You’ve probably already seen it, because it’s been out since February, or maybe you haven’t, because so few have according to the view count. But boxing promoter Gary Shaw’s kid has produced such a comical musical video that it has to be seen, if you haven’t witnessed it. I love the idea that some video director thought the best video for THIS song was him typing on an old-fashioned literary-looking typewriter “Girl… u know u sexy,” and doin’ it in the library of books Jared has assuredly read in full.
It’s all by way of some light viewing before you get ready for a packed night of boxing, which we’ve covered extensively here this week. But there’s room for discussion of things that aren’t about this weekend, and that room is here, now.
Quick Jabs
Our friend Jimmy Tobin had a nice blog post about middleweight champion Sergio Martinez here, which is saying, basically, that we’re being spun on how big he is or isn’t. It’s an interesting thought. I’m not of a firm conviction either way. I can say, sure, his team seems awfully convinced he’s no super middleweight based on current rhetoric. But a few things contradict that: 1. He sparred one week before his showdown with Serhiy Dzinziruk at 170-175; 2. He weighed in at 176 a month before the Paul Williams rematch; 3. Everyone made it a big, big deal that Williams for that fight wanted him to shrink down to 158 as though it were some kind of crippling move, when suddenly it was described this past week as his natural weight; and 4. They were willing to move up to super middleweight’s full limit for Carl Froch, despite there being little evidence that he was a smaller super middle than Lucian Bute or Andre Ward, which suggests that it’s really just about not wanting to give away certain advantages than that he simply can’t fight at super middle. To counter that #3, I can tell you that after a couple years of trying to get down to a lower weight at age 36, my body has defaulted a little lower when not dieting than it did a few years ago, so maybe Martinez has somehow become a naturally small middleweight after a couple years of higher weights. It’s really academic, though, because if Martinez’ team doesn’t want him to be a super middle, he won’t. But this line of reasoning does take certain potentially interesting fights — Bute, Ward — off the table…
Speaking of Martinez, I left out of this weekend’s Weekend Afterthoughts that Amir Khan was booed heartily by the New York City crowd there for the Martinez fight. I can see why he would’ve been booed in, say, Washington, D.C., based on how he’s spoken of our fair city in light of his controversial decision loss against Lamont Peterson. But I wonder if Khan hasn’t made himself a villain overall with his persistent, months-long whining about the result, something he espoused here in Esquire. It’s one thing to have a legit gripe with a result. It’s another thing to talk about it so much everyone hates you. Khan appears to have reached that level…
Manny Pacquiao has been running with the devil, despite how God told him he should retire soon or whatever. (It turns out he told him to retire at the end of 2013. Pacquiao = William Blake, I guess.) Anyhow, he’s in some trouble with the law over some fugitives and some taxes. The byzantine nature of Philippines politics makes it nearly impossible to assess the accuracy of these claims against him, and I’m always hesitant to convict someone as guilty in the court of public opinion, but none of this exactly looks good, I guess…
Meanwhile, Pacquiao rival Floyd Mayweather, Jr. every now and then makes a big public showing about his charity, then pretends he doesn’t, as with his helping a sick baby of late. Whether this kind of thing makes up for smacking women around all the time or not, I cannot say; I don’t have my hedonistic calculator handy. Ward — he doesn’t seem to do much wrong ever outside the ring, and he does enough good like visiting jail inmates that I think Jeremy Bentham would endorse the dude…
I’m beginning to see things the way of referee Roberto Ramirez, Sr. about all the apologies from Juan Manuel Lopez relating to Lopez’ post-fight remarks that Ramirez stopped the bout against Orlando Salido because Ramirez and his son (who stopped an earlier fight against Salido) were gamblers. It’s one thing to apologize for saying something. It’s another thing to apologize for what you MEAN. That’s what Ramirez wants an apology for. And I haven’t seen Lopez specifically repudiate his remarks about Ramirez and his kid having gambling problems…
Top Rank is suing Yuriorkis Gamboa and some “John Does” in a way that suggests to me Gamboa should soon be in a world of hurt. He’s already dug himself a hole with fans over pulling out of Brandon Rios fight, fans of which he had few, and now he might be digging himself a legal hole that could be very, very costly. I am not too familiar with the legal process for suing some unnamed “John Does,” but I sure would like to know who Top Rank thinks they are…
I never felt like we got a very satisfactory explanation for why Bute was excluded from Showtime’s Super Six tournament, but he says it’s because he felt compelled to sign a rematch with super middleweight Librado Andrade. Possibly. I do know that it’s terrific that Bute is leaving his comfy climes of Canada to face Froch in England. I already respect him more than I did, win or lose…
Our pal James Foley recently wrote up the fights he thinks could help revive the beloved “Legendary Nights” series on HBO, and it’s a worthy read…
It’s been sad watching Eloy Perez get dumped left and right after testing positive for cocaine following his junior lightweight fight against Adrien Broner, not that I blame people for dumping him. I hope he can get his act together. He still has a future in the sport despite that loss, but only if his head is screwed on straight…
Kevin Iole recently wrote up an explanation of how pound-for-pound lists are primarily for entertainment purposes. What?????? You mean I shouldn’t take these things too seriously one way or another, like saying that they’re ruining the sport??????
