The 'Philippine Typhoon' Cliche Works

Commentators have started to refer to Manny Pacquaio as a 'Philippine Typhoon'. It's a bit of an obvious cliche. Yes, there are typhoons in the Philippines. And yes, Pacquiao is a fast. destructive fighter. Let's put the two together!

There is one thing this cliche does nail though: Pacquiao's unpredictability. This is one of his major weapons. Most fighters punch in a rhythm; Pacquiao doesn't. One moment he'll throw one punch. The next he'll launch about twenty. Combine that with his speed and, as Cotto said himself, you really don't know where the punches are coming from.

What A Difference An 18 Months Makes

In the middle of 2008, Manny Pacquaio was a great super-featherweight whilst Miguel Cotto was a great welterweight. Back then, people weren't talking about a fight between the two because Cotto was too big. This weekend when they meet in the ring, Pacquaio is the favourite .

Of course, one went on to astonish the world by moving up in weight, stopping Oscar De La Hoya then poleaxing Ricky Hatton. The other took a terrible battering from Antonio Margarito and hasn't looked quite the same since.  

Pacquiao may be an exceptional little fighter, but to what extent were De La Hoya and Hatton defeated by the scales and Mr. Guinness respectively? And how likely is it that Margarito used illegally loaded gloves to beat Cotto? We'll find out more this weekend, but it might just be that the views of 18 months ago aren’t as out of date as most people seem to think. 

Haye Holds All The Aces, Except The Big One

Haye holds most of the advantages over Valuev for this Saturday's freaky heavyweight fight. He's faster, more skillful, more athletic and I reckon he actually probably hits harder. 

But there is, of course, one thing that Valuev has over Haye: sheer size.

Valuev isn't a big hitter but he knows how to use his mountainous size to good effect. Will Haye be able to get inside and inflict damage, then get out before being mauled by this beast of a man? I hope so, but I don't think he'll be able to do it consistently or for long enough to win. But the great thing about boxing is: you just never know.

Being Macho: Great In The Ring, If Not Out

Duran, Monzon, Cuevas, Chavez, Trinidad... the list could go on and on. When you think of these great Latin fighters, and many others, one word comes to mind: macho. 

What is it in Latin culture that produces fighters with this i'm-going-to-meet-you-head-on-and-not-take-a-backward-step mentality? It's a mindset that thinks admission of pain is unacceptable and defense is somehow unmanly. 

Machoism is men acting like men. Or bulls. Or lions. It says men should fight and drink while women should look pretty. It might not spell equality. But, between the ropes - wow.

Will David Finally Get His Goliath?

After he pulled out of his fight with Wladimir Klitschko, Haye looked to have given himself a much tougher job by tackling Vitali. To be frank, it looked like a sure beating for the ambitious Brit. But now Haye is due to meet the biggest of the lot. Valuev may be a hairy man monster, but he's also the most beatable of the Eastern Bloc giants. 

If the fight goes ahead, we'll see one of the smallest heavyweights having a good old go at the very biggest. It could look a bit like a big Victorian freak show; and like one, it'll be hard to take your eyes off.

 

How Does a Fighter Lose His Chin?

Welcome to The Random Boxing Blog. 

I was bored last night so I watched Pacquaio vs. Hatton again. What a dramatic fight that was. 

The funny thing is: people in the post-fight analysis kept referring to how Hatton can no longer absorb a punch. Whilst it's true that in the Tsyzu fight, Hatton did walk through some bombs, the idea that a fighter's jaw can suddenly desert him is a strange one. Normally a fighter's chin is something referred to us a natural born gift; something you can't train or "put muscles on". 

So how is it that it can suddenly become more china-like? Or put another way: could Ricky Hatton in 2005 really take a better shot than Ricky Hatton in 2009?