Bob Sheridan has seen many of the greatest fighters in the sport from the start of their careers to the end. He has been calling fight for over forty years and has seen some of the all time greats create their legacies. Having seen so much in his own career ring side, Sheridan has one of the most unique perspectives in the sport when it comes to his thoughts on the fighters today.
In this interview with Bob Sheridan, I discuss with him Floyd Mayweather’s final fight of his boxing career, which is set to take place on September 12th against Andre Berto. Sheridan shares his thoughts on Mayweather’s future in the sport and a possible extension to his contract. Additionally, Sheridan gives his thoughts on Canelo-Cotto, GGG-Lemieux, Klitschko-Fury and a potential Manny Pacquiao vs. Amir Khan bout. Here is what Bob Sheridan had to say.
Robert Brown: Floyd Mayweather announced that he will be fighting Andre Berto on September 12th at the MGM Grand. How do you feel about the fight?
Bob Sheridan: The fight should be just another one of those fights that Mayweather can control defensively. Berto is as worthy as most opponents that he’s faced and he gets a shot at the megabucks on that day. How much of a fight it will be? I don’t know, Berto is three and three in his last six fights but he will come and he will be in great shape and he will try to chase down Mayweather, which nobody has been able to do.
Mayweather will prove that he’s a great defensive fighter on the heels of the disappointment of the fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather. People expected more, the hype of that fight was so great going into it. They expected a Duran-Leonard or a Hagler-Hearns fight and they didn’t get that because of the manner in which Floyd fights. That’s Floyd’s style and that’s what you’re gonna get against Andre Berto.
Mayweather’s one of the great defensive fighters that’s ever lived, he’s coming up towards retirement. I don’t think this will be his last fight, I think he’ll fight again after this. I think this is the end of his contract with Showtime and I think he’ll come out of retirement and probably open up the brand new 20,000 seat arena that’s being built right now in Las Vegas. That’s my take on Mayweather.
Robert Brown: There are strong rumors that he’s negotiating a three fight deal with Showtime deal at the moment. Who would you like to see him fight in those three fights?
Bob Sheridan: I’d like to see him fight Gennady Golovkin at some stage, if they can come to an agreement on weight. That would be a great fight. I wouldn’t mind seeing him fight Canelo Alvarez again. Those are two fights that would attract some interest.
Robert Brown: You don’t feel that it’s unrealistic for Mayweather to go up in weight and fight Gennady Golovkin?
Bob Sheridan: I’d love to see that fight, Golovkin is one of the best fighters around today. I just don’t think it’s gonna happen because that’s not the type of fight he wants. He’s gonna get his payday no matter what and he’s not gonna risk his undefeated record. When he gets to 50-0, I don’t see him risking his record for any amount of money. He’s got all the money in the world right now and it’s very important for him to retire undefeated.
Robert Brown: David Lemieux is going to be fighting Gennady Golovkin. What are your thoughts on that fight?
Bob Sheridan: It’s a money making fight and I think that this situation is that people have to remember that professional sports is about making money and I think this is a money making fight and I think that it’s a good move.
It’s hard to see anybody right now because Gennady is really at the top of his game and he’s a wonderful fighter, he’s great to watch, he’s exciting, he always comes in great shape, he trains up there in Big Bear. He is as an exciting fighter as there is around today. That’s what people want to see and I think that certainly Oscar De La Hoya realizes that and there’s a nice piece of change to be made on this fight, and I think it’s a competitive fight for a certain amount of rounds.
Robert Brown: What is your official prediction for that fight?
Bob Sheridan: I think Golovkin will win the fight, there’s no question in my mind that Golovkin will win the fight.
Robert Brown: What are your thoughts on the Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez fight?
Bob Sheridan: Cotto feels that his career is really blossoming right now and I think Canelo Alvarez, the best part of his career is still ahead of him. I think Alvarez is younger, he’s very fast, very strong. I saw him fight in Houston and he was very successful against a hard puncher and I think that the same thing will happen against Miguel Cotto. This is a competitive fight and again you got the Mexico and Puerto Rico thing, it will be huge and I think Canelo will come out on top.
Robert Brown: Are you predicting a decision or knockout in that one?
Bob Sheridan: I think there will be a knockout in that fight, I really do. Canelo is so strong right now.
Robert Brown: Even though Alvarez has been fighting at 155lbs and 156lbs, and Cotto has been fighting in the middleweight class, Canelo is the bigger guy isn’t he?
Bob Sheridan: Yeah he is the bigger guy and he trains down, he doesn’t put on a lot of weight in between his fights, he stays in great shape. Whether he fights at 154lbs or 160lbs, I don’t think it makes any difference. I think he’s definitely the bigger guy against Miguel Cotto.
Robert Brown: Wladimir Klitschko is set to meet Tyson Fury next, what do you make of that match?
Bob Sheridan: No contest. I see Wladimir doing what he always does, controlling the fight with his jab and eventually he will catch up with the big fellow with a right hand. Fury talks a good game, he’s won a lot of fights because he’s so big and so strong, but against a guy with the class of Wladimir Klitschko, I just don’t see him being able to perform at that level at this particular time in his career. I see Klitschko scoring the knockout.
Robert Brown: There are rumors that when Manny Pacquiao comes back that he’ll be fighting Amir Khan possibly in Dubai. What are your thoughts on that fight if it happens?
Bob Sheridan: Well, we’ll have to see how Manny comes back. Manny always puts on a show and he’s an aggressive fighter and Amir Khan is too. I think Bob Arum has said that it may not be in Dubai but it will be in some place in the Middle East. It’s an interesting fight and Amir Khan really deserved the shot at Floyd Mayweather and he’s not getting that, so it will be a big payday fight if Arum has something tied up in the Middle East with one of the countries over there.
It’s very hard to predict what will happen in that fight because I don’t know how good Manny’s gonna be, based on the fact that he injured his shoulder and he’s put on another year of age now. I just think that it’s a very competitive fight and one of those fights that has to happen to see.
Manny Pacquiao is like Floyd Mayweather, he’s at the tail end of his career and when you have a tendency to think of fighters, you always think of them in their prime and you begin to see little things that Manny’s having problems with, but he’ll be aggressive and he’ll be in the best possible shape.
Listen to the full interview here
I’d rather see Sleeping Beauty Pacquiao vs. AB (Azzwipe Broner).
Let’s see if Freddy CockRoach & Pookquiao learned anything from fighting & losing to JailWeather Jr.
I like the interview done by Robert Brown, but one thing he missed when asking the boxing expert when he asked them some question, like when Pacquiao claimed that he won the fight and proved it by slowmotion replay. I want to see how the so called expert reacts.
ASKED THEM IF THEY WATCHED THE SLOW MOTION REPLAY WHERE PACQUIAO CLEARLY WON THE FIGHTS IN 8 TO 4 FOR PACQUIAO.
When you watch the fight in normal speed who do you see winning? Just be honest about that and the way you r talking it’s mayweather and The judges don’t judge that way so stop with you guys slow motion shit
When you watch the fight in normal speed who do you see winning? Just be honest about that and the way you r talking it’s mayweather and The judges dohavn’t judge that way so stop with you guys slow motion shit
Robert Brown should have asked Bob Sheridan How come Mayweather only fights at MGM Grand, Las Vegas and not somewhere else? The answer is dubious. Because if it is somewhere else like Macau or Dubai, he will surely will not win because he longer controls the turf or the place unlike in Vegas where he is protected by the American judges and he handpicked the referee. That is called CHEATING !!! And Mayweather fans until now don’t know it? Retarded brainwashed fans. I’m sorry for them. Tell Mayweather to do a rematch with Pacman outside USA with multi racial judges like in the Olympics, and if he wins, He is really TBE. But that scenario will never happen because Mayweather is afraid to fight outside MGM Grand, Las Vegas. As simple as that. That is why I consider Muhammad Ali the real TBE because he fought in different venue even to Asia in Manila. Remember Thrilla In Manila?