I know that you have heard me complain time and time again about what HBO and Golden Boy Promotions are doing to the fans. It seems that every time that you turn around, they are placing another mediocre bout with a horrible under card on PPV for forty dollars or more. There was a time when a pay event meant something. When Marvin Hagler faced off against ?Sugar? Ray Leonard and when Mike Tyson finally faced Michael Spinks were large enough attractions to merit a fifty dollar price tag, but now we are in a day and age that boxing isn?t as popular and none of the major networks are broadcasting them anymore. ABC used to host many great matches, but they have given it up. CBS and NBC also had their share of boxing matches for the public?s viewing pleasure. Those days are gone.
The most recent pay per screw was a bout between Shane Mosley and Fernando Vargas in a fight that would have been on regular HBO ten years ago. I was just watching the rematch between Pernell Whitaker and James ?Buddy? McGirt from 1994. At this time, they were both viewed at top pound for pound boxers and there was some drama. In their first encounter, McGirt had an injured shoulder and now he was one hundred percent and the first bout being so close, there was big drama for this rematch. Whitaker was also riding high of a draw/win over Julio Cesar Chavez. This bout was not presented on a PPV. It was aired on HBO.
Why even subscribe to HBO anymore? At one time, they were boxing and presented the best fighters in the world, competing in the ring. Now, they present the occasional reasonable match up, but rely mostly on the PPVs for the really decent fights. I don?t subscribe to HBO for the movies. I?m there strictly for the boxing, and so too are many others, but I am not getting my money?s worth. At least Showtime seems to have the boxing fan?s best interest at heart. They have a wonderful super middleweight tournament coming up and a heavyweight attraction between Samuel Peter and James Toney, and it is all free for the Showtime subscribers.
Now we have a PPV coming up with the headlining bout being a WBC Heavyweight Title fight, pitting Hasim Rahman against Oleg Maskaev in a rematch of their 1999 encounter. Now Rahman is a good fighter, but he cannot sell a fight, and Oleg Maskaev hasn?t really defeated a decent opponent since his victory over Rahman seven years ago. I believe this bout will flop horribly, just as the Vitali Klitschko-Danny Williams bout did in their 2004 pay per view. Now, what bouts right now in boxing are pay per view worthy? I?m going to break it down for you.
Wladimir Klitschko 46-3, 41 KO?S vs. Nikolay Valuev, 44-0, 32 KO?s
The IBF Heavyweight Champion versus the WBA Heavyweight Champion in the biggest bout in heavyweight history. It?s the biggest in the sense that these guys are humungous. This is an incredibly interesting fight and it will clean up some of he mess that is the heavyweight division. Valuev has been improving and takes one heck of a punch. In his last bout, he demolished the overmatched Owen Beck, but he showed improvement in his defense and displayed straighter punches then we are normally accustomed to. He has gone the distance of 12 rounds and is a strong guy that would be a good test for Wladimir. This bout, in my opinion, is a pick?em fight. Most would probably pick Klitschko early, but with Valuev?s chin and Wlad?s lack of endurance when tested, I might be prone to lean toward ?The Beast from the East? becoming the IBF/WBA Heavyweight Champion.
Ricky ?Hitman? Hatton, 41-0, 30 KO?s vs. Miguel Angel Cotto, 27-0, 22 KO?s
Whenever you get two undefeated fighters with aggressive styles and heavy hands, you are almost guaranteed an instant classic. I don?t think that there is a stronger 140 pound boxer out there than Miguel Cotto, and Ricky Hatton is as rough and tumble as fighters come. This would be like two freight trains going ninety miles per hour crashing into each other, and there would be many questions answered about both men. They would both be looking for the knockout, but Hatton has better endurance and loves to wear his opponent down. The holes in the defense of ?The Hitman? might prove to be too much to overcome early in the fight when Cotto unleashes the bombs. This is one of those fights that you just don?t know what is going to happen and you are promised action.
Joe ?The Pride of Wales? Calzaghe, 41-0, 31 KO?s vs. Jermain ?Bad Intentions? Taylor, 25-0-1, 17 KO?s
Jermain Taylor with two wins over the great Bernard Hopkins and a draw with the tricky and highly skilled Winky Wright has given this young fighter valuable experience and with Emanuel Steward in his corner now, the sky is the limit. Joe Calzaghe is another boxer that has benefited from experience. His win over Jeff Lacy was a masterpiece and his wins over fighters like Charles Brewer and Omar Sheika has shown his true talent. Calzaghe has a true feel for the game and he knows how to nullify his opponent?s strength and power. Taylor vs. Calzaghe is a great match up of undefeated champions, still looking to prove just how great that they are.
Manny ?Pacman? Pacquiao, 42-3-2, 33 KO?s vs. Diego ?Chico? Corrales, 40-3, 33 KO?s
Although I would not advise the ?Pacman? to take this bout, I would, as a fan, pay to see it. On ESPN?s Friday Night Fights a couple weeks back, Corrales showed interest in a match up with the Filipino superstar, and even though you would have to favor ?Chico,? you would still have to give Pacquiao a puncher?s chance. Joel Casamayor was able to put Corrales down with his straight left hand, but there is no better straight left hand in boxing than Pacman?s. That would be his shot right there, but the height and reach of Corrales might prove too much for the smaller man. Whatever happens in the ring should these two face, excitement is guaranteed. These are two of the best fighters in the game and have two of the biggest hearts in boxing as well.
?Pretty Boy? Floyd Mayweather, JR., 36-0, 24 KO?s vs. Antonio Margarito, 33-4, 24 KO?s
Although a bout with Oscar De La Hoya sounds better, I think that the true test for the Pound for Pound king would be this tough Mexican warrior. Margarito has more than an puncher?s chance in this encounter and if the two bouts that PBF had with Jose Luis Castillo are any indication, I think that we are going to be in for an interesting night. Margarito is the bigger man, having three inches in height and a slight reach advantage. He would be the aggressor and would probably pin PBF against the ropes, where the counter punches of PBF would tell the tale, or the consistent attack of Margarito would be the deciding factor. This is an extremely compelling bout and the fact that PBF hasn?t accepted it yet shows that he sees the same danger that many do. I don?t believe that PBF is afraid of Margarito. He?s just not ready to risk that De La Hoya money. So, don?t hold your breath for this bout, but if it does ever come off, we might be in for a surprise.
So there you have it. The top 5 legitimate pay per views in boxing. Outside of those five, I don?t see many that deserve a fifty dollar price tag. Hopefully the sub-par pay per views will be reflected in the amount of homes that actually purchase it and the message will get through that the boxing fans want a value for their money. Then again, I doubt it.
