Random thoughts: Legends in exhibitions all the rage but overshadow current stars
How about some random boxing thoughts…
The Miguel Cotto-Juan Manuel Marquez exhibition is on with a formal announcement coming in the next few days. I’m in. Take my money. I always wanted to see them fight when they were both active championship-level guys. This is better than nothing and will be entertaining in my opinion.
Cotto and Marquez were once in serious talks for a December 2016 fight but it fell apart because they could not agree on the weight. Cotto, who had boxed between 152 and 155 pounds for nine straight fights, was willing to meet Marquez at 150. Marquez was willing to fight as heavy as the welterweight limit of 147 pounds, but they could not overcome the three-pound spread. No word yet on the weight for the exhibition.
Not only are Cotto and Marquez planning to participate in exhibitions, so too are several other retired legends: Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., Mike Tyson (as a follow up to one with Roy Jones Jr. last fall), Evander Holyfield and Marco Antonio Barrera while Oscar De La Hoya is planning to return in July in a sanctioned fight, opponent TBA. Even MMA legend Anderson Silva has an official boxing match scheduled.
If the legends want to fight so be it, but it’s disappointing to see them making news while many of the best current fighters have nothing set yet this year, including Gennadiy Golovkin, Errol Spence Jr., Terence Crawford, Deontay Wilder, Jermell Charlo and Jermall Charlo. And while Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are supposed to fight it’s still not done yet and it remains to be seen if it will really happen this summer.
Even when Spence and Crawford do get fights lined up one thing is for sure — they won’t be facing each other in the fight we all want to see. As my former colleague Steve Kim tweeted: “Can’t wait for Terence Crawford-Errol Spence in 2035 in their exhibition bout.”
Crawford is 33. Spence is 31. It’s time already for them to fight. The sell-by date is approaching. Keep this in mind: When Sugar Ray Leonard faced Marvelous Marvin Hagler in their huge and long-awaited showdown they were both considered over the hill. Leonard was coming off a 2½ retirement and was 30. Hagler, who had looked shaky in his previous fight against John “The Beast” Mugabi, was 32.
As for the recently disclosed discussions for a Pacquiao-Crawford fight this summer in the United Arab Emirates, let me know when it’s signed, sealed and delivered. Until then, I’ll chalk it up to one of the many fights over the years for which there was way more smoke than fire. As Sean Gibbons, president of Pacquiao’s MP Promotions and one of his closest advisers, told me this week of Pacquiao-Crawford: “Pacquiao vs. Spence will happen before that.”
Best of luck to Carl Frampton, who announced his retirement following a sixth-round knockout loss challenging Jamel Herring for his junior lightweight world title on Saturday in Dubai, which he followed with a more detailed statement on Tuesday. I first met Frampton in 2012 when he was a 13-0 prospect and I was ringside for his fight on the Carl Froch-Lucian Bute undercard in Nottingham, England. He went on to become one of the most decorated Irish fighters ever. He won titles at junior featherweight, where he unified with a big win over Scott Quigg, and at featherweight by coming to the United States and beating Leo Santa Cruz in the first of their two outstanding battles. I was ringside for both Frampton-Santa Cruz bouts and they were excellent. Frampton has always been a nice guys and a class act — just as he was in defeat — and had a helluva career.
As for Herring, how can you not be happy for him after such a big win and great performance against Frampton? Like Frampton, he has always been a class act and one of the most likeable fighters I’ve ever covered. Herring said he wants to next fight fellow titleholder Oscar Valdez. I’d love to see it.
I’m pleased that terms are agreed to for Ryan Garcia to fight Javier Fortuna in July. I know Garcia wanted to fight Pacquiao or Gervonta Davis, but both were pipe dreams, at least at this point. Fortuna is just the kind of opponent Garcia needs as he continues to improve and it’s also a great opportunity for Fortuna as well.
So, when is that Oleksandr Usyk-Joe Joyce fight we’ve been promised getting finalized?
Have to give props to Ring City USA for being able to put together yet another quality main event for the NBC Sports Net series. On April 22, there will be a rare clash of undefeated American heavyweight hopefuls as Jermaine Franklin (20-0, 13 KOs) and Stephan Shaw (14-0, 10 KOs) meet in a 10-rounder. Making a fight like that is not easy and Ring City doesn’t have a huge budget, so credit to show organizers, both fighters and their promoters, Dmitriy Salita and Lou DiBella. In another time, Franklin-Shaw is the kind of fight that would have been an HBO undercard bout.
If Joe Smith Jr. defeats Maxim Vlasov on Saturday night for the vacant WBO light heavyweight title — and Smith is the favorite — Top Rank’s plan is to next match him with unified champion Artur Beterbiev to unify three of the belts later this year. That’s a terrific fight and a highly significant one.
I hope the heavyweight eliminator between Michael Hunter and Filip Hrgovic gets finalized.
Junior middleweight has a lot of talent and most of the top fighters are with PBC, which has mixed and matched them with each other in recent years. Here’s a fresh match in the division on tap for Showtime this summer that I think will be excellent: Erickson Lubin against former unified titlist Jeison Rosario. Somebody’s getting knocked out in that one.
Show and tell
When Marco Antonio Barrera moved up in weight from junior featherweight to featherweight he went right into the biggest fight he could possible have in the division when challenged Prince Naseem Hamed for his lineal featherweight title. This was a very big event and Barrera was a major underdog when they met at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. I was ringside to cover the fight for USA Today and watched as Barrera produced a master class. The one-time straight-ahead brawler changed his style completely to become of a boxer-puncher with patience, and he took apart the undefeated Hamed, a prodigious puncher, in a clear decision win. As the great HBO announcer Larry Merchant said of Hamed as Barrera toyed with him at one point in the bout: “His moment of truth has turned into an hour of torture!” That memorable fight was 20 years ago on Wednesday. Here is a mint site poster in my collection.
Cotto-Marquez graphic: WBC
The younger generation does not want to fight quality fighters. They are just looking for a pay day. Who has GGG fought other than Canelo? I could go with a list of fighters from 130- to heavyweights that should be fighting each other. Its very disappointing
The exhibitions are selling and even the die hard boxing fans are buying. Aside from the obvious Spence-Crawford & Fury-Joshua there are several other star making fights that aren't happening.
At 135 we have Tank in legal troubles, Loma is barely on the conversation and would probably take on a Lopez rematch like it was the 13th round and get the W, Stevenson hasn't made any waves there yet, Haney is fighting Linares, Garcia is fighting Fortuna & Lopez will be on Triller against his mandatory. Those are decent developmental fights, but nothing the general public (die hards will watch all of them) is interested in.
Crawford against any PBC Welterweight would sell, but Haymon shut him out a long time ago. PBC fighters aren't very active on top of that.
While Canelo cleans out 168 the lack of star power doesn't allow for a mega event like a GGG rubber match would.
The promoters and fighters won't make the fights people want to see & the old retired fighters are stepping in like someone left the bank vault open.