Bloggin for Dollars...Again

Yeah, it's been a few weeks.


No, I'm not apologizing.


If you're wondering what I've been doing since I last posted, here's a quick rundown:


* Predicting the outcome of the Pacuiao-Cotto fight with frightening accuracy. Click that link again if you think I'm joking. No I'm not clairvoyant. I just really know the sweet science... and sometimes I get lucky.


* Celebrating my 33rd at Babaluu with the Cuban Sunday crew.


* Getting fat on thanksgiving with some help from Harold, Garrett, and my sister.


* Getting ripped with fast company.


But the biggest reason for my absence from this space is that I'm blogging for dollars again, and this time it's about something I love.


The fight game.


This particular idea is three years in the making, a week old on the web and full of value added.


Like video!





Understand that managers in the moribund world of print media live and die by web stats, basing each writer's worth as a human being on the number of hits his or her stories attract. I haven't seen the numbers on this blog yet, but I do know that the Mayweather-Pacquiao post  has generated 48 published comments so far. Granted, it's not ESPN-level traffic (1698 comments and counting for their Mayweather-Pacman story), but its an insane about of feedback for a post on a sport that's supposed to have died five years ago.


MOREOVER... The video embedded above -- the one I KNOW you all clicked on is as of this very moment the third-most popular video at thestar.com.


!!!!


Barack Obama's Nobel speech has me beat, but for right now I'm enjoying my two-spot lead over Chris Bosh and his new tattoos.


Help me maintain it.


Click again. Comment often. 


The industry's in trouble and some folks are doing desperate things in order to survive.


I'm just trying to build a brand.


One click at a time.

On PacMan and Cotto

I know it's a great week on the gig when they allow me to take a break from the daily trade rumours surrounding Roy Halladay and weigh in on the biggest fight of 2009. Short of them actually sending to Vegas to cover Pacquiao and Cotto live, it's the best assignment a sportswriter and lover of the sweet science could hope for.





I haven't seen every episode of the most recent edtion of HBO's outstanding 24/7 documentary series (it somehow never made it to air in Canada), so I haven't as in tune with the pre-fight buildup as I would like to be. But or months now I've been listening to friends, ex-fighters journalists weigh in on how they think the fight will unfold.


Jason Abelson, founding member of The Fight Network and host of Pound-for-Pound Radio says Pacquiao shreds Cotto, point blank.


Meanwhile, former three-division world champ Felix "Tito" Trinidad says Cotto y su corazon latino will find a way to win.


And what do I think?


I think Pacqiao wins, but at a price.


*Again, a disclaimer. Fight predictions made here are pretty damn reliable, but are neither 100 percent accurate nor legally binding. If you bet based on my predictions but somehow lose, don't go blaming me. Even the World's Greatest makes mistakes. Sometimes.*


Floyd Mayweather supporters might dispute the assertion that Pacquiao is the best fighter in boxing, but there's no doubting that Pac Man's December dismantling of Oscar De La Hoya and springtime destruction of Ricky Hatton make him the hottest boxer in the sport right now. He's improving every time out and packing plenty of power even when he ventures north of 140, and Mayweather's camp has to respect that even if they don't fear it.


HOWEVER, hot does not mean indestructible. 


Shane Mosley was the hottest fighter in boxing in 2001 when the late Vernon Forrest derailed him with a stiff jab and a sick right cross.


In 2008 Cotto, confident and undefeated, was in the same spot -- white hot until Antonio Margarito cooled him off with an 11th-round knockout, breaking Cotto's spirit and, it appears, several facial bones.





But that fight cost Margarito just as much as it did Cotto, because even in winning Margarito displayed weaknesses that Mosley would later exploit -- slow feet, a porous defence and a little too much confidence in his chin. Combine all that with a quick-thinking corner (hey commish, you mind double-checking Margarito's hand wraps?) and it adds up to the worst beating Margarito has ever suffered.


So what's that got to do with Pacquiao?


Everything.


Pacqiao should win this fight. I'm thinking late TKO (because Cotto cuts) or a fairly close decision. Cotto's stronger and naturally the bigger fighter, but Pacquiao is just too fast and busy and tenacious to lose.


But of everyone Pacquiao has faced since moving up from lightweight, Cotto is the closest to the top of his game. He's experienced but not old, and a better technician than most observers realize. With his jab and his body attack he could give Pacquiao fits, exposing flaws that others might attack later.


OK, not "others." 


Other.


Floyd Mayweather.


He may not Kanye West the post-fight interview like Sugar Shane did in September, but you best believe he'll be somewhere in that arena, taking notes, making plans, and moving us all a little closer to the biggest fight the sport can offer.


As long as Pacquiao does his part.

Baseball, Boxing and Say it Aint Sosa

On Baseball


Back on the job, back on the blog.


Didn't mean to leave you guys hanging this long, but I just spent about 10 days off work and offline. I returned full time to the office and the blog on Monday, just in time to realize that baseball (you know, that sport I actually get paid to write about) has no off season. Just a series of meetings, transactions and, above all, rumours to liven the dead time between the World Series and Spring training.


And as they did this past summer, the rumours I care about surround the Blue Jays and their ace, Roy Halladay.



Roy Halladay leaves the mound after his last, last, final last start as a Jay...Perhaps


On Boxing


Of course, if you know the World's Greatest then you know baseball is only half the story this week. And if you know me then you already know the other half is the sweet science -- specifically Saturday's welterweight showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Angel Cotto.


If this fight doesn't have you excited then you don't love boxing. And if you don't love boxing then you need to watch this fight and let two of the top fighters on the planet change your mind.





Later this week, when I've had a few more hours to think and the guys who pay me have publish a story I wrote recently on the Pacquiao Effect, I'll weigh in on how this fight should unfold. Until then, check out Greg Bishop's highly readable feature in the New York Times about the relationship between Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach. I wish I could say my upcoming Pacquiao piece outshines this one, but Bishop's story is likely the best read anyone will pen on this fight, period.


Say it Ain't Sosa


I don't even know what to say for Sammy. 




First saw the image last Satuday, when the GF pulled it up and asked me to identify the man next to buxom brunette.


I couldn't.


I could tell from the background that the photo was snapped at the Latin Grammys, and in my head I ran a slideshow if every salsa singer I could think of and a few I can't even name, and none of them matched the photo.


I was stumped.



Then she filled me in.


Sammy Sosa.


Yikes.


Now, I understand that a man can change. I saw Sammy Sosa morph from a scrawny outfielder with a juicy jheri curl and warning track power to a 220-pound home run machine.


I also watched him evolve from a fringe player at Comiskey, to Wrigley fan favourite when he was bashing balls on to Waveland Ave., to a pariah when people figured out he had some pharmaceutical help in becoming one of the game's premier power hitters.


The one constant through all this change has been Sammy's skin colour.


He was a black dude when he struggled through his early career with the Sox and Rangers, and just as black when he took the witness stand in a congressional hearing about steroid use and suddenly forgot how to speak English.


But now, two years past his last major league game, he's lighter than Julian Bond? 


Did he trade drug tests for paper bag tests?


Makes no sense.


His friends have tried to explain away this latest change in Sosa's appearance, telling media outlets that he's simply undergoing a process that "rejuvenates" his skin.


But scroll up and tell me if that explains why his eyes, which used to be brown, are now Erick Sermon-hazel. Or if it explains why his hand is three shades darker than his face. Or if it explains his hair, which is strangely straight even by jheri curl standards. Back in the day folks called that a "conk," and Chris Rock just made a documentary about how painful, expensive and unhealthy that process is.


But I could be wrong.


I don't know the man or what's motivating this latest change. 


All I know is what I see, and what I see is, frankly, freaky.

Super Six Saturday!

Woke up this morning with a simple plan:


To jumpstart my metabolism and get back on the road to ripped after two weeks of relative sloth. Part A of the plan consisted of a trip to the gym, and Part B included a couple of hours at Toronto's Salsa Church.


Last time I was there they said the back of my head was so pretty they took a picture of it.



Also pictured, Stacy "SMB" White, the coolest Canadian Hoosier in all of Indiana.


After that, back to the Penthouse to watch the opening rounds of the Super Six World Boxing Classic.


Like I said yesterday, it's a big deal. And like I said yesterday, even at the height of Maple Leaf Madness I managed to get a non-local boxing story into the newspaper.


But sometime this morning, just before tuning into "Thrilla in Manila," (outstanding...we will discuss here soon) I scrolled through the guide and learned that the football team representing my school, the finest academic institution in the Big Ten would kick off against Magic Johnson's alma mater at noon.





Just that quickly my Super Saturday Sweat-a-Thon turned into a Super Saturday of Sloth. 


Ah well.


As long as it's super. It'll be even more super once my Cats smash the Spartans.
Kickoff is in five minutes.


Settling into the couch right about.......


Now.

Boxing Does Something Right

Yesterday we riffed on Bernard Hopkins' full frontal assault on mixed martial arts' manhood, and in response many of my readers -- okay, two of them... all two of them -- pointed out that the frustrating tendency of top boxers to avoid each other isn't exactly macho, either.



Sadly, this might be the closest these two ever come to meeting. As a bodybuilding contest, it's a draw


Point taken. 


As excited as we all are about the resurgence of the sweet science since May 2007, when Floyd Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya clashed in the biggest non-heavyweight pay-per-view ever, true fans realize that old problems could undermine recent progress. 


Fans both hardcore and casual understand that the biggest fight in the sport in 2010 would be a showdown between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, provided Pacquiao defeats Miguel Cotto in November. But as the Cotto bout draws closer, the Mayweather fight looks less and less certain. 


As predicted by the World's Greatest in September, Pacquiao's people are looking for reasons not to make this fight happen.


By now we know the drill. A fight we want to see bogs down in negotiations, marketable fighters pursue less lucrative options, and the maddening dance continues.


That's why I'm so excited about the Super Six Boxing World Boxing Classic.


Six of the top supermiddleweights in the world matched in a round robin tournament to determine the division's top fighter.


No bickering over contracts and purses. That's was all done month ago, the eventual settling of differences making this event possible.


No ducking tough opponents to safeguard spotless records. Four fighters enter the tournament undefeated, but all realize an "0" must go.


And no lacklustre matchups giving boxing fans reasons to watch something else. 


Just big fights between top contenders, and an impressive documentary detailing the beyond-the-ring struggles required to put this event together.





How big a deal is this event?


Put it to you this way:


In a hockey-obsessed city, with the the local team attracting unprecedented attention for their unprecedented suckitude, I managed to sell my editors on a story about the tournament, even though it includes neither Canadians nor hockey players.


That's big.


Look for the story in Saturday's Star. And if you can't track down the paper I'll post the link here.

Didn't I Predict This?

First of all, this is not a Floyd Mayweather blog.

Yes, it seems like I only post these days around big fights that involve him somehow and no, that's not a coincidence. Few sports intrigue me the way boxing does and Money May is still the most intriguing athlete in the game, so it makes perfect sense that his first fight in 21 months shocked me out of my blog malaise.

Once again, now that I'm here I promise to do better.

Now lets talk boxing.

DIDN'T I TELL YOU...

That this was going to be a high level tuneup for Mayweather?

Well, I didn't tell all of you, but if you're one of the select group who discusses big fights with me via email then you know what I thought of Marquez:

A fine fighter and nonpareil drinker of piss, a relentless Mexican Warrior with a solid chin and highly refined skills, but no match for a bigger, stronger, faster, smarter fighter in Floyd Mayweather. And if you follow boxing closely and don't let Mayweather's antics taint your opinion of his skills, then you could see this fight for what it was -- a chance for Mayweather to earn a big paycheck and test himself against a high quality fighter without taking much of a risk.

I mean, did we really think a fighter who had never been north of 135 could do damage against the former (and future?) pound for pound king?

Now I know why you drank all that piss in training. Cuz you knew I was gon beat it out of you! You a smart dude, JMM.

Of course not.

This fight unfolded the way I thought it would, with Mayweather boxing early, stalking in the middle rounds, potshotting late, pitching a shutout and setting up....

A SHOWDOWN WITH MANNY PACQUAIO?

Yeah, I think two things that happened this week will combine to push this fight back indefinitely.

First, Mayweather weighed in at 146 for a bout that had a contracted weight of 144. Second, he looked damn good, dismantling a fighter who has pushed Pacquiao to the limit -- twice.

This isn't to imply that Pac Man is scared of Mayweather. He's just not stupid, and after 12 months of very careful matchmaking jumping straight into a welterweight bout with Mayweather is just plain dumb.

If Mayweather had looked average I could have seen Pacquiao's handlers trying to make this match as soon as he's through with Miguel Cotto (a fight that's far from guaranteed), because that's been their M.O. ever since Pacman moved up from lightweight. Fight Oscar, but only if he agrees to dry himself out to 147. Fight Ricky Hatton, but only after Mayweather and that deadly left hook turned him out. Fight Cotto, but only after he looked slow in slogging out a decision over Josh Clottey, and do it at a catch weight (145) that you know he'll have trouble making.

My guess is that after (or if) Pacquiao gets past Cotto, he pushes the price WAY up on Mayweather and hits him with a laundry list of conditions before agreeing to the bout. Look for him to demand this bout take place at 144, knowing Mayweather won't want to make that weight. And don't look for him to budge from that either because, again, after Saturday's performance I'm not sure how badly Pacquiao's people want this fight.

BUT WHAT ABOUT SUGAR SHANE?

What about him?

Who wants some of this? Manny? Floyd? Don't make me beg, now!

A great fighter who looked too good for his own good in blasting Antonio Margarito last January. Besides Paul "The Punisher" Williams, he's the one fighter in the welterweight mix that I think has a legit shot to beat floyd -- the stick, the strength, the speed.

But that's his problem.

Neither Floyd nor Pac is going to tangle with him for less than (I'm guessing) $15 million, but the last time we saw a $15 million fighter Pacquiao was beating the brain cells out of him. I think both Mayweather and Pacman would love to have a win over Shane on their resumes, but not at these prices. And neither one is going to put him on before next fall if the two of them can meet in a megabucks fight next spring.

Sorry, Shane. That's just sense.

BUT NONE OF THAT MATTERS BECAUSE BOXING'S A DEAD, RIGHT?

Wrong.

The pay per view numbers won't come out for few days, so we'll have to wait before finding out who won the battle between Money Mayweather and UFC 103 but if my own highly unscientific observations mean anything, the sweet science is a long way from last rites.

Watched the bout at Wing House, a breastaurant and sports bar on the North Side of St. Petersburg, where I'm covering the Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays.

This place TVs tuned to both boxing and UFC, and a standing room only crowd as diverse in race (Black folks, White folks and a sprinkling of Mexicans) as it was in age (I saw no fewer than three people in there holding damn-near newborn babies).

Now if the rumblings about boxing's demise were true we would have seen it in this bar tonight. If the UFC has overtaken boxing in terms of mainstream appeal then this group of sports fans, prestented with both options, should have chosen to watch the fight that looks like gay porn with a referee.

Tito Ortiz finishes an unidentified opponent with the Deep Throat choke. "Tito, it's just too big," he said.

Instead, they chose to watch the fight that looked like, well, a fight.

Mayweather and Marquez engage in non homoerotic violence. Prefer MMA to this? Says a lot about you.

It's not that they ingnored the live broadcast of Rich Franklin getting his chin dented yet again. It's just that they paid much more attention to Money May's boxing clinic. And when the bell sounded to end the 12th round the crowd thinned quickly, even with a pair of mixed martial artists still rolling around the octagon like lovers.

Go figure.

Then figure it out.

Boxing ain't dead.

My Thoughts On Boxing

First, we'll focus on the local....

As first reported by the World's Greatest Sportswriter on his 9-to-5, Brampton, Ont. native, two-time Olympian, and perennial damn-near world class cruiserweight Troy Ross is finally scheduled to fight for a world title.

He's got an opponent, Ola Afolabi; and a date, June 20. Only thing this WBO world title bout doesn't have is a venue. But if it comes to the GTA, you know who will be all over it, bringing you guys both the stories and the stories behind them.

It'll be a pretty big deal if they can pull it off. Clearly, it's not Pacquiao vs. Mayweather (more on that in a minute), but it's a viable complement to the Rumble at Rama series that since 2007 has brought big-time pro boxing back to an Ontario market that been dormant for two decades.

Will keep you all posted at the 9-to-5, and any interesting info I can't squeeze into the paper you can find right here, so stay tuned.

Now let's change the focus from the local to the global, as in Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and the quest to become (and remain) the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet.

Folks have been asking me to weigh in on the subject since last Saturday, when Mayweather announced his comeback, and Pacquiao flattened Ricky Hatton.

Mostly, the questions come from people who know me as a Money Mayweather proponent (as long as he's not rapping, that is) curious as to how the Pretty Boy can last six rounds against the Pac Man. These guys point out that Mayweather needed 12 rounds to decision Oscar De La Hoya and 10 to dispatch Hatton, while Pacquiao finished Oscar in eight and blasted Hatton in two.

And honestly, only a hater or a fool would dismiss Pacquiao's spectacular performances lately. There's no ignoring his uncanny combination of speed, power and aggressiveness, and how those tool could give anyone fits, not to mention a concussion.

Still, after Mayweather beats up on Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18 (and he will, guys... let's be serious), he'll handle Pacquiao whenever those two connect.

Why am I so sure Mayweather can tame the man who so thoroughly dominated two guys who made Mayweather work?

Because past results don't make fights.

Styles and circumstances do.

Again, not to diminish Pacquiao's spectacular run, but we need to look at these performances in context. The Oscar he destroyed in December 2008 was not the Oscar that Mayweather decisioned in May 2007.

The Oscar that faced Mayweather did so as junior middleweight after a training camp with Freddie Roach. He was a comfortable at the weight and equipped with a game plan, but couldn't impose it on a far superior boxer.

Feliz cinco de Mayo. Tu regalo? Un left hook! iQue golpazo!

Eighteen months later, with a different trainer, he faced Pacquiao drained from making the 147 pound limit. During pre-fight instructions Roach (who trains Pacquiao) saw I.V. marks in De La Hoya's arm, remnants of a desperate attempt to re-hydrate after the weigh in. At the bell Oscar and his I.V. marks tried to match speed with the division's fastest fighter, a flawed strategy that cost him dearly.

Oscar's pace, meet Manny's pist! Next time we pight in the Pilipines!

So yes, Pacquiao got rid of Oscar much more quickly than Mayweather did, but consider the circumstance then ask yourself if such a depleted fighter would have lasted any longer against Floyd.

Doubt it.

As for Hatton, both Mayweather and Pacquiao dominated him and the divergent results are due, once again, to styles and circumstances.

True to his style, Mayweather beat Hatton by attrition, breaking him down to the body before that emphatic, dramatic 10th round.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, bored in from different angles, launching big shots in volume -- as is his style.

But the fact that Floyd scored his knockout first is important, because Mayweather provided the blueprint for how to flatten Hatton.

I mean, how else did Pacquiao's camp figure out Hatton would walk into left and right hooks all night?

D'ya fancy a poonch up? I'll smash your fist with me noggin, yeah.

Exactly.

Circumstances.

So it really doesn't matter how good Pacquiao looked against Oscar and Hatton because neither of them is Floyd.

And Paquiao's not bullet-proof. He can, in fact, be hit, and by people much slower than Mayweather.

Pac-Man swallows a big right from Morales. Recovers after consuming power pellets between rounds.

Folks ask me how Floyd plans to deal with a quick and powerful southpaw who attacks from odd angles, and we have a clue in the way he handled Zab Judah -- he'll box, he'll stalk and he'll bang to the body.

But how will Pacquiao deal with a bigger man who is nearly as fast? Someone with footwork and a jab, the sharpest boxing mind of his generation and more power than his detractors like to admit?

Tough to say.

After feasting on a steady diet of Mexicans and a big helping of Hatton, Pacquiao has proven he can dismantle any fighter who leads with his chin.

Great.

But if he fights Floyd suddenly he can't commit to rapid-fire power shots because he can't be sure they'll land. Suddenly he'll have to deal with jabs and right hand leads upsetting his timing. And even if his game plan works, suddenly he'll have to solve a fighter who makes mid-fight adjustments better than anyone in the sport.

So to me the bigger question isn't whether Money May can handle Pac Man, but whether Pacquiao can become the first fighter to figure out Floyd.

I'm not saying he can't do it.

I just don't think he will.

Mayweather by decision.

Whenever it happens.

Another Bad Week....

.... For athletes and money. 

Don't misunderstand me, news from the newspaper industry -- whose money troubles have inspired several entries on this blog -- still stinks,  especially if you live in Boston or the Twin Cities. But at this point nobody expects newspapers to have cash, so reports of layoffs, buyouts and bankruptcies no longer surprise us.

Somehow, though we expect millionaire athletes to learn from the examples of those who squandered fortunes before them, even though a few times each year someone reminds us just how tough it can be to retire rich.

This week we have two examples.

First came news that the non-profit headed by former Olympic heptathlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee is bleeding money, yet somehow managed to pay nearly half a million dollars in "consulting fees" to a for-profit outfit headed by her husband, Bob.

Predictably, the IRS is interested in what the Joyner-Kersees have been doing with all those tax-deductible donations that help fund their charity. And though the story makes clear that the government has been scrutinizing the Joyner-Kersees' tax returns (both charitable and private) for, Bob continues to claim nothing shady is happening, and that all the problems stem from simple ignorance of tax procedure.

Uh, ok.

But what about Floyd (No Money?) Mayweather?

Surely he and his advisers know better than than burn through the mountain of money he earned in the ring, right? Or at least they know to take care of the tax man before blowing seven figures shopping for jewelery..... right?

I mean, it's not like he's Evander Holyfield or something.

I didn't used to think so, but now it looks like The Pretty Boy and The Real Deal have more in common than catchy nicknames and Olympic Bronze medals.

According to this report from Boxingscene.com, the Pretty Boy owes the IRS more than $6 million. This from a man who grossed nearly $40 million in 2007 alone?

Now, I don't know how reliable this story is, partly because no mainstream media (I guess that would include me) have picked it up, and mainly because it lacks any type of attribution. 

Uncle Sam wants to shake the Pretty Boy down?

According to whom?

Did you talk to his lawyer?

His manager?

Did you speak to the IRS, or even a "source close to the story"?

We don't know because the story doesn't say.

But we do know this:

Though Mayweather claims to have become a hip-hop mogul since retiring last year, his rhyme skills wouldn't even pay my grocery bill.

Ouch.

A looming tax lein would explain why the  Pretty Boy announced last month he'd consider unretiring for a Pay Per View superfight with Manny Pacquiao.

It's a shame in a lot of ways.

That our generation's most dominant fighter might be broke.

That he may have to go back to work when he might genuinely want to stay retired.

That he might risk damaging his legacy and brittle hands to keep the taxman happy.

But his tax trouble keeps him out of the recording studio, we all win.

One Take, One Link, One Endorsement

ONE TAKE -- OSCAR-PAC MAN POST MORTEM

So the final numbers are in from the De la Hoya/Pacquiao pay per view, and it was a stunning success. Looks like both the Golden Boy and his promotional company made enough to survive the impending depression.

Wait, no, it was a huge disappointment. Looks like Golden Boy Promotions (and the sport of boxing) are headed down the toilet, along with the American auto industry, the newspaper business and the governor of Illinois.

I'm with neither ESPN nor the L.A. Times on this one. Instead, I'm with Mos Def because "I find it distressing -- there's never no in between...."

Let's put this in perspective.

Is the 1.25 million pay per view buys Oscar and Pac Man logged last weekend impressive next to the 2.4 million Oscar and Floyd Mayweather put up in May 2007?

Not exactly.

But it's a huge number considering 1) Pacquiao wasn't exactly a celebrity to most Americans before this fight, and probably still isn't one now, and 2) everybody's broke.

The folks at the L.A. Times -- owned by the newly bankrupt Tribune Company -- know as well as anyone how little money people to spend these days. Given the depth of the economic doo doo we're in my hat's off to anyone who can sell a 1.25 million of anything, especially when that "anything" is a sport that even top fighters say is dying.

ONE LINK -- NASTY, DISGUSTING, GRAPHIC

So why is boxing dying?

Most folks think its because most members of that coveted 18-35 white male demographic would rather watch stuff like the link I'm about to show you. Basically, it depicts an unusually tall and rake-thin UFC fighter going shin-to-shin with an opponent and emerging with a badly broken leg.

Like, shattered shinbone.

Like he'll never walk normally again broken.

This is Joe Theismannesque, and then some.

You've been warned. This link is graphic. Don't click if you've just eaten.

But if you love disgusting, catastrophic sports injuries, then click here.

ONE ENDORSEMENT -- BLACK MILK

These days it seems everything I love is dying.

A medium (newspapers).

A sport (boxing).

An art form (hip-hop).

They say they come in threes, and as much as I'd hate to see hip hop die, I'll pull the plug and dig the grave myself if I hear too many more Auto Tuners. Seriously, who really wants to sound like T-Pain?

Anyway, dying don't mean dead, and there still are some talented folks keeping hip hop alive, and that leads me to this week's endorsement:

Black Milk.

A Detroit-based DJ/Producer/MC and heir apparent to the late J-Dilla, and he's making great music these days. Stumbled across some of his tracks online a couple months back and now he's in heavy rotation on my iPod.

My favourite so far:

A welcome antidote to the spreading T-Painification of hip hop, and as long as he's making music the art form will survive.

Not sure what he can do about boxing and daily papers though...

* Photo of Pac Man smashing Oscar originally appeared here.

Pacquiao Proves Me Wrong

Didn't I warn you guys that my predictions weren't legally binding?

I mean, even the World's Greatest Sportswriter is entitled to the occasional wrong prediction, and in manhandling Oscar de la Hoya Saturday night Manny Pacquiao rendered me only half right.

If you guys can think back about 45 hours you'll remember me pointing out that Pacquiao would press his speed advantage, land a bunch of clean shots and win plenty of rounds over the Golden Boy.

And didn't he do that?

But I also predicted Oscar would fight back.

And he didn't.

More accurately, he couldn't. 

In the bout's immediate aftermath several boxing observers said de la Hoya looked old as he absorbed stinging blows from Pacquiao while offering little in return.

But it goes beyond just looking old. At 35, after 16 years in the pro game, Oscar is old. Too old, anyway, to fight a guy as fast as Pacquiao, who doesn't appear to have lost much speed as he packed on pounds to become a welterweight.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, looked comfortable in his new weight class, and his thrashing of De La Hoya suggests he'll similarly steamroll any other smallish (Oscar entered the ring at just 147 pounds), slowish welterweight he faces.

So what's next for these two?

FOR OSCAR

I've heard several experts predict -- heck, damn near beg  for -- his retirement, which would seem reasonable after such a lopsided loss. Even without the Pacquiao fight he's generated more money than any fighter ever, and earned more money for himself than anyone (excluding Michael Vick) could ever spend. With his legacy set (Olympic Gold, six-time world champ, new pay scale for PPV headliners) and his health intact he has little reason to continue fighting.

Besides pride.

It's a powerful motivator. Powerful enough to propel him into the ring one last time next spring or fall, but not against a top flight fighter in his prime. I'm thinking Oscar takes a vacation, then signs to fight a third or fourth-tier welterweight with a decent pedigree -- someone like former Olympian Terrance Cauthen, former "Contender" Alfonzo Gomez, or even Ricky Hatton's brother Matthew. The fight headlines an expensive pay per view card, Oscar pounds out a lacklustre 10-round decision, then walks away a winner.

MEANWHILE, MANNY SHOULD SEEK OUT

1. Ricky Hatton.

He was in Vegas all week, looking to lure Saturday's winner into a showdown next year.

Think he changed his mind after seeing Pacquiao's performance? Two days have passed and I still haven't heard Hatton call out Pac Man the way he did Floyd a couple years back.

*Checks Google*

Still haven't.

You think Hatton doesn't remember what happened last time he faced an allegedly smaller fighter coming off a big win over De La Hoya?

No reason to think a Pacquiao fight would end much differently.

So it's on promoter Bob Arum to make this fight happen so Pacquiao can flatten Hatton and set up a big money bout with....

2. Floyd Mayweather

You think a $20 million payday is enough to coax the Pretty Boy out of retirement?

Maybe. Turns the trick for sure if you couple it with the the adulation that will follow Pac Man's victory over Hatton. When Floyd realizes the boxing world really has moved on without him, and that there's much more money in fighting than in bankrolling bad music acts, he'll un-retire to fight Pacquiao.

And he'll win.

Sorry, Manny, but Floyd is way too skilled for you. He'll make you eight figures, though, so make the fight.

MANNY SHOULD AVOID

Antonio Margarito and Paul WIlliams.

These plus-sized welterweights present BIG problems for a guy like Pacquiao. If you don't believe me, ask Miguel Cotto how 11 rounds of relentless pressure from Margarito felt. Or ask Margarito how he dealt with Williams' freakish reach and volume punching.

Both men are bad matchups for the Pac Man, and since neither is Oscar de la Hoya, neither brings enough money to the bout to justify the risk.