams- He had a very impressive career, and offensive ability. However, he was susceptible to left hooks often, and buzzed in fights that he came back to win. Respectable, but not number 1 material.
When it comes to P4P greatest list, it's impossible to do one with only 5 slots, if at all. You notice that some omissions may surprise you. But once again, you have to realize that this list is not about sentiment. It's about raw ability. Someone once said that if you put Marciano in a room with every heavyweight who ever lived, he would be the one to walk out alive. That's sort of the principle. Regardless of titles, I look at what and how much they could do flat out.
Top Ten Pound-for-Pound list:
1. Walker Smith- aka SRR
2.John Arthur Johnson
3. James Gene Tunney
4. Rocco Francis Marchegiano
5. Carlos Roque Monzon- Escopeta
6. Sugar Ray Leonard
7.Roberto "Manos de Piedra" Duran Samaniego
8. Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao
9. Pernell "Sweet Pea"Whitaker
10. Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr.
Sunday, August 9, 2015
New Track- I Would
https://soundcloud.com/jokatech/i-would
^ Here's the link. It's amazing. I can post till I'm blue in the face, but the only hits I get, are on the blog.
^ Here's the link. It's amazing. I can post till I'm blue in the face, but the only hits I get, are on the blog.
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