It's Monday. Welcome back for another edition of Observe and Fight, The Boxing Observer's compilation of observations and random thoughts from the week that was in boxing. Get caught up on some of the most recent events you may have missed out on, including Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV, a big month of boxing in September, Martinez vs. Chavez Jr., Ward vs. Dawson, Arthur Abraham's triumphant return, and much more. Without further ado, check out the latest observations from The Boxing Observer, David Kassel.
- If we don't get Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, we should all be excited for Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV. Are people delusional when they say they don't want to see this fight again? Pacquiao and Marquez have had three epic fights together. I didn't hear anyone say they wouldn't want to see Gatti and Ward fight for a fourth time. People would still love to see Pacquiao fight Morales a fourth time. Ali vs Norton IV? Yes, please! Barrera vs. Morales IV? Where do I sign up? What about a fourth fight between Ali and Frazier? Is there any doubt? The fact remains that the only reason these guys have been in the ring with one another three times is because they make action-packed, fan-friendly fights. It doesn't matter that Pacquiao is 2-0-1 against Marquez. This is still a 50/50 fight that we all know fans will get what they paid for. Marquez is the 2nd best option for Pacquiao at this stage. If it's not Mayweather, who I believe will walk through Manny at this point, give the fans a Marquez fight for the fourth time. I want to see a competitive fight that's worth me paying $65. I don't want to see Pacquiao steamroll someone. He cannot steamroll Marquez. Whether it's November 10th or December 1st, who cares? It's still going to be a great fight. Get with the program, people.
- Let the games begin! September marks the return of boxing on the big two networks, HBO and Showtime. Most believe that fights pick back up September 8th, but HBO has the jump this Saturday night. Middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin makes his United States debut on Boxing After Dark against Grzegorz Proska in what should be a coming out party for Golovkin. If you haven't seen him fight, I recommend tuning in. This guy has heavyweight power in a middleweight's body. Should he look spectacular enough, which I believe he will, I hope to see him in a fight against the winner of Martinez vs. Chavez Jr. The former Olympic silver medalist will soon be a household name in the middleweight division. Don't expect a 12-round main event Saturday night.
- Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. sure know how to promote a fight. Did you see the Faceoff with Max Kellerman? These two guys are fiercely competitive, and I haven't seen anyone get under Martinez's skin quite like Chavez Jr. has done. Surprisingly, it's Martinez doing most of the trash-talking, while Chavez Jr. is the fighter approaching this fight very humbly. Chavez Jr.'s last few performances have proven he is ready for the best in the middleweight division, but the closer this fight gets, the more I think back to Martinez vs. Kelly Pavlik and the beating Sergio gave to him. I like this fight on paper, but come fight night, I think it's Martinez who will school Chavez Jr. However, I am glad HBO is producing a two-part 24/7 series on this fight. The animosity that exists between these two guys is very real, and it's good to see fresh faces on the 24/7 series. New faces = new fans into boxing. Should be a great lead-up to the fight on September 15th.
- I have a feeling Canelo vs. Josesito Lopez is going to take a back seat to Martinez vs. Chavez Jr. as September 15th approaches. Not to say Golden Boy isn't putting on a great show, and not to say the main event won't be action-packed, but fans were clamoring for Martinez vs. Chavez Jr. Nobody was thinking about Canelo vs. Lopez. In terms of the overall fight cards, Showtime has a better lineup. As far as the main event, it's definitely HBO pay-per-view. Showtime's saving grace was putting this fight on the Showtime network instead of Showtime pay-per-view. People who don't want to pay for the HBO pay-per-view will definitely tune in, but HBO's 24/7 series on Martinez vs. Chavez Jr. should help HBO and Top Rank produce over 400,000 buys. It's a shame too, because I have a feeling that Canelo vs. Lopez will be more competitive than people think.
- Ward vs. Dawson should be a great tactical battle on September 8th. The 24/7: Road to Ward/Dawson left a lot to be desired because the respect these two men have for one another is on full display when they discuss the fight. While it doesn't make for great television in the buildup to the fight, it was good to see two more new faces being introduced to the world, promoting a fight between two of the world's 10 best pound-for-pound fighters. Both men are class acts and are what young fighters should aspire to be. I root for the best for both of these guys. This fight will not be a Fight of the Year candidate, nor will it be an all-out brawl. That is neither fighter's best attribute. What it will be, however, is an excellent mental battle with both men trying to take advantage of the other fighter's mistakes. The winner immediately vaults themselves into the top four of the world's pound-for-pound best behind Mayweather, Pacquiao, and Martinez. I'm looking very much forward to this one.
- The other main event that night should be an excellent battle as well. September 8th marks the first time in a long time that HBO and Showtime will go head-to-head with championship caliber boxing. Showtime's main event features hard-hitting Randall Bailey defending his welterweight title against former jr. welterweight champion Devon Alexander. While I expect Ward vs. Dawson to draw bigger ratings than Bailey vs. Alexander, I expect the Antonio Demarco vs. John Molina title fight (the co-feature to Ward vs. Dawson on HBO) to get significantly low ratings because it will be head-to-head with Bailey vs. Alexander. Unfortunately for Showtime's co-feature, Lucas Matthysse vs. Ajose Olusegun, which should be an excellent battle, it may also draw low rating going head-to-head with Vitali Klitschko's heavyweight title defense. DAMN YOU HBO AND SHOWTIME AND YOUR OVER-SIZED EGOS! Don't you get it? Fight fans are the real losers here. Thank goodness for DVR.
- Don't forget that September 8th brings action-packed heavyweight fights on Wealth TV. Tomasz Adamek, Steve Cunningham, and Bryant Jennings are all in action Saturday afternoon on Main Events, Wealth TV debut. September 8th should be an all-day boxing fest. I'm just glad my Miami Hurricanes have a noon start time so I don't have to miss any of the action. I wonder if I should just setup the two TV system now and deal with the consequences from my wife later, or just wait until the 8th and see what happens. Any suggestions fellas?
- Congratulations to Arthur Abraham for winning the WBO super middleweight title Saturday night. Most people, including myself, wrote Abraham off when he was given yet another opportunity to fight for a super middleweight belt after his dreadful performance in the Super Six World Boxing Classic. However, "King" Arthur came out focused and determined in his hard-fought victory over fellow German Robert Steiglitz. This fight definitely helped to validate Abraham's move to 168, but unfortunately, the buck may stop here. Abraham now has several options for his next opponent, but none of them look very promising. There is already talk of an Abraham vs. Mikkel Kessler super-fight. Kessler should walk through Abraham in that one. Another option is a rematch with Andre Dirrell, but we all saw what happened to Abraham the first time those two got together. One fight not being mentioned yet, which I believe would draw significant interest and is a fight Abraham should win, is a showdown with fellow former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. Should this fight take place in Europe, both men would make seven-figure paydays, and HBO or Showtime would most definitely televise the main event because of the names involved. This is one I think Bob Arum has already called about. Don't be surprised to see this fight get made. You heard it here first.
- Supposedly, actor Shiloh Fernandez will be playing the role of the late, great Johnny Tapia in the film about Tapia's life. It was announced by Tapia's widow earlier this week that there were no drugs in Tapia's system when he died. The cause of his death was heart disease and high blood pressure. Whether that is true or not, Tapia's lifestyle certainly contributed to his downfall and premature death. I look forward to seeing the movie about his life, but I don't think Fernandez should have been cast as the lead actor. The lead actor should have been Jacob Vargas, who played "Joker" in the movie Next Friday. He is a dead ringer for Tapia.
- College football is back baby! I will be in front of my television Thursday night, as the first night of college football has become a national holiday in the Kassel household. I'm looking forward to Friday night's battle between two top-25 teams in Boise State and Michigan State. Saturday night is the big one as Heisman Trophy candidate Denard Robinson leads Michigan into Cowboys Stadium to face defending national champion Alabama. I'm so glad my 2nd favorite sport is back! I'm not leaving the couch again until December.
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