Rich Marotta: “I think Manny Pacquiao has that taste again for hurting an opponent. There’s gonna be no mercy in his fight”

I recently had a chance to speak with veteran sportscaster, Rich Marotta. Marotta has won four Emmy awards in his career, three of them being for his work in boxing. Rich now serves as the president of the Nevada Hall of Fame. In this interview I got Rich’s thoughts on IBO middleweight champ, Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin and what the future holds for the hard hitting star. Moratta also comments on Deontay Wilder’s title winning fight with Bermane Stiverne and shares his views on the long awaited Mayweather vs. Pacquiao match. Here is what Rich Marotta had to say.

(Click the player to listen to the full interview)

Robert Brown: I want to talk about the sensation that’s probably going to take over for Mayweather and Pacquiao as soon as they retire, Gennady Golovkin. He had a fantastic victory against Martin Murray, what were your thoughts?

Rich Marotta: I don’t think it was easy although I felt that Gennady Golovkin was a dominant winner. I believe that he might take over after the Mayweather and Pacquiao fight and I do believe that ‘GGG’ is going to be the face of boxing in the future. I believe he’s on his way to being an all time great.

I watch this guy fight some times and I just don’t even think he’s normal. I wonder if he’s human, I’d like to see the guy get tested or something. His punch is almost supernatural, he is so powerful. He’s such a terrific guy, a wonderful guy, I love his whole approach to boxing. I like that he wants to stay active, I like that he wants to fight the best. I don’t like that a number of the best do not want to fight him but that goes with the territory.

I thought Martin Murray was brave, I thought he acquitted himself well. People tried to say, “Well this guy is not really a terrific fighter,” but they really weren’t saying that after he knocked down Sergio Martinez twice and lost a disputed decision in that fight. This is a very good fighter, a very solid fighter but Gennady Golovkin is something else and I do not see him getting beaten for a number of years.

Robert Brown: To get the big marquee Pay-Per-View fight that he needs, is he going to have to go up to 168lbs and fight Andre Ward or a Carl Froch?

Rich Marotta: I think that may be the way that it turns out. Who wouldn’t like to see him fight Miguel Cotto? But I don’t think Cotto really wants to get in there with him. I think Canelo Alvarez clearly is so strong and big for his weight that he could go up and fight Golovkin at middleweight, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. could. All of these guys could but they don’t.

I think what you will probably see is for that big marquee fight, yes I think you’re going to have to see Golovkin go up to 168lbs eventually. I do believe that the big mega fight will be Golovkin and Andre Ward, I think that would be a spectacular event.

Robert Brown: America finally has a heavyweight champion back, they got Deontay Wilder. Who would you like to see Wilder fight next? Would you like to see him face Tyson Fury?

Rich Marotta: I would like to see that fight. I think that would be an interesting and compelling fight. I’d love to see it over in Britain, I think the atmosphere would be better there and I think it would really be tremendous if they had that fight in Britain rather than having that fight in the United States. I would pick Deontay Wilder to win that fight.

Deontay Wilder answered a lot of questions in his victory over Bermane Stiverne, I think that Wilder is the second best heavyweight on the planet right now and that he could beat everybody with the exception of Wladimir Klitschko at this point.

I was hoping the fight would go into the later rounds because I wanted to see what the outcome would be if that was the case and the interesting thing was, I thought Wilder was beginning to lose it a little bit around the sixth or seventh round and I thought Stiverne was beginning to come on some and was beginning to get to Wilder and I thought that Stiverne might be able to record a late knockout.

What I really liked was that despite eating some meaty blows from Stiverne in those mid to late rounds, Wilder was able to collect himself and actually finish the stronger of the two, to me that was impressive. The ranginess of Wilder was also impressive. I thought some of the questions we had about Wilder were answered because the fight did go the distance.

Robert Brown: Another fight that’s been announced is James Kirkland vs. Saul Alvarez. Do you give Kirkland any chance in this fight? Why would Kirkland’s management throw him into a fight with Canelo after an extended layoff?

Rich Marotta: I’ve seen it happen before but when that opportunity arises, then a guy is gonna take that money, this will be a big money fight for Kirkland. As for the chance he has in the fight, I give him very little chance of being successful against Canelo.

I expect Canelo to win within three rounds and I think if he really wanted to push it and go for it in the first round — which I’m not sure he’ll actually try to do — I think he can get Kirkland out in one round. I think Kirkland will push it and I think he’ll run right into Canelo and I think Canelo will get him and get him fairly quickly. I’m predicting Canelo to win by an impressive knockout within three rounds.

Robert Brown: Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is finally happening, what are your thoughts on the fight and how do you feel about it now that it’s happening?

Rich Marotta: I’m elated that it’s happening, I’m excited. I can hardly wait to go to Las Vegas for it and be there that whole week. I just want to feel that excitement. To me it’s the kind of fight that will engender the kind of street corner debates and arguments that we saw when Ali fought Frazier and when Oscar De La Hoya fought Tito Trinidad, where you have people on each side that are so resolute on who they are following and who they believe will win.

I can’t wait for it to happen, I’m really excited that it’s happening. Maybe it came a few years too late but it’s not too late. I still see the fight as a very compelling bout.

Robert Brown: Pay-Per-View cost in the US is going to be $90 for the fight, how much do you think that will affect the buys? Do you think it will affect it at all?

Rich Marotta: I don’t think it will affect it much, I think people want to see it so much that they’re willing to spend and they’re willing to pay for it. I suspect that the fight will draw over three million PPV’s, I don’t have any doubt about that. I think it will be by far the biggest PPV event that there’s ever been.

Robert Brown: Do you think we’ll get more of the old style Manny Pacquiao in this fight?

Rich Marotta: Yes I do. I was a little worried about him after he fought Brandon Rios because it looked to me like something was missing there but I thought he regained a lot of it in the fight against Algieri. Algieri was basically a guy who was moving and running and dancing the whole night until Manny knocked him down several times over the course of the bout, although he couldn’t finish him. I think Manny has that taste again for hurting an opponent.

I remember there would be times when he would feel sorry for an opponent. I can remember when he fought Oscar De La Hoya and Freddie Roach telling him in the corner, “Manny it’s your job to knock him out, don’t feel sorry for him.” Those wore things that happened even before but I think Manny is so focused on this fight. It’s the fight of his life, he’s been leading his entire life and career to this singular night, there’s gonna be no mercy in his fight, nor will there be on Mayweather. I think Mayweather is going to rise to the occasion too, that’s why I’m so excited. I think the guys are going to leave nothing in the ring that night, we’re going to see a real fight.