By Rich Mancuso
Why does Saturday September 15, 2012 become so important for the sport of boxing? Simply said, promoters put another dent in the sport by holding two significant championship shows opposite each other in the same city of Las Vegas, and within five minutes of proximity.
Golden Boy, whether by coincidence or to rival Top Rank and his former promoter, Bob Arum, stages Canelo Alvarez and Josesito Lopez on the strip at the MGM Grand Arena. Top Rank, at the Thomas & Mack Center gives boxing fans the anticipated middleweight title fight, more appealing, Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Yes, it has happened before, and as is the situation Saturday, one on HBO Pay-Per-View and the other on Showtime. Regardless of who, or where it is, this is another blow to a sport that never seems to be on the same page.
But it is the sport of boxing and when will that ever be understood especially when it comes to the promoters, Bob Arum and Oscar de La Hoya.
Once comrades for the betterment of the sport, and now adversaries, they are the prime culprits that do no good for the sport. Throw in the networks, HBO and Showtime, the prime television providers of boxing. They provide the dates and times. The promoters, in position to compete do what they want realizing fully that the starved boxing fan will go with the plan.
But will they? Nor should a boxing fan be put in a position to choose one or the other, or switch back-and-forth on one night, not when the mega fight these days has become a rare commodity.
“Knockout Kings” is the freebie on Showtime. Lopez opposes Canelo Alvarez for the WBC super welterweight championship that is supplemented with a great undercard”,De La Hoya said, with a down turn and economic issue., why not watch for free that includes four hours of boxing and four championship fights. “It’s a lot of thinking and a lot of great ideas, and we have a lot of good things we are implementing,”
In the meantime, Arum goes about his business and why should he care? Regardless of the suggested retail price of 49.99, he has the more appealing fight, and the projection is a significant number of Chavez and Mexican supporters will generate revenue, though not establishing any record numbers or rival past pay-per-view figures of previous De La Hoya or Floyd Mayweather Jr. fights.
It means also, there is a renewed boxing war with two main promoters of the sport. Arum resents De La Hoya, his one-time partner in the pay-per-view business as much as he resents his other former revenue maker, Mayweather.
In addition, De La Hoya along with Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy will say they are on the same page with Arum, but animosity over the entire Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao on and off fiasco still exists.
Arum was questioned about the conflicting fights. He said, “It’s more boxing for the fans.” He reiterated that his main event will be in the ring well after Alvarez and Lopez concludes. But that is all dependable on the length of the fight, and that does not account for a conflict of good undercard fights that are appealing for a boxing fan.
Yes, boxing has an issue. For a sport that is attempting to revive interest and losing more to the competition coming from UFC/MMA, rivaling promoters need to put business issues aside.
The real fan will find options to view both cards of boxing Saturday night. And the mega fight of Martinez-Chavez Jr. hopefully will live up to expectations because Alvarez and Lopez could result in the unexpected.
However, for the good of this sport, it would be to the benefit of promoters to be on the same page. One thing the sport does not need is unnecessary competition outside the ring.
– e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com or Facebook.com/Keep it in the Ring. Watch and view Keep it in The Ring w/Rich&Jason Thursday evening from 10:30pm-12:30am EST on www.inthemixxradio.com
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