Boxing is for us, and one million of our closest fans?ONLY one million?and they have to be the RIGHT kinds of fans?
We get it?You?re a ?real? boxing fan and won?t put up with any of that Mayweather-McGregor nonsense. You care so little about this mega-farce that you will read every article about it so as to properly shake your head in disgust and cluck your tongue with proper disdain and you will comment on every piece about it, re-stating your heartfelt pledge to boycott the evil cash grab, because, damn it, it?s your duty to fight this crap.
And, on the night of August 26, while under the covers of your bed with your tablet, secretly searching for streams, you will righteously grandstand on social media about how NOT interested you are in the whole hustle.
Yes, we get it. You?re HARDCORE and will just not put up with this cynical bullshit?at least not publicly, after jumping on the fake outrage bandwagon with all your other sourpuss friends. As a matter of fact, to drive home your point, let?s agree to not even mention that garbage by name anymore.
But, you ARE a boxing fan and you?re gonna need something to occupy your noble mind while the morons, idiots, and (OMG) casual fans all around you prattle on about this disgraceful ?Money Fight.?
So, here are a few random boxing thoughts to see you through your fake outrage-driven fake boycott:
? Terence Crawford with his title unification effort against Julius Indongo only averaged 965,000 viewers on ESPN. This is the second straight Top Rank on ESPN show that has earned HBO numbers on the much larger ESPN main stage (Vasyl Lomachenko drew an average of 728,000 viewers for his showcase squash on the last ESPN show). Does this prove that boxing, in its current form and promotional model, simply can?t reach anyone outside of the already-sold die-hards?
? On a related note, isn?t it awful how much casual and new fan interest is focused on THE FIGHT THAT SHALL NO LONGER BE NAMED? Maybe we should be trying harder to bring these new casual-curious fans to the boxing mainland?Noooo?shutting them out and calling them stupid is much more noble.
? Are we still pretending that Miguel Cotto vs. Yoshihiro Kamegai, taking place at the same time as THE FIGHT THAT SHALL NO LONGER BE NAMED, is a REAL fight? On any other night, against any other counter-programming, we?d be all over this cynical matchmaking, right? We all know that Team Cotto didn?t pick stiff-legged, iron-footed Kamegai because they thought he could give their guy a real and legitimate challenge. We do know that, right?
? Nathan Cleverly vs. Badou Jack, taking place on the undercard of THE FIGHT THAT SHALL NO LONGER BE NAMED, is a key fight in the post-Kovalev light heavyweight division. Not only is it a damn fine bout, but it also helps pave the way for Andre Ward?s next legitimate challenge as new 175 lb. kingpin.
? Is Gervonta Davis the most exciting up and coming young fighter on the American fight scene? Could be. Too bad we won?t be seeing his upcoming fight because it?s on THAT undercard. Maybe Davis will be featured on a ?purer? card in the future that doesn?t threaten the sanctity of the game.
? Is cruiserweight banger Andrew Tabiti ?for real?? We?ll know soon enough as he?s being pushed into the ring against veteran former champ Steve Cunningham. Being on the undercard of THE FIGHT THAT SHALL NO LONGER BE NAMED, however, means that we?ll only be hearing second hand accounts of this challenge. Too bad, but nobody asked these guys to take a bout on an impure card.
? Wouldn?t it be swell if THE FIGHT THAT SHALL NO LONGER BE NAMED tanked and dished out heavy monetary losses to all those involved in making it? What a lesson that would be to those fools presuming to make boxing shows with crossover mainstream appeal in the future. Boxing is for us, and one million of our closest fans?ONLY one million?and they have to be the RIGHT kinds of fans.
?Will Conor McGregor?s awkwardness and size turn his effort against Mayweather into the kind of Jeff Horn ugliness that bothered Manny Pacquiao? Hmmm?.Wait, no?.Forget that.
? What will Floyd Mayweather look like at 40 and after two years off? His legs were looking increasingly dead in recent fights before the retirement?maybe?.No, No, No?.
? What will McGregor be wearing to the ring? The guy?s a dolt, but he IS an entertaining?NO. Go away impure thoughts!
? What kind of scandalous finish is in the cards for this fight? You just know something wild and weird is gonna happen and?
Okay, this is clearly not working. You may want to resume your high-minded boycott once safely hidden in a closet, behind a box of musty, old Ring Magazines from the 50?s and 60?s. But you?re gonna want to take your tablet with you?so you can, you know, totally NOT watch that fight you?re totally NOT interested in seeing.
