Blogs & Opinion


Johnny Nelson:

Recent Comments:

Blacker Iron on Big Bear necessity

"Audley has been dissapointing in the past, however I was impressed with the way he won his last fight. That fight showed me that he was now ready to put up or shut up. It''''s ... " View all comments

Harry T on Hang 'em up, Hitman

"i think it be presumptuous to say say that Pacquiao would knock out Mayweather based on Saturday night. Yes, he has the power to and even the skills to, but mayweather has the defence ... " View all comments

Dave P on Rogan boshed!

"I'm hoping Rogan will out work him on the inside, I've had enough of watching lazy British heavyweights pawing out a jab and throwing the occasional weak power shot just to keep the ref... " View all comments

Johnny Nelson blogs on Manny Pacquiao's defeat to Juan Manuel Marquez and James DeGale's development

Johnny Nelson Posted 11th December 2012 view comments

Manny Pacquiao says he will not retire after his defeat to Juan Manuel Marquez and I think that's the correct call.

Pacquaio has now lost two fights in a row, following his points reverse to Timothy Bradley in June, and his recent performances have not been up to the standard that we expect, but he is still a draw, still talented enough and still has things to achieve.

Marquez (left) defeated Pacquiao in their fifth clash in Las Vegas on Saturday

Marquez (left) defeated Pacquiao in their fifth clash in Las Vegas on Saturday

The Filipino made a mistake against Marquez and he will want to put that right in a fifth meeting with the Mexican, while the public will feel cheated if he does not step into the ring with Floyd Mayweather - even though I think that fight is losing a little bit of its lustre.

It would be easy to say Pacquiao has lost a step after he suffered a sixth-round knockout at the weekend, but the truth is he has run into his bogeyman - as my colleague, Glenn McCrory, said before the bout on skysports.com - and each time they have fought, Marquez has learnt more.

Marquez was no longer fazed by the awkwardness, the speed and the peculiar angles that Pacquiao likes to utilise.

Johnny Nelson
Quotes of the week

Marquez knows Pacquaio better than any other fighter and over the course of their four meetings he has understood his strengths and weaknesses.

He knew how to deal with him, so he headed into Saturday's fight with immense confidence.

Marquez was no longer fazed by the awkwardness, the speed and the peculiar angles that Pacquiao likes to utilise and he finished off the 33-year-old with a devastating right-hand shot.

It was a very similar punch to the one Pacquaio levelled Ricky Hatton with in their fight in 2009, so it was very much a case of what goes around comes around.

Improving

James DeGale is an Olympic gold medallist but he is still managing to slip under the radar.

It is a shame he has been lost in the politics of the sport and that is why we have not seen too much of him, but he is doing very well without the glare of the spotlight on him.

DeGale picked up another win at the weekend, defeating Colombian veteran Fulgencio Zúñiga via a unanimous decision in Hull; he is improving all the time and learning the ins and outs of the job.

James was very brash in the build-up to his bout with George Groves in 2011 and I think he got too emotional, which may have been a big reason in his defeat to his British rival, but he has certainly grown up since then and I think big fights lie in store.

I would like to see him face Brian Magee, who was beaten by Mikkel Kessler on Saturday night; Magee is, of course, a former world champion and beating him would give James some prestige - and if he won that match who knows where that could take him?

He does not look like an obvious world champion at this stage, but I think he will become one once he has the appropriate experience at the top level; if he could knock off some ex-world titlists that will give him the confidence to push on.

Both DeGale and Groves will be looking to take over from Carl Froch when he retires and become Britain's top super-middleweight and, at the moment, I would say James might take that tag.

I like Groves, I like his intelligence and he is a strong kid, too, but I think that aggressive style, which has served him so well in the amateurs, will only get you so far and eventually he may get picked apart by more talented boxers.

James, though, is a tad slicker and if he had George's brain he would be unbeatable.

Should Pacquiao retire? Who should DeGale fight next? Le us know YOUR thoughts by filling in the feedback form below...

Comments (3)

  • Page 1 of 1
  • 1

Paul Mclean says...

Well said aaron and johnny totally agree with your summation of the fight. I personally thought while looking a bit more vulnerbale than usual that pacquaio was boxing as well as he has in 2 years, timing his straight left and right hook in particular very well and i agree a bit more patience on his part would likely have resulted in him being the clear victor. While the nature of the defeat is a concern i dont think he deserves to leave the sport flat on his face and would love to see him fight at least 2-3 fights and see out his top rank contract. Heres a suggestion, a match up with another seemingly vulnerable fighter trying to bounce back from back to back defeats... Amir Khan??

Posted 20:09 11th December 2012

Aaron Thomas says...

Aren't we forgetting Manny had won every previous round but the round of the 1st knockdown. And had easily won the 6th untill the KO. Marquez has learnt alot against Manny but had the fight continued he would have lost by a landslide this time. It was just a case of one punch can change everything, As it is in every fight. And this was because Manny was pressing for the KO instead of settling on the fact he could have outpointed Marquez. Don't get me wrong I rate marquez very highly and after the 1st 3 fights deserved to claim one,and what he acheived on Sat is what his great career deserved.

Posted 17:40 11th December 2012

Nick Berry says...

Pacquiao should not retire. He should dump Freddie Roach who is not up the job of training fighters in the modern arena. He should then fight Mayweather. DeGale is, in my view, overrated. He should try to avenge his Groves defeat before moving on to world class level. If he wants to step up, then a good test would be Lucian Bute. DeGale should avoid Froch at all costs as he will get destroyed.

Posted 13:28 11th December 2012

  • Page 1 of 1
  • 1

Add Comment*

Send us your views

Are you a Sky Sports subscriber?

*All fields required, your email address will be kept private

back to top

Other Boxing Experts:

Latest Posts in Boxing:

Jim Watt

Test of toughness

Jim Watt tips Carl Froch to outlast Mikkel Kessler in an epic battle of skill and strength on Saturday....

0 comments

Johnny Nelson

A warrior's fall?

Mikkel Kessler was the underdog and after taking a closer look at Carl Froch, Johnny Nelson knows why!...

0 comments

Latest News RSS feeds

Bellew proves point in rematch

Tony Bellew settled his score with Isaac Chilemba as his unanimous points win earned a shot at a world title.

Froch at full throttle

Carl Froch has warned Mikkel Kessler that he will be at full throttle when the pair get it on again.

Kessler unfazed by Froch talk

Mikkel Kessler dismissed Carl Froch's weigh-in tirade and is determined to silence his rival with victory on Saturday.

Bellew: I'll right the wrongs

Tony Bellew is looking forward to his return match with Isaac Chilemba with both looking for the knockout.

Froch-Kessler ready for battle

Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler engaged in some pre-fight mind games as they weighed in for Saturday's big showdown.

Features

Watch the first fight!

Watch the first fight!

Watch highlights of Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler's first bout ahead of tonight's rematch. It's a brawl!

Carl Froch spends the day with little company but a lot to contemplate

Carl Froch spends the day with little company but a lot to contemplate

With his revenge showdown with Mikkel Kessler less than a week away, Carl Froch gets a rare day doing nothing in between Wednesday's press conference and Friday's weigh-in. Solitude, he admits, is a crucial part of his game...

Fight night flutters

Fight night flutters

Sky Bet's Jamie Casey picks out the best betting options ahead of Carl Froch vs Mikkel Kessler.