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 Email-Gate, NBC Sports Network's Fight Night debut, Amir Khan getting smart, and much more. Without further ado, check out the latest observations from The Boxing Observer.
- Can't we all just get along? What is the deal with all this phone call and email stuff between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao? All this Mayweather vs. Pacquiao talk is getting tiring. Either make the damn fight or don't. I understand all this jousting between the two parties is making for an even larger spectacle if and when the fight actually gets made, but does it have to be the center of the boxing universe? Yes, they are the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and yes the fight would be the richest in boxing history, but when did it stop being fun to talk about? Nobody can actually enjoy the talks of a fight because everyone is taking sides about the he said, she said BS. Why not enjoy the banter that is promoting a fight and let the fans sit back and watch the drama unfold without everyone, who have nothing to do with the fight, getting into the fighters business? I would love to ask if anyone still cares about all the outside nonsense going on, but clearly people still do because it is dominating the boxing headlines and it's the lead thought for this week's article. I have an idea that will settle this whole thing in 30 minutes. Someone needs to hire Halle Berry to sit in a room with Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao and take off an article of clothing every time an agreement is reached. The strategy made Billy Madison smarter, so how can this plan fail? The fight would be signed, sealed, and delivered in no time. Why didn't anyone else think of this sooner?
- If Miguel Cotto ends up signing a contract to fight Manny Pacquiao, I will be the most shocked boxing scribe in the world. I understand that money talks in this business, but Cotto could make far more money fighting on a fight-by-fight basis, just like Mayweather, rather than signing on to fight Pacquiao and have to give Top Rank and Bob Arum options on his next fights. I'm not going to say I blame Cotto if he goes with the Pacquiao rematch, but for the first time in his career, he holds all the cards and it would be a shame to waste this kind of opportunity with a Pacquiao rematch, which he will probably lose, followed by the "promise" of a showdown with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
- If Mayweather doesn't fight Cotto, who the hell is he going to fight? Reports are Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is the frontrunner at this point for the May 5th showdown, but he has already dismissed Canelo due to lack of experience. I, for one, have been 100% convinced throughout this entire process that Mayweather would be in the ring with Cotto, but Floyd stated he believes people would call Cotto "Pacquiao's leftovers." I'm sure Mayweather's team has a plan, but if Canelo is the guy picked for the challenge, it will be difficult to view him as a credible threat to Mayweather. Mayweather will still make over $30-40 million, but he also may have cost himself some money by publicly stating Canelo isn't ready for this type of fight yet. Is there a possibility of a wildcard opponent for Mayweather that nobody would expect? Sergio Martinez is not likely because he has a tough fight on March 17th, so who else is out there?
- NBC's Fight Night Debut was a big success. Kathy Duva and Main Events Promotions deserve a ton of credit for making chicken salad out chicken shit on one-week's notice. Strictly from a production standpoint, the Asylum Arena looked world class, and the building looked sold out, 1,400 strong. I remember watching Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in that same arena and didn't realize it was the same place until I Googled it. It was a wonderful place to hold the debut, and the broadcast team did a tremendous job with what they had to work with. As far as the fights go, when Eddie Chambers pulled out of the main event one week ago, most thought the entire card would be scrapped, but not once did Kathy Duva and company complain about the unfortunate circumstances, and they ended up putting on an excellent three-fight televised show. Kudos to Main Events Promotions for putting on a successful debut with the NBC Sports Network. I look forward to the next telecast, March 24th, when Zab Judah faces Vernon Paris in an exciting main event.
- Network television is proving that boxing is still strong and won't be going anywhere for a long, long time. HBO and Showtime are still the industry leaders, but NBC Sports Network (previously Versus), ESPN, Epix, Wealth TV, Fox Sports Net, and the MSG network are a number of other stations in America that give fight fans a fix every week. Not to mention, there's AT&T Uverse, Telemundo, Telefutura, Azteca TV, and ESPN Deportes, which all give Hispanic boxers an avenue on television. In Europe, Sky Sports and Channel 5 have been boxing staples, and with the recent addition of the Box Nation channel, fight fans get their boxing fix 24 hours a day with live boxing programming covering major fights around the world. Boxing is still alive and well.
- Amir Khan made a great decision to drop his appeal against Lamont Peterson. Appeals in boxing are like NFL players appealing a drug suspension. Pointless. If the appeal is in the best interest of the sanctioning body, it will be heard. Khan doesn't need titles to get Peterson back in the ring. He needs to pay Lamont. It's all about the benjamins and Peterson has nothing to gain from a rematch with Khan if the price is not right. Like Cuba Gooding Jr. said, "SHOW ME THE MONEY!"
- Guillermo Rigondeaux looked dominant over Rico Ramos on Friday night, but Ramos made it easy for him. I take nothing away from Rigondeaux. To win a world title in your 9th pro fight is something special, regardless of amateur pedigree, but when the champion looks timid and not willing to engage, it makes for an easy night. Ramos looked nervous and lacked confidence in the ring, almost looking defeated before he entered the fight. Ramos has strong boxing skills. I just wish he showed a stronger desire to fight. As far as Rigondeaux, he's certainly got the skills, but if he wants Nonito Donaire, he needs to be active for a full 12 rounds and not just when he feels like it.
- I believe Lucian Bute's next fight will be in Canada against Andre Dirrell. Bute is a Showtime fighter and the network wants him to fight an American. It certainly doesn't look like Andre Ward is fighting Bute next, so the next logical step is Dirrell. If that happens, the fight should be in the summer with Dirrell taking one more tune-up fight to get ready for the IBF champion. Dirrell could give Bute problems, but Lucian is looking so big and strong that Dirrell will have a hard time knocking him out and he is sure as hell unlikely to get a decision in Canada.
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