Comments Thread For: "Fighting Words" - On Ortiz-Thompson, Vargas-Ali, D.C. Boxing

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

by David P. Greisman - The first boxing card I covered live was Mike Tyson's final bout, when he quit against Kevin McBride and I asked a question in the post-fight press conference that made him curse. It probably didn't ever take much to make Tyson curse.


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[Clegg]

Crazy to read about how that judge scored the Ortiz fight. Hopefully he finds a new career because the next time it happens it might be in a fight that goes to a cards and screws someone over.

I don't know much about each particular US region but seems like young, talented prospects would've been better off fighting in their home state and building up a fanbase rather than being on untelevised undercards of big events in Vegas or New York. Gary Russell Jr for sure seems to fall into this category. I wouldn't have thought a fighter from Omaha was likely to get a good local following but Crawford did it, which suggests the potential is there for fighters in other states where they don't usually stage big fights.

Edit: Looking on boxrec is says Crawford didn't fight much in Nebraska until he won a belt. Maybe a better example is Fernando Guerrero who DG did a piece on a few years back, he built his local popularity well on the way up.

[SUBZER0ED]

David kind of put down the fact that Ortiz vs Thompson was uncompetitive, but the announcers named a list of HWs who turned the fight down. Thompson was the only one to step up. Maybe it was because of Ortiz's 2 failed PED tests, or because he's a beast that everyone else refused to fight him, but Thompson gets props for facing him.

[Teetotaler]

David kind of put down the fact that Ortiz vs Thompson was uncompetitive, but the announcers named a list of HWs who turned the fight down. Thompson was the only one to step up. Maybe it was because of Ortiz's 2 failed PED tests, or because he's a beast that everyone else refused to fight him, but Thompson gets props for facing him.

that bastard Griesman is a Haymon/showtime nuthugger. lol @ him saying HBO put up a gross mismatch when it was suppose to be ustinov at first then it fell through two other times. The last lines he's basically on his knees for broner in a pathetic matchup but i guess he finds it competitive and somewhat interesting

[FelipeB]

Marquez has got to take this title from Vargas..

[PanchoCordova]

That would be a good fight. I'd put my money on Marquez.

[Mr. David]

David kind of put down the fact that Ortiz vs Thompson was uncompetitive, but the announcers named a list of HWs who turned the fight down. Thompson was the only one to step up. Maybe it was because of Ortiz's 2 failed PED tests, or because he's a beast that everyone else refused to fight him, but Thompson gets props for facing him.

Indeed, though I was in the arena and didn't hear the list of heavyweights. We also don't know how much money was being offered to them and on how little notice after Dimitrenko pulled out. Golden Boy at least reportedly offered more money to keep Dimitrenko.

Anyway, the fact that Thompson was the replacement opponent who took the fight when others didn't doesn't mean that what I said is untrue — that HBO paid for a noncompetitive fight like Ortiz vs. Thompson at a time when its budget is so tight that it won't pay for competitive clashes like Lomachenko vs. Walters, and that the reason HBO sees this as a wiser choice is because it is building toward Ortiz vs. the Fury-Klitschko rematch winner.

I imagine that few were excited for Ortiz-Thompson; we knew what the result would be.

You still raise a fair point. No one wanted to face Ortiz.

that bastard Griesman is a Haymon/showtime nuthugger. lol @ him saying HBO put up a gross mismatch when it was suppose to be ustinov at first then it fell through two other times. The last lines he's basically on his knees for broner in a pathetic matchup but i guess he finds it competitive and somewhat interesting

LOL. I'm equal opportunity with my critiques and equal opportunity with my praise. Any regular reader of my pieces in BoxingScene and The Ring magazine would know that.

I had one prominent Haymon fighter's manager friend me on Facebook just to give me a respectful earful about my critique of his guy.

I've been critical of everyone from Mayweather and Broner to Wilder and Quillin and have been hopeful for PBC but skeptical of its ability to succeed.

I've torn into fights like Garcia-Peterson and Quillin-Jacobs being pushed back for so long — maybe you never saw the video of me twice chasing down Eric Gomez of Golden Boy, who essentially stood in to take the heat for the Garcia-Salka travesty even though that fight happened because Garcia-Peterson probably was being held back by Haymon himself.

I've hated on how many mismatches Leo Santa Cruz had in recent years when we wanted to see him against better opposition.

And you know the funny thing? Despite all of that, one PBC executive recently came up to me and praised my work. I don't seek anyone's approval in this sport. I just strive for accuracy and fairness and to write as well as I can. I hold myself to high standards and feel I don't always reach them with the way I craft my pieces.

Also, it was never supposed to be Ustinov. It was supposed to be Dimitrenko. [EDIT — Ustinov did get an offer, but we don't know how much. Ustinov may be in a better financial position with the purse bid and would have a longer training camp.]

And my last lines were tearing into Broner for ditching the press event — oh, and I've written regularly about what a bull**** fight Broner-Theophane is and how Theophane wasn't even in the Top 15 until just a few weeks ago, allowing this bout to go forward.

I'm glad you read my piece, even if your reading comprehension was lacking. I'm not above being critiqued, and I'm also one of those writers who will admit when he was wrong (and I've done so publicly in the column at times over these 11 years.) Still, if you're going to come at me, at least have your facts straight and do your research.

[SUBZER0ED]

Indeed, though I was in the arena and didn't hear the list of heavyweights. We also don't know how much money was being offered to them and on how little notice after Dimitrenko pulled out. Golden Boy at least reportedly offered more money to keep Dimitrenko.

Anyway, the fact that Thompson was the replacement opponent who took the fight when others didn't doesn't mean that what I said is untrue — that HBO paid for a noncompetitive fight like Ortiz vs. Thompson at a time when its budget is so tight that it won't pay for competitive clashes like Lomachenko vs. Walters, and that the reason HBO sees this as a wiser choice is because it is building toward Ortiz vs. the Fury-Klitschko rematch winner.

I imagine that few were excited for Ortiz-Thompson; we knew what the result would be.

You still raise a fair point. No one wanted to face Ortiz.

Considering Klitschko lost his long-held title to Fury, their impending rematch and list of potentials in the wings, the HW division has a chance to resurge to a level of relative interest. HBO recognizes this, and would rather fund even a moot fight between Ortiz (a heavy hitter & future title contender) & Thompson, than a fight between virtual unknown LWs Walters (who has only drawn & won a unanimous decision since waxing Donaire), and green (to the pros) Lomanchenko. I agree with HBO's decision. The network only wants to spend money on fights that will result in a good return on investment.

[Clegg]

Considering Klitschko lost his long-held title to Fury, their impending rematch and list of potentials in the wings, the HW division has a chance to resurge to a level of relative interest. HBO recognizes this, and would rather fund even a moot fight between Ortiz (a heavy hitter & future title contender) & Thompson, than a fight between virtual unknown LWs Walters (who has only drawn & won a unanimous decision since waxing Donaire), and green (to the pros) Lomanchenko. I agree with HBO's decision. The network only wants to spend money on fights that will result in a good return on investment.

You prefer Ortiz-Thompson over Lomachenko-Walters?

[SUBZER0ED]

You prefer Ortiz-Thompson over Lomachenko-Walters?

It's not that. This is about funding the viewing of the buildup for the upcoming big showdowns of the heavy weights. Ortiz may clean out the division, or maybe Fury proves his mettle. Maybe Klitshcko wakes up and avenges his loss. Perhaps Joshua will dominate. Povetkin may smash Wilder or vice versa. We should see more excitement in the HW division soon, than we have in over a decade.