Replies

[Cshel86]

I don't know about the rest of the boxing fans out there, but waiting for two big names to save the sport, is killing it. Some fighters are depending on "The Big Fight" before they start to step on the gas. Whatever happened to "everybody fighting everybody"? I was proud to be a boxing fan in the era of De La Hoya, Trinidad, Vargas, Wright, Forrest, Mosley, Mayorga, Hopkins, Taylor, etc. They all fought each other and convincingly worked their way towards big fights, and gave fans something to talk about.

We now have a nearly failed 140 lb division that was very promising, a shakey Welterweight division (still a lot of money in it though) and inexperienced/relatively unknown fighters trying to cash out by begging for fights with the big name fighters. Again, when the two big names hang 'em up, where will the sport be? Will we be proud to watch fighters who stepped it up and earned the top spot, or will we be stuck with guys who got recognized by default?

[gravytrain]

whatever makes the most sense for promoters is where boxing is going. i think that after Mayweather and Pac are gone the top earner spot will be going to hype jobs that got their career created and never really put the work in. look at a fighter like Alvarez, people say his quality of opposition is going to improve but why do that when he's going to get paid and get dates on HBO anyway? the fans aren't going to do anything, they didn't stop Berto from making a million dollars to fight cans.

[EAlbian]

whatever makes the most sense for promoters is where boxing is going. i think that after Mayweather and Pac are gone the top earner spot will be going to hype jobs that got their career created and never really put the work in. look at a fighter like Alvarez, people say his quality of opposition is going to improve but why do that when he's going to get paid and get dates on HBO anyway? the fans aren't going to do anything, they didn't stop Berto from making a million dollars to fight cans.

Berto and Alvarez are entirely different animals. Alvarez actually can fill a stadium and sell out shows, Berto was unknown by a lot of casual fans and only got fights on HBO because of Haymon. Greenberg is gone and I'm hoping that with that so are the days of trading HBO boxing dates for securing Lady Gaga and other pop star concerts on HBO.

Alvarez is only 21 and It would be wrong for GBP to rush this kid into a fight that he's not ready for. He has easily 10 years in the game left and had a very limited amateur career, I would hate to see him end up like Vargas.

I think Gomez is a step up for him, he's durable and has some skills(looked pretty good against Sotto-Karras). I'd like to see him in there with someone like Mosley(someone experienced with a name) or even K9 next and then look for the winner of Vanes v Angulo. After those 2 fights i think he's ready for Cotto/Margarito winner.

I think right now GBP has three potential stars to carry the sport after Floyd and Manny(Khan, Ortiz, Alvarez). I think all of them can make for good fights against each other.

If Top Rank and GBP are really serious about matching their fighters(hasn't happened yet, not any of their good crop at least) then I think boxing will be just fine.

If good fighters fight other good fighters the sport can turn itself around. GBP has a good young stable and it seems like they are willing to match their young(er) fighters tough(Guerrero vs Maidana)(Ortiz vs Berto)(Khan vs Maidana)(Deleon vs Broner) and that's what boxing needs.