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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Kimbo: “Sliced” from UFC, so where to now?

by Green Machine

Even if you’re not an MMA fan of any sort, you can’t avoid hearing about Kimbo Slice.  Slice, in his few years of popularity has went from bodyguard, to street fighting “legend” to mixed martial artist, and now to purgatory.  In case you haven’t already heard, Kimbo was cut from the UFC roster (so says Dana White) after Saturday nights TKO loss to Matt Mitrione. “What does this have to do with boxing”? you ask?  Nothing on the surface, but it makes me wonder if we’ll be seeing Kimbo join our beloved sport now that he’s failed twice in the MMA circuit.

Last year prior to his appearance in “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10, it was rumored that Slice was taking up boxing and leaving MMA behind.  Some were supportive, some were indifferent, and some were laughing their asses off.  Sure, the guys good with his fists and has a good punch, but that’s never a guarantee that he’ll do even remotely well as a professional boxer.  We’ve seen it before, we’ll see it again, and it never looks pretty.  So what are the chances?

As it stands now, I can see it happening.  Slice has suffered two embarrassing losses in his short MMA career and now has no where to turn.  He’ll never be taken seriously in mixed martial arts again (if he was at all) so unless he’s content with fighting for a fringe MMA promotion, boxing is all that’s left.  Unfortunately boxing fans won’t take him seriously either and he’ll more than likely be hard pressed to find a promoter that will put any serious effort into building a career for him…but it can be done.

Kimbo seems like a genuinely nice person, who wants nothing more than to make a good living for his family and do well in combat sports.  Unfortunately passion isn’t always enough and already into his 30’s, success as a fighter of any sort is remote.  Even with the sorry state of the heavyweight division these days any C level boxer that can move his feet will embarrass him even further, having him end up as the latest version of Tye Fields.

I seriously wish Kimbo well in what ever field he chooses to pursue and hope he’s successful.  Whatever your opinion of him as a fighter, he deserves respect for getting the cage and will be deserving of more respect if he chooses to give boxing a go.  How’s he’s viewed afterward remains to be seen.

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In Search of…Troy Ross

by The Green Machine

You wouldn’t know it unless you’re Canadian, or a boxing fanatic checking results and web pages from around the globe, but Troy Ross fought Saturday night, and knocked out Daniel Bispo in just over a minute. On the big stage this was lost with Paul Williams and Chris Arreola fighting on the same night on HBO but I think Ross deserves more attention, a grander stage, and the opportunity that The Contender series was supposed to give him.

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Time for “Superman” to hang up his cape…for good.

by The Green Machine

I read something yesterday that made me laugh, and made me cringe at the same time. A fight writer stated that Roy Jones' first round knockout at the hands of Danny Green may affect his 2010 rematch with Bernard Hopkins. May affect the bout? Is there something I’m missing here?

We all know how fighters are. In most cases they refuse to hang up the gloves when they should, and in some of those cases our iron clad heroes become human jelly fish, a sad result of a passion only a select few possess. This could very well be the case with Jones, who ironically took little risk during his prime and was open about his fears of risking his health, but now, at the tail end of his career has chose to fight on despite his diminished skills and reflexes, despite the fact that he’d been KO’d twice in stunning fashion and nearly stopped by Antonio Tarver in their third bout a few years back. He hasn’t had a significant win since.

I’m the biggest Jones fan there is. I’ve followed his career since the Olympics and like many, was awed by his speed, reflexes and natural ability. If I wasn’t blowing off a night out with the guys to stay home and watch Roy fight, then I was out at the bar with those same friends watching him. Hell, I braved an all Italian pub to watch the Pazienza fight and held my tongue most of the night (but waltzed out with quite a smirk afterwards).

Despite my loyalty, I’m hoping like many that Roy chooses to hang ‘em up and ride off into the sunset a healthy and financially secure man. There’s nothing left to prove and a fight with Hopkins won’t prove anything for either fighter. In fact, fans should be offended if Hopkins even entertains the thought of making this fight. Beating up on the shell of a shell of what was the best pound for pound fighter in the world 13 years ago won’t mean a thing.

So Roy, as a loyal fan and follower I’m asking you as I’m sure many others are, to call it a day. You were the best of your era and some may argue one of the best ever. We won’t forget the flash you brought to the ring but what we don’t want to see is our modern day hero impaired, or much worse.

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