My Saturday night was spent at the Honda Center (formerly known as the Arrowhead Pond) in Anaheim, California, where another edition of HBO?s ?Boxing After Dark? took place. The main event featured Saul Alvarez, the uber-sensation from Mexico, who captured his first world title by defeating Matthew Hatton for the vacant WBC junior middleweight belt. In terms of the fight?well, there isn?t all that much to say outside of what you?ve probably already heard by now but here are a few thoughts that came into my head this past weekend…
– I?m not really sure how good Alvarez is. He?s pretty good but I get the feeling that, even at age 20, he is very close to his ceiling as a fighter. He?s a bit stiff and repetitive in his movements and I think movement will trouble him down the line. But I?ll say this; Alvarez has the ?it? factor. For whatever reason, the Mexican populace loves him. This past bout with Hatton brought in over 11,000 paid customers. Now, I can?t recall the last time a fighter of this age and at this stage of his career was so popular in the States and who drew so well. Even after Oscar De La Hoya came back from the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona with a gold medal, he didn?t do nearly this well at the gate in his appearances at the Olympic Auditorium in fights against John Avila and Jimmi Bredahl early in his pro run.
I?m not kidding; as I saw a multitude of fans in ?Canelo? headbands and shirts bearing his likeness- who after the fight went chasing after him for photos and autographs like teenage girls after Justin Bieber, I said to myself, ?There are some serious Mexican man-crushes on this guy.? I don?t know how good he is but I know he?s good for the boxing business.
– OK, forget all the hand-wringing over how the WBC and Jose Sulaiman basically rolled out the red carpet for Alvarez to win his first major world title. There?s no doubt that they made a business decision as it relates to getting on his bandwagon. But my question is this, will ?Canelo,? who, at age 20, already has 37 bouts under his belt, now become a part-time fighter now that he A) has the WBC title and B) looks to have become a staple on HBO? Just think about the modern business of boxing, when these things happen to a boxer; nowadays, he becomes relegated to fighting once every six to eight months as he waits for dates to clear on premium cable outlets and fight only when the price is right.
If you believe that Alvarez still has plenty of room to grow (and he might), then the only way for him to blossom as a fighter is to fight about as often as he has in the past. That?s one of the reasons why fighters today aren?t nearly as seasoned as they were in bygone eras. They simply don?t fight enough. Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told me late last week that they plan on having Alvarez fight on a pay-per-view card on June 18th in Las Vegas. So at that point, he is on pace to fight four times in 2011 (The previous two years, Alvarez fought 11 times total)
It will be the job of Golden Boy Promotions to make sure that while they grow his profile as a personality, they also not stunt his growth as a fighter.
– I got a phone call from an industry insider, just a few minutes after the fight, who told me, “I can see 25 ways to knock Alvarez off,” and I don?t disagree with that statement. Let?s face it; he didn?t exactly topple Godzilla or King Kong to win this belt. But in all the hoopla of supposedly being the youngest boxer ever to win a title at junior middleweight (more on that later), one of the drawbacks of winning one of these belts is that, at least theoretically, now you have a responsibility and obligation to face a much higher caliber of prizefighter. No longer can you just pick and choose old, faded veterans like Carlos Baldomir and Lovemore N?dou under the prospect umbrella.
Now you know Sulaiman and his minions will do all they can to protect this kid but as you look at the WBC?s ratings, just below Alvarez (who was number one coming into Saturday night), were the likes of Alfredo Angulo, Paul Williams, Ryan Rhodes, Antonio Margarito and Vanes Martirosyan. The sledding got that much tougher for Alvarez. I was educated by one boxing veteran long ago, one of the drawbacks in winning a title or stepping up to the elite class is that basically there is no turning back. So you have to be very careful when you make that leap.
Could this turn out to be a case of too much, too soon?
– One of the storylines that was trumpeted coming into this bout was that Alvarez was attempting to become the youngest fighter ever to win a major title at 154-pounds. Before ?Canelo? set this mark (which I know some will not acknowledge based on the questionable surroundings of this fight from the late WBC sanction to the catchweight fiasco), the distinction was held by one Fernando Vargas. But folks, to steal and paraphrase a line from Lloyd Bentsen, I know Fernando Vargas and Alvarez is no Fernando Vargas.
Vargas, at the same stage of his career, had to beat a much more legitimate and formidable foe in Yory Boy Campas in 1998 to win the IBF strap at age 21. About a short time later, he embarked on run within two years where he took on the likes of Winky Wright, Ike Quartey and Felix Trinidad. No, he didn?t win all those fights but he was certainly more than competitive in those affairs and left us with lasting memories. Now you can argue that in the long run, Alvarez might have the better career- but that?s whole ?nother argument for another day. But ask yourself this; go back up to the part where I listed the WBC contenders; even if he fought any three of those guys within the next 12 to18 months, would it equal the run of ?Ferocious??
Again, maybe the fact Alvarez won?t be doing so is the best thing for him because, the reality is, Vargas was never quite the same after his memorable battle with ?Tito.? He will forever be the definition of a ?shooting star.? In fact, Alvarez already has more pro bouts to his ledger than Vargas did his entire career (37 to 31). So, yes, while Alvarez might have the better career in the long run, I just don?t see the natural ability of Vargas.
– If you know anything about me, you know that I have never really been a huge detractor of catchweight fights. Honestly, they have been an important fabric of this sport for generations and some of the most historic bouts in the history of the sport have been fought at artificial weights. However, what is funny and ironic is that while De La Hoya had spoken out so voraciously against catchweight fights in the past (not-so-coincidentally for fights promoted by Top Rank), his own company has its own history of making bouts that aren?t at the traditional weight limits. I like Oscar; I really do. He?s as nice and as amiable an individual as you?ll ever come across with his stature but, geez, every time he says something, he just can?t help but get himself in some sort of quandary.
I think they should just come clean and admit they are in the same racket as everybody else, from Bob Arum to Don King and anyone else in this business. It?s perfectly OK. But let?s not pretend that you?re above such malfeasance while sometimes doing the exact same thing. Hey, it?s the boxing business; it?s virtually expected that you bend the rules for your own favor.
– What I didn?t understand was the outrage directed toward the WBC in terms of Alvarez not making the contracted weight of 150 pounds on Friday afternoon. While they should get all the derision possible for sanctioning this fight, the bottom line is that if both fighters weigh below 154 pounds, it can be fought for a junior middleweight title. It?s that simple. Alvarez coming in heavy has nothing to do with the sanctioning body, last I checked. But in what is a bit of a commentary on today?s game, just how many times has a fighter not make the contracted weight and yet still fought for a major championship?
– I don?t know when, if ever, Golden Boy and Top Rank will sit down at the bargaining table and start making some fights again. I hope it?s in time to one day make a bout between Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Yeah, I can already hear some of you saying it?s a fight between two over-hyped, overrated, pampered prizefighters. I can?t deny that you might be correct in that assessment but as I saw the rabid loyalists of ?Canelo? on Saturday night cheering madly at every thrown combination and think about the following and the lineage of Chavez Jr., I just couldn?t help but to think about how big a fight between these two would be.
Some fights are great on paper but aren?t events (a perfect example is Tim Bradley-Devon Alexander), while others might not have the highest caliber of participants but make for a huge spectacle- which this one would be. Just think about it; the most popular fighter in Mexico against the son of a legend who brings his own formidable backing. Then you have the animosity between the two promotional outfits. I can honestly see this one (if it ever takes place) in a stadium setting like the Rose Bowl or Coliseum.
Alas, right now, it?s just a pipe dream.
– Now onto Adrian Bore-ner?I mean, Broner, or as Ernie Gabion of Boxingscene.com called him ?Faux? Mayweather. What can be said? Well, here?s what was stated on Twitter by @linusesq: ?I?d rather see [WKRP in] Cincinnati?s Les Nessman on HBO than Broner again.? @Myau1: ?Broner is boring. He?s the next Andre Dirrell.? @eaner0919: “The only Adrian that belongs in boxing is the one Rocky screams to.? @RedZoneMoss559: ?He is the fake Mayweather. You don?t have it down like Floyd so stop acting like you are LOL.”
Now, I?m pretty sure that this is the consensus of Broner after his less-than-scintillating victory against Daniel Ponce de Leon that led off this HBO telecast. Outside of Roy Jones (and more on him upcoming), I?m pretty sure just about everyone else not in his immediate family was turned off by his performance. Against a foe he was bigger, stronger, faster and more technically proficient than, Broner basically did as little as possible to win the fight. The most entertaining thing he did in the ring at the Honda Center was a nice version of the ?Dougie.? Other than that, he?s the type of guy that reminds you of that workout warrior at the NFL Combine. They have all the measurables and none of the intangibles. As Bill Parcells likes to say- the tape don?t lie.
As it relates to Broner, he?s all sizzle and no steak.
Here?s the problem as it relates to ?The Problem?; he is exactly the type of boring, dispassionate and unappealing boxer that has been enabled by HBO and fits the demographic that is so yearned for by Kery Davis (which is part of the reason why this once-proud franchise has slumped so badly and why his job is thought to be in jeopardy). And his adviser? Yup, you guessed it; the ever-influential Al Haymon, who seems able to pull the puppet-strings on HBO execs as if he were Geppetto.
I think this email from a Dennis P. summed it up best: “I can not tell you how infuriating it is to watch these haymon fighters dance around the ring and think they accomplished something. that fight was dogsh*t. to watch the post fight celebration by Broner with Haymon & family is near the bottom of the barrel. it really is.” (For the record, that isn?t Haymon and his family but your point still stands.)
Just thinking about it this morning about guys like Andre Berto, Chad Dawson and now, Broner, it?s a good thing these guys aren?t firefighters. Those guys have a job where they are supposed to go right into the heat, no questions asked. Well, these guys run from fire at any cost. If they were your local fire department, you?d have a city with a lot of burnt-down buildings. That?s why HBO boxing?s division is burnt to a crisp.
– I?ve always felt Roy Jones was overrated as a color commentator; I think he?s biased toward particular styles (i.e.- Broner vs. Ponce de Leon) and his diction isn?t the best but what?s becoming really unlistenable is ?Reverend Roy?s? proselytizing on air. I know there is supposed to be a separation of church and state; how ?bout a little separation of church and sport? We don?t need ?Religious Roy? forcing his faith down my throat. Just try and tell us what you?re seeing in the ring (We don?t see Max Kellerman ever bringing up his Jewish faith) [Editor?s note: By Kellerman?s own admission a few years ago, the announcer was an atheist. If this is still the case, Steve?s point is still very valid since non-faith or otherwise is never brought up by Max]. I seriously doubt that analysts in the NBA, NFL or Major League Baseball could get away with this but then, this might be the best boxing can do to come up with a former star getting behind the microphone. It?s doubtful that the HBO brass will try and do anything to curb this.
It almost has me wishing for the return of one Lennox Lewis.
I said, ?almost.?
ELIMINATED
I went to the ?Warner Center War III? at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills on Friday and it was a great show- until the very end. There was an IBF elimination bout at light heavyweight between Yusaf Mack and Otis Griffin. All I can say is that after this dreadful 12-round affair, both men should be eliminated from consideration for Tavoris Cloud. In what was the last fight of the night (that began after 11:30), about two-thirds of what was a sellout crowd had left the premises. The brave souls who stuck around looked a lot like lifeless zombies staring into the night, almost in a trance over the clutch-fest that was taking place in the ring. As the fight went into the late rounds, you wished that there was a midnight curfew in place.
Mack eventually won a split decision in a fight that was thankfully not televised nationally. The rest of the country shouldn?t have been subjected to this. It was one of those fights that old-timers used to say, “Let ?em in for free; charge ?em to leave” about.
FINAL FLURRIES
So did Zab Judah re-enter the primetime mix at 140, capturing the IBF title on Saturday night by halting Kaizer ?Permanente? Mabuza?…Outside of Mack-Griffin, ?Art of Boxing? and ?Bash Boxing? had a night to remember. The bout between bantams Javier Gallo and Jose Luis Araiza was a barnburner. This was one of the best fights of 2011, no lie. Gallo won via split decision…HBO?s Harold Lederman was there at this show (which turned away over 200 folks at the door). If there is a ?heart and soul? anymore at this network for boxing, it is this guy. He truly has a passion for the sport (and he provided more truth to the HBO audience regarding Broner than the ?Punchin? Preacher? did)…Ray Beltran captured the USBA 135-pound crown by stopping Carlos Vinan in seven on Friday night…I like Ismayl Sillakh but he does need to tuck that in chin…Alright, have the Lakers finally decided to wake up from their usual winter slumber and rejoin the NBA?s elite?…So you have Dwyane Wade and LeBron James and you have no clue on how to finish a game? The Miami Heat may be the worst coached unit since Larry Coker was in town…I can be reached at [email protected] and I tweet at www.twitter.com/stevemaxboxing. We also have a Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/MaxBoxing.
