The Ten Count 11.27.09: 411 Boxing's Holiday Wish List for 2010

Posted by Ryan Bates on 11.27.2009

Dear Santa: Here's our wish list for the sport of boxing in 2010. Make it happen, or else it won't just be Rudolph with a big red nose, got it?

It's Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and you know what that means: put on your helmets and body armor, load up your favorite weapon, and get ready to take on the enemy troops.

No, we're not going to war. It's worse. We're going to the mall.



Today is Black Friday, and by the time you're reading this, you've returned from the Early Bird sales with a stash of various on-sale chotchkies, downed one drink from Starbucks, made off with some electronic goods after fighting off a lady with a purse more loaded than Antonio Margarito's gloves, had a healthy breakfast consisting of CinnaBon and Orange Julius, and now you're at home tending to your war wounds while constructing a battle plan for your next outing which involves a deadly combination of Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, and Hot Dog On A Stick.

From all of us here at 411mania boxing, we say it's a brave, brave thing you do. Somewhat stupid, but brave. We salute you.

While you scour mall maps and send out sentries for available parking spaces, our staff has been putting together our own holiday wish lists for the sport we love so much: Boxing. Our sport isn't perfect, of course, so that's why we wrote our own wish lists to Santa. We also know he's a frequent reader, so while you go attack the malls, enjoy our own Holiday Wish Lists for Boxing.

And bring back an Orange Julius, please.

The first list comes from Matt Knowles, the usual ringleader of our "Prizefight Roundtable" previews and self-appointed leader of the Floyd Mayweather Fan Club. Matt stopped believing in Santa ever since he saw Antonio Tarver vs. Elvir Muriqi, so we're just going to jump right in.

MY HOLIDAY WISH LIST FOR BOXING IN 2010 by Matt Knowles

10. More frequent high-profile fights on HBO's World Championship Boxing….'09 was good, but I want great.

9. Competitive, intriguing under-card bouts on pay-per-view…as the rule, rather than the exception.

8. An 8-man lightweight title tournament featuring Marquez, Valero, Casamayor, Diaz, Soto, Katsidis, Guzman, and DeMarco.

7. The best little rematch money can buy... Donaire vs. Darchinyan II.



6. Kelly Pavlik vs. Paul Williams... yeah, I know, even Santa can't pull that one off.

5. Chad Dawson vs. someone that will bring out the best in him… Adamek rematch?

4. A meaningful heavyweight title bout that garners international interest and acclaim… Haye vs. Arreola perhaps?

3. A quick parole for good behavior for James Kirkland.

2. Retirement press conferences for Roy Jones and Evander Holyfield.

1.FLOYD VS MANNY!



Next comes from the Boss Man, the author of "Inside the Ropes," and the guy who I have to support every week on "3 More Rounds," Ramon Aranda.

MY HOLIDAY WISH LIST FOR BOXING IN 2010 by Ramon Aranda

Dear Santa,

It's the 411 Boxing head honcho here, how ya been?  It's been a good 2009 if you don't count the Margarito debacle and some untimely deaths but overall, the action was solid and 2010 can't come soon enough.  That's why I've got this here 2010 wish list for your ass eyes and here's hoping you can get it done big guy...

1. For Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather to meet in the summer with a 50/50 split

2. For the amount of boxing PPVs to remain low - keeping it to MEGA fights.  I like Showtime and HBO to keep their stuff on their networks.

3. For this boxing promoters association to turn into a great thing for the sport.

4. More Super Six goodness without injuries.

5. For Kelly Pavlik to actually fight somebody.



6. Same goes for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

7. Vitali vs. Wladimir.

8. For Andre Ward, Nonito Donaire and Robert Guerrero to become big stars - the SF Bay Area needs some.

9. For boxing to continue to put together the best fights possible. The sport is on a roll and it has to keep it going.

10.For our staff to continue kicking ass and make 411mania the best damn site on the net for boxing coverage.



Well said! Now here's the keeper of the "Fight Lover's Forum" Ali Shakoor's wish list.

MY HOLIDAY WISH LIST FOR BOXING IN 2010 by Ali Shakoor

Dear Jolly Fatman:

This year I'm focusing on boxing.  You really let me down in 2009 when it came to my Ohio State Buckeyes and Oakland Raiders.  I know you're busy, so this time, let's just narrow things down to boxing and boxing only.  Here's my list in no particular order of importance... except the bottom two:
 
10.  Please get Manny v. Floyd signed, let them have a healthy camp, and please get them in the ring for the biggest fight that I can remember.  You'll get a lot of requests on this one.
 
9.  Jermain Taylor comes to his senses and retires before he gets hurt.
 
8.  Mike Tyson finds some peace, and stays retired.
 
7.  We get rid of "super" champions and only use "interim" belts when the true champion is injured for a long period.
 
6.  No injuries in the Super 6 tournament.
 
5.  Joe Calzaghe comes out of retirement, mocks (hey, that's how he fights) and beats up Chad Dawson, and struts back to the dressing room Joe C. style with the Ring 175 pound belt. Then retires again--undefeated--only to come out to beat up whoever wins the Super 6, if it's not Kessler; who he already beat.  Then I want you to give him his respect.  Sorry, that was a long one.


 
4.  Please keep Fernando Vargas retired, and let him become a successful promoter.
 
3.  Give me an American, well-conditioned (no fat Arreolas) heavyweight contender to get excited about.
 
2.  A break-through in brain scanning to test for signs of brain damage in boxers, so that we can better regulate licensing to those that shouldn't fight.
 
1.  No boxing related fatalities.

Thanks big man.  If you can only grant one, make it number one.



And finally, here's mine!

MY HOLIDAY WISH LIST FOR BOXING IN 2010 by Ryan Bates

Dear Santa:

How are you? I am fine. It must be nice to work only one day a year. How do you eat all those milk and cookies and not get diabetes? I have been a really good boy this year (at least that's what the ladies say) so here is what I wish for boxing in 2010:

10. Glasses for Gale Van Hoy. Or a new career.

9. A starring role for Paulie Malignaggi -- either in the ring as a top billing against a marquis name, or in a feature film. Kid's got some acting chops!



8. For Everlast or Ringside to open a retail store in Las Vegas, the fight capital of the world. You're a businessman, Mr. Claus. Tell me that wouldn't make stupid amounts of money.

7. A pink slip for Joe Cortez.

6. Excitement in the heavyweight division again. All we have right now is a blown-up version of Floyd. Try to get David Haye to back up his loud mouth.

5. Competent judges, specifically in Houston and Germany. Sometimes we have to pray for those who are worse off than we are...

4. Continued success in the boxing careers of the people I'm proud to call my friends: Francisco "El Gato" Figueroa, Raul "La Cobrita" Martinez, Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire Jr., Omar Henry, Jorge "The Truth" Teron, Brian "Hawaiian Punch" Viloria, Alfonso Gomez, and Nate Campbell. May 2010 be a huge year for them.

3. Continued success in the boxing careers of the people I'm proud to call ME. This is the breakthrough year. May 2010 be a huge year for me.

2. Floyd Mayweather fighting a legitimate welterweight champion or Manny Pacquiao. Thank you for the gift of his incredible talent, but please send us a playmate to challenge him and make him better.

1. No more dying in the sport by unnatural causes. Santa, I know boxing is a brutal sport, but the brutality should stay in the ring, not out in the real world. We lost too many good people in the sport this year -- Arturo Gatti, Alexis Arguello, Vernon Forrest, and more. Frankly, we lost an absurd amount of celebrities this year. How bout sending the Grim Reaper on a nice long vacation? We're still feeling their losses.

Well, that's all from us. What's on your Boxing wish list? Happy shopping, and try not to get hurt out there.