Why Boxing Is In Desperate Need Of Fighters With Confidence

Be on the lookout

There once was a time not so long ago at all where I felt both Carl Frampton and Leo Santa Cruz had a chance to beat Guillermo Rigondeaux. Sadly, it appears I had more faith in both men's ability than they themselves did. Why? Because they've both gone out of their way to avoid poor Rigo in order to face each other. To make matters worse, both men are being applauded for facing one another. More on that later.

Right now let's focus on Frampton and Santa Cruz. You can say both men are ignoring Rigo for financial reasons. You can say both men are avoiding Rigo in order to move on to greener pastures. You can't say, however, that both men are exuding confidence. I don't believe that for a second and neither do you. Nope, there's more afoot here than smart career maneuvers. There is obviously a distinct lack of confidence at play when it comes to these men keeping away from Guillermo Rigondeaux.

In this, however, they are not alone. Canelo Alvarez seems to lack confidence when it comes to the prospect of facing Gennady Golovkin. Or at least his handlers do. Angel Garcia essentially asked aloud why a fighter should challenge himself when he didn't have to. Perhaps if Angel had more confidence in his son Danny's ability he wouldn't be asking questions like that. And let's not even get started on Adonis Stevenson.

Here's the truth - boxers aren't cowards. Modern boxers, however - at least those of note - tend to lack confidence. If they didn't, well, we'd see the best fight the best. And we're just not seeing that. At least not on a regular basis. Men who are willing to risk life and limb in the ring are shying away at the prospect of being underdogs. They also apparently believe they can't save their respective careers from damaging losses, even though men like Tim Bradley and Alvarez himself clearly indicate otherwise.

There's something else concerning in all this, however - and that's the role we modern fight fans play in this sad state of affairs. As I mentioned earlier, lots of people are thrilled at the prospect of Frampton fighting Santa Cruz. Great fight, they say. Besides, they argue, Rigo is boring. Who needs him?

Ask yourself this - could you imagine your average football, soccer, baseball, basketball or tennis fan employing the same mentality? Of course not. And that's why boxing's fan base is so much smaller than it could be. There's no real drama at play anymore, no way to find out who's the best, At this rate, boxing may someday be reduced to a pro bowling sized fan base.

And we fans will have no one to blame but ourselves.

Who Is The Top Fighter In Each Division? Here's Your Answers.

Who sits atop the hill? 

Ruling organizations, hyper marketing and confusion have made title belts lose an enormous amount of luster. Sure, championships should generally count for something big, but right now they're nothing more than marketing tools, it seems. So, who is REALLY the top fighter in each division? Check out the list below...and let me know if you disagree.

Heavyweight - Tyson Fury. Wladimir Klitschko was the man, then Fury beat the man. It's as simple as that.

Cruiserweight - Krzyszto Glowacki The man took Steve Cunningham to school last weekend...a very determined Steve Cunningham. Enough said, really. 

Light Heavyweight - Sergey Kovalev Until someone comes along and proves otherwise...

Super Middleweight - James DeGale Perhaps the most under-rated practitioner in the sport

Middleweight - Gennady Golovkin No one wants to fight this guy. Say no more.

Junior Middleweight - Erislandy Lara Talk about a guy who never gets the props he deserves.

Welterweight - Tim Bradley Frequently ignored, it seems, by everyone but Pacquiao and perhaps Brook. Conveniently so. 

Junior Welterweight - Terence Crawford...by a hair. Viktor Postol awaits, Bud. 

Lightweight - Anthony Crolla The way he beat Darleys Perez in their rematch puts him atop this heap.

Junior Lightweight - Nicholas Walters I know, I know, he should have faced Loma. He's still the man here at Junior Lightweight, though. 

Featherweight - Gary Russell Jr With Loma moving up in weight, there can be only one honcho...and no, it ain't Santa Cruz

Super Bantamweight - Guillermo Rigondeaux See Gennady Golovkin

Bantamweight - Shinsuke Yamanaka Undefeated in 27 fights with a classical, effective style. This division is his. 

Junior Bantamweight - Naoya Inoue  Carlos Cuadras is good. I just think Inoue is a little better. 

Flyweight - Roman Gonzalez Perhaps the best fighter in all of boxing

Strawweight - Akira Yaegashi Sure, Gonzalez beat him once, but Yaegashi is still the boss 

Is Manny Really Retired?

Stuff to ponder...

First things first - Manny Pacquiao looked terrific last night. Criticize all you want, if it were anyone but Manny, his showing would be universally lauded - as it pretty much is already. Before we go any further, though, let's give some props here to Tim Bradley, as well. The man is an amazing fighter in his own right. The bottom line is there's simply no shame or detriment in losing to certain timelessly elite individuals, and yeah, Manny is one of those.

So...is the man truly retired as he claims? Or almost claims? It's hard to tell, really. Truth be told, it seems like PacMan's family wants him out of the ring for good. What's more, he's running for a pretty high office back home in the Philippians. If he wins - and I suspect he will, though I haven't read any recent polls - it will take a whole lot of his time.

Still, as I've written elsewhere, boxing is like a siren song for aging fighters. It just keeps luring them in towards the rocks with promises of future accolades and copious amounts of cash. Let's face it, there has to be a certain rush to winning at a Manny Pacquiao level, as well. Then, of course, there's a certain Las Vegas native who himself has claimed to be retired. The two men have met before. Could it be possible that -

The truth is that one never knows. Manny-Floyd was widely considered a dud last year, true, but when aging fighters like Mayweather and Pacquiao continue to be better than their younger peers, it's only natural that people call for a second act. I suspect that Manny-Floyd II won't happen, though. The whole thing would just prove too knotty and headachey to pull off a second time.

That doesn't mean Manny is necessarily finished, however. There's a lot of talented young blood he could show up right now, after all. Should he though? Sometimes it's best to do what's right for oneself and one's family rather than one's fans.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Will Pac-Bradley III Be A Pay Per View Dud?

Let's not all get too excited here

Will the third Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley fight be a pay per view dud? I frankly have no idea since I'm a boxing writer, not a marketing analyst. Still, I think there's a lot wrong here, which is too bad, since I'm actually eager to see this fight go down. The undercard is good, too, which makes me even more eager to watch the festivities. Again, however, there's a lot wrong here.

First and foremost, this third fight between these most excellent fighters is most certainly NOT a pay per view affair, at least not at the price being charged, it isn't. As I've written before, this has the makings of one of the best HBO fights around, a ratings bonanza, not a PPV epic.The high cost of doing business with top level stars, however, has led to something no one I know of really thinks is a good idea. It's a good matchup, sure, but fans shouldn't have to pay just because of fighter's salaries and production costs.

There's also the matter that fans are tired of the whole Manny-Mayweather era. People want to move on. It's only natural. To insist that last year's big tickets are still this year's big tickets borders on insulting, especially when more interesting matchups could have been made with the talent involved.

Lastly, there's the matter of Bob Arum. Sure, he used to work for RFK, but boxing is not the place for liberal politics. Indeed, it's not the place for ANY politics. Fans tune in to get away from that sort of thing and now Arum's brought the already bombastic 2016 presidential election into the boxing ring with him.

Exasperating stuff.

Like all fans of the sport, I'd like to see boxing succeed. If Manny-Tim III tanks out on pay per view, however, the people behind it have only themselves to blame.

Win Lose Or Draw, Tim Bradley Deserves Credit. Here's Why.

Bradley's path has never been one of least resistance

Look at Tim Bradley's resume and try saying the man hasn't had an impressive career. Here's a guy who has fought absolutely everyone he's been able to. How many other name fighters can the same be said of in this day and age? In a sense, Bradley is the antithesis of the popular modern boxer. He works hard, he's not flashy, and he takes on all comers.

Which brings us to his third go round with Manny Pacquiao this Saturday. I personally think Desert Storm may pull it off this time, but even if he doesn't it's time to give the man the credit he deserves. He's Hall of Fame material by virtue of his list of victories alone. Never mind that first controversial Pacquiao fight. Let names like Provodnikov, Marquez and Peterson seep in. These are serious opponents the man has bested.

At the moment, Bradley suffers from the fact that he's essentially all go and no show. He's what we think we want in a fighter, but really don't. People don't expect the pay per view numbers for Pacquiao-Bradley III to do well. Just imagine how through the roof they'd be if the bout were between Pacquiao and the less capable but more colorful Adrien Broner instead. That's something worth thinking  about.

Still, there's little doubt that Bradley has managed to be exceedingly successful at the fight game. He's quietly earned a fortune while also earning the belated respect of fans. Now it's time for the guy to earn the love. Lesser fighters have gotten a lot more accolades than the California native has. There's something essentially wrong with that picture.

Why Focus On Broner When There's Bradley?

Some things are just worth asking

A lot of people have taken to Twitter today to knock Adrien Broner for not making weight for a fight - and for subsequently losing a title belt on the scales - yet again. There are others, though, who have taken to the internet to inform the world that enough is enough when it comes to Broner, that he's worn out his welcome in the fight world.

The truth is I don't know what's wrong with Broner, but a lack of sportsmanship is a lack of sportsmanship. And not making weight repeatedly is, obviously,  indicative of chronic irresponsibility. So, even with all the outside the ring behavior, even with all the gloating and arrogance, it may be time to move on past Broner simply because he doesn't take his fighting career seriously enough.

Indeed, it's really hard to care about Broner when someone like Tim Bradley brings it over and over and over again. A family man, a hard worker and an individual who's eager to always improve his craft, Bradley is certainly a man worthy of attention - whether he beats Manny Pacquiao in their third match or not.

In fact, it may be worth wondering why Broner gets so much attention while the far more accomplished Bradley generally has spent his career under the radar. Sure, he's well known, but Bradley's just not the media magnet Broner is. Is showmanship that important? Is having a terrific resume simply not enough?

Sadly, at this point it's pretty clear what the answer is.

What If Pacquiao Wins Big?

Things to ponder...

Let's face it - the Mayweather-Pacquiao era is over. But that doesn't mean we've seen the last of Manny. Even though it's a pretty safe bet many would simply  like the sport to move one, Pacquiao is still fighting Tim Bradley next month. Frankly, I have a feeling Bradley may pull it off this time. But what if he doesn't? What if PacMan looks not only good, but really good? What will people say, then?

Well, it will be hard to argue that Manny isn't the best welterweight in the sport, even if he did lose to Mayweather last year. Timothy Bradley is no joke, after all. Indeed, some people forget just how strong Bradley's resume is. I myself feel he's already earned the right to be a Hall of Famer. The fact that, should Pacquiao win in April, most people would feel he beat Bradley three straight times is saying a lot.

Ask yourself this - can anyone in the division right now beat a quality Pacquiao? Thurman? Porter? Garcia? Brook? Would any of those men be favored against a Manny whose performing at the level he did against Rios and Algieri? Probably not. Again, that's saying a lot.

So let's not be so quick to write Pacquiao off just yet. While it's true the sport of boxing needs a breath of fresh air, believing Manny really is one fight away from retirement might be putting the cart before the horse. I suspect he'll be back if he wins in May and I get the feeling I'm not alone.

The Mayweather-Pacquiao era may indeed be over. The career of Pacquiao, however, just might end up having good reason to keep chugging along.

Five Current Fighters You Can Tell Your Kids About

Some people deserve to stand out from the crowd

Here's the truth - I don't know what the following men are like in person. At most, I've spoken to them over the phone. For all I know they can be terrible people. Just terrible. The truth, however, is that we can ALL be terrible people - at least at times, and that's something to keep in mind when it comes to pointing fingers.

With that out of the way, here's five guys who parents can actually point out to their kids and say; "You could take a lesson from him." That's something that's rarely, if ever, said about boxers any more. Let's just say it's time for a change.

1. Shawn Porter: Gives it his all each and every time out. Isn't afraid to challenge himself. Isn't afraid to fail. Never arrogant in public. Always polite and positive. Lives clean.
2. Tim Bradley: Family man. Quite wealthy, but never obnoxious with his money. Determined to achieve greatness in his profession despite a notable lack of explosive talent. Succeeds by putting his nose to the grindstone.
3. Bernard Hopkins: Went to jail, got out and never went back in. Learned from his mistakes. Became a master craftsman through hard work and dedication. Went on to earn millions. Spokesperson for clean living. 
4. Chris Algieri: Looked silly in front of the whole world . Got up and kept going anyway. Got better rather than bitter. Came back and earned respect the hard way. Willing to challenge himself despite the odds.
5. Keith Thurman: Not afraid to be himself. Ever.