Coyote's Frantic and Zany Floyd Vs Zab Doggy Bag

Coyote’s Frantic and Zany Floyd Vs Zab Doggy Bag

By Coyote Duran (April 8, 2006)

icheehuahua Parody

Damn, I love writing. Sometimes, it’s the little things that remind you how fun the gig is and that after a long drought in the creative process (Read: Writer’s Block), you can be sure that when you return, the same passionate, outspoken fans of the best sport in the world will be there to greet you. One way or another.

Mind you, I don’t write to stir up the masses. I write because I love to and because I adore this sport but not since my opinion on the Winky Wright-Felix Trinidad bout from last Spring have I received such a flooding of responses for a piece critiquing a particular fight, this time centering on Saturday night’s welterweight HBO pay-per-view showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr., 35-0 (24), and Zab Judah, 34-3 (25). Like any good pack of fight devotees, Doghouse Boxing.com’s readers never fail to lay their hearts on the line and offer their most heartfelt, honest and (Gulp!)… rabid opinions. All are welcome and encouraged. And I love and appreciate them all.

Submitted for your approval? One Family-Sized Doggy Bag chock full of your unedited and candid responses to ‘All That Glitters Just Doesn’t Make Sense’. Read on, good Howlers, and enjoy.

Nice one

Coyote,
I’m actually on the same page here, I actually thinking what if there’s an upset, do I order the PPV encore (Canadian Broadcast will show PPV even after 3 days), then maybe.
Nice Article.
Reynaldo

Thanks for checking out the article, Rey!

Hey, I'm not trying to discourage anyone from spending their money on a PPV; I understand that HBO and Showtime are somewhat dodgy in Canada? Isn't there like TSN or some such network up there? If there's a big upset or if it turns out to be fight of the year, hell, order it up! In my case (with HBO's availability here in The States), I'll just wait for the following Saturday to catch it for free on HBO.

Thanks again, man!

The Wrath of ‘Q’

you guys kill me if your boys hatton, cotto or margo were fighint zab you guys would be all over it.. please

Not if it were on PPV or for some so-called worthless ‘world title’, boyo.

Reader Jason analyzes me

you're a very negative person, aren't you?

Good heavens, no! LOL! I just think there's a helluva lot of fleecing going on from calling this a world title fight to putting it on PPV, is all. Thanks for checking out the article, man!

Jason thinks he knows something I don’t

you said "no". clear sign of negativity.

Now you're just being stinky.

Walter chips in his two cents

This fight is something bob arum and king put together to make a little money.. I agree, I don't see what all the fuss is about.. However, I will say that the impossible does happen in boxing.

Mayweather is at the top of his game, and zab has teetered near the top for some time now. Zab reminds me of holyfield in a sense, they seem to lose fights and in the next fight look great. That is one thing that has some people intrigued about this fight..

Another point to look at: this fight here is more about the event than the fight itself. What you have is two hip-hop generation fighters that are giong to bring all the "ballers" to las vegas.. You have zab, who is from new york, and mayweather, who is from michigan with hip-hop ties.
Slickwalt
Boxing aficionado
In and around the game for almost 25 years, spent 15 years as an amatuer boxer in the states and abroad

Good points, Walt. I especially liked the fact that you pointed out Mayweather's and Judah's positions in boxing. More about the event than the fight itself? That's a viable outlook but in another sense, it takes away as much as it adds. Sure, it can bring those who are part of the genre and culture (If I can call it that; I don't know Thing One about Modern hip-hop) but can it lead into genuine fandom? I suppose that's up in the air.

You hit it square in the nuts when you led into your e-mail with the statement about Arum and King making money. That's no crime at all. But what continues to irk me is that Judah was so willing to badmouth King (and I'm no flag-waver for Don King but I won't crucify him for something he's not responsible for) for Judah's own loss and then gets rewarded with a shot at the Pound-for-Pound King? Is it part of a bigger King master plan? Will King post up and put Judah on blast if Mayweather KOs him like King did to Andrew Lewis when Ricardo Mayorga wiped him out? Don't get me wrong. Like I said, I'm not buying the fight, but I will watch it for free the following week. I did mention in the article that it's a compelling battle. But even more compelling might be the aftermath. Lives will be changed one way or the other. I did predict in the Doghouse Boxing message boards that Floyd Jr. will KO Zab in 9.

What happens afterward is anyone's guess! BTW, Walt, it's always awesome to rap with any boxing aficionado. Thanks for checking out the article and sharing your opinion, man!

Mike says: Coyote’s waaay of the mark here

i have to say i think you are waaay off the mark here. as a boxing aficianado you should be the first to know that styles make fights; and to put it simply, however unorthodox, zab has the i-only-bring-my-"A"-game-when-my-back-is-against-the-wall type of style. let me make myself utterly clear -- this will be a MORE competitive fight BECAUSE zab lost to baldomir, and at the end of the day that is what electrifies boxing... being competitive. a fight for floyd with carlos would not be competitive, never, no matter how focused baldomir was or how hard he trained. and you know that. a fight with zab MIGHT be. well... arent those better odds? so zab doesnt "deserve" it; this isnt "fair" to carlos. is that why you watch boxing? to see boxing morals be brought to justice? this is the most dangerous fight for floyd in over three years. THAT'S why i watch boxing. you say zab is overrated? fine. would you truly rather see floyd fight baldomir? seriously? is baldomir not an overrated welterweight champion (as you claim judah was always overrated) for beating a lazy judah with no focus? give me a break coyote. super judah is the most bi-polar performer in boxing, its only suitable that his nickname is related to a mythological character of modern times with dual identity. the zab that faced baldomir was clark kent...we can expect "super" come april 8th. why? cause judahs got no other choice.

As well used as the adage may be, Mike, ‘styles make fights’ very much rings true and it certainly will play a major part in how this fight ends. You're also correct in saying that Judah does have that flair for fighting his best when the pressure is on. But why save up for those moments? Remember, this is the same guy that won a split decision to Rafael Pineda. Rafael Pineda, of all fighters!

Sure, it has the potential to be a more competitive fight than when Judah lost to Baldomir, but I really think that's a 50/50 proposition. These two could pretty much size each other up all night with Zab evading and Floyd popping him all night. Could it go the distance? Yep. I don't think it will but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Floyd made it a clinic.

Is Carlos Baldomir an overrated World Champion? We can't make that assessment until we actually see him defend the championship. I'll reserve that judgment after I see how he performs against Arturo Gatti. But if Baldomir beat a lazy Judah (which I agree wholeheartedly with you on), hey, that's Judah's fault. I won't condemn the man who answered the door when opportunity knocked because his reign might not last long. I will, however, give him huge props for having heart and striking when the irons were hot. As far as the Superman analogy? If Baldomir really faced Clark Kent-as-Judah, Clark still would've whipped Baldomir's ass because, simply, that's what Kent would've done. Although he wouldn't have let you see him do it while he was in the suit and glasses.

Regarding ‘boxing morals’? In a sport where more crap gets fed to fighters and fans alike, a little justice would be pretty cool more often than not.

Might I add, your closing line has ‘writer's appeal’ all over it. I think you hit it right on the head with that one.

Thank you for the feedback, Mike!

R U really a boxing guy or just to those who dont know

Mr. Duran you cant be serious with this article. Maywether-Judah isnt attractive but you have the balls to bring up Margarito. Who in the hell has Margarito beaten to warrant a shot at Floyd? Didnt he lose to that soft punching guy Daniel Santos, Oh! he beat a cupcake with no heart in Kermit Cintron. This is just another hate case, nobody ever says anything when the fans are stuck with Morales - Barrera 2 or 3, Paquio- Morales 2 after Morales got schooled by a superior boxer in Raheem. I am not accusing you but it just seems that when the promotion includes two African Amer. fighters that have better all around boxing skill, speed and sense than to just stand there and take a beating then everyone has a problem with it. These guys waited and paid there dues for these million dollar fights only for people who know nothing about boxing to hate on it and lie to the public like Brian Kenny. He asked Floyd why is he fighting Zab who just got beat, but why would we be interested in seeing Pac man and Morales the 2nd time when the 1st was uneventful and Morales was embarassed by Raheem. You have guys like Hatton and Cotto getting their names mentioned with the best fighters in the world and they dont want to fight them. I think they are good talents but the media should stop mentioning them in the same breath as the best until they are ready to step up and prove it. Hatton gets paid millions to fight Collazo but Floyd gets all the criticism, thats ridiculous. I understand that Mexican fans may buy more tickets and pay per views but at some point you have to give guys there just do. Zab Judah hasnt been everything people thought he would become but he has been 2 time world champion in 2 different weight classes and undisputed welterweight champion of the world at one time (sounds like more than just hype), has Margarito???

Nothing against you just sharing a different point if view. I would like to know what you think. Thanx enjoy reading your articles but please keep it real with the people if you do truely know boxing.

Actually, Teaunce, I'm quite serious.

OK, let's consider your question regarding Antonio Margarito. Who has he beaten to get a shot at Floyd? Let's look at it in another way? Who has Zab Judah beaten to get a shot at Floyd? This is why I have the balls, my excellent friend.

Truth: Tony did lose to Daniel Santos. By technical decision because of a headbutt-induced laceration. Their prior fight at welterweight was a no-contest. Hey, I thought Cintron was going to beat Margarito but like many other writers, I don't nail all my predictions. I was wrong and I was delighted to be proven wrong.

Teaunce, I had a huge issue with Pacquiao-Morales II being made. To many others, and me the Mayweather-Judah fight echoes that situation. But in defense of that and the Barrera-Morales rematches, these men faced each other before and their previous fights ended in controversy. Barrera officially lost to Morales in the first fight and Morales lost the second. (In fairness, I didn't agree with either decision. The third fight was right on, to me.) and Pac and Morales supporters are gonna argue about their first fight until the day they die. And that's just referring to the ‘cheap socks’ and gloves issues alone!

Just to let you know I picked up on your disclaimer on not accusing me of such thinking (and I appreciate it!) but I can't agree with the notion that it has to do with two skilled African-American fighters. If that were the case, the first two Tarver-Jones fights, Wright-Mosley I and II, Mosley-Forrest I and II (even though II sucked), Hagler-Hearns and Hagler-Leonard would've been poo-pooed from the gate.

Yes, Ricky Hatton's getting dough to face Luis Collazo but Lou also holds an alphabet title (for what it's worth) that he actually earned and he's defending against the one, true World Junior Welterweight Champion (regardless if Hatton dropped the IBF belt, he's still The Ring Champ until he gets beaten or gives it up.). Plus Lou's a live-wire and I believe it's gonna be a real entertaining clash. As for Cotto? Depending on how he emerges against Paul Malignaggi, I think he absolutely should jump to welter and make his bones there. 140 is holding him back, IMO.

Regarding your question about being a ‘boxing guy’, that's actually my e-mail address from when I ran a crappy little HTML fan site I created a few years back (cute, but dreadful). I referred to it (and me) as ‘The Boxing Guy’ because I was inspired by one of my favorite do-it-yourself shows at the time, ‘The Furniture Guys’ with Ed Feldman and Joe L'Orario. So I guess I'm a boxing guy with those who know and don't. Just like you and every other passionate fan that's taken the time to discuss this with me.

Thank you very much for reading and responding!

My man, fan and critic, Realtorchill says…

Coyote:
You have got to be kidding. Please write a follow-up to your article AFTER the fight. These are the two best welterweights in the world. Have a good one, Coyote.

You know I love you, realtor-man.

You have my word. Win or lose for either man, I'm on it like Cronkite.

Cockamamie

What is your prediction? Not on the fight, but the pay per view numbers. Will it exceed 100,000 buys? p.s., I hope nobody buys that cockamamie fight.

Ty

Hey, Ty! My prediction? I think it pulls in 350,000 buys, at least. I think it'll do that well. Thanks for reading and posting up, Ty!

Mad as Hell and not gonna take it anymore

I have to agree with you whole-heartedly. I always buy the decent fights, I believe in supporting the sports and athletes that comprise the sport that we admire so much….BUT I can't pay for this one. I go out of my way to see anything local to me in the Northeast area. The casino's and local Armory shows, the DCU center and TD Bank North shows but this one stinks for $50.

I would liken this to paying a person to kick me in the groin. Just my opinion (possibly yours too)
I am not paying or watching it anyplace that has to pay. I will wait for it to be free or not bother at all and am glad that I am not the only one.
Thanks for your time
Eric Aquino

You sound like the fan who's mad as hell and isn't gonna take it anymore. Sometimes you have to draw a line in the sand if you're a fan. This isn't to say that those who order it are wrong. We're all right for being die-hard fans but some of us (very likely in the minority) can't and won't subscribe to the convoluted logic that dictates how matches are made in Our Sport.

I'm with you, Eric, as well as the previous reader, Ty, who took the time out to voice his opinion. I'm waiting for the tape delay as well. That way, my HBO subscription will serve me in the way this fight should've been given to the fans. For free.

And thank you for your time, too, Eric. I really appreciate it.

The Doctor is in

I rarely get ppv fights anymore...very rarely. but i will get this one. Floyd & Zab will be a great fight. We all are pretty sure about Floyd's abilities, and I agree that Zab is the question mark. It is Zab's lack of maturity and resultant inconsistency that generates speculation. However, I have watched Zab closely over the years, and there is no question about his skills and ability. If he is focused, he is hard to beat. Zab's other weakness is his chin. However, if he is really focused it will be much tougher to KO him. When Kostya KOed him, I think Zab had gotten too cocky and careless, but we all know that Kostya can crack. This fight makes Zab's carreer. He knows it. I think Floyd will win. But with a focused Zab in top fighting form, Floyd better not make any mistakes, cause Zab can crack too.....and is close to matching Floyd in speed. I can't wait for the fight. Even Kosyta thinks Zab has a decent chance in this and predicts a very challenging fight for both guys.

--
Carl Sims, Ph.D.
Department of Cell Biology & Physiology
Universty of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine

Now here's an interesting position supported by very thoughtful analysis. This isn't to say that other readers haven't echoed your sentiments. You just haven't scoffed at me and for that, Dr. Sims, I thank you.

Plus, you feel that something special that most fans who are in favor of this match-up feel as well. And it's compelling you to order it and enjoy it.

Cell bio and physiology, huh? Nice. You must see some pretty amazing things from day-to-day. Thank you for taking the time to read and respond, Doc!

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Coyote at: theboxingguy@yahoo.com

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