Dan Rafael blog: Serious talks underway for Pavlik-Williams and other tid bits

[LEGION]

Too bad this Mora fight didn't happen a couple of years ago like it was supposed to before Mora was making too many demands; if I remember correctly.

I like Mora; but tbh I keep forgetting about this contract because it's just not a fight I am keen on enough to keep remembering about. Though I think Sergio could fair well in the fight; not win but do better than expected by some. His problem is he will take punches just to lick blood off his gloves; not wise against Pavlik,

[ClubberLang]

Too bad this Mora fight didn't happen a couple of years ago like it was supposed to before Mora was making too many demands; if I remember correctly.

He had a deal to fight Taylor but refused to do it because it would be in Taylor's backyard.

[LEGION]

Too bad this Mora fight didn't happen a couple of years ago like it was supposed to before Mora was making too many demands; if I remember correctly.

He had a deal to fight Taylor but refused to do it because it would be in Taylor's backyard.

You're right of course; a big major bad on my part.

[RP33]

I would pay any PPV price to see Pavlik KO Mora.

[ClubberLang]

I would pay any PPV price to see Pavlik KO Mora.

That's the thing though...I think what's more likely is that Mora makes it a stinker with Pavlik chasing him around the ring and Mora trying to pot-shot like he did in the first fight with Forrest. I don't know if he would do enough to win but I see it going to the cards in a dull affair. Not a fight I have any interest in whatsoever. Hoefully, we get the Williams fight instead.

[mexirican]

I would pay any PPV price to see Pavlik KO Mora.

That would be the exact way the fight will end and thats worth the price

[CFH]

Too bad this Mora fight didn't happen a couple of years ago like it was supposed to before Mora was making too many demands; if I remember correctly.

He had a deal to fight Taylor but refused to do it because it would be in Taylor's backyard.

That was one of the smartest things he ever did IMO. The only way he was winning that fight was by ko, which was pretty much impossible. People slagged him off (and still do) for that decision, but it led him directly to a LMW championship and legitimacy. If he had fought Taylor and lost (as he almost certainly would have) he would have immediately because completely irrelevant (even more so) and marginal; that fight would have effectively ended his career.

[ClubberLang]

Too bad this Mora fight didn't happen a couple of years ago like it was supposed to before Mora was making too many demands; if I remember correctly.

He had a deal to fight Taylor but refused to do it because it would be in Taylor's backyard.

That was one of the smartest things he ever did IMO. The only way he was winning that fight was by ko, which was pretty much impossible. People slagged him off (and still do) for that decision, but it led him directly to a LMW championship and legitimacy. If he had fought Taylor and lost (as he almost certainly would have) he would have immediately because completely irrelevant (even more so) and marginal; that fight would have effectively ended his career.

It's easy to say he was smart in hindsight, but at the time he left a shot at the undisputed middleweight title and a $1 million payday on the table with no assurances that a similar offer would ever present itself. Then he had that dreadful draw that by all rights should have ended any hopes he had of getting an important fight. He got lucky with the Forrest fight as far as I'm concerned (maybe not with his performance but definitely that it was offered).

[CFH]

He had a deal to fight Taylor but refused to do it because it would be in Taylor's backyard.

That was one of the smartest things he ever did IMO. The only way he was winning that fight was by ko, which was pretty much impossible. People slagged him off (and still do) for that decision, but it led him directly to a LMW championship and legitimacy. If he had fought Taylor and lost (as he almost certainly would have) he would have immediately because completely irrelevant (even more so) and marginal; that fight would have effectively ended his career.

It's easy to say he was smart in hindsight, but at the time he left a shot at the undisputed middleweight title and a $1 million payday on the table with no assurances that a similar offer would ever present itself. Then he had that dreadful draw that by all rights should have ended any hopes he had of getting an important fight. He got lucky with the Forrest fight as far as I'm concerned (maybe not with his performance but definitely that it was offered).

It's not just smart in hindsight, it was smart at the time. Mora knew he had no way of winning that fight, he wasn't going to stop Taylor and he wasn't going to beat him convincingly enough that he could win a points decision in his backyard. He loses that fight and his career is effectively over or at least severely retarded. Was turning down 1 million dollars a gamble? Absolutely, but it was one that paid off and Mora made the right decision.

As for him getting lucky with the Forrest fight, perhaps. However, the Contender people have long shown a willingness to sell out their charges by throwing them in against champs and very good fighters looking for an easy victory. I'm sure Mora knew that.

[ClubberLang]

That was one of the smartest things he ever did IMO. The only way he was winning that fight was by ko, which was pretty much impossible. People slagged him off (and still do) for that decision, but it led him directly to a LMW championship and legitimacy. If he had fought Taylor and lost (as he almost certainly would have) he would have immediately because completely irrelevant (even more so) and marginal; that fight would have effectively ended his career.

It's easy to say he was smart in hindsight, but at the time he left a shot at the undisputed middleweight title and a $1 million payday on the table with no assurances that a similar offer would ever present itself. Then he had that dreadful draw that by all rights should have ended any hopes he had of getting an important fight. He got lucky with the Forrest fight as far as I'm concerned (maybe not with his performance but definitely that it was offered).

It's not just smart in hindsight, it was smart at the time. Mora knew he had no way of winning that fight, he wasn't going to stop Taylor and he wasn't going to beat him convincingly enough that he could win a points decision in his backyard. He loses that fight and his career is effectively over or at least severely retarded. Was turning down 1 million dollars a gamble? Absolutely, but it was one that paid off and Mora made the right decision.

As for him getting lucky with the Forrest fight, perhaps. However, the Contender people have long shown a willingness to sell out their charges by throwing them in against champs and very good fighters looking for an easy victory. I'm sure Mora knew that.

It was dumb because Sergio was riding at the heighth of his popularity from the Contender and you have to strike while the iron is hot. He had no way of knowing if he would keep winning and remain popular enough to get another lucrative opportunity for a legit title. In fact, he had that draw against a nobody that I thought was a gift and should have been a loss, and that could have easily been the end of him. I think he got lucky with the Forrest fight, and although he won don't forget his payday was about half what he would have made against Taylor. Manfredo's loss to Calzaghe did not end his career, I doubt losing to Taylor would have hurt Mora too badly since no one thought he'd win anyway.

[CFH]

It's easy to say he was smart in hindsight, but at the time he left a shot at the undisputed middleweight title and a $1 million payday on the table with no assurances that a similar offer would ever present itself. Then he had that dreadful draw that by all rights should have ended any hopes he had of getting an important fight. He got lucky with the Forrest fight as far as I'm concerned (maybe not with his performance but definitely that it was offered).

It's not just smart in hindsight, it was smart at the time. Mora knew he had no way of winning that fight, he wasn't going to stop Taylor and he wasn't going to beat him convincingly enough that he could win a points decision in his backyard. He loses that fight and his career is effectively over or at least severely retarded. Was turning down 1 million dollars a gamble? Absolutely, but it was one that paid off and Mora made the right decision.

As for him getting lucky with the Forrest fight, perhaps. However, the Contender people have long shown a willingness to sell out their charges by throwing them in against champs and very good fighters looking for an easy victory. I'm sure Mora knew that.

It was dumb because Sergio was riding at the heighth of his popularity from the Contender and you have to strike while the iron is hot. He had no way of knowing if he would keep winning and remain popular enough to get another lucrative opportunity for a legit title. In fact, he had that draw against a nobody that I thought was a gift and should have been a loss, and that could have easily been the end of him. I think he got lucky with the Forrest fight, and although he won don't forget his payday was about half what he would have made against Taylor. Manfredo's loss to Calzaghe did not end his career, I doubt losing to Taylor would have hurt Mora too badly since no one thought he'd win anyway.

I disagree for the reasons I stated in my last reply, but you have a valid position as well. I also think he got a gift in that fight. No sense going round and round in circles with this though.

Manfredo's loss to Calzaghe didn't end his career, but it did set him back a ways. I actually think if he hadn't been kind of screwed over by Freddie Roach he could've held a title at 154/160. He showed serious improvement after working with Roach but seemed to almost instantly regress afterwards.