Throughout the world, young hopefuls train day in and day out, sharpening their skills and trying to master their craft in hopes of one day reaching the heights of a Muhammad Ali, Ray Leonard, or Floyd Mayweather.
Is this dream a reality anymore? Or does it take something more than just being the best fighter?
A couple months ago, the world watched Guillermo Rigondeaux completely dominate Nonito Donaire, who at that time was rated among the top 3 on some pound-for-pound lists.
So where did this impressive victory leave the undefeated, two-time Olympic Champion?
Well, HBO is uninterested in televising the super bantamweight champion’s bouts.
Meanwhile, Manny Pacquiao (who was knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in his last fight) and Brandon Rios (who lost to Mike Alvarado in his last bout) are preparing to face each other in a pay-per-view showdown in November.
Both of these fighters will make millions of dollars and receive superstar treatment and status in the buildup to the fight. So what is happening with the two fighters who just defeated these superstars?
Marquez is preparing to face Timothy Bradley in a much lower profile, lower paying fight than Pacquiao-Rios. And Alvarado doesn’t have anything scheduled at this time.
It seems that after defeating Rios, Alvarado should have had his phone ringing off the hook with big fight opportunities.
The reason Brandon Rios is getting the opportunity to face Pacquiao is because of his headfirst, power punching, action packed style along with his relentless trash talking skills. It has nothing to do with how good he is or who he’s beaten because in reality, Rios has yet to face a class “A” fighter – perhaps aside from Alvarado. In baseball, regardless of how popular the Yankees lineup is; they still have to win the division and league championships in order to play in the World Series. In boxing, this is not the case.
So is boxing a sport, or a popularity contest? Apparently it’s a little bit of both.
Of course these are good fighters who have proven they belong among the top of the sport but they are not the best and haven’t earned the lucrative pay day they are about to get. In the meantime, better proven fighters are on the sidelines wishing for a fight of this magnitude. When a fighter wins, he should benefit in future opportunities before the man he just defeated does. In today’s world, controversy sells and nice guys finish last.
Let’s look at boxing’s kingpin as an example. Floyd Mayweather has been undefeated for 17 years and has beaten the best that boxing has to offer. But without his flashy, money-driven lifestyle, he would be in the same boat as Rigondeaux. The fact that he talks trash, belittles his opponents, and makes the public hate him.
And guess what? He’s now the highest paid athlete in the world. My advice to the Rigondeaux’s, the Erisandry Lara’s and the Austin Trout’s of the world is to open your mouth and stir up some controversy. Guys like this are the best in boxing but won’t ever get the opportunities that a fighter like Rios or Donaire will.
A lot of it has to do with the demographics of the audience. A slick black fighter will never draw the Hispanic and white crowd unless he makes them hate him – Just ask Floyd Mayweather. The best fighters don’t draw the mainstream fans because they are good at not getting hit. I understand that fans want a bloodbath, but in reality boxing has evolved.
Trainers are much better at teaching strategy and extending a fighter’s career. The defensive aspect of the sport has taken over in many instances. You can’t beat a guy that you can’t hit. Defense also opens up a lot of offensive opportunities.
If you study the best fighters in the world, they all have excellent fundamentals. They know their range, they all have good jabs and understand its importance, they know how to defend a jab properly, and they don’t give up their balance or position.
This is boxing and as we have seen and it is very effective.
