BOXING’S NOT JUST ABOUT HBO & SHOWTIME
Pittsburgh, PA– As we toast boxing’s royalty, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Shane Mosley, for delivering the biggest events this side of Pacquiao-Mayweather to the bourgeoisie, let’s keep our glasses raised to those fighters often viewed as second-class citizens in the sport. They compete in clubs, on the off-television part of cards or, in best-case scenarios, for relatively modest paydays on ESPN and as B-sides to showcased stars. Week in and week out, including this weekend, they persevere despite being defeated, insulted or – worse – ignored, so let’s take a moment and give them their due.
ESPN OFTEN DISPLAYS THE “MIDDLE CLASS”
Shows like ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights,” Versus’ “Fight Night Club” and GoFightLive cards provide exposure and some bucks that supposedly second-rate boxers would never otherwise receive. So far this year on ESPN, we’ve seen an old veteran, faded former IBF junior middleweight (154 lb.) titleholder Roman Karmazin (40-3-1, 26 KOs) scratch and claw his way to a comeback knockout victory for one more title shot, after he’d been written off. We’ve also seen Jesse Brinkley ( 35-5, 22 KOs), a fringe contender for years (which isn’t a bad thing) who lost four of five at one point in the middle of his career, tough his way to his most celebrated win over fellow B-lister Curtis Stevens.
TWO GOOD SECOND TIER FIGHTS TONIGHT
Friday night, TV bouts feature two who formerly or currently occupy the sport’s upper middle class: On ESPN, light heavyweight (175 lb.) Yusaf Mack (28-2-2, 17 KOs) will try to outlast human truth serum Glen Johnson (49-13-2, 33 KOs) in an excellent IBF title eliminator for a shot at animalistic titlist Tavoris Cloud. The 41 year old Johnson, the 2004 fighter of the year who hasn’t beaten an elite fighter since, must ward off the dreaded “opponent” status, while Mack remains at the edge of oblivion. Expect them to compete like they recognize the damage of a loss here, one the old man should squeak out unless his age is no longer just a number. Later that night, former junior welterweight (140 lb.) titlist DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley (36-12-1, 21 KOs) faces an uphill battle of playing spoiler to younger, prime welterweight (147 lb.) Freddy Hernandez (27-1, 18 KOs) across the country in California in the ShoBox headliner. After a five-bout title run, Corley overcame a six-fight losing streak to stage a decent comeback, but in his twilight he’s running into some questionable hometown judging. He might surprise some people with what he has left in the tank, but it probably won’t carry the day when these scores are tallied.
THE SECOND TIER DESERVES OUR RESPECT!
We call the Corleys and Macks of boxing, and the throngs who are much less publicized than them, “has beens” and “never will bes,” even though they’ve accomplished more in boxing than the envious masses have in our safe worlds. We demean them as “B-levels” and “club fighters,” forgetting that some of the great matches have come from this strata, and that club fights are important and enjoyable, because they give us the chance to see boxing at its best – live – and close to home. Regrettably, I referred to a couple of middleweight (160 lb.) champ Kelly Pavlik’s opponents, Marco Antonio Rubio and Miguel Espino, as “nobodies” on “Ring Talk Radio” with Pedro Fernandez last month when speaking of Pavlik’s selection of opponents in his defenses. Maybe Pavlik should have chosen more difficult challenges, but good for Rubio and Espino, and the rest of the second tier, for getting a day in the sun. They earned it the hard way, something I’ll try to remember in the future. Hopefully you will too.
Brian Gorman