Despite the title of this narrative, this article is less about the November 19th match-up between Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev as it is about the poor fights boxing has offered fans in 2016. Although Ward against Kovalev is exactly the type of fight boxing promoters should regularly try and offer fans, we too often get BS fights such as last week’s fight between Canelo Alvarez and Liam Smith, or even the upcoming lemon between Manny Pacquiao and Jesse Vargas.
Really, Pacquiao and Vargas? I mean, no disrespect to Vargas, it’s a great opportunity for him. But come on, even Pacquiao fans can’t get excited for this one, and if anyone thinks Jesse Vargas has a chance of making it competitive, you are completely delusional or hitting that Colorado leaf a little too hard bro. Let’s go back to last week though, with Canelo fighting (let’s face it) an unknown and over matched Liam Smith; it was straight up laughable this was a PPV fight. I generally can’t help myself in purchasing PPV events; however, I just couldn’t contribute to continued poor product this time. Granted, from I heard and read about the fight, Smith was game and tried to put up a fight but it ultimately ended exactly how we all knew it would. In the aftermath, this fight did not contribute anything to boxing moving forward in regard to who fans want to see. I still haven’t watched the fight out of sheer frustration, as I know a fight between Canelo and Golovkin (GGG) is not any closer than it was before he fought Smith. Canelo is now healing from a hand injury and likely not fighting until May; and you can bet GGG will not be the first fighter on his list of opponents after healing.
The bottom line is boxing and its promoters continue to fail us and it gets harder and harder to defend the dynamics of what goes on in boxing on a regular basis. I did have some excitement back in July however, with Top Rank’s attempt at a good fight between Terence Crawford and Vitor Postol; however, even that was a bad match-up in the end. The fight that should have taken place was Crawford and Manny Pacquiao. But once again??? That said, exit Top Rank and Golden Boy and open the door for Roc Nation and Main Events Promotions. They at least found a way to make it work between (arguably) boxing’s best pound for pound fighters in the world. Ward and Kovalev exudes everything we should get as fight fans, and the type of fight that should happen regularly. Instead, we are getting it one time for the year; hell, for several years. Let’s face it, we really never get blockbuster fights between superstars in their primes. Let’s just hope Ward and Kovalev give boxing some respect in 2016 and maybe light a fire heading into 2017, so we as fans get what we all want; great fights between boxing’s best fighters.
Stay tuned for for more on Ward vs. Kovalev; two undefeated light heavyweight champions, fighting at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, live November 19th on HBO (PPV). You can still get tickets at www.axs.com. Let’s hope it does more than the underwhelming 300 thousand or so PPV buys Canelo Alvarez vs. Liam Smith did last week; another card that Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions deserve a middle finger for.