[jimdgoulding]

Hope I spelled Manny's last name right.  If this fight was happening before Manny's last fight, I would pick him easily.  In earlier coverage I heard Freddie Roach say we're gonna box this kid.  Manny has the legs and the quickness to be able to do that successfully, but Rios is even more confident now after that tussle with his corner and Roach.  And what might that have done to Roach's confidence.  Is he going to be the pillar of strength for Manny still, or was he shaken by that.  I think he was.  How does that effect the Pacster?  I imagine not for the better.  But, the other guy, he can't wait to get in there.  He is juiced!  I think he will be very hard to control over 12 rounds and Manny has to out land him to win on points.  This is becoming a dangerous and closer fight me thinks.  I want Manny to win.  I hope Manny wins.  But, I have become very nervous.  Manny will need ALL of his heart and his head.  If he has it in there, he will out class the guy.  If he is nervous, he might get hurt.

[dB Cooper]

If you want to piss Manny off, make fun of Freddy Roach's Parkinson's, like Rios' trainer did. Last person to do that was the hard hitting, bigger Margarito, and Manny rearranged his face.

I see this as a pick 'em fight, or did until the gym scuffle. Now I'm not so sure.

[jimdgoulding]

Manny is the superior boxer. I knew that.  Got the angles, foot speed, and whathaveyou.  Think I got caught up in the hype.  Rios was hand picked and I forgot that, too.  Very happy for Pacman and Rios got paid a tidy sum.

[dB Cooper]

I thought Rios' size and power would cause Manny some problems, at least in the early going, but Manny schooled him.

[jackman]

Manny looked good and was much smaller.  The only thing that bothers me is the prospect of a PBF fight.  Manny is not the same guy he was a few years ago when he was knocking everyone out.  He appears to have reached the point, due to age and mileage, where PBF will find the guts to fight him.  I'm just wondering what is left for Pac Man.  Another JMM fight?  Who wants to see that anyway?  Not me.  A mega-buck fight with Floyd is the only big time fight I can envision. 

Floyd is no spring chicken but he's got much less mileage and I believe he has the speed and power to beat today's version of Pacquaio.  This, IMO, would be a real shame because Manny has not dodged anyone over the years and Floyd has done nothing but dodge great fighters.  There does not appear to be any big money opponents left for Floyd at the Welterweight or Jr. Middleweight ranks other than Manny.  I'd pay money to see Floyd step up six pounds to Middleweight and fight Golovken (GGG) but don't see that happening.  GGG would have trouble catching Floyd but if he did, I don't think Pretty Boy will be standing upright or "Pretty" for that matter.  Golovken walks around at light heavy and the size differnce might be too much for Floyd to be willing to take. 

Boxing needs a fight that lives up to the hype.  Haven't seen one of those in a while, at least not among the "stars" of the sport.  Golovken/Sergio Martinez would be fun but I don't think Martinez wants any part of GGG.  I'd pony up some cash to watch that one as well.  Both guys are entertaining to watch and always put on a good performance.  Sorry for getting side tracked.  The Rios/Pac Man fight was okay but Manny dominated and it was not really a contest.  Rios was bigger than I expected and he takes a good punch.  Not sure if he would have lasted as long with Pac a few years ago.

Cheers,
J

[dB Cooper]

I think Pac vs Floyd  could still be a good fight. My beef is that three or four years ago it would have been a great fight. I think Manny could still win it although you can be sure that if Floyd signs for the fight, he doesn't think so. I would love nothing more than to see that turn out to be a horrible miscalculation.

[jimdgoulding]

Neither guy needs the money, tho it would be quite large.  Marquez should retire.  He's got everything he'll ever need plus he's a Mexican national hero already.  No telling what is managers/promoters are telling him, tho.  And the Pacster should not look in this direction, imo.  Marquez is 40 years old.  Rest on your laurels, old sport.

[Dimfer]

everything that's happening with Manny lately is staged... the losses to Bradley &  Marquez and the latest performance against Rios are all part of a conspiracy to make Floyd believe Manny is not as dangerous anymore..

of course you know I am kidding 

[dB Cooper]

Two ways to end the four year old Manny vs Money bickering:

1) Floyd wants a 60/40 split, so… Sign the fight for a 60/40 winner/loser split. If you want the big slice, all you have to do is win the fight.

2) Agree to Floyd's terms- on condition that the fight take place in Manila.

I should be a boxing promoter. Me so smart!

[jackman]

Unfortunately, Money is in the driver's seat with regard to the next fight.  Manny has very little leverage because people seem to like paying money to watch Mayweather fight a bunch of stooges who have no chance of beating him.  To be fair, Canello, JMM, etc., are not stooges but their fighting style plays into PBF's style.  I think Manny will agree to the 60/40 split and fight Floyd in Vegas eventually.  It sucks, but Floyd is the much bigger draw (because he attracts casual fans who know nothing about boxing and like his cocky style) and Manny is generally regarded as being near the end of the line or at least not as sharp as he was a short time ago. 

Manny has been in some wars over the years and is no longer the steamroller he was a few years ago.  He's still a strong fighter but is no longer the PFP champ he once was considered.  Floyd, on the other hand, has never really been hit hard, and I can't recall him being in any real battles in the ring.  Floyd's biggest challenge is all the stuff outside the ring.  I'm hoping Pac Man has enough gas in the tank to give this punk the beating he deserves.  I can't recall disliking a fighter as much as I dislike Floyd.  He has a big mouth, beats women and acts like a punk.  Whoever knocks him out (hopefully perminantly) will become my favorite boxer!   

[dB Cooper]

A couple of defeats (counting the "defeat" against Bradley) that occurred while Floyd was ducking him lowered Many's stock compared to his high point a few years ago. So in that time we have the Bradley "loss", the Marquez emphatic defeat, and a decent-for-a-14 month-layoff showing against a bigger, fresher, hard hitting, iron chinned Rios.  Of those fights, only the Marquez KO loss concerns me. I'm not sure Manny has slipped as much as some (hopefully Floyd) think.

Canelo lost mainly on experience. If he had been able to solve Floyd's shoulder-rolling non-fighting style, things might have been different. Cotto was able to pressure him, just not enough. Manny would have to go back to a pressure style to an extent; if he tries to box with Floyd, it will look pretty much like the Alvarez fight.

I don't like Floyd either. When he met Ray Leonard, instead of showing some respect, like fighters should for hall-of-famers, Floyd went full asshole on him and started talking trash about how he would have kicked his ass etc etc. Ray KO'd his Uncle Roger (another woman beater btw) back in the day- so what? It was a fight. Ray won. Grow up.

There is a rumor going around work that the camps have reached a deal. Hope it's true. There really aren't a whole lot of compelling alternatives for either, perhaps excepting Provodnikov, whom there is likely zero chance of getting Mayweather to sign for (actual risk). It just would have been so much better 3-4 years ago...

[jackman]

I agree Manny is still a great talent and that his fight with Bradley was a one sided blowout.  The KO from JMM is the only recent blemish.  In fairness, it's super tough fighting the same guy so many times.  Notice how many rematches PBF gives people...none.  I thought he should have given Ortiz a rematch because of the way that fight ended.  Ortiz was actually getting to Floyd and I wish he would not have been so stupid. 

No one ever talks about it but I think it's strange PBF never gives any rematches.  Manny and other champs have been in lots of rematches and they are usually really tough.  Once you fight a guy, he has a good idea of what he did wrong and usually is a tougher opponent in the rematch.  PBF hasn't given anyone a rematch in a decade.  He'd prefer to dodge good guys and fight only hand-picked opponents he knows he can beat.   How can anyone call this punk a true champion? 

[Dimfer]

Manny was doing very good against Marquez after he got knocked down. He got careless when trying to be aggressive and finish Marquez off when he got caught. I think he is getting too compassionate against his opponents lately, best example was how he acted in the late rounds in the Margarito fight. I can't remember which fight, but Roach gave him heck for touching gloves too much (is he your friend). In the fight against Rios, his corner had to tell him not to be too nice to Rios.

Maybe Mayweather never gave rematch because he does not want to give anybody a chance to figure him out and devise a different fight plan.

[jackman]

Manny was doing very good against Marquez after he got knocked down. He got careless when trying to be aggressive and finish Marquez off when he got caught. I think he is getting too compassionate against his opponents lately, best example was how he acted in the late rounds in the Margarito fight. I can't remember which fight, but Roach gave him heck for touching gloves too much (is he your friend). In the fight against Rios, his corner had to tell him not to be too nice to Rios.

Maybe Mayweather never gave rematch because he does not want to give anybody a chance to figure him out and devise a different fight plan.

That's exactly why Mayweather never gave a rematch.  Another reason is that his clueless fans don't demand a rematch.  They just keep paying to watch him beat up lesser opponents.  JMM would give him a better fight if he chose to fight again but he will never do it.  Also, I hope Manny isn't getting soft.  He's a great fighter and I think that sort of thing is dangerous.  One thing is certain, he will not be soft of Floyd.  Not to say he can beat him at this stage but he will give it everything he has.  I'll pay to watch that fight and will be rooting for Manny. 

[dB Cooper]

Floyd did have one rematch: Jose Luis Castillo, but that one may have been ordered by the WB-Whoever. Quite a few people thought Castillo did enough to win the first one. That's largely the style Manny would need to stick to to win.

BTW, when I looked up Floyd's record, it took his first eighteen fights before  saw a name I recognized; then a few puffed up junior lightweights start to appear on it.

Correction to my earlier post: it was Floyd Sr., not woman beater Roger, that was TKO'd by Ray Leonard. Floyd Sr. is a jailbird too but don't remember for what. Fruit doesn't fall far from the tree, I suppose. Floyd still is a jackass to behave that way.