Michael Marley is full of plenty of miseries but the predominant one is being full of shit. When there?s a problem within boxing, there?s no doubt that the BC staff will speak on it and shoot straight from the hip.
Regardless of the ?White Gorilla?s? prowess and experience when it comes to boxing? what?s right is right, what?s wrong is wrong, and what?s mustard is mustard.
The fact that a potential clash between Nate ?The Galaxxy Warrior? Campbell and Juan Manuel Marquez is a non-option based on personal conflicts and an apparent power trip points to the clear fact that there is a major problem going on within boxing.
Can anyone imagine if Muhammad Ali was around today but instead of being signed with egotistical powers that be, he was signed with the ?other? side?
Let me give you an example of why grudges are good:
The Izrael Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez trilogy had more sustained action and brutality than the Erik Morales-Marco Antonio Barrera series on virtually every level. None of the Vazquez-Marquez bouts went the distance and it was a huge surprise that both men still remain with their senses intact.
With that said? or better yet written, the Morales-Barrera trilogy might go down in history as being the more significant of the two.
Why is that you might ask?
Quite simple? the storyline behind the rivalry.
Each and every time the Tijuana born warrior and the Mexico City based technician laced the leather against one another, it was considered a grudge match rivaling anything seen in history. In fact, many boxing fans viewed it as Mexico?s version of Ali-Frazier. Without the outside the ring drama between the two, there?s no doubt that Vazquez-Marquez outdoes the prior trilogy in terms of historical significance.
This leads me to the fact that Nate Campbell has alienated himself from one of the more prominent boxing promoters in the game today, Golden Boy Promotions.
?The Galaxxy Warrior? has been outspoken in his criticism of the promotional firm and has called a spade a spade, a duck a duck, and a farce a farce.
There?s a grudge match taking place not between fighters but rather fighter vs. promotional company.
It hasn?t sat well with head honcho of GBP, Richard Schaefer and has seemingly led to the ?black-balling? of the Florida resident as it pertains to sharing the ring with any ?Golden? opponents.
Being that a good majority of the top opposition within the 135 pound weight class are signed with GBP, it leaves Campbell with little options in terms of television dates and marquee opponents. It?d be hard to fathom that either HBO or Showtime would agree to televise Campbell?s mandatory defenses against non-descript opponents.
This is unfair to Campbell and just as important, it?s unfair to HBO subscribers and boxing fans across the globe.
How is it that fighters are supposed to conduct themselves today?
Are they supposed to beg for fights?
Are they supposed to act as choir boys when they?ve never set foot in a choir?
Perhaps they?re supposed to get on their hands and knees outside the offices of GBP and bow down to the brokerage firm that holds all the money dates at HBO?
I know all of these examples seem absurd but it honestly sounds as it is what is desired of anyone wanting to do business with the ?Golden? crew.
Correct me if I?m wrong but professional prize fighters are known for having a huge amount of pride as it is what allows them to overcome the savagery that they face in the ring that lesser man are unable or unwilling to battle.
With the cancellation of the Guzman-Campbell bout due to the Dominican?s inability to make the 135 pound weight limit, it leaves the fans still clamoring for some clarity within the lightweight division. There?s one and only one bout that the fans want to see within this weight class and that bout is Nate Campbell vs. Juan Manuel Marquez.
On paper that is the most competitive fight out there within that division.
Marquez-Diaz?
No.
The veteran ?Dinamita? would have to be considered a good-sized favorite over the young Texan as the veteran still has too many bags of tricks left in his fists.
I know boxing is full of egos and stupidity but wouldn?t it be nice for boxing fans to witness an intriguing double-header such as say? Marquez-Campbell/Diaz-Soto?
It?s a double-header that I?d consider to be two of the more intriguing and entertaining fights in boxing today. If HBO can shell out 6 million or whatever astronomical figure that they did for Calzaghe-Hopkins, I?m sure they can throw good money at a double-header such as this one.
Yeah, yeah, yeah?
I know.
Too many promoters, too many options, too many mandatories to fulfill blah blah blah?
The fact of the matter is that if Nate Campbell, the unified champion at 135 pounds is black-balled from making the type of money that he deserves and against the opposition that the public is clamoring for, it is downright wrong and evil.
It must be nice to sit back in your thousand dollar suit in your thousand dollar chair in your multi-million dollar building and say? this guy will never make any money with my fighters.
If anybody should understand how wrong this is? it?s the founder of Golden Boy Promotions himself, Oscar De la Hoya.
The ?Golden Boy? stated that his mission for his company was to reform boxing and revolutionize the sport.
All I gotta say is? the intelligent boxing fans across the world are still waiting for a promise that so far has gone unfulfilled.
It?s ultimately Oscar?s call on who will fight who as he is the true shot-caller for his company. From all accounts, De la Hoya is a stand-up individual with a good heart so I don?t believe that the decision will be that difficult to eventually make a Marquez-Campbell battle happen.
Oscar is the only one within his firm that knows of the struggles of being a boxing champion and what it takes to work through the tortuous process of staying on top of the game.
Don?t deny Mr. Nate Campbell or Senor Juan Manuel Marquez the opportunity to potentially solidify each other?s greatness.
The clock is ticking for both men and the fans are impatiently awaiting their clash.
PS. Sometimes I feel as though boxing is run like a pre-school. A kid gets mad when he loses so he walks away with his red ball at recess. Somebody? anybody? give me a fucking break.
