[h3]
The heavyweight championship: Can't-see TV[/h3]Your weekly random thoughts …
• So this is what it has come to:
Wladimir Klitschko, the heavyweight champion of the world, can be seen on an Internet-only pay-per-view in his next fight.
How depressing.
That is the sad story if you're interested in watching Klitschko defend his title against mandatory challenger
Eddie Chambers, the No. 1 American contender, on March 20 at the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Wehad already gone from watching heavyweight title fights on freetelevision to seeing them on premium cable to being able to view themonly on pay-per-view television. And now Klitschko has been relegatedto an Internet-only PPV for $14.95.
Klitschko's camp hasannounced that the fight will be available in the U.S., Canada andPuerto Rico exclusively at
www.klitschko.com.
It was badenough that no American television network wanted the fight. Not HBO.Not Showtime. Not ESPN. Not Versus. All were contacted by Klitschko'speople. Either those outlets didn't like the fight, or it didn't fitinto the schedule, or the money wasn't in the budget. Whatever thereason, this is the reality: I guess the heavyweight championship meansnothing anymore in the United States, even when there is a qualifiedAmerican (albeit a big underdog) challenging for the title.
Itis almost unimaginable that this fight has no television outlet in theU.S., and Klitschko has only himself to blame. He could have (andshould have) made a deal with a distribution company -- and there weretwo that were interested -- to offer the bout on traditionalpay-per-view television. But Klitschko and his team foolishly decidedagainst it and instead went with a Web-only outlet. All that does isfurther devalue him and his title in the United States.
"Iam excited about the possibilities of Web broadcasting," Klitschko saidin making the announcement. "I enjoy working on the computer and I amvery interested in new technologies. I like the idea that we arepioneers with this new technology in a very important market. I am surethis technology will be the wave of the future."
Translation:Nobody wanted Klitschko's fight, and he took the cheap, low-profileroute of a Web-only pay-per-view. Rather than go with a traditional PPVthat folks could at least watch in the comfort of their own livingroom, he and his people are leaving viewers no choice but to sit at adesk chair in an office and watch on a monitor.
Like I said before, how depressing.
• I chuckled to myself Monday when Showtime formally announced that
Allan Green would replace
Jermain Taylor in the Super Six tournament and challenge titleholder
Andre Wardon April 24. You don't say? It wasn't exactly news when the networkfinally decided to announce what everybody -- except, apparently, thenetwork -- has known and talked about openly for weeks.
• It has been awhile since I actually looked forward to a heavyweight fight, but I am looking forward to
Tomasz Adamek-
Cristobal Arreola on April 24 on HBO.
• The Nevada State Athletic Commission's meeting on Monday ought to be interesting. That's when
Roy Jones Jr. and
Evander Holyfield,both all-time greats who are in their 40s and frighteningly past theirprimes, will go before the panel to ask for boxing licenses in order toparticipate in fights scheduled for April in Las Vegas. Jones, ofcourse, has an April 3 date with
Bernard Hopkins. Holyfield, who probably will face more scrutiny from the Nevada panel than Jones, is headed for an April 17 date with
Francois Botha in a bout that was originally scheduled to take place in Uganda on Feb. 20.
• IsESPN2's "Friday Night Fights" off to one helluva start to the year orwhat? Week after week, we're getting good, competitive fights.
• Typical
Bob Arum: Float the idea of
Edwin Valero facing
Timothy Bradley and then go silent and start making other plans.
•
Shawn Porter is a good prospect, despite his struggles against
Russell Jordanon last week's "Friday Night Fights." However, he's always going to beat a size disadvantage as a junior middleweight. If he can make theweight, he probably would be well-served dropping down to welterweight.
•
Giovani Segurais small in stature -- a 108-pound titleholder -- but big onexcitement. I love watching Segura fight. He knows who he is in thering and doesn't even pretend he's a boxer. He's a gunslinger who goesfor a knockout with every punch, and he usually gets one. So I waspretty intrigued when Segura, after polishing off
Walter Tello in an exciting three-round fight Saturday night, called for a fight against his polar opposite, ultimate technician
Ivan "Iron Boy" Calderon,the division's recognized champion. That is about as significant afight as could be made at junior flyweight, so I say bring it on. It'snot like either guy has anything else big brewing.
•
Oliver McCall, arrested again for cocaine possession. I had two thoughts when I heard the news: (1) Too bad, and (2) is anyone surprised?
• I know there are those who will rail against the ring return of 43-year-old
Johnny Tapia, who is slated to fight March 6 against journeyman
Jorge Reyesin San Juan Pueblo, N.M. The troubled Tapia is way, way past his prime,but you know what? I have no problem with him fighting again afterthree years out of the ring. That Tapia is even still alive after allof his trials and tribulations is nothing short of a miracle. If hewants to fight again, so be it, as long as he is matched appropriately.Taking a few more punches is the least of Tapia's worries.
• Good luck to Ireland's
Bernard Dunne(28-2, 15 KOs), who recently announced his retirement. He turned 30earlier this month and had a solid career, including one of the mostdramatic fights I have ever seen. He scored an 11th-round knockoutagainst
Ricardo Cordoba 13 months ago to claim a juniorfeatherweight title. Dunne scored a third-round knockdown, bravelysurvived two knockdowns in the fifth round and was trailing badly whenhe rallied for three knockdowns and the victory in the 11th round. Itwas a heart-stopping fight, made all the more dramatic because it wasin Ireland in front of Dunne's fans, who were going nuts. In his firstdefense in September, Dunne was drilled in the third round byThailand's
Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym in front of those same fans. Congratulations to Dunne for knowing the right time to walk away, assuming this is for good.
[h2][/h2]
[h2]Berto, Quintana set for April 10 bout[/h2]
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Archive
Ten days before welterweight titlist Andre Berto was scheduled toface Shane Mosley in a unification fight on Jan. 30, Berto withdrewfrom the bout after eight of his family members were killed in themassive earthquake that struck Haiti.
Now, after weeks ofmourning and taking part in a relief mission to the ravaged Caribbeannation, Berto is ready to resume his career.
Berto (25-0,19 KOs) will make his fourth title defense against former titleholderCarlos Quintana (27-2, 21 KOs) of Puerto Rico at the BankAtlanticCenter in Sunrise, Fla., on April 10 in the main event of an HBO "WorldChampionship Boxing" card, promoter Lou DiBella told ESPN.com onWednesday.
A news conference to announce the card, fromwhich a portion of the proceeds will go to benefit Haitian relief, isscheduled for March 3 at the Fontainebleau South Beach Hotel in MiamiBeach.
"Andre is energized and ready to fight again,"DiBella said. "The working title of the card is 'Fighting for Haiti.'There will be a lot of charitable elements to the event."
DiBella said there would also be appearances by celebrities and musical acts to help raise money for Haitian relief.
Berto'sparents are from Haiti, and although the 26-year-old was born in theUnited States and raised in Winter Haven, Fla., he represented Haiti inthe 2004 Olympic Games.
In the televised co-feature, lightheavyweight titlist Tavoris Cloud (20-0, 18 KOs) will make his firstdefense against mandatory challenger and former champion Glen Johnson(50-13-2, 34 KOs), who is also from South Florida.
"Cloud and Johnson, stylistically, can't miss," DiBella said.
Quintanais no Mosley, but he is an experienced and accomplished pro. He's alsoa southpaw who will have a slight height advantage against Berto.
"Obviously,Mosley being the huge name that he is presented a big opportunity forAndre, but I believe this is a good test for him," said DiBella, whopromotes Berto and Quintana. "He is fighting a guy who is 1-1 with PaulWilliams and who is clearly one of the 10 best welterweights in theworld. Quintana is an excellent fighter. This fight is no walk in thepark. People want to see Berto with a real quality welterweight. Thisguy is a real quality welterweight. It's a difficult fight. Quintana isa tough fighter. Just ask Paul Williams."
In February2008, Quintana, 33, upset Williams to claim a clear decision and awelterweight title. In the rematch four months later, Williams, who isregarded as one of the best fighters in the world pound-for-pound,regained his belt via first-round knockout.
Since theloss, Quintana has won two bouts in a row, most recently a cut-induced,third-round TKO of Jesse Feliciano, who knocked him down, on Dec. 5.
"Carlosis very slick and capable of being an excellent offensive fighter,"DiBella said. "He's got a good skill set and he's tricky. I don't thinkthere is a welterweight out there who would view Quintana as a day atthe beach.
"Quintana has wanted a big fight for a longtime and Berto has been a guy who has always come up as a possibilitybecause he views fighting Berto as a big fight. So I am happy forCarlos that he is getting the opportunity. I think Berto knows he hasto focus on the fight and be at his best because he's fighting a damnedgood fighter," he said.
Although his bout won't betelevised, welterweight prospect Antwone Smith (17-1, 9 KOs), 23, ofMiami will appear on the undercard, DiBella said.