 The End of Free TV in Boxing Seems Upon Us
The Neutral Corner Jason Probst (December 31, 2005)
It’s the end of the year, and I realized I still don’t know the damn difference between Mighty Mikes Anchondo, and Arnaoutis, respectively (or not, because how would I know the difference?). So why is this an issue of concern with the corner? Because this surely would’ve never happened a few years ago. It is both a sense of alarm and an indicator of how the sports root programming on television is simply gone. Yeah, boxing writers aren’t supposed to admit they don’t know every single young prospect…but if it weren’t for boxrec.com and the ‘Net in general, perhaps more of us would be forthcoming.
That said, the realization that there are so many young prospects out there I don’t know, have never seen, etc., became pretty obvious when I thought back to 1990 when I really started getting into the sport. Up and comers like Oba Carr, Tommy Morrison, etc. all were regularly featured on ESPN and USA, and there were often even better matches televised on various stations out of the Forum in L.A., where Rich Marotta’s voice on the intro was all you needed to know that it was probably going to be worth your while to check the action.
Nowadays, there’s nothing. Zip. Zilch. For various reasons, the key lower-level televised program venues in boxing have disappeared, and that’s really a critical leg in the stool, so to speak. Much as the children are the future of our society, the small shows that get exposure – mainly televised – are the building blocks to the superstar platforms of tomorrow. Trace back the lineage of the stars in recent years, and you can see what I mean. A few lucky Brahmins like Oscar De La Hoya become HBO-quality attractions literally overnight, but I’m not sure if Oba Carr, or David Kamau, or any of those guys I used to catch on free network T.V. a decade or so ago would be known to me today. And that’s too bad. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, but it’s indeed a curious situation of the haves and have-nots.
For example, after getting a tape of Salvador Sanchez-Danny Lopez I in the mail this week, I excitedly popped it in and began watching it. Announcer Tim Ryan, while calling the fight in the early rounds, also mentioned at least four other upcoming boxing matches on the network (it was CBS, I believe).
Names like Ray Mancini, Marvin Hagler, were mentioned. On free television! It really used to be that good, and the void these days leaves evolving star potential out in the cold. For example, in 1990, a guy like Antonio Margarito wouldn’t be caught between the ‘high risk, low reward’ position of having to chase down a fellow welter like Zab Judah or Floyd Mayweather for a super fight. Instead, he’d have network TV or ESPN or USA available to get more exposure to the general public. Ditto (especially so) for the little guys below 135 pounds. Accrued marketing value is a huge thing, and even though Margarito has a pay per view date against Manuel Gomez next month, that kind of cut-rate PPV show really is a niche product, located deep in the back of the store, instead of in a prominent showcase display, which free television once provided.
With that bizarre and disheartening downswing in base programming, the upswing in PPVs shows no sign of abating. With Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins fighting March 11, it’s wonderfully ironic that it comes on the heels of the Jeff Lacy-Joe Calzaghe match the weekend previous, both of whom I’d lay 3-1 would beat either B. Hops or RJ as they stand now. Naturally, they’re not megastars, just better fighters, which means it’s on Showtime.
As for Hopkins’ long-stated promise to his late mother to not fight past his birthday in January, when he turns 41, I can only hope someone asks him about it on the conference call. That should elicit an interesting response that will be funny/sad to hear him spin.
To wit, I don’t know where the path goes from here. But as for the Mighty Mikes, while I may not be as enamored with boxing as I once was, taping everything on TV, it’s a bad chicken-egg scenario. There are few outlets left where you can simply catch up and comers and not have to shell out for a hellacious cable bill for the privilege. And sadly, ESPN’s recent shows have suffered compared to previous efforts. If it weren’t for the solid studio segments I doubt I would’ve caught half the shows I did. You don’t rescue a rotting city by spending less money on the infrastructure….take it from a public policy junkie who knows…..
HOPS-RJ: GOLDEN OLDIES ON PPV
alright jason, by now you know the horrible rumor is true: jones hopkins on march 11th. whats next, holmes foreman? chavez taylor?
whaddaya think?
happy holidays
Jimmy Tobin
The sad thing is that even if this bombs, it won’t hurt either guy, although maybe whoever promotes it will wise up. I have no idea what happens, and am tempted to write the round by round in advance, because it’s going to be a very boring fight. It’s one time I wish Fan Man was alive so he could make a comeback.
QUESTIONING CORRALES-CASTILLO III
just read your little blurb about the Castillo-Corrales rematch on MaxBoxing and just wanted to say that as a 'Chico fanatic I enjoyed it and agreed with most of what you were saying. I too expected Diego to climb back into the ring for a rematch with Freitas before doing anything else.
And Juan Diaz, well don't even get me started on the walk in the park that would be stylistically. I have really been scratching my head on why Prince, Goosen, and co. would throw Corrales right back in with Castillo and came up with the following and was curious what your take might be; the only (somewhat) logical explanation I could come up with was the idea that maybe they were just worried about getting the fight at 135 before Castillo established himself at Jr. Welterweight and then was able to leverage them into a fight up there (where even I, the eternal Corrales optimist, hold some doubts about Diego's chin holding up).
I guess it is possible that the managment team behind Corrales knew this was a risk and but figured it was less of one then waiting and having the fight go off at 140 (at least that's what I hope). Any thoughts? In any event, keep writing the good write (ah the play on words!) and have a happy holiday.
-Nicholas George
PS- I pretty much had an identical score for Hopkins/Taylor II...
I think it’s risk-reward, though I think Juan Diaz would bring Corrales maybe 3-500K and a very winnable fight, and little mileage on him, even if he lost. The thing is, if you were going to wait for Castillo to get established at 140, that’d mean he’d have to beat at least Ricky Hatton (war) and maybe Miguel Cotto (tough fight, but I’d take Castillo). Corrales could’ve waited 1-2 years or more, and let Castillo get even more mileage on him, but you never know. Strike while the iron is hot. I still think Corrales can win that third one, but I would make damn sure Castillo is 135, and work to push the weigh in as close to the fight as possible with no funny stuff.
I was amazed that my 116-113 Hopkins scorecard elicited not a single email complaint. Shows you how little people cared, I guess. It was probably off by a round because those two are tough to choose between.
CASTILLO NOT CORRALES’ NEXT BEST MOVE
Had the same conversation with a friend of mine. He agreed with you that in general taking the third fight with Castillo may not be the best managerial move. I disagreed feeling that for 1.2 million (which is what I believe Corrales is making for this fight) that he should take the money because a purse that big may not come along all that often for a lightweight. But on the flip side let's say he takes a fight with Freitas instead for probably about $400K (I think that's what he would get for that fight on Showtime).
Is Freitas three times less of a risk than Castillo? I'm not so sure about that. Remember, Freitas not only won the first six or seven rounds against Corrales he also landed a bunch of flush right hands on Corrales as well. Granted, Corrales took those very well but who's to say he could take those same flush right hands again? I just think for about three times the money that the rubber match with Castillo is worth the risk (if my numbers are correct).
Gordon Allen
You might be right. However, Freitas quit in that fight, Corrales knows he made him quit, and that’s a huge edge. Freitas didn’t seem to have the power to hurt Corrales given the run and move style he was fighting, which is a big dif compared to Castillo, who stands in close and puts everything on his shots. Corrales would probably beat Freitas like that 9 times out of ten because Freitas will gas and can’t move like that. And if he goes toe to toe with Chico, he gets knocked out. Freitas is a good fighter but I think he’s a front runner. Corrales is not.
TONEY TOO SLICK FOR PETER
Jason, love your writing, but I have to take issue with a comment you made
in the Neutral Corner Mailbag:
"...when was the last time you saw someone put fire on Toney's ass for 12
rounds? People give up because they are outclassed in the skills
department."
How about Vassily Jirov? He was an animal at cruiserweight (I still can't
get over how precipitously he fell off) and he put constant pressure on
Toney for every second of every round, and he threw about three times as
many punches as Peter could ever dream of throwing.
I'm not saying that I completely disagree with your argument for a Peter
victory: Toney stands squarely in the pocket and uses arms, shoulders, and
upper-body movement as defense, and because of this he would be in constant
- and extreme - danger throughout a fight with Peter, but I had to email you
when I read that one statement, because - differences between Peter and
Jirov aside - that is a very good and fairly recent example of a fighter
putting 'fire on Toney's ass for 12 rounds' and of Toney handling it very,
very well...
Thanks for your time, love your writing
Bobby Karma
Toronto, Ontario
True, Jirov did bring the heat, and Toney looked great. But he also got hit a lot on the shoulders, arms, stomach, and some in the grill, too, and Jirov couldn’t dent his great chin. Peter could. And Peter is 50 lbs. heavier and can take a lot more punishment from Toney than Jirov did. I just think that all of Toney’s tricks – camping on the ropes, laying in close, and that stuff, works against him with Peter. And don’t let Peter’s loss to Wladimir Klitschko fool you. I think that all of the top heavies concluded from it that Peter probably has the best beard in the division and will be one tough hombre, refined or not, in the years to come if he keeps dedicated to the game and maybe changes up his style a touch. Larry Holmes don’t live here anymore, which means a big puncher with a great chin can beat just about anybody.
TAYLOR-FLAVORED HATERADE
A lot of people are acting like he’s crap because of the style match up with Bernard Hopkins. Who has ever looked good fighting Bernard Hopkins? Even Roy Jones didn’t look like a superstar after their fight and that was 12 yrs ago. I think that Dougie and Steve are haters and aren’t even giving Jermain a chance. Remember, these were the same guys who said that Winky Wright was the rich mans version of Rodney Jones.
Kristy Kreutz
I don’t recall either K9 or Dougie saying that, so I’m not going to comment on it either way. And I don’t think they would (besides, Rodney Jones was pimp-assed coming into the ring with that leather beret). Jermain-Wink should be an interesting fight, and while I picked Wink the first time over Mosley, I think he beat a shot Tito. There is no way prime Tito would’ve been THAT pensive and inactive, because it wasn’t like Winky was running as Oscar did. He simply couldn’t deal with a jab and a good boxer despite having Wink right there. RJ said it best when he explained that Tito needs a target to let his hands go and since Wink gave him nothing, he didn’t punch.
Taylor has the tools to beat Wink, and we know he has enough beard to survive Wink’s best shots. I’m not so sure he’ll just stand there and grind himself down on Wink’s counters and good jab the way Mosley and Tito did. And though styles make fights, I think Jermain would blow out Sam Soliman, and Wink sure didn’t, so Jermain has tools to give him a lot of trouble.
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