Boxing upsets this year
A lot of analysts have said that 2010 has been a letdown for boxing fans. As if it’s something to feel guilty about, or hide in the closet. Probably one of the biggest reasons for this has been the great failure to launch a Mayweather-Pacquiao bout for what, the sixth time? After all, failing to get the best to face the best isn't a good sign for a sport. It would be like having the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers refuse playing against each other indefinitely due to terms and other contractual and often overwhelmingly selfish stipulations.
So why can’t boxing get its act together? In what other sport, for instance, do athletes hold as much individual sway? In what other sport are there as many dubious under the table and on the table business arrangements dominating the field of play? What other sport seems to be dying as quickly to the American market, and for what reasons?
Take Floyd Mayweather. By many he’s considered the best boxer in the world today, maybe even one of the top five fighters of all time. But seriously, this guy, best or not, has fought four times in the last four years. And that ain’t half bad for superstar boxers. But it’s still bad. Compare that with the other pound-for-pounder, Manny Pacquiao, and the results are staggering: he’s fought nine times in the same period of time.
Why can’t boxing simply force these guys to fight? That’s a good question, but like most, the reasons are simple. The guys that can get away with this kind of thing are the top of the top. Mayweather would likely protest to being forced to compete. At the same time, the boxing world knows how much money it can get for a Mayweather bout, so its interests are almost always to keep Mayweather happy. Just look at the wild race going on for his hand in business. No less than Golden Boy and Don King have tried, unsuccessfully for the most, to win “Money” over for that very reason.
In the ring, 2010 has been no different. It’s been replete with surprises, which, in their own way are probably a good thing for the sport. Surprise fuels interest; nobody likes to see a guy on top forever. Just look at the Klitschko brothers as an example. At this point, HBO isn’t even interested in showing their bouts to an American audience, because nobody this side of the world seems to care.
At least two undefeated prospects have likewise suffered upsets this year, tarnishing their records and becoming, as it were ‘human’ from the perspective of boxing. Chad Dawson was the first. He was schooled by Canadian Jean Pascal in a bout that gave his nickname “Bad” never-before-realized meaning. And just last Saturday, Ivan Calderon, the undefeated strawweight who had dominated the division for ten years, showed age and humanity by surrendering to Giovanni Segura. Many were about to call this one before it happened, but it was still kind of sad to see.
The good news is that the year isn’t up, and November and December are looking to redeem. For one, there’s the prize-winner in Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito, which is, according to Bob Arum, expected to draw 70,000 fans. Not just that, but this is sure to be a great fight. With these two guys, they almost always are.
Then there’s the Nov 6 fight between Juan Manuel Lopez and Rafael Marquez. Lopez is 29-0 with 26 KOs, and Marquez boasts 39 wins with only 5 defeats. So while this year has so far been kind of depressing from a boxing perspective, there’s still hope for some great entertainment and clarity in these bouts.
Tags: