411 Boxing Fact or Fiction 01.04.11: Dawson's New Trainer, Mosley's Chances Against Manny, TMZ and Floyd Jr., More

Posted by Ramon Aranda on 01.04.2011

Does Shane Mosley stand a chance against Manny Pacquiao? Will Emanuel Steward make a big difference as the trainer of Chad Dawson? Are you fed up with TMZ's stream of videos involving Floyd Mayweather? 411's Ramon Aranda and Michael Payne discuss these topics and more in this week's 411 Fact or Fiction: Boxing!



Round 1: With Emanuel Steward, you expect Chad Dawson to perform at a higher level in a rematch with Jean Pascal.

Ramon Aranda: Fact - Truth be told, Steward is an exceptional trainer and a Hall of Famer. Dawson does possess plenty of talent but has, up until now, failed to show that burning desire inside of the ring. He obviously knows how to win but lacks the fire to step on the gas when he needs to as we saw against Pascal and a few other previous fights. If Steward can get to Wladimir Klitschko (if only for one round) to turn it on and get his man out, I'm sure he can do the same with Dawson. Whether he wins the rematch or not is another story altogether, but he should at least perform a bit better than last time.

Michael Payne: Fact - There's a reason Emanuel Steward is revered as much as he is - the man knows what he's doing in training camp and in the corner. Dawson was certainly in the fight against Pascal when it was stopped due to cuts and we've also seen Pascal look pretty bad in his last fight with Bernard Hopkins. I think it's safe to say we'll see a more competitive fight this time around and Dawson should look improved.

Scorecard: 1 for 1

Round 2: Due to the off-location, the Bradley-Alexander unification bout will likely produce minimal fans at the Pontiac Silverdome.

Ramon Aranda: Fact - Yeah I get it, the stadium paid big bucks to host the fight, but what good does that do Bradley and Alexander fans? Neither fighter is from Detroit and the venue is not the greatest in the country. I know neither team wanted the fight in the opponent's backyard but Detroit? Geeze, at least host it somewhere that's a little nicer and not as big. The stadium's going to look pretty empty, I guarantee it.

Michael Payne: Fact - The fight has no business being at the Pontiac Silverdome. What is this? Wrestlemania III?

Not to mention that there won't be any televised undercards...you just know the stadium will be empty!

Scorecard: 2 for 2

Round 3: You find it annoying that TMZ continues to get (buy) footage (surveillance camera video) of Mayweather's shenanigans.

Ramon Aranda: Fact - I just hate TMZ period.

Michael Payne: Fiction - Hey it's Floyd's own fault that these surveillance videos are even out there. Maybe if he took a step back, acted like a grown man and instead did his fighting inside the ring, TMZ would leave the guy alone.

Scorecard: 2 for 3

And now for the championship rounds!

Round 4: Shane Mosley has a punchers chance against Manny Pacquiao.

Ramon Aranda: Fiction - At this point in the game, Mosley doesn't seem quick enough or accurate enough to even land anything significant that would hurt Pacquiao. That's not to say Mosley isn't strong enough, but I just don't think he's good enough anymore to even have that puncher's chance against someone as skilled as Manny. Sure he stunned Mayweather in the 2nd round of their fight but he barely put a dent into Sergio Mora in their last fight. The Mosley that showed up that night will get massacred before he can even land anything of note.

Michael Payne: Fact - I have to disagree with Ramon on this one. Sure, Mosley is clearly past his prime, but as mentioned, Mosley was able to stun Mayweather twice in their fight. To me, the Mora fight wasn't a clear indication of how far gone Mosley is as I don't think he was even remotely motivated for that fight. He knows this fight with Manny is his last big shot and he'll be 100% prepared. He'll likely still lose, but I think he'll at least land a few clean, hard shots. It's up to Manny to take them and keep on coming.

Scorecard: 2 for 4

Round 5: Evander Holyfield will lose to Sherman Williams.

Ramon Aranda: Fact - I'm pretty confident Evander will look absolutely terrible in this fight. I've never seen Williams fight but I'm willing to bet he'll be more active than the "Real Deal". I just hope that when he loses, he'll call it a career, but we know he won't.

Michael Payne: Fiction - Holyfield is delusional about regaining the heavyweight championship but the matchmakers won't be stupid enough to put him in against anyone who will tear him to shreds. Not unless he actually gets a title shot down the line. He'll likely win this one in a one-sided affair. I won't be surprised if he wins it by knockout.

Scorecard: 2 for 5

Round 6: Out of the two, you'd favor Antonio Tarver as a color commentator over Roy Jones Jr.

Ramon Aranda: Fact - I'll be honest, I'm digging Roy Jones as a color commentator with HBO once again and I always liked him in that role. However, I've been very impressed with how Antonio Tarver has come across behind the mic at Showtime. He's colorful, insightful and usually spot on with his breakdown of a fight and it's participants. Plus, he just come across as a much more likable guy in front of the camera and that also counts for a lot.

Michael Payne: Fact - I too am glad to see Jones back on HBO, if only for limited roles behind the mic but I agree that Tarver has done an even better job at Showtime, and I do hope that the network has signed him on for a lengthy run in that role. Also, when was the last time you saw Jones bust out with a million dollar smile the way Tarver does?

Final Scorecard: 3 for 6

Now we want to hear from you the fans! Fact or Fiction? Let us know!