I try to be a pretty positive fight fan. When head-scratchers happen in MMA and boxing, try to just shrug my shoulders and look at what is right.
No single incident will turn me away from the sports. But as I?ve said time and time again, I?m not the ones you need to worry about. It?s all about the common fan and keeping their interest.
And the summer is the perfect time to capitalize on it. And the UFC is starting to get real good at making its July event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas feel ?special.?
Another thing I?ve harped on before is how in a year where there are 12-14 UFC PPVs per year, how do you differentiate between them? The common thread has been heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar fighting in contests that were 50-50 going in, but the July event is standing out.
Boxing? ?(crickets)? not a horrible summer for boxing. No, it?s something much worse. It?s been a ?blah? summer. Another opportunity lost as there wasn?t one major fight all summer. I wouldn?t even say that Saturday?s rematch between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz is a major one.
No big fights and another missed opportunity with Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. It?s gotten ridiculous trying to figure out what is the truth when it comes to negotiations and those type of things.
Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaeffer, Mayweather?s No. 1 Yes-Man Leonard Ellerbe, Top Rank?s Bob Arum have all been spouting things in the last couple of weeks. All it?s really leading to is another ?what are they thinking? relationship between Top Rank and Golden Boy where the two won?t help make the best fights.
Idiots.
A regular follower of Mayweather on Twitter and Facebook, and he never gave any indication about even thinking about WANTING to fight right now.
I?m still of the mindset that in May 2011, Pacquiao and Mayweather are going to fight. But what happened this summer is a lot of negative (rightfully so) backlash on what should be the biggest fight in recent memory. That?s two strikes now on this event.
Real astute fans have realized this fight won?t happen in November. And frankly, I?m not going to bash what could happen with a bout between Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito.
I still don?t think Margarito should have his license back, but I also have no issues whatsoever if the proposed bout ends up in Mexico. Don?t know why PacMan would agree to that, but if it happens, I?ll definitely be watching on PPV.
The problem with the lingering confusion with Mayweather and Pacquiao is it leaves the rest of the sport?s top names in those divisions in limbo.
Names like Sergio Martinez, Paul Williams, Andre Berto, Miguel Cotto, among others, have just kinda been sittin? around and waitin? to see what happens. If you want, you could throw in fighters like Timothy Bradley, Alfredo Angulo, Kelly Pavlik on a lesser scale.
I don?t fault Mayweather or Pacquiao this time around. When both men want this at the same time, it will happen. Right now, eh, just gotta continue playing the waiting game.
