The boxing schedule leading up to May 2 is like a symphonic crescendo that translates to a boxing fan?s dream come true?
?Assuming for the sake of argument that boxing needs to be saved, it?s unlikely that Mayweather vs. Pacquiao will be the fight to do it. The zillions of dollars it generates is one thing. Saving the sport is another.??Robert Ecksel
?I can?t wait for the nine week stretch from March 7 to May 9 that will see more good boxing reach more Americans than at any time in boxing?s history. Finally, boxing is moving in a positive direction???Paul Magno
Some assert that the moment regarding the May 2 mega fight has been lost. They say five years ago, we had something very, very special but now it might be like going straight to Leonard-Hearns II without having Leonard-Hearns I. Others say it?s too little too late and/or that it?s closer to Tyson-Holmes which is patently absurd. On the flip side, some will contend it?s a generation-defining fight. The opinions will be as varied as the mentality of those offering them and as salty as the fringe around a Margarita Glass. From blas? and disenchanted to enthusiastic and excited, the opinions will pour out and the media will look for every possible angle from which to portray drama where none exists. The hype machine will induce a goodly amount of bile before it is sated.
Something Different
For me, however, this fight and the events leading up to the contractual signing reflect something ever-so-fresh and clean beginning to finds its way through the traditional foul smells of boxing and might portend new dynamics that in turn could be this generation?s single-best chance for boxing to mitigate its reputation as the cesspool of the sporting world.
There is a transition going on and we saw it in a business model in which Mayweather Junior worked out the issues without the help of someone lurking in the background waiting for his percentage and without a cunning and self-serving Arum getting in the way.
We see it when the powerful ?man with the plan? and mysterious hybrid, Al Haymon, and NBC announce new prime time boxing and 20 live broadcasts for 2015. Haymon?s $20 million outlay translates to five Saturday night ?Premier Boxing Champions? prime-time shows on NBC, six more shows on Saturday afternoons and the remaining nine in prime time on the NBC Sports Network. Al Michaels will do blow-by-blow, with Ray Leonard providing analysis. Who needs Don King? What?s not to like?
Timothy Bartolini sums it up this way in a February 22, 2015 article on THA BOXING VOICE titled, ?If ESPN Rumors Are True, Al Haymon Has Already Won The War?:
?The dynamic of the boxing industry is changing for the first time in 30 years. Bob Arum and Oscar De La Hoya look to be on the losing end of the first war. While Bob Arum was focusing on China, the real war was right in his own backyard. Top Rank and Golden Boy won?t go away, but their roles in the industry will be diminished as a direct result of their own complacency.
?ESPN, CBS, NBC and Spike TV have all been available for years. Al Haymon was the only one that recognized their value and planted his flag. Instead of coming up with fresh ideas and new approaches, the old guard stuck with an antiquated battle plan that will leave them starved for resources. The war is almost over, and the ramifications will be felt in the years that come.?
The Fight
?With Mayweather turning 38 ? and Pacquiao 36, this might be an epic meeting of the two biggest names in the sport, but two fighters squaring off in the heart of their prime it certainly is not.??Martin Rogers
Stylistically I doubt it will be an epic. In fact, it could be a boring tactical affair. From every other standpoint, however, it will be the biggest single extravaganza in boxing history and maybe even in sports history. It also might be the start of something new and something better. And for icing on the cake, the fight will occur after an incredibly long run of potentially more thrilling fights featured on NBC, CBS, HBO, Showtime, ESPN, and Spike TV.
Indeed, the boxing schedule leading up to May 2 is like a symphonic crescendo that translates to a boxing fan?s dream come true. I haven?t been this excited since I don?t know when.
The Upcoming Schedule
February 27: Pablo Cesar Cano vs. Juan Carlos Abreu (California) February 27: Odlanier Solis vs. Tony Thompson (Hungary) February 27: Cletus Selden vs. Johnny Garcia (New York)
February 28: Tyson Fury vs. Christian Hammer (UK) February 28: Dmitry Chudinov vs. Chris Eubank Jr. (UK) February 28: Carl Frampton vs. Chris Avalos (Belfast, UK) February 28: Denton Vassell vs. Viktor Plotnykov (Belfast, UK) February 28: Roman Gonzalez vs. Valentin Leon (Nicaragua) February 28: Jackie Nava vs. Mayra Alejandra Gomez (Mexico) February 28: Kenia Enriquez vs. Mellissa McMorrow (Mexico) February 28: Rey Loreto vs. Nkosinathi Joyi (South Africa)
March 5: Joseph Parker vs. Jason Pettaway (New Zealand)
March 6: Joseph Agbeko vs. Carlo Magali (Ghana) March 6: Tony Harrison vs. Antwone Smith (Las Vegas)) March 6: Zolani Tete vs. Paul Butler (UK) March 6: Roy Jones Jr. vs. Willie Williams (North Carolina) March 6: Karo Murat vs. Benjamin Simon (Germany)
March 7: Amnat Ruenroeng vs. Zou Shiming (Macau) March 7: Glen Tapia vs. Daniel Dawson (Macau) March 7: Jose Felix Jr. vs. Raymond Sermona (Macau) March 7: Keith Thurman vs. Robert Guerrero (Las Vegas) March 7: Adrien Broner vs. John Molina Jr. (Las Vegas) March 7: Abner Mares vs. Arturo Santos Reyes (Las Vegas) March 7: Tommy Coyle vs. Martin Gethin (UK) March 7: Christina Hammer vs. Kali Reis (Germany) March 7: Timy Shala vs. Dominic Boesel (Germany)
March 12: Francisco Vargas vs. Will Tomlinson (Texas)
March 13: Andre Berto vs. Joselito Lopez (California) March 13: Shawn Porter vs. Robert Garcia (California) March 13: Billy Wright vs. Gilberto Matheus Domnigos (Arizona) March 13: Antoine Douglas vs. Thomas Lamanna (New York)
March 14: Steve Cunningham vs. Vyacheslav Glazkov (Canada) March 14: Sergey Kovalev vs. Jean Pascal (Canada) March 14: Vasily Lepkhin vs. Isaac Chilemba (Canada) March 14: Ovill McKenzie vs. Matty Askin (UK) March 14: Thomas Oosthuizen vs. Ryno Liebenberg (South Africa)
March 20: Alfonso Gomez vs. Yoshihiro Kamegai (California) March 20: Alejandro Hernandez vs. Martin Castillas (Mexico)
March 21: Juergen Braehmer vs. Robin Krasniqi (Germany)
March 26: Frederic Lawson vs. Breidis Prescott (Florida)
March 28: Jhonny Gonzalez vs. Gary Russell Jr. (USA Showtime) March 28: Jermall Charlo vs. Vanes Martirosyan (USA Showtime) March 28: Kell Brook vs. Ionut Dan Ion (UK) March 28: Donnie Nietes vs. Luis Ceja (Philippines) March 28: Luis Conception vs. Carlos Cuadras (Panama)
April 3: Boxcino (USA ESPN)
April 4: Adonis Stevenson vs. Sakio Bika (Canada) April 4: Artur Beterbiev vs. Gabriel Campillo (Canada) April 4: Denis Lebedev vs. Lukasz Janik (Russia)
April 11: Andy Lee vs. Peter Quillin (Brooklyn) April 11: Danny Garcia vs. Lamont Peterson (Brooklyn) April 11: Orlando Salido vs. Roman Martinez (Puerto Rico) April 11: Willie Limond vs. Chris Jenkins (UK)
April 16: Shinsuke Yamanaka vs. Diego Ricardo Santillian (Japan)
April 18: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs., Andrzei Fonfara ((USA Showtime) April 18: Terrance Crawford vs. Thomas Dulorme (USA Showtime) April 18: Lucas Martin Matthysse vs. Ruslan Provodnikov (HBO) April 18: Richar Abril vs. Derry Matthews (UK)
April 25: Wladimir Klitschko vs. Bryant Jennings (New York City HBO) April 25: Lee Selby vs. Evgeny Gradovich (UK) April 25: Anthony Dirrell vs. Badou Jack (USA) April 25: Javier Mendoza vs. Milan Melindo (Mexico)
May 2: Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao
Like a Samoan Buffet, there is something for everyone.
More to come?
