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By a show of hands how many of you actually bought the Don King PPV? Yeah me too, but I had no choice; if you want to complain, rant and rave you have to witness it or be labeled extremely unprofessional.
This edition of Ranting and Raving will deal with the PPV, Mike Tyson and Clifford Etienne’s respective legal problems, Vargas-Castillejo-Mayorga, the Pacquaio-Morales rematch that is apparently a done deal, plus more in this edition of Dog Bites.
Forty Dollars have been spent wiser: Does it surprise any of us anymore that Don King’s shows have fallen short on substance ever since the turn of the century? The Hasim Rahman-Monte Barrett card reminded us that the heavyweight division still lies dormant, buried under mediocrity and 30-something year old fighters grabbing for a Championship that was shattered into four equally embarrassing portions after the retirement of Lennox Lewis.
The only fight that had the potential to be exciting was the bout between Managuan madman Ricardo Mayorga and former IBF welterweight champion Michelle Piccirillo for the vacant WBC junior middleweight championship. This could have been a fun one to watch had Mayorga had blown out Piccirillo inside of 6 rounds. Instead the former 147 pound kingpin went the distance with the Italian in lopsided unanimous decision win.
PPV is not always bad: Don’t let this past Saturday’s events turn you sour toward PPV boxing. I always hear fans saying they want to ‘boycott’ PPV boxing events. This is truly cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face.
Remember that if you boycott PPV you boycott Hopkins-Taylor, Mayweather-Gatti, Morales-Barrera 3, Pacquaio-Morales 1 and potentially 2, and last but not least Diego Corrales’ rematch with Jose Luis Castillo! Face it fight fans, there are fights worth paying good money for.
On the other hand yes there are fights that should be ashamed of calling themselves pay fights! Marco Antonio Barrera should not be fighting Robbie Peden on a PPV show. Didn’t he put us through enough with the whole Mzonke Fana debacle?!
Point being, some fights are worth paying for, some aren’t. It is your right to choose to watch them or not. Don’t boycott the whole shooting match just because you had one bad investment.
Tyson and Etienne in trouble: The troubled and problematic ex-heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was accused of taking cocaine and beating a woman in a European night club. A case has been officially opened on the matter.
Say it ain’t so Mike! I wanted to believe Tyson this time folks, I really did. He said he was happy, he was at peace, and he was not the same person he was 15 years ago. It seems now that Mike still has a sexual appetite that is bordering on dangerous. Couple that now with an alleged drug problem and Tyson’s prophecy of him ending up like Sonny Liston is one step closer to coming heartbreakingly true.
Cliff Etienne was also picked up last week for attempted murder. His mother and trainers believe that a neurological disorder may be to blame. Etienne started boxing while being rehabilitated for past criminal conduct. He was, at one point, a potential success story of how jail is not always the end of the line.
But now it is all but certain that Etienne will be going back to prison and his boxing career, or what is left of it, is over. If this is a neurological problem let’s hope that Clifford Etienne can get the help he needs and that he can once again be a productive member of our society. There are already too many sad ending to boxing careers, let’s hope the Black Rhino will rise from the ashes once again.
Vargas-Mayorga is still on track theoretically: The challenge was laid down by Ricardo Mayorga to Fernando Vargas. Newly crowned WBC junior middleweight titleholder Mayorga will have to wait for Vargas to defeat Javier Castillejo on August 20th before the fight becomes a possibility.
If all goes according to plan this could be one of the most exciting fights of this year or early 2006. It will be interesting to see how much Vargas has left and how Yoel Judah’s training has paid off for Mayorga.
I honestly do not believe Vargas’ back or body will hold up to Mayorga’s newly discovered jab and persistent aggression. Vargas has admitted himself that his back gives him problems from time to time, and one must be at 100 percent when facing the likes of Ricardo Mayorga. Expect Mayorga to win by TKO late in this fight which will be quite entertaining to say the least.
Pacquiao-Morales 2 is on!: Provided Erik and Manny get past their respective opponents this September they will be going to war at least one more time in 2006. All Pacquiao has to do to get his big payday is draw with Hector Velasquez next month.
It would be wise however for Pacquiao to win sensationally too boost the PPV buys and make the fight even more money than it is already expected to make. Don’t plan on a draw or even a close fight though as Pacquiao should destroy this guy within 6.
The first fight was somewhat close and the rematch should be closer. But expect Morales to walk, or be carried away in victory in another bloodbath type of war. Pacquiao is a brave, strong, and powerful warrior, but he is not Erik Morales. Morales will be a legend when it is all said and done, and only Marco Antonio Barrera can touch that apparently.
And to close this edition: Shannon Briggs and Ray Mercer is a draw apparently. I mean we are being charged what $30 to be able to watch this fight? Mercer is closer to 50 than he is 35 and Briggs hasn’t been a contender since Lennox Lewis beat him. Why are high profile fights being made including has been warriors a decade past their prime every single week now? First Rjiker-Martin now this?! It’s going to be awful and I will tell you how awful it will be because, well, I will probably order it. DAMN!
Also See:
Dog Bites: Ranting and Raving, Edition 1
Dog Bites: Ranting and Raving, Edition 2
Dog Bites: Ranting and Raving, Edition 3
Dog Bites: Ranting and Raving, Edition 4: Klitschko Brothers, Ouma
Dog Bites: Ranting and Raving, Edition 5: Top 10 Pound for Pound
Dog Bites: Ranting and Raving, Edition 6: Toney, Lacy, Klitschko...
Dog Bites: Ranting and Raving, Edition 7
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© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2005
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Ranting and Raving by Aaron Imholte (August 16, 2005) 
