So, yeah, I was up a little late but I normally am. Friday night (well, actually Saturday morning), I was up especially late doing my thing (and a touch on the liquored-up side. Carlo Rossi came over) and patiently awaited the 1 AM (3 AM, my time) press conference Top Rank honcho Bob Arum was fixing to throw, regarding a deadline imposed on Floyd Mayweather Jr. in his potential signing for a fight against Manny Pacquiao. Speculation ran high on how things were going to pan out and I wasn’t above any of it. I even thought perhaps the fight had already been had been signed and we were just left-a-hangin’ like viewers of some convoluted daytime drama storyline (and I know. I watched “General Hospital” and “Days Of Our Lives.” Yeah, I got sucked into that crap years ago).
Finally, 3 rolls around and after getting greeted with some bitchen muzak, we finally got a little propagaction (like that? I just made that up. “Propagaction”…ah, it has a nice alliterative ring to it, doesn’t it?) Long story short, we who listened (I didn’t bother calling in) were told that there were never any proper negotiations with Mayweather, his camp or Golden Boy Promotions. It was basically all between Arum and HBO’s President of Sports Programming Ross Greenburg. It was with this revelation (and a rather subdued one, at that) that we in the boxing media discovered that the effort was half-assed from the get-go. Basically, the so-called “deadline” was formulated, along with the dramatic countdown clock, to provide a period of exclusivity for the proposed Manny-Floyd match. Greenburg was supposedly in talks with Mayweather’s top adviser Al Haymon and that the enigmatic Mr. Haymon was doing what he could to get the ball rolling.
Next thing you know, talk shifted from anything Mayweather to a potential Pacquiao rematch with Miguel Cotto (spiced up with an alluring nod to an eighth divisional title win, potentially for Pacquiao, as well as Cotto being an implied draw as new-and-improved, thanks to his new trainer Emanuel Steward) and a proposed bout against beleaguered Antonio Margarito in Monterrey, Mexico.
From the sound of things (and a well-thought-out contingency plan), it was almost as if Arum knew well beforehand that media and fans alike wouldn’t hear anything close to what we wanted to. So then, we got a redux of something I wrote about, back in January, about the first time we got the shaft on Pacquiao-Mayweather and got Bernard Hopkins vs. Roy Jones Jr. II.
http://www.maxboxing.com/news/promo-lead/wagyus-too-good-for-you-have-some-chuck-instead
Look, I can do wonder with ground chuck in the kitchen (Mrs. Coyote will tell ya) but I can only do so much with it before I have to switch to chicken or pork, if I’m not getting the good stuff.
In a sense, it seems like, this time, the Wagyu was never on the menu and we were only ever going to get offered chuck (yet gussied up in a rather haute “Iron Chef America”-style meat loaf i.e. the Cotto rematch) or chicken or pork (Margarito). It all boils down to what I mentioned to a friend on Facebook, Miguel Lucca:
“I care less and less about this fight coming off and if it actually did, I still wouldn’t care. All this build-up has been nothing but an enormous carrot dangled in front of us starving rabbits, courtesy of Golden Boy and Top Rank. The season premiere of a TV show that had one helluva cliffhanger but turns out everyone escaped death from the skin of their teeth. The Deus ex Machina, if you will.”
I’ll believe it when I see it, Howlers. And that means, when Michael Buffer’s standing in center ring making his announcements, hailing the fighters’ stats, I’ll believe it.
Of Montes and Montys: Part One…
As I already mentioned, Monte Barrett rode off into the retirement sunset (and I reiterate, for now) with a majority draw against David Tua. Until the Tua fight, Barrett lost his three previous bouts (two by stoppage and a unanimous decision) and it seemed logical that “The Terminator” was going to continue the streak, pulling that monstrous left hook out of nowhere. Well, that left never emerged with the results we expected and Barrett even dropped Tua seconds before the 12th and final round ended. Don’t look at it as a lucky Hail Mary; look at it for what it really is, a statement that summed up Barrett’s entire career. Sometimes he went out bad, sometimes good, but he always fought as best as he could (and fought the best fighters he could) and went out hard. As for Tua…it simply bums me out that, by now, he’s not greater than I wished he was. Tua has always been one of my favorites and I admit I cheered like crazy for him to beat then-Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Lennox Lewis almost ten years ago. Since then, time just got away. Still, you’d be hard-pressed to find a nicer guy in Our Sport.
Of Montes and Montys: Part Two…
Tuesday morning’s lead at Maxboxing was an op-ed on boxing’s re-structuring, courtesy of Gabriel Montoya (it’s a slow week for boxing. Sue us):
http://www.maxboxing.com/news/sub-lead/the-league-of-extraordinary-boxing
For a sport with very few attempts to rejigger things for the better, it pains me to read the comments of haters who either can’t get down with something so rationally creative or haven’t the wherewithal to offer up a sensible debate or offer solutions of their own. Personally, I love articles like this and I love editing articles like this. They remind me of certain episodes of “The X-Files” (Follow me on this one. If you’re a fan, you KNOW exactly where I’m coming from…). Every now and then, there’d be an emotionally heavy episode (typically something where Fox Mulder gets f**ked over. Remember the one where Mulder discovered what REALLY happened to his sister, Samantha?) and the following week, there’d be a “palate cleanser”, laden-with light-hearted humor, to get us through. That’s what Monty did on Tuesday and that’s what Thomas Hauser did yesterday:
http://www.maxboxing.com/news/main-lead/flights-of-fantasy1
Lighten up, kids. You got the opportunity to think and laugh within two days. This is one of the many reasons I love Maxboxing…well, except the fact I can’t visit the highly-touted Rafael’s, that Steve Kim talks so much about. It’s a good thing that cat hits the gym regularly. Eh, at least we have La Cabaña in Aurora.
“‘Adviser, Adviser!’ That’s what they’re yellin’”!: Part One…
On Monday, Leonard Ellerbe released a statement on behalf of Team Mayweather that read, “Here are the facts. Al Haymon, Richard Schaefer and myself speak to each other on a regular basis and the truth is no negotiations have ever taken place nor was there ever a deal agreed upon by Team Mayweather or Floyd Mayweather to fight Manny Pacquiao on November 13. Either Ross Greenburg or Bob Arum is not telling the truth, but history tells us who is lying.”
This begs me to ask, who actually is Mayweather’s adviser: Ellerbe or Haymon? And with all the hoopla regarding the “countdown clock,” why did neither adviser step up to the mic and open his mouth before early Saturday morning (and don’t bring up the alleged gag order. If there’s nothing really going on, what’s to clam up about?)? As for Greenburg, according to ESPN’s Dan Rafael (who was the first to participate in Saturday morning’s conference call), Greenburg had no comment or response to Ellerbe’s statement. According to Arum (per Rafael’s report), Greenburg was talking to Haymon and Haymon was relaying his conversations with Floyd to Greenburg. But as of Monday, Greenburg was still pushing for Serio Martinez vs. Paul Williams II. So where’s Haymon in all this? Who knows? Remember what I said earlier about daytime dramas? Haymon is boxing’s (and HBO’s) version of Stefano DiMera of “Days Of Our Lives.” He isn’t the mayor of Salem but he sure is running sh*t. At the very least, he’s Mr. Burns to Ellerbe’s Smithers. What we really need here is to lock everyone involved- that includes Mayweather and Pacquiao- in the same room with a mediator and get all this crap out in the open, on the table and on the record.
“‘Adviser, Adviser!’ That’s what they’re yellin’”!: Part Two…
Look, I don’t know what kind of adviser Michael Koncz is so I’m reluctant to thoroughly comment on what he does but, according to Freddie Roach in a recent sit-down with Gabriel Montoya (http://www.maxboxing.com/news/other-boxing-news/catching-up-with-freddie-roach1), Koncz has his own agenda when it comes to the famed trainer’s future- despite Roach introducing Koncz to Manny when the former needed a break after failing to spring heavyweight Ike Ibeabuchi from the clink. Says Roach, “The thing is, Mike Koncz has been trying to get rid of me for a long time. He says Manny would be here without me. That he does all the work. Koncz has been trying to get me out for a long time. Obviously, Buboy would be my replacement and they would lose.” Roach also said that Koncz claims Roach makes too much money but Manny would never allow Koncz to get his way in expelling Roach because “Manny is way too smart. He will never let that happen.” With all due respect to Pacquiao, if he was THAT smart, why is Koncz allegedly plotting Roach’s exit under “Pac-Man’s” auspices. Logic dictates Pacquiao wouldn’t tolerate the slightest thought.
The jig is up. Briggs is down…
First, Australian Paul Briggs declined an MRI, per the New South Wales Boxing Authority and Briggs’ former doctor Ron Findlay, prior to his fight against Danny Green. The fight was then moved to Perth, where it was given the go-ahead, despite concerns for Briggs’ health. Secondly, Briggs came in seven pounds over the agreed 185-pound weight limit for the fight, which drew ire from Green. Yesterday, they met and Green lived up to his promise of punishing Briggs, doing so in 29 seconds of the first round. However, thanks to the following video link, my definition of “punishment” differs from what actually went down. See for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EdbKsVIAk4&feature=player_embedded#!
Green’s derisive demeanor after the stoppage says it all. Look, I’m not one to speculate on fighters throwing fights these days. I’ll straight up insist that Bernard Hopkins stopped Oscar De la Hoya with a body shot but that left JAB from Green did NOT connect. Briggs had to know he had no right to be in that ring in Perth and threw big time. I’m really wishing I had access to a post-fight presser. Briggs was understandably upset, even apologizing to the fans in attendance and those who ordered the pay-per-view broadcast. At least we have these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhb_w7CXaAo&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ArsxR0uKEg&feature=player_embedded
Silence isn’t always Golden (Boy)…
On Tuesday, the New York State Athletic Commission lifted the recent 90-day suspension on Golden Boy Promotions, which was levied on the promotion on July 6 when pertinent promotional agreement was allegedly withheld regarding the May 15 card which featured Amir Khan vs. Paul Malignaggi and Victor Ortiz vs. Nate Campbell. Basically, it was determined that David Itskowich, Golden Boy COO, went on his honeymoon shortly after the May 15th event and there was a lapse in communication, resulting in the proper paperwork (fighters’ contracts) not being submitted to the proper recipients. A speculative fervor ensued amid the ‘Net as improprieties were alleged about the mishandling of the event’s licensing fees. Basically, the ball was dropped because memos weren’t made and handed put properly. The commission simply determined that GBP wasn’t in violation of the Muhammad Ali Act but the state of New York’s laws. The promotion was fined $10,000 and earned its reinstatement. Here’s a lesson here, kids: talk to your co-workers. If our webmaster needs to get his drink on, he lets us know. If a raging storm shoots through the suburbs and deep-sixes the power, thus killing my ability to edit and submit articles accordingly, I get on the cell and give Steve, Monty and Chee a heads-up. If Monty’s hanging out with strippers at some after-party and can’t find his keys, he tells us. That’s all you gotta do!
Spreading the disease…
No, I’m not talking about Anthrax’s 1985 album but the band Stereo Transmitted Disease, a delightfully heavy rock band who hails from The City of Brotherly Love, possessed with a sound so tight and crunchy, it’d make DJ Pauly D’s hair jealous. In the vein of acts such as Saigon Kick, Saliva and Shinedown, their frontman, Chris Casso (http://www.facebook.com/chriscasso), is an insanely hardcore boxing fan(or as bass player Kjell Benner says, “he is beyond obsessed with boxing and there aren’t many peeps around here that are that in to it.”) who regularly visits Maxboxing and our companion Facebook site, www.facebook.com/MaxBoxing, chatting it up about any and everything boxing. On their fan page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stereo-Transmitted-Disease/85475048430?ref=ts, a playlist featuring four of the songs from their upcoming slab (in September) is available (http://www.reverbnation.com/controller/audio_player/detachable_player/artist_467313?autoPlay=true) for your enjoyment and all members of the band (Benner, drummer Tom Walling, and guitarists Dave Lenat and Mike Thatcher) are refreshingly engaging and open with listeners and fans. In addition, a fan created a video for the blistering single “Generation Nothing” back in April that you can enjoy right here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdQI6aTJiCA&feature=player_embedded
STD’s promo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvNpJenaqSQ&feature=related
As Steve Kim would say, I’ll say it right now; Stereo Transmitted Disease ain’t f**king around and they have one of Our Sport’s biggest boosters leading the charge.
“Promethean Logic” will return to Maxboxing as a weekly column next week.
Questions? Comments? Complaints? Contact Coyote at artofthepaw@yahoo.com or visit him at www.facebook.com/CoyoteDuran or www.myspace.com/coyote_duran. Please visit www.coyoteduran.com or www.facebook.com/CDCreationNation to check out Coyote’s original art.
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