Boxing’s Version Of Musical Chairs
By William Trillo
You know the drill, march around a bunch of chairs until the music stops and then do your best to plant your derriere on a chair or get left standing and out of the next round of marching.
Well such is the case for a group of boxers and their promoters as they all have marched around the April 17th date but only a select few remain firmly seated on the prize weekend.
Let’s see if I can break this all down.
Start the music please!
First Showtime had announced that Stage 2 of their Super Six Tournament featuring Mikkel Kessler vs. Carl Froch and Andre Ward vs. Allan Green was on tap for April 17th.
Soon thereafter Golden Boy hinted that the proposed fight between Bernard Hopkins vs. Roy Jones Jr. could end up on that same 17th weekend on HBO PPV.
As soon as HBO brass caught wind of that thought they informed all parties concerned that the HBO date was reserved for Super Middle champ & budding star Lucian Bute.
Stop the music!
Golden Boy took that hint and moved the Hopkins and Jones PPV to April 3rd. With a proposed undercard of Rocky Juarez vs. Jason Litzau and Sergio Mora vs. Daniel Edouard this will become more commonly known as “April Fool’s Weekend”.
HBO made the Bute news official as they announced Lucian would defend his 168 pound belt against Edison Miranda in Montreal and as part of the April 17th broadcast Kelly Pavlik would take on Sergio Martinez in Atlantic City and both fights would hit the HBO airwaves via split feed broadcast. This is can’t miss TV.
Stop the music!
For reasons that could only be explained as a “scheduling conflict”, Showtime unexpectedly moved their Super Six double header from the 17th to the 24th of April. No real reason was given that I am aware of. What I do know is that if anyone has taken a firm lead as the best Super Middleweight on the planet it is Lucian Bute, and he is not even part of Showtimes “Super Six” tournament. Funny how that worked out.
Stop the music!
By moving to the 24th the Super Six Tournament has planted it’s fanny firmly onto another HBO Boxing chair. As it turns out HBO has plans to air Chris Arreola against (possibly)Thomasz Adamek with an Alfredo Angulo vs. Joel Julio side bar. TIVO time!
Fire that music back up and start marching!
That’s one heck of a game of musical chairs put on by boxing’s finest and I am not sure if it’s over yet. What I am sure of is after a slow start to the year, April will have more than it’s share of interesting battles, (give or take a few), and if boxing fans budget themselves properly they stand to get a whole lot of bang for their buck this spring.
Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.
It is funny how Bute wasn’t included in the tourney and now looks like he’s the one to beat. Reminds me of when Yank kept Frazier outta the HW tourney back in the day knowing whoever won had to face him to be regarded as the best. The tourney only revealed who was gonna take their whuppin’ from Joe. Anyway, William I want to send ya some of my writing to check out, where can I send it to you?
David
You can reach me at punchingbilly@aol.com
Actually Bute was offered the tournament but his promoter wisely turned it down. He knew he could make more money fighting in Montreal instead of having to travel to where ever. And as David said, the bonus is who ever emerges from the Stupor Six will have to face Bute — in Montreal! The money HBO is paying Bute is much higher than Showtime could afford.