Bleacher Report - Articles by Justin O'Shea

Manny Pacquiao's Toughest Test Yet

Justin O'Shea — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:24:39 -0400

On Saturday May 2, two warriors step inside the ring. Only one will emerge victorious. I am not just an author, but a boxing fanatic and this fight makes me smile. I know I am going to see a war. Two of boxing’s biggest stars come together in one ring.

I believe Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton will give viewers the most exiting fight of the year. Both men are known for their offense and I expect this to be a mega brawl.

The fight is for the IBO Jr Welterweight title, which Hatton currently holds. Pacquiao has won titles in several weight classes. His most recent title won was the WBC Lightweight title from David Diaz in 2008. Then Manny beat Oscar De La Hoya and is now considered boxing’s pound for pound king.

I looked at each fighters past fights to see if there is a previous fight that will best indicate how this fight will go. There wasn’t one! Each fighter will be facing their biggest challenge yet.

Ring magazine polled 20 boxers, writers and experts asking them who will win the fight. Seventeen picked Pacquiao and only three picked Hatton. I find this crazy. Hatton is the champion.

He has defended his belt against top fighters, including Jose Luis Castillo who he ko’d in four rounds with a vicious left hook to the body. Most of the experts say speed will make the difference.

Another factor is that Hatton has had trouble with left handed fighters. For example, when he fought Louis Collazo in 2006, he won a close decision. Ricky’s only defeat was against the former pound for pound fighter Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Mayweather ko’d Hatton in 10 rounds. That was at 147 lbs. Hatton has never been beat at 140 lbs.

Pacquiao matches up well against Hatton. Pacauaio’s trainer, Freddie Roach, says Hatton is a one dimensional fighter moving forward, clinching and wrestling. Roach is making a prediction that Pacquaio is going to knock out Hatton in three rounds.

The keys for a Pacquiao victory are as follows: keep the fight in the center of the ring; stay off the ropes; outbox Hatton and use his southpaw style to confuse Hatton; avoid clinches where Hatton can work the body; avoid Hatton’s body punches all together; use the right hand up the middle like he did against Oscar De La Hoya; and finally use speed.

As they say, speed kills! During HBO’s series 24/7 that leads up to the fight, Freddie Roach told Manny, “Do not let him touch that body.”

Hatton has a new trainer. It’s none other than Floyd Mayweather, Sr. Mayweather claims he is teaching Hatton defense and controlled aggression.

Hatton was always known for his come forward, brawling style, but in his last fight against Paulie Malignagi, Hatton looked great neutralizing Malignagi’s hand speed with great head movement and even used an effective jab.

Ricky Hatton’s keys to victory are as follows: use his jab more than ever; use what Mayweather Sr. calls controlled aggression, staying focused; go to the body. Hatton may be one of the top body punchers out there. This could make a huge difference.

Hatton must have a high punching volume to keep up with Pacquiao on the score cards. Lastly, Ricky has to impose his will over Manny’s using his strength and try, when possible, to keep the fight on the inside. He should push Pacquiao around, be physical and go to the body in the clinch.

This is a tough fight to make a prediction on, but I am going against the so-called experts.

I say, Hatton in ninth by TKO .You know what they say, “There is only on Ricky Hatton.”

Pavlik "I Am Still Hungry"

Justin O'Shea — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:12:15 -0500

Saturday night in his home town of youngstown Ohio, Kelly Pavlik his fighting Marco Antonio Rubio. The real fight will be psychological "in his head "after coming of of his first loss in his career. Pavlik 34-1-30ko's lost last year to future hall of famer Bernard Hopkins no shame in that right. Well Hopkins was 43yrs old and a big underdog against Kelly Hopkins did not just win he gave Pavlik a Boxing lesson one thats probably hard to get out of your mind.

Marco Antonio Rubio 43-4-1 37ko's is Pavliks opponent some say he's made to order because he won't be moving like Hopkins he just stands and fights. I watched some video of Rubio today, he has power especally in his right hand. Rubio is ranked 8 in the world in the middleweight division . Pavlik is the Champion holding belts for the WBC and WBO.he won those belts by beating Jermain Taylor . Who coincidentally beat Bernard Hopkins.

Kelly needs to look good, lets face it after the Hopkins fight people were saying "he lost to a old man." Hes a fluke."A flash in the pan. He is also facing the pressure of fighting in front of his home crowd. Styles make fights they say, well both men like to stand and throw so I would think someone is getting knocked out Saturday.

So what does Pavlik need to do? Well he needs to establish his jab. Its better than Rubio's . When Rubio throws his jab he lets it hang there just for a second. Pavlik needs to counter that .He can not just throw punches one at a time .Kelly needs to throw punches in bunches. After the Hopkin's fight lets hope Pavlik has learned a little foot work and maybe some head movement. Kelly needs to stay off the ropes and put Rubio there ,so he can set him up for those viscous uppercuts and right hands Pavlik is known for.

So for Kelly Pavlik to regain his stature as one of boxing's best he needs a devastating win hopefully by KO. This fight is on ppv .Also on the card is Miguel Cotto who is also coming off a loss last July to Antonio Margarito. Margarito was just suspended by the boxing commission for using wet gauze pads in his hand wrapping .When the gauze dryes hit hardens making cast like object in the glove. Ok I predict Pavlik TKO in the sixth.

Mosley's Test

Justin O'Shea — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:04:11 -0500

On Saturday Jan. 24, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA, boxing legend Sugar Shane Mosley 45-5-37 KO’s will step into the ring against Antonio Margarito 37-5-27 KO's for the WBA Welterweight Championship belt.

Mosley is 37 years old and he is ranked No. 3 in Ring Magazine. On paper, and from past matches, Mosley is easily the winner. He is faster, has better head movement, faster hands, and is the more technical fighter.

However, at 37, and with a poor performance in his last fight, some say Mosley is done. His last fight was in September against Ricardo Mayorga at junior middleweight 154lbs.

Mosley usually fights at 147 lbs and will do just that on Saturday night. In the fight against Mayorga, Mosley looked sluggish and slow, as he took a lot of punches from a fighter not even ranked.

He did KO Mayorga with one second left in the last round. Was it the extra weight? Was it his age? I don’t know. I do know that on Saturday night he needs to be in the best shape of his life or he may end up on the canvas looking up!

The reason that they call him the Tijuana Tornado is because Antonio Margarito is as rough and tough as they come. He is not fast nor technical. He just keeps moving forward, no jabs just wicked uppercuts to the body, punches from different angles, and constant pressure.

What impress me more than anything about Margarito is his ability to take punishment, yet keep moving forward . Last July, Margarito took on Miguel Cotto and the fight was amazing to watch.

Cotto won the first few rounds with wicked combinations snapping Margarito’s head back. But Antonio kept coming even smiling after being hit. Cotto kept trying to move but halfway through, the tide had turned and Cotto’s will was gone. In the 11^th round, the accumulation of body shots took its toll. It was a TKO for the Tornado.

Sugar Shane needs to be what he usually is, the superior boxer. He will need to jab, move, and use his hand speed to land left hooks to the body and right crosses to the head, just as Cotto did in the first few rounds of his fight against Margarito..

Unlike Cotto, Shane needs to stay off the ropes and use lateral movements to try to avoid Margarito’s body shots. He needs to keep the fight in the center of the ring.

Mosley is always in great shape, but Saturday he is going to need to pace himself against the beast from Mexico. The first thing to go on a boxer is his legs, then his hand speed. Is this happening to Shane? At 37, he is taking the aged boxers test. I don’t think he passes. My prediction -Margarito knocks him out in the 10th round.

Oscar de la Hoya - Manny Pacquiao: What's at Stake?

Justin O'Shea — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:11:26 -0500

Don't go to the Fridge between rounds! have you beers next to you.WHY because Saturday night there is gonna be a Pier 6 brawl in Las Vegas. This Super fight I believe is gonna be all its hyped up to be. Not just because each fighter wants to knock the other out, but because each fighter has something to lose and its not a Championship Belt!

Oscar De La Hoya has a legacy at stake the Golden boy has made millions, but feels he still has something to prove. Oscar has losses in his last few fights some controversial,like his 2007 loss to Floyd Mayweather jr then boxing's pound for pound welterweight champ by a split decision.

Now there is a new pound for pound boxer his name is Manny Pacquiao he is from the Philippines there he is known as the PACMAN. What does the Pacman have to lose from this fight not much, first of all Pacquiao is moving up in weight his last fight he fought at 135lbs but before that and I think what his natural weight is 130lbs, he is moving up 17 pounds.

Some say Oscar is a bully picking on the little guy. Saturday night the catch weight is 147lbs .De La Hoya is four inches taller than Manny and has a huge six inch reach advantage is this a mismatch?

Oscar's legacy is at stake if he wins he won against a smaller man ,if he wins its against a smaller man .Oscar needs a knock out.Manny has nothing to lose and a couple of Million dollars to win. The only thing I can think that Manny can lose is bragging rights because his trainer Freddie Roach has had some things to say about Oscar who he use to train. He even predicted a KO.

If Manny loses well he will still be a superstar his fans will still be their and there still will be big paydays fro him.

Pacquiao is a southpaw and his fight every second of every round is exiting. He has fast hands I wonder if the extra weight will effect his speed. Oscar has a great left hook and a good jab that he sometimes forgets and keeps in his pocket. Manny has a big heart that has pulled him through some tough battles. Oscar last KO was against Ricardo Mayorga a few years back.Some wonder if his weight loss will diminish his punching power.

This is Boxing biggist event of 2008 , Many think boxing is in trouble with the rise of Ultimate Fighting.Boxing needs a shot in the arm especially with the heavyweight division in shambels .This fight although a mismatch.Does have Pacquiao's non stop punching De La Hoya's charm and HBO"s 24/7 series this just might be what boxing needs to make a comeback. Prediction well Im going out on a limb Pacman late round TKO.

Ricky Hatton TKOs Paulie Malignaggi in 11.

Justin O'Shea — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:49:59 -0500

Who is the best 140-pound fighter?

Ricky Hatton made his case last night, as he stopped Paulie Malignaggi by TKO in 11 rounds.

Malignaggi won the first round, but afterwards, it was all Hatton applying pressure all night. He landed more power shots and even a few jabs, Ricky's hand speed and especially his head movement looked improved.

Maybe thats because of his new trainer, Floyd Mayweather Senior.

Malgnaggi could not get his famous combinations going, he was only throwing one punch at a time then consistently clinched Hatton, who was clearly the stronger of the two fighters.

Ricky rocked Paulie several times during the bout and consistently applied pressure using his head movement to get inside. Hatton fought in short bursts while moving forward stalking his opponent for all three minutes of every round.

In the ninth round, "The Hitman" landed a big left hook to the face of Malignaggi, knocking his head back. Paulie stuck out his tounge, but still looked frustrated. "The Magic Man" was fighting to survive, more than he was fighting to win.

The 11th round started out with Hatton unloading a right hook to the body, then a left followed by an uppercut to Malgnaggi's chin. The combination persuaded trainer Buddy Mcgirt to throw in the towel to avoid letting his fighter take unnecessary punishment..

In the post-fight press conference, Hatton said he would fight the winner of the Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao fight.

Ricky Hatton-Paulie Malignaggi: A Must Win for "The Hitman"

Justin O'Shea — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:13:58 -0500

Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008 could be the most important fight for Ricky Hatton since his fight with Floyd Mayweather.

The boxing world has said Hatton is overrated, drinks too much, and blows up between fights, so a loss for Hatton could prove costly with regard to future fight paydays.

In Hatton's last two fights, he did not look good. He was KO'd in 2007 by Mayweather, and then had an ugly win against Juan Launzano where his puffy face made you think "Who won that fight?"

Ricky Hatton has hired Floyd Mayweather, Sr. to help him with his boxing skills. I believe this will help Ricky tremendously.

Ricky's usual method of fighting is to use head movement to get inside and punish his opponent with body shots and uppercuts. The problem is he always takes one or two punches to get in there. With Floyd Sr., Ricky can learn to use his jab, and then get inside and work the body.

His opponent Paulie Malignaggi is an excellent boxer with great skill and a great jab, but he has no power and just seven KOs in his career. This lack of power will favor Hatton, who has only been KO'd once in 44 fights.

Can Hatton out-box Paulie? No. Could Hatton use a little boxing to help make him a complete fighter? Yes.

This author is a Ricky Hatton fan and would like to see Ricky prove all the naysayers wrong. I think the contrasting styles will make this an entertaining fight, and my prediction is Hatton by unanimous decision.

The Ghost Vs The Executioner

Justin O'Shea — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:48:27 -0400

Saturday night Oct 18th Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik will take on Bernard Hopkins. Hopkins is 43 to Pavlik's 26 years old. Hopkins is the old warrior, Pavlik the rising star and middleweight Champion. Pavlik is moving up in weight he usually fights at 160 lbs but Saturday he'll weigh in at 170lbs.

Everyone is asking is the weight gain gonna hurt Kelly? My opinion is no if anything it is gonna help him. Pavlik already has heavy hands and his new workout regimen is to gain 10 pounds of muscle,to me this means harder punches. Kelly moves forward all the time throwing punches in bunches.

Hopkins is known to throw one or two punches then hold the extra weight may help Pavlik in the clinch. The other thing everone's talking about is Hopkins age "43." His last trainer Freddie Roach asked him to retire reason was as Roach tells it in his last fight Hopkins went to the wrong corner four times this worried Roach.

His last fight was against Joe Calzege I watched the fight it was close but Hopkins' energy faded in the later rounds. Hopkins lost by a split decision. Calzege, like Pavlik, has a high work rate. Pavlik throws an average of 100 punches a round. I can't see Hopkins keeping up with that.

Hopkins is a slick guy hard to hit flush, but 100 punches something is gonna land.

Hopkins is a legend he was the middleweight champ for years defending the title more time than any one in history he lost his title to Jermain Taylor the same guy Pavlik took it from. "You see Pavlik beat the man that beat the man." Pavlik by KO eighth round.

Berto In For a Test Against Forbes

Justin O'Shea — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:54:47 -0400

On Saturday September 27th at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA., "Sugar" Shane Mosley takes on Ricardo Mayorga, which should be an exciting fight.

On the undercard is a fight for the WBC Welteweight Championship. Andre Berto will make his first title defense against Steve "2 pound" Forbes. I expect a great fight, here is how these fighters match up.

Berto, a true welterweight with a record of 22-0 19 KOs, is a muscular power puncher, who with only 22 pro fights under him, possesses the belt vacated by Floyd Mayweather, won the belt by TKO of Miguel Rodriguez just three months ago.

Berto has been criticized in the past for a lack of defense and being easy to hit. Forbes, who in the past has fought at lightweight, has a record of 33-6, 9 by KO. I 'll say it again, only nine by KO.

Forbes is six years Berto's senior, at 31-years-old. Forbes lost to Oscar De La Hoya in 2007, but went the distance, surprising many, is a great counter puncher who has good head movement, may give Berto some trouble. But Forbes lost three of his last four fights—that's gotta take some confidence away.

I have to give this fight to Berto by late round TKO. Each fighter's careers are taking different paths—Berto keeps winning, Forbes is in decline...