Quote Originally Posted by Brockton Bomber
It's time for me to shoot down all of the Manfredo haters on this forum. I want to preface this by saying that I am not a new fan to boxing, and I am cetainly not a fan who never knew about boxing before The Contender. I can remember watching Spinks get KTFO by Tyson when I was a little kid. I boxed as an amatuer for a few years, until I pulled a Joe C and busted my hand. All that said MANFREDO IS THE REAL DEAL. MANFREDO HAS A REAL CHANCE TO BEAT JOE C. That's right, I said it...start the forum flame machine now.

*Anybody who saw Manfredo fight on ESPN pre-contender can tell you that he was a talented prospect.

*Manfredo's loss to Gomez was due to dehydration and the other negative effects of cutting weight. If you look at him coming into the ring for that fight, he looked like a friggin skeleton. He had bags under his eyes. Look at the Manfredo who entered the ring against Pemberton or Spina at 168, and it doesn't even look like the same guy. Some of you may ask why making 154 wasn't a problem for Manfredo before, but 160 was a problem for the Contender. I'll tell you why. Manfredo was what, 23 or 24 when the contender was taping? I can tell you being 26, that is when something happens to your body composition that makes it hard to keep your weight down. That's why fighters move up. Example. I used weight 210, a couple of years later, I weigh 224, with no more noticeable muscle, or fat.

*Manfredo won the 2nd Mora fight, relatively easily. That was the most home-cooked decision I ever saw until Quartey/Forrest. Besides that, Mora is a legit Top-5 middle weight. Manfredo has beaten everyone who's beaten him, a la Tarver. Even though Gomez and Mora are not exactly Jones and Johnson.

*Manfredo had gone as far as Manfredo Sr. could take him. He's a good trainer, not a great trainer like you need to fight at the elite level. Freddie Roach is. I mean, Manfredo Sr. had his kid fighting out of a modified kick-boxing stance for years. I also know enough to know Freddie Roach knows a lot more than me, or anyone else on this forum, and I don't think he would throw his fighter to the wolves if he really thought Jr. was that outclassed. Getting a fighter with Manfredo's name recognition slaughtered doen't make dollars, or sense.

*Joe C is not nearly as good as the Lacy performance would have you believe. First, Lacy fought like a dee dee dee that night. No strategy. Second, Lacy was never that good to begin with. He's like a young Tyson, but without the defensive mastery Cus D'Amato had instilled in him. A big punch will get you past guys like Omar Shieka, but not guys like Joe C.

*Manfredo has looked like Godzilla since he got with Roach. Yeah, I know Pemberton was shot, but Spina wasn't, and I still contend that Manfredo won the second Mora fight convincingly. I actually saw it for the first time on Youtube the other day.

So that's it folks, keep sparring and drinking your Haterade.

PS- RJJ, even now, on any given night can be more dangerous than Joe C ever was.
I think you are smoking crack if you think Manfredo is gonna beat this guy. Calzaghe is an animal. He took apart Lacy who was until then undefeated and was plain out destroying guys. I dont think Peter would have a chance against Jeff Lacy at this point; he's not ready yet. I welcome this fight just to see how he fares against Joe, but I really dont expect him to do very well. Freddie Roach is crazy to put him against Calzaghe and is going batty to think he has a chance of stopping him. This is a tune up sacrifice for the Dragon before he gets to Jermaine Taylor or someone really tough. People say who has Calzaghe fought? Well he's fought almost twice as many people as Manfredo and he has lost to three less. In fact he is still unbeaten if I am not mistaken and I expect he will remain that way after this fight has transpired (if it in fact does). I respect that you used to box and that you seem to know what you are talking about, but Manfredo is as good as dead if he has really signed that contract!