Boxing, Texas Stadium and Pitchmen

There was a time, not too far in the recent past, when I was a die hard fan of the sweet science. That time has come and went. Maybe I am a product of the times, but I have become a mixed martial arts fan. That's right, I love the UFC or the Ultimate Fighting Championships. The fights are more exciting and the human interest stories surrounding the fighters are a lot more interesting than boxing. Let's face it. Boxing is on the decline. In a few years it will be like Latin, dead.

The boxing promoters are trying to sell a severely watered down product. I never thought I would say this, but instead of five relevant championship fights with equally matched combatants, you are getting five mismatches that don't matter. Maybe it's a sign of the times, but I am not one to go quietly into the night. I used to tell myself that the under card is the suffering I must go through to get to the main event. These days, the main event is not even worth the price of admission.

Yesterday I was watching the previews of the Manny Pacquiao/Joshua Clottey fight. I'm sorry to say this but this is not the fight everybody wants to see. Manny Pacquiao is a great fighter with fast hands and an unrelenting brutal style, one that you would expect from a guy who grew up in poverty in the Phillipines. The champion is bona fide superstar and represents the best in a World Champion. Joshua Clottey is a rugged fighter from Ghana with credible skills. However, Clottey does not possess the skills to give Pacquiao a real challenge. The man that should be on the other side of the ring from Manny is welterweight kingpin Floyd Mayweather. Why hasn't it happened? I'll tell you why. Manny Pacquiao won't agree to a blood test less than thirty days before any fight. Floyd Mayweather will not fight Manny unless he agrees to this more stringent form of testing. Where does this leave us?

It leaves us with a fight that true boxing fans are lukewarm about. It leaves me with a decision that's not hard to make. I refuse to spend $54.95 plus tax to see a fight I think I know the outcome of even though the fight is taking place at Texas Stadium. Bob Arum and Jerry Jones would have you believe that this is an historic event as the fight is being held at the newly built Texas Stadium. I beg to differ. The fight is but another example of boxing promoters packaging stale fish in a beautiful luminescent package. I'm not falling for it, just as I am not falling for Jimmy Johnson's ringing endorsement of male enhancement pills. It's hard for me to imagine Jimmy Johnson and his Brylcreemed coiffed pompadour sitting ringside and popping an Extenze pill while sitting next to President Bush, Bob Arum and God knows who else. Do you want to talk about belt tightening in a bad economy? Well the buck stops here mister.