Jens Pulver Believes Tim Sylvia is Taking Ray Mercer Lightly
by Leland Roling on Jun 11, 2009 10:31 AM EDT
33 comments
MMA fans may be surprised to know that there is one battle this weekend that could potentially mean more to the world of MMA and boxing than any fight on the UFC 99 card. Yes, that's right... I'm talking about the showdown between Tim Sylvia (24-5 MMA, 0-0 Boxing) and former heavyweight boxing champion Ray Mercer (36-7 Boxing).
Okay, okay... in all seriousness, this is probably one of the most ridiculous decisions that Tim Sylvia has made in his career, and it is only further solidified by a guy who is not only one of his friends, but has also dabbled in the world of professional boxing before. Jens Pulver had this to say about Sylvia's debut:
"I don't know what the goal is. I don't care how old Ray Mercer is, you don't win a world title unless you can thump. He's not to be messed with. We'll have to see what Tim can do with that." ....
"It's a whole different world. People talk about it (like they're the same sport) but do not confuse the two. Boxing and MMA are two different worlds. You look at someone like a (Floyd) Mayweather or a (Manny) Pacquiao who do that with just the hands, they're incredible." ....
"I think they're taking this as sparring, and they're going to find Mercer probably isn't taking this as a sparring bout."
Pulver may be on the downside of his career, but he's never been a man who has made the silly mistake of fighting a boxing match in a cage. Pulver's comments further push the fact that this is a no-win situation for Tim Sylvia. Not only does Pulver believe Tim is in for a surprise on Saturday night, but he makes further comments regarding the belief that Sylvia may believe this is just a "sparring" matchup as opposed to what Ray Mercer probably believes this is... a real-life reenactment of "Rocky Balboa" without Mason "The Line" Dixon.
However you break down this fight, there are going to be two outcomes that don't help Tim Sylvia at all. Firstly, a win will only give MMA and boxing fans a laugh as Mercer is well past his prime. It won't solidify any type of shot at the top 10 of heavyweight boxing's elite, and it'll just continue to prolong Sylvia's dream of breaking into "the big money" of boxing. He'll probably begin declining MMA even more, which is a huge mistake considering he can still make some decent coin in the sport.
A loss would be even more painful. He'll become the top 10 heavyweight MMA fighter who was crushed by an aged Ray Mercer. Boxing fans will use the fight as an example of their sport's superiority over MMA, and MMA fans will consider Tim Sylvia even less of a relevant fighter in the Heavyweight MMA picture. His payouts will probably drop, and he'll float off into obscurity unless he manages to defeat some named opponents in MMA again.
In the end, where is the advantage in taking this fight? Monte Cox has stated that it's a challenge for Tim, but wouldn't it be more realistic to challenge yourself in the MMA ring against top 10 competition? How about challenging yourself to change your style a bit? Adrenaline III will be held at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham, Alabama on June 13th.
[UPDATE] Video added by Nick Thomas:
Adrenaline MMA III - June 13, in Birmingham, Ala.:
• Ray Mercer (36-7-1) vs. Tim Sylvia (0-0)
• Rich Clementi (34-14) vs. Sasuke Zapata (17-1)
• Chris Davis (5-0) vs. Jeremy Horn (80-19-5)
HT: Cagewriter.com and MMAJunkie.com
The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.
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If Sylvia loses, it’s going to turn into a viral story – front page of Yahoo!, Digg, etc. This is a huge mistake for him.
by MMAEruption on Jun 11, 2009 10:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
It’s definitely way worse if he loses… but even a win doesn’t give him much additional revenue.
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by Leland Roling on Jun 11, 2009 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I like the write up Leland...
But let me say this on Tim’s behalf. Tim has been training multiple times, 5-6 days a week with a former gold glove boxer turned trainer for this fight. This trainer has trained Antwaun Echols and some of the top rated amateurs in the sport. I can garuantee that his isn’t taking Mercer light, or trying to look past this weekend towards his fight with Paul Buentello. He has been shown how to change his stance and how he throws punches to be effective in the boxing ring or cage or whatever haha. He has been sparring very hard with some big guys that pack a punch, and has developed some really good body shots. I would look for him to work Mercer’s body and wait for an opportunity to go to the head. Tim has better cardio for sure and we all know he has a good reach, which is even better in his boxing. Now, will he win??? As a friend of his I want him to win, but who knows what will happen. Ray Mercer is “no punk” as they say, and could very easily get Tim in trouble in the early rounds. If Tim can get out of the first few rounds with out taking too much damage i don’t see how he loses this fight. As for Jens, he would probably be the first to know what taking his opponent lightly means.
by ANance on Jun 11, 2009 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
From poundnground
Tim Sylvia will be next on the suspension list. Please Old man Mercer KO his ass.
From cmsove
Sylvia is pulling an inverted Arlovski by risking an upcoming MMA bout by participating in a boxing match 7 weeks prior. Cross-pollination between MMA and boxing is interesting, but lining up boxing and MMA matches so close together is asking for trouble. I agree with Pulver. If you’re going to box professionally do it right. Don’t expect to waltz into another sport and stomp guys who have dedicated their lives to that sport. Do the boxing thing like Lesnar has done the MMA thing as a wrestler. Dedicate yourself to training in that sport alone for a while. Look what happened to KJ Noons. I’m a big fan having trained Jiu Jitsu with the guy at City Boxing. But he really screwed himself thinking he could go back and forth between MMA and boxing.
by Nick Thomas on Jun 11, 2009 11:12 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The thing is…. who is he even fighting in August? We don’t even know. And it doesn’t really matter at this point. Nobody seems to care about Sylvia in MMA right now because he’s unexciting. Until he puts up a big win again in MMA, I think he feels he needs these freak fights.
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by Leland Roling on Jun 11, 2009 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He is fighting Paul "The Mexican Headhunter" Buentello in Aug.
Which by the way is a horrible nickname for him…
by ANance on Jun 11, 2009 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sylvia isn't retarded people
What Jens said is kinda patronizing , u think Sylvia doesn’t know this is a real fight as opposed to a sparring session or an exhibition ? A fight is a fight and sparring is sparring , I can’t see why on earth a fighter would take ANY fight lightly or mistake it for something it isn’t . Sylvia probably knows this is a serious fight , and hell , he might even get his ass KOed , but why shouldn’t he give it a shot ? If he wins , he beat a recognized (though passed his prime , WAY passed his prime) name . If he loses – sucks for him , but he could lose to an unknown fighter just as well . All and all I don’t see what the big deal is – his trainers think he’s got a shot in boxing ? He thinks so ? He’s a big , tall , powerful dude ? Let’s see if he can do it then . I’m not saying he’s gonna win – I’m just saying yes he has a chance if he trained right and comes with the right mentality .
And for people saying boxing fans will celebrate if Mercer wins – please , it’s 2 different sports entirely . In the early UFC’s u had boxers taken to the ground and submitted in seconds …I can’t believe anyone will try to say something else other than 4 year olds…
It’s just a little weird how people got excited when Andrei wanted to do the exact same thing and how negative the response is for Tim . It just shows how nice abs and looking like Leonidis can work magic for your career … I don’t like Tim so I don’t really care but honest to god I think if he had nicer abs he’d have 10 times less haters
by JoelMan on Jun 11, 2009 11:37 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I think the major problem most people have here is that there is really no-win situation for this matchup. Boxing enthusiasts will simply say Mercer is way past his prime if Tim wins, and Tim losing has all sorts of repercussions. Jens would actually know if TIm is taking it lightly if Tim is still training at MFS because Jens comes in and out of the gym quite often.
I would tend to agree though. Tim has to be taking this seriously considering the fact that if Mercer beats him, it’s bad news all around for him.
Follow my analysis of all things MMA on BloodyElbow.com
by Leland Roling on Jun 11, 2009 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ok , if Pulver has actually seen or heard Sylvia disrespecting his training for this fight then I take what I said back , but for me this all sounds just like Jens’ opinion . I just give Sylvia a little more credit than that. As for the no win situation , I see what u’re saying but what if Tim took a nobody – then if he loses he’s finished , if he wins nobody cares …kind of the same situation , only in the Mercer case he can at least try to market himself in the boxing world.
So as I said – let’s see if Timmy can do it . Realistically though , as Pulver said , 48 year old or not Mercer can still punch that’s for sure . I don’t know crap about boxing but if I was Tim I’d try to take it to the later rounds and hope Mercer is in bad shape….Mercer indeed looks quite out of shape in that picture right or is it my wishful thinking ?
by JoelMan on Jun 11, 2009 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ok honestly
I do think Sylvia is not ‘all there’. Not intending to be fighter bashing but I’m calling it like I see it.
Sylvia is one of those people who is terribly insecure and is always looking for acceptance. He was never accepted (properly) by MMA despite reaching (arguably) the highest echelon of the sport and he seriously couldn’t understand why.
He thinks that having loads more money will get him acceptance and he’s also hoping boxing fans will come to like him. Neither of which is likely to happen.
The reason why I think this is because reading Matt Hughes’ excerpt about Sylvia that’s exactly what comes across.
by rainmaker6 on Jun 11, 2009 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just to back up my point some more…..watch the youtube preview vid below.
I’m not just boxing for myself…..I’m boxing for all of the MMA community. When this fight’s over with I’m gonna get the respect I deserve.
His ‘preview’ screams ‘I want respect’ and he’s not getting it. He doesn’t look confident or at peace.
Honestly – Timmy needs to hang out with Dr. Phil.
by rainmaker6 on Jun 11, 2009 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m pretty sure he was talking about respect in boxing…Any former UFC champion has a level of respect among fans. Love him or hate him.
by ANance on Jun 11, 2009 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Andre Arlovski never tried to do the same thing, he has trained with one of the best boxing coaches in the sport for over a year now and was wanting to have a match with another boxer at around the same experience level on a event undercard. Tim Sylvia is boxing (in a freaking cage) with an aging former world champion in a unsanctioned bout that is headlining a show. There is no comparison between the two, one is approaching boxing with respect and the other is going the freakshow route so Monte Cox can have a headline for the MMA card he is putting on.
Oh and Jens Pulver may know a bit about the subject being as he has had professional boxing matches in his past himself.
by who me on Jun 11, 2009 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
So much for Andrei's respect for boxing ...
Andrei isn’t cleared to fight and his debut is canceled due to his KO loss … I’m not saying respect or disrespect but definitely bad management…
by JoelMan on Jun 12, 2009 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
How much is Silvia making for his fight against Mercer?
by polevaultking on Jun 11, 2009 11:48 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Here is the pertinent question! What is written in the media is way less important to a fighter than what is written on that pay check.
by Jonathan Snowden on Jun 11, 2009 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
As hard as I try..
I simply cannot see Sylvia winning this.
Mercer is well known for having a legendary chin, and can you really see Sylvia outworking him?
Creator of the FightMatrix rating system.
by JCS_FM on Jun 11, 2009 12:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
No, I think Mercer has a legitimate chance at defeating Sylvia in this matchup. He still beats some decent fighters even at 47-48 years old, so Tim may very well have bitten off more than he can chew.
Follow my analysis of all things MMA on BloodyElbow.com
by Leland Roling on Jun 11, 2009 12:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Will that catapult Mercer into the top 20 of your rankings?
Bolts from the Blue // "Game over." - Jamal Williams
Bloody Elbow // "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken
by Richard Wade on Jun 13, 2009 9:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
ha ha ha lol , jesus that stank , they could at least put a shirt on Mercer to conceal those tires !!
So yeah , if Tim has any advantage here it has to be cardio , he just needs to survive a couple of minutes , I hope he can do it ! Yep , Im rooting for Tim here , kill me ! Kudos for Mercer for fighting in that age it can’t be easy , but I donno , I still want Sylvia to win
by JoelMan on Jun 11, 2009 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Just a hypothetical for you:
Say Timmy is getting towled up by Mercer and you begin to fear that all the boxing people you know that discredit the sport are just going to tear you to shreds if Timmy loses to Old Man Mercer do you hope that:
a) Timmy just takes the beating and then you take yours OR
b) You hope Timmy high kicks Mercer and just bear the brunt of “MMA fighters are just a bunch of savages who can’t obey the rules”
by SamCupitt on Jun 11, 2009 12:19 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
LOL, Timmy high kicks Mercer.
Honestly, I don’t even care if Boxing fans try to discredit MMA because of this fight. If that happens, I’d simply ignore the boxing fans. I really don’t care. They are two different worlds, as Jens says.
Follow my analysis of all things MMA on BloodyElbow.com
by Leland Roling on Jun 11, 2009 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The boxing fans that would use this fight to discredit MMA...
do so already and would never give MMA credit in the case of a Timmy win. No one should spend any energy on caring about them in the first place.
But for Timmy personnaly, this is a no win. I can’t see him getting paid anything serious for this and I can’t see a result from this that does lead to him getting a better payday in the future…especially in the boxing world.
by Razreshat on Jun 11, 2009 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Right...
There is no-win here. It doesn’t help him at all. I don’t understand why he’s doing this.
Follow my analysis of all things MMA on BloodyElbow.com
by Leland Roling on Jun 11, 2009 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
$$$
Why does any fighter fight?
by Jonathan Snowden on Jun 11, 2009 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Funny story on the Australian boxing scene that happened recently. One of our Rugby League players turned boxer – Saulom Haumono (sic?) – had been making his was up on the Australian scene and was undefeated. He recently fought this guy who was apparently a professional mixed martial artist. Haumono got dropped in the first round by this guy but the MMA guy couldn’t contain himself and followed it up with some punches on the ground that had the fight ruled a disqualification.
by SamCupitt on Jun 11, 2009 12:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
LOL, yeah… I figured that some crossover guys would do that.
Follow my analysis of all things MMA on BloodyElbow.com
by Leland Roling on Jun 11, 2009 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Maineiac
It would be devastaiting if theMaineiac loses this Boxing match.
by TheLevi on Jun 11, 2009 3:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Pulver...
A bit off topic but I still love Jens Pulver.
Very much a favorite. I hope he stays visible even if he retires. I’m sure he will.
As for Sylvia, I think he is in trouble. And as said by everyone many times before- this whole business is very silly.
by Gerrymanderer on Jun 11, 2009 3:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Maybe Tim Sylvia doesn’t really care much about his relevance and how the result looks to the MMA Community? Maybe he just wants to know how he measures up as a boxer against a competitive opponent? Maybe we find the whole thing ridiculous, but I think if it is something that Sylvia seriously wants to try his hand at, he deserves the support for trying.
by xlynwoodx on Jun 11, 2009 7:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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