Inside the Ropes 12.13.07: The Return
Posted by Ramon Aranda on 12.13.2007
Inside the Ropes makes it return this week as I tackle a myriad of topics, from the Hatton-Mayweather fight, to arguements over weigh-ins as well as what 2008 has got to offer. All this and more on this week's Inside the Ropes.
Hello everyone and welcome to the return of Inside the Ropes. I'll be talking about various topics each week relating to the sweet science to strap on your gloves and step inside the ropes!
Mayweather proves once again he is the best in the world
Say what you will about "Pretty Boy" Floyd, that he isn't always exciting to watch, that he has a big mouth, he's over confident or whatever else pops in your head when you think about "Money Mayweather" but the truth of the matter is that Floyd can talk the talk and he can walk the walk. Floyd Mayweather is the pound for pound best fighter in the world and no one can or should take that away from him. He proved in his bout with Hatton that he can readjust to a fight and dominate in the late rounds. He showed off his defensive mastery, only allowing a terrible 17% connected punches from an excellent fighter like Hatton and brutalized "The Hitman" when he knew he had him hurt. The sign of a great fighter is one who knows how to finish a fight and Mayweather knows how to do just that.
It's a little too early to tell what Mayweather will do next but he has already expressed interest in retiring for good unless he's offered a huge amount of money which he received to fight De La Hoya and Hatton. The only other potential fight I see out there for Mayweather to make money in would be a welterweight showdown with Miguel Cotto who has a growing fan base that could generate big numbers in New York. Aside from that there are a number of good fighters I would love to see in the ring with Floyd, but financially don't make sense. Mosley also called out Mayweather at the post-fight conference as they are good friends and could possibly put together a high purse with Golden Boy Promotions so we shall see.
Weigh-ins; the day before a fight or on fight night?
This has been the topic of various discussions over the last few years. Should fighters have to weigh-in on the day of the fight or the day before as it currently is? It's a hot topic because on various occasions, we've seen a fighter make weight the day before, only to come in on fight night with a huge weight advantage over his opponent. Arturo Gatti was one of many fighters whom we were accustomed to seeing come into a fight well over the weight limit while fighting at lightweight. This lead to disadvantages to many of his opponents, namely Joey Gamache who suffered head injuries after a brutal knockout at the hands of Gatti in 2000. A lawsuit soon followed after Gamache and his team claimed that Gatti never actually made the weight that was agreed upon. We've seen it time and time again as fighters fight in divisions too small for them as to have a weight and power advantage. The positives however of having the weigh-in take place a day prior to the fight is that it gives the fighters who normally have to struggle to make weight a chance to re-hydrate and eat.
Those who favor the weigh-ins to take place the day before as opposed to the day of, say that fighters forced to weigh-in on the day of the fight will result in drained fighters which would then result in bad fights due to fatigue. I'm not really sure which one I personally favor but I'd lean more towards day-of weigh-ins. I just think that it's unfair for a fighter to have such huge discrepancies in weight when his opponent may suffer the consequences. A lighter opponent would have a tougher time being able to hurt and wear down the heavier fighter while risking being hurt more easily by the bigger man. The way I see it is if you have such a hard time making weight, you should clearly be fighting in a higher division.
Hatton-Mayweather: Highest grossing fight of all-time?
The numbers aren't in yet and will likely take a few weeks to get tallied up but the Hatton-Mayweather fight has a chance to become the highest grossing gate of all time.
Let's look at the top five entries as of now:
1. FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR vs OSCAR DE LA HOYA
MGM, Golden Boy, Don Chargin, PPV Date: 05/05/07 Gate: 17,078 Gross: $18,419,200.00
2. LENNOX LEWIS vs EVANDER HOLYFIELD II
Thomas and Mack, Don King, PPV Date: 11/13/99 Gate: 17,078 Gross: $ 16,860,300.00
3. EVANDER HOLYFIELD vs MIKE TYSON II
MGM, Don King, PPV Date: 06/28/97 Gate:16,279 Gross: $ 14,277,200.00
4. EVANDER HOLYFIELD vs MIKE TYSON I
MGM, Don King, PPV Date: 11/09/96 Gate: 16,103 Gross: $ 14,150,700.00
5. MIKE TYSON vs PETER MC NEELEY
MGM, Don King, PPV Date: 08/19/95 Gate: 16,113 Gross: $ 13,965,600.00
The De La Hoya-Mayweather fight did magnificent numbers but I guarantee you that 20,000 Mexicans didn't fly into Vegas to see the fight. Ricky Hatton brought in thousands of his countrymen to see him face off against Floyd Mayweather Jr. so it's not that far of a stretch to assume that it could at least give De La Hoya-Mayweather a run for its money. We'll find out soon enough if "Pretty Boy" will have the top two spots.
Random Thoughts
-Is it just me or is Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. getting better and better every time out? He's certainly making a believer out of me as the Son of the Legend keeps improving and maturing. That left hook to the body is vintage Chavez while he mixes up rights and uppercuts. I hope he learns to use the jab more effectively as he is taller and longer armed that his dad which will help him against bigger guys.
-I have to admit that 2007 may go down as one of the greatest years in boxing. So many mega-fights were finally made; something that seemed so unattainable years ago when we all complained about promoters not working to put together the best fights possible. This year we got that and a whole lot more from De La Hoya-Mayweather, Cotto-Mosley, and Mayweather-Hatton to Hopkins-Wright. The list goes on and on and from the look of things 2008 looks to continue that trend with early mega-fights such as Pavlik-Taylor II, Marquez-Pacquiao II and even a heavyweight unification bout between Wladimir Klitschko and Sultan Ibragimov. Keep the fights coming guys as the boxing world rejoices.
-Fighters should not wear trunks with the U.S. flag plastered all over ala Rocky/Apollo. I've made an observation through the years that fighters who do decide to wear such trunks especially in big fights, end up getting knocked out. The same applies to being in a movie, making a video or coming out with a rapper unless your name is Floyd Mayweather.
-If you haven't yet experienced a boxing event whether on HBO, SHOWTIME or on PPV in high definition, you don't know what you are missing. The clarity is so impressive in a boxing match as you can see more of the ring, you can clearly see cuts, bruises and swellings not to mention that you feel like you're sitting at ringside. Trust me; if you can't be at a fight, the next best thing is to watch one in HD.
-Word of the week: "bloke". I heard it over and over again in Vegas, apparently the English like to use it quite often to refer to guys. Look it up.
-Our LIVE blog of the Mayweather-Hatton fight seemed to go over quite well with all of you readers. I just want to thank you once again for tuning in whether you are a frequent 411 reader or a new visitor. You all made it a huge success and I look forward to bringing you our next blog for the Roy Jones vs. Felix Trinidad bout on January 19th.
-Need some help shopping for a fight fan? Check out Sid Needleman's latest MMA/Boxing Holiday Shopping Guide. He's got you covered on all sorts of ideas for the holiday season. So go on in and check it out!
That's it for this week folks, if you have any comments or questions or have an idea for a topic you'd like me to address on a future edition of Inside the Ropes, feel free to drop me a line at franchise2@aol.com.
