Tom Bradley-Manny Pacquiao
SEVEN MONTHS DOWN 2012 BOXING ROAD
San Francisco, CA– The 2012 boxing season is half over. What have been the big big moments of boxing thus far? I guess the real stunner through almost seven months of the year was the Tim Bradley win, be it deserved or not, over Manny Pacquiao. Congress took note, yes the mighty Congress of the United States got involved. Sen. John McCain took to the Senate floor and railed about the two-point win split decision win Bradley got over Pacquiao June 9.
THE PACNUTS HAVE BEEN MUTE!
But you know what surprises me, is that nobody is bitching about it anymore. Why am I surprised? Well it was being called an atrocity, if that’s what it was, how come nobody is screaming about it now? Because it’s boxing, AKA the red light district of sports. And if you happen to be a true follower of boxing you know this is business as usual. I mean guys get ripped off all the time, but Manny Pacquiao getting jobbed, if he did, that would be worth more than 2 weeks headlines.
NOT EVEN IN THE CHAT ROOMS
But no, six to seven weeks later, it’s just old news. I remember the last time Congress tried to get involved with boxing the result that came forth was the impotent Muhammad Ali Boxing Act of 1996, which is worth about as much as the paper it was written on, at least as far as benefiting the boxers. Supposedly, again under the Ali Act promoters are supposed to lay everything on the table. By everything I mean the TV money, the live gate, foreign sales, even memorabilia, and I’m told that’s just not happening.
WISHING FOR GOLD AND GOT ALUMINUM?
Maybe it is just me but I thought the Ali Act was going to be a godsend. Initially it was, but once it got on the Senate floor it took four years and a lot of watering down to get the bill through Congress. Some blame Sen. McCain, others say it was Harry Reid, the Senator from Nevada, that he was doing this for his constituents, the people that make the real money from boxing in Nevada, the promoters and the casinos.
LIKE A JAW WITH ONLY GUMS!
The bill as it sits now is like a shark with no teeth. I mean this is a Federal law, the Ali Act in yet in 12 years of existence the Association of Boxing Commissions has never launched any serious regaring perceived or real corruption, the ABC, they pretty much don’t want to rock the boat. You see in boxing more people “go along just to get along.” That may be the case in any vocation, but in boxing more people do what they can to survive in what truly is he is, a dog eat dog world!
MY PARTING SHOTS….
For the most part boxers are vastly underpaid. I mean think about it, $600 for a four round fight? I see Richard Schaefer, the Golden Boy Promotions CEO said the UFC could learn something from boxing. Well boxing could learn something from the UFC. On the “UFC On Fuel TV” card from San Jose, CA, the lowest purse on the 22-fighter bill was was given to Dan Stittgen and that was $6,000. The most went to the upset main event winner Chris Weidman who got $22,000 and a $22,000 bonus for beating Mark Munoz who received $42,000. My parting shot here, maybe Manny really didn’t get robbed at all?
Pedro Fernandez