Unfortunately for boxing fans, 2010 is turning into the year of the postponement.
One of the better Friday Night Fights cards in recent memory was slated for March 26, with Steve Cunningham battling Matt Godfrey for the vacant IBF cruiserweight belt and Cory Spinks taking on Cornelius "K-9" Bundrage for Spinks' IBF junior middleweight strap underneath. Sadly, that card is now off, at least for the time being.
The culprit? It looks like Don King, as the AP piece says he could not agree on terms with ESPN. Not that it's a big shock, frankly, as King seems to be unable or unwilling to comprehend that he's not the promotional force he once was.
It doesn't appear that there will be any FNF broadcast on that date now, but the loss of this particular one stings for boxing fans. It's not often one can see even one title fight on basic cable these days, much less two.
Spinks also joins a growing list of boxers who have had fights postponed multiple times this year. Spinks-Bundrage was originally slated to be on March 6 on HBO's Devon Alexander-Juan Urango broadcast, then it was pushed back to ESPN2 on the 26th and now... maybe never, who knows?
Andre Ward is also in that club after having his fight with Allan Green moved from April 17 to 24, then postponed at least two more months due to a knee injury.
Posted by The Franchise
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
15.3.10
Knee Injury Postpones Andre Ward-Allan Green Fight, No New Date Set
I'm pretty sure the rest of the Super Six World Boxing Classic will eventually take place. But it sure is having a difficult time getting through the second batch of round robin fights.
ESPN's Dan Rafael reported today that the Andre Ward-Allan Green fight set for April 24 has been postponed due to continuing problems with Ward's right knee. No new date has been set, though the fact that Ward's doctor is recommending four to six weeks of rest suggests June may be around the right ballpark.
Read the entire piece if you want to be more worried about the health of the Super Six, with plenty of stereotypical boxing BS between promoters Lou DiBella and Dan Goossen. The other tournament fight scheduled for that same date, between Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler, will still take place.
In case you're keeping score at home, this fight has already undergone a change in participants (from Jermain Taylor to Green) and two postponements, first from April 17 to 24 and now to an undetermined date. The other two bouts in this phase of the round robin have also been delayed, though hopefully we're less than two week away from seeing Andre Dirrell and Arthur Abraham do battle.
For what it's worth, I don't put too much stock in DiBella's assertion that Goossen would want Ward out of the tournament. Andre had his biggest win to date when he defeated Kessler in the first phase of the Super Six, and many observers consider him a favorite to make the finals. With every serious contender at super middleweight except for Lucian Bute also taking part, it wouldn't make much sense for Ward to quit.
That being said, the tournament is running a serious risk of losing its momentum and the goodwill it's earned with boxing fans. Let's cross our fingers and hope that all six fighters are in the ring before the end of June.
Posted by The Franchise
ESPN's Dan Rafael reported today that the Andre Ward-Allan Green fight set for April 24 has been postponed due to continuing problems with Ward's right knee. No new date has been set, though the fact that Ward's doctor is recommending four to six weeks of rest suggests June may be around the right ballpark.
Read the entire piece if you want to be more worried about the health of the Super Six, with plenty of stereotypical boxing BS between promoters Lou DiBella and Dan Goossen. The other tournament fight scheduled for that same date, between Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler, will still take place.
In case you're keeping score at home, this fight has already undergone a change in participants (from Jermain Taylor to Green) and two postponements, first from April 17 to 24 and now to an undetermined date. The other two bouts in this phase of the round robin have also been delayed, though hopefully we're less than two week away from seeing Andre Dirrell and Arthur Abraham do battle.
For what it's worth, I don't put too much stock in DiBella's assertion that Goossen would want Ward out of the tournament. Andre had his biggest win to date when he defeated Kessler in the first phase of the Super Six, and many observers consider him a favorite to make the finals. With every serious contender at super middleweight except for Lucian Bute also taking part, it wouldn't make much sense for Ward to quit.
That being said, the tournament is running a serious risk of losing its momentum and the goodwill it's earned with boxing fans. Let's cross our fingers and hope that all six fighters are in the ring before the end of June.
Posted by The Franchise
3.3.10
Not A Dream! Not an Imaginary Story! James Toney Signs UFC Deal
I kind of vaguely recall Dana White taking every opportunity to dis other MMA promotions for signing fights featuring guys who don't belong in the sport (like, say, Jose Canseco). To this point, White has avoided doing that himself, so love him or hate him, at least you couldn't say he was a hypocrite.
That may no longer be true. Steve Cofield and Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports are reporting that White has confirmed a UFC deal for James Toney. As far as I can tell, it's not a joke or hoax of some sort.
I'd love it if the whole interplay between boxing and MMA would go away, or at least quiet down for a while. I'm a bigger boxing fan, but I appreciate and follow both sports.
This is going to stir everything right back up again. It's hard to see exactly why White would do something like this, but here are a few possibilities:
1. The UFC brass actually thinks Toney will be able to hang with MMA fighters
This is too ridiculous to believe. I dismissed this idea as soon as it entered my head.
2. White wants to shut Toney up and can't think of any other way
At the end of Cofield's post, he includes a tweet from Bloody Elbow's Luke Thomas suggesting that Dana might be doing this to teach Toney, and likely other boxers by extension, a painful lesson. I'd say that's very likely. White is also excellent at rationalizing things to the media, so I'm sure he can spin it somehow so that having Lights Out in the octagon is different from every other fighter with dubious credentials employed by other promotions.
3. Toney has somehow tricked the UFC
Well, he's a champion talker. Maybe James confused them into agreement!
As I've said before, I don't blame Toney for this. He's entitled to try to make money any way he wants, and his constant pestering of White has shown he's pretty serious about this.
There's no point getting all stirred up about this yet, as we don't even know exactly what the UFC has planned for Toney. I just know I'll be pretty sad watching him get choked out in the first minute of his MMA debut.
Posted by The Franchise
That may no longer be true. Steve Cofield and Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports are reporting that White has confirmed a UFC deal for James Toney. As far as I can tell, it's not a joke or hoax of some sort.
I'd love it if the whole interplay between boxing and MMA would go away, or at least quiet down for a while. I'm a bigger boxing fan, but I appreciate and follow both sports.
This is going to stir everything right back up again. It's hard to see exactly why White would do something like this, but here are a few possibilities:
1. The UFC brass actually thinks Toney will be able to hang with MMA fighters
This is too ridiculous to believe. I dismissed this idea as soon as it entered my head.
2. White wants to shut Toney up and can't think of any other way
At the end of Cofield's post, he includes a tweet from Bloody Elbow's Luke Thomas suggesting that Dana might be doing this to teach Toney, and likely other boxers by extension, a painful lesson. I'd say that's very likely. White is also excellent at rationalizing things to the media, so I'm sure he can spin it somehow so that having Lights Out in the octagon is different from every other fighter with dubious credentials employed by other promotions.
3. Toney has somehow tricked the UFC
Well, he's a champion talker. Maybe James confused them into agreement!
As I've said before, I don't blame Toney for this. He's entitled to try to make money any way he wants, and his constant pestering of White has shown he's pretty serious about this.
There's no point getting all stirred up about this yet, as we don't even know exactly what the UFC has planned for Toney. I just know I'll be pretty sad watching him get choked out in the first minute of his MMA debut.
Posted by The Franchise
26.2.10
Abraham-Dirrell Headed to Detroit on March 27, Ricardo Mayorga MMA Debut Set for May 15
Two news stories caught my eye yesterday that I didn't have time to comment on until now.
The first is that a site has been set for the recently rescheduled Arthur Abraham-Andre Dirrell Super Six fight, and it's one that makes a lot of sense. According to the Grand Rapids Press, that bout will take place in Detroit on March 27, either at Cobo Arena or Joe Louis Arena.
Dirrell is from Flint, a tad over 60 miles from Detroit (and a place the BoxingWatchers know fairly well, as our mom grew up there), so it goes without saying that he should draw plenty of local fans. If the fight was going to take place in the U.S. - and at this point in his career, even King Arthur prefers it that way - you may as well hold it where the American boxer will sell some tickets. So well done, Showtime, promoters, or whoever exactly deserves the credit.
And now for something that makes a lot less sense: Ricardo Mayorga's move to MMA is apparently for real. Mayorga is set to face Din Thomas, a former UFC fighter and a competitor on Season 4 of The Ultimate Fighter, on May 15 in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
I don't know a ton about Mr. Thomas, but I do know that he has wins over Jens Pulver, Matt Serra and Clay Guida in his MMA career. That alone is strong evidence that he doesn't suck.
My gut tells me that Mayorga will get annihilated. However, one of the worries I always have about boxers moving to MMA is that their footwork and spacing will be incorrect because of the threat of kicks, knees and takedown attempts. Mayorga's boxing technique was never that great to begin with, so perhaps it won't be too difficult for him to throw it out the window completely.
We know he's tough, so maybe El Matador can take a few shots to land one. Maybe there will be some weird hybrid rules to give him more of a chance or Thomas will be, ahem, persuaded to keep the fight standing. Who knows?
I just know I'll be rooting against Mayorga, because I'd prefer to just keep the two sports separate, thanks very much.
Posted by The Franchise
The first is that a site has been set for the recently rescheduled Arthur Abraham-Andre Dirrell Super Six fight, and it's one that makes a lot of sense. According to the Grand Rapids Press, that bout will take place in Detroit on March 27, either at Cobo Arena or Joe Louis Arena.
Dirrell is from Flint, a tad over 60 miles from Detroit (and a place the BoxingWatchers know fairly well, as our mom grew up there), so it goes without saying that he should draw plenty of local fans. If the fight was going to take place in the U.S. - and at this point in his career, even King Arthur prefers it that way - you may as well hold it where the American boxer will sell some tickets. So well done, Showtime, promoters, or whoever exactly deserves the credit.
And now for something that makes a lot less sense: Ricardo Mayorga's move to MMA is apparently for real. Mayorga is set to face Din Thomas, a former UFC fighter and a competitor on Season 4 of The Ultimate Fighter, on May 15 in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
I don't know a ton about Mr. Thomas, but I do know that he has wins over Jens Pulver, Matt Serra and Clay Guida in his MMA career. That alone is strong evidence that he doesn't suck.
My gut tells me that Mayorga will get annihilated. However, one of the worries I always have about boxers moving to MMA is that their footwork and spacing will be incorrect because of the threat of kicks, knees and takedown attempts. Mayorga's boxing technique was never that great to begin with, so perhaps it won't be too difficult for him to throw it out the window completely.
We know he's tough, so maybe El Matador can take a few shots to land one. Maybe there will be some weird hybrid rules to give him more of a chance or Thomas will be, ahem, persuaded to keep the fight standing. Who knows?
I just know I'll be rooting against Mayorga, because I'd prefer to just keep the two sports separate, thanks very much.
Posted by The Franchise
23.2.10
Dirrell-Abraham Bout Moved Back 3 Weeks, But Still Not Free of HBO Competition
One of my recurring themes over the past few months has been repeatedly wishing that HBO and Showtime would stop counterprogramming each other with cards on the same nights, because it's not good for the health of the sport in the U.S.
I've been especially irritated about HBO insisting on putting fights on the same weekends as the second round robin fights of Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic. From a competitive standpoint, I understand why they're doing it, but I don't like it.
A few days ago, word came down that Andre Dirrell had a minor back injury, necessitating the move of his bout with Arthur Abraham from March 6 to March 27. Though that's never the kind of news you like to hear, the silver lining was that at least it got away from HBO's card on the 6th, a doubleheader featuring Devon Alexander-Juan Urango and Cory Spinks-Cornelius Bundrage.
I was happy for about five minutes. Then I remembered that HBO also has a broadcast all but set for the 27th, a card that looks even better than the previous one with Marcos Maidana facing Victor Cayo and Ali Funeka getting a well-deserved rematch with Joan Guzman. Crap.
I'm not blaming this one on HBO, as its plans for the 27th have been known for a little while (though as far as I can tell, there's no site finalized for that card - time to get cracking on that one, no?). And some of the congestion is due to HBO's ambitious boxing schedule for the next few months, something I wholeheartedly applaud.
Still, looking at the whole picture strictly from a fan's perspective, it stinks that none of these fights will get the spotlight they probably deserve, and that viewers will have to make choices multiple times this spring. I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that there's a little basketball tournament going on in late March too, which obviously will take some eyeballs away.
But it is what it is, I suppose. Let's move on to...
SHOE SHINING
As reported by various sources and confirmed by the Showtime Sports site, boxing is still on for March 6. Vic Darchinyan, who qualifies as must-see in my book, becomes the headliner as he steps in with Rodrigo Guerrero, and Lenny Zappavigna faces Fernando Angulo in a fight that was always on the card but wasn't originally going to be televised. Though the broadcast has been rebranded as a ShoBox show, props go to Showtime for keeping it at 9 pm Eastern instead of shoving it back to a later time...
Though it's been common knowledge for some time, it was only yesterday that Allan Green was confirmed as the next Super Six opponent for Andre Ward, making it "officially official," as I like to say. Green certainly isn't lacking for confidence, saying to the AP of his tournament foes, "I know I can beat any of them." That won't be ab easy task, but Green's power certainly makes him a livelier underdog than the man he replaced, Jermain Taylor...
In terms of "Stories I Wish Would Go Away," James Toney's continuing flirtation with MMA ranks right up near the top of the list. But I can't fault a guy for wanting to make a few extra bucks, especially these days, and The Ring's William Dettloff recently offered a well-written examination of why Lights Out shouldn't be blamed for that either.
Posted by The Franchise
I've been especially irritated about HBO insisting on putting fights on the same weekends as the second round robin fights of Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic. From a competitive standpoint, I understand why they're doing it, but I don't like it.
A few days ago, word came down that Andre Dirrell had a minor back injury, necessitating the move of his bout with Arthur Abraham from March 6 to March 27. Though that's never the kind of news you like to hear, the silver lining was that at least it got away from HBO's card on the 6th, a doubleheader featuring Devon Alexander-Juan Urango and Cory Spinks-Cornelius Bundrage.
I was happy for about five minutes. Then I remembered that HBO also has a broadcast all but set for the 27th, a card that looks even better than the previous one with Marcos Maidana facing Victor Cayo and Ali Funeka getting a well-deserved rematch with Joan Guzman. Crap.
I'm not blaming this one on HBO, as its plans for the 27th have been known for a little while (though as far as I can tell, there's no site finalized for that card - time to get cracking on that one, no?). And some of the congestion is due to HBO's ambitious boxing schedule for the next few months, something I wholeheartedly applaud.
Still, looking at the whole picture strictly from a fan's perspective, it stinks that none of these fights will get the spotlight they probably deserve, and that viewers will have to make choices multiple times this spring. I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that there's a little basketball tournament going on in late March too, which obviously will take some eyeballs away.
But it is what it is, I suppose. Let's move on to...
SHOE SHINING
As reported by various sources and confirmed by the Showtime Sports site, boxing is still on for March 6. Vic Darchinyan, who qualifies as must-see in my book, becomes the headliner as he steps in with Rodrigo Guerrero, and Lenny Zappavigna faces Fernando Angulo in a fight that was always on the card but wasn't originally going to be televised. Though the broadcast has been rebranded as a ShoBox show, props go to Showtime for keeping it at 9 pm Eastern instead of shoving it back to a later time...
Though it's been common knowledge for some time, it was only yesterday that Allan Green was confirmed as the next Super Six opponent for Andre Ward, making it "officially official," as I like to say. Green certainly isn't lacking for confidence, saying to the AP of his tournament foes, "I know I can beat any of them." That won't be ab easy task, but Green's power certainly makes him a livelier underdog than the man he replaced, Jermain Taylor...
In terms of "Stories I Wish Would Go Away," James Toney's continuing flirtation with MMA ranks right up near the top of the list. But I can't fault a guy for wanting to make a few extra bucks, especially these days, and The Ring's William Dettloff recently offered a well-written examination of why Lights Out shouldn't be blamed for that either.
Posted by The Franchise
12.2.10
Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward-Allan Green Moved Back a Week to April 24
It's kind of funny that my last post included a mini-rant about how having big boxing cards on HBO and Showtime on the same weekend was not good for the health of the sport in the U.S. Perhaps Showtime agrees with me.
ESPN's Dan Rafael and the AP are both reporting that the Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward-Allan Green fights - both part of the second phase of the Super Six World Boxing Classic - have been moved back from April 17 to April 24. Though there was no official announcement of the reason, both media outlets mentioned HBO's recently confirmed split-site doubleheader featuring Kelly Pavlik-Sergio Martinez and Lucian Bute-Edison Miranda, which will be held on April 17, as the likely motivation.
Reading between the lines, it's pretty clear that Showtime blinked. There's no shame in that. Pavlik is a much bigger name to Amercian fans than any of the Super Six participants, and Bute is getting to be huge in Canada. Why not give the tournament the open date it needs to have the spotlight to itself?
Froch is quoted in Rafael's piece saying that he's upset about the inconvenience it will cause his fans who have made travel plans (he's fighting Kessler in Denmark), and that does stink. But overall, this is a positive move for boxing fans everywhere who won't have to choose between the two cards, and even though the decision probably wasn't made for this reason, it's good for the sport as a whole.
Now if someone would please move one of the cards on March 6, where a very similar situation is currently set to happen, I'd be a very happy camper indeed.
Posted by The Franchise
ESPN's Dan Rafael and the AP are both reporting that the Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward-Allan Green fights - both part of the second phase of the Super Six World Boxing Classic - have been moved back from April 17 to April 24. Though there was no official announcement of the reason, both media outlets mentioned HBO's recently confirmed split-site doubleheader featuring Kelly Pavlik-Sergio Martinez and Lucian Bute-Edison Miranda, which will be held on April 17, as the likely motivation.
Reading between the lines, it's pretty clear that Showtime blinked. There's no shame in that. Pavlik is a much bigger name to Amercian fans than any of the Super Six participants, and Bute is getting to be huge in Canada. Why not give the tournament the open date it needs to have the spotlight to itself?
Froch is quoted in Rafael's piece saying that he's upset about the inconvenience it will cause his fans who have made travel plans (he's fighting Kessler in Denmark), and that does stink. But overall, this is a positive move for boxing fans everywhere who won't have to choose between the two cards, and even though the decision probably wasn't made for this reason, it's good for the sport as a whole.
Now if someone would please move one of the cards on March 6, where a very similar situation is currently set to happen, I'd be a very happy camper indeed.
Posted by The Franchise
10.2.10
Franchise Thoughts on... Kelly Pavlik vs. Sergio Martinez in A.C. on April 17
It's been so long since Kelly Pavlik has had a tough defense of his middleweight titles that I had to look up when the last one took place. Then I remembered: he's never had one.
He won the titles from Jermain Taylor in September 2007. Pavlik won the rematch a few months later, but that wasn't a defense because it was contested a few pounds above the middleweight limit.
Kelly's loss to Bernard Hopkins was well above 160. He's actually only defended the belts against Gary Lockett, Marco Antonio Rubio and Miguel Espino. Of that group, only Rubio counts as a credible challenger, and that's being somewhat generous.
But The Ghost may finally have to put in a tough night's work in a few months. That's because a bout with Sergio Martinez is all but signed, set for Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on April 17.
If it's possible to win even when losing, Martinez has done it. The Argentina-born, Spain-dwelling lefty gave Paul Williams all he could handle before losing a decision last December that numerous fans thought he won (though I did not).
Martinez and Pavlik should make for a great contrast in styles: speed versus power, elusiveness versus straightforward aggression and orthodox versus southpaw. Kelly always draws well in A.C., and Sergio made some new fans there with his last performance, so the atmosphere should be electric.
One really interesting part of Dan Rafael's report is that Lou DiBella asked for some assurances from HBO that Martinez would still get to fight (in Montreal, where Lucian Bute and Edison Miranda will do battle as part of HBO's split-site doubleheader) if Pavlik pulled out for health reasons. It's not often you think of boxers as being injury prone the way you do some stick-and-ball athletes, but Kelly fits the bill if anyone does.
Now here's the crappy part for boxing fans: April 17 already has a pretty big card on Showtime with Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward-Allan Green in the next phase of the Super Six World Boxing Classic.
I get that HBO and Showtime are in competition. Really, I do. But boxing isn't popular enough at the moment to be able to handle constant counter-programming by the two networks.
The same thing is happening on March 6. I really wish they'd knock it off.
Let's do some...
SHOE SHINING
Gerson Guerrero is out and Manuel Vargas is in as an opponent for Nonito Donaire this Saturday. My man Tim Starks of The Queensberry Rules says it's "not even a huge drop off," but he meant it more in an anti-Guerrero way than a pro-Vargas way. I like Donaire, but I'm not going to be really pumped about anyone he fights not named Vic Darchinyan...
Former MMA champ Andrei Arlovski hasn't given up on his plans to embark on a boxing career. He's going to take on Fres Oquendo in a four-round exhibition on Feb. 27, then take two more MMA bouts before hopefully making his pro debut later in 2010. I'm not sure I've got high hopes for him as a boxer after seeing what Brett Rogers did to him...
Would anyone be up for Timothy Bradley-Edwin Valero on June 5 (on Showtime)? Or more precisely, would anyone NOT be up for Bradley-Valero? It's just talk at this point, but we can always cross our fingers and hope. Also, HBO doesn't have anything scheduled for that weekend, so there's that.
Posted by The Franchise
He won the titles from Jermain Taylor in September 2007. Pavlik won the rematch a few months later, but that wasn't a defense because it was contested a few pounds above the middleweight limit.
Kelly's loss to Bernard Hopkins was well above 160. He's actually only defended the belts against Gary Lockett, Marco Antonio Rubio and Miguel Espino. Of that group, only Rubio counts as a credible challenger, and that's being somewhat generous.
But The Ghost may finally have to put in a tough night's work in a few months. That's because a bout with Sergio Martinez is all but signed, set for Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on April 17.
If it's possible to win even when losing, Martinez has done it. The Argentina-born, Spain-dwelling lefty gave Paul Williams all he could handle before losing a decision last December that numerous fans thought he won (though I did not).
Martinez and Pavlik should make for a great contrast in styles: speed versus power, elusiveness versus straightforward aggression and orthodox versus southpaw. Kelly always draws well in A.C., and Sergio made some new fans there with his last performance, so the atmosphere should be electric.
One really interesting part of Dan Rafael's report is that Lou DiBella asked for some assurances from HBO that Martinez would still get to fight (in Montreal, where Lucian Bute and Edison Miranda will do battle as part of HBO's split-site doubleheader) if Pavlik pulled out for health reasons. It's not often you think of boxers as being injury prone the way you do some stick-and-ball athletes, but Kelly fits the bill if anyone does.
Now here's the crappy part for boxing fans: April 17 already has a pretty big card on Showtime with Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward-Allan Green in the next phase of the Super Six World Boxing Classic.
I get that HBO and Showtime are in competition. Really, I do. But boxing isn't popular enough at the moment to be able to handle constant counter-programming by the two networks.
The same thing is happening on March 6. I really wish they'd knock it off.
Let's do some...
SHOE SHINING
Gerson Guerrero is out and Manuel Vargas is in as an opponent for Nonito Donaire this Saturday. My man Tim Starks of The Queensberry Rules says it's "not even a huge drop off," but he meant it more in an anti-Guerrero way than a pro-Vargas way. I like Donaire, but I'm not going to be really pumped about anyone he fights not named Vic Darchinyan...
Former MMA champ Andrei Arlovski hasn't given up on his plans to embark on a boxing career. He's going to take on Fres Oquendo in a four-round exhibition on Feb. 27, then take two more MMA bouts before hopefully making his pro debut later in 2010. I'm not sure I've got high hopes for him as a boxer after seeing what Brett Rogers did to him...
Would anyone be up for Timothy Bradley-Edwin Valero on June 5 (on Showtime)? Or more precisely, would anyone NOT be up for Bradley-Valero? It's just talk at this point, but we can always cross our fingers and hope. Also, HBO doesn't have anything scheduled for that weekend, so there's that.
Posted by The Franchise
30.1.10
Shane Mosley Signs Contract to Fight Floyd Mayweather on May 1
Maybe boxing will be able to heal the wounds to its goodwill following the disintegration of the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight faster than we thought. First Manny agreed to face Joshua Clottey, and now Floyd's bout with Shane Mosley is all but a done deal.
Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Mosley has signed his contract to fight Mayweather on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Iole's piece states that Leonard Ellerbe expects Floyd to sign his contract ASAP, and that a press conference will take place in New York to announce the fight within the next few days.
I've used some space elsewhere to spell out my complete feelings on this announcement, but suffice it to say that I'm impressed that Mayweather agreed to the bout. Yes, Shane is no spring chicken and has been inactive for over a year. But if you don't think Mosley poses at least some danger as a foe for Floyd, your opinion of him must be pretty low indeed.
My early gut feeling says Mayweather will win the fight because his defense will trump Mosley's offense. But I'll be pulling for Sugar Shane since he's a personal favorite of mine.
Does the fact that Floyd is facing the man many consider to be the next best guy make Manny look worse? Not really, because Mosley wasn't available when he was putting together a fight - Andre Berto hadn't pulled out of his fight with Shane at that point - and Clottey is no pushover.
It's certainly a good look for Mayweather and a nice situation for Mosley to get at least one more big payday before he calls it a career. And who knows, perhaps victories by Floyd and Manny will have them revisiting their negotiations for later this year.
I don't know anyone who would be opposed to that.
Posted by The Franchise
Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Mosley has signed his contract to fight Mayweather on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Iole's piece states that Leonard Ellerbe expects Floyd to sign his contract ASAP, and that a press conference will take place in New York to announce the fight within the next few days.
I've used some space elsewhere to spell out my complete feelings on this announcement, but suffice it to say that I'm impressed that Mayweather agreed to the bout. Yes, Shane is no spring chicken and has been inactive for over a year. But if you don't think Mosley poses at least some danger as a foe for Floyd, your opinion of him must be pretty low indeed.
My early gut feeling says Mayweather will win the fight because his defense will trump Mosley's offense. But I'll be pulling for Sugar Shane since he's a personal favorite of mine.
Does the fact that Floyd is facing the man many consider to be the next best guy make Manny look worse? Not really, because Mosley wasn't available when he was putting together a fight - Andre Berto hadn't pulled out of his fight with Shane at that point - and Clottey is no pushover.
It's certainly a good look for Mayweather and a nice situation for Mosley to get at least one more big payday before he calls it a career. And who knows, perhaps victories by Floyd and Manny will have them revisiting their negotiations for later this year.
I don't know anyone who would be opposed to that.
Posted by The Franchise
25.1.10
20/20 Hindsight: The Juanma-Gamboa Balancing Act, Allan Green in the Super Six, The Return of Erik Morales and More
Plotting out the career trajectories of boxers is kind of like playing chess. You can look a few moves ahead, but there are things that can happen on the way there that can easily foul up even the best laid plans.
With that in mind, it's been interesting to watch the way Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa are being handled. They've been rumored to be on track to fight each other for at least two or three bouts in a row, fighting on the same cards to build interest.
The trouble, of course, is that if one of them loses, it kind of blows up the whole scheme. Well, unless you go the Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones route and just say, "Screw it, we're fighting anyway."
Prior to this past weekend, it appeared both men might be challenged. Lopez was up against a very solid boxer in Steven Luevano, while Gamboa was up against wild but tough Roger Mtagwa, who caused Juanma a few anxious moments last year.
But Gamboa cruised, dazzling Mtagwa with his hand speed and power and getting himself out of harm's way when the Tanzanian came forward. After already suffering two knockdowns, a nasty string of unanswered punches crumpled Mtagwa and ended his night in less than two rounds.
Lopez had a different, probably more difficult test but still passed with flying colors. Though Luevano had his moments early thanks to a persistent jab and some timely counters, Juanma showed more strength and offensive variety, stopping him in Round 7.
With both men looking so impressive - and both sporting featherweight world titles, for what it's worth - they have to be facing each other next?
Not so fast, according to Bob Arum. He wants to build up the inevitable showdown until fans have no choice but to demand it.
Arum knows a lot more about his craft than I do, so I can't question the wisdom of that approach. It's just that with each successive fight, the balancing act becomes that much more difficult to keep going, simply because there's always a chance that one of them may lose.
I'm also not certain that the featherweight division is full of enough compelling match-ups to satisfy two titleholders. The only name that comes to mind immediately is Chris John before you start getting to the Rocky Juarez and Cristobal Cruz types.
So a Lopez-Gamboa clash can be put off for now, but delaying it for too long is playing with fire. If and when the fight happens, I'm leaning slightly toward Gamboa to win - not because of him handling Mtagwa more easily, but because he seems like he has the edge in raw athleticism and explosiveness.
Let's do some Shoe Shining...
SHOE SHINING
Erik Morales officially announced the end of his retirement over the weekend, and he'll return to the ring on March 27 in Mexico. He'll do it as a welterweight, which is notable since he hasn't ever fought north of lightweight. El Terrible has certainly earned the right to do whatever he wants, but after losing five of his last six fights before calling it quits, it's abundantly clear that we shouldn't expect too much from him going forward...
As widely rumored, Allan Green will take Jermain Taylor's place in the Super Six World Boxing Classic after plans for him to take on Sakio Bika for the spot fell through. I like it if for no other reason than Green's power makes him a wild card. Since Lucian Bute wasn't coming in, this seemed like the next best possible move...
It was nice to see Dan Rafael report that ticket sales for Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey are going well, with 20,000 seats already purchased. I don't think that was a foregone conclusion since so many fans seemed down about Manny's fight with Floyd Mayweather falling apart. It also suggests that Cowboys Stadium is a very viable alternative to Las Vegas for big boxing matches, but we'll have to see how things go to know for sure.
Posted by The Franchise
With that in mind, it's been interesting to watch the way Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa are being handled. They've been rumored to be on track to fight each other for at least two or three bouts in a row, fighting on the same cards to build interest.
The trouble, of course, is that if one of them loses, it kind of blows up the whole scheme. Well, unless you go the Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones route and just say, "Screw it, we're fighting anyway."
Prior to this past weekend, it appeared both men might be challenged. Lopez was up against a very solid boxer in Steven Luevano, while Gamboa was up against wild but tough Roger Mtagwa, who caused Juanma a few anxious moments last year.
But Gamboa cruised, dazzling Mtagwa with his hand speed and power and getting himself out of harm's way when the Tanzanian came forward. After already suffering two knockdowns, a nasty string of unanswered punches crumpled Mtagwa and ended his night in less than two rounds.
Lopez had a different, probably more difficult test but still passed with flying colors. Though Luevano had his moments early thanks to a persistent jab and some timely counters, Juanma showed more strength and offensive variety, stopping him in Round 7.
With both men looking so impressive - and both sporting featherweight world titles, for what it's worth - they have to be facing each other next?
Not so fast, according to Bob Arum. He wants to build up the inevitable showdown until fans have no choice but to demand it.
Arum knows a lot more about his craft than I do, so I can't question the wisdom of that approach. It's just that with each successive fight, the balancing act becomes that much more difficult to keep going, simply because there's always a chance that one of them may lose.
I'm also not certain that the featherweight division is full of enough compelling match-ups to satisfy two titleholders. The only name that comes to mind immediately is Chris John before you start getting to the Rocky Juarez and Cristobal Cruz types.
So a Lopez-Gamboa clash can be put off for now, but delaying it for too long is playing with fire. If and when the fight happens, I'm leaning slightly toward Gamboa to win - not because of him handling Mtagwa more easily, but because he seems like he has the edge in raw athleticism and explosiveness.
Let's do some Shoe Shining...
SHOE SHINING
Erik Morales officially announced the end of his retirement over the weekend, and he'll return to the ring on March 27 in Mexico. He'll do it as a welterweight, which is notable since he hasn't ever fought north of lightweight. El Terrible has certainly earned the right to do whatever he wants, but after losing five of his last six fights before calling it quits, it's abundantly clear that we shouldn't expect too much from him going forward...
As widely rumored, Allan Green will take Jermain Taylor's place in the Super Six World Boxing Classic after plans for him to take on Sakio Bika for the spot fell through. I like it if for no other reason than Green's power makes him a wild card. Since Lucian Bute wasn't coming in, this seemed like the next best possible move...
It was nice to see Dan Rafael report that ticket sales for Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey are going well, with 20,000 seats already purchased. I don't think that was a foregone conclusion since so many fans seemed down about Manny's fight with Floyd Mayweather falling apart. It also suggests that Cowboys Stadium is a very viable alternative to Las Vegas for big boxing matches, but we'll have to see how things go to know for sure.
Posted by The Franchise
23.1.10
Help Haiti: Buy Boxing Tickets!
Well, not just any boxing tickets, and there are plenty of other ways to make sure your donations are more direct.
Still, we appreciate any efforts to have boxing aid a good cause, so it was nice to see that Top Rank will donate $1 from every ticket to Haiti relief efforts for the rest of 2010. Say what you want about Bob Arum, but that's a very postive gesture.
The initiative will start tonight with the Juan Manuel Lopez-Steven Luevano and Yuriorkis Gamboa-Rogers Mtagwa card from Madison Square Garden. And while $1 per ticket may not sound like a whole lot, the AP piece points out that Manny Pacquiao is a Top Rank fighter and the company has its new deal with Fox Sports Net in place, so there are plenty of bouts that will end up contributing to the pot.
Arum was quoted saying he hopes other promoters will follow suit, and it would be nice to see Golden Boy Promotions do something similar. Meanwhile, if you were on the fence about attending some live boxing this year, consider this one extra reason to check out the Top Rank show near you.
Posted by The Franchise
Still, we appreciate any efforts to have boxing aid a good cause, so it was nice to see that Top Rank will donate $1 from every ticket to Haiti relief efforts for the rest of 2010. Say what you want about Bob Arum, but that's a very postive gesture.
The initiative will start tonight with the Juan Manuel Lopez-Steven Luevano and Yuriorkis Gamboa-Rogers Mtagwa card from Madison Square Garden. And while $1 per ticket may not sound like a whole lot, the AP piece points out that Manny Pacquiao is a Top Rank fighter and the company has its new deal with Fox Sports Net in place, so there are plenty of bouts that will end up contributing to the pot.
Arum was quoted saying he hopes other promoters will follow suit, and it would be nice to see Golden Boy Promotions do something similar. Meanwhile, if you were on the fence about attending some live boxing this year, consider this one extra reason to check out the Top Rank show near you.
Posted by The Franchise
18.1.10
Quick Thoughts on Amir Khan Signing With Golden Boy
As glad as I was to see boxing rev back up again this past weekend after its annual holiday slumber, the thing that caught my eye the most wasn't a fight on ESPN2 or Fox Sports Net but the official announcement of Amir Khan signing with Golden Boy Promotions.
My early take on it is that it's a great move for Khan. Love it or hate it, Golden Boy is still one of (if not the) driving forces in the sport. Khan is already a big deal in his native United Kingdom, but aligning himself with Oscar De La Hoya and company makes big money fights in the United States that much easier to make.
And let's be honest: Khan has serious superstar potential, combining excitement in the ring with natural charisma. Trying to figure out or create boxing's Next Big Thing is a path fraught with peril (see: Victor Ortiz, Alfredo Angulo, etc.), but Khan has a good a chance to be that guy as anyone.
As mentioned by Dan Rafael in the ESPN piece, Golden Boy is almost synonymous (rightly or wrongly) with HBO. Why wouldn't you want to get in good with the industry leaders if you were serious about making a splash in the U.S.?
I'd be remiss if I didn't discuss the other side, which is that the deal is as much a coup for Golden Boy as it is for Khan. Everyone knows the company's most marketable fighters are either retired or headed that way soon, and it needs to take any promising chance it can to replenish that talent pool.
From a fan's perspective, it's too bad this may scuttle a potential fight with Marcos Maidana, who won me over when he beat Ortiz last June. That being said, if Khan ends up fighting Paulie Malignaggi instead, that's trading a good fight for one that should be even better.
With Freddie Roach in his corner and Golden Boy behind him, Khan has every advantage a young titleholder could want. If he can't conquer America now, it's going to be all on him.
Posted by The Franchise
My early take on it is that it's a great move for Khan. Love it or hate it, Golden Boy is still one of (if not the) driving forces in the sport. Khan is already a big deal in his native United Kingdom, but aligning himself with Oscar De La Hoya and company makes big money fights in the United States that much easier to make.
And let's be honest: Khan has serious superstar potential, combining excitement in the ring with natural charisma. Trying to figure out or create boxing's Next Big Thing is a path fraught with peril (see: Victor Ortiz, Alfredo Angulo, etc.), but Khan has a good a chance to be that guy as anyone.
As mentioned by Dan Rafael in the ESPN piece, Golden Boy is almost synonymous (rightly or wrongly) with HBO. Why wouldn't you want to get in good with the industry leaders if you were serious about making a splash in the U.S.?
I'd be remiss if I didn't discuss the other side, which is that the deal is as much a coup for Golden Boy as it is for Khan. Everyone knows the company's most marketable fighters are either retired or headed that way soon, and it needs to take any promising chance it can to replenish that talent pool.
From a fan's perspective, it's too bad this may scuttle a potential fight with Marcos Maidana, who won me over when he beat Ortiz last June. That being said, if Khan ends up fighting Paulie Malignaggi instead, that's trading a good fight for one that should be even better.
With Freddie Roach in his corner and Golden Boy behind him, Khan has every advantage a young titleholder could want. If he can't conquer America now, it's going to be all on him.
Posted by The Franchise
12.1.10
Super Six Shake-Up: Jermain Taylor Does the Right Thing and Drops Out
Going into the Super Six World Boxing Classic, it was hard to argue that Jermain Taylor wasn't the most accomplished boxer in the field. He had been the undisputed middleweight champion of the world at one time, after all, earning that title the hard way by defeating Bernard Hopkins twice.
Still, very few people gave him any real chance of winning the super middleweight tournament after losses to Kelly Pavlik (twice) and fellow participant Carl Froch stalled his career. And once Arthur Abraham knocked him cold in the final round of his first Super Six fight, voices from all over the boxing world were calling for him to hang up the gloves for his own good.
Taylor seemed to resist those calls at first, vowing he'd fight on. His fans will no doubt be glad to hear that he's finally had a change of heart.
ESPN's Dan Rafael is reporting that Taylor has withdrawn from the Super Six, effective immediately. His statement stops short of saying he will retire from boxing, saying only that he needs time away from the ring for the good of his body and mind.
Had he remained in the tournament, Taylor would have faced Andre Ward in April. That was shaping up to be another likely loss for JT, as Ward put on a stellar performance in his victory over Mikkel Kessler.
The World Boxing Classic was set up with contingencies governing injury or withdrawal, so someone will be asked to take Taylor's place. What's known is that the substitute will inherit Jermain's point total (which is zero thanks to his first stage loss); what isn't known is exactly who will get the call.
Early reports had American Allan Green as the first alternate, though more recent rumors had Green facing Sakio Bika for that right. To keep the tournament on track, there doesn't appear to be enough time for a qualifying bout of any type to take place.
Other intriguing though much more unlikely possibilities are IBF titleholder Lucian Bute, who many felt was a glaring omission from the field in the first place, middleweight king Kelly Pavlik and light heavyweight champ Chad Dawson, though the latter two would have to change weight classes to jump in.
Posted by The Franchise
Still, very few people gave him any real chance of winning the super middleweight tournament after losses to Kelly Pavlik (twice) and fellow participant Carl Froch stalled his career. And once Arthur Abraham knocked him cold in the final round of his first Super Six fight, voices from all over the boxing world were calling for him to hang up the gloves for his own good.
Taylor seemed to resist those calls at first, vowing he'd fight on. His fans will no doubt be glad to hear that he's finally had a change of heart.
ESPN's Dan Rafael is reporting that Taylor has withdrawn from the Super Six, effective immediately. His statement stops short of saying he will retire from boxing, saying only that he needs time away from the ring for the good of his body and mind.
Had he remained in the tournament, Taylor would have faced Andre Ward in April. That was shaping up to be another likely loss for JT, as Ward put on a stellar performance in his victory over Mikkel Kessler.
The World Boxing Classic was set up with contingencies governing injury or withdrawal, so someone will be asked to take Taylor's place. What's known is that the substitute will inherit Jermain's point total (which is zero thanks to his first stage loss); what isn't known is exactly who will get the call.
Early reports had American Allan Green as the first alternate, though more recent rumors had Green facing Sakio Bika for that right. To keep the tournament on track, there doesn't appear to be enough time for a qualifying bout of any type to take place.
Other intriguing though much more unlikely possibilities are IBF titleholder Lucian Bute, who many felt was a glaring omission from the field in the first place, middleweight king Kelly Pavlik and light heavyweight champ Chad Dawson, though the latter two would have to change weight classes to jump in.
Posted by The Franchise
11.1.10
Signed and Sealed: Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey in Dallas on March 13
Jerry Jones may hope that fans don't see it as a consolation prize, but it's hard to see it any other way.
Numerous media outlets reported Sunday that a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey has been finalized for March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. The bout will be on pay-per-view, though not necessarily distributed through HBO.
Under normal circumstances, this would be heralded by fans and media types alike as a great development. Pacquiao has reached must-see status, and Clottey is a dangerous and talented challenge to face on relatively short notice.
Of course, the circumstances are anything but normal, as everyone with even a remote interest in the sweet science was hoping to see Manny do battle with Floyd Mayweather on that date. Now it appears that the world's two best fighters may only engage each other through dueling broadcasts, as Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports says Mayweather could still end up fighting on March 13 in Las Vegas.
That isn't the kind of intrigue fans were hoping for, and it could actually damage chances of Mayweather-Pacquiao happening later in 2010, something I have long thought would happen. But it's not hard to see this latest development adding another layer of acrimony to any future negotiations, as the man whose fight performs better at the box office could well demand more than 50 percent of the purse.
It will also be interesting to see if there is backlash against both Pacquiao and Mayweather from disillusioned fans. You don't have to have your own boxing blog to see that the mood among folks on the internet is one of intense bitterness.
The big winner in all of this (and possibly the only one outside of Jones, who failed to land Mayweather-Pacquiao for his stadium) is Clottey, who must feel like he hit the jackpot. He's fought some notable names like Antonio Margarito, Diego Corrales and Zab Judah, but he's commonly thought of as someone to be avoided because he is tough and deceptively skilled.
After dropping a split decision to Miguel Cotto last June, Clottey probably gave up any hope he had of fighting Mayweather or Pacquiao. Now he stands to make a ton of money, and with all of the attention the fight will get (some of it for negative reasons, granted) he has a chance to put himself on the map with sports fans everywhere if he pulls off the upset.
Posted by The Franchise
Numerous media outlets reported Sunday that a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey has been finalized for March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. The bout will be on pay-per-view, though not necessarily distributed through HBO.
Under normal circumstances, this would be heralded by fans and media types alike as a great development. Pacquiao has reached must-see status, and Clottey is a dangerous and talented challenge to face on relatively short notice.
Of course, the circumstances are anything but normal, as everyone with even a remote interest in the sweet science was hoping to see Manny do battle with Floyd Mayweather on that date. Now it appears that the world's two best fighters may only engage each other through dueling broadcasts, as Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports says Mayweather could still end up fighting on March 13 in Las Vegas.
That isn't the kind of intrigue fans were hoping for, and it could actually damage chances of Mayweather-Pacquiao happening later in 2010, something I have long thought would happen. But it's not hard to see this latest development adding another layer of acrimony to any future negotiations, as the man whose fight performs better at the box office could well demand more than 50 percent of the purse.
It will also be interesting to see if there is backlash against both Pacquiao and Mayweather from disillusioned fans. You don't have to have your own boxing blog to see that the mood among folks on the internet is one of intense bitterness.
The big winner in all of this (and possibly the only one outside of Jones, who failed to land Mayweather-Pacquiao for his stadium) is Clottey, who must feel like he hit the jackpot. He's fought some notable names like Antonio Margarito, Diego Corrales and Zab Judah, but he's commonly thought of as someone to be avoided because he is tough and deceptively skilled.
After dropping a split decision to Miguel Cotto last June, Clottey probably gave up any hope he had of fighting Mayweather or Pacquiao. Now he stands to make a ton of money, and with all of the attention the fight will get (some of it for negative reasons, granted) he has a chance to put himself on the map with sports fans everywhere if he pulls off the upset.
Posted by The Franchise
7.1.10
This Time They Mean It: Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao is Off (For Now)
It looks like the fight everyone wants to see will not be seen, at least this spring.
Though the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao bout has been declared dead before, it looks like it's now been taken off life support. Multiple news outlets are reporting that the fight is off, and both men will look to make other matches for March.
For Pacquiao, this likely means Yuri Foreman and a really good shot at a world title in an eighth weight class. Let's be honest though: he comes off looking worse than his potential opponent after this, simply because it was his side that originally seemed unwilling to compromise on the drug testing.
I'm a huge Manny fan, but it's hard to discount his critics now. Even if he's clean, the perception that he wouldn't do the fight unless he got everything his way is bound to dog him.
Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports says Mayweather will most likely end up facing Paulie Malignaggi, who got a boost with a very impressive performance against Juan Diaz in his last fight. But Paulie was a light hitter even at lower weights, and his strengths are in areas Floyd is even better. I'm not sure how he has much of a chance.
Money doesn't exactly come out of this smelling like roses either, since it looks like he was the one that was unwilling to accept the mediated compromise. There are those who have always thought he was simply too afraid of the possibility of losing to fight Manny (though I'm not one of them), and now that chorus will only grow louder.
I've said before that I thought Mayweather-Pacquiao would still be revisited in the fall if it fell through for the spring, and I'd be surprised if that wasn't the case. Could both men really leave that much fame and fortune on the table?
If they do, maybe my man Shane Mosley will have a chance to land one of them later this year - assuming he gets by Andre Berto, of course.
Posted by The Franchise
Though the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao bout has been declared dead before, it looks like it's now been taken off life support. Multiple news outlets are reporting that the fight is off, and both men will look to make other matches for March.
For Pacquiao, this likely means Yuri Foreman and a really good shot at a world title in an eighth weight class. Let's be honest though: he comes off looking worse than his potential opponent after this, simply because it was his side that originally seemed unwilling to compromise on the drug testing.
I'm a huge Manny fan, but it's hard to discount his critics now. Even if he's clean, the perception that he wouldn't do the fight unless he got everything his way is bound to dog him.
Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports says Mayweather will most likely end up facing Paulie Malignaggi, who got a boost with a very impressive performance against Juan Diaz in his last fight. But Paulie was a light hitter even at lower weights, and his strengths are in areas Floyd is even better. I'm not sure how he has much of a chance.
Money doesn't exactly come out of this smelling like roses either, since it looks like he was the one that was unwilling to accept the mediated compromise. There are those who have always thought he was simply too afraid of the possibility of losing to fight Manny (though I'm not one of them), and now that chorus will only grow louder.
I've said before that I thought Mayweather-Pacquiao would still be revisited in the fall if it fell through for the spring, and I'd be surprised if that wasn't the case. Could both men really leave that much fame and fortune on the table?
If they do, maybe my man Shane Mosley will have a chance to land one of them later this year - assuming he gets by Andre Berto, of course.
Posted by The Franchise
3.1.10
Lights Out Upstairs? James Toney Still Trying to Get Dana White to Let Him Fight in the UFC
Unfortunately, it didn't even take 48 hours for me to find a boxing-related news item that was sillier than Holyfield-Botha. Call it a "Oh God, no!" report, or as Chad Ochocinco would say, perhaps a "Child, please!" piece.
According to Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, former heavyweight titleholder James Toney was in attendance at Saturday's UFC 108, once again attempting to badger Dana White into letting him have a UFC fight. I shouldn't have to spell out all the reasons this is a horrible idea, gut here are a few anyway:
* Last I checked, grappling and kicking are allowed in UFC fights. Toney knows more about boxing than any MMA fighter, but unless White makes it a special attraction bout with different rules (highly unlikely), he'll be at an extreme disadvantage.
Sure, he could land a lucky shot, but the chances would be slim.
* Toney is 41, and at the risk of making an early run at understatement of the year, he's not known for being a fitness nut. Guys who still fight at 40 in the UFC include Randy Couture, who's undoubtedly in better shape than a vast majority of men 20 years his junior.
Maybe White can arrange for Couture to fight Toney, have him run around the ring for four minutes until Toney gasses, then submit him.
* I'm not sure Toney cares about this, but White enjoys taking any opportunity he gets to stick it to boxing. If you believe that MMA and boxing are competing for the same pool of fans (which I don't, at least for the most part), it actually makes good business sense to do so.
There's really no need to give him ammunition. And having Toney get embarrassed on a UFC pay-per-view would give him plenty of that.
I think i speak for all of the BoxingWatchers when I say that we're all fans of Toney. He's always fought with tons of heart and skill, often against much bigger foes, and he's certainly been one of the most quotable boxers in recent memory.
So please, James, don't do this. I'm pretty much begging you.
Posted by The Franchise
According to Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, former heavyweight titleholder James Toney was in attendance at Saturday's UFC 108, once again attempting to badger Dana White into letting him have a UFC fight. I shouldn't have to spell out all the reasons this is a horrible idea, gut here are a few anyway:
* Last I checked, grappling and kicking are allowed in UFC fights. Toney knows more about boxing than any MMA fighter, but unless White makes it a special attraction bout with different rules (highly unlikely), he'll be at an extreme disadvantage.
Sure, he could land a lucky shot, but the chances would be slim.
* Toney is 41, and at the risk of making an early run at understatement of the year, he's not known for being a fitness nut. Guys who still fight at 40 in the UFC include Randy Couture, who's undoubtedly in better shape than a vast majority of men 20 years his junior.
Maybe White can arrange for Couture to fight Toney, have him run around the ring for four minutes until Toney gasses, then submit him.
* I'm not sure Toney cares about this, but White enjoys taking any opportunity he gets to stick it to boxing. If you believe that MMA and boxing are competing for the same pool of fans (which I don't, at least for the most part), it actually makes good business sense to do so.
There's really no need to give him ammunition. And having Toney get embarrassed on a UFC pay-per-view would give him plenty of that.
I think i speak for all of the BoxingWatchers when I say that we're all fans of Toney. He's always fought with tons of heart and skill, often against much bigger foes, and he's certainly been one of the most quotable boxers in recent memory.
So please, James, don't do this. I'm pretty much begging you.
Posted by The Franchise
2.1.10
How to Make the Casual Sports Fan Take Boxing Titles Even Less Seriously: Holyfield-Botha
I really wanted my first post of 2010 to be a positive one.
There's a lot to look forward to, after all. The two best pound-for-pound boxers in the world will probably get their differences irnoed out at some point, the Super Six World Boxing Classic is rolling on, and we're just a few weeks away from a stellar start to the 2010 season on HBO when Shane Mosley and Andre Berto collide.
Yes, we boxing fans should be plenty excited. But then there's this: Evander Holyfield and Francois Botha fighting for the WBF heavyweight title.
Now understand that I'm not mad at Holyfield. Over the past few years, my attitude about older fighters is if they want to keep fighting, and they think anyone will care, then God bless them. It's ultimately his decision.
I am angry about ESPN deciding it was worthy of being splashed across the crawl during all of the college football bowl games. Real boxing fans know the WBF is not a "real" sanctioning body, but the casual sports fan doesn't, making it seem like it was an actual world title fight.
It's bad enough trying to explain to my friends who don't follow boxing regularly why there are four semi-legitimate organizations with title belts, and now I have to tell them that this isn't one of them. It's this kind of crap that makes boxing seem like a joke to outside observers a lot of times.
So, yeah, it would be bad to have a 47-year old Real Deal battling for a belt that meant something (assuming that's not oxymoronic), but this is, in some ways, even worse. A hearty boo goes to ESPN for this one, and I hope I don't have to post about stuff like this for the rest of the year.
Posted by The Franchise
There's a lot to look forward to, after all. The two best pound-for-pound boxers in the world will probably get their differences irnoed out at some point, the Super Six World Boxing Classic is rolling on, and we're just a few weeks away from a stellar start to the 2010 season on HBO when Shane Mosley and Andre Berto collide.
Yes, we boxing fans should be plenty excited. But then there's this: Evander Holyfield and Francois Botha fighting for the WBF heavyweight title.
Now understand that I'm not mad at Holyfield. Over the past few years, my attitude about older fighters is if they want to keep fighting, and they think anyone will care, then God bless them. It's ultimately his decision.
I am angry about ESPN deciding it was worthy of being splashed across the crawl during all of the college football bowl games. Real boxing fans know the WBF is not a "real" sanctioning body, but the casual sports fan doesn't, making it seem like it was an actual world title fight.
It's bad enough trying to explain to my friends who don't follow boxing regularly why there are four semi-legitimate organizations with title belts, and now I have to tell them that this isn't one of them. It's this kind of crap that makes boxing seem like a joke to outside observers a lot of times.
So, yeah, it would be bad to have a 47-year old Real Deal battling for a belt that meant something (assuming that's not oxymoronic), but this is, in some ways, even worse. A hearty boo goes to ESPN for this one, and I hope I don't have to post about stuff like this for the rest of the year.
Posted by The Franchise
25.12.09
Franchise Thoughts: Call Me Crazy, But I Still Think Mayweather-Pacquiao Is Going to Happen
Well, this was an unpleasant Christmas present.
Like most of you, I've been following the drama surrounding the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight and the falling out between the two sides regarding drug testing. Like some of you, I assumed the rift would be solved through negotiation and we'd still be watching the bout everyone wants to see on March 13.
Now I think it's seriously time to revisit that line of thinking. When Bob Arum is talking about alternatives for March - and color me surprised that Paulie Malignaggi is at the top of the list - things are definitely looking a little grim.
I haven't really weighed in on the drug testing and steroid issue, mostly because of the holidays. It's interesting because it's not clear whether Mayweather's testing demands are gamesmanship, a true suspicion that Manny is on something, or (most likely) a little of both.
Likewise, it's equally hard to know whether Pacquiao has something to hide or is just playing his own game of hardball. Boxing fans and members of the mainstream sports media, just getting back into boxing for the first time since Mike Tyson's prime, have taken just about every point on the range of opinions.
Some have even tried to have it both ways. I'm talking about Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports, whose most recent column says Floyd's request is ridiculous but Manny should agree to it anyway. Say what?
I think Wetzel is making the same mistake many sports writers make and assuming that the spectre of steroids will haunt Pacquiao if he doesn't agree, when the truth is most fans really don't care that much. If he tested positive, sure. But simply the suggestion that he might be juicing because he refused to cave to Money's demands? I think not.
In the end, the whole thing doesn't interest me as much as whether or not Pacquiao and Mayweather are eventually going to fight, and I think they still will. It probably won't happen in March as originally planned, but there's simply too much money involved and too much interest from the general public for it not to happen.
Interestingly, when we ran a poll asking when Mayweather-Pacquiao would take place a few weeks back, the easy winner was the second half of 2010. Our readers are pretty slick, because I could easily see that happening now.
So Pac Man will fight Paulie or Yuri Foreman or whoever, and Mayweather may need a stay-busy fight as well. When both fighters make good but not great money from those matches, they will find their way back to the negotiating table and make it happen for the fall.
Unless one of them loses a tune-up fight (ahem, Roy Jones!) or gets injured in the interim, you can take that to the bank.
Posted by The Franchise
Like most of you, I've been following the drama surrounding the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight and the falling out between the two sides regarding drug testing. Like some of you, I assumed the rift would be solved through negotiation and we'd still be watching the bout everyone wants to see on March 13.
Now I think it's seriously time to revisit that line of thinking. When Bob Arum is talking about alternatives for March - and color me surprised that Paulie Malignaggi is at the top of the list - things are definitely looking a little grim.
I haven't really weighed in on the drug testing and steroid issue, mostly because of the holidays. It's interesting because it's not clear whether Mayweather's testing demands are gamesmanship, a true suspicion that Manny is on something, or (most likely) a little of both.
Likewise, it's equally hard to know whether Pacquiao has something to hide or is just playing his own game of hardball. Boxing fans and members of the mainstream sports media, just getting back into boxing for the first time since Mike Tyson's prime, have taken just about every point on the range of opinions.
Some have even tried to have it both ways. I'm talking about Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports, whose most recent column says Floyd's request is ridiculous but Manny should agree to it anyway. Say what?
I think Wetzel is making the same mistake many sports writers make and assuming that the spectre of steroids will haunt Pacquiao if he doesn't agree, when the truth is most fans really don't care that much. If he tested positive, sure. But simply the suggestion that he might be juicing because he refused to cave to Money's demands? I think not.
In the end, the whole thing doesn't interest me as much as whether or not Pacquiao and Mayweather are eventually going to fight, and I think they still will. It probably won't happen in March as originally planned, but there's simply too much money involved and too much interest from the general public for it not to happen.
Interestingly, when we ran a poll asking when Mayweather-Pacquiao would take place a few weeks back, the easy winner was the second half of 2010. Our readers are pretty slick, because I could easily see that happening now.
So Pac Man will fight Paulie or Yuri Foreman or whoever, and Mayweather may need a stay-busy fight as well. When both fighters make good but not great money from those matches, they will find their way back to the negotiating table and make it happen for the fall.
Unless one of them loses a tune-up fight (ahem, Roy Jones!) or gets injured in the interim, you can take that to the bank.
Posted by The Franchise
13.12.09
Maybe Dallas Isn't Out of the Running for Mayweather-Pacquiao Just Yet
The Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight isn't going to be held in Cowboys Stadium near Dallas.
Or is it?
Despite word that Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer turned up his nose at the idea without even checking the place out, Jerry Jones can be a stubborn sort. Just ask Cowboys fans.
ESPN reported yesterday that Dallas isn't dead yet, citing a Los Angeles Times story that suggested Jones would pony up $25 million for the privilege of seeing Money and Manny do battle. Bob Arum's quotes in the piece make it sound like at least Team Pacquiao is still interested.
And there are 100,000 reasons to at least hear out Jones' pitch. That's how many fans could potentially watch in person at Cowboys Stadium, with the ungodly huge HD screens allowing even people seated a mile off the field to be able to see the action with no problem.
Yes, the MGM Grand is used to hosting boxing matches like this. But while this may not be a once in a lifetime fight, it's the kind that doesn't come around very often. if the hype that already surrounds the bout is any indication of the interest that will build between now and March 13, you have to think the fighters would at least weigh the financial benefits of a live gate five times the size of what a casino arena could provide.
Smart money says the fight will still end up in Las Vegas, but I wouldn't count Jones and his facility out of the running until it's officially announced that it will take place somewhere else.
Posted by The Franchise
Or is it?
Despite word that Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer turned up his nose at the idea without even checking the place out, Jerry Jones can be a stubborn sort. Just ask Cowboys fans.
ESPN reported yesterday that Dallas isn't dead yet, citing a Los Angeles Times story that suggested Jones would pony up $25 million for the privilege of seeing Money and Manny do battle. Bob Arum's quotes in the piece make it sound like at least Team Pacquiao is still interested.
And there are 100,000 reasons to at least hear out Jones' pitch. That's how many fans could potentially watch in person at Cowboys Stadium, with the ungodly huge HD screens allowing even people seated a mile off the field to be able to see the action with no problem.
Yes, the MGM Grand is used to hosting boxing matches like this. But while this may not be a once in a lifetime fight, it's the kind that doesn't come around very often. if the hype that already surrounds the bout is any indication of the interest that will build between now and March 13, you have to think the fighters would at least weigh the financial benefits of a live gate five times the size of what a casino arena could provide.
Smart money says the fight will still end up in Las Vegas, but I wouldn't count Jones and his facility out of the running until it's officially announced that it will take place somewhere else.
Posted by The Franchise
4.12.09
Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao: Almost a Done Deal for March 13
I'd resisted posting about this earlier because I didn't want to jump the gun and because every other website with even a remote connection to sports has been (and will continue to be) talking about this nonstop. But it looks like we will see the two men who have risen to be the top pound-for-pound boxers and the biggest draws in the sport do battle early in 2010.
As reported by the AP and Fox Sports, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have agreed on most of the important details to face each other. Those include the date (March 13), the weight (147 pounds, the welterweight limit) and, perhaps most importantly, the purse split (50/50).
Still to be decided: the site and the weight of the gloves to be used. Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said in the Fox piece that Manny prefers eight-ounce gloves - the better to knock you out with, don't you know - while Money's camp would like 10-ounce gloves.
Fox Sports also cited an unnamed source claiming that Las Vegas and Cowboys Stadium near Dallas are the leading choices to host the fight. Earlier reports had mentioned Yankees Stadium and the Superdome in New Orleans as other possibilities, but Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum had already dismissed the former because of unfavorable tax conditions, and it seems to be mostly wishful thinking on the part of the latter.
Many news outlets have discussed the possible implications of Manny returning to the ring relatively quickly after his battle with Miguel Cotto on November 14. But let's be honest: Pacquiao didn't exactly suffer a serious beating in that fight, and though he's more commonly gone five or six months between fights over the past few years, he's certainly capable of performing at a high level with less time off.
Most notably, Pacquiao returned to action after his 12-round March 2008 rematch against Juan Manuel Marquez (a fight in which he took his fair share of flush shots) in less than four months to face David Diaz. Despite moving up in weight, he had little trouble with Diaz, stopping him in nine rounds.
There are no such worries for Mayweather, as it will be nearly six months after his own fight with JMM when he steps in against Pac Man. And since he was enjoying his brief retirement for nearly two years before that, he should be well rested come March.
I have to admit I'm surprised that the fight came together so quickly, but it's a pleasant surprise as it will shine the spotlight on boxing in a way that hasn't happened in years. Just remember that there are other good fights (Shane Mosley-Andre Berto in January, for one) between now and Mayweather-Pacquiao.
Posted by The Franchise
As reported by the AP and Fox Sports, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have agreed on most of the important details to face each other. Those include the date (March 13), the weight (147 pounds, the welterweight limit) and, perhaps most importantly, the purse split (50/50).
Still to be decided: the site and the weight of the gloves to be used. Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said in the Fox piece that Manny prefers eight-ounce gloves - the better to knock you out with, don't you know - while Money's camp would like 10-ounce gloves.
Fox Sports also cited an unnamed source claiming that Las Vegas and Cowboys Stadium near Dallas are the leading choices to host the fight. Earlier reports had mentioned Yankees Stadium and the Superdome in New Orleans as other possibilities, but Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum had already dismissed the former because of unfavorable tax conditions, and it seems to be mostly wishful thinking on the part of the latter.
Many news outlets have discussed the possible implications of Manny returning to the ring relatively quickly after his battle with Miguel Cotto on November 14. But let's be honest: Pacquiao didn't exactly suffer a serious beating in that fight, and though he's more commonly gone five or six months between fights over the past few years, he's certainly capable of performing at a high level with less time off.
Most notably, Pacquiao returned to action after his 12-round March 2008 rematch against Juan Manuel Marquez (a fight in which he took his fair share of flush shots) in less than four months to face David Diaz. Despite moving up in weight, he had little trouble with Diaz, stopping him in nine rounds.
There are no such worries for Mayweather, as it will be nearly six months after his own fight with JMM when he steps in against Pac Man. And since he was enjoying his brief retirement for nearly two years before that, he should be well rested come March.
I have to admit I'm surprised that the fight came together so quickly, but it's a pleasant surprise as it will shine the spotlight on boxing in a way that hasn't happened in years. Just remember that there are other good fights (Shane Mosley-Andre Berto in January, for one) between now and Mayweather-Pacquiao.
Posted by The Franchise
20.11.09
Pacquiao-Cotto Shows Its Firepower With 1.25 Million PPV Buys
Admit it: you were waiting to see how many people bought the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight on pay-per-view. And you certainly weren't alone.
According to ESPN's Dan Rafael, the numbers are in, and they are pretty darn good. Rafael says the fight did 1.25 million PPV buys, the most buys for 2009 and pretty much dead even for what Pacquiao did when he fought Oscar De La Hoya last December, when it was (probably correctly) assumed that the Golden Boy was the bigger draw.
The "boxing is back" crowd can take heart that it's the first time in ten years that two boxing cards have garnered 1 million-plus buys in the same year. The other one in 2009, of course, was the Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez bout in September. And that's what makes what's about to happen next so intriguing.
As anyone not emerging from suspended animation knows, negotiations for a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight for next year are likely to start in earnest very soon. Both men are probably going to make a case that they should get a slightly higher percentage of the purse, and now they both have some ammo.
Pacquiao's position is obvious, as he just outdid Mayweather's numbers a few months apart (Floyd came in at 1.05 million buys, give or take) without the help of De La Hoya. Money's camp can counter that Cotto actually brought plenty of fans to the table, certainly more than Marquez did - and since Rafael says Pacquiao-Cotto did more buys on Puerto Rico than any fight in history, there's probably some truth to that.
Would a 50-50 split be unreasonable, considering both fighters have proven their popularity and the total amount of money to be split is going to be enormous? Probably. Will it easy to make two proud boxers at the height of their powers admit that? Not on your life, especially when you throw other strong personalities (Bob Arum, Richard Schaefer, Freddie Roach, etc.) into the mix.
Hold on from here, because the ride is about to get interesting.
Posted by The Franchise
According to ESPN's Dan Rafael, the numbers are in, and they are pretty darn good. Rafael says the fight did 1.25 million PPV buys, the most buys for 2009 and pretty much dead even for what Pacquiao did when he fought Oscar De La Hoya last December, when it was (probably correctly) assumed that the Golden Boy was the bigger draw.
The "boxing is back" crowd can take heart that it's the first time in ten years that two boxing cards have garnered 1 million-plus buys in the same year. The other one in 2009, of course, was the Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez bout in September. And that's what makes what's about to happen next so intriguing.
As anyone not emerging from suspended animation knows, negotiations for a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight for next year are likely to start in earnest very soon. Both men are probably going to make a case that they should get a slightly higher percentage of the purse, and now they both have some ammo.
Pacquiao's position is obvious, as he just outdid Mayweather's numbers a few months apart (Floyd came in at 1.05 million buys, give or take) without the help of De La Hoya. Money's camp can counter that Cotto actually brought plenty of fans to the table, certainly more than Marquez did - and since Rafael says Pacquiao-Cotto did more buys on Puerto Rico than any fight in history, there's probably some truth to that.
Would a 50-50 split be unreasonable, considering both fighters have proven their popularity and the total amount of money to be split is going to be enormous? Probably. Will it easy to make two proud boxers at the height of their powers admit that? Not on your life, especially when you throw other strong personalities (Bob Arum, Richard Schaefer, Freddie Roach, etc.) into the mix.
Hold on from here, because the ride is about to get interesting.
Posted by The Franchise
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