Could Boxing Take A Lesson From The Maria Sharapova Story?

Perhaps you've heard by now - tennis star Maria Sharapova has been banned from playing professional tennis for two years - that's a hell of a long time - for doping. Funny how boxers who get caught doping don't seem to receive those types of punishments, even though boxers - unlike tennis players - can literally kill one another in the practice of their trade.

Nope. What we get in boxing is TUEs and arguments of "mistakes" and "small amounts." Best of all, we get arguments of "who even cares?" or "if you had a clue about this or that drug then you'd know it's no big deal." Again, we're talking about a sport where people concuss one another. That makes it a big deal to me.

Look, I'm not saying that every fighter who ever tested positive for a banned substance is a juicer. Nor am I saying that draconian punishments should be the law of the land. Is it wrong to ask, though, if those who handed Sharapova down her punishment got it right? Or if the UFC gets it right for it's supposed "no excuses" policy?

As Gennady Golovkin makes clear, boxing isn't a sport to be taken lightly. It's serious, serious, business...sometimes of the life and death variety. Are we so open minded that we're laissez faire about individual fighter's well being? If we are, then I argue we're not open minded at all. Rather, we're sociopathic.

Fortunately, I don't think we are. At least not the vast majority of us.

Let's Face It: Canelo-Khan Should Have Never Happened

Canelo Alvarez looked terrific against Amir Khan. He walked down a fast and very skilled opponent who had been frustrating him and laid him out in a fashion that will be long remember and replayed on countless video clips. Impressive stuff. There's a problem afoot here, though, one that needs to be mentioned:

This fight should have never happened.

Nope. Canelo should have fought the fearsome Gennady Golovkin, not a naturally smaller man from two divisions south of middleweight. At the very least Canelo should have faced a solid middleweight. This wasn't about matchmaking, though, so much as it was about sharp marketing. The goal was to have Canelo bring in money without really facing someone scary. So a top level welterweight was brought in to legitimize the proceedings.

And everyone went along with it - myself included. Oh, we let it be known that our eyebrows were raised, that we knew what the whole thing was really all about - but we still watched it, we still talked about it and, yeah, guys like me got a lot of clicks writing about it. And then we all sat there for a moment on Saturday night wondering if Khan would be able to get up. Something to think about.

It's understandable that we all bought into this - but from here on in we need to know better.

Why Canelo Has A Big Decision To Make

Canelo has things to ponder

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Canelo Alvarez is good for boxing. He's exciting, he's a decent guy (at least he was when we briefly spoke) and he brings some much needed attention to the sweet science here in the post Mayweather-Pacquiao era. With that in mind, however, Canelo has a big decision to make - provided he bests Amir Khan this weekend, as many suspect he will.

Yup, Canelo has to decide whether he wants to try to be a great fighter or if he'd rather be merely a lucrative fighter. There's a big difference between these two categories and only few are able to be both lucrative AND legitimately great. Canelo has certainly made a lot of money. What he hasn't done, however, is achieved greatness. At least not yet.

In order for him to do that, Canelo will either have to face Gennady Golovkin in the ring or give up his middleweight title and challenge himself at a weight he's more comfortable at. It really is that simple. While people will forgive Canelo for fighting the very skilled Amir Khan, the fact that Khan has never fought higher than welterweight has raised some eyebrows.

And while Canelo-Khan may well be a successful and popular fight, people will start losing respect, REALLY start losing respect, for Canelo if he continues to not face Golovkin while insisting he can keep the middleweight title. If he emerges from this weekend victorious, Canelo will indeed find himself entering a new chapter in his life with all eyes upon him.

Frankly, I'd like to see him face Golovkin. If he simply abandons the middleweight title, however, I can live with it. If Canelo wants to have his cake and eat it too, however, if he decides he wants to be king of the middleweights without fighting the number one contender, then he'll have lost me. Again, no matter what Canelo does, he can remain a hugely popular and lucrative athlete. There's big, relatively easy fights for him to make out there, after all.

In order to be great, however; in order for him to be more than a showcase fighter, he's going to have to do the uncomfortable thing. It's what greatness requires.

Gennady Golovkin Is Scary

The opposite of scary

Okay, so we all knew GGG was a pretty sharp razor walking into Saturday's fight with poor, way over his head Dominic Wade. After all, Gennady Golovkin has been tearing through the competition for years now. The problem, of course, is that few, if any, major names have been truly willing to face the man.

This led to there being question marks about the guy's skill. After all, good fighters - especially those who hit hard - have a knack of looking good against less than stellar opposition. What would actually happen, we all wondered, if and when Golovkin met some legit competition? Sadly, we may never know the answer - at least not while the man's in his prime.

What we can assume from Saturday night, however, is that GGG is no hype job. It isn't that Wade was a step up in class - it's that Golovkin was nearly disturbing in his destruction of the man. When you've been watching the sport as long as I have (don't ask), you truly do get a sense of things. Take Tyson, for instance. I remember watching him before he was a household name and, believe me, those of us who watched the guy from around the start knew. We just knew.

And now, after watching GGGs utter destruction of Wade, I can tell you that GGG is the real thing. Why? Because, just like thirty years ago, I just know. Golovkin isn't just dominant. He's scary. And scary doesn't come around too frequently in boxing. Dempsey. Liston. Foreman. Tyson. Am I missing anyone? The truth is that Golovkin has that once in generation fear factor element. And no, it isn't processed by the HBO ringside team. It's legit.

I don't like the fact that the guy's avoided, but I understand. This is the type of man, in the ring at least, who nightmares are made of.

What If Canelo Loses While The GGG Fight "Marinates?"

Things worth pondering

What little interaction I've had with Canelo Alvarez has been impressive. Here, my friends, is a real gentlemen in a world of blowhards and hype jobs. In case you haven't guessed it - I like the guy. I also think he's a lot of fun to watch in the ring. Canelo fights are rarely boring, after all. There's a problem afoot, however, and that problem is called Gennady Golovkin.

Most people, after all, feel Golovkin would essentially beat the hell out of Canelo in the ring. It appears promoter Oscar De La Hoya himself is aware of that distinct possibility, because he keeps trying to push back a fight between the two men, claiming the bout needs to "marinate." For those who aren't up to date on catch phrases, "marinate" is cute-speak for a potential fight becoming more lucrative. Needless to say, marinating is good for Oscar, himself a good guy and solid promoter, but not so good for the fans - or for GGG himself.

Boxing's new breed of fans are entirely in Oscar and Canelo's corner on this, mind you. You can read their comments on boxing websites where they declare that Canelo is the "A-side," and that people who don't like the way things are need to "deal with it, bitch." Thing is, the new breed is, thank heavens, in the minority here. Most fight fans are sports fans, not reality TV fans who live vicariously through the earned wealth of famous figures.

There's something else for Oscar and Canelo to be concerned about, though - what happens if Canelo loses while his fight with GGG marinates? What if Khan somehow shocks the world next month? What if Manny Pacquiao were to somehow miraculously do to Canelo what he did to Oscar years ago? What if David Lemieux were to land a haymaker? What if Miguel Cotto were to have the fight of his life?

What then?

You, I, and everyone else clearly know what the answer is.

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 

The Top Eleven Pound For Pound Active Fighters

Some men stand alone

Here we are - with another top eleven list. Why eleven? Because ten is boring, that's why. Disagree with the selection? No problem. No one said this was holy writ. Feel free to express your opinions in the comment's section. With that in mind - he's my list of the eleven top active fighters in boxing:

1. Manny Pacquiao: Go on and roll your eyes. The guy was the greatest out there not named Mayweather all the way up until a year ago and now Mayweather's retired. Speed, Angles. Power. The man has it all. And if he's lost a step? Well then he'll probably be knocked off his perch here after the Bradley fight. 
2. Andre Ward: The guy looked good the other night. Real good. Some feel he lost some movement. I feel he may have just been putting more power into his shots. I used to favor Kovalev in a potential matchup. Now that we've seen Ward at light heavy, my opinion's changed.
3. Sergey Kovalev: Still a bad, bad man. Power and skill? The dude's got him both. Who knows? He may end up besting Ward, after all. And if that's the case, that may make Sergey the best light heavy EVER - yeah, I said it. 
4. Guillermo Rigondeaux: Lots and lots of people don't like the guy. Fair enough. No one in his general weight realm can beat him, though, with the possible exception of Vasyl Lomachenko. Don't think this guy's all that? Ask Frampton and Santa Cruz why they're probably fighting each other instead of him?  
5. Gennady Golovkin: Extreme power and the mind of a chess master. There's a reason Oscar and Canelo want things to "marinate." Face it, you wouldn't want to fight the guy, either. 
6. Roman Gonzalez: Speed. Power. Heart. Excitement. A pleasant personality. If there's something not to like about this guy, I want to know what it is. Indeed, this is one individual who may actually put smaller fighters in the spotlight. 
7. Timothy Bradley: Even if he loses again to Manny, this guy should be on his way to the Hall of Fame. A warrior who's taken on all comers and has only lost to the PacMan. This guy's the real thing - the great under-rated fighter of our era.
8. Keith Thurman: Yeah, Keith's still on my list. He's on shaky ground, though. It's been a while and his eagerness to become great seems to perhaps be tamped down a bit. We'll see how he does against Mr. Thurman in June.
9. Bud Crawford: Yup - I've become a believer. This guy's the real thing. Will he rise to the top of the post Manny-Floyd era at 135-147? Time will tell. I wouldn't bet against the Nebraska native, though.  
10. Wladimir Klitshcko: Yeah, he looked terrible against Fury. I'm going to chalk that up to a bad performance, though. He may not be the all time great we thought he was, but he's still earned a place on this list. Gotta win that rematch, though.
11. Vasyl Lomachenko: Incredibly smooth. Unbelievably skilled. Intensely confident. And yet...I'm not entirely sold on the guy. The potential is there. He needs to prove himself against a top opponent, though. Not that he isn't willing to. The warrior spirit counts for something in these parts. 

A Critical Look At Gennady Golovkin

Sometimes a critical eye is needed

So I've been watching old Hagler fights lately. Sometimes you just have to go back to the classics. Sometimes you also have to take a look at older fights to see if a "great" fighter was really as great as you've been told he was. For the record, there was never any question in my mind whether or not Hagler was great, as I was raised watching him on television. With that in mind, however, it's easy to forget exactly HOW great the man really was.

Wars with Hearns and Mugabi, along with that controversial loss to Leonard, give us an image of a pure warrior. And while that's certainly true, there were other aspects to Hagler which are easy to overlook, like his movement, and WAY underrated defensive skills. Let's just say it's worth considering that Hagler may have peaked AFTER his talent had already begin to wane.

Which brings me to the feared and avoided Gennady Golovkin. Like Hagler, people seem to want him to get old before they face him. All the best with that. For unlike Hagler, GGG has a style that conserves energy. Watching him critically, it's hard not to notice what a patient fighter the man really is. And what a technically sound one.

Here's a man, after all, who cuts off the ring better than anyone I've ever seen - or can at least remember. He also picks his shots with amazing precision. Indeed, this is a man worthy of much of the attention he's received. Is he as good as advertised, though? HBOs analysts would argue so, but HBO is in the Gennady business. What's more, GGG takes punches - frequently. That's a trait that was never particularly noticeable in Hagler. Sure, Hearns nailed him, but who WASN'T Hearns able to land on?

Watching Hagler and Golovkin in action back to back, there's little doubt that Hagler's herky-jerky energy and movement would stand out in a battle between the two. Having said that, perhaps neither Hearns nor Mugabi hit as hard as GGG. Golovkin makes people quit on a regular basis, after all. And that's really saying something.

So, could the lauded GGG hold his own against a great like, say, Hagler? It's hard to say. If Hagler could take those punches, though, I'd give the Marvelous One the edge. The fact that the discussion even merits debate, however, speaks very highly of GGG indeed.

Why Has Canelo Alvarez Become Boxing's New Bad Guy?

At the rate he's going, Canelo may soon start playing smaller venues

So no, Canelo Alvarez does not consider himself a middleweight - but he's going to hold on to the middleweight title. And while Gennady Golovkin is indeed a true middleweight, Canelo won't fight him unless GGG loses weight, possibly weakening himself in the process. Oh, and Canelo's in no big hurry to fight GGG, either. Just in case you want to know. Or not. Frankly, Canelo has made it clear he's not too interested in what most boxing fans think.

Indeed, Canelo has become a villain...and it seems to be a role he's embracing. Why, though? Why is this former warrior, this bright star in a dark night of boxing, taking such a turn?

Well, I could be wrong here. but I suspect he doesn't have much of a choice. See, Canelo's making a ton of cash these days facing the likes of Amir Khan and Miguel Cotto, terrific fighters who he should be able to beat. GGG, though, is another story entirely. I used to give Canelo a good chance against Golovkin, but now I feel either he or his team know the Kazakh cannot only beat the red haired slugger star, he can beat him out of stardom.

And then what happens? Where will all that pay per view money go? Canelo knows that fans will still pay to see him if he continues to avoid GGG - at least for a while. Eventually, of course, he'll be turned on, just like Julio Caesar Chavez Jr was. As a rule, fight fans can't abide divas. Until then, though, Canelo can still cash in. If he were to fight GGG soon, however, he wouldn't be able to cash in at all.

Canelo, simply put, is in a Catch 22 situation. He can continue making money while angering fans, or he can get his lights punched out in front of millions. And make no mistake about it, a loss to GGG most likely wouldn't be like Canelo's loss to Mayweather. No, it might well be more like Hatton's loss to Pacquiao.

And so there we have it.

I could, of course, be all wrong about this.

An Objective Look At Oscar De La Hoya, Promoter

This situation may well require a serious look

Oscar De La Hoya was some kind of fighter, let me tell you. Here was a guy who was not only talented and brave - he was game, as well. And by game, I mean willing to fight anyone. Anyone. This here was the real deal, folks. Win. Lose. Didn't matter. Oscar kept plugging along. Oh, and he usually won.

Even when he was past his prime, the guy was great. It still puzzles me why the man stopped jabbing away during his superfight against Floyd Mayweather, a fight De La Hoya was clearly winning in my eyes. Indeed, one could only imagine how things would have turned out had the Golden Boy been in his prime. As far as that final crushing loss to Manny Pacquiao goes, it was simply a bridge too far. Oscar knew it himself and wisely hung up the gloves afterwards. No shame. No damage to his sterling reputation.

Unfortunately, addiction consumed post-ring Oscar and his promotional business, it seems, faltered on account of it. Still, Oscar fought his demons and once again firmly took control of his company, Golden Boy Promotions. Everyone was happy for the guy - and with good reason. What's more, this improved version of Oscar said he wanted to see the best fight the best. As a promoter, he could have said no better words.

Thing is, now fans are starting to wonder. Canelo Alvarez, Oscar's star fighter, is not seeming at first glance like Oscar did in his prime right now. For one thing, Canelo - or his team - are insisting on a catch weight before Canelo faces the fearsome Gennady Golovkin for middleweight supremacy. What's more, that same team seems to be wanting to push back the mandatory matchup with GGG.

The problem here is that Oscar is one of the leading forces behind team Canelo - if not THE leading force. Oscar likes to say a fight with GGG needs to "marinate," but people are wondering if "marinate" means wait until GGG's boyish hair shows signs of gray. That may be unfair of people to consider, but it's what they're wondering nonetheless.

Indeed, fans are feeling something odd is afoot and that's too bad. Oscar, after all, has come a long way to rebuilding his hard earned and stellar reputation. It's also worth keeping in mind that neither Oscar nor Canelo have shown so much as an ounce of fear at the prospect of Canelo fighting GGG. So it may indeed be all about making as much money as possible on a very big matchup, as far as these men are concerned.

Still, fight fans want to see good fights. Unlike the power players that call the shots, they see boxing as a sport first, a business second. Oscar, at least at the moment, doesn't seem to see things the way fans do. His whole approach to Canelo-GGG seems a bit to coy, a bit too smooth, a bit, let's face it, too contemporary. And, in case you haven't guessed it, contemporary boxing practices are far from lauded.

With all that in mind, however, it seems Oscar may ("may" being the operative word here) have been hosed - perhaps not even intentionally - by Richard Schaefer, a Golden Boy honcho who might (again, be mindful of the operative word here - "might") have helped fight guru Al Haymon more than he did Oscar himself. In other words, Oscar's company may now be on shaky ground if its star, Canelo, loses badly.

Like it or not, boxing IS still a business and, yeah, Oscar is a businessman - one with responsibilities and mouths to feed. Then again, it's only fair to claim that boxing is a sport first and a business second. What's more, no one is forced into the promotion game. On top of that, it's Oscar who has been claiming he want to make the best fights.

Indeed, the whole thing might be considered a confusing mess. Even Schaefer might not be a snarling villain in all this. After all, he may well have only been trying to steer a company whose leader was on an extended bender through treacherous waters. It's easy to point fingers at guys like Schaefer without putting ourselves in his shoes at the time first.

The point here is that there's lots to consider when it comes to complex matters. And, yeah, believe it or not, the fight game is a complex matter. Ultimately, however, fans have a right to see the best fight the best. When that doesn't happen, the sport, and especially those power players who run it, fail in their obligations.

What If GGG Isn't Allowed To Unify The Middleweight Titles?

There's a lot of talk out there that a Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin fight won't happen this year. There's even talk that it won't ever happen at all. Yup, people are feeling that team Canelo wants absolutely nothing to do with GGG, at least not in his current, prime, menacing state. GGG's team seems to be suspicious of team Canelo as well, at this point, as it's been suggested that Golovkin would be willing to take Canelo's WBC title should Canelo not wish to face him.

Here's the thing, though:

Who's to say the WBC would EVER give Canelo's belt to Golovkin? Sure, the "rules" apparently make it clear that Canelo (or Amir Khan, should he beat Canelo) have to agree to fight GGG at a certain time or give up the belt, but since when did things like rules, sportsmanship and fairness have much of anything to do with the sport of boxing?

Here's something we all need to wrap our heads around - GGG may never unify the middleweight titles simply because the current champions will be allowed to avoid him. It's that simple, really. And no, it isn't cynical to think this way - it's realistic. I'm not saying GGG WON'T ever unify the titles, but I am saying there's a real chance he won't even be able to try to. Indeed,  the odds may be stacked against Golovkin getting the opportunities he desires in boxing's current landscape.

What, then, is GGG to do? Why, keep fighting the best out there who he's able to fight, of course. That's all the man CAN do. There's something we as fans can do, however, and that's stop caring about titles and championships. Look, I'm as drawn to official recognition as much as anyone else, but right now titles are seen as tools of corrupt individuals, and have therefore completely lost their value as anything other than marketing chips.

Ironically enough, the sooner we push titles out of the conversation, the sooner they may again gain value. And the sooner GGG will get the recognition he deserves as king of the middleweight division - provided, of course, that no other fighter of note wants to challenge him for that claim.

PS: I've always liked Canelo and am still holding out hope he does the right thing here, as the sportsman he's thus far proven himself to be.