I can see not announcing fights until the last minute when fighters are fighting frequently, but in these days of twice a year, it is unnecessary. Announcing dates before announcing venues? Announcing venues before announcing opponents. Shouldn't the TV network be the last thing figured out, and not the first or second. In the Al Haymon era, we are getting more televised fights, which is a good thing. however, the quality has suffered. ESPN used to be where the competitive match-ups took place, now they are yet another network dedicated to showcasing one fighter per card. This blatant disregard for match-ups speaks to the soft-touches of the fighters therein is not even hidden.
We know that Floyd Mayweather is fighting on September 12. We don't know against who (it is assumed Andre Berto, but no official announcement has taken place as of this writing), but we know he is fighting then. We had assumed it would be free on CBS, now, apparently that is off the table for now. When you run 90% of the networks that feature boxing, those changes can be made last minute. We also know Deontay Wilder is fighting on September 26. We even know where (Hollywood, Florida). We also know that it will be on NBCSN, although that was not the original intent, and I would not be surprised if that changed. We just don't know who he is fighting.
Mayweather is part of team Haymon, even if we may often forget that, but his style of matchmaking, and view of the boxing public is shaped by his cohorts in business. The attitude of "you will watch my fights regardless of who I fight" is what is making the actual opponent such an afterthought. Also, the art of matchmaking used to be like casting a movie... it was based on what kind of performances could be generated. Nowadays, matchmaking is more like an HR chore.. just trying to fill a temp to perm position. In the Haymon planet, everything seems to be leading up to a big matchup that hardly ever happens.
Why did Garcia-Peterson take so long to put together? Where is Jacobs vs. Quillin. What about Stevenson vs. Beterbiev? These are all big fights in which Haymon has both men in question. He can't lose, and yet, not only do we never see it, we see both parties take few, if any risks. Bob Arum plays the same game, as we can see at featherweight, but when he is down to a few fighters in a division, he matches them. Not so with Haymon. Golden Boy has also been guilty of turning TV offerings into showcase only cards, but both of those promotional companies are down to very few English speaking outlets anyway.
This will continue until the numbers start to hurt. Wilder will be forced to face Povetkin by next June, so Haymon's plan of a few optional defenses to build his skills and brand is not bad, if we know we have an end date. Mayweather will be gone soon, but I for one would like to see both men's September fights bite the dust. Not in action, just in ratings. Mr. Haymon has gotten too "big for his britches". He and his business model need to be taken down a peg or two.
Chris Strait
www.convictedartist.com
