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.
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.
Dan, that is a really sad list of fighters with nothing on the calendar so far this year.
All the more reason we should be celebrating Taylor and Ramirez for taking the legacy fight and giving the fans what they want. It’s going to be a good one.
I'm not interested in old men renewing their rivalries.That's not boxing..it's entertainment and done simply for money. That said, I wish someone would bang a few heads together of the current boxing stars and get them to face each other.....It's becoming embarrassing and downright pathetic.
No wonder the Oleksandr Usyk - Joe Joyce fight is taking a long time to sort out.
Usyk's manager suggested a 93 : 7 purse split, in favour of his man of course, and apparently he was deadly serious about it. How do you negotiate with someone like that?
I'm glad to see legends of the sport still willing to get in the ring. It's just the way old school fighters are built. Disappointed in the new era who don't fight often and duck everyone that can actually give them a fight. It's so sad.
Greed. That's the reason so many big fights aren't happening.
I'm not suggesting things were perfect 'back in the day,' however they seem to have gotten worse since purses became stratospheric. Many fighters can now be 'set for life' with just one fight. The problem is, many have already done this, so either end up pricing themselves out of the market, or simply choosing not to work.
Boxing has for generations been a working class sport; fans could relate to fighters who'd come from nothing and literally fought their way to success. When non-elite fighters are being paid in in excess of, say, $1m and aren't very enthusiastic to adjust in the way that many people have had to due to Covid, the gap between fan and fighter widens.
At the high end, people such as Fury and Joshua have been paid [not, IMO, truly earned] money beyond the wildest dreams they may have had when starting out in their careers. Their children, grandchildren [and perhaps a further generation] could all lead comfortable lives if neither ever made another penny. Yet the fight can't be agreed. These 2 have more clout with promoters/broadcasters than anyone except Alvarez. So if they said 'we really want to prove who's best, we really want the Undisputed legacy; we really want to fight: pay us $15m each,' the fight would be made tomorrow.
Greed. Plain. Old. Ugly. Greed.
PS: Great to see Marquez featured. A legend who often goes under the radar. An absolute warrior whose back catalog of fights are well worth watching.
I don't want to get too ahead of ourselves in dealing with the current fighters - after all, boxing requires going to the audience (ticket sales, TV subscriptions) to be able to pay the top fighters commesurate with big time American athletes. The pandemic is still impacting these things - and for multiple reasons we know that PPV as a revenue stream is struggling some.
That said, Spence and Crawford really do need to do this, and both deserve blame for it not happening. We're coming off a time where basically the best of the teeny tiny fighters have fought each other in every conceivable permutation. We know the Four Kings. Saying "talk to my management" just doesn't cut it. I mean, Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua have (presumably) transcended the politics of the promoters and networks to either fight or seriously attempt to fight each other.
Here's what I hate about these "legends" fights. Hey, if they want to have them, and people enjoy them, fine. BUT, don't stick REAL fights on the undercard and make me buy an over priced PPV because of it, because I'm not personally interested them one iota.
I pick Smith winning this fight and then defeating Berbiev. Another great article. If champions would fight each other, promoters would not had had time to come up with the senior league. But I will enjoy the old men fighting. You never no what could come next.
Maybe we'll know by October if the Spence - Crawford fight is likely to happen as Bud's Top Rank contract apparently ends in October.
If it's gonna happen I would expect Crawford to accept a PBC contract, presuming he's offered one. However, Bud decided not to take the PBC offer in 2018 when he signed his contract extension with Top Rank, so it still may not happen.
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.
Dan, that is a really sad list of fighters with nothing on the calendar so far this year.
All the more reason we should be celebrating Taylor and Ramirez for taking the legacy fight and giving the fans what they want. It’s going to be a good one.
I'm not interested in old men renewing their rivalries.That's not boxing..it's entertainment and done simply for money. That said, I wish someone would bang a few heads together of the current boxing stars and get them to face each other.....It's becoming embarrassing and downright pathetic.
No wonder the Oleksandr Usyk - Joe Joyce fight is taking a long time to sort out.
Usyk's manager suggested a 93 : 7 purse split, in favour of his man of course, and apparently he was deadly serious about it. How do you negotiate with someone like that?
I'm glad to see legends of the sport still willing to get in the ring. It's just the way old school fighters are built. Disappointed in the new era who don't fight often and duck everyone that can actually give them a fight. It's so sad.
Greed. That's the reason so many big fights aren't happening.
I'm not suggesting things were perfect 'back in the day,' however they seem to have gotten worse since purses became stratospheric. Many fighters can now be 'set for life' with just one fight. The problem is, many have already done this, so either end up pricing themselves out of the market, or simply choosing not to work.
Boxing has for generations been a working class sport; fans could relate to fighters who'd come from nothing and literally fought their way to success. When non-elite fighters are being paid in in excess of, say, $1m and aren't very enthusiastic to adjust in the way that many people have had to due to Covid, the gap between fan and fighter widens.
At the high end, people such as Fury and Joshua have been paid [not, IMO, truly earned] money beyond the wildest dreams they may have had when starting out in their careers. Their children, grandchildren [and perhaps a further generation] could all lead comfortable lives if neither ever made another penny. Yet the fight can't be agreed. These 2 have more clout with promoters/broadcasters than anyone except Alvarez. So if they said 'we really want to prove who's best, we really want the Undisputed legacy; we really want to fight: pay us $15m each,' the fight would be made tomorrow.
Greed. Plain. Old. Ugly. Greed.
PS: Great to see Marquez featured. A legend who often goes under the radar. An absolute warrior whose back catalog of fights are well worth watching.
I don't want to get too ahead of ourselves in dealing with the current fighters - after all, boxing requires going to the audience (ticket sales, TV subscriptions) to be able to pay the top fighters commesurate with big time American athletes. The pandemic is still impacting these things - and for multiple reasons we know that PPV as a revenue stream is struggling some.
That said, Spence and Crawford really do need to do this, and both deserve blame for it not happening. We're coming off a time where basically the best of the teeny tiny fighters have fought each other in every conceivable permutation. We know the Four Kings. Saying "talk to my management" just doesn't cut it. I mean, Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua have (presumably) transcended the politics of the promoters and networks to either fight or seriously attempt to fight each other.
Enjoying your columns in the new forum Dan, one thing I miss is the purses for the fighters otherwise I appreciate being regularly informed
Here's what I hate about these "legends" fights. Hey, if they want to have them, and people enjoy them, fine. BUT, don't stick REAL fights on the undercard and make me buy an over priced PPV because of it, because I'm not personally interested them one iota.
Their is also a few great cards coming up shortly. Stacked decks, which are rare.
I pick Smith winning this fight and then defeating Berbiev. Another great article. If champions would fight each other, promoters would not had had time to come up with the senior league. But I will enjoy the old men fighting. You never no what could come next.
Cotto and Barrera should be a great one.
Maybe we'll know by October if the Spence - Crawford fight is likely to happen as Bud's Top Rank contract apparently ends in October.
If it's gonna happen I would expect Crawford to accept a PBC contract, presuming he's offered one. However, Bud decided not to take the PBC offer in 2018 when he signed his contract extension with Top Rank, so it still may not happen.