Finally, after 1,247 consecutive days, I finally give Manny Pacquiao a day off, at least from this column.
OK, I lied.
My lead item involves The Great One but, after that, I go Pacman free.
My name is Michael, I am a Pacaholic.
Remember this name, R. Thomas Umstead because he is the lead dog when it comes to reporters who cover TV sports in general and PPV TV sports, specificially.
He writes for prestigious trade pub, Multichannel News.
Man loves boxing.
Man’s been on the beat 20-plus years.
And, or so he told me last month at a Jean Pacal-Bernard Hopkins press conference, Umstead is convinced that the respective powers that will overcome their obstacles and get the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao super bout made in 2011.
Umstead also believes Mayweather-Pacquiao can hit the magic two million buys mark under the right conditions, eclipsing the 2.4 milllion buys registered by Oscar de la Hoya’s bout against “Money May.”
Thev way he explained it, doing two million for Floyd-Manny is not that tough but smashing the Floyd-Oscar record is difficult.
Umstead thinks that Ross Greenburg and HBO have to get tough on both sides and make it clear that the prime cable network wants everyone to follow the financial imperivative to make the biggest boxing revenue bonanza ever a reality.
(See most recent Umstead blog in which he seems far less optimistic about Floyd-Manny being put together.)
If Ross The Boss has to shut off “the water” to one or both sides, and refuse to buy lesser attractions, well so be it.
HBO has shown signs of coming out of its passive, nearly comatose “you sell us, we buy” boxing patronage phase.
Unlike Team Pacquiao/Top Rank and Team Mayweather, HBO has stockholders to answer to.
Shareholders might like to know why this huge attraction has been a train wreck twice already. And inquiring minds looking at the Time Warner bottom line would be even more curious if a third try at making the natural super bout fails…
If you’re a New York fight fan and you’re not trekking to Atlantic City for the expected rematch barnburner between Sergio Martinez and Paul Williams, here’s a good idea. Set yours or someone else’s DVR to tape the HBO scrap and head out to the Aviators Sports Complex at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn for live, local boxing Saturday night.
Andre Rozier, Robert Diaz and the guys from low key Havoc Boxing are staging another fan friendly ($50 tickets) at the sprawling complex.
On top is a nifty area rivalry bout featuring Daniel Judah of the fabled Judah ring clan from Brooklyn against persistent Elvir Muriqui, the so-called Kosovo Kid, from the Bronx.
Two talented boxers and you don’t often see this kind of a bout off TV.
Will “Power” Rozinsky is on the undercard and West Point graduate and US Army Captain Boyd Matson, a protege of “Maine Man” and former world champion Joey Gamache, makes his pro debut.
Matson has a day job as a sales rep for a small pharmaceutical concern. Pfizer, maybe you heard of them…
Support live, local boxing, bring the wife and kids and then go home to screen Martinez-Williams, I say…
Tickets for this special night of boxing are priced at $50 for all seats and can be purchased at the Following Locations:
The Aviator Box Office New Legend Boxing Club (718) 487 4474 or www.havocboxingnyc.com
The Aviator Sports Complex is located at:
3159 Flatbush Ave – Brooklyn, N.Y. 11234
For more information on Havoc Boxing, Click: www.havocboxingnyc.com
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. told me while traveling with the Pacman crew that he’s willing to fight Canelo Alvarez, the 20 year old Mexican wonder boy, and feels that Alvarez is too green to beat him. Such a bout would be big across Mexico and in certain US markets but JC Jr. is a fullfledged 154-pounder while Canelo is a 147-pounder.
I asked JC Jr. if he is mulling over the offer by Pacquiao and agent Mike Koncz to become his co-manager and the Kid From Culiacan smiled and said, “They have money…”
See, I got all this way and only real Manny item.
I knew I could do it.
