You want Pinoy boxing fans?
We got them although I?m worried about losing most of them when Manny Pacquiao retires. We?ll have to hope the fan retention rate is higher than I think it will be or that another big Filipino star will have emerged to magnetize the Pinoys.
No, there will not be another Pacman in this generation but two or three Nonito Donaires would not hurt the situation.
You want Latino fight fans?
We got them, especially when it comes to Mexico and Puerto Rico and their ring heritage is rich and deep. I don?t think MMA can steal them away from boxing.
How about older white Americans such as your author? They?re still around albeit a literally dying breed. Call it the Just For Men hair coloring crowd.
But someone has got to ask this somewhat rude question and it mine as well be me.
Where did the black American fight fans go?
Where are the urban idols we used to have such as Thomas Hearns from Detroit and Sugar Ray Leonard from the Baltimore-D.C. area? They were real national icons who resonated with fans of all races and nationalities but especially with black Americans.
Black fans used to pour into Las Vegas and elsewhere when Ray and Tommy fought big fights. They put their money where their mouths were for these two and others.
Sure, Floyd Mayweather has a deep base of African American fans. It doesn?t hurt that he pals around with popular rap star Fifty Cent.
But what about other US born black boxers?
Sugar Shane Mosley is popular but not wildly so and he seems to be liked by fans of all races and creeds. It makes sense since he isn?t playing the affable guy role as he?s just being himself.
But, outside of Mayweather, where is a single black American boxer who stirs the pot nationally in terms of ticket sales or PPV TV buys?
I was at the Mayweather-De La Hoya bout at the MGM and the arena was not exactly overflowing with African Americans supporting Money May.
Don?t mention Cory Spinks because he?s a jab and move stylist who can sell thousands of tickets in hometown St. Louis but means zero anywhere else. He can turn The Lou into a boxing zoo but draws a blank outside of the old hometown.
The black American superstars of boxing are geriatric.
Bernard Hopkins was never a live gate lure and he?s just looking for a cashout bout against some noncompetitive opponent.
Roy Jones is talking about going to Australia to fight Danny Green. Outside of Pensacola and maybe Biloxi, where is His Royness a hot item?
It would be fascinating to know how many American blacks bought a ticket to see Hatton-Pacquiao or paid the PPV freight.
Or maybe I can just name them individually, it might be quicker.
I come from the closed circuit TV era when the big fights were shown at theaters and arenas on Monday nights.
Superstars like Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier galvanized African American boxing fans and they and some others drew support from their own community.
I just don?t see that happening circa 2009, do you?
We always talk about boxing losing younger potential fans to MMA and that is a rising tide that worries me. But what can be done about it?
Nate Campbell and Timothy Bradley fight on Showtime Aug. 1. This is a better than average matchup and a rarity because it pits two black American fighters against each other.
Other than the run of the mill ESPN bouts, how often do you see that?
But their bout is in the Palm Springs area, where Bradley comes from, at a local casino.
There?s no black urban population base to sell tickets to in Palm Springs and the fight is not so compelling that African Americans will come in droves (droves who drive?) from the LA area.
You ask me who the most popular or most interesting black American boxing figure outside of Mayweather is and I may shock you with my answer.
He?s about to turn age 80 and his name is Don King.
King made his fistic fortune promoting in the beginning promoting Ali, Frazier and George Foreman. Then he crashed the Latin market with such superstars as Wilfredo Gomez and Roberto Duran.
Pinoys may wonder if there will be another Manny Pacquiao.
Black America either needs Mayweather to start electrifying that boxing market or for their own Manny Pacquiao to come along.
Some say we?ve got no great black American heavyweights but I?m asking if we have any great black American fighters at any weight.
In the meantime, in between time, you could do worse than lending some support to quality fighters named Soupy Campbell and Timothy Bradley.
You know, I just realize my self-written headline is deceptive, God forbid.
It’s so much black America that needs its own massively popular fighter along the lines of Manny Pacquiao.
It’s boxing in this country that needs it.
American boxing needs it like oxygen.
Here are their flash quotes from a press conference:
TIMOTHY BRADLEY
?Expect fireworks ? a total train wreck — between two hungry, determined fighters who come to fight. There will be no excuses. I know I?ll be ready, and I know Nate will be ready.
?But on Aug. 1, I am going to be making me some Campbell?s soup.
?I really want to thank Gary Shaw, Thompson Boxing, my promoter from the beginning, SHOWTIME, Aqua Caliente and everyone responsible for making this fight possible.
?I didn?t have to choose Nate; I could have fought a far lesser guy. But I did it because I wanted a challenge to see what I could do and, like I?ve said, I want to make a statement that I am the best in the world at 140 pounds.
?I?m always willing to fight the best, any time or any place, but if I can?t beat Nate Campbell then I can?t fight Manny Pacquiao or any of the top 140-pounders.
?Fighting before a full house in front of family, friends and fans in my backyard is going to be a tremendous experience. But, in my heart, I do not feel any pressure at all. If I can go to England and beat one of their own, Junior Witter, I can deal with anything.??
NATE CAMPBELL
?I have a lot of respect for TIm. He?s a nice guy with a real good family. He keeps his shoes tied. He wears his pants above his waist. He is going to fight his fight on Aug. 1, but he has never fought anybody like me, and there is nothing he can show me that I haven?t already seen.
?Who?s he fought to get the kind of experience it will take to prepare for a hard-working, blue-collar guy like me? I?ve fought all kinds. I?m a physical guy and he?s never fought a guy at 140 that punches like me.
?Tim?s trying to make a name for himself but he?s going to get some on-the-job training against me and I am going to take that zero of this record.
?I love fighting undefeated guys and taking away their ?ohs.? I think I have defeated them all except one ? and the one I didn?t get credit for came against Issac (Hlatshwayo) on a split decision in a fight I thought I won.
?Tim is a great little fighter who may one day become a great champion. But he?s going to have to do it after losing to me.
?After I beat Juan Diaz to win the three lightweight belts, I could never enjoy the thrill or turn the victory into a series of big paydays because I could not get fights. Then, making 135 became impossible.
?But it?s a new day and on Aug. 1, there will be a new champion.??
