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02/01/2004 Archived Entry: "B.A.D. Delivers a Flop Not Fit for Public Access Cable"
B.A.D. Delivers a Flop Not Fit for Public Access Cable
HBO Off to a Bad Quarter in 2004
By Umar ben-Ivan Lee
If I would have had the volume down and not been paying attention to the graphics on the television I could have sworn that I was watching fights from a New York bar and the station I was watching was B-CAT Public Access Cable. This could not have been HBO the most powerful name in boxing and the network that is supposed to be able to deliver the big fights to boxing fans.
What fight fans witnessed was two full-scale blowouts. First we had Rafael Marquez make quick work over the over matched Pete Frissina in two rounds. This was Frissina's first televised fight and his full-time gig is working in his dad's fencing business and maybe he needs to stick to that profession and hang the gloves up. He had been undefeated for the past six years and that brings one big question, just who the hell has he been fighting?
Next we saw the undefeated Canadian Hercules Kyvelos try to box the brawling Mexican Antonio Margarito and barely make it out of the first round before being stopped in the second.
A thirty minute program that is what we got and that was buffered by same ridiculously lame segment by Harold Lederman. So for those of us who only get HBO because of the boxing, we were royally screwed for our January bill as all the network had to offer this month besides this laughable show from Phoenix was the Gatti-Branco match.
Are you telling me that Bob Arum and HBO could not have come together to put on more competitive fights? You mean Marquez could not have been matched with Cruz Carbajal, Ricardo Vargas, or someone like Genaro Garcia? Likewise, Margarito could not have been matched with Jose Rivera or Teddy Reid?
Once again the fans got the short end of the stick while Bob Arum laughed all the way to the bank. HBO for its part has gotten off to a bad start in 2004 and February doesn't look much better. The network will only offer one card next month with Jesus Chavez V. Erik Morales being the main event in what should be a competitive fight. A second card was planned featuring Fernando Vargas against Javier Castillejo, but was cancelled due to the back injury of Vargas.
That brings us into March where HBO will put on a good card on March 13th as Shane Mosley faces Winky Wright in what should be a highly competitive Jr. Middleweight Unification bout and "Baby" Joe Mesi will face his toughest challenge to date as he takes on the much more accomplished and well rounded Vassily Jirov. The next card will be March 27th from Arkansas and this will not feature championship fights, rather it will feature two prospects Jermain Taylor and Dominick Guinn against carefully selected opponents coming to fight them in their home state in front of hostile crowds. A March 20th card featuring a Cory Spinks V. Zab Judah main event had to be pushed to April. This means that in the first quarter of 2004 HBO will only feature five boxing shows.
So, who will save us fight fans during this time? Showtime had a helluva a night lined up for February 7th that would have featured Kostya Tszyu V. Sharmba Mitchell and James Tony V. Jameel McCline, but those fights were cancelled due to injuries to both Tszyu and Toney and will be replaced by Mitchell facing a Lovemore Ndou. In March they are scheduled to put on a quality card as Showtime will feature the rematch of Joel Cassamayor V. Diego "Chico" Corrales and Jeff Lacy V. Tito Mendoza on the undercard.
Other than what is on HBO and Showtime it looks as if we will see some mildly competitive bouts on ESPN2, Telefutura and HBO Latino and a look at some good prospects. Thankfully we will not be gouged out of anymore money from these ridiculous PPV sows Golden Boy and Top Rank have been putting on.
Fight fans will be facing a rough first quarter to 2004 let us see if boxing can rebound with a nice second quarter as we may see Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, the final bout for Lennox Lewis, Judah V. Spinks and the return of Mayorga, Forrest, Jones, the Klitschko Brothers, James Toney, Pacquiao V. Marquez, the return of Felix Trinidad and other action in the second quarter of boxing for 2004. Let us keep hope alive, because we have witnessed more action from names like Kerry, Edwards, Clark, Sharpton and Dean in the first quarter of 2004 than we have from the warriros in the ring.
