Steve Kim of Max Boxing is reporting that negotiations between middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik and welterweight titleholder Paul Williams have hit a roadblock, as negotations often do, and that there is now very serious talk of Pavlik taking on 43-year old Bernard Hopkins on October 18, a fight that would be shown on HBO pay-per-view.
ANOTHER pay-per-view? Well, hang on...
There are also rumors that the proposed October 11 PPV "showdown" between Shane Mosley and punching bag Ricardo Mayorga will be moved to September 27, off of pay-per-view. The 9/27 date was originally slated for Pavlik, but HBO is wisely assuming that a great number of boxing fans will not pay to see Mayorga-Mosley instead of Showtime's double-header of Samuel Peter-Vitali Klitschko on tape delay and a live clash between Antonio Tarver and Chad Dawson.
But it has to be said again, because these things really need to be voiced by someone -- by everyone, really, since everyone has the same feeling, and it's not just you or me here.
The amount of upcoming PPV boxing is ridiculous. I'm sorry, but it is. Casamayor-Marquez and Calzaghe-Jones on back-to-back Saturdays in September, and one of these two (Pavlik-Hopkins or Mosley-Mayorga) in October? That's about $150 of pay-per-view in 30 days.
Is Bernard Hopkins really going to sell a fight? Was Shane Mosley? As great as both are, neither have been drawing cards without big-name opponents like, I dunno, Oscar de la Hoya.
Eh, what can you do? This is business as usual. Boxing fans are being gouged and wondering where we're supposed to come up with 150 extra clams to see some fights.