OnFire's response: In order to defend his title Gatti has to fight so I would say both are correct. Arturo has made it no secret that he would like to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. Good chance that it could happen for him due to Mayweather's ranking in the organization. I think if he fights Mayweather and loses he could come back in a fight with Hatton. If he choses to fight Hatton and loses (which I don't think he will) he may not get to fight Mayweather. I say he takes the fight that everyone wants to see and that's the Mayweather fight.

What up,
I've got some crazy ass predictions I have to get off my chest. First let me say that I think that to a degree punching power must be relative to the chin of the person receiving the punch, therefore I personally don't think anyone can honestly judge anyone else's punching power unless they've been hit by them. With that being said, on October 2 we will see a great fight between Trinidad and Mayorga for as long as it lasts. And their personal bet makes the match up even more intriguing. Everyone around here that I've spoken to picks Trinidad. And on paper it certainly seems that Trinidad should be the favorite. It's easy to visualize a scenario in which Trinidad takes Mayorga out in spectacular fashion but it's also not hard to visualize Trinidad getting dropped either (we've seen it happen before), so in taking a chance on a fighter whose only chance on paper seems to be a puncher's chance I pick Mayorga to knock Trinidad out in the third or fourth round. Now I usually don't make predictions like this (based entirely on a gut feeling). I wonder if we're going to be seeing a Trinidad still in his prime, or a Trinidad that has slipped a little bit even if the slippage is only due to ring rust. To me that's what will determine the outcome of this fight if he gets caught early, you know what I mean? Oh and by the way I suspect the latter. I know Trinidad has superior boxing skills and all around technical ability, not to mention great power, but I also think that Mayorga will catch him cold and if Trinidad goes down early with a minute or more left in the round, I don't see Mayorga letting him back in the fight (unless Tito does what he did when he got in trouble in the Vargas fight and throws a low blow). I don't know if Mayorga will stick his chin out there for Trinidad to hit like he said he would do but if he does it won't surprise me, however it will surprise me if he is able to do it more than once. But we all know it's the punch you don't see coming that leaves you finding out from your trainer that you just got KTFO. I think Mayorga is going to land just such a punch in the first third of the fight. And now for my craziest prediction yet: When I first read that John Ruiz will fight Andrew Golota my first response was "Who the hell even cares" but later I thought about it and came to the realization that Ruiz vs. Golota could turn out to be the most memorable fight we've ever seen Ruiz in. This is one John Ruiz fight that I might actually watch from start to finish. Win or lose I think Ruiz will finally win some respect that night because if Golota is ready physically AND mentally Ruiz is gonna have to fight that night. As for this Saturday, I'm picking Corrales to be victorious over Freitas. And if I'm wrong about any of this I won't hide out from the mailbag like a lil bitch, I'll come back and eat my crow like a man. And what's up with Antonio Tarver? Does he have plans to return to the ring anytime soon? Now's the time to ride the wave of public affection that's been bestowed upon him since his sensational win over Jones. I hope he keeps the momentum and takes on real challenges like he did in taking on Jones twice. I'd rather see a Tarver/ Toney fight than a Tarver/Hopkins or Tarver/Jones III fight any day. Hopkins has business to take care of in Sept. and an upset win by Oscar certainly wouldn't be the biggest upset I've ever seen in my life so hopefully he's too focused on Oscar to even think about future fights. Tarver hasn't ducked anyone that I'm aware of and neither has Toney. That would be a great fight. If Toney is back 100% from his injury and looks like he should Sept. 25 against Booker, he's my pick to win a very tough and grueling fight with Tarver by split decision. Brian Johnson-Anchorage, Alaska

OnFire's response: Oct 2nd will introduce a fight that should be called "Chin Check" because chins will get checked. The first fighter to land the best shot to the chin IMO wins. Trinidad has been downed by lesser punchers like Cortes, Stephens, Carr, Lueshing and Reid. The closest fighter in terms of power that Trindad has faced is Yori Boy Campas and we all saw what happened there. Mayorga on the other hand has only been TKO'd once and that coming in his professional debut. He took the best Forrest had to give and even let his hands down to recieve shots. All his opponents have been stopped except four who went the distance. Trinidad has gone the distance seven times. We've seen Trinidad downed only to come back harder and sometimes stop his opponent quickly thereafter. I think Trinidad's boxing skills and ring generalship will dictate the fight. But Mayorga is going to be dangerous all the way through. If Mayorga tries to make a statement with his chin he's going to lose that check. The $100,000. one too. If Trinidad is knocked down will he be able to rise and come back effectively? If he does it will be just as bad for Mayorga who will be winging wildly and leaving himself open for hard shots by Tito. On to Golota who I'm sure many people are praying that he end thier misery of John Ruiz as champion. He's solid as a boxer as shown in past fights with Bowe and recently Byrd in a fight many thought he won. He's shown he can hold his composure and finish a fight without fouling. Will Ruiz' tactics frustrate Golota and make him do something uncalled for? I'm hoping not. He's a good puncher inside. Punch to get out. How you like your crow? Tarver is reportedly back in the gym and has starting training. Hopefully we'll see him in the ring before the year is over and does a better job at picking an opponent than James Toney did. I think Tarver can use his height advantage and southpaw boxing to offset what Toney brings to the table. I'm sure he'll want to test the injury and keep Toney moving around the ring.

Do I have to say I love the site to get this posted? Well, I do. Why are so many people still hung up on Trinidad's loss to Hopkins? Has any fairly recent fight had so many repercussions among a host of bewildered fans? Let's face it, Hopkins was so much better that night that it couldn't have been just that night. I wanted Hopkins to win and believe me, I was scared when I saw the footage of Tito in his dressing room; he was bursting with energy and did not look ready to lose. Hopkins beat Trinidad because his strength was where Tito couldn't find it, and from that position he could well read Tito's bazooka mounted on its post. How do you see these possible fights playing out: Mayweather vs. Mitchell, Morales vs. Corrales, your boy Tarver vs. Toney, or Jirov (at cruiser or heavy)? And please don't say we'll have to see how they will look in their next fight. Also, I don't hear a lot from you about Zab Judah, and I must admit I'm getting sick of him myself, but from the point of view of purely physical talent/ability, isn't he on par with the best? I remember Monte Barrrett's trainer in his fight against Guinn telling him to be "like a cat". Well, Zab's the cat and I wish he'd get off his high horse. One last question, since your so darn good at predictions, who do you see winning the upcoming election. I'm sure that I'm not the only BT member who would love to know? BABBALUCC, Brooklyn, NY

OnFire's response: I can't say why some people are still hung up on that loss. Maybe it's because that was the last big fight for Trinidad and he left a bad taste in alot of his fans mouths. Hopkins was the better man that night and he had been the better man every night he's fought for the past 11 or so years before that. Hopkins glued his right hand to his chin and Trinidad could not land that hook if his life depended on it. I like Mitchell because he will give Mayweather as much elusiveness as he gets. IMO Sharmba Mitchell is the best 140lb fighter. Corrales may not make Morales quit but I say he will be too big for him and might even stop him. I think Tarver beats Toney if he boxes carefully and stays aware of Toney tactics. Jirov has a win over Tarver in the amatuers but can he do it in the professional ranks? Jirov looked good in his last time out against Mesi though Joe is no Antonio. I think Jirov will throw the majority of the punches but Tarver will throw the quality shots. Judah is slated to fight on Oct. 2nd with an opponent to be announced. Zab has alot of natural skills and can be at the top with the best if he focuses when he fights. There are enough politics in boxing for me to follow politics outside of the sport.

The Roberto Duran versus Sugar Ray Leonard rematch is known world wide for being billed the "No Mas fight." Now Corrales versus Freitas is being compared to that fight since Popo decided to quit fighting after Chico dropped him for the third time and when the referee repeated saying No Mas after Popo nodded he would not continue. There is a big difference in comparing those two matches though. Roberto Duran was the aggressor against Ray Leonard much like Chico was against Freitas and Leonard was on his toes running and punching and making Manos de Piedra miss much like Popo was doing very well by beating the pursuing Chico in the early rounds. Ray Leonard never and I mean never beat Duran by dropping him three times with one punch bombs like Chico did to Freitas. Leonard did not have Duran thinking if I continue fighting I might get seriously hurt like Popo probably was thinking. Duran said no Mas cause Leonard frustrated him so much he just couldn't take the embarrassment any more. Freitas said no Mas cause Chico hit him harder than anyone has in his boxing career and he just didn't want to take that punishment anymore. To me the latter is a real No Mas fight. Keep punching and roll with the punches. - Jose Reyes Brownsville, TX

OnFire's response: I agree as I'm sure many will. The only comparison is the fact that both men quit in a sport that's blood and guts above the rest. Duran quit from being frustrated and thinking that maybe Leonard didn't want to fight and that's why he kept moving away. Freitas quit because he was frustrated (as evident when he shook his head after the second knockdown) and thought maybe Corrales wanted to kill him as hard as he was being hit. It was a shock to have seen Popo quit but you have to respect a man that knows when he's had enough.

That fight tonight really disappointed me. I thought Freitas would pull a KO in 5 but he proved to be nothing more than a pussy. I don't ever want to see this guy fight again! He has NO HEART! A fighter goes out on his back or by way of decision. To quit the way he did shows he is nothing more than a C level fighter perpetrating a champion. I hope we never have to see this bum take the stage again. he will probably be lynched upon entering Brazil anyway, but if he isn't, he deserves to be boycotted. Hope you enjoyed the fight there at press row! P.S. Props to Chico who proved he is worthy of the crown. I hope we see him again soon because he does have the heart of a champ (as demonstrated in the Mayweather fight when he got pissed at his dad for tossing the towel).

OnFire's response: Are you really disappointed because he quit or that you were wrong? Again, I think it took more heart to say he had enough than it would have taken to go back out there. I'll be looking for him to fight again so as to gauge where this big lost has left him mentally. Lets say he went out on his shield and got knocked out would he have been an A fighter in your book? Probably not. It takes alot of heart to walk that tunnel and up those four little steps. Some respect is merited.

I know it is not real boxing, but damn did I enjoy Perfect 10 Model Boxing on Showtime, and I sure hope we will see a lot more of it. Sure those girls did not possess a lot of skills, but tell the truth, wasn't it a whole lot more entertaining than the Laila Ali fight a few weeks ago? Those girls were fighting, and damn, the introductions were priceless. All of the hott naked women, and the roundcard girls. That was definitely high quality entertainment. The girl in the third fight I think got robbed, the girl from, well, I don't remember but damn she was hott! Lots of props to showtime, and kee up the good work, next time Ricky Hatton wants to fight some deadman in England, for the
first Saturday of the month, please show a new installment of Perfect 10 Model boxing instead. I hope this makes the mailbag, for the fans who may not have seen the fights, they were very entertaining, if you get a chance to watch the replay you will not be dissapointed! JB

OnFire's response: It's bad enough Showtime can't get Laila Ali a better fight on thier PPV card. Now they stoop one lower and showcase models with no boxing skills. What real boxing fans would even entertain it? They are sure exploiting alot but none of it in the form of boxing. Showtime should concentrate on putting on good quality fights that the fans can enjoy and not one's that keep getting postponed. Pefect 10 Model Boxing should be postponed, indefinitely.

I'm watching the fight for the second time analizing everything as i type this and all i gotta say is DAMN YOU ARE A LUCKY MOFO 'CAUSE YOU GOT TO BE THERE ON PRESS ROW AND YOUR NAME CAME ON THE SCREEN!, anyways....this is what i gotta say about that fight. Corrales is the man at 135 now, can't nobody touch him... well they can but they can't hurt him. Goosen asked corrales about freitas's power after round 1 and corrales said it was nothing. he didn't get hurt the whole fight. Freitas on the other hand...every time corrales touched him clean he felt it. to freitas's credit he boxed beautifully in the middle rounds....getting in and out untouched numerous times. freitas definitly was winning the fight until the knockdowns came and i think after the third knockdown his chances of winning were slim and none save for a KO. i think freitas made the right choice for himself...but as a fighter corrales is MY MAN! remember the casamayor fight, he wanted to continue while a river of blood was flowing from his lip....that's a tough SOB! i wish mayweather was still at 135....i think corrales can take him. forget what happened in their last fight, you know people evolve as fighters over the years. of course i have to bring chicken de la hoya and hopkins into this because i know i wasn't the only that thought that this is what we'll see on september 18th. corrales did an ok job of cutting the ring off and waiting for freitas' legs to get tired but we know Hopkins is a master at cutting the ring off and that chicken de la hoya does not have the stamina that freitas has. i think Hoya will fight the fight freitas was fighting and run out of gas and get KTFO by hopkins or quit or the corner will stop it at round 9. there is no way hopkins looses in september... unless someone steals a locker room pass and puts something in his water and he passes out in the 5th round like one heavyweight we all know. i know a lot of people will put freaitas down for quitting but hey....i was happy watching the fight and i felt he put up a good effort and there is no reason to continue and possibly get hurt...not everyone is cut from the tree corrales was carved from. btw....I CAN'T STAND JIM GREY, wtf does he know about boxing? he shows up on ppv and big fights to ask questions that don't add anything to me. teddy atlas should have that job.

OnFire's response: Hey, I didn't work press row but I was there too (laughs). I agree, Corrales in king of the lightweights. They can touch him but that only means he'll be in reach to touch them as well. And we've all seen what happens when he does. Actually, Freitas boxed like the champ he was in the early rounds. In the middle rounds it became more of a survival mode with some spurts of boxing. In boxing , sometime, what you do in round one has no real effects on what the end result could be. Especially when you have a fighter who punches as hard as Corrales. The majority of boxing fans as well as most of the press is picking Hopkins to beat DLH so you are not alone. Me? I haven't made up my mind that it will be that easy for either fighter. I take nothing away from Freitas cause I have said before and will say time and again. It takes a man to admit defeat.

What's up? It has been a while since I last wrote. Who do you think wins - Chico or Popo? I feel Chico is going to blast Popo. For one he has been in the ring against better opposition. His two defeats were against #1 P4P, in my book PBF, and Casa. He avenged the Casa defeat, with a convincing victory, and there is no shame in losing to PBF. And to the Chico haters, he NEVER quit against PBF, his dad stopped the fight. So, do not say Chico is a quitter, or does not have heart. He has fought everyone, that has been given to him. Popo is a good fighter, with a lot of heart, class, power, and determination. I just think his opposition quality, is not as good as Chico's. Anyway, had to give you my 10 cents, my two cents is free. The fight should be great. Peace out. Daniel from L.A.

OnFire's response: I thought Acelino would overwhelm Diego with his speed early on which he did. I also believed that when Freitas landed that big shot Corrales would go but he didn't. The speed was a factor early on but Chico took all those big shots well. It was Popo who couldn't handle the punches coming his way. It is known that Diego has alot of heart as shown by his willingness to keep getting up and fighting with Mayweather. I don't think he's a quitter, never did. You were right, blast him he did.

hey fernando a puerto rican: first off, i have never hated on puerto ricans and im a mexican!! not all mexicans hate puerto ricans. it's just that the the different nationality's bring out the competition. why don't u mention puerto rican's that hate on mexicans huh? ur doing some hating urself right now!! but anyways, u say besides the usa and puerto there have been no coutries who have had great champions? what! how about MEXICO!! yeah, mexicans!! im not talking shit but puerto rico and the usa aren't the only one's! and not just those 3 countries but all over the world!! mexico has had as much if not more than puerto rico!! so don't go on hating(aaahh, the magic word) and talking shit!! i love latino fighters, but not all of them. besides julio cesar chavez, my favorite fighter of all time, trinidad is up there with marco antonio barrera as my second all time fighter!! yes i said it, a mexican likes a puerto rican fighter!! i also like mayorga alot, but i am going for trinidad cuz i like him alot more!! hmmm, is it possible for a mexican to like a puerto rican and a nicaraguan fighter? yes, i know fernando, it's amazing!! oh yeah, and also, u think us mexicans don't post are names huh, well i always do so if anyone wants to call me out on anything i said. so if u want to know who i am, i will put my name down twice and a third time when i put my name at the bottom of my post!! my name is SERGIO, yeah SERGIO!! im not talking shit about u, just calling you out on what u said!! Sergio Herrera

OnFire's repsonse: What's up Sergio? How are you? I think you made your feelings known. In the beginning I wasn't going to post this email because I've noticed the back and forth that has been going on. It has become more frequent then when Hopkins and Tarver did it. And those involved are taking it out of content in terms of boxing. People have opinions and they have to be respected. Mexico as well as Puerto Rico have both produced some great fighters and champions. So have alot of other countries. We could debate about who's the best but again it's a matter of opinion. Alot of fans are sentimental when it comes to thier country being represented by a fighter or champion. Fans will sometimes follow thier heart instead of the facts. And that's the only thing that can't be disputed...The Facts. Everything else is just opinion. Let's respect it, focus on boxing and spend your time writing better emails about the sport. Thanks in advance.

Hi, Sorry to say , but please add this to the mailbag to see responses of truth. No matter what you all seen in Tyson's last fight , this guy was fighting a shell in Mike and injuries .We know if Mike wasn't in Financial problems he would be fighting . hers what though , Tarver could never take an 1 or 2 round attack from Tyson and thats all that need to be considered. The power is still there and no matter what and weight Tarver comes in there at he will still have that soft ass chin and too little meshy ass body to take the 2 round mike Tyson, I say Tarver gets smashed by Tyson in 1 and brutally knocked out .

OnFire's response: The truth starts here. I must admit that what Tyson brought in the first round was Fire (pun intended). He has been a shell of himself including injuries but it rarely showed in that first round. He moved his feet, threw combinations and side stepped well. There are very few people who would have been able to withstand that onslaught from Tyson not to mention the second and third rounds.

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