A totally obscure heavyweight boxer from Floyd Mayweather Junior’s hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich., will be a real Cinderfella Saturday night on the HBO boxing card from Atlantic City.
His name is Caleb Grummet, I kid you not, and HBO will show clips of the 0-0-1 fighter, who made his pro debut at The Orbit Room in Grand Rapids and fought a four-round majority draw.
It can be truly said that Grummet is yet another beneficiary of the Manny Pacquiao Effect because HBO is only showing Grummet as the opponent of Baltimore Ravens football safety Tommy Zbikowski, Bob Arum’s latest novelty project.
“Tommy Z” is getting the careful, big buildup from Top Rank and the former Notre Dame athlete, who does have a legit amateur ring background, is now being trained by Emanuel Steward, the Kronkmaster.
Zbikowski, who is 2-0 in pro bouts and weighs about 195 pounds, and his foe are getting valuable HBO “facetime” it can be argued because the HBO chieftains are making nice to Arum.
The HBO suits are bending over backwards for Uncle Bob as they must due to the 79 year old promoter taking Pacman away from his cable home and shifting him, at least for the May 7 bout against Sugar Shane Mosley to rivals Showtime/CBS.
HBO does not make a regular practice of taking 0-0-1 fighters, fresh from The Orbit Room, and putting their fight clips on the air.
Grummet, said to have a high school wrestling and MMA experience, drew with someone named Noel Gomez (2-0). Tommy Z has knocked out Richard Bryant, who is 1-2, and 2-2 Robert Bell.
As to when HBO showed keen interest in Tommy Z, the cynic inside me says it happened when Arum and Pacman moved their business from Sixth Avenue over to Showtime on Broadway.
On the other hand, maybe the producers just find Caleb Grummet of Lake Odessa, Mich., compelling.
I mean, I could be all wrong.
