The Good: HBO Sports Prexy Ross Greenburg declared its Championship
Boxing series is expanding to 14 dates in 2006 - the "After Dark"
series is going to monthly format.
Also announced, the goal is to put more high-quality pairings on its
regular subscriber list - he then went step further, saying to handle
the expansion a new broadcasting team will do the "After Dark" segment.
Lampley, Merchant, Jones-Steward, remain intact for regular and PPV
events - shhh … Lederman still house unofficial judge. What did you
expect, a perfect game?
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The Bad: Lou DiBella
(Jermain Taylor Promoter) quote on Taylor handed a gimme in next outing
for the home folks in Little Rock - "It only makes sense to fight an
easy one after them two toughies with Hopkins."
Continued, "Jermain coming off two pay- per- view fights with guy
hardest to look good against and now expected to take next hardest guy?"
Went on to further justify the move saying he’d be put in promoter’s
hall of shame if he did that.
Closes with: "We’re not giving up the WBC belt, so we’ll try getting
something done if I and Gary (Shaw) - Winky promoter - can come up with
a game plan for 2006.
Promoters doing the matchmaking somehow sounds a bit off the beaten path
- thinking here is PPV goes nicely with Boycott.
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The Stupid: I have no quarrel with some new face getting out of the gate
in unblemished style - problem I do have is the premature prospect tag
(courtesy of promoter connection) - and no sooner a half-dozen wins is
updated to "contender" by some doing the scribbling via internet.
A site I frequent for its timely billboard postings but little else, is
quick in draping the unbeaten novice with accolades - and the bubble
bursts it’s labeled "upset."
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How about that Warrior's PPV extravaganza back on the 15th of this month
- Samuel Peter vs. a ten years his senior in light punching Robert
Hawkins - and it goes the distance. The pre-Wlad Klitschko eye opener
Peter, with the "Nigerian Nightmare" sobriquet, that was being sold as
the savior of the big guy division no less. But forget that bit,
Peter is sure to be rebooted and served to the uninitiated via PPV come
Spring of 2006.
However, the Florida Boxing Commission earns the dunce cap - sanctions
(and lucked out) a Cruiserweight bout pairing Dale Brown (34-4-1, 22
KO) with Dennis McKinney (27-35-1, 13 KO) - the 35 debits is no typo
kiddos.
Red flag missed, had anyone bothered, the four Brown losses were to
quality opponents IBF champion O’Neil Bell in a squeaker, KO losses to
past champion Vassiliy Jirov, current WBA/WBC champion Mormeck, and
Wayne Braithwaite.
Then we have McKinney, one win among his last eight outings - somehow it
goes the distance with Brown in a tune-up decision win - could well have
ended in a how did that happen kinds finis.
A closing question for the Florida Boxing Commission to field could
fairly and appropriately be, "The buck stops where?"
GEL
