If Ricardo Lois is Henny Penny, rushing to tell the king that the sky is falling in boxing, then he should save his barnyard breath.
That we?re in the midst of terrible economic times is not exactly a secret, domestically or internationally.
Iceland went bankrupt. Banks are failing left and right if they don?t get massive emergency cash injections usually from governments. Unemployment is climbing fast. Detroit, hit on all sides by financial ailments, may go from Motown to Notown.
So Lois? noting that Telefutura has abandoned their incubator boxing shows and that HBO and Showtime are slashing their boxing budgets going into 2009 comes as no surprise to anybody with a pulse.
President Obama, and how I love to write those words, has been thrust into a wicked recession.
Duly noted. But I prefer to look on the bright side.
On the sunny side of the boxing street, tough times are likely to produce the following:
More fighters. Maybe there?s a new Manny Pacquiao coming from the Philippines or another Barrera or Morales rising in Mexico. Better fights as the cable networks realize they must make compelling matchups. Fighters and promoters can gripe about lower purses but the only answer to that is bite down, produce better fights and ride out the economic storm. Less PPV crapola. Less of the win the fight, look good in the next one mentality. In this environment the mantra will have to be look good in every fight. Finally, an exit stage left for some of boxing?s stayed too long at the fair old faces. TV guys will be hard pressed to keep recycling the old names unless it?s a rejuvenated and restored Bernard Hopkins who brings some electricity to their screens. Maybe Joe Calzaghe, who?s got plenty left, and Roy Jones, a punched ticket, are gone now?doesn?t that make room for younger stars?
