Guillermo Rigondeaux and Nicolas Walters are barely fighting anymore, and on the rare occasion they do, it is not against anyone exciting. I am not sure what kind of jinx that beating Nonito Donaire is, but it is a bizarre occurrence. I am not sure why this is, actually, but I think it has something to do with Bob Arum. He does not like his golden geese to be defeated, and it seems that every time it happens, he goes out of his way to ruin the man who did it.
Whether this is done through never promoting them effectively (yes, in many cases, his big names are beaten by his OWN fighters!), blocking his fighters from facing them, or stalling them in court, it always happens. Ask Zahir Raheem. After Raheem defeated Erik Morales, he watched as Arum defiantly announced that the Morales-Pacquiao rematch would still take place. Arum then buried Raheem on an undercard. If I were Vasyl Lomachencko, I would never leave Top Rank. Arum might not be the best promoter anymore, but he is certainly the worst ex-promoter in the world.
Speaking of ex-promoters, what is Al Haymon exactly? A promoter or a manager? This blurred line distinction and monopolizing of TV networks may be giving boxing fans many more TV fight cards, but ultimately, it may hasten his downfall. I love that those doors are open, but Haymon is breaking the law to the point where it is hard to imagine a scenario where he does not get taken down eventually. I hope it is not by Golden Boy or Top Rank, who are every bit as corrupt and monopolizing (just not as effective), but rather his own hand. Boxing does better with healthy competition, where legit smaller promoters still have a chance, and have a few world champions.
Speaking of healthy, boxing has had a rather injury-free year (except the UK), but as we lead into the final stretch, the cancellations are starting again. Klitschko-Fury, Artur Beterbiev, Brook-Chaves, and Brahmer-Oosthuizen. I never trust any Brahmer cancellation, as he does it way too often. He has found a way to cancel 4 fights in the last 4 years by my count. however, Klitschko-Fury is a fight that fans are looking forward to, and Brook and Beterbiev cannot afford their careers to be stalled. In a time where fighter only PLAN 2-3 fights a year, these injuries do not make sense. Something is fishy here, and not just Bryant Jennings' diet.
Chris Strait
www.convictedartist.com
