Ray Flores

” Did you hear your boy , Floyd calling out Manny Pacquiao on twitter yesterday?” inquired Big Steve addressing Downtown Ronnie Brown as soon as we walked  in Dave’s barbershop on San Fernando Road.

” Say what? ” cut in Dave the Barber:” What in the hell is twitter? Is it some kind of a bird?”

” No , you old fool,” replied Big Steve:” Twitter is a social network on the internet where people express their feelings and their opinions and other people follow them. Like Floyd has about two million followers or two million people who care what he has to say.”

” So let me get this straight,” exclaimed Dave the Barber:”Floyd called out Manny on social network in front two million people. What exactly did he say?”

Big Steve smiled:” He said step up punk. Manny Pacquiao I am calling you out. Let’s fight May 5th and give the world what they want to see. My jail sentence was pushed back because the date was locked in.”

http://www.examiner.com/boxing-in-glendale-ca/step-up-punk-those-are-the-fighting-words

Photo by Ray Flores

” Look who is here,” exclaimed Dave the Barber as I entered his fine Barbershop on San Fernando Road:” It’s Friday night. Why don’t you spend some quality time with your gorgeous young wife? Somehow I sensed you would be here as soon as I heard Floyd received get out of jail free card, I knew you would be here talking about it. Let me tell you something, I just felt in in my old bones and I knew that somehow some way Floyd was going to weasel  his way out of going to jail today.”

” If you know so much how come you didn’t mention anything about it last week?” inquired Downtown Ronnie Brown: ” Hindsight is twenty twenty, but please don’t act like you know the true nature of my boy , Floyd.”

” Watch your manners, Ronnie!” cried out Dave the Barber:” I am sick of you defending that criminal. Why don’t you go and do his time for him. I am sure he will pay you good money.  What really bugs me about this situation is money. They say money can’t buy you happiness, but it sure can buy an extension or deferment of justice. Justice delayed is justice denied. Beating up his baby’s mama, I just don’t understand how he could still get preferential treatment. It’s just not fair.”

” If you want fair, go to Pomona. They have county fair over there in the summer time,” shouted Ronnie Brown:” Mr. Money Mayweather is a big star. He has a mega fight coming up on May 5th at the Vegas casino. It’s a major boost for the local economy and a good reason to postpone the sentence. As team Mayweather would say it, money talks and B.S. walks.”

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Zimbio Photos

” It seems to me that king of fistic combat, Manny Pacquiao needs Pretty Boy Floyd after all, ” exclaimed Dave the Barber just as he leathered my face with shaving cream:” With Floyd going to jail, Manny’s options for a big fight are pretty limited.  Tell me, who is he going to fight next?”

” They are talking about a rematch with Cotto,” I said.

” Been there , done,that,” cried out Downtown Ronnie Brown:” Why would anybody want to see this fight again. Was there any question about the outcome of the first one? No. Pacman demoralized prime Cotto. He took him down like a rotten tree branch. Cotto’s uncle threw in a white towel admitting a total defeat. Aside from Manny getting injured, I don’t see a scenario with a different outcome, plus Cotto is a light middleweight now and Manny wowed not to ever go that high in weight after a bout with Margarito. That’s just a waste of time, not a competitive fight.”

” They are  also considering Timothy Bradley. They are the same size,” said I.

” With all due respect, and I have been following Bradley from the amateur days,” exclaimed Big Steve:” But Mr. Desert Storm couldn’t sell ten tickets in Palm Springs and that is where he lives. We came to his fight at Aqua Caliente Casino in 2009 and the place was half empty. I wouldn’t call it a high risk, but I would definitely call it a low reward fight for Manny Pacquiao. At this stage of his career Manny needs a high profile opponent. The only name  that comes to my mind is Money Mayweather.”

” Speaking about high profile opponent, how about Pacquiao Marquez lV?” I inquired.

http://www.examiner.com/boxing-in-glendale-ca/with-floyd-going-to-jail-what-are-the-options-for-manny-pacquiao

Photo by Tom Hogan

” It seems like all major fights this year were a bust,” announced Dave the Barber upon my arrival at his fine establishment on San Fernando Road:” First we had Pacquiao Mosley which was a snooze fest, then we had Mayweather Ortiz fiasco. Cotto Margarito ll could have been a good fight, but it was one sided. Pacquiao Marquez lll was a decent scrap, but to my naked eye it lacked the violence of their past battles.”

” Talking about violence, a frey that caught my eye was on ESPN earlier this year, two boys from the East Coast, Delvin Rodriguez and Pawel Wolak, ” said Big Steve:”These boys went at it for ten rounds. That was one hell of a fight. It was better than original Rocky movie. Wolak’s face was grotesque; he had a welt on a side of his head the size of a hockey puck, but the boy kept firing and attacking as if he was defending his infant child. They went at it with no time to breeze, Rodriguez, a boxer turned puncher and Wolak, an unstoppable beast. The only thing that stopped them was a final bell. The draw was a fitting conclusion. The only regret I had was that no one  ever went down.”

” If you want to talk about violence, you have to consider Kirkland Angulo,” cried out Al the Barber:” Round one, a malicious, breathtaking firefight that almost ended twice, first in favor of Angulo, then in favor of Kirkland.It was the best combat round of boxing I have seen in a while. It was Hagler Hearns all over again, only harder and more violent. Those middleweights were throwing heavyweight punches , non stop. It was fistic magic. It seemed like a war to the finish, like they were both willing to die in that ring. Good thing the reff stopped it when he did, he might have saved Angulo’s life.”

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Clan Mayweather

Despite a bright sunny day outside, the mood at Dave’s Barbershop onSan Fernando Roadseemed subdued. The atmosphere was as low as a bottom ofMississippi Riverright after The Great Mississippi Flood. Downtown Ronnie Brown was crying the blues.

 If you can’t do the time

Don’t do the crime, don’t do it. Don’t do it

If you think you are the best

Don’t ask no one to take the test, don’t do it. Don’t do it.

If you think you are a bad ass

Don’t be beating on baby mama’s ass, don’t do it. Don’t do it.

“I hope you are not going to defend your boy, Floyd this time,” exclaimed Dave the Barber pointing towards Ronnie Brown:” He wants to clean up the sport. He needs to clean up his own act. Where I come from you don’t put your hand on a woman no matter what! When I was young my wife threw dishes at me every time she saw me cut a woman’s hair.”

“That’s why it’s men’s barbershop only,” laughed out loud Ronnie Brown.

“Yes, but I would never even dream about retaliating,” continued Dave the Barber:” The aura of the woman is sacred. Especially considering that was his baby’s mama. Ninety days in the slammer is not enough. He is to report on January sixth. I hope Big Bubba extends a personal welcome to Pretty Boy Floyd at the jailhouse and makes that wife beater his bitch.”

“That ain’t gonna happen,” cried out Ronnie Brown:” They are not going to put Floyd in general population. Even though he really deserves it this time that would be cruel and unusual punishment… If you can’t do the time

don’t do the crime, don’t do it. Don’t do it! This boy thinks he is outside the law, but he went too far. He has priors on hitting women.  He should get five years of hard labor on the chain gang. That would straighten his ass out.”

http://www.examiner.com/boxing-in-glendale-ca/floyd-mayweather-does-the-time-fit-the-crime

Photo by Tom Hogan

Undefeated super star fighter, Floyd Mayweather Jr. structured a deal  that will settle two of his pending criminal cases in Las Vegas. One of the cases involved domestic violence towards mother of his child, Josie Harris. Second charge was of battery on a security guard over parking citations.

 It was confirmed by the Clark’s County District Attorney, David Roger that multi divisional champion Floyd Mayweather who currently lives in Las Vegas in 12,000 square feet mansion, will enter guilty pleas in Justice Court in Las Vegas today  on two counts of harassment and one count of battery domestic violence. Immediately following the plea Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa is expected to sentence Mayweather. The plea bargain deal will drop original felony charges of coercion, grand larceny and robbery to misdemeanors.  Free on $31,000 bail from September 9th,2010 incident where Floyd attacked Josie Harris in front of their children, Mayweather faces $3,000 in fines and a jail term anywhere from two days to eighteen month.

Next week  Floyd Mayweather is expected to plead no contest to a charge of battery and pay $1,000 fine for poking and verbally assaulting a security guard over parking problems last year.

http://www.examiner.com/boxing-in-glendale-ca/mayweather-to-settle-matters-criminal-court-is-calendar-open-for-pacquiao

Ward and Froch in the ring

“Did you watch the Super Six final this weekend?” inquired Dave the Barber as soon as I walked in his fine barbershop on San Fernando Road:” That boy from Oakland, he’s got skills. He said that he watched a lot of Mayweather fights on tape to prepare for the Britt.What do you think he learned from Floyd?”

” Couldn’t you tell,” cried out Downtown Ronnie Brown:” It was a left hook. I just loved the way he bullied Froch on the inside than sidestepped and fired a left hook time after time. It was a thing of beauty. The Cobra never saw it coming and he was struck repeatedly. I am surprised he never went down. That English boy has a chin made out of rock. Yes, I have to say that Ward is the man, but he ain’t no Floyd. In my humble opinion Ward is slick ,defensively fast and rough on the inside, but his style of fighting is ugly. On the other hand, every time Floyd throws a punch in the ring it’s like a Picasso painting a picture; perfect form, perfect timing and just the right combination of speed and power. If you want to learn how to box the right way you should watch my boy Floyd Mayweather. He does everything right.”

” Would you forget your boy, Floyd for a moment. We are talking about Ward. You have to pay attention to appreciate what that boy does in the ring. He is only twenty seven, but he fights like a veteran, kind of reminds me of Hopkins. First thing he did was to neutralize his adversary’s best weapon, a jab.They teach you that in ” The art of war”. Then he dialed in his own fast jab and a double jab to get inside. Once he got inside, he knew what to do as well. He made it rough in there. And what about that ref, Smoger, god bless his soul; he just allowed them boys to fight. Froch looked lost and frustrated in there . He was loosing the battle on both fronts, inside and outside. He had a look of a man who knew he was fighting a loosing battle.”

http://www.examiner.com/boxing-in-glendale-ca/not-yet-as-pretty-as-floyd-andre-ward-emerges-as-a-top-super-middlweight

Photo by Ray Flores

In no particular rush to go to work I decided to visit Dave’s barbershop early Friday morning. It felt like home. Downtown Ronnie Brown was humming the blues.

“Well I am a prizefighter baby,

Cause I use my fists to make a living

I’ve lost all of my pride baby

Cause I am taking what they are giving…”

“Which one of you boys can smell boxing talk a mile away?” inquired Dave the Barber as he pointed for me to sit at his chair:” Three days in a row we’ve been fighting about politics and no sign of either one of you two. As soon as we start talking boxing here you are.”

“We bring bagels with cream cheese instead of piece pipe,” smiled Big Steve following me into the barbershop.

“You are right on time,” confirmed Dave the Barber:” The topic of the day is Pretty Boy Floyd. Do you think that boy is tawdry?”

“Tawdry! What the hell is tawdry,” roared Big Steve:” I didn’t know I had to go to college to join this intellectual conversation.”

“Why don’t you tell him what I mean Ronnie,” said Dave the Barber:” You are the smart one here or are you just a smart ass?”

“Shut up you old fool,” cut in Al the Barber:” I haven’t heard a soul use that word in thirty years. If I see a goat then that is precisely what I’m gonna call it: a goat. So why don’t we just call Pretty Boy Floyd a show off, because that is exactly what he is. No point in discussing it. The boy is a show off, burning hundred dollar bills on TV. Showing off his gaudy house to the troops His mama ought to spank him and make him apologize to all the fine people of this country who are struggling to put food on their dinner table.”

 http://www.examiner.com/boxing-in-glendale-ca/is-floyd-mayweather-tawdry

Photo by Tom Casino

“Final big fight of this year this Saturday, Froch vs. Ward, save the best for last,” announced Big Steve as he joined me at Porto’s Bakery on Brand Boulevard for lunch:” For my taste, I really like super middleweights, because they hit as hard as heavyweights and move as fast as lightweights, but somehow these guys don’t enjoy the same amount of popularity as welterweights. It’s a sweet science paradox for sure.  But tell me, do you think this tournament took too long ?”

Two years in the making, the first of its kind super middleweight tournament called Super Six World Boxing Classic is about to climax this Saturday inAtlantic City. Two champions, American, Andre Ward and British, Carl Froch advanced to the finals and will decide who the best super middleweight in the world is when they face each other in a twelve rounds prize fight which will be televised live by Showtime.

FormerUSOlympic gold medalist fromOakland,California, Andre Ward was considered too green when the tournament began in 2009. Ward came of age as a fighter as the Super Six progressed registering a break out, dominating, opening performance against then favorite, Mikkel Kessler. Two years of tough fights and solid wins, Ward comes into the final as a four two one favorite against WBC super middleweight champion, Carl Froch.

“A lot of people keep talking to me about being the favorite. We’re not the favorite, “said Ward (24-0,13KO’S) during recent press conference inNew York:” I still have that chip on my shoulder, but that’s how we prepare. For some reason, there seems to be questions from Froch’s camp and the media about toughness, physicality, things like that. There’s a sense that I’m looking to squeak by in this fight. You don’t squeak by fights at this level. You take them and that’s what I plan to do.”

http://www.examiner.com/boxing-in-glendale-ca/andre-ward-and-carl-froch-save-the-best-for-last

Photo by Zimbio Pictures

“Back so soon,” exclaimed Dave the Barber when he saw me enter his fine barber shop onSan Fernando Road:” We were just talking about your favorite fighter. Did Manny Pacquiao have a good year?”

 “If you want to talk money; that boy made some serious Benjamin’s this year,” interjected Downtown Ronnie Brown:” Two fights 20 mill each guaranteed, plus percentage of pay per views. He made some serious greens, I’ll tell you. No wonder he was driving around Lala land in his new shotgun grey Ferrari. And I am not even talking about all his new endorsement deals like Hewlett Packard, Nike and my personal favorite, a very cheesySanManuelCasinocommercial. An Indian chief probably gave Manny some green under the table to get that add approved. Manny likes money, green money.”

“Forget about the money,” cried out Dave the Barber: “I am talking about his fights; he dominated Mosley and beat Marquez, although some of you here strongly disagree with judge’s final decision, but somehow I don’t feel satisfied with his fistic conquests. There is something missing.”

“You can’t forget about the money. Money is the root of all evil,” said Al the Barber reflectively:” It seems to me that the more money these boys make the less they are willing to fight. I can still remember Oscar Mayweather fight. They broke all the records, 2.4 million buys. But the fight itself… I’ve seen better sparring sessions. It’s like they made a gentleman’s agreement not to hurt each other. Here comes Manny; 1.3 million buys with Mosley and 1.4 million buys with Marquez and a whole lot of excuses and not a whole lot of fighting.”

http://www.examiner.com/boxing-in-glendale-ca/did-manny-pacquiao-have-a-good-year