By Scoop Malinowski

In this Q&A, Bert Randolph Sugar weighs in on the state of boxing today, Oscar vs. Manny, boxing vs. MMA, and his personal conversation with Roy Jones Jr.

Boxinginsider: What do you think of the state of the sport at the moment?

Bert Sugar: “I love the state that boxing is in except for the heavyweight division which has been called off because of a lack of interest [smiles]. Who cares? I can’t spell their names anyhow. But you’ve had some great fights already. You just had Marquez and Casamayor. Margarito and Cotto. They were great fights. And now look at what we’re looking forward to. In order, Pavlik-Hopkins, Jones-Calzaghe, Pacquiao-De La Hoya. With a couple of other ones salted in.”

Boxinginsider: Vitali Klitschko vs. Samuel Peter too.

Bert Sugar: “Look at what has happened. Boxing is back. Yes, we had questions before the first and only here-to-fore De La Hoya-Mayweather was a shad. Like Mark Twain once said, his death has been exaggerated. So is boxing’s. And it’s back. Look at the crowd here (at the jam-packed Jones-Calzaghe press conference at Hard Rock Cafe in Manhattan). Look at what it generates. Look at the people here. This is not exactly a phone booth. These are people excited about a fight. A fight particularly at Madison Square Garden, where kings and heroes are made, which is really the greatest forum for boxing, ever. I mean, going all the way back to the previous Madison Square Garden which was built for boxing. So boxing and Madison Square Garden go together with a fight like this. And I love it. I hope I never have to hear those words, (changes voice), Well is boxing dead? Is it being replaces by mixed martial arts? That’s like tennis vs. ping pong. I love nothing more than watching three guys on the ground for three minutes, groping each other. I haven’t seen that since Hate Astbury in the 1950’s and 60’s. Boxing is back and nothing proves it more than this.”

Boxinginsider: Vitali vs. Peter could be a thriller.

Bert Sugar: “Though I think that Vitali can beat Peter. Peter showed more than feet of clay against McCline. He’s only a one-dimensional heavyweight. Though most of ‘em are [smiles]. So when John Ruiz is still fighting for a portion of the crown you know what you got [smiles]. Nothing.”

Boxinginsider: Are you interested in the De La Hoya-Pacquiao match? It’s beginning to spark interest.

Bert Sugar: “Yes. I think it’s a better fight than people are giving credit for. I don’t know what Oscar has left. Not only that, as easy as the rendering of the decision was against Steve Forbes, did you see his face afterwards? Somebody hit him. It wasn’t the referee. And that’s Steve Forbes, who couldn’t knock you or me out. Pacquiao can do that. And get out of there quickly. And what he’s doing is what no one’s done since Henry Armstrong - leapfrogging divisions. And if he can bring that speed and that punch - I think Oscar’s got much more trouble than people think he has.”

Boxinginsider: Roy Jones seems awfully confident he’ll use Calzaghe as basically a step-stone to get back to the top of the mountain, pound-for-pound #1, back to the glory days. He seems so confident.

Bert Sugar: “Well, he showed flashes of what he was against Tito Trinidad. But the question was, Was it him or was it Tito? But I asked Roy, what he wants after the W? Presupposing in my mind’s eye he may get it. And I think he could though I find him a significant underdog. He says he wants www.royjonesjrgreatestever.com. As if it were a web site he’s already conceived. So he’s already thinking. And that’s part of the process. If he fights with the flashes he showed against Tito Trinidad, that he can fight, punch for punch the fastest man in boxing today in Calzaghe, remember what he did with Trinidad - a right hand lead against a right handed boxer. Well, what is a right hand lead against a left-handed boxer? The best punch you can do. Hopkins used it against Tarver to get inside as a jab.”

Stay tuned for more with Bert Sugar in the near future, only at www.Boxinginsider.com.