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.
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