Garcia's Decision Win Against Lamont Peterson Suggests Boxing Will Remain A Marginalized Sport

"He just didn't do enough in those early rounds."

Variations of that statement have been floating around the internet since Lamont Peterson lost a close decision on Saturday to Danny Garcia, a man he had clearly beaten up. One look at both fighter's faces after the final bell told viewers all they needed to know. Peterson's face looked to be blemish free, Garcia's face looked like raw sausage.

Yet Garcia got the victory - and the majority of boxing's fans who have subsequently taken to the internet seem to be supporting the judge's decision. For Peterson spent the first portion of the bout avoiding and flustering Garcia. While Garcia was clearly having a hard time of it, the Philadelphia native was indeed moving forward and landing the occasional shot.

The fact that Peterson went on to dominate, and to literally rearrange Garcia's appearance, proved to be irrelevant, both to the judges and to the seeming majority of boxing's closest followers. Yet it's hard to imagine the casual viewer who happened upon Saturday's NBC broadcast sharing in those sentiments - a least the casual viewer who saw the entire bout.

For boxing matches are still called "fights"...and there's no doubt Peterson, not Garcia, was the better fighter on Saturday. Peterson beat Garcia up, plain and simple. To the average viewer, who NBC and powerful boxing adviser Al Haymon are hoping to woo with these live broadcasts, the niceties of professional scoring probably don't count for much.

And that's not good for boxing. The sport's power players have been trying to bring the sweet science back from the margins for years. And now that Floyd Mayweather is facing Manny Pacquiao in a May superfight, it appears there may be a real chance for boxing to return to the mainstream American consciousness.

It might not stay there for long, however, if Saturday's decision is any indication of what the general public has in store for it. Most viewers likely won't understand how a battered Garcia could get the nod over someone like the dominant Peterson - and most might not stay interested in the sport long enough to find out.

Popular Boxer Danny Garcia Wins Decision Over Less Popular Opponent

Would Danny have won if he weren't Danny? 

He looked pretty beat up and, man, was he getting tagged at the end of the bout, but no matter. Danny Garcia won a decision over less popular boxer Lamont Peterson on Saturday night and that's all there is to it.

Undoubtedly most are happy.

To be sure, Peterson spent far too much time avoiding Garcia and not enough time throwing punches throughout the first half of the bout. When push came to shove, however, it was Peterson who landed the more effective shots and who controlled the ring. Plus he downright beat Garcia up in the last portion of  the fight.

Again, though, it didn't matter. For Danny won.

I'm not sure I'd want to face Danny Garcia if I were a welterweight fighter at the moment. For the guy has heart and a good chin...and if you can't knock him out, I suspect the judges are going to rule against you no matter how dominant you may be. Danny's a popular fighter, after all. Twitter was loaded with approving nods after the decision went his way on Saturday.

So there's that.

There's also the fact that this fight with Peterson is worth a second look. Perhaps Garcia's beat up face shouldn't matter. Perhaps the fact that he spent what seemed like a good amount of time swinging at air shouldn't matter. Perhaps a lot of things shouldn't matter.

And let's face it, in the end they don't matter. For Danny Garcia won a decision over less popular boxer Lamont Peterson on Saturday night and that's all there is to it.

Undoubtedly most are happy.

Why Isn't Kell Brook Fighting Brandon Rios?

Brook's chosen to fight someone from across the pond.

Kell Brook looked pretty great against Jo Jo Dan a few weeks ago. He also talked pretty great after the match by expressing a willingness to face all sorts of big names. One of those names, of course, was Brandon Rios.

Needless to say, Rios jumped at such an opportunity and loudly proclaimed to anyone who would listen or read his tweets that he was ready to take the talented Brook on - even in Brook's home country of England if need be.

Great stuff, right? The thought of the rising Brook facing the hardened and rejuvenated Rios was exciting. Rios knew it. Brook did, too. Why, then, has it been announced that Brook will be facing Frankie Gavin in his next bout instead of Rios?

Again, Rios made it more than clear that he was ready to throw down. What's more, it was Brook who mentioned Rios by name just weeks ago. So what gives? Is a Gavin fight simply more lucrative in England? Were there talks between the Rios and Brook camps that just fell through? Was Brook merely talking smack? Or does he see Gavin as a kind of tune up?

Inquiring minds want to know. And deserve to know.

Truth be told there's too much talk in boxing these days and not enough proactive behavior. Stevenson says he wants Kovaelv. Santa Cruz and Frampton say they're willing to fight Rigo. Meanwhile those fights don't get made.

Make no mistake about it, I like Kell Brook. I was sounding the alarm here in the states before he ever came to fight Shawn Porter. I think he's a hungry, talented, brave guy. That's why I believe an explanation is clearly in order here.

Despite what some may say, talk isn't always cheap. It certainly can be, however. And when it appears to be it should be explained.

So...what gives here?

It's Time For Top Fighters To Stop Avoiding Guillermo Rigondeaux

So there's been a lot of chatter this week about English fighter Scott Quigg facing Irish fighter Carl Frampton. Both are extremely good boxers who attract a lot of attention. But guess what? Neither man is the best in his division. What's more, neither man has shown any real interest in FACING the best in the division.

Why? Because the absolute best super bantamweight in the world is one Guillermo Rigondeaux. And Rigo is a great fighter. The chances of either Quigg or Frampton beating the Cuban slickster aren't that great so it's understandable why both men might be wary of facing the guy. Still, this is boxing we're discussing here - and boxing is a sport.

Waiting around for Rigo to age just enough to get caught by a solid shot simply doesn't pass the smell test. Nor does arguing about how boring the guy is. His matches may not always be thrilling but his KO percentage is higher than many may at first think.

What's more, arguing that Rigo's not a lucrative enough opponent only goes so far. Again, boxing is a sport. The idea of cancelling the World Series simply because both teams are small market clubs would be scoffed at. So why is the avoidance of titlists and dominant peers so acceptable in boxing?

Because the fans allow it to be. The fact that Leo Santa Cruz isn't fighting Rigo is laughable. The fact that Quigg and Frampton might well follow Santa Cruz' lead is just sad.

And unsportsmanlike.

Can John David Jackson Elevate Chris Algieri's Game?

Some people find a way to rise above the dark clouds in life

Okay, so everyone's had their fun laughing over Chris Algeiri's corner during last November's disastrous bout against Manny Pacquiao in Macao. It's time to move on, folks. People make mistakes. Sometimes very embarrassing ones. Yet they move on - and sometimes those bad moments even end up being long forgotten over time.

Remember Joe Biden's plagiarism scandal during the 1988 Democratic Party Presidential Primaries? Didn't think so. You get my point, then.

The truth is that Algieri has altered his camp a bit so now Mr. John David Jackson is at the helm. You may not have known who Jackson was a year ago, but if you've been following the career trajectory of one Sergey Kovalev, you probably know exactly who he is now.

For it was Jackson who led Kovalev to his brilliant - and I mean brilliant - victory over the legendary Bernard Hopkins last fall. Who would ever have thought the Russian could best "The Alien" through the use of strength and distance? Jackson did. That's why, for my money, he deserved to be up for trainer of the year in 2014.

Yup, Jackson's good. Make no mistake about it. That's one of the reasons why it's wise to continue to give Algieri serious attention. Algieri may never have been able to best Pacquiao in China, but one gets the impression it would have been a much closer fight if Jackson had been in command of the Algieri war room. For "champion lifestyle" would have been combined with "champion strategy."

Again, that probably still wouldn't have done the trick - but the Long Island native would have looked a whole lot better in the ring that evening. And chances are, Algieri will look a whole lot better the next time he's in action.

Word is a bout with Amir Khan looms on the horizon. Fans don't seem too happy about it, but I'm not willing to write it off as a dud. Khan's is a vastly under-rated talent, as far as I'm concerned. And Algeiri? Well, with Jackson in his corner, he may be let of the cage for real this time.

And, if you step back and think about it, that's no joke.

Seanie Monaghan To Have A Staring Role In Top Rank's Televised Card

A certain New Yorker is moving on up.

Seanie Monaghan, the rising light heavyweight from Long Island, is in the news today - and the news is good. For the man with fifteen knockouts on his record is about to take on former Olympian Cleiton Conceicao. Needless to say, this is big news indeed for the popular New Yorker.

For the bout will appear live on truTV this May 8th as part of its Main Events broadcast. Monaghan is already highly ranked and has a strong fan base. This kind of exposure can only help matters for the man from Long Beach.

Indeed, Monaghan has an exciting style that fans will take to. He's been presented well to the public and, with this extra exposure, has a real chance to broaden awareness considerably. That's important because right now the light heavyweight division is in a golden era, the likes of which haven't been seen since guys like Spinks and Qawi ruled the division.

The question now is, can Monaghan beat Conceicao? The Brazilian certainly didn't look good when he was crushed by Victor Ramierez last July in the fourth round, but he came back in impressive fashion to stop Nei Andrade de Lima in the first this past February. Let's just say Monaghan won't be the only one entering the ring on May 8th knowing what's at stake.

The card will be aired from the Prudential Center in Newark and will also feature Jersey native Glen Tapia, who will be fighting in his own backyard. Newark is relatively close to Monaghan's Long Island back yard, however, which means the man gets to stay close to home as he climbs further up the ladder.

Does Danny Garcia Get Preferential Treatment?

Sometimes, one just has to wonder.

With just days to go before he steps into the ring with fellow junior welterweight Lamont Peterson, Danny Garcia probably has a lot to pleased with. He appears to be something of a crown jewel in adviser Al Haymon's collection of notable fighters, after all.

For he's been promoted well, he's been matched to his advantage (excessively so) in the recent past, he's arguably gotten a controversial nod (against Mauricio Herrera) and now he doesn't even  need to make weight in order to fight Peterson on Saturday.

Oh, and lets not forget that Garcia's titles aren't at risk either. The IBF has reported that it will strip Peterson of his version of the junior welterweight championship should he lose on Saturday. As of this writing, I've learned of no such judgments from  the WBA and WBC, whose respective junior welterweight belts Garcia holds.

So yeah, it's safe to at least wonder aloud if Garcia is getting the favorite son treatment. Another unsettling question, however, is whether or not Garcia will get preferential treatment on Saturday.

If all goes well, the Garcia-Peterson bout will be a top level affair, with both men showcasing their considerable skill set. Say what you will about Garcia, the kid from Philly is nothing if not talented. Then again, so is Washington DC's own Peterson.

Hopefully the conclusion of Saturday's bout, which will be aired live on network television, will be definitive and non-controversial. For if Garcia somehow gets all the good calls from the ref or receives another decision of the Mauricio Herrera variety, the questions will continue being asked - only in a louder tone.

That won't be good for boxing - and it won't be good for Garcia, either. In fairness, it's worth noting that there's no evidence out there indicating such things will happen. Hopefully fans will have nothing to worry about when all is said and done.

Monday Update:

Well, it seems fans had something to worry about, after all. For Garcia won what many feel was a gift decision over Peterson on Saturday. Peterson mastered Garcia in the ring, no doubt, but Garcia's more or less ineffective aggression was apparently enough for the judges. It was a close fight, true, yet it was clear who the better fighter was.

And so we beat on...