GET SCREWED & LIFE GOES ON FOR EVERYONE EXCEPT THE VICTIMS
Los Angeles, CA– Have you ever noticed that when a fighter is wronged in the sport of boxing, life just goes on? Well in the case of Erislandy Lara, Gabriel Campillo and Richard Abril, it appears as a result of being wronged their careers have stalled. Unfortunately, it’s just the boxing business as usual. When I refer to business, it’s business as usual for promoters who are so hell bent on building a product that die hard fans won’t want to view boxing because it almost appears corrupt and unjust.
WHAT HAPPENED TO BEING REWARDED FOR HARD WORK?
Brandon Rios will be featured on HBO in July
I get tired of beating a dead horse and repeating myself over and over, but why is it that when a fighter is done wrong by the boxing establishment the majority of people look the other way or take a blind eye? Former WBA lightweight (135 lbs) champion Brandon Rios (30-0, 22 KOs) who failed to make the contracted limit of 135 for the second fight in a row, was then handed one of the most incomprehensible decisions in recent memory over Richard Abril (17-3-1, 8 KOs) in April, will have a showcase bout on HBO July 7th. Excuse my French, but what in the **** did Rios do to deserve such an opportunity?
IS RIOS BLACKMAILING PROMOTER BOB ARUM WITH DIRTY PHOTOGRAPHS?
I understand the promoter Top Rank standing behind their client, but shouldn’t HBO show some integrity here? Unfortunately integrity and HBO Boxing hasn’t been used in the same sentence since then HBO Sports Vice President Lou Di Bella left in 2000. Beyond being rewarded for his lack of professionalism, Rios didn’t make weight and then came back to the scale some time later HEAVIER than he was the first time! Again, WTF? Now he gets to step in the ring against always game but limited Mauricio Herrera (18-2, 7 KOs), a fighter who was beaten in his last fight. It looks entertaining on paper, but I wouldn’t mind Abril getting the fight he deserved, and the pay he earned by exposing Rios by winning 10 out of 12 rounds and then getting heisted on the scorecards. Has the boxing establishment, as a whole can it even spell integrity? In team sports when an organization scores a win they get rewarded, in this sport when you beat the house guy, they steal your wallet and tell you to get to the back of the line.
WHAT ABOUT THE SODOMY OF GABRIEL CAMPILLO?
Earlier in the year in one of the most one-sided fights in recent memory, Gabriel Campillo (21-4-1, 8 KOs), who’s been on the wrong end of a number of dubious decisions, won at least nine or ten of the 12 rounds versus IBF light heavyweight (175) champion Tavoris Cloud (24-0, 19 KOs), only to be on the wrong end of a horrendous decision. This wasn’t a “negative” performance as the Brits would say. After being knocked down twice in the first round, he dished out punishment for the remaining 11, having the champion bloodied and battered, only to not have the decision rendered justly. He’s been missing in action since, however the Don King promoted Cloud has a fight scheduled against Jean Pascal on Showtime in the coming months. As much as people like HBO’s Larry Merchant say these belts are meaningless, this is a case where a strap around Campillo’s waist helps his marketability, would definitely enhance his compensation for any upcoming bout and likely garner the Spaniard a spot on premium cable.
IN REGARDS TO LARA, PEDRO’S STORY FROM EARLIER IN THE WEEK
You might want to click on the link at the bottom of this page written by Pedro Fernandez regarding the treatment of Erislandy Lara, the #1 ranked WBC contender for Mexican Saul Alvarez, who was slated to fight #2 guy Paul Williams before he was crippled earlier this week in a motorcycle wreck. Alvarez who hasn’t made a mandatory defense since June 2011 when he faced a limited and dubious #1 ranked Ryan Rhodes. In his title winning effort, Alvarez faced welterweight (147) Matthew Hatton, who had about as much business being in the ring with “Canelo” as I do! Alvarez will bypass #1 Lara and instead face James “Soft Beard” Kirkland in September.
NO WONDER THE UFC & MMA PASSED BOXING UP IN 2006!
In closing, the reason why I keep reiterating this topic is because I am sick and tired of the culture that exists in this sport. Everyone is up in arms after a bad decision, or when a promoter screws a fighter over, or when they fail to deliver in their fiduciary duties. However, the majority of the media who have the power to constantly bring this to the public’s attention on a consistent basis are too concerned with passing off glorified press releases as stories or too afraid to piss off promoter A, B, or C, fearful of having their media credentials taken away and I’m sickened by it. If the boxing establishment doesn’t get it’s act together and treat fighters with the proper respect they deserve, except for a group of flunkies impersonating writers, real scribes won’t make an effort to cover these events anymore. One thing’s for sure in case you haven’t figured it out yet, but here at RingTalk.com, we are proud that the people writing here don’t kiss anyone’s ass in this more often than not despicable business! Click for: Should Erislandy Lara Sue Oscar De La Hoya’s GBP For Hindering His Career?
Kevin “KP” Perry