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Right now it is easy to tell that the sport of boxing is in a bit of trouble when a fight that has fallen through and may never come to fruition is getting more publicity than any of bouts lined up for the near horizon. Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather both have a way of transcending the norm and while the thought of the two men hooking up in the ring is fascinating it is just as disheartening to see them move on in separate directions.
Despite both men being two of the world?s best fighters for the past decade, the thought of them facing one another wasn?t a scenario that could be taken seriously, as Pacquiao was typically fighting two weight classes below Floyd. All of that changed when Pacquiao moved up in weight to dismantle Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd soon announced that he would be returning to the sport following his lengthy layoff after his December 2007 thrashing of Ricky Hatton.
Mayweather?s return against Juan Manuel Marquez last September saw him win nearly every round and when Pacquiao stopped Miguel Cotto two months later the buzz on the fight really began to pick up, with chants of ?We want Floyd? echoing throughout the MGM Grand arena on November 14th. The two sides began negotiating for a hopeful March 13th meeting but it wasn?t meant be as they couldn?t come to terms on a proposed Olympic style drug testing procedure that Mayweather wanted to implement on the bout.
Pacquiao would end up dominating a reluctant Joshua Clottey at Dallas Cowboys Stadium instead while Mayweather would set his sights on Shane Mosley on May 1st. Floyd was hurt in the second round from a viper-like right hand from his Pomona, California foe but remained poised and boxed his way to an impressive decision win. The beat again started to build and talks began circulating about the two fighters meeting this November.
Once again, however, it wasn?t meant to be. Top Rank boss Bob Arum claims to have been working with HBO?s Ross Greenburg on making the fight a reality, as the network’s president served as the middle man in negotiations with Mayweather?s advisor Al Haymon, but Mayweather was silent over the past couple of months and a deal never could be made. Pacquiao now looks to be facing Antonio Margarito instead while Floyd has remained on the down low and was last seen getting cozy with promoter Don King.
While Pacquiao-Mayweather is the fight that boxing desperately needs we should be prepared for the possibility that it very well may never happen. And with Pacquiao now holding a congressional seat in the province of Sarangani in his native Philippines and Mayweather seemingly more interested in relaxing than fighting, who?s to say how active either man is after the 2010 calendar year?
If that is the case then boxing will have to find a way to move on and the weight will have to fall on the shoulders of other pugilists. It would be a crippling blow but one that the sport would have to be able to absorb while finding a way to survive. When taking a look at the boxing landscape as a whole there are certain fighters and divisions that stand out.
Former flyweight and super flyweight champion Nonito Donaire, Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez and Jr. Middleweight contender Paul ?The Punisher? Williams are all rare talents and simply need the right dance partners in order for their talents to be fully realized. Donaire has been rumored to have a November date lined up with WBO and WBC bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel while their have been rumblings of a possible Martinez-Williams rematch for October 2nd.
The Jr. Welterweight division is currently the hottest in the sport and the sport would benefit from some type of round robin tournament featuring the likes of champions Amir Khan, Timothy Bradley, Devon Alexander and interim titlist Marcos Maidana. Other talents in that weight class such as Lamont Peterson, Victor Ortiz, and Andriy Kotelnik round out a solid weight class full of possibilities.
Miguel Cotto reinvigorated his career with a June beat down of Yuri Foreman to capture a title in a third weight division. Undefeated WBC Welterweight champion Andre Berto is a fighter with great talent yet no true signature fight. Light heavyweight Chad Dawson was on a tear a few years ago and will look to put himself back into the championship picture with this weekend?s title clash against WBC boss Jean Pascal.
Showtime?s Super Six concept may so far have produced mixed results but what has stood out has been the focus and tenacity of Oakland?s Andre Ward, who easily controlled both Mikkel Kessler and Allan Green in the first two rounds of the tournament. Seeing Arthur Abraham drop his first loss to Andre Dirrell and Kessler and Carl Froch go toe to toe gives hope for the future of the Super Six.
One division that hasn?t been getting any love is the Heavyweight division. Reading how Greenburg has opted not to pick up any future showcases from either Wladimir or Vitali Klitschko, unless they find themselves in the ring with a David Haye type, further shows how far the division has fallen. Just the fact that former Light Heavyweight champion Tomasz Adamek has been making as much noise as any other heavyweight hopeful really puts things into perspective.
In the coming weeks and months the Examiner will be taking an in-depth look at a wide range of talent in the sport and assessing their chances of carrying the torch that will one day be passed from Manny and Floyd. It isn?t an easy task but boxing has always been a sport that is diverse, worldwide, and able to adapt. All we can do is hope for the best, that Pacquiao-Mayweather does indeed happen in May of next year, and that the remaining talent in the sport will step up their game when it is desperately needed.
Stay tuned for more?
