Say "No" to the Alphabet Soup Organizations in Boxing

by Paul Magno

I don't know of any real fight fans who actually like boxing's four major sanctioning bodies (WBO, WBC, WBA, IBF). As a matter of fact, hardcore fans are unanimous in their disgust for these "Alphabet Soup" Organizations.

The laundry list of offenses is too long to detail in one short article, but with only their own self-interest in mind, these groups have committed just about every offense possible against the sport and it's athletes.

For this reason, The Boxing Tribune is spearheading the campaign to discredit and eventually eliminate these blights on the sport. We urge all fans and websites to join in and support the cause for the betterment of the sport. A large, vocal movement may give fighters and managers the courage and incentive to ditch these now meaningless belts and bring the sport back to where it needs to be.

Join the movement: www.Facebook.com/boxing.reform

It's easy to say "Ditch the Sanctioning Bodies," but what does that really mean and how can the sport exist without the current power structure? Here's a FAQ-style rundown of some of the major sticking points of this movement:

Why get rid of the sanctioning bodies?

To be kind, they're very unnecessary. To be real, they are a blight on the sport and merely exist to line their pockets with the hard-earned money fighters truly deserve. Aside from the bribes and kickbacks that most acknowledge as real parts of the ranking procedure, there's the issue of sanctioning fees. About 3 percent of fighter's purses in all championship fights and official eliminators are handed over to the sanctioning body in charge of the fight...we're talking 5 and 6 figure sanctioning fees just for the right to hold the belt that they earned on their own. But if this isn't bad enough...all 4 major organizations regularly invent new belts and new titles in order to extract more money from more fighters...So, with compromised rankings and a landscape littered with World, Interim, Regular, Super, Diamond, International and Silver champions, the continued existence of these groups is not only bad for the fighters who want a fair, even playing field but, also, for the casual fans who want to follow the sport but get no clear idea of who's who because of all the diluted titles and cartoonish corruption.


Fighters use the sanctioning bodies and the lesser belts as a ladder to climb in their development...What will the young fighters do to get that push and be seen by a large group of fans?

Well, they'd do what they've historically done: Win, make a name for themselves and fight their way to the top. Why should the sanctioning bodies be involved in promoting fighters to new heights? That's what promoters are for. The sanctioning bodies should be for protecting the fighters and making sure that all are fighting on an even playing field.


What about the history and title lineages that accompany these sanctioning bodies?

Well, the sanctioning bodies, as we know them, have only been around since 1962 when some members of the NBA (National Boxing Association) executed a hostile take over of the organization and moved it out of US jurisdiction, renaming it the WBA. Eliminating the modern organizations will do nothing to lessen the importance of the great fighters of the past. And, as far as title lineages go, the arbitrary rules of the sanctioning bodies have already compromised a good share of title lineages.

Ok, They're corrupt, but what would boxing do without at least some sort of sanctioning body?

I'm not endorsing chaos in the sport. Boxing does, indeed, need a sanctioning body, but it needs an organization that will do the right thing and put the sport ahead of the wallets of the boss men. The sport can operate on the same level as other sports do, but a house cleaning is desperately needed in order to start the cleansing process. In the absence of the Alphabet Soup Crew and while a new sanctioning body is being formed, local and state commissions could handle the record keeping and other logistical duties while, short term, the media could handle the rankings. I'll admit, this is not an ideal situation, but the only way to reform is to remove the offending parties. If they still exist and operate as usual, their stranglehold on the sport would be too strong to enact any reform.


Why not work from within and try to reform the existing sanctioning bodies?

48 years of repeat offending have shown us that they simply will not clean up their act...and there's nothing we can really do to force them. Three of the Four sanctioning bodies are based outside US jurisdiction and the one US-based group, the IBF, has already been busted, disassembled and re-formed with little real change.


How can we even do this?

Getting rid of the sanctioning bodies would be as easy as cutting off the cash supply. Six to Nine months of no sanctioning fees or kick-backs would significantly cripple them. A lot depends on whether fighters and managers would join in the movement or if they'd rather continue on with the corrupt current scene that allows them a chance to buy their way to the top. I guess this movement would also say a lot about the integrity of many active participants in the sport and whether they'd choose to play on a level playing field if given a choice.

How can we ensure that the next sanctioning body wouldn't fall into the same corrupt pattern as the ones we have now?

Remove the profit factor and the veil of secrecy; That would just about do it. Make the rankings based upon a fair, objective formula that takes activity and level of opposition within a given weight class into consideration. Publish the formula, make it simple enough to verify and keep it as an untouchable method of ranking fighters. When it comes to money issues, make all financial dealings 100% transparent. Yes, sanctioning fees do need to be charged, but the current rate is too high. A scaled-down, small government-style sanctioning body would require less of an operating budget than the massive bureaucracies that currently exist only to sustain themselves. The new sanctioning body's responsibilities would be to supervise the officials, ensure for the safety of the fighters and oversee officially sanctioned bouts. All of this, of course, would take place in complete transparency with all meetings transcribed, observed and posted in a public forum and all revenue paths clearly earmarked.

Believe me, I have no delusions of grandeur regarding this issue. Maybe this is the greatest of pipe dreams, but I owe a lot to this sport and have nothing but the greatest respect for those warriors who risk their lives each and every time they step into the ring. To have a bunch of middle-aged confidence men divvying up these warriors' hard-earned money is just obscene. And to have the sport riddled with bogus titles and bought rankings that ruin all credibility is sickening. I just couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least make my voice heard...this is your chance to make your voices heard as well...And, maybe, together we can make a loud enough noise.

Join the movement...Say "No" to the Alphabet Soup Organizations in Boxing:

www.Facebook.com/boxing.reform

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Bridging the Gap: Can We Get More Overseas Boxing in the U.S.?

by Green Machine

I read a post today from our very own PHONETOOL entitled “Latin Fury 15 PPV another money grab” and I got to thinking about the state of boxing, pay per view attractions, and how we’re still pitifully limited in what we’re getting for our money.

Now before we gather up the torches and storm the Dish Network offices let me say this: I’m not entirely against the whole pay per view structure.  Shows cost money, transmissions cost money, fighters cost money, and so shelling out a little green to watch a fight card that would be otherwise unavailable is acceptable to me.  Hey, you’ve got the right to not buy the show if you that’s your choice.  What I would like to know is why in this digital age where we can get access to just about anything in the world with a few mouse clicks, are theses unlimited pay per view events so limited in their talent?

If they’re going to charge us $35 a shot for a fight card then so be it, but give as a little more. There’s hundreds of thousands of boxers in the world: professional, amateur, recreational, police, military, white collar, and we see none of them.  I can jump on the internet and in minutes watch live footage of a pub in Australia or a traffic intersection in Moscow but if I want to see a great bout from the U.K. or Japan I’ve got to find a trader willing to ship it or wait for a crappy quality youtube video to pop up.  Of course, I could always watch the 98th rerun of a 2006 Roman Greenberg bout on Comcast, why show us the latest Golden Gloves bouts or Wing Championships anyway? 

We’ve seen small improvements in boxing coverage over the years, weigh-ins are televised in some outlets and even the opening bouts are shown for free sometimes.  This is great for fight fans and fighters alike but I want them to take it a step further.  Bring us the big bouts from Japan, the U.K., and Canada and let us see some of the big fights we’ve been only hearing about all these years.  There’s no reason why fighters like Mikkel Kessler or Amir Khan should have had over 20 fights and multiple titles before we get a glimpse of them on U.S. television. 

If you’re going to charge us then so be it, just give us more to choose from. 

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Montiel Stops Hasegawa in Four

WBO Bantamweight champ, Fernando Montiel, got his career back on the fast track by scoring a TKO over reigning WBC champ, Hozumi Hasegawa in Hasegawa's hometown of Tokyo, Japan.

After a dead-even first round, Montiel came on to have a solid second, followed by a Hasegawa-controlled third.

The fourth round was mostly Hasegawa's until Montiel landed a pair of left hooks at the end of the round that shook the Japanese world champion. Hasegawa was stunned and essentially defenseless, with one hand draped over the ring rope and Montiel landing at will.

Referee Laurence Cole stepped in and waved off the bout with just a couple of seconds left in the round. The stoppage was quick for some tastes, but it was obvious that Hasegawa was in bad shape and Montiel could've inflicted some real damage.

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Will a Loss for Kessler Kill The Super 6?

by Paul Magno

Whenever you're dealing with elite professional boxers, the best planning you can sometimes hope for is a pair of crossed fingers and a silent prayer.

The Super Six World Classic was supposed to be different.

Six top fighters in a highly competitive, but definitely non-glamor division. No HBO/Golden Boy/Top Rank politics...Just the best fighting the best until there was one elite superstar left. It was a beautiful concept and a testament to what can be accomplished when fighters want to fight and their management isn't afraid to let them.

Unfortunately, the Super Six tournament may be two fights away from falling apart and, if we really would've paid attention, the writing was on the wall all along.

As Mikkel Kessler prepares to take on Carl Froch in what promises to be a Fight of the Year candidate this Saturday, there has to be one simple question on the minds of Kessler and his team: "What if we lose?"

A loss for Kessler would mean an 0-2 mark in the tourney and almost no chance to make it into the final four. What would be the point in going on? What if there were a third loss? Kessler, who was the favorite to win it all, is facing the distinct possibility of having his career crushed.

"The Viking Warrior" has always demonstrated the same type of stiff caution outside the ring as he demonstrates inside of it. The best move, yeah, maybe even the smart move, would be to pull Kessler out and make a grab for a lesser title en route to a cushy Calzaghe-esque reign in his home country of Denmark with packed stadiums and the comfortable assurance that every other top super middleweight will be occupied with one another.

Another option for Kessler would be Lucian Bute and an attempted short cut back to the front of the 168 lb. line.

The other questionable piece of the puzzle is American, Andre Ward, but for completely different reasons.

A win against Allan Green on June 19th puts Ward up 2-0 and further cements his status as breakthrough fighter of the tournament. Things can only go downhill form there.

His next fight would be a supremely tough stylistic encounter against good friend, Andre Dirrell, but why risk it? An impressive win against Green will have HBO calling (if they haven't been ringing the phone off the hook already).

The Miranda, Kessler and Green wins will put the Olympic gold medalist in the perfect position to make some real money and HBO has the cash and a list of potential opponents, strong enough to give Ward a real push as "America's Next Big Thing."

Any way you slice it, Ward and Kessler pulling out after the second round would kill the credibility of the tournament and make it little more than a parody of what it was intended to be.

When you think about it, Andre Dirrell is no sure thing to finish the tourney, either. It's easy to envision a scenario where Dirrell, convinced of the fact that he should be 2-0, decides to explore the open market and see what's available for a flashy, yet inconsistent, Roy Jones substitute.

Froch, Abraham and Green are likely to stay in the Super 6; Froch and Green, because there's nowhere else to go...and Abraham, despite the loss to Dirrell, is still in the lead (at least until Ward fights).

Maybe all this is  just paranoia on my part...Maybe everybody stays put and completes their commitment to Showtime and the fans. But it sure would make business sense for some fighters to pack their things before the end of the tourney. And just how often does the good of the sport take precedent over a management team's personal interests?

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Pacquiao vs. Clottey: By The Numbers

by Paul Magno

Tribune writer, Dafs, has already broken down this Saturday's bout between Manny Pacquiao and The Human Vending Machine / Sacrificial Lamb, Joshua Clottey, but let's dig in beyond the analysis and look at the numbers behind the facts.

So, here's The Event..By The Numbers:


Estimated Attendance at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas: 45,000

Price of "The Event" Pay Per View: $49.95

Price of "The Event" Pay Per View in High Definition: $59.95

Betting Odds for Pacquiao-Clottey: Pacquiao -800, Clottey +500


Time (in seconds) that we'll see Pacquiao's "humble guy" smile: 323 seconds


Time (in seconds) that we'll see Pacquiao's "humble guy" cry: 319 seconds

Number of times Clottey will shake his head in defiance: 2

Number of times Pacquiao will shake Clottey's head: 189


Synonyms of the word "amazing" to be used by the Top Rank broadcast team: 8


Hot Dogs consumed by Dan Rafael during the show: 8-12

John Duddy fans in attendance: 1

Number of legit trainers in Clottey's corner: 0


Number of orgasms collectively experienced by the writing crew at The Examiner: 44


Number of Olympic-style blood tests taken: 0

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Allegations of Mayweather Racism Are Irresponsible and Juvenile

by Paul Magno

Filipino journalist and commentator, Chino Trinidad, has found himself at the center of a manufactured  controversy surrounding claims that Floyd Mayweather's publicist, Kelly Swanson, intentionally snubbed the Filipino media during the Los Angeles portion of the Mayweather-Mosley publicity tour.

Trinidad alleges that he and another Filipino journalist were directly told by Swanson that the Philippine media was essentially banned from accessing Maweather at the press conference.

Of course, some dim-witted bomb throwers were bound to latch on to the issue and milk it for some cheap publicity. At the expense of any sense of fair play or journalistic ethics, a Pacquiao fan boy at The Examiner immediately pounded fingers on keyboard and produced a poorly thought-out, incendiary article aimed at  taking dig number 1 million at  Mayweather.

Knowing the writer in question's work (a writer who once threatened to stab me in a Twitter disagreement), I'm sure the article was only designed to bring traffic his way and ingratiate himself to a Pacquiao inner circle that he so desperately wants to be part of. However, if you have any sort of journalistic integrity, you simply can't just blindly lob accusations of racism without being willing to hear both sides of the issue.

Kelly Swanson, speaking to Paula Duffy (also of The Examiner), has denied the accusations of racial bias and said that her denial of access to Trinidad had to do with the fact that Trinidad and the other reporter arrived late to the press conference and had informed her that they wanted to speak to Mayweather about Manny Pacquiao and the drug testing issue, two topics that were off limits for all media.

From the Paula Duffy article:

Swanson remembers the two journalists and she said that, "They arrived after other TV crews were gone. I told them that Floyd was not going to answer questions related to Manny Pacquiao and drug testing." According to Ms. Swanson, that is what the media members were interested to discuss with her client.

She continued, " I at no time refused them the opportunity to speak with Floyd Mayweather. They were welcome to go down to where he was with the fans and wait to see if he would give them an interview. But he would have told them what he has told many other media members this week about keeping to the topic at hand."

Even if Mayweather had chosen to exclude Trinidad, exclusively, he very well may have had reason to do so.

Chino Trinidad has been a long time Mayweather critic and a hanger-on in the ever-growing Pacquiao cadre of star-struck journalists and yes men looking to social climb their ways into Manny's good graces.

This is what Trinidad had to say about Mayweather  in a recent video interview:

“That guy punches like a Power Puff girl…. (Floyd) You’re dead…Who’s running scared? Floyd is…Floyd Mayweather is in the trash can.”

So, you reap what you sow in this business. I know that, after being critical of Pacquiao over recent months, I'd never get access to a no-limits interview with Manny. Trinidad should also understand that nobody has to talk to you if they feel that you're just there to ambush them.

If the Mayweather camp did single out a certain racial group for exclusion, it's simply horrible and worthy of condemnation. But it's hard to believe that Swanson, an experienced publicist, would be so blatant with something as incendiary as what is being claimed.

It's even harder to believe the characters making these claims.

The first rule of journalism is to never fall in love with those you seek to cover...The second rule is to get your facts straight before jealously lashing out at your man crush's enemies...

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Weekend Hangover

Nothing major going on this weekend, but plenty of minor second-tier fights scattered around the world and weight classes. The Mexican results have already been posted.

Shawn Porter UD 10 Russell Jordan

Junior middleweight prospect Shawn Porter (13-0, 10 KO) survived his first real gut check, winning a ten-round unanimous decision against Russell Jordan (15-7, 10 KO) in Cleveland, Ohio.

The tall and awkward southpaw troubled Porter who eventually turned up the heat in the later rounds to earn the decision. Porter looked a small junior middleweight, which might cause some difficulties as he steps up the ranks.

Jordan was harshly penalised for spitting out his mouthpiece, but despite having the odds stacked against him, provided a stern test for Porter. So often in these type of fights, you get one shutout card. And we got it here. A shutout 100-89 for Porter followed by two more accurate 97-92.

Fres Oquendo RTD 9 Demetrice King

Fres Oquendo (32-5, 21 KO) kept himself in the hunt to fit the criteria as step-up man by stopping Demetrice King (15-18, 13 KO) after nine rounds to win regional titles. The big-hitting King kept the fight competitive until he started to tire at the mid-way point.

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Does Pavlik Deserve Bute 2010 Shot On HBO?

by dafs117

According to industry sources, HBO is pushing for a fight between super middleweight titlist Lucian Bute and middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik in 2010. Bute knocked out Librado Andrade in the fourth round last night in Quebec City, while Pavlik is set to fight lightly-regarded Miguel Espino on December 19 on Top Rank pay-per-view.

Bute (25-0, 20 KO) and Pavlik (35-1, 31 KO) may well find themselves without any other attractive options, though I'd expect that negotiations could be tough. Bute may be loathe to leave Quebec, where his fights sell out big arenas and make a lot of money. Pavlik has travelled well to Atlantic City for past fights, and would surely object to yielding a home field advantage to Bute, given that Bute has a large audience in Quebec. The money split, the location, the promoters working together, all of that could be a chore.

I also think Pavlik will still want to get in the ring with Paul Williams first, should Williams win on December 5 against Sergio Martinez. Pavlik says he's not ducking Williams, but the only way to prove that for sure is to fight him. They've already had a deal worked out, only for Pavlik to pull out of two dates.

If Pavlik were, in theory, to fight Williams after Espino and win both bouts, then it would almost surely be time to fight Bute. The middleweight money fights simply aren't there. The other titlist Felix Sturm and Sebastian Sylvester, are small names in America and it doesn't appear Sturm is in any rush to leave Germany, where Pavlik would surely not head for a fight.

At the end of it all, Bute-Pavlik just might make the most sense, and if semi-promoter HBO pushes hard enough, it could surely happen. It could also be a terrific fight, much more competitive than Williams-Pavlik. Bute has developed into a fantastic fighter, and Pavlik has stagnated. Then again, a fight with Bute could be just what Pavlik needs to get his groove back.

But does Pavlik deserve another payday? If he doesn’t fight Williams, who must have had enough of Pavlik by now, I don’t think Bute should award him a fight. It benefits Bute financially and it would be a good name on his CV, but if the fight with Williams or Bute doesn’t happen, Pavlik will struggle to find a competitive fight for the fans.

Has Thomas Hauser’s rant at HBO changed the way they set out to matchmake? HBO are carefully choosing fan-friendly fights, which must boost the broadcast popularity. If they can find a good fight for Dawson, HBO might overtake Showtime as the fan-friendly broadcasting team, as Showtime’s Super Six has supposedly changed the face of boxing.

To be honest, it already has. Not in a way that more tournaments will be scheduled, but HBO now consider Showtime to be major competitors. With the opportunity of losing a massive market share to Showtime too much to bear, the big bosses at Home Box have realised that you don’t need a blown-up legend to sell a fight, only a competitive mouth-watering fight.

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Sosa Undergoes Surgery, Named WBC Emeritus Champion

Although the WBC failed to officially acknowledge Edgar Sosa's protest of his loss to Rodel Mayol last Saturday, the organization did agree to name him Emeritus Champion based on his solid reputation as champion and the hint of some confusion in the initial in-ring decision.

A fierce headbutt from Mayol on Saturday dropped and clearly hurt the defending WBC Jr. Flyweight champion, Sosa. The butt was initially ruled as accidental by the referee, but later ruled intentional by members of the sanctioning body. Whether intentional or not, Mayol seized the opportunity and stopped Sosa seconds later.

The designation of Emeritus Champion means that Sosa, after he recovers from his injuries, can immediately demand a rematch for the title without having to wait in line. Sosa will also have the opportunity to challenge for the Flyweight title, under the same conditions, if he wishes.

Sosa is currently recovering from surgery which required him to have two titanium plates screwed into his face due to a triple fracture of the cheekbone that affected his cheek, nose and the orbit of his eye. He's expected to be out of commission for at least 6 months.

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Denkaosan Kaovichit Retains WBA 112 lb. Title

WBA Flyweight Champion, Denkaosan Kaovichit (48-1-1, 20 KOs) retained his title Yesterday in Osaka, Japan via Majority Decision in the home town of challenger, Daika Kameda(15-2, 11 KOs).

This was Kaovichit's second title defense of the strap he took from another hometown Japanese fighter, Takefumi Sakata, in December of 2008.

Kaovichit is ranked #4 at Flyweight by the BTBC.

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Diaz-Malignaggi: The Story from the Stands

Charlie 21er

21 August 2009

Houston, TX

George Bush Intercontinental. Step outside and dig the heat. Thirty degrees of difference from Bush to the city. Thirty minute ride to the Toyota Center. 95 degrees and it’s only ten. Stop for a drink. Plenty of time to kill. Weigh in doesn’t start for another three hours. Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi to be victim to Juan “The Baby Bull” Diaz as he travels north on the scale. Golden Boy putting on the show.

The cab driver takes me out of the way to Lizzard’s Pub. The place reeks of the hip. Lizzard’s tries hard to look like it doesn’t belong to the Greenway Plaza. Lizzard’s averts its eyes from River Oaks. Lizzard’s caters to both. The bartender pins me for a tourist. “I’m here on business,” I tell him. “So am I,” he yukks. He pours a double shot on rocks. I let it sit for a minute. I like to taste my Scotch. “Who do you favor for the fight tomorrow?” He answers like a local, “Diaz all the way.”

I can’t blame them for saying it. Diaz is a beast. Diaz moves forward. Dangerous Diaz digs the body. Baby Bull Bullied Marquez. Check It: 28 February 2009: Diaz takes on #2 Pound for Pounder Juan Manuel Marquez. Diaz comes forward with a purpose. Diaz fires hooks to the body. He backs Marquez to the ropes and punishes him. He brutalizes Marquez for 5 rounds. Marquez figures it out in 6. Marquez moves the fight to the center of the ring. He cuts Diaz with an uppercut in 8. He finishes it in 9. Diaz is on his back in the center of the ring. It’s the second knockdown of the round. The ref waves it off. We remember that Marquez is a great fighter. We remember that Diaz gave him a hell of a fight. We write off the knockout.

Malignaggi comes off of a win against a nobody. The fight is forgotten. We remember his TKO against Hatton. Malignaggi should have done better. Hatton has heart. Hatton has power. Hatton doesn’t have finesse. Malignaggi fights on the back foot. Malignaggi channels Prince Hamed. He digs Hamed. Hamed inspired him. He bobs and weaves. He spins out of the way. He throws punches from all angles. Hamed did all this. Hamed did things wrong and made them work. Hamed packed dynamite in his fists. Item: Malignaggi isn’t Hamed. Hatton, unHurt hands Malignaggi a hiding. Verdict: Malignaggi can’t handle the pressure. Fighting with feather fists fail to foil pressure fighters.

During the build-up, Malignaggi got his excuses in line. Expect a homecooked, hometown decision from Houston. Looking back: Chris John vs. local boy Rocky Juarez on the Marquez vs. Diaz undercard. John boxes smart and shows us he’s for real. Juarez fights hard. Juarez tries. Juarez is one dimensional. John wins it 116-114. All three judges score it a draw. Marquez was smart. He took it out of the judge’s hands. Malignaggi isn’t a finisher.

Malignaggi wasn’t born yesterday. He can smell a screwing. He wanted a larger ring. He wanted the fight at the Jr. Welter limit. He wanted neutral officials. Promotions ixnay on all demands. The ring will be small at 18ft. The fight will be at 138. The judges are from Oklahoma, California and Texas. One is of Mexican decent. Malignaggi says “I’m going to have to knock him out to win.” He says it like he can do it. We know he can’t.

The weigh in is the usual local who’s who. Diaz fans outnumber Malignaggi 10:1. Both fighters in their skivvies. Malignaggi starved down to a slim 138. Diaz plumped up to a big 137. Diaz sports the freshman fifteen to all his fights. Diaz has Golden Boy behind him. Golden Boy brings Bernard Hopkins to the weigh in. Golden Boy brings Shane Mosley. Malignaggi has one guy in his thick New York accent in the crowd. They face off for the photo op. The New Yorker yells “There’s your punching bag, Paulie!” The rest of the crowd cheer their boy. The rest of the crowd don’t expect it to go the distance.

Sometimes I go with the rest of the crowd. Malignaggi looked awful in his last big fights. I didn’t see him taking the pressure. He hadn’t showcased his footwork in a long time. Top guys made him look bad. B Level fighters made him look sloppy. He didn’t have what it took to work on top.

Diaz is what I look for. Diaz throws punches and punishes. Diaz makes men regret ever trying to hang. If Hatton can crack the Magic Man then so can Diaz…
The crowd got ready in the parking lot. The crowd worked around the high beer prices. They tailgated instead. They came in half drunk. They finished the job before Daniel Jacobs entered the ring to kick off the televised fights. They were already rowdy. It would get worse. The televised fights were going the distance.
Fans heckled. Fans howled. Jacobs wins convincingly over ten. Fans keep drinking. Fans fake fight. They throw air jabs. They land crosses on invisible opponents. High fives. Guerrero looks to redeems himself over twelve. Guerrero gets cut. Guerrero fights smart. Guerrero hangs on. He wins on the cards. He wins for real.

I go for another drink as I wait for the Diaz fight. The fans are loving it. It’s left field at Dodger’s Stadium. It’s Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. The fighters are only contenders. These are hometown fans. They get like this for any reason.

The ring announcer echoes through the hallways. Fans flock for seats. Malignaggi gloms Arturo “Thunder” Gatti’s intro. Malignaggi got a call from Gatti after the Cotto fight. Gatti complements a durable warrior. The crowd boos. The crowd jeers. They throw drinks. Drinks fall short. Drinks douse dozens in the front.

Diaz starts his walk. His music is drowned out. A fan turns to me, “He’s gonna knock Malignaggi the f**k OUT!” I can’t disagree. The bell rings and they get to it. Diaz does what we expect and comes forward. Malignaggi does what we expect and moves back. Malignaggi is cut in the first round. Diaz disposes of dull jabs. Diaz fires off bombs. Diaz hits air. He glances the Magic Man’s face. He hits arms and elbows. It’s expected. It takes a round to figure it out.

Round two is the same. Diaz eats three jabs moving in. Diaz fires off hard shots. He lands one to every three. Malignaggi is moving quickly. Malignaggi boyishly bounces backwards. He patiently peppers Diaz with showers of shots. Diaz throws a monster left hook. Said hook only meets leather. Malignaggi fires off with a right uppercut. Said uppercut splits Diaz’s eye. Diaz doesn’t fight well through blood.

Four rounds in and it’s two to two. Diaz pressured forward. Diaz clipped Malignaggi good. Malignaggi clowns shaky legs. His legs really are shaky. It’s round five and the crowd goes nuts. Diaz throws a series of hooks. One, two, three, four--all against a high guard. The crowd cheers anyway. Diaz is cut bad and keeps fighting through it. If anything he proves he can fight through blood.

Diaz finds his distance. Diaz digs deep. Malignaggi’s has trouble getting back to plan A. Malignaggi loses six and seven. He leans back with his hands down. Diaz wings shots and they clip the Magic Man’s face. His head bobbles like Hamed’s. Houston cheers. They smell blood. It’s going well.

Malignaggi rethinks his strategy. Malignaggi can’t trade. He needs to get on his toes. He needs to weave low, he needs to circle again. The bell rings. He comes out and fires jabs. Throw three and land one. Keep Diaz thinking about jabs. Sneak in a right. Move lateral and stick a hook. Throw three jabs and back off. Rinse. Repeat. Malignaggi is back in a groove. He’s durable at least. Diaz can’t get in close like Hatton. A fight breaks out behind me. Beer is thrown. Furious fans fumble through the seats. Meanwhile Malignaggi takes eight through eleven.

Last round. The crowd stands. The crowd tries to rally their man. Malignaggi wants to slug it out. Diaz always wants to slug it out. They both exchange. Diaz’s punches look like they hurt. Malignaggi hangs close. He flurries and backs off. He comes back for more. Diaz obliges. Diaz takes the round. The crowd cheers.

I have Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi taking it 115-113. I had him controlling the action with his jab. I had him moving away. I had him avoiding flush shots. I felt bad for Houston. Houston hates a loss. The cards are read. 115-113, California. 116-112, Oklahoma. 118-110, Texas. At 116 to 112 I already know the outcome. All to the winner, Juan “The Baby Bull” Diaz. The fans cheer. The fans go nuts. I wonder if the fans know he lost. A look around and I can see they don’t care.

I finish my drink.

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Madcow's Standing 8 Count (6/29/09)

by Madcow

Aside from actually being written, this week's column will be a little different.

Last week, as you all know, Michael Jackson died. I have had a special relationship throughout my life with Jackson. No, I never got to visit Neverland ranch as a child and I was never able to share a can of Jesus Juice with the "one-gloved-one."

My connection with Jackson isn't even about music. Actually, I'm luke warm to his talents.

No. My link with Jackson goes directly through Lori C, Madcow's first love and a very fine looking High School Junior with bubble gum lip gloss and a teddy bear backpack.

I had taken "Ms. C" to the Junior Prom and, to spare all the details, that was the night your favorite bovine became a man.

On the way home, I turned on the radio in my clunker in absolute glee and the first song on the radio was "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson. Not my type of music, but on that particular night, it was the greatest song I had ever heard.

So, this column is dedicated to Michael Jackson, "Billie Jean," and beautiful Lori C, who was more woman at 17 than all 3 of my wives put together. But enough with this sappy crap.

In a "Thriller," Marcos Maidana overcame knockdowns and all obstacles to force Victor Ortiz into submission. Now, after an embarrassing quit job and a non-fighter-like post-fight interview, Ortiz has to seriously take a look at the "Man in the Mirror" and decide if he really wants to continue fighting or if he just wants to "Beat It."

"Smooth Criminal," Oscar De la Hoya desperately tried to spin Ortiz's quit job into something quite the opposite, but nobody is buying it. Overall, it hasn't been a good time to be a Golden Boy prospect. Abner Mares split, Ortiz was just crushed and "King of Pop," James Kirkland is eating bologna and mayonaise sandwiches behind bars.

"Remember the Time" when PPV dates were reserved for only the elite fights, the best of the best? The Latin Fury show this Saturday was just, plain "Bad." I would like to run into the chump who paid 35 bucks to see this suck-fest so I can sell him some bumper car tickets at Neverland Ranch. Wake me up when Juanma Lopez starts fighting someone with a pulse.

Arthur Abraham defended his title against some guy named Oral on Showtime Saturday. I'm sorry, but the only thing I'm watching with the name "Oral" on it is a PPV movie from The Spice Channel.

Everything else this Summer has been a big let-down. Cancelled or postponed fights, combined with weak matchups. Boxing is in a serious "Jam" and needs to fix things fast or, maybe next year, there won't be anyone buying these shows for broadcast.

Well, seeing that its been a slow news Summer and that I've exhausted my Michael Jackson references, I think I'll end this special edition of Madcow's Standing 8 Count.

Besides, I've just called the escort service and told them to send their best; Doesn't matter if they're "Black or White," I just "Wanna be Startin' Somethin'." Now, "Leave Me Alone."

RIP Michael

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The BTBC News Wire (6/21/09)

(Updated Throughout the Day)

Amir Khan questioned by cops over Molesting Allegations
Edgar Sosa Retains For The Ninth Time, Stops Melo
Arbitrator nixes forced V. Klitschko-Maskaev tilt
Hatton Comeback Talk Continues, Against Amir Khan?
Roach's Weight Demand Could Collapse Pacquiao-Cotto
Easy Walk For Klitschko, Claims The Lineal Crown
Freddy Curiel Returns with Win Over Francisco Osorio
Tye Fields Returns, Knocks Out Firtha in Six Rounds
Odlanier Solis Says "I Will End Wladimir Klitschko"
Klitschko Dominates, Batters Chagaev For The Stoppage
Andy Lee Decisions Olegs Fedotovs on Klitschko-Chagaev
Fernando Guerrero Stops Brian Norman In Two Rounds
Beltran Impressive In Tireless Effort Over Meza-Clay
Refusing Defeat, Pascal Outlasts Diaconu In 175 Lb. War

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Floyd Mayweather Jr: Master of Time and Space?

by Paul Magno

For the critics of Floyd Mayweather Jr., there seems to be no middle-ground; No possibility whatsoever that what they say and what they've heard is not the absolute gospel. Mayweather ducked all the best fighters at Welterweight...and that's the end of the conversation for them.

They point to names like Cotto, Mosley and Margarito and then point to Mayweather's ring record. "He fought none of them! None of the best Welterweights of today!"

But when we look deeper and dig a little further we begin to see the holes in their arguments.

The timelines don't match up and for Mayweather to have truly fought the list of fighters he allegedly ducked, it would've required him to do some time-bending that would put to shame anything ever written by H.G. Wells.

Floyd Mayweather is an outstanding fighter, but he is most definitely no match for the space-time continuum.

So, timeline and ring records in hand, I'm going to run through the list of fighters that Mayweather is accused of ducking and demonstrate how things aren't always as they appear to be and that perception sometimes overrides reality.

I intend to show that the fighters in question were, for the most part, fringe players when Mayweather was active and, therefore, not even worthy of a fight, much less fearsome enough to be ducked.

I'll cover the portion of his career from April of 2006, as Mayweather prepared to fight Zab Judah in his first major bout at Welterweight until his official retirement after the Ricky Hatton bout in December of 2007.

Antonio Margarito

The tale of Mayweather ducking Margarito has been passed down from message board to message board and from blog to blog, but it has very little validity when examined.

When Mayweather was about to fight Judah, Margarito was just coming off a fourteen month layoff and had just defended his WBO title against dubious challenger, Manuel Gomez.

Margarito would go on to take another ten month hiatus before fighting an, at the time, unknown Joshua Clottey. Margarito was being outclassed early on until Clottey suffered injuries to his hands and had to spend the last two-thirds of the bout just surviving. It was hardly a star-making performance by "The Tijuana Tornado."

Margarito would follow the Clottey win with a loss to Paul Williams followed by a comeback blow-out against journeyman Golden Johnson.

Margarito's popularity and credibility as a top challenger wouldn't spike until his win over Miguel Cotto- about 8 months after Mayweather's retirement.

While Mayweather was chasing the lineal 147 lb. championship and beating Ring Magazine's #1 and #2 ranked Welterweights at the time, Margarito was well in the background as an inactive fringe champion who was only known among a relative few hardcore fans and had yet to set himself apart.

Shane Mosley

The ducking of "Sugar Shane" accusation is a relative new one, but let's examine the time line of this one as well.

When Mayweather was staking his claim in the division, Mosley was one division to the North at 154 going toe-to-toe with Fernando Vargas in a pair of bouts.

Mosley then came down to 147 where he had a very impressive performance against Luis Collazo.

However, a month before Mayweather's retirement, Mosley would lose a close unanimous decision to Miguel Cotto.

In reality, Mayweather and Mosley only shared the division for about ten months- a period of time that saw Mosley win one and lose one.

This hardly established a burning case for a Mayweather-Mosley showdown.

Paul Williams

Frankly put, Williams and Mayweather only shared a prominent role in the Welterweight division for about five months, between his win over Margarito and his stunning upset loss to Carlos Quintana.

Mayweather could've rushed in and forced a fight with the tall, awkward southpaw, but nobody was rushing to fight Williams and the upset loss effectively cut him from the picture for the time being.

Miguel Cotto

Cotto wasn't even in the same division as Mayweather until a month after Mayweather became the lineal world champ by outclassing Baldomir. That adds up to about a year where both fighters were even in the same division.

Cotto earned his spot at the top of 147 by beating Judah and Mosley in exciting, well-attended, but ultimately disappointing PPV shows.

Mayweather, in almost direct point/counterpoint was busy taking part in the biggest PPV of all-time (vs. Oscar de la Hoya) and a near-million seller (vs. Hatton).

By the time Cotto had established himself as a player at Welterweight, Mayweather already had plans to get out while still young.

Could Mayweather have turned down the Oscar and Hatton fights to have it out with Cotto? Of course...but what fighters in history would turn down 20 million dollar checks and mega-events in favor of a third of the money and one-eighth the publicity?

Final Analysis

When looking back on Mayweather's recent career, we have to be careful to put things into their proper perspective and clearly analyze what went down- not with the negative benefit of hindsight, but with the ability to fairly see things as they were.

When Mayweather first moved up to Welterweight, he called out a Zab Judah who had just ripped Cory Spinks to shreds and was ranked on many pound-for-pound lists. Judah was, far and away, the consensus #1 Welterweight in the world.

Judah ended up being upset by Carlos Baldomir and the the Argentinian became lineal champ.
Mayweather beat Judah first and then went after Baldomir to complete his sweep of Ring Magazines top two rated Welters- Regardless of what would later on happen to the careers of the two Mayweather victims, they were considered the top 2 at the time.

Then, the real public relations problems began for Mayweather.

The newly-crowned lineal champ cashed in on his growing fame by opting for a huge money fight against De la Hoya; A fight that everyone from 140 to 154 would gladly have taken instead of a mandatory defense for a fraction of the money.

The Hatton fight followed. Another blockbuster payday for a fighter just starting to make the mega-bucks of some of the other stars of the sport.

If Mayweather's guilty of anything it's trying to cash in on a lifetime of hard work in order to secure his financial future after retirement.

This is a crime that, in my opinion, is 100% forgivable in a sport that is famous for not taking care of its own after they cease to be vital.

Mayweather could've insisted on fighting relative unknowns for fractions of what he could've made elsewhere, but what fighter given the same circumstances would do that? Right...none.

So, while the name Floyd Mayweather may have a visceral effect in your belly and cause you to explode in a rage of self-righteous condemnation, I ask you to think.

Are the timelines matched-up properly?

Is it fair to ask a fighter to give up his biggest paydays in favor of bouts with your personal favorites?

Is it intellectually honest to expect a 2006 Floyd Mayweather to beat 2009's best Welterweights?

Step aside from the hyperbole and mob mentality when it comes to Floyd and put some serious analysis behind the rhetoric.

We are unfairly putting Mayweather into the no-win situation of having to defend himself against allegations of ducking the best; Not the best fighters of his time, because he did beat them, but the fighters that would eventually go on to be the best welterweights nearly three years later.

Mayweather can do a lot of things, but time travel is not one of them.

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Hatton vs. Pacquiao: Cashin' Out in Vegas

Both Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao made weight for their fight on Saturday night...and if they didn't...? So what? It's not like a real title is on the line or anything.

Ricky's been sportin' Ring Magazine's Publisher's Clearinghouse Title and the Busted-Binary IBO "Computerized Title- two belts that hold about as much prestige as the belts in my closet from before I had a 50-inch waist.

Make no mistake, this should be a nice little scrap and it could prove to be Fight of the Year material, but anyone who tells you that this is even the slightest bit significant is either part of the promotion or on the glue-sniffing "advisory panel" of Ring Magazine.

The only numbers that matter in this bout have nothing to do with PunchStats or physical dimensions...The only important digits here are Ricky's and Manny's respective PIN numbers.

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Welcome to The BTBC Blog

Hi,

Before we open things up, I just want to take this time to thank you for giving us a look. Our goal is to give the boxing fan an edgier alternative to the news, information and analysis currently available. No holds will be barred and I guarantee that toes will be stepped on and feelings may be hurt...but the truth is our primary goal.

Aside from up-to-date news and info, we'll also present regular features such as:

* Madcow's Standing 8 Count (An irreverent look at the week's boxing news)

* The BTBC's Monthly Awards (Fighter of the Month, Bum of the Month, etc.)

* Fight of the Week Preview

* The BTBC World Rankings (Complete divisional rankings using The BTBC's uniquely accurate rating method- We are boxing's fairest and most accurate rankings.)

and much, much more...

We look forward to providing a quality blog and hope to become a stop on your search for quality boxing information and analysis.


WETSU,

Paul Magno

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