Thursday, August 22, 2013

Boxing is not 'dying', It is getting better and better

Boxing is "dying": this is what many believed and keep on saying. I don't believe it. Boxing maybe slacking, but never came a point that it is dying. Boxing is just getting better and better. Controversial results in judging and officiating which is almost in a weekly basis, keep the sport alive in discussions and forums. Good or bad 'publicity' is’publicity’.

Boxing started to surge forward when Showtime sealed a 6-fight contract with the pound-for-pound kingpin Floyd 'Money' Mayweather Jr. A move that shows Showtime wanted to topple top rival HBO in terms airing PPV top grossing fights.


As a result, HBO and Showtime give the best boxing card they can put together. Because of this, the obvious winners are the boxing fans. You cannot have Mayweather-Canelo plus Mathysse-Garcia together in one card if this move did not happen. Before HBO used to have a good main event and then partnered with crap under-cards. If the main event flops, then the entire card is crap. Now, HBO cannot afford to do like this. HBO will definitely equal or surpass Mayweather-Canelo and Mathysse-Garcia kind of card in the future.

A clear borderline was drawn between boring’s top promoter--Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotion. Below is my mathematical formula or equation. I don't know how you will name it; I am damn brainless in mathematics.

[Showtime + Golden Boy Promotion = Love] + [HBO + Top Rank = Love] = Hate

Base on the above equation, GBP fighters cannot fight Top Rank fighters and cannot be aired in HBO. The same goes to Top Rank fighter towards GBP and Showtime. Fighters should not sign long contracts with either promoter so that they can transfer to the other promoter. Maybe per fight agreement will happen to those big names in the sport so that they can fight the fighter they want. Donaire for example, if having per-fight agreement, can jump to Showtime to fight Mares.

Then, there's that statement from HBO that they will no longer take Rigondeaux fights because of his boring performance against Donaire. What does it mean? Maybe it is an indication that they will not allow fighters similar to the fighting style of Rigondeaux? HBO is bitter with Mayweather leaving them? That is why a fighting style similar to Floyd is 'persona non grata' in the network? But what I like Mayweather Jr. is that he can choose to fight very defensive and boxing like what he did against Guerrero or he can fight in front of his opponent, the way he fought Cotto.

Fighters who wanted to sign up Top Rank in order to get a shot to be aired on HBO, better adapt the brawling style. It seems HBO is inclined to have this fighting style and wanted action packed cards for the fans that really love knockdowns and knockout ended type of match-up. Is it the idea of HBO to counter the 'boring' style of Mayweather?  Showtime will give you the boring style of Floyd, but we (HBO) will kick out Rigo and give you entertaining and action-packed fights. I'm assuming HBO's thoughts here.

But Showtime will definitely do something to this approach by HBO that is why they put on Mathysse-Garcia. This under-card is sure fireworks.

If this is the case, I think the fans are the winner. Winner, because they give the fans what the fans wanted. And as a boxing fan, which I get what I want, then I do believed that boxing is not dying at all it is just getting better and better.

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