Fight Insight

I earlier wrote that the first De La Hoya-Mayweather bout was bad for boxing.  Now that it appears there is a rematch in place for later this year, I’ll simply reiterate my earlier claim.  Before I trash this potential matchup, I have to acknowledge that for both men, the fight is a no-brainer, financially at least.  Even if the rematch does not match the record-setting PPV and tickets sales that the first installment generated, it likely will be 2008’s biggest fight.  However, I compare this fight to someone (hypothetically) producing The Da Vinci Code II - a pointless follow-up to an over-hyped and uninspiring, yet commercially successful original. 

You wanna hate me, then hate me; what can I do?…but keep gettin’ money, funny I was just like you.

Hate Me Now by Nas

Who do I think wins the fight? Well, technically, they both win.  They will again be earning millions, with minimal risk in the ring.  Expect a repeat of the first fight, unless Floyd gets crazy and runs into something silly (which is as likely to happen as this fight being exciting). 

So who loses? For starters, Miguel Cotto has to sit back and hope the winner fights him.  He appeared to be the logical opponent for Mayweather in the wake of his destruction of Ricky Hatton.  The other loser is a familiar one.  You guessed it - it’s you and I, the fans.  Despite this fact, like many of you, I will complain about the matchup during the pre-fight buildup, reluctantly buy the PPV, and then complain about the fight afterwards.  It’s an all-too-familiar scenario that many fans have unfortunately gotten used to in recent years. 

Floyd now calls himself Money Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya’s boxing namesake is the Golden Boy.  So it should come as no surprise that this fight has a "cash register" ring to it.  I can’t knock both men’s business savvy, as they are proving to be forces to be reckoned with outside of the ring.  But at what cost are these efforts costing them their "boxing souls?"  History will ultimately tell the story, but I have always preferred the fighting part of the phrase prize fighting. For better (their own net worth) or for worse (fight fans’ enjoyment), Mayweather and De La Hoya recently seem to have their eyes solely set on the prize part.

As you probably know, Century and Everlast are two of the strongest players in the boxing equipment industry. However, you don’t necessarily have to go to their sites to get their products or others’. As a matter of fact, the open distribution of the Web makes it very easy to find whatever your heart desires, wherever you want to get it. Looking for boxing gloves or head gear to begin sparring sessions at a local gym? Or maybe you are looking for a heavy bag to punch your frustrations away? I have found a few places that should be able to satisfy your needs. Take a look.

Amazon.com
This destination shocked me. Amazon has a very healthy selection of reasonably-priced boxing-related products, both new and used. From boxing gloves and head gear to heavy bags and speed bags, the Boxing category of the site has over 3,000 boxing-related products. It’s clear that books and DVDs aren’t the only things that they sell.

KarateDepot.com
Don’t let the name fool you, karate pants and nunchucks aren’t the only things they sell here. Like Amazon.com, you will find an abundance of discounted boxing equipment and gear, including helpful user ratings for each product. The site’s greatest feature is the ability to search for products by a wider range of categories than you will find on most sites. Specifically, you can sort products by brand, category, color, material, price and size.

SportsAuthority.com
Lastly, I wanted to highlight a more conventional sporting goods retail site. On the surface, one would not think that the Sports Authority would have many products outside of the action and team sports arenas. Unlike much of the mainstream sports world, this mainstream sports retailer has not forgotten the boxing fan base. The boxing category is grouped under the Exercise & Fitness. We can thank folks like Billy Blanks and his tremendously popular Tae Bo program. The growing fitness market has increasingly demanded boxing-based techniques and work outs, and an established brand like Sports Authority naturally began filling their shelves in kind. Check them out to see what I mean.

There are many other sites that offer a similar inventory of boxing products. These stood out most to me because of the sheer volume of items, including all of the most popular brands (Everlast, Century). I hope this list is helpful. If there are any sites that I missed, please post your favorites via the comments form below.            

The title of this post should have ended with According to Ja Dawson. You typically find most disclaimers at the end of an article, but I will let you know now: "this is my personal list and does not express or represent the views of any film rating agency or program." If you came here looking for Ebert & Roper-like analysis, you came to the wrong place. If you came here to check out the opinion of a fight fan turned neophyte film critic, then this post is for you.

A lot of films came to mind, but I decided to narrow my list to a final four. I ranked the movies based on the: authenticity of the character portrayals, overall storyline, and, last but not least, the realism of the fighting scenes. If you are like me, this last aspect (or lack thereof) can totally ruin a potentially good boxing movie. Now that you know what’s behind my list, check out my favorite boxing films below.

Other boxing films worth noting are: Denzel Washington’s stirring portrayal of Ruben Carter in The Hurricane, Russel Crowe’s convincing depiction of "everyman" heavyweight champion Jim Braddock in Cinderella Man, and Sylvester Stallone’s latest installment in the Rocky saga, Rocky Balboa.

I’ve surfed long and hard for places to buy or sell tickets to boxing events across the country. Surprisingly, I found quite a few Web sites that provide a secure, user-friendly place for boxing fans looking to attend the next big fight. All of the sites listed below are pretty good, but I offer a few more tidbits to highlight the features that distinguish the ticket brokers from one another. You can thank me later, but before you do, take a look at the boxing ticket sites that stood out most to me.

#1 StubHub!
For starters, StubHub.com is the #1 site to buy & sell tickets online. This is particularly important if you are looking to sell boxing tickets, because the site attracts a huge pool of potential buyers. If you are looking to buy tickets, the site has a "Fight Tickets" category on the lower left side of the homepage, which provides a link to "Boxing Tickets." Here, you access a page that lists the major upcoming boxing events. Although it takes three clicks to get there, the best feature on the page is StubHub Maps^TM.  This nifty chart allows you to see the total number of tickets remaining as well the number of tickets remaining by seating section.

#2 Ticketmaster
If StubHub.com is the leading ticket broker brand on the Web, Ticketmaster, with its long history, is probably a close second. The boxing category is not directly linked from the homepage, but it can be found after you click the "Sports" link on the left side or top of the Homepage. The aspect that sets Ticketmaster’s boxing section apart is the sheer volume of events listed. From boxing superfights being broadcast on pay-per-view to non-televised bouts in small venues, Ticketmaster has the most comprehensive listing that I have come across so far.

#3 Tickets Now
Tickets Now.com does not provide a direct link to its "Boxing and Fighting Tickets" category from the homepage. Similar to other ticket broker sites, you get there by accessing the "Sports" category near the top of the homepage. You must then perform another "click" near the bottom of this page before reaching the Boxing and Fighting Tickets page. Here, you can subscribe to email alerts for future boxing events by boxer or event name. Tickets Now also has some of the best-looking seating and pricing charts that I have seen.

To me, these are the best Web sites for boxing tickets. You can thank me now.

I am assuming that you have already read and agree with my Fighter of the Year post, judging by the lack of comments that I have received. Now that I have that out of the way, I present my list of the year’s best fights. Like my fighter of the year criteria, I place a heavy emphasis on quality of opposition, based largely on each fighter’s Ring rating, as well as what is at stake in terms of title belts. Most importantly, the fight must be exciting, with an element of drama. By drama, I mean that at some point during the fight its outcome must have been in doubt. Many were qualified, but only five were worthy.

Check out my selections below.

#5 Sakio Bika TKO 8 Jaidon Codrington
For what these fighters lacked in boxing ability, they made up in terms of heart, punching power, and (lack of) defense. No world title was on the line here, but the combatants were closing out season three of the Contender reality television series. And close it out is just what they did, as viewers were treated to the greatest Contender fight ever. Watch the final two rounds.

#4 Floyd Mayweather, Jr. TKO 10 Ricky Hatton
Few superfights matched this one in terms of intensity inside the ring as well as outside of it. The year’s final superfight played out like a classic novel. The rising action, HBO’s pre-fight reality show and televised weigh-in created the buzz, while Floyd Mayweather’s blazing fists closed the show.

#3 Miguel Cotto TKO 11 Zab Judah
Like Mayweather-Hatton, this fight was fairly one-sided (in favor of Cotto) yet exciting. As usual, Judah shocked and awed with his speed and power early on. Cotto ultimately weathered the storm and systematically beat Judah into submission like no fighter had ever done before. Judah’s wild hay-makers and Cotto’s shaky chin kept fans on their toes for 10 rounds, until Judah finally succumbed in round 11.

#2 Israel Vazquez TKO 6 Rafael Marquez II
Forgive me for missing this fight live, and forgive me more for not posting an article on it. But give me "props" for acknowledging it here. Were it not for both men weighing less than an eighth grader and being as recognizable as Ja Dawson, this fight would be #1 on my list. Don’t believe me? Check out these highlights.

#1 Kelly Pavlik KO 7 Jermain Taylor
What do you get when two undefeated fighters meet, in their physical primes, for the undisputed middleweight championship of the world? You get the 2007 fight of the year. Kelly Pavlik got off the floor in round two, and the rest, Jermain Taylor included, was history. If Floyd Mayweather, Jr. was the shining star of boxing in 2007, Kelly Pavlik sure was its fastest rising one. I don’t know about you but I can not wait until next year!