Reasons to Save Your Money on Saturday Night
I think the title is pretty self-explanatory, but here are some reasons to save your money on Saturday night. To tell you the truth, I'm going to be saving mine. I will not be ordering this show.
1. Zab Judah v. Ernest Johnson on PPV is insulting
31-year old Judah, whose last credible win came in 2005 against Cory Spinks, is hardly a pay-per-view attraction anymore. 29-year old Johnson (18-2-1, 7 KO) is no threat to Judah. Johnson, nicknamed "Too Slick," has never beaten anyone of note, and his best opponent? Ernesto Zavala, probably, a wide eight-round decision loss. Asking people to pay money to see this fight on television is a slap in the face to boxing fans that are willing to pay premium prices for big fights.
2. Dmitriy Salita v. Derrick Campos on PPV is insulting
This was going to be Salita going up against titlist Andreas Kotelnik. Kotelnik pulled out. Square Ring, Jones' promotional company, had lined up feather-fisted Scot Willie Limond as a replacement. A lame fight that didn't belong on any pay-per-view, but at least Limond has been in against a few good fighters. Limond is out. Derrick Campos (17-5, 10 KO) is a 27-year old club fighter from Topeka. Asking people to pay money to see this fight on television is a slap in the face to boxing fans that are willing to pay premium prices for big fights.
3. Frankie Figueroa v. Emanuel Augustus on PPV is insulting
"El Gato" Figueroa, another of Square Ring's fighters, doesn't belong on pay-per-view. And no matter how much any of us respect Emanuel Augustus and some of the great fights from his past, he's 33 years old and a total journeyman at this point. His 38-29-6 record is a bit deceptive, but what isn't deceptive is that he's almost never beaten anyone that goes past being a gatekeeper or journeyman himself. This is, at best, a Friday Night Fights main event. Asking people to pay money to see this fight on television is a slap in the face to boxing fans that are willing to pay premium prices for big fights.
4. Roy Jones is not Roy Jones anymore
I genuinely don't see how anyone is picking Roy as a live dog in this fight. That is a "to each their own" situation, but really? Jones is 39 and it's been half a decade since he's beaten anyone that was (1) anywhere near his level, (2) in their prime, or (3) in their proper weight class. His last truly big win was Tarver in 2003, and that one had questions. Trinidad earlier this year was just a blown up welterweight who hadn't fought in almost three years. Someone looking for a vintage Jones performance need only look at that fight, where Jones felt Trinidad out, realized the man was simply too small to hurt him even if he landed decent shots, and then toyed with the smaller, rusty fighter as he pleased. Still, even when Jones was trying to look like he used to look, you could see the difference. Even the showboating looked creaky-legged and as if there was too much deliberate effort involved in making it happen.
5. Joe Calzaghe and Roy Jones are to blame for this card being what it is
Paying to see Calzaghe and Jones in a years too late battle this Saturday night will do one major thing: reward the two of them for putting together a card that should be rejected by every boxing fan. The two men admirably tried to put together a pay-per-view, world class card, and do it without any real input from major promoters. They enlisted HBO. Boxing's biggest American TV outlet is supporting the card, will send their commentators to likely be very real about the dreadful undercard, and HBO even went so far as to put on a "24/7" series dedicated to the event.
Tickets in New York City are colder than the proverbial witch's titty. There's a reason for it. These two men are Hall of Fame-bound fighters, but they are still very much learning the ropes when it comes to promoting. It shows. They were both delusional and narcissistic enough to think that their fight alone was good enough.
But you can't fool the boxing fans, I don't think. We may be a loyal breed, but we are not easily fooled, either. This is Calzaghe on a very mild decline -- which still counts him as one of the best fighters on earth -- against what I believe is a clearly washed-up Jones. They offered no other bang for your buck. Frankly, I'd find it easier to pay money to see only Calzaghe-Jones, and to keep the other three meaningless fights the hell off my television. We've seen some lackluster PPV undercards, but this is a new level for what is supposed to be a major, major event.
Their PPV will surely outperform Pavlik-Hopkins, the most recent of boxing's big-time offerings. It almost can't lose that numbers race, since Pavlik-Hopkins was a major disappointment to Top Rank, Golden Boy and HBO.
But unlike Pavlik-Hopkins, at least for my money, the fight has little intrigue at all. The fight doesn't feature one of the best young fighters battling a still-great, established veteran. To go with the times, Calzaghe-Jones is simply more of the same failed policies; two older fighters that are playing it safe. They'll get their money, they'll risk nothing in their legacies, and they'll always be able to say that they fought the other man.
But this isn't worth my money. Despite a few of my complaints, it's nothing against Calzaghe as a fighter, or even Jones as a fighter. It's absolutely something against the two of them as promoters, though. They were not prepared, and they have given themselves too much credit.
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18 comments
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Comments
If you're not ordering the show
You might want to remove the RBR coverage from the sidebar. I agree with you though. This is a piece of shit show. If I can find cheap tickets (sales have been poor, and I hear tix are being offered at a pretty steep discount), I might go in person mostly for the sake of the event, but the card is all uninteresting, blowout fights and doesn’t even include any reasonable prospects, just a bunch of guys on the downside of their careers.
Vogt early, Vogt often.
by Brickhaus on Nov 5, 2008 1:57 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I'll be there
Ron Rivera. Change we can believe in. YES WE CAN!
by Sam (sdsuaztec4) on Nov 5, 2008 8:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
The only reason they have Judah is to get his buddies to paper the MSG.
by Zocalo on Nov 5, 2008 2:57 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
that and he does remain a name
At least a much bigger name than Salita or Figueroa.
"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum
by SC on Nov 5, 2008 3:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Ernest Johnson
Ernest Johnson is most definately a credible fighter. I don’t think he is a good match for Zab at all, but he himself is a good fighter (at 135) with great potential! I have seen a number of his fights and one of his two loses (Rogelio Castaneda) is very suspect and the one draw (Hector Beltran) on his record left his opponent suspended from action as if he had suffered a knockout (also suspect). He has faught on some great cards (Mayweather vs De La Hoya, Mayweather vs Corrales, De La Hoya vs Forbes and others). So I must not be the only boxing fan that thinks he is worth paying for. Again I repeat; I don’t think he is a good match for Judah specialy at 144! But he is truley dedicated to the sport and will be around for a long time, so don’t forget his name! Also note that the early years of his career his manager was none other than famous ref Richard Steele. Ernest opted not to re-new his contract with Richard after he felt he wasn’t getting enough fights. He was 8-0 with Richard. Just don’t want people to get the impression that Ernest is in the sport to score big cash and never be heard of. He will be one of the bigger names in the next few years. He might suprise a few people this sat night.
by Legend5 on Nov 5, 2008 3:43 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
hey, I hope he does
That’d be something memorable for those that do order the show. Just looking over his record, though, he is no match for Judah, who has lost his most recent major fights but was very competitive v. Clottey and made for an exciting fight v. Cotto.
"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum
by SC on Nov 5, 2008 5:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
It aint soo bad
Plenty of other worse matchups out there. Its two future hall of fame fighters having (maybe) the last word. Try Enjoy it. My spider sense tells me that most American fight fans are downgrading the event but underneath that really wanting Jones to kick Joes arse . Calzaghe will win and most people know it. (Maybe). I dont think it will be a classic but im watchin.
On the other hand the undercard reeks of dead dog shit . Im tired of seeing Judah get beat.
Get to a bar and watch it.
Mainstream is brought to you ..
Underground you got to go there...
by dinkman on Nov 5, 2008 4:17 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
what sucks
is that I’m nowhere near any bar that might even entertain the idea of ordering a boxing card. I would do that if I could. I’ll find some way to watch it, probably, but I won’t do a RBR unless I do end up paying, because I think that’s unfair.
"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum
by SC on Nov 5, 2008 5:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Doesn't Scores usually carry boxing PPVs?
At least that’s what I used to hear on the radio when I lived in DC.
Vogt early, Vogt often.
by Brickhaus on Nov 6, 2008 3:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Buffalo Wild Wings usually carries boxing PPVs in my part of the world.
by Zocalo on Nov 6, 2008 7:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, but Buffalo Wild Wings doesn't have naked chicks on stripper poles
Vogt early, Vogt often.
by Brickhaus on Nov 6, 2008 8:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm in southwest Michigan
So my choices would be:
1. A “B-Dubs” in Michigan City, IN (my fiancee’s hometown) or South Bend, IN, or I think there might be one in Kalamazoo. In any case, I cannot explain my loathing of “B-Dubs.”
2. I think that’s it?
Then I’m spending money on drinks and food and gas, so I’m over 50 bones anyway. It’s a demonic proposition.
"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum
by SC on Nov 7, 2008 12:26 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Sorry
just assumed you were in or near B-more
Vogt early, Vogt often.
by Brickhaus on Nov 7, 2008 9:57 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
it'd explain a lot
But sadly, the O’s were just the team I picked as a kid. I live an hour and a half from Chicago and three hours from Detroit, and there’s really no other baseball fans in my family, so I had no “hometown” team and I had no family influence. I liked Cal Ripken and Mickey Tettleton. shrug
"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum
by SC on Nov 7, 2008 10:32 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I will not contribute to such an utterly crapful PPV card. I love to support the fighters but this is just utter robbery to ask any reasonable boxing fan to pay over 50 bucks to see just one lobsided fight name fight and 3 telefutura matches.
by Zocalo on Nov 5, 2008 7:51 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
This sums it up
Well Duh.
Or no shit Sherlok.
The net is the way to go on this one.
"I beat him so bad, he ended up in the Hospital. And I am still pretty." -Cassius Clay
by CRAZEDANG1280 on Nov 5, 2008 9:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I'm with ya on this one
Totally not worth the 50. I’d rather watch it on the net
by Option27 on Nov 7, 2008 1:53 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

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