Just KC
12-16-2006, 10:07 PM
WITH no other major bouts scheduled for the rest of the merry month of December, it’s safe to declare Manny Pacquiao as 2006’s best fighter. The Pacman gobbled up the great Mexican legend Erik Morales twice and in between both bouts, battered former junior featherweight champ Oscar Larios for a tasty snack.
The body of work performed by his closest rival for this year’s top honors, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (also his rival for pound for pound honors) pales in comparison to the trail of destruction left behind by the man from Gen San.
Sun.Star Network Online's 12th Asean Summit watch
Floyd impressively beat headcase Zab Judah and annexed the welterweight crown from Carlos Baldomir.
But the manner in which he achieved those victories (both unanimous decision wins with no knockdowns) leaves much to be desired. But you know what, I wish someone else would be Fighter of the year and not Manny. Mayweather, Jermain Taylor, Klitchsko, Ronnie Rickets, whoever, I don’t care, just not Manny.
Do you know why? You see, there’s an urban legend about fighters of the year. I read about it first in one of my favorite boxing magazines and since then, it has been told and retold so it now supposedly approximates the truth. Or something like that.
It’s an urban legend, remember?
The legend goes that in this new millennium, all fighters of the year will be haunted by bad luck the following year. . Bad luck may come in the form of a loss, an injury, failure to secure high profile fights, a stagnating career or troubles outside the ring.
Consider the following:
Exhibit A— 2000 Fighter of year Felix Trinidad, an unbeaten punching phenom, gets executed on Sept. 29, 2001 by Bernard Hopkins. He promptly announces his retirement. He has since launched a failed comeback.
Exhibit B— 2001 fighter of the year Hopkins fights everywhere but in the ring and registers only one fight for 2002, a meaningless KO win over nondescript Carl Daniels. His troubles with his promoters and trainers get more media mileage than his ring exploits. Considering what the Executioner has achieved lately, 2002 was clearly a year he would rather forget.
Exhibit C— 2002 fighter of the year Vernon Forrest gets kayoed by a beer-chugging, cigarette-smoking Nicaraguan named Ricardo Mayorga in three rounds. He tries again a few months later, but Mayorga wins by decision.
Exhibit D— 2003 fighter of the year James Toney gets sidelined by injuries and fights only once in 2004 against unknown Rydell Booker, a fight where he tore his biceps and had to box with one hand.
Exhibit E— 2004 fighter of year Glen Johnson gets beaten by Antonio Tarver in their rematch in June 2005. He beats Geoge Khalid Jones later that year, but his star dims and he returns to the doldrums of boxing anonymity from whence he sprung forth.
Exhibit F— 2005 fighter of the year Ricky Hatton moves up to welterweight and engages in a life and death struggle with southpaw Luis Collazo. Although the Englishman wins the decision, most observers thought otherwise.
Worse, he gets mugged in China and his Roles watch stolen. He doesn’t fight again for 2006. Scary, isn’t it? If the urban legend holds true, I fear what 2007 holds for our very own Manny. From where I sit, the Golden Boy-Top Rank turf war over his services smells trouble. Let’s hope Manny destroys an urban legend the same way he disposes of Mexican ones.
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This sucks Floyd Mayweather absolutly dominates his 2 opponents and Manny gets it because he fought 2 old hags? ya that makes sence i honestly who like to kno who votes on these things because if Larry Merchent is one of them no wonder Floyd Mayweather didnt get it because hes as biased as one gets.
The body of work performed by his closest rival for this year’s top honors, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (also his rival for pound for pound honors) pales in comparison to the trail of destruction left behind by the man from Gen San.
Sun.Star Network Online's 12th Asean Summit watch
Floyd impressively beat headcase Zab Judah and annexed the welterweight crown from Carlos Baldomir.
But the manner in which he achieved those victories (both unanimous decision wins with no knockdowns) leaves much to be desired. But you know what, I wish someone else would be Fighter of the year and not Manny. Mayweather, Jermain Taylor, Klitchsko, Ronnie Rickets, whoever, I don’t care, just not Manny.
Do you know why? You see, there’s an urban legend about fighters of the year. I read about it first in one of my favorite boxing magazines and since then, it has been told and retold so it now supposedly approximates the truth. Or something like that.
It’s an urban legend, remember?
The legend goes that in this new millennium, all fighters of the year will be haunted by bad luck the following year. . Bad luck may come in the form of a loss, an injury, failure to secure high profile fights, a stagnating career or troubles outside the ring.
Consider the following:
Exhibit A— 2000 Fighter of year Felix Trinidad, an unbeaten punching phenom, gets executed on Sept. 29, 2001 by Bernard Hopkins. He promptly announces his retirement. He has since launched a failed comeback.
Exhibit B— 2001 fighter of the year Hopkins fights everywhere but in the ring and registers only one fight for 2002, a meaningless KO win over nondescript Carl Daniels. His troubles with his promoters and trainers get more media mileage than his ring exploits. Considering what the Executioner has achieved lately, 2002 was clearly a year he would rather forget.
Exhibit C— 2002 fighter of the year Vernon Forrest gets kayoed by a beer-chugging, cigarette-smoking Nicaraguan named Ricardo Mayorga in three rounds. He tries again a few months later, but Mayorga wins by decision.
Exhibit D— 2003 fighter of the year James Toney gets sidelined by injuries and fights only once in 2004 against unknown Rydell Booker, a fight where he tore his biceps and had to box with one hand.
Exhibit E— 2004 fighter of year Glen Johnson gets beaten by Antonio Tarver in their rematch in June 2005. He beats Geoge Khalid Jones later that year, but his star dims and he returns to the doldrums of boxing anonymity from whence he sprung forth.
Exhibit F— 2005 fighter of the year Ricky Hatton moves up to welterweight and engages in a life and death struggle with southpaw Luis Collazo. Although the Englishman wins the decision, most observers thought otherwise.
Worse, he gets mugged in China and his Roles watch stolen. He doesn’t fight again for 2006. Scary, isn’t it? If the urban legend holds true, I fear what 2007 holds for our very own Manny. From where I sit, the Golden Boy-Top Rank turf war over his services smells trouble. Let’s hope Manny destroys an urban legend the same way he disposes of Mexican ones.
_________________________ _________________________ _______________
This sucks Floyd Mayweather absolutly dominates his 2 opponents and Manny gets it because he fought 2 old hags? ya that makes sence i honestly who like to kno who votes on these things because if Larry Merchent is one of them no wonder Floyd Mayweather didnt get it because hes as biased as one gets.