It's Monday. Welcome back for another edition of Observe and Fight, The Boxing Observer's compilation of observations and random thoughts from the week that was in boxing. Get caught up on some of the most recent events you may have missed out on, including a shakeup in Team Mayweather, a Fight of the Year candidate, a preview of the championship action this weekend, and much more. Without further ado, check out the latest observations from the Boxing Observer, David Kassel.
Could shakeups in Team Mayweather mean shakeups in boxing? I didn't intend to lead-off my column this week with the changes going on in The Money Team, but it seems that the boxing world has taken the news and run with it. First of all, I believe Floyd Mayweather is planning something HUGE for his final two fights. I don't necessarily believe he will fight twice in 2015 though. In his interview with Ben Thompson last week on Fighthype, Mayweather revealed he wasn't happy with some of the behind-the-scenes decisions that CEO Leonard Ellerbe seemed to be making for the rematch with Maidana. Being the CEO of a major company (and Mayweather Promotions is quickly becoming a major player) requires 100% time and effort. Mayweather has his hands in so many different ventures right now, it was probably difficult for Ellerbe to keep him in the loop on everything, especially with Mayweather in training. When Mayweather says that there are no hard feelings between he and Ellerbe, I actually believe it to be true because the two men have built an empire together, along with Al Haymon. Ellerbe is a guy that Mayweather knows he can trust because he has been with Floyd since his first year as a pro. That was well before the glitz and glamor and many millions later. Part of Mayweather's success is due to Ellerbe's business mind. On the flip side, Ellerbe has built a fortune because he was lucky enough to work hand-in-hand with Mayweather. If this is truly the end of their business relationship, I don't believe the two will hate each other moving forward. I believe the split may be more mutual than anything else.
I do not believe Richard Schaefer had anything to do with this decision. Richard Schaefer is involved is his own legal battle with seemingly no end in sight. Unless Schaefer and Mayweather know something that Oscar De La Hoya and the legal system don't, Schaefer has nothing to do with this move.
Cutman Rafael Garcia's departure will not change anything in training. Garcia, age 85, was nearing the end of his career anyway. Not to say he still can't do a wonderful job, but 85-year-old's aren't usually quite as on top of things as experienced workers 40-plus years their junior are.
Let's not forget who the real boss of boxing is. Floyd Mayweather may be boxing's biggest name, but there is one man who can take it all away. There is a reason Al Haymon is the most powerful man in boxing. Mayweather doesn't have over 120 fighters in his stable. Haymon does. Most of those fighters are established champions or potential up-and-coming superstars. Mayweather made it very clear that though his team may change, Al Haymon will remain. That's a smart business move from boxing's best fighter of this generation. Haymon is the man who can propel Mayweather Promotions to the top of the boxing landscape. I'm not so sure Mayweather can do that on his own. Watch out for a boxing series on CBS Sports Network, beginning in 2015, which will feature a lot of Haymon's fighters.
Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank Promotions are still going strong. For all the Mayweather and Haymon talk, let's remember that other promotional outfits still control a large majority of the boxing landscape (and I'm not even including international promotional entities). Haymon is nowhere near forming a monopoly, so there are still plenty of fighters (at least right now) who can still earn plenty of money in their careers.
Does anyone really think Mayweather will get in any trouble from the Nevada State Athletic Commission? Mayweather must meet with the commission after video surfaced of a 31-minute sparring session, with gambling taking place, during an episode of All Access. While the gambling probably isn't the biggest concern, a 31-minute, nonstop boxing session could be construed as dangerous. I'm sure Mayweather will receive a slap on the wrist because it occurred on his watch, and we just won't see any of those sparring sessions on camera anymore.
I have to admit I am shocked by the projected numbers of Mayweather vs. Maidana II. The projected number of 925,000 pay-per-view buys is astonishing to me because I didn't think the promotion was strong, the undercard was terrible, and most fans believed Mayweather would win easily. That just goes to show that Mayweather is still the biggest draw in boxing. Hopefully, when (if) the numbers for Pacquiao vs. Algieri come out, fans will all understand why Mayweather isn't willing to take a 50/50 split anymore.
Orlando Salido was involved in another Fight of the Year candidate on Saturday night! His 11th-round KO win over Terdsak Kokietgym featured 7 knockdowns (although one of those should have been ruled a low blow) and a plethora of action. While it probably won't win Fight of the Year, it showed why there are other fights fans should tune into besides the ones on HBO and Showtime. Well done gentlemen!
Omar Narvaez quietly continues to chase history. Yes, the same Narvaez who put up a putrid performance against Nonito Donaire a few years back, successfully defended his super flyweight title, Friday night, in Argentina. The 39-year-old has now won 28 world title fights, 3 shy of the record set by Julio Cesar Chavez. It's unfortunate that this future Hall-of-Famer is never going to get his just due outside of his native Argentina.
WBA lightweight champion Richar Abril continued his success in title defenses. Abril went to Finland and defeated hometown favorite Edis Tatli. Abril is not a fan-friendly fighter, mostly because of his defensive prowess, and is being relegated to the depths of the world to defend his title because no major American networks want him on television. He is a talented fighter who will give any lightweight problems. His biggest problem is his fights are about as interesting as Miguel Vazquez's fights, and we all had to bear witness to that debacle on the Mayweather-Maidana II undercard.
I still haven't seen Jim Lampley's rant on Floyd Mayweather, but I heard it was pretty ugly. I read the quotes, but have yet to see the latest episode of The Fight Game. I just hope, for Lampley and HBO's sake, the attack wasn't directed at Mayweather because of his deal with Showtime.
What in the name of Jeff Lacy is going on with...Jeff Lacy? I know that Saturday night's cancellation of his fight was not his fault, but after his performance a couple months back, on national television, I would hope Lacy made enough money in his career that he isn't continuing on for a $10,000 paycheck.
It's another championship filled boxing weekend! Friday night, "Chemito" Moreno defends his bantamweight title against Juan Carlos Payano. Saturday, Arthur Abraham defends his super middleweight belt against Paul Smith, in Germany. Over in Russia, a pair of cruiserweight titles are on the line as Krzstof Wlodarczyk defends against Grigory Drozd, while Denis Lebedev defends his title against Pawel Kolodziej in the co-feature. Also this weekend, Roy Jones Jr. returns to action, Friday. Saturday, Omar Chavez and Ramon Alvarez do battle in Mexico. A good scrap should take place in the rematch between Javier Prieto and Ivan Cano. Tavoris Cloud returns to the ring in Montreal, and Samuel Peter and Ricardo Mayorga top a card in Oklahoma City, Saturday. Not a huge boxing weekend, but a lot of big names are certainly going at it.
Each week, I feature an email from a fan on Observe and Fight. This week's email comes to us from Mike B about the amount of Mayweather coverage on Fighthype...
"Let me start by saying that I have been a longtime reader of Fighthype particularly your Observe and Fight Monday mailbags and I really enjoy themÂ…HOW-EV-ER (Stephen A.Smith voice) it seems like Fighthype is extremely Pro-Mayweather and it's frustrating at times. I don't know if it is because this is the only website that he allows behind the scenes access and breaking news from him before anyone else gets it or what it is but whenever it comes to him it just seems like you guys are really biased toward him. Now don't get me wrongÂ…He is a lock for the hall of fame and a once in a generational talent. But on Fighthype, you guys consistently shine up his accomplishments and make them more than what they are and that does him and fans of boxing a disservice. For Fighthype to print things like "He ALLOWED Maidana to press him on the ropes to make it more exciting for the fans" sounds like something Leonard Ellerbe would say at the Post-fight conference lol. That's just a garbage statement and contradicts not only what the film for BOTH fights show but also the sweet science of boxing. Mayweather made great adjustments in the second fight. (making Maidana reset more, more body work, clinching, etc) Maidana's team made a bad calculation by trying to fight a more "conservative" fight to save him for the later rounds and his best chance to pull the upset was for him to fight like he did in the first. I don't want you to take this as me trying to disrespect Fighthype, Mayweather, or anything like that. He's a great fighter. I just want to see more responsible reporting on this site if possible as this is probably one of the top Fight related websites on the internet. Am I wrong about the bias toward Mayweather? -Respectfully"
Thanks for the email, Mike. While I cannot speak for all the Mayweather content, Ben Thompson gets exclusive access and is the only one Mayweather allows behind the scenes like that. Mayweather is the #1 draw in the sport and fans, lovers or haters, want to know what is going on with him. While it may seem like overkill to some, people still view the content, and that's what matters. I can guarantee that most other writers/journalists, if they receive that kind of access to Mayweather, would promote that much content because people are going to read/view anything to do with Mayweather. I equate it to Howard Stern. Just as many people that hate him listen to his show than love him. It's all about viewership.
As for my Monday column, it is strictly an opinion. I analyze and evaluate from my perspective and nobody else's. I don't mind when a fan disagrees with my writing because everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion. That's the wonderful thing about opinions. When it comes to facts (interviews, breaking news, etc) I report it objectively. But that's the main reason I love writing my Monday column. I have made many a comments not showing Mayweather, and others fighters, in a positive light. That's just me though. I don't speak on other writers because I don't write for them. What I also don't try to do is discuss out of the ring (or outside of the boxing business) issues unless it is absolutely pertinent to the point I'm trying to make. I don't take your email as disrespectful. I appreciate the comments and hopefully you have a better understanding of what I do and why I do it.
That's all I've got for this week. Email any questions or comments to dkassel@fighthype.com and I will answer them throughout the week. Your email may be featured in the next "Observe and Fight." Follow me on Twitter @BoxingObserver, and be sure to "Like" The Boxing Observer on Facebook.
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