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 the controversy surrounding referee Russell Mora in the Mares vs. Agbeko fight, Glen Johnson's revelations about a low-ball offer to fight Lucian Bute, Alfredo Angulo's signing with Golden Boy Promotions, and much more. Without further ado, check out the latest observations from The Boxing Observer.
- Alfredo Angulo has signed with Golden Boy. Does anyone else see the writing on the wall for a Mexican superfight? Forget Saul Alvarez versus Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Let's put "Canelo" in the ring against "El Perro" Angulo in a soccer stadium in Mexico! This would be a huge way for HBO to kick off the 2012 boxing schedule. I can't think of another fight in boxing that would bring out a more all-action slugfest than this one. I would definitely travel to Mexico for that match-up. This would also provide Angulo his opportunity to make more than the $750,000 he turned down to face Sergio Martinez, while at the same time, not having to leave Mexico since he is unable to get a visa for the United States.
- Joseph Agbeko was wearing his trunks where they should be worn, but he wasn't screwed. Agbeko did not bring his "A" game. Don't blame Mares for taking every advantage he could in the biggest fight of his career. You don't see a baseball pitcher complain about getting too much off the outside corner. Why wouldn't Mares continue to do what he can get away with? Bernard Hopkins has been doing it for years. Some of the low blows by Abner Mares were not entirely his fault. Numerous times, Mares went to throw a body shot and Agbeko held his head down. Now with that being said, referee Russell Mora did a horrible job of officiating. A point definitely should have been taken away from Mares for some of those low shots. The 11th round "knockdown" of Agbeko was a clear foul and was incorrectly ruled. But at the same time, had Mares been deducted a point, Agbeko should have been deducted a point for pushing down Mares' head. Russell Mora should face the same consequences as the three judges who scored the Paul Williams-Erislandy Lara fight. He should be suspended until he receives further training. I haven't seen this horrible of a performance from a referee since the WWE/WWF Survivor Series screw job of 1997.
- Can Steve Smoger and Tony Weeks referee every big fight from now on? PLEASE!
- Bernard Hopkins has a future in boxing commentary when he retires. Hopkins was well-informed and a very suitable replacement for Teddy Atlas. But then again, after having to sit through the previous Friday Night Fights episode with Sergio Mora as the blow-by-blow man, anyone would have sounded like an award-winning broadcaster. I would rather listen to 24 hours of Chris Berman at the MLB Homerun Derby than have to listen to Mora commentate again. Please stick to the ring, Sergio. That's your moneymaker. I'm positive next week's guest host, Andre Ward, will be even better than Bernard.
- Glen Johnson is doing the right thing by going public with information that Lucian Bute's promotional company, Interbox, low-balled him to fight. Speaking to "The Road Warrior" on Friday, Johhson was flat-out honest with his demands. Bute will draw ratings and a sellout crowd no matter who he fights in Canada, but if Showtime wants to truly build a fight between Bute and the winner of Andre Ward vs Carl Froch, then Bute needs to take this fight. Though not disclosed publically, both Johnson and his promoter, Leon Margules, told me how much Interbox offered Glen for the fight. All I will say is this, Glen Johnson has a legitimate beef.
- Lou Dibella is a boss! I got the opportunity to speak with the CEO of Dibella Entertainment last week for a story about the state of boxing. The man is truly the most honest promoter in the business and nobody cares more for his fighters. He is a businessman first, but no one should question his integrity. Be sure to stay tuned this week for the story.
- Manny Pacquiao CANNOT SING! "Pac Man" is about as talented as William Hung in the music department. It is utterly ridiculous to think he has a top 10 song. If Manny went on NBC's The Voice, he would be booed off the stage.
- How about a Kermit Cintron-Paul Williams rematch on ESPN Friday Night Fights? Both men have something to prove. It would be a big victory for the winner. Both men have unfinished business following their 2010 disaster when Cintron fell out of the ring. Friday Night Fights has consistently put on the best boxing broadcasts this year. It makes sense and would give ESPN a big-time main event. I would rather see this fight on ESPN than watch it get buried on an undercard on HBO Boxing After Dark.
- Did anyone see Kimbo Slice's pro boxing debut? If you blinked, you probably missed it. The fight lasted all of 10 seconds before he knocked his opponent out cold. I'm glad to see he is taking boxing seriously, but let's not get carried away about his potential. He is 37 years old and still has a TON to improve on. This may end up being a way for Slice and Gary Shaw to make a few hundred thousand bucks before he hangs up the gloves. We all remember "Butterbean". Same thing here. I respect Slice for giving it a go, and had he started boxing when he was younger, he could have been great, but he won't be winning any championships or beating any major players in the heavyweight division. However, if Kimbo were to ever ask me in person what I thought of his chances to win a heavyweight title, I would tell him he is the next Ali. This guy scares the hell out of me. He returns to the ring on October 15th.
- Does anyone else wish FX would have picked up a second season of Lights Out? Oh well. At least TNT picked up another season of Franklin and Bash. The more Garcelle Beauvais on the small screen, the better!
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