The Moment’s Notice

Published

11 years ago

May 2, 2014

Floyd-Mayweather2 088fd
This is well-tilled soil at this point, but the foundation beneath the monument to himself that Floyd Mayweather is building out of fool’s gold is sandy and nutrient-poor.

The business of boxing is equal parts solipsism and snake-oil.

You can blame Al Haymon, the architect of prolonging a fighter’s earnings by building up a parade of trumped up matchups where the star power is isolated solely in the red corner.

You can blame the warring factions of television networks and their allied promoters.

You can blame Don King because, hell, that’s always fun.

It’s hard to blame the fighter, ultimately, for letting himself be led away from the competitive fire into the icy chambers of the money; it’s a brutal, physically unforgiving sport to train and compete in. And you can always blame yourself, because even though you know that the product of the fight card billed as “The Moment” is a false promise, you can’t help yourself from finding your way to watching these fights.

The false promise began with a false choice and a bogus social media vote to decide between two underwhelming foes: Amir Khan and eventual contest-winner Marcos Maidana. On most pound-for-pound top-tens, there are five boxers that Mayweather could potentially fight between welterweight and middleweight: Pacquiao, Martinez, Golovkin, Marquez, Bradley. It’s not going on a limb to suggest that we’ll never see him fight any of these guys. Maidana became The Moment when he underdogged the hotdog Adrien Broner last December. Broner, also a shoulder-roll boxer fired in the same Midwestern kiln as Mayweather, took a beating from Chino that must have made The Money Team drool. Here was a prominent imperfectly mimicking Mayweather’s style getting dramatically comeuppanced by an eminently beatable fighter. The die was cast, the marketing copy began spooling from the mouths of Mount Mayweather: Floyd would seek revenge for the sake of his shadow’s legacy, he would transmute the smoke back into the mirror.

To be completely fair, it’s rare that the old “puncher’s chance” metaphor gets such a ready fit as upon the sinewy mantle of Marcos Maidana. “Puncher’s Chance” would probably be an apt title for the Maidana biography. It’s doubtful that the guy has ever been in a boring fight, or that he has ever been discouraged by a solid punch to the nose. He’s one of the sneakiest and hardest hitters in the game, arguably more dangerous a fighter than Mayweather has seen in a while. But let’s not fall into the well-engineered hype trap; Mayweather is the bigger, faster, and better fighter and has earned his line of -1000.

Aside from the Vegas odds, another way to gauge the quality of a card’s matchups is to go Gucci and examine the purses. Mayweather is guaranteed a minimum of $32M, while Maidana’s cut, although a career best, is a paltry $1.5M. Head down the card and you’ll find other mismatch gems like Amir “Consolation Prize” Khan ($1.5M) versus the sturdy Puerto Rican Luis Collazo ($350K), or Adrien “Comeback Trail” Broner ($1.25M) against Carlos “Not the other Carlos Molina” Molina ($150K). If the PPV package is $80 and the guy garnering the lion’s share enjoys lighting money on fire, why for the love of Sugar Ray Robinson can’t Broner fight Khan?

Boxing has seen some great fights in recent years, occasions where fighters put their legacies, their health, their futures, on the line for the rewards that 36 minutes or less inside the ring can bring. Mayweather has been in none of those great fights and yet he’s the sport’s top draw. I understand that watching Floyd box anything, a giant bear doll, perhaps, would be highly watchable. Like any performance art, it’s a joy to witness a master at his craft. But the casual fan doesn’t pay big money to watch technical mastery- or otherwise Guillermo Rigondeaux would be the A-list rather than Bob Arum’s s——t. Does boxing attract such tepid support that the casual fan simply doesn’t know any better?

In a transparently calculated move to ride the wake of sport’s biggest news of the past week into PPV buys for The Moment, Floyd’s camp threw their name into the hat of prospective owners for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers. Not that it’s entirely impossible, given his ability to out-earn every other athlete despite not having one iconic performance among his curated cadre of 45 wins. But it’s as unlikely Mayweather would sacrifice his freedom to gamble as it is that the NBA would allow a franchise embroiled in a racism scandal to fall to a man who once referred to Manny Pacquiao as a “little yellow chump” that he would “cook with cats and dogs.” It’s that old Mayweather sleight of hand, politicking for his next payday.

Boxing’s alive and well as long as great fights continue to be made. Last month Pacquiao revived his career with a scintillating performance over a balls-out Timothy Bradley. Next month, Miguel Cotto is moving up to fight a bigger, tougher Sergio Martinez in attempt to become the first Puerto Rican belt-holder in four divisions. In July, it looks like Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will accept a dance with the world’s scariest middleweight, Gennady Golovkin. After The Moment passes and is quickly lost to history, Mayweather will seek another lackluster and/or vulnerable opponent, hype the heck out of him and make another $30 million dollars.

At the MGM this Derby Day, there are some great boxers in the lineup that will provide some action: Mayweather’s art, Maidana’s spirit, Khan’s speed, Collazo’s power, Broner’s promise. But unlike the Derby, you already know who will win.

Comment on this article

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

Aaron Lowinger

Najee Lopez Steps up in Class and Wins Impressively at Plant City

Published

10 hours ago

January 24, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Najee-Lopez-Steps-Up-in-Class-and-Wins-Impressively-at-Plant-City

Garry Jonas’ ProBox series returned to its regular home in Plant City, Florida, tonight with a card topped by a 10-round light heavyweight match between fast-rising Najee Lopez and former world title challenger Lenin Castillo. This was considered a step-up fight for the 25-year-old Lopez, an Atlanta-born-fighter of Puerto Rican heritage. Although the 36-year-old Castillo had lost two of his least three heading in, he had gone the distance with Dimitry Bivol and Marcus Browne and been stopped only once (by Callum Smith).

Lopez landed the cleaner punches throughout. Although Castillo seemed unfazed during the first half of the fight, he returned to his corner at the end of round five exhibiting signs of a fractured jaw.

In the next round, Lopez cornered him against the ropes and knocked him through the ropes with a left-right combination. Referee Emil Lombardo could have stopped the fight right there, but he allowed the courageous Castillo to carry on for a bit longer, finally stopping the fight as Castillo’s corner and a Florida commissioner were signaling that it was over.

The official time was 2:36 of round six. Bigger fights await the talented Lopez who improved to 13-0 with his tenth win inside the distance. Castillo declined to 25-7-1.

Co-Feature

In a stinker of a heavyweight fight, Stanley Wright, a paunchy, 34-year-old North Carolina journeyman, scored a big upset with a 10-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Jeremiah Milton.

Wright carried 280 pounds, 100 pounds more than in his pro debut 11 years ago. Although he was undefeated (13-0, 11 KOs), he had never defeated an opponent with a winning record and his last four opponents were a miserable 19-48-2. Moreover, he took the fight on short notice.

What Wright had going for him was fast hands and, in the opening round, he put Milton on the canvas with a straight right hand. From that point, Milton fought tentatively and Wright, looking fatigued as early as the fourth round, fought only in spurts. It seemed doubtful that he could last the distance, but Milton, the subject of a 2021 profile in these pages, was wary of Wright’s power and unable to capitalize. “It’s almost as if Milton is afraid to win,” said ringside commentator Chris Algieri during the ninth stanza when the bout had devolved into a hugfest.

The judges had it 96-93 and 97-92 twice for the victorious Wright who boosted his record to 14-0 without improving his stature.

Also

In the TV opener, a 10-round contest in the junior middleweight division, Najee Lopez stablemate Darrelle Valsaint (12-0, 10 KOs) scored his career-best win with a second-round knockout of 35-year-old Dutch globetrotter Stephen Danyo (23-7-3).

A native Floridian of Haitian descent, the 22-year-old Valsaint was making his eighth start in Plant City. He rocked Danyo with a chopping right hand high on the temple and then, as Danyo slumped forward, delivered the coup-de-gras, a short left uppercut. The official time was 2:17 of round two.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim

Published

20 hours ago

January 24, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Japanese-Superstar-Naoya-Inoue-is-Headed-to-Vegas-after-KOing-Y-Joon-Kim

Japan’s magnificent Naoya Inoue, appearing in his twenty-fourth title fight, scored his 11^th straight stoppage tonight while successfully defending his unified super bantamweight title, advancing his record to 29-0 (26 KOs) at the expense of Ye Joon Kim. The match at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena came to an end at the 2:25 mark of round four when U.S. referee Mark Nelson tolled “10” over the brave but overmatched Korean.

Kim, raised in a Seoul orphanage, had a few good moments, but the “Monster” found his rhythm in the third round, leaving Kim with a purplish welt under his left eye. In the next frame, he brought the match to a conclusion, staggering the Korean with a left and then finishing matters with an overhand right that put Kim on the seat of his pants, dazed and wincing in pain.

Kim, who brought a 21-2-2 record, took the fight on 10 days’ notice, replacing Australia’s Sam Goodman who suffered an eye injury in sparring that never healed properly, forcing him to withdraw twice.

Co-promoter Bob Arum, who was in the building, announced that Inoue’s next fight would happen in Las Vegas in the Spring. Speculation centers on Mexico City’s Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) who is ranked #1 by the WBC. However, there’s also speculation that the 31-year-old Inoue may move up to featherweight and seek to win a title in a fifth weight class, in which case a potential opponent is the winner of the Feb. 2 match between Brandon Figueroa and Stephen Fulton. In “olden days,” this notion would have been dismissed as the Japanese superstar and Figueroa/Fulton have different promoters, but the arrival of Turki Alalshikh, the sport’s Daddy Warbucks, has changed the dynamic. Tonight, Naoya Inoue made his first start as a brand ambassador for Riyadh Season.

Simmering on the backburner is a megafight with countryman Junto Nakatani, an easy fight to make as Arum has ties to both. However, the powers-that-be would prefer more “marination.”

Inoue has appeared twice in Las Vegas, scoring a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney in October of 2020 at the MGM Bubble and a third-round stoppage of Michael Dasmarinas at the Virgin Hotels in June of 2021.

Semi-wind-up

In a 12-round bout for a regional welterweight title, Jin Sasaki improved to 19-1-1 (17) with a unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai (29-15-3). The scores were 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.

Also

In a bout in which both contestants were on the canvas, Toshiki Shimomachi (20-1-3) edged out Misaki Hirano (11-2), winning a majority decision. A 28-year-old Osaka southpaw with a fan-friendly style, the lanky Shimomachi, unbeaten in his last 22 starts, competes as a super bantamweight. A match with Inoue may be in his future.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

Eric Priest Wins Handily on Thursday’s Golden Boy card at the Commerce Casino

Published

1 day ago

January 24, 2025

David A. Avila

Eric-Priest-Wins-Handily-on-Thursday's-Golden-Boy-card-at-the-Commerce-Casino

Model turned fighter Eric Priest jabbed and jolted his way into the super middleweight rankings with a shutout decision win over veteran Tyler Howard on Thursday.

In his first main event Priest (15-0, 8 KOs) proved ready for contender status by defusing every attack Tennessee’s Howard (20-3, 11 KOs) could muster at Commerce Casino, the second fight in six days at the LA County venue.

All ticket monies collected on the Folden Boy Promotions card were contributed to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation as they battle wildfires sprouting all over Los Angeles County due to high winds.

Priest, 26, had never fought anyone near Howard’s caliber but used a ramrod jab to keep the veteran off-balance and unable to muster a forceful counter-attack. Round after round the Korean-American fighter pumped left jabs while circling his opposition.

Though hit with power shots, none seemed to faze Howard but his own blows were unable to put a dent in Priest. After 10 rounds of the same repetitive action all three judges scored the fight 100-90 for Priest who now wins a regional super middleweight title.

Priest also joins the top 15 rankings of the WBA organization.

In a fight between evenly matched middleweights, Jordan Panthen (11-0, 9 KOs) remained undefeated after 10 rounds versus DeAundre Pettus (12-4, 7 KOs). Though equally skilled, Panthen simply out-worked the South Caroliina fighter to win by unanimous decision. No knockdowns were scored.

Other Bouts

Grant Flores (8-0, 6 KOs) knocked out Costa Rica’s David Lobo Ramirez (17-4, 12 KOs) with two successive right uppercuts at 2:59 of the second round of the super welterweight fight.

Cayden Griffith (3-0, 3 KOs) used a left hook to the body to stop Mark Misiura at 1:43 of the second round in a super welterweight bout.

Jordan Fuentes (3-0) floored Brandon Badillo (0-3-1) in the third round and proceeded to win by decision after four rounds in a super bantamweight fight.

A super featherweight match saw Leonardo Sanchez (8-0) win by decision over Joseph Cruz Brown (10-12) after six rounds.

Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!