The latest downsized version of Latin Fury that takes place this Saturday night in Mexico features WBA light flyweight champion Giovani Segura against Sonny Boy Jaro and a bout between Urbano Antillon and Miguel Acosta for the interim WBA lightweight title.
You can hear the usual cries about ‘meaningless’ belts from those who believe that most – if not all – of boxing’s ills are the result of having multiple champions.
But those actually in the business of boxing disagree with that sentiment.
“I think that the belts, the traditional world title fight, is a necessity for all fighters, all right? I don’t believe when people say the belts don’t mean anything,” says Todd duBoef, President of Top Rank, Inc., one of the sport’s leading promoters. “I think if you’re a prospect, you always need the title to make your name. This is a goodwill brand that the organizations have globally, and in order to become someone that is recognized as a potential star, you have to win the titles. I don’t care what anybody says – you have to.
“If we talk in the last twenty years, I haven’t seen a fighter totally circumvent the whole process.”
Yeah, I know, defending the sanctioning bodies is akin to sticking up for the IRS, DMV or Big Tobacco. But the reality is that those who capture the belts almost always make more money afterwards and it becomes easier for fighters to attract opponents once they have those coveted titles. And regardless of what certain networks claim – they absolutely recognize and covet world title fights on their airwaves.
Folks, they matter. Don’t let anyone tell you any different. It’s not a perfect system and yes, they hurt their own credibility at times with their mis-mandatory challengers and plethora of ever-changing rules and regulations that are purely designed to squeeze out every last nickel. But these titles are vital to a fighter’s career prospects.
Talented and dangerous young boxers like Antillon, who, up to this point, has been unable to garner a fight with the marquee names between 135-140-pounds, need those trinkets – even of the ‘interim’ variety – to entice other boxers to face him. The cynic will say it’s another avenue for these organizations to siphon off another sanctioning fee – and not many would disagree with that – but on the flipside, companies like Top Rank believe these fights serve a purpose.
DuBoef says, “What happened is – and a lot of people blame the organizations for this, but I don’t – because of not that many dates out there for a lot of the fighters, a lot of titles get held up with mandatories and unavailability, but other guys should keep going forward and we don’t want the world to stop as a result of that. One organization has it at nine months and 60 days before the nine months you can’t take a fight. So then your mandatory is seven months, so you really have one optional and one mandatory every cycle. So I think the titles are important; I think that him getting experience under his belt and getting a chance to fight for that title are important.
“And I think once you’re in a position that you can force the hand of the champion of those divisions to want to fight you, a lot of the international fighters value the title more than a lot of the domestic fighters do. And as a result of that, it brings that champion to the table to have to fight the challenger.”
When belts do become ‘meaningless’ or ‘worthless’ is when fighters become big enough that they obtain network contracts, and in that instance have the economic leverage to eschew their mandatory obligations.
“What the networks possibly would do is say ‘listen, I’m going to pay you an awful lot of money to not fight for the title but a match that I think is more appealing to me than a traditional mandatory defense,'” explains duBoef. “That’s a business decision that the fighter and his handlers have to make. Are they being sweet-talked? Absolutely, because the network wants a more compelling fight than what you’re being dictated to pursuant to the rules of the organization. So they’re in their own self-interest and they’re trying to motivate you by money.”
But is having just one ‘real’ champion per division being a pugilist panacea? Not in an era when performing four times in a calendar year constitutes being active.
“I think it’s improbable,” says duBoef, whose company stages more promotions than any other major company in an effort to keep their clients busy. “The idea that one champion is one division, absolutely, in today’s world does not apply to the landscape of what we’re dealing with and I believe that because the sport of boxing globally is so big and so important, that you couldn’t have just one fighter in South Africa where their market down there is good and have him be the title holder and everybody else in the world, whether it’s Germany, France, England, USA, they all have to wait to somehow get this guy from South Africa out of there to come over.”
If you look at the European market, where there are no story lines of ‘the MMA taking over boxing’ and have arenas that are filled to the brim, many of the featured performers – save for maybe the Klitschko brothers – are title holders who aren’t necessarily considered the premier prizefighter in their respective weight class. But business is thriving over there. “I think the way it’s set up is much better,” duBoef says of the multi-title scenario. “That there is an elite number of organizations, everybody should get opportunities a lot more than are existing. Because there’s a lot more opportunity when networks all over the world are supporting their local talent.”
Boxing doesn’t need one champion per division. It needs more real old-school promoters, creating more local attractions that can bring a large constituency.
“Boxing is entertainment, and don’t let anyone take from the fact that it’s very compelling entertainment. And it’s globally compelling entertainment and probably the only sport that has the reach of boxing is probably soccer, from each end of the globe. To have guys, if it’s the Klitschkos in Germany, a Hatton in England, a Pacquiao in the Philippines, a Chavez in Mexico, a Cotto in Puerto Rico, a Mundine in Australia, whatever it is – those are all good and those are all important.
“I think that because the sport is so big and the opportunities are so great, these attractions, these fighters, that are compelled to entertain the fans and bring more fans to the table is all good for the sport.”
BELTED
I had a chance on Tuesday afternoon to go over to the Golden Boy Promotions offices (I know there’s a punchline in there), where a trio of prospects – Luis Ramos, Ronny Rios and Carlos Molina – inked promotional deals with De La Hoya’s company.
What was interesting to me was that in this plush office, which is located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles on Wilshire Blvd, is that as you enter through the front and down the hall into a conference room, on the right side of the hall is a huge display case that features all of Oscar’s various championship belts he captured throughout his glorious career.
Now, his company famously bought Ring Magazine (which crowns its own champion) and has talked about bringing sanity to the game by trying to expunge the likes of the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO. Now, this isn’t about Golden Boy and the Ring Magazine, I know just about everyone involved at those two entities, and I think when it comes to that relationship, everything is above board and done with integrity and honesty.
But I just found it interesting that one of the first things you see inside that facility – which almost serves as a shrine to ‘the Golden Boy’ and his vast achievements – are those same supposedly, ‘worthless’ belts being so prominently displayed.
Witnessing the looks of the young fighters, who stared almost in awe at the showcase that had more belts than Abercrombie and Fitch, you saw just how important winning those titles are to young, hopeful fighters.
SUPER SIX
The first stage of the ‘Super Six World Boxing Classic’ on Showtime has been set. On October 17th, Carl Froch will face Andre Dirrell and Arthur Abraham will take on Jermain Taylor. Then on November 21st, Mikkel Kessler battles Andre Ward.
As for the exact venues, more details as they come.
MIDWEEK FLURRIES
A big round of applause to WBC welterweight titlist Andre Berto, who donated $10,000 to the Citrus Center Boys and Girls Club in New Haven, Florida….Speaking of which, if Berto doesn’t want to face Shane Mosley for $750,000, y’know, Mosley-Kermit Cintron certainly isn’t the worst fight in the world….And speaking of Mosley, no, Top Rank is not calling their November showdown between Pacquiao and Cotto ‘Sugar Free’ but ‘Power Surge’….Oh, yeah, I got my popcorn ready and watched ‘the TO Show’ on VH-1. Seriously, I want to know what his ab routine is….Top Rank has announced the signing of Sam Peter, who will fight this weekend in Mexico. I guess he’s their new Tye Fields….Speaking of Top Rank, they have announced that Jesus Soto-Karass and Mikey Garcia will co-headline a TV Azteca show on August 29th in Grande Prairie, Texas….Friends and family of Arturo Gatti are invited to attend a memorial Mass that will be held in his honor on Thursday, July 30th at 7 pm at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church in Jersey City….Tweet me at Twitter.com/stevemaxboxing…
