Resolutions for the New Year

Resolutions for the New Year
By Steve Kim (Dec 29, 2008)

I have to admit, I'm not a guy who normally makes New Year’s Resolutions. I mean, who am I kidding, I'm going to watch too much television, drink an abundance of beer / alcohol and eat at Rafael's (the best Mexican eatery in all of Montebello) several times a week. That's who I am, that's what I do. Cus D'amato once said, 'Square pegs don't die round.' And I'm a square peg. But I must admit, I am making one resolution for 2009: I gotta get myself to the dentist. Now, I don't want to tell you the last time I had my teeth checked out (yeah, it's been awhile) but let's just say it's about that time.

I'm not 'Yuck-mouth' (remember him?) just yet, but even with daily brushings, the 'Cavity Creeps' (remember them?) are starting to win the battle inside my enamel. So next week I'm calling 1-800-DENTIST. OK, so even I have a New Year’s Resolution, but I kept it as simple as possible and made it a goal that is easily attainable. That's the key to these things.

So what are the resolutions that should be made by those in boxing? Let's take a look as we head into the next 12 months...

* Chris Arreola - Lose 15 pounds: OK, I was going to say 20 (but again, we have to keep these things realistic) but c'mon, it wasn't THAT long ago that you were coming in at 229 for your November 2006 coming-out-party versus Damian Willis. Now, you weigh north of 250, and you look like a guy carrying a grand piano on your back. With the current state of the heavyweight division and you being of Mexican descent, you can be a two-legged ATM if you just applied yourself just a little bit.

* Bob Arum - No more mentioning of Macau for possible fight cards: Bob, you're a great promoter, but give it up, Macau is a pipe dream. It ain't happening. You have plenty of other places like Los Angeles, Anaheim, Ohio and New York where you can set up shop and help rebuild the boxing business, which you are doing in the early part of the upcoming year. Macau might as well be Mars, and it's your version of 'the check's in the mail'.

* HBO - Keep showcasing fights, not fighters: The network looks to be off to a strong start in '09 with matchups like Margarito-Mosley and Marquez-Diaz, but you still have the quarterly Wladimir Klitschko walkover on the horizon. For whatever reason you feel you just have to televise all his fights, but the buck has to stop right here. Have him fight a live body, or go dark and save your money for a real fight. It's that simple.

And another thing, HBO, let Larry Merchant work the events he wants to. He still loves his gig, he works hard at it, he gives a damn, and after all these years, he's earned at least that.

* Showtime - Go where your bread is buttered: In other words, end the dalliance with MMA (if it hasn't ended already). Seriously, did you really think Gina Carano and Kimbo Slice as your flagships were really going anywhere? And from what I read, EliteXC went all Lehman Brothers for you guys. In other words, it was a financial and critical bust. Stick with what you're good at, and what's been good to you - boxing.

* Oscar De La Hoya - No pointing fingers: Here's the thing, you may have been over-trained and had no business fighting as a welterweight and 'the Pac Man' was the wrong man at the wrong time. But the bottom line is simple: everyone around you may have played a part in your demise, but, it was your choice to hire and fire the people around you. From people feeding you deer meet, to those trying to turn you into Juan Manuel Marquez and those who told you fighting a fast southpaw at this stage of your career was a good idea.

It's on you and nobody else.

* The Fans - Stop ripping Oscar for not coming off his stool after the 8th round of his bout with Manny Pacquiao: Folks, you would've done the same thing in his position. Yeah, I know he promised to fight for the honor of the Mexicans, and that this was personal. But he was getting awfully banged up and there are people who worked his corner that believe he suffered a concussion in the early rounds of that fight. In fact, if you listen closely, the ringside commissioner asks him if he was dizzy and if he had a headache. Meanwhile, in the other corner, Roach was telling his charge to finish him (that had me recalling the famous 'sweep the leg' line in 'Karate Kid').

So tell me, you don't think Oscar made the prudent decision?

* ShoBox - Keep doing the same thing: If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? Well, this certainly isn't broke. In fact, the last year saw the series branch out and give us some championship quality fights from overseas that otherwise wouldn't have been seen in the States. If they could change anything, I'd like to see them do more shows.

* Gary Shaw - Start creating gate attractions: Gary, you have some of the best young talent in the sport, from Chad Dawson to Vic Darchinyan to Alfredo Angulo and you do a yeoman job in getting them on television. Nobody fights for them as much as you do. But the next step is to make them into ticket sellers, instead of guys who just fight in front of sparse crowds in random casinos across the country. The reality is, until Dawson has his own constituency, he'll be a guy that will always be avoided because he'll be deemed too risky for the reward.

* Golden Boy Promotions - Develop your own talent: With their Mt. Rushmore of partners at the very twilight of their careers, it's a pivotal time for this company. Throughout their tenure they have created business alliances with established fighters, but the long-term success of any major promotional company is the ability to develop and nurture young talent all the way to the Promised Land.

Or maybe you can just keep poaching as long as you have HBO dates in your back pocket. Hey, whatever works.

* Versus Network - No more exclusivity with promoters: Yeah, notice how instead of getting Tye Fields, you're now airing 'Fight of the Year' candidates? That's not a coincidence.

* Manny Pacquiao - To stay focused: Last year, both your trainer Freddie Roach and Arum stated how you had made a promise to them and your wife Jinkee to be on your best behavior and really focus in on your boxing career. You saw the results. You now have a chance to not just have a Hall-of-Fame run (that's already in the bank) but a truly legendary one. Just 18 more months or so is all that your countrymen, trainer, promoter and history books are asking for.

* The Boxing media- Stop lecturing Evander Holyfield: Seriously, if the man wants to keep fighting, let him, it's really not your business. This is all he knows, and this is all he wants to do. It's a tired cliché and storyline, talk about stuff fans actually care about. Besides, child support is expensive, let the man pay his bills. It beats being a dead beat.

* TV Azteca- Time and produce your telecasts better: OK, it's pretty simple, when you have two co-mains scheduled in a two-hour telecast, it's usually not the best idea to have a 10-round 'stand-by' bout in between. Also, on that note, if you advertise a fight, say Julio Cesar Chavez Jr-Matt Vanda I, it would be a pretty good idea to make sure that all your affiliates are on board and don't go to some infomercial (like they did over the summer.)

* Julio Cesar Chavez Jr - To start acting like a professional: Stop being the spoiled brat who knows he doesn't have to really train hard because A) Top Rank is feeding you stiffs and B) if you don't make weight, well, they'll just let it go anyway. There's a reason why people don't respect Paris Hilton; there's nothing worse than an individual who has a sense of entitlement and who doesn't work hard.

- The Boxing Business- Less Pay-Per-Views in 2009: OK, they've gone on record and already made this promise. So what really constitutes 'less'? Well, in the past five years or so, HBO PPV and their various promotional partners have put on between eight-and-ten events a year. If they can do, let’s say, four or five, most would agree that they have kept their word.

FINAL FLURRIES

I'm really liking the Showtime version of 'Inside the NFL', it's a lot more fun and upbeat, and Warren Sapp is the most outspoken ex-athlete this side of Charles Barkley. The HBO version had gotten a bit stale and boring the past few years (Bob Costas could suck the fun out of anything now).....Recommended viewing: 'The Greatest Game Ever Played'. The recently aired ESPN Classic special takes a look back at the 1958 NFL Championship Game between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants. If there was ever a field general better than Johnny U, I haven't seen it. Or a guy who could run pass patterns like Raymond Berry......Rumble Time Promotions and DiBella Entertainment have entered into a formal agreement to co-promote rising jr. middleweight Deandre 'The Bull' Latimore....Speaking of Shobox, their first telecast of 2009 takes place on January 16th from Tulsa, OK, when Leonilo Miranda takes on Orlando Cruz and Marvin Quintero faces Nick Casal....I hate to say it, but Randy Shannon and his staff put on the absolute worst display of clock 'management' I have ever seen in the waning seconds of Miami's Emerald Bowl loss to Cal this weekend. Let's just hope that at the very least, it's the end of Patrick Nix as their offensive coordinator.....It's official, the Lions need a federal bailout worse than anybody in Detroit....Will the media finally say it (instead of just scapegoating TO) that Tony Romo is one of the problems with Dallas? He just isn't that smart and doesn't make good decisions with the football. He's a poor man's version of Brett Favre (the old version).....And the 'boys are a soft, undisciplined unit to boot....Tickets for the Feb. 7th showdown between Vic Darchinyan and Jorge Arce go on sale December 30th at 10 am at the Honda Center box-office in Anaheim, Ca. and all Ticketmaster outlets and Ticketmaster.com. Tix are priced at $250, $125, $90, $45 and $35....

For Questions or Comments
E-Mail Steve: k9kim@maxboxing.com

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