For those that did not see the fight...& even though it's a bit late (due to some forum difficulties), once again...I present to you...my fellow boxing enthusiasts & beloved forum goers...another installment of Wacko's Drunken Round by Round.

The end of the week is here once again...& with Friday comes the inevitable...Saturday!

Oh happy day, happy muh-fwockin diz-ay!!!

As per the usual...Saturdays equate to one thing & one thing only...I know what your'e all thinking...just another excuse for Wacko to get drunk...true...but not the fact that I was eluding to.

Saturday equals...slowly but surely...yet another fight & yet another installment of Wacko's Drunken Round by Round...& as I said just a few short breaths key strokes ago...oh happy muh-fwockin diz-ay!!!

Oddly enough...this weekend is somewhat of a mirror of last weekend for Wacko...& not just the consumption of booze & the ole telee to couch to compu coverage...

The similarities of this Saturday night's festivities (agai, outside of the typical drunken fight night) reside in the fact that this is another one of those fights that I really really couldn't care much about...as with the Vargas & Mosley matches...this will be a night of fighters that I really don't care to much about.

Two weekends in a row...I get stuck covering a fight involving two fighters that never really struck a chord in Wacko's heart.

Oddly enough though...again...just like last weekend...I'm actually excited about the match up...even though I don't really rate either of these two.

Why Wacko?

Why are you excited about watching two fighters that you don't even like compete for the Welterweight title of the world?

Why are you excited over two fighters that you don't really rate?

Well...I'm glad you asked...let me elaborate by answering your questions with some questions of my own & make like a schitzo by answering those very questions with more questions & half assed answers...slowly but surely & inevitably leading into...what I have come to call...the Wackster's Factors of the Fight.

First of all...why don't I rate these two fighters?

Let's look into the possible factors of the fight for those very answers.

Factors & questions for & against Gatti:

#1: Gatti always rises, but falls to the competition. Arturro Thunder Gatti is a world class operator...in many fans eyes. Not mine. Sure...he's fun to watch & you never know what's going to happen & alla that shat...but the problem is...he always fails to operate when he's thrown in with marquee competition. Boasting a record of 40 wins, with 31 ko's, & 7 losses...Gatti continues to be a fan favorite based on his heart & the fact that he will to rise above the rest. Again, there lies the problem. Sure he can rise above the rest...just not above the best. While Gatti basically slaughters B level fighters, A & even B+ fighters either out hustle him...or just pretty much destroy him.

Banking on the fact that Gatti will defeat a fighter like Baldomir (who is, IWO, B level or maybe B+) due to the fact that he always has in the past is a bit short sighted. Baldomir's Factor #2 could be one of THE DECIDING FACTORS that Gatti is not taking into consideration. By all means...scroll down to Baldo's Factor #2. It aint that far outta reach.

#2: The wars. Easy factor to be taken into consideration, here. With each contract signed, the question of questions always arises: Has "Thunder" Gatti been in one too many wars? Has he seen too many beatdowns?

I honestly believe that the answer will come in to play Saturday July the 22nd, 2006 in what will be one of the most important 12 rounders of his career...the WBC & IBA Welterweight titles are on the line & so is his reputation...which I might add took a quick mend after destroying Daamgard last January.


#3: The power...or respectively the lack of for the other team. Gatti's got power...no doubt. Baldomir has a little...again, no doubt. Gatti's chin has proven to be pretty sturdy...even though he has been TKO'd two or three times...it's been by the best & some pretty heavy handed customers. Gatti can take a shot & he can give as good as he takes when he's on an even playing field. I have a feeling that in the end...Gatti's power will take over...as long as he can go the distance without cutting or swelling...which in the end comes back to the lack of power on Baldomir's part.

#4: Three letters...H-C-A. What that be Wacko? Easy: Home Court Advantage. Truthfully I think that this will be another huge factor in Gatti's favor. The Boardwalk Hall Arena is scaled for a seats roughly 12,000 people. Just a week ago HBO was boasting that there were only 300 seats/tickets left. That was two weeks ago. I would guess that the bill has been paid at the capacity of 12,000 Gatti fans. Amazing. Still losing...still putting asses in seats. Again...amazing.

#5: Age, stamina, heart, chin...GATTI! All of the above. I got a feeling that Gatti's got more advantages than a female elephant has panooch! That's a lot of panooch...if your'e familiar with elephant panooch...which sadly...Wakco is not...but I am familiar with the size of elephants...so I'd say that'd have to be a lot of advantages.

But before I get ahead of myself...let's not forget what Baldomir did with his last shot at a title.


Factors & questions for & against Carlos Baldomir:

#1: The Judah factor. Baldo's where he's at basically for shocking the world & beating Judah...who supposedly was less than 80%...whether you believe that or not. Either way you look at it...Judah was in the ring & he was landing his best shots...so no matter what the punk says...he was in a fight...it was just one that he could not win. Prior to that, Baldomir (42 wins with 12 ko's, 9 losses, & 6 draws) has fought decent opposition...but no one great & no one that couldn't be beaten on any given Sunday. Not sure what that says as opposed to Gatti's record...who, again, has faltered under the fists of those with moderate skills. This is the main toss up for Wakco.

#2: Confidence & determination. Again, the Judah factor. Baldomir is argueably in the twilight of his career & he's seen the light of day in full effect after beating Zab Judah so handily, the man's riding on a high. Quite possibley...he could consider a fight against Gatti as one of the defining moments of his career. A man at the end of his rope is not to be taken lightly...again...this could be the fight of Gatti's career...just as much as it could be the fight of Baldomir's career. This, IWO, will be the other determining factor of the fight...& a big one. So to speak...the Fantastic-4 are all riding on this fight: Fame, Future, Fortune, & Family.

#3: The big stage. Baldomir has proven a worthy combatant when thrown to the lions...but beating an "unmotivated" Judah in front of his hometown New York crowd & besting Gatti in front of thousands of rabid Gattee-ites at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey will most likely prove to be a daunting task. Could be wrong...but how can 12,000 screaming New Jersians not shake a man that rarely sells out 2,000 to 5,000 seats. This might be a huge distraction to Baldomir.

#4: Age, stamina, heart, chin...all of the above. Again...I got a feeling that Gatti's got more advantages in his favor than Baldomir does at this stage in the game. Granted...that was the case coming in to the Judah fight...& we all saw how that ended...in shock & surprise.

#5: Shock & surprise. This is the only thing that Baldomir has in his favor...but I truly believe that Gatti & the HCA is going to negate any chance of the ole shock & surprise that Carlos was able to pull off the last time. If the fight with Judah was actually the fact that Judah came in unmotivated...then he's fwocked against Gatti...because whether or not I like Gatti as a fighter...the fact that I am not a fan of the man has nothing to do with the obvious...Gatti is always motivated...win, lose, or draw...Gatti comes to fight.


Now...I realize that all of that sounded maybe...a bit too hyper-critical &...dare I say...haterish...but let's face facts people...these aren't the greatest champs on the board & they've been thrust into their respective spots either by default or carefully planned match making...in order to thrust them into more respectable spots.

HBO & the promoters are selling it...thank Christ that this weekend I didn't actually have to buy it.

I'll watch it...& I'll like it...but I won't like it. You get my drift...right?


Either way...win lose or draw...nobody really wins because I believe that the next step up will knock either of these men down the Welterweight ladder.

That being said...the only way that we as boxing fans can benefit is if Gatti shows up with his heart on his sleeve & Baldomir shows up as motivated as he was against Chump Judah.

We could be witness to a barn burner or a spot of fire fights.

I suppose that we'll just have to wait & see.

1st Prediction a few weeks prior to the fight:Gatti by a hard fought decision.

2nd decision that transpired right as I saw Baldo walk into the arena. It especially sunk in when he started grinning at Gatti's best punches.

Too much confidence.

So...as always...I say to you...my fellow forum goers...grab your remote & your poison of choice. Pick a spot on the couch or in front of your monitors & let's get crackin with yet another installment of Wacko's Drunken Round by Round!

Cheers & koneecheewah bitches. Wacko loves you all!