OK, now it?s the day of the junior welterweight unification tilt between Tim Bradley and Devon Alexander at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. After a good, long night?s rest, I was ready to cover this fight. After a late night of drinking gift shop beers, I had slept rather comfortably.
11:55 AM: Yeah, like I said, I slept like a log. After waking up, I check my Blackberry for messages and my Twitter account. I decide to shower and go downstairs for lunch. After touching base with a few people, it?s decided that we will meet publicist Fred Sternburg for lunch downstairs. Sternburg, asks me to put up a tweet @hboboxing asking fans who they would like to see Bradley face next should he win tonight. I do it and I immediately get the usual responses, the majority of fans want the Amir Khan fight next.
12:54 PM: We are at the restaurant which is located downstairs at the Auburn Hills Marriott; a group that includes my friend Matt, Sternburg, Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports and ESPN?s Dan Rafael are seated at a table. And not too far from us is HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg, who is huddled up with Don King. They are there for at least two hours. You?d have to think that Tavoris Cloud, King?s IBF light heavyweight beltholder is a part of this discussion. But I think it?s ironic that after trying to do their best to drive him and Arum out of the business, Greenburg is now on what some folks have called ?the charm offensive.?
2:25 PM: As I now sit with Bradley?s manager, Cameron Dunkin, who was just a few tables from us, I get a call from ESPN Atlantic City, where I do an interview with Tyrone Johnson. By this time, Alan Hopper has joined us. Hopper is the affable publicist for DKP. After I finish my interview, I notice that I get a tweet from @Garyshawproductions, which has a picture of Gary Shaw, the television packager for this event, who cut the deal to bring this event to the Silverdome, flipping me the bird.
Ironic, it?s about the only finger he lifted for this promotion as he collected a few hundred thousand dollars.
3:14 PM: We?re back in our room and by this time, Sean Sullivan, the editor of Boxing Digest has joined us. He flew in today from New York and he was more than welcome to hang out with us before the shuttles got going to the Silverdome. For me, it was a perfect time to take a nap. If you know anything about me, I like my naps. Matt, who has control of the remote, has the Senior Bowl on. That was the great thing about this hotel; it had ESPN2 and the NFL Network.
5:01 PM: I wake up from my slumber and we decide to catch the 5:30 shuttle to the arena. As we wait outside, I see Dana Jamison, King?s right-hand woman. I had always thought she was this big black lady, when she?s really a small white lady. Now I know. We talk for a spell. She?s very nice but she says she doesn?t talk to the media on the record. She?s like Keyser Soze (is the way she puts it).
5:50 PM: This time the shuttle doesn?t get lost on the way to the House of Barry Sanders and we go inside to the media entrance, which connects to the arena through a long tunnel. Swider, Sullivan and myself immediately detect the strong pungent odor of what seems to be methane gas. Just to be sure, none of us light a match.
6:03 PM: By this time, I?m settled into my ringside seat and Julio Diaz is in the ring, opening up against Pawel Miranda. Diaz, who is the younger brother of Bradley?s trainer, Joel, scores an eighth-round KO. After this fight, I actually meet a fan (who I happen to see a lot at all the Manny Pacquiao fights) who calls me over to take a picture with his girlfriend. We chat for a bit. I can?t believe it but he actually traveled down for this fight and bought a $400 ringside ticket. Must?ve been that strong promotional effort by Shaw and King that sold him.
6:49 PM: HBO?s Larry Merchant comes over to my ringside seat and continues on with his examples of fights that ended up in unusual settings by pointing out that the first Hasim Rahman-Lennox Lewis fight took place in a South African casino with 3,000 empty seats. Uh, yeah, OK. I ask Larry if this is something that is good for boxing. He countered that he was just pointing out that promoters have always cut deals like this. But does that make it right? Sounds like a cop-out to me.
7:00 PM: Swider and I got to the press room and they are serving hot dogs as the main course. I?m hungry, so I have two. I didn?t want to but I really had no choice; it?s not like they were serving filet mignon in there. Afterwards, we go upstairs to the lower bowl of the stadium. As expected, the side of the ring facing the HBO cameras is filled up much more than any other section of the stadium, which once housed the Lions and Pistons (and WrestleMania III). As of now, there seems to be about 1,500 patrons or so. We walk around the concourse and we see fans milling around, taking pictures at a sponsor?s booth with boxing gloves and, of course, purchasing beer. We go all the way to the last beer vendor where there is no line. We grab a Corona and soon we?re watching the undefeated James De La Rosa face Allan Conyers from the cheap seats.
We have a whole ocean of seats to ourselves.
As Conyers scores a few early knockdowns, Swider wonders, “How did this guy (De La Rosa) beat Tim Coleman?” Eventually, Conyers scores the upset victory, outpointing De La Rosa over ten.
8:09 PM: I?m back ringside and I see former junior welterweight titlist Kendall Holt inside the ring with his manager, New York Giants running back, Brandon Jacobs. Holt just recently signed to Shaw?s company and he hopes to make one final run at relevance. He is matched up with trial horse Lenin Arroyo.
8:15 PM: Just like that, it?s over. A sizzling left hook has Arroyo on the canvas, down and out in the first frame. It?s an early candidate for ?KO of the Year.? After this fight, I?m at the back end of press row talking with Michael Miller, the attorney who represents Tim Bradley. As the music blares, HBO publicist Ray Stallone walks past me and says, “Hey, it?s Club Pontiac.” I respond, “Yeah, I guess this makes up for losing Pacquiao.” Yeah, I know; low blow but I couldn?t resist.
8:22 PM: In the ring now is undefeated light heavyweight Marcus Oliveira, who will face Demetrius Jenkins, who himself comes into the contest with a ten-bout losing streak.
8:47 PM: Since we?re not overwhelmed by this fight, Swider and I, with more Coronas, are back in our section (and I do mean, our whole section) up in the seats which I estimate are on the ten-yard line. A pair of mutual female friends make us a bet that since they think Alexander is going to win and we are tabbing Bradley, that if they are correct, we have to walk around a fight in Vegas with Amir Khan t-shirts. They like Khan a lot. We?re not the biggest fans (especially Matt) to say the least.
Now, the stakes are really raised for Bradley-Alexander.
Oliveira beats Jenkins (who should perhaps find a new line of work at this point). Emanuel Augustus is now in the ring facing Vernon Paris in his swansong. They had originally announced this as the walk-out bout but since heavyweight Bermane Stiverne scored a quick knockout, they rushed this fight into the ring.
9:34 PM: During this fight, Jim Lampley comes over to me and says, “If anyone has ever accused you of having a too-cozy relationship with Gary Shaw, I don?t think they can say that anymore.” What Lamps is referring to is that, during the HBO fighter meetings on Friday afternoon, when Shaw was pressed about the location of this event and the coverage of this fight, he basically blurted out, ?F**k Steve Kim and those writers…? Here?s the thing; in the past, I have lauded Shaw for being a fan-friendly promoter. To his credit, he has been involved in some of the best fights of the past decade. There is no denying that but now, he?s just a guy who is able to hustle and con HBO into taking really bad and unappealing fights. And he?s the type of guy that wants all the credit when things go well (which I have pointed out plenty of times before) but never wants any of the accountability when things go south (or to the Silverdome).
Shaw?s handling of criticism was a mess. He actually stated that he didn?t care if 500 people paid for tickets to this fight (Maybe he thought he was at Chumash?) but if he just would?ve come clean and said he made the best economic deal and ensured neutrality for Bradley, it would?ve been hard to argue that. Instead, he resorted to being an illogical bully and buffoon. He had already sunk EliteXC; no need to take the boxing business with him.
He?s good at what he does (which is television packaging and cutting deals with far-out casinos) but it?s evident more than ever that really promoting a fight or fighter isn?t his cup of tea.
9:48 PM: I?ll say this right now; Gerard White is the worst referee I?ve seen in quite awhile. His bias for Paris- who is from Detroit- is ridiculous and it?s basically two-on-one in there versus Augustus. And in many ways, it?s the sadly appropriate way for his career to end, as he loses a unanimous decision that has the crowd booing in disgust. After the fight, I go near the tunnel area where the fighters go back to the dressing room. It?s obvious the hardcore fans (and you have to be one on this night to be here) respect and appreciate the ?Drunken Master,? who takes photos with the masses and later, Thomas Hearns, who walks by. How the ?Hitman? ever made 147 pounds, I?ll never know.
10:20 PM: Back in my seat and the number ?6,247? is given to us as the official attendance figures. A few eyes roll as this number is given. The arena has actually filled in better than many of us envisioned but we are never given a clear answer on just how many seats the Silverdome has been configured for. First it was 15,000 to 10,000 and then some said it would be 7,000. What will never be known is just how many of those tickets were really sold. Unlike, say, Nevada, these numbers do not have to be released upon request. You might get the formula for Coca-Cola before you get the real attendance.
10:25 PM: Both main event boxers are in the ring and getting introduced by Michael Buffer. As Bradley takes off his robe, Iole notes that his trunks are like Marvin Hagler?s- but not quite as short. In his era, most boxers wore their trunks like John Stockton.
11:05 PM: After ten mostly disappointing rounds, the fight is halted because of a clash of heads that leaves Alexander unable to continue. Jacobs, who is seated near us at ringside with Holt, starts bellowing, “HE AIN?T GOT THE HEART! HE AIN?T GOT THE HEART OF A CHAMPION! HE WANTS OUT!” Holt just stands there silently. I didn?t want to be the guy to tell big #27 that there is no cheering or any of that stuff on press row.
Alexander is unable to go on and immediately the Twitter-verse is all over him for quitting. Honestly, I think that?s a bit harsh. Hey, bumping noggins hurts. There was a lot on the line and he?s never shown any inclination of being a guy giving anything less than his best. But I will say this; as HBO keeps giving these guys safety nets in the form of guaranteed appearances in the future, it?s a whole lot easier to make these kinds of choices. Bradley wins this underwhelming fight by the scores of 97-93, 96-95 and 98-93.
King must be slipping in his old age. There was a time when this contest would?ve been at least a draw.
It was typical Bradley, tough, solid, consistent and some clashes of heads. He?s not overwhelming in any one area but he?s a tough out for anyone in the 140-pound class and nobody has done it yet. In truth, overall, he didn?t exactly state the strongest case for him facing a Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather in the near future.
11:37 PM: As I mill around the tunnel area again, I see Lampley and Merchant. Let?s say neither guy is dying to see Alexander anytime soon (not that they have a choice). Merchant mimics Alexander?s non-committal approach to punching. He looks pretty good in a southpaw stance. When I remind Lampley that Alexander is guaranteed a return date on the network for over a million dollars, he just puts his face in his palms and shakes his head in disgust.
11:51 PM: At the press conference, where there is no working microphone, Greenburg comes up to me as he?s leaving and says to me, “Well, that?s not the fight we were all expecting.” I respond, “Well, actually, I did.” He is surprised by my answer. “Ross, there are fights that look good on paper and fights that actually look good on the canvas. There?s a huge difference.” As he walks off, I don?t think he disagrees. It?s the longest conversation I?ve had with Ross in about seven or eight years.
12:50 AM: By this time, we are back in our room. We cut out of the press conference early (because we weren?t sure if there was a media shuttle back to the hotel) and we ride back with Alec Kohut (who, by the way, came from the Washington DC area, not Buffalo), who has the messiest car I?ve ever been in. More importantly, Alec also had a case of Bud Light in a cooler in his back seat, which is key, since they close up the bar kinda early at the Marriott. We stop at a Wendy?s via drive-thru and I order a Baconator (I have to admit; it was quite good).
Later on, Corey Erdman of Sirius Radio and Matt Paras, who did the undercard report for Maxboxing, join us and bring liquor, which comes in handy and since both Swider and I have flights that leave around seven, we both decide to stay up all night since our cab service is picking us up at five. So for the rest of the night, we just drink and talk all things boxing. I have to say again, Kohut is hilarious, especially as he gets more tipsy. Erdman is no wallflower either. The drinks flow easily. This was much better than what was going on down at the bar and much cheaper.
4:41 AM: While Matt packed long ago, as the fellas leave, I start packing my stuff up. Now, I have to say, I don?t recommend packing while buzzed because throughout the trip home, you keep wondering if you forgot anything (and that?s the worst feeling in the world).
5:02 AM: Swider and I are on our way to the Detroit airport. We did it. We satisfied our morbid curiosity and despite the fight not living up to expectations, we still managed to have a good time.
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