F--- boxing

More scheduling bullshit last night on Fox: the Porter-Ugas card was scheduled for two hours so I set the PVr for 2:30. After a predictable two-round squash in the first fight, we get a 10-round swing fight (which was a very spirited rumble), loads of promo for Spence-Garcia and the main event finally starts when the broadcast was scheduled to end. Got exactly seven rounds of the main event. As others have noted here, if this is HBO, Showtime or PPV it's not that big a deal but for a network that has this event in a two-hour block to fuck it up is ridiculous.

In the 70s and 80s when you tuned into a network fight on a weekend afternoon the biggest issue was how long you'd have to sit through other shit before the fight came on. Not like ABC was ringing the opening bell on a fight on Wide World at 6:30 or something.

 

Good read:

 

Yep, drives me nuts. But I guess the TV people are terrified for early knockouts and for some reason it's better to err on the side of running long than running short.

 

Surprised/not surprised Spence overwhelmed Garcia.

 

Watching the post fight it didn't seem like Pacquiao was really jumping at the thought of Spence being his next fight even though it's probably a better PPV payday than Keith Thurman. I can't say I blame him.

I've seen Spence against the bigger man (Kell Brook) and the smaller man (Garcia) and either way his accuracy with the power shots after the sixth round really impresses me.

 

Mikey was in the top-10 of my p4p list.

The real question is when does Spence fight Crawford?

 

When Crawford leaves Top Rank or when Spence leaves the Al Haymon/PBC group.

So. Never.

 

Mikey is still damn good. He was just out of his element taking that big a jump in weight class to face that guy.

 

Try being in the arena for one of those. Was covering a card carried by UniMas a few years back, featuring local hero Jose Ramirez (current WBC super lightweight champ). Gym was packed, all wanting to see Ramirez. First fight on the televised portion went quickly and we started waiting ... and waiting ... . Did I mention they were serving beer at the arena? I checked with one of the UniMas people on the floor - they were showing a fight recorded earlier in the card.

As for Ramirez's fight. A beaut. First knockdown in the first round takes place right in front of me, literally. Had it not been for ropes, the tomato can would have been in my lap. Second and last knockdown happened maybe 30 seconds later, on the other side of the ring where our shooter was set up.

 

If he ends up fighting Lomachenko, I don't think he'll do any better. He had a really hard time getting his lead foot on the outside of Spence's, which is what you're supposed to do against a southpaw. Lomachenko is another southpaw who may be smaller than Spence, but he has better technical skills.

 

As far as the PBC is concerned, Crawford doesn't exist.

That said, I can understand Spence preferring a fight with an older Pacquaio to a fight with Crawford or even Thurman. Probably just as much, if not more, money and much more winnable.
Crawford/Spence is a 50/50 fight. Spence/Thurman is a fight Spence would probably win, but there's still more risk than with a 40-year-old Pacquaio and less money.

 

Which again, isn't likely to happen because of promotions...