Meritocracy

Several months ago, ESPN reported that HBO will develop a new boxing program in 2012 showcasing up and coming prospects.  The new series will initially air 12 telecasts, with four promoters (GBP, GSP, DBE, and TR) each being responsible for 3 telecasts.

This is news is welcomed by boxing fans that subscribe to HBO, especially if the prospects are matched in competitive fights.   Without competitive fights, HBO will just be shortchanging their subscribers.  One-sided blowouts between blue chip prospects and over-matched journeymen are not enjoyable to watch.  I understand that a young fighter needs a certain amount of rounds to develop his craft, but it should be done on the promoter’s dime, not mine. 

Measures need to be taken to provide the series with the opportunity to reach its potential.  There have been instances where promoters, when guaranteed dates on a network, have put on fights that failed to impress the viewing audience.  With the prospect of guaranteeing promoters four slots a year in consecutive years, HBO is vulnerable to airing underwhelming cards.  HBO will need to implement a system where there are concrete incentives for promoters to put on the best possible show. 

HBO can implement a system that incentivizes exciting and competitive cards by dropping the promoter with the least successful cards, and awarding those cards to the promoters with the most successful cards.  HBO will need to create a formula/matrix that determines what constitutes a successful card.  Said matrix could be a combination of Nielsen Ratings, Internet trending, live attendance, social media hits, and customer satisfaction ratings.  The system comes with a caveat: HBO would need to be committed to at least three years of programming. 

The promoter with the least successful cards would be dropped from the second season, regardless if expectations were met, but would have the opportunity to promote cards in the third season.  The promoter with the best average scores over three episodes will have gain two spots in year two.  The promoter with the second best score will gain one spot.  The third place promoter would remain with three spots.  HBO would retain the authority to decide which fights are aired.  With this “free market approach” every promoter would have an incentive to put on the best possible fights for each of their cards.

HBO has yet to officially announce the series, but when they do, as a subscriber I hope that the scheduled fights are competitive on paper.  It is always fun to see fighters make the move from prospect to contender. 

Boxing Live - War at the Wharf

I almost always enjoy attending live boxing events.  There is something about actually being in an arena where two men will engage in hand-to-hand combat.  The February 18th edition of Solo Boxeo Tecate at the Longshoreman’s Hall in San Francisco has been the only exception.  The poor production and mismatches made it difficult to enjoy the fights. 

Production

The production at this card seemed rather amateurish.  First, there were only two people scanning tickets at the entrance, leaving fans waiting in line in the cold rain.  Second, the first fight started an hour and half late because there was not a paramedic on hand (which I presume is required by the California State Athletic Commission).  And third, a vendor selling beer in the balcony spilled some on my back.  To make matters worse, she didn’t even offer me a free beer.   All in all, a bad way to begin the card.

Fights

The first mismatch I witnessed was Mercito Gesta beating-up Genaro Trazancos over four rounds.  The fight was stopped on the recommendation of the ringside physician.  To give a little background, Gesta had previously defeated Trazancos by knockout. Everyone involved in this fight had to know that Trazancos would in all likelihood again be beaten and knocked out.  That is exactly what happened.  Gabriel Montoya’s article Who is Minding Boxing’s Store? over at MaxBoxing will give readers some background information on why fights like this are sanctioned by the State of California. 


They call boxing the hurt business, but it was difficult to watch Trazancos being repeatedly hurt by hard and accurate punches without the ability to effectively defend himself.  Some fans of Gesta, a noteworthy prospect, might have been satisfied to watch him use his athleticism and skill to blow out an over matched opponent, but that is not what I paid $50 to watch. In my opinion, mismatches go against the spirit of competition.  

The second mismatch on the card, Eloy Perez v Roger Gonzalez, was fought by two super featherweights at lightweight.  While this fight was a more competitive than the first fight, it was a mismatch nonetheless. Eloy Perez is on the verge of a title shot and Roger Gonzalez is on the down side of his career, having been knocked out in his two previous fights.   Gonzalez had enough skill to go the distance with Perez, but he was simply outgunned.  Like the first fight, the outcome was never in doubt.  Eloy was bigger, faster and appeared to be stronger than Gonzalez.    Gonzalez was unable to land anything of significance and Eloy seemed rather tentative to throw combinations.  Overall, it was a boring fight.

After the second consecutive mismatch and with more on tap, I went home.  Going into the show I knew that Gesta and Perez would be matched with opponents they could beat, but I didn't know the gap in skill  between them and their opponents would turn out to be so wide.  

Next Time

I read on boxrec.com that Eloy Perez is scheduled to fight on another Solo Boxeo Tecate at the Longshoreman’s Hall in San Francisco in early April.  I'll pass on the card unless Perez fights a fellow contender.  Its had for me to justify spending $50-100 dollars to watch him fight when he failed to impress me last time out. 


Speaking of the Longshoreman's Hall, it is a decent place to watch boxing.  I felt close to the ring sitting in the balcony section.  This place has potential to hosts exciting boxing cards on a regular basis, provided that the production and fight selection issues are worked out.  


My next post will look at the issue of safety resulting from mismatches.

No Thanks Pacman!

In another effort to make the most amount of money with taking the least amount of risk, on May 7, 2011, Top Rank will promote a fight between their star prizefighter Manny Pacquiao against ageing veteran Sugar Shane Mosley.  In my efforts to prevent the casual boxing fan from being bamboozled, I recommend that they pass on Pacquiao vs. Mosley.  Why? Because Pacquiao is not engaging in the most significant, exciting and competitive fight out there.

In a previous post I stated that Mosley is an acceptable opponent for Pacquiao’s next fight.  Well, I would like to retract my statement.  I listed Mosley based of his reputation and willingness to fight the best fighters to prove that he is the best fighter in his weight class. I am taking him off the list because Mosley simply does not have the physical tools in this stage of his career to be competitive with Pacquiao.  Without the physical tools or superb boxing abilities to be competitive, Sugar Shane Mosley is not a suitable opponent for my money.  I will only buy a Pacquiao PPV fight if he is fighting another elite fighter at a reasonable weight, and Mosley is not an elite fighter.

Many hardcore fans and boxing journalist and bloggers have called this fight “garbage,” “an abomination,” and “bad for boxing.” Unfortunately, the casual fans will not really formulate an opinion until the premier of 24/7 Pacquiao/Mosley on HBO.  The well made puffery will sucker the casual fan into buying the fight. They will invite their friends over, drink some beers, eat some chips, and be amazed by Pacquiao’s superlative combinations, but greatly disappointed in the actual fight.  

What angers me as a hardcore boxing fan is witnessing the supposedly once in generation fighter (Pacquiao) not fighting the best boxers in and around his weight class.  This is the equivalent to having the NFC Champions play the AFC Championship Game losers, instead of the ACF Champions, in the Super Bowl, and paying $50 to watch it. 

Pacquiao, if he cares about his fans, needs to select more competitive opponents.  He has been belying about the quality of his recent opponents to his fans.  Mosley will mark his second consecutive opponent who is one fight removed from a one sided loss/beat down.  

I have watched every Sugar Shane Mosley fight for the last ten years, and simply put, he is no longer the fighter he once was.  Like nearly all fighters pushing 40, he has lost enough of the athletic ability that made him special to be considered borderline shot.  Check out his first fight with Oscar de la Hoya in 2000 and then look at his last two fights. There is a significance difference in his reflexes and hand speed. He may still have above average hand speed, but the speed and reflexes that made him special are gone.

A Pacquiao vs Mosley fight with would have been significant, exciting and perhaps even competitive in 2009, after Mosley’s destruction of Antonio Margarito.  In 2011, a Pacquiao vs Mosley fight is just sad, disappointing and infuriating. 

Mosley, like he has done throughout his career, is fighting the best fighter out there.  Too bad Pacquiao is not, and that’s a shame.  

Boxing is in Season Week 4: Thankful for Boxing

It is kinda sad, but I have been looking forward to Saturday night more so than Thursday evening.  

There is perhaps more boxing on TV this Saturday night than I can watch. First up on HBO, Juan Manual Marquez defends his Lightweight Championship (like Maravilla, he is the legitimate Champion) against Michael Katsidis.  Both fighters have the style to make this a fun fight for fans.  Marquez is a master technician who uses skill rather power to knockout opponents.  His balance, stance and combinations are textbook perfect.  Katsidis is a top contender known for his aggressive style.  Honestly, the only way I see Katsidis winning is if Marquez shows his age (37).   They have two common opponents that I know of, Juan Diaz and Joel Casamayor, both of whom defeated Katsidis and were subsequently knocked out by Marquez. I see Katsidis coming forward using his aggression and strength only to be picked apart by some beautiful Marquez combinations. It really is a pleasure to watch Marquez fight.   

Check out Marquez playing around with the speed bag.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1mgI1DZwFI

Showtime is broadcasting two fights cards, one from Oakland featuring the undefeated champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Andre Ward vs. Sakio Bika, the perennial contender.   I believe that Ward will win the Supper Six tournament and one day be considered the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world.  He is fully expected to win this fight, but Sakio has the experience and raw strength to make things interesting.  The other card is from Finland, featuring the last fight of the first round in Showtime’s Super Six Classic - Arthur Abraham vs. Carl Froch.  This is perhaps the most anticipated fight of the weekend and the tournament. Of all the fights this weekend, this one will likely be the most competitive and exciting. If I could only watch one fight this weekend, this would be it.

Boxing is in Season Week 3: Catch Up

Boxing fans have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.  The fights in November have so far delivered action and sudden fight ending knockouts.  The fight I featured in my week one article, Rafael Marquez vs. Juan Manual Lopez, turned out to be an excellent fight that saw the ageing Marquez stand his ground, only to retire on his stool from a shoulder injury.  Lopez was in control of the fight when it ended, but Marquez did have his moments, specifically when he stunned Lopez in the fourth round with a left hook.  Lopez responded by banging his gloves together and standing toe-to-toe with Marquez. I love seeing boxers attack instead of retreat when hurt. (Start watching at the 2.5 minute mark for about 30 seconds)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z50cfe9dFi4

I feel vindicated that I passed on buying the Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito PPV card.  Based on the ringside reports I’ve read, it was perhaps a tougher than expected fight for Pacquiao, but his victory was never in doubt. For a fight that was neither competitive, significant (in terms of establishing the best fighter in the division) nor exciting, it is somewhat amazing that it generated more than 1 million PPV buys (according to Steve Kim @ MaxBoxing). But hey, I guess a sucker is born every minute.

I would like to apologize for missing Week Three, because there was one hellava fight this past Saturday.  Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez defended his Middleweight Championship of the World against Paul “The Punisher” Williams. If you missed it, you missed one spectacular knockout.  Their first fight was a contender for fight of the year in 2009. It started of fast, with both fighters trading knockdowns in the first round.  The pace did not relent until the final bell.  Williams won by decision. 

In the rematch this past Saturday, Maravilla was out for revenge.  There were huge expectations for this fight to be a back and forth battle for twelve rounds.  In the first round, both fighters elected to fight in close, trading hard shots.  I felt it was the beginning of an all out war.  The pace continued a minute into the second round until Sergio Martinez dropped a beautiful and savage left hand that knocked Williams out cold.  The fight’s shocking sudden ending is one of the reasons why I love boxing. (Start watching at the 5.5 minute mark)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCb-YG2QfXA&feature=related

There was some justice to this fight ending in a knockout.  Williams and his team disrespected Martinez and the sport of boxing with some of their requirements for getting this fight made.  First, they required the fight to be fought at a catchweight of 158 pounds, two pounds under the middleweight limit.  Furthermore, according to various reports, Williams (who is not a bigger draw than Martinez) made more money than the Champion for the fight.  Lastly, what I found really disrespectful was that Martinez (the legitimate Middleweight Champion of the World) was introduced first during ring introductions. The champion is always, unless disrespected, introduced last. 

In Week 4 will see more world class boxing. 

Boxing is in Season: Week 2 - Pacquiao vs. Margarito

In case you have not heard, Manny Pacquiao is fighting Antonio Margarito this weekend at Cowboy Stadium.  There is a lot of buzz surrounding the fight, like most of Manny’s couple of last fights, but I’m warning fans not to drink the Kool-Aid. It may come as a surprise to some that as a hardcore boxing fan I am boycotting this fight.  I’m boycotting this fight because I am tired of being sucked into buying Pay-Per-View (PPV) fights that are not worth the money.

I’m not going to be suckered into paying $50 to watch Manny Pacquiao fight a potentially shot fight for a bogus championship belt.  I could be wrong about Margarito – he may not be a shot fighter, but that it is really beside the point.  If he is not a shot fighter, I agree that the fight has the potential to be exciting.  But I am willing to miss a potential fun fight for the sake of not being suckered into paying $50 for a fight.  For $50, I want to see Pacquiao fight an elite fighter in his prime, not a fight past his prime.  The way this fight has been marketed feels like the fans are being set up.  There is a lot of talk in the media about Pacquiao’s subpar camp and Margarito’s physical rejuvenation. It sounds as if Margarito (who is favored to lose the fight by Las Vegas oddsmakers) can pull the upset. 

Well I’m not drinking the Kool-Aid.

First of all, aside from the image of Margarito being annihilated by Sugar Shane Mosley, it is not the most competitive, exciting, and significant fight that Pacquiao – the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, can engage in. I want to see the best fighter in the world fight the best, especially when I am being charged $50. Margarito simply does not fall into that category; neither did Pacquiao's last opponent. For $50, I want to see Pacquiao fight an elite fighter in his prime, not a fighter past his prime who may or may not be shot.

There are two fighters (Floyd Mayweather and Sugar Shane Mosley) in his weight class and two (Williams and Martinez) within one weight class that are ranked in the Ring's Pound-for-Pound list that Pacquiao could be fighting in more competitive, exciting and significant fights.  Lets not forget about the undisputed lightweight champion Juan Manual Marquez (JMM).   In their two fights, JMM has actually won more rounds than Pacquiao.

Although Pacquiao is still in his physical and technical prime, he is near the end of his career.  As such, as a fan, I want to see him fight the absolute best.  A talent like Pacquiao comes around once in a generation, he should not be wasting his time with non-elite fighters.

Below is a list of acceptable fights for Manny by weight division:

@ 135 JMM*
@ 140 Timothy Bradley
@ 140 Devon Alexander
@147 Andre Berto
@147 Floyd Mayweather
@147 Sugar Shane Mosley
@154 Sergio Martinez*
@154 Paul Williams*
*Only acceptable catch weight fights.

In other words, Antonio Margarito is not a suitable opponent for the supposedly best fighter in the world, especially following Clottey.

Another problem with this fight is that it marks the third consecutive time that Pacquiao is fighting against a fighter under the same promotional company.  His last three opponents, including Margarito, are Top Rank fighters.  He is fighting he best fighters with a Top Rank promotional contract, not necessarily the best fighters available in or around his weight class.  The exceptional promoting by Top Rank and Manny’s general appeal have sold the fight to the media and fans.  Take a guess how many of the 8 potential opponents named above are promoted by Top Rank.  NONE. 

Lastly, to make matters worse, it is an outright mockery of championship belts that this fight is sanctioned for a 154lb title belt.  If there are going to be four belts for every division, at least the best fighters should fight for and HOLD the belts. Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez is the last WBC 154lb champ, thus, if Pacquiao wants the WBC super welterweight title he should be fighting Maravilla, not Margarito.  Martinez vacated his belt to fight for the middleweight championship of the world, which he won. Neither Margarito nor Pacquiao have fought anyone of note in the supper welterweight division to merit consideration for fighting for a title. 

While the winner of Pacquiao vs. Margarito may be the 154-pound WBC titleholder, the winner will be no Super Welterweight Champion.

Boxing fans should not be paying $50 to view Pacquiao vs. Margarito, when we could be paying to watch Pacquiao vs. Mayweather or Berto for welterweight supremacy or settling the score with Juan Manual Marquez. I may miss out on the fight of the year, but that is ok, because I at least I know I won’t be suckered out of my fifty bucks.

Boxing is in Season: Week 1

 HBO and Showtime will be showing exciting fights through the months of November and December.  If you are free on Saturday nights this November, and subscribe to either HBO or Showtime, check out their fights. 


First up on Saturday, November 6th, both HBO and Showtime are televising fights.  The fights might be televised at the same time, if so, I will be watching the Showtime telecast.  Why?  While both the HBO and Showtime broadcast have the potential for competitive fights that might end in knockouts, the Showtime fights are showcasing better fighters in better fights.   The fights for this Saturday night are listed below. 

HBO

• Zab Judah vs. Lucas Matthysse - Jr. Welterweight fight
• Robert Guerrero vs. Vicente Escobedo - Jr. Lightweight fight

Showtime

• Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Rafael Marquez - Featherweight fight.
• Glen Johnson vs. Allan Green - Super Middleweight fight.

The Lopez v Marquez fight is the one I am most excited about.  It is a classic battle of the old timer (Marquez) somewhat past his prime against a young stud in his prime (Lopez).  Marquez has the edge in technique, but Lopez, is bigger, younger, stronger and faster.  Check out highlights of Lopez here. While I expect Lopez to win in a competitive battle, I will not count out Marquez.  His skill and heart will serve him well in this fight. Marquez engaged in two consecutive fight of the year battles, check out some highlights here.

While I would normally recommended to my friends to pass on this type of fight, Marquez is good enough, and Lopez's chin is vulnerable enough, for Marquez to pull off the upset.  This might be the last stand for Marquez, and he has earned the support of the fans.  Lopez does not need to defeat Marquez to establish himself as the best featherweight on the planet.  To do that, he needs to beat Chris John. 


The co-feature is an interesting fight.  Both Johnson and Green (click on the fighter's name to view their best KO) are replacements for injured fighters in Showtime's Supper Six Tournament.  Johnson always brings the heat and Green has something to prove.  The fact that Johnson is older and coming down in weight might effect his punch output, thus opening the door for Green to do his thing.  


If you do not subscribe to Showtime, check out the fights at HBO.  Judah always makes for interesting fights, and Guerrero (one of my favorite fighters) is usually a very busy fighter.   I'm passing on the Guerrero fight because he absolutely stunk out the joint in his last fight.  He needs to redeem himself a little as a prize fighter.  


There you go folks, a little background for the fights this Saturday.  Next week, I'll state my case for why I am boycotting the Pacquiao vs Margarito fight.  

Problems with Boxing: Paper Champions

Click here to read UBP's latest column on All Access Sports Network.  It combines both Problems with Boxing posts.

Can DLH Povide a Better Product to Boxing Consumers?

There has been a lot of reaction from Oscar de la Hoya's recent comments on his company's intention to dominate the business of boxing.  The attention given to de la Hoya's comments stems from his celebrity and honesty.  Companies usually say they want to be the "industry leader," not the dominate entity.

DLH stated that he would like to see boxing programming reach a point where there is "a monthly PPV, [and] a bi-weekly HBO fight." He also said that boxing needs "one major promoter."

The thing is, most multimillion dollar businesses look to gain as much market share as possible. Why wouldn't GBP want to dominate the business of boxing, that is their business.  From a fans perspective, if having one promoter entails more high caliber fights, then I'm all for it.   I really do not care about the promoter's perspective; you can read Steve Kim's article to learn their reactions (this is not intended to be a knock on Kim).  You can checkout the Boxing Truth's perspective here - it is more a fan's perspective.    I have yet to read an article from the fighter's perspective.

To be honest, I could really care less if Arum, King, Duva, or Shaw continue to make money in the business of boxing.  Some of these promoters may be good at developing fighters and a local fan base, but they are collectively horrible at putting out a great boxing product and growing the sport.

As a fan, I would be against a Golden Boy Promotions monopoly, or any monopoly for that matter, if fans have to buy monthly PPV shows to see the best fights.   Fans already pay for Showtime and HBO to watch the best boxers, we do not want to shell out an additional $50 a month to watch the best fights. The United Boxing Payers is in favor of boycotting PPV shows if they are sub par.

Generally, having one business dominate the market share is bad for consumers.  Would that hold true for boxing?  It depends?  Right now, the free market model in boxing is not delivering the products boxing consumers really want.  I'm sure economists and MBAs can develop a business model similar to baseball, football, and basketball where there are multiple owners in one promotional entity and market the sport as a whole.  Short of that, a monopoly might be the best bet for fight fans.

Lets take a closer look at a boxing monopoly model.  According to Wikipedia, a "monopoly exists when a specific individual or an enterprise has sufficient control over a particular product or service to determine significantly the terms on which other individuals shall have access to it."

This is what Golden Boy Promotions is trying to do.  While HBO is not a monopoly, they exhibit significant control of the market with their ability to pay a premium to televise fights.  HBO with its seemingly significant control over televised boxing, for whatever reasons refuses to determine the terms in a manner that delivers the best fights possible.  It is almost as they do not know how to use their market share to deliver best product and grow the sport.  By "grow" the sport, I am taking about increasing ratings on HBO boxing programing and HBO subscriptions.

A big difference between monopolies and perfection competition market structures is market power.  That is, having the "the ability to raise prices without losing all one's customers to competitors."

If Golden Boy Promotions did have a monopoly, could they raise the prices of PPV shows?  Not by very much if they plan to do monthly shows. They will exercise their market power by doing monthly PPV shows instead of increasing the price of a few shows.

If GBP does succeed in their quest for being the promoter with monopoly like market power, fans can expect to have to pay more regularly for PPV shows, but will likely receive more and better entertainment for their money.  While the price of being a boxing fan will likely increase, we will at least have the option of watching the best fight the best.

Additionally, under one promoter, boxing will have a chance to grow in popularity.   By being a monopoly like business, any investment in the sport will likely be recuperated by the organization.  The UFC has invested heavily into mma, and they have recuperated their investment.  Right now, if promoters invest in the sport (such as developing talent or marketing) they may not necessarily be the ones to whom will benefit.

Oscar de la Hoya's Strategic Plan

This is an interesting interview about Oscar de la Hoya's strategic plan to consolidate the business of boxing.

If he can pull it off,  will it be good or bad for fans and the sport?